Rig Veda 8.7.18: Mandala 8, Sukta 7, Mantra 18
Sukta 8.7
- Rishi
- Kāṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
येनाव तुर्वशं यदुं येन कण्वं धनस्पृतम् । राये सु तस्य धीमहि ॥
yénāva turváśaṃ yáduṃ yéná káṇvaṃ dhana-spṛ́tam | rāyé sú tásya dhīmahi ||
جس نے ترواش اور یادو کی مدد کی، جس نے کنو کو دولت کا فاتح بنایا - اسی طاقت کی طرف ہم اپنا خیال وجود کی پوری کمال کے لیے لگاتے ہیں۔
Word by Word
- येन
- by which; with whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (instrumental sg.)Role करण (instrument) / हेतु-निर्देशRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य-
- अव
- down; forth; (as preverb)Indeclinableअव्ययम्Role उपसर्गार्थः (directional/auxiliary)Root अव (उपसर्ग/निपात) अव-
- तुर्वशम्
- Turvaśa (the Turvaśa prince/tribe)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.)Role कर्म (object)Root तुर्वश (जनपद/राजवंश-नाम, प्रातिपदिक) तुर्वश-
- यदुम्
- Yadu (the Yadu prince/tribe)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.)Role कर्म (object)Root यदु (जनपद/राजवंश-नाम, प्रातिपदिक) यदु-
- येन
- by which; with whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (instrumental sg.)Role करण (instrument) / हेतु-निर्देशRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य-
- कण्वम्
- Kaṇva (the seer)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.)Role कर्म (object)Root कण्व (ऋषि-नाम, प्रातिपदिक) कण्व-
- धनस्पृतम्
- wealth-winning; obtaining wealthAdjective (past participle, used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.); कर्मणि भूतकृदन्तः (PPP)Role विशेषणम् (of कण्वम्) / कर्मRoot धन- + √स्पृश्/स्पृ (स्पर्शन/प्राप्ति) → स्पृत (कृदन्त) ; समासः: धन- + स्पृत
- राये
- for wealth; for richesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम् (dat. sg.)Role सम्प्रदान (purpose/recipient)Root राय्/रायि (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक) राय-
- सु
- indeed; surelyIndeclinableअव्ययम् (emphatic/assent)Role निपातार्थः (emphasis)Root सु (निपात) सु-
- तस्य
- of him; of that (one)Pronounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (gen. sg.)Role षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) त-
- धीमहि
- we meditate; we reflect (upon)Verbलट् (वर्तमाने) आत्मनेपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (मुख्य क्रियापद); कर्ता = वयम् (implied)Root √धी (धी/ध्या—‘to think, meditate’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: येन अव तुर्वशम् यदुम् येन कण्वम् धनस्पृतम् । राये सु तस्य धीमहि ॥ 1) येना॒व = येन + अव (अ + अ → आ; संधि-लोपेन ‘येनाव’).
- ‘धनस्पृतम्’ समास/कृदन्त-रूपम् (धन- + स्पृत). 3) स्वरचिह्नाः (उदात्त/अनुदात्त/स्वरित) मन्त्रपाठानुसारं
- पदविश्लेषे मूलरूपाणि अवगम्यन्ते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
He by whom Turvaśa and Yadu were aided, and by whom Kaṇva was made a winner of riches—toward him we set our thought for wealth (rāye).
Inner meaning
The ‘tribes’ (Turvaśa, Yadu) symbolize formations of the human nature needing divine aid—currents of life and mind that must be brought under the rule of illumination. Indra is the helper who turns the seeker (Kaṇva) into a ‘winner of riches’—not mere possessions, but rāyí as plenitude: strength, joy, light, and capacity. ‘Dhīmahi’ is deliberate yogic placing of thought toward the Power that accomplishes the transformation.
Universal truth
Remembering past victories of truth within (and in tradition) strengthens faith; by consciously turning thought to the illumining Power, one receives the resources needed for the next stage.
Themes
divine aid to seers and peoples, wealth-as-plenitude, invocation by remembrance, inner concentration
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 3.62.10 (dhīmahi formula, thematic echo), RV 8.7.15, RV 1.36 (Agni as helper of seers; parallel structure)
Family tradition
Self-referential Kāṇva lines often function as ‘memory-mantras’: the lineage recalls Indra’s aid as a psychological lever for śraddhā (faith) and renewed ascent.
Significance
The seer anchors aspiration in lived realization: the divine has already helped and enriched consciousness; therefore the next invocation can be made with trust and precision.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavan (bountiful), sakhā (friend, frequent Indra epithet), vṛtrahan
- Related deities
- Maruts, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Champion who leads human and cosmic forces toward expansion; giver of rāyí through victory and illumination.
Inner power
Decisive intelligence and courage that turns aspiration into attainment; the power that makes the seeker ‘win’ inner riches.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma rites; also genealogical/itihāsa allusion within stotra
येना॒व तु॒र्वशं॒ यदुं॒ येन॒ कण्वं॑ धन॒स्पृत॑म् । रा॒ये सु तस्य॑ धीमहि ॥
येन॑ । आ॒व । तु॒र्वश॑म् । येन॑ । कण्व॑म् । ध॒न॒ऽस्पृत॑म् । रा॒ये । सु । तस्य॑ । धी॒म॒हि॒ ॥
yena | āva | turvaśam | yena | kaṇvam | dhana-spṛtam | rāye | su | tasya | dhīmahi
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4 × ~11 (approx.)
Narrative-assertive with a concluding contemplative turn in ‘dhīmahi’.
Builds confidence through remembrance, then gathers into focused intention.
- येन (yena)
- Literal: by whom. Symbolic: the effective divine agency behind progress
- आव (āva)
- Literal: helped, protected. Symbolic: divine guardianship in inner battles
- तुर्वशम् / यदुम् (turvaśam/yadum)
- Literal: names of tribes. Symbolic: energies/parts of nature to be led and harmonized by light
- कण्वम् (kaṇvam)
- Literal: Kaṇva. Symbolic: the seer-soul in the human being; the aspiring consciousness
- धनस्पृतम् (dhana-spṛtam)
- Literal: winner/attainer of riches. Symbolic: one who secures inner plenitude through victory over obstruction
- धீमहि (dhīmahi)
- Literal: we meditate/hold in thought. Symbolic: intentional concentration/placing of the mind in the divine Light
- राये (rāye)
- Literal: for wealth. Symbolic: plenitude of being—light, power, joy, harmony
Recited in praise to secure rāyí (spiritual abundance) as the fruit of right alignment with the helping Power
When invoking Indra as helper and giver of rāyí; often before requests for increase.
Recited with offering; the ‘dhīmahi’ can be accompanied by a brief inward pause (mental oblation).
A mantra for faith after setbacks: recall earlier inner help, then set thought again toward the same Light for renewed plenitude.
√av 'help' frames the devata as protector and promoter. dhana 'wealth' (rooted in √dhan 'to bestow/possess' in later usage; etymology debated) is re-read psychologically as stored force/substance. √spṛ 'to win/attain' (cf. 'to reach') gives dhana-spṛt 'wealth-winner'. rāyí is the Vedic term for abundance/felicity; from √rā 'to give, grant'—thus 'that which is granted' becomes inner plenitude. dhīmahi expresses intentional concentration: placing the thought in the devata.
rāyí as fullness of being, grace as historical-aid motif (divine intervention), dhī (insight) as yogic placing of mind
Indra’s aid establishes right leadership of forces (tribes/energies) under ṛta.
True wealth is what supports truth-growth—capacities of consciousness.
Progress as repeated liberation and enrichment; the divine acts through history and inner evolution.
Vedic integralism: rāyí as total prosperity of consciousness, not merely material.
‘Winning riches’ = releasing stored energies of light/joy from within; ‘tribes’ = subpersonal forces integrated by illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'helper-of-the-ancestors' mythologem: the same Power that aided earlier heroic lines and the seer Kaṇva is invoked again. Psychologically, remembrance of prior inner victories establishes faith (śraddhā) and opens the channel to the recurring divine assistance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √av 'help' is Indo-Iranian (Avestan av- 'help, protect') and may continue PIE *h₂ewh₁- 'help' proposed in some etymologies (uncertain). √dhā 'place' is clear PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different; but 'do/put' roots are central).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi relates as heir and continuer: he invokes the devata through lineage-memory (Kaṇva, Turvaśa, Yadu) and then performs dhīmahi—placing thought in that Power—so that rāyí (inner abundance) may again be granted.
Dhīmahi: place the mind steadily in Indra’s illumining force; ask for rāyí as inner capacity (light, strength, joy).
maṇipūra (will)
inhale ‘yena…’ (remember help), exhale ‘rāye su tasya dhīmahi’ (offer thought); 6–8 breaths
confident aspiration → concentrated will
Recall one concrete moment when clarity or strength arrived ‘from above.’ Let that memory become a channel; then silently dwell on ‘dhīmahi’ for a few minutes.
Keep a heroic narrative tone through yena…; soften and internalize on ‘rāye su tasya dhīmahi’ with a gentle downward settling.
Emphasize yena (twice), kaṇvam, dhana-spṛtam; then center on dhīmahi.
turvaśaṃ: ‘ś’ palatal; final anusvāra nasal, yaduṃ: short uṃ nasal, dhanaspṛtam: retroflex ṛ; ‘spṛ’ cluster clear, rāye: long ā, dhīmahi: long ī; ‘dh’ aspirated
firm then contemplative
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