Rig Veda 8.33.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 33, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.33
- Rishi
- Kāṇva seers
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
कण्वेभिर्धृष्णवा धृषद्वाजं दर्षि सहस्रिणम् । पिशङ्गरूपं मघवन्विचर्षणे मक्षू गोमन्तमीमहे ॥
káṇvebhir dhr̥ṣṇavā́ dhr̥ṣádvā́jaṃ darṣi sahásriṇam | piśáṅgarūpaṃ maghavan vicarṣaṇe makṣū gómantam īmahe ||
Cùng với các Kāṇva (Kāṇva), hỡi Đấng quả cảm, Ngài ban sự sung mãn của sức lực bền vững, giàu đến ngàn bề, rực sáng trong vẻ vàng hung. Hỡi Chúa ban phát, Đấng nhìn rộng (Maghavan, Vicārṣaṇe), chúng con mau mắn cầu xin nơi Ngài—một đàn ánh sáng, một sự viên mãn của của cải có bò (gomat).
Word by Word
- कण्वेभिः
- with/by the Kaṇvas (Kaṇva seers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot कण्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- धृष्णवा
- O bold oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Vedic voc. in -ā)Role सम्बोधनRoot धृष्णु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bold, daring’)
- धृषत्
- daring, boldAdjective (present participle)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (used adjectivally)Role विशेषण (सम्बोधनार्थे) / सम्बोधनRoot धृष् (धातु; ‘to be bold/dare’)
- वाजम्
- prize; strength; (victory-)bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- दर्षि
- see! behold!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-समकक्ष Vedic injunctive/imperative use); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot दृश् (धातु; ‘to see’)
- सहस्रिणम्
- thousandfold; possessing a thousandAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (वाजम् इति विशेषणम्) / विशेषणRoot सहस्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having a thousand’)
- पिशङ्गरूपम्
- of tawny/variegated formAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (वाजम् इति विशेषणम्) / विशेषणRoot पिशङ्ग-रूप (समास-प्रातिपदिक; ‘tawny/variegated in form’)
- मघवन्
- O Maghavan (bountiful one, Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक; Indra-epithet ‘bountiful’)
- विचर्षणे
- O Vicārṣaṇi (far-seeing one)Noun/Epithetपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Vedic voc. in -e)Role सम्बोधनRoot वि-चर्षणि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘widely-seeing/active among men’, Indra-epithet)
- मक्षु
- quickly; at onceIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot मक्षु (अव्यय)
- गोमन्तम्
- rich in cowsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (वाजम् इति विशेषणम्) / विशेषणRoot गोमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘possessing cows’)
- ईमहे
- we seek; we strive forVerbलट्; उत्तम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot यम् (धातु; ‘to strive/seek, to go for’ → Vedic 1pl middle ‘we seek’)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठे ‘कण्वे॑भिर्धृष्ण॒वा’ इति संधिः: कण्वेभिः + धृष्णवा → कण्वेभिर्धृष्णवा (विसर्ग/र्-संधि)
- ‘धृ॒षद्वाजं॑’ इति: धृषत् + वाजम् → धृषद्वाजम् (त् + व → द्)
- ‘मघवन्विचर्षणे’ इति: मघवन् + विचर्षणे → मघवन्विचर्षणे (न् + व)
- ‘म॒न्तमीमहे’ इति: गोमन्तम् + ईमहे → गोमन्तमीमहे (म् + ई)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With the Kāṇvas, O bold Indra, you grant a thousand-rich plenitude of strength; we quickly ask for cow-possessing wealth.
Inner meaning
In the company of the seer-powers (Kāṇvas), Indra is invoked as the bold force that bestows vāja—effective energy and victorious capacity—manifold and abundant. His ‘tawny form’ is the warm radiance of illumination in dynamic action. The request for gomant is not cattle but a herding of rays: a gathering of knowledge-lights that can be organized and possessed by the consciousness for swift progress.
Universal truth
True prosperity is plenitude of force guided by illumination; when the mind is courageous and wide-seeing, knowledge-radiance multiplies and becomes an organized power in life.
Themes
Request for vāja, Illumined wealth, Kāṇva lineage praise
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva seers (collective)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.33 (hymn context), RV 1.62 (go as rays released by Indra), RV 6.44 (Indra as giver of vāja—theme-parallel)
Family tradition
Collective Kāṇva voice often speaks as a band of practitioners invoking Indra for vāja and go (light) through inspired chant.
Significance
The collective invocation indicates a communal sādhanā: illumination is strengthened when aspiration and speech are harmonized among seekers.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Dhṛṣṇu (bold), Maghavan (bounteous), Vicarṣaṇi (wide-seeing)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts (supporting forces)
Cosmic role
Bestower of vāja (victorious power) and releaser/organizer of the rays (go) for the human journey.
Inner power
Dynamic illumined intelligence that converts aspiration into swift effective progress and multiplies forms of strength.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise during Soma rites; petition for vāja and go (wealth/light)
कण्वे॑भिर्धृष्ण॒वा धृ॒षद्वाजं॑ दर्षि सह॒स्रिण॑म् । पि॒शङ्ग॑रूपं मघवन्विचर्षणे म॒क्षू गोम॑न्तमीमहे ॥
कण्वे॑भिः । धृ॒ष्णो॒ इति॑ । आ । धृ॒षत् । वाज॑म् । द॒र्षि॒ । स॒ह॒स्रिण॑म् । पि॒शङ्ग॑ऽरूपम् । म॒घ॒ऽव॒न् । वि॒ऽच॒र्ष॒णे॒ । म॒क्षु । गोऽम॑न्तम् । ई॒म॒हे॒ ॥
kaṇvebhiḥ | dhṛṣṇo iti | ā | dhṛṣat | vājam | darṣi | sahasriṇam | piśaṅga-rūpam | magha-van | vi-carṣaṇe | makṣu | go--mantam | īmahe
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4 x ~12 syllables
Forward-driving yet spacious; supports quick petition (makṣū) within a broad measure.
Energizes the listener; promotes confidence and a sense of swift ascent without strain.
- dhṛṣṇu
- Literal: bold/impetuous. Symbolic: courageous luminous force that does not yield to resistance
- vāja
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: effective power of accomplishment (energy + capacity)
- sahasriṇam
- Literal: thousand-fold/rich in thousands. Symbolic: manifold intensities and forms of force and insight
- piśaṅgarūpam
- Literal: tawny-colored form. Symbolic: warm radiance of illumination in action (golden mental light)
- vicarṣaṇe
- Literal: wide-seeing. Symbolic: all-observing discernment of the illumined mind
- gomantam
- Literal: possessing cows. Symbolic: possessing rays of light/knowledge (organized illuminations)
Praise-and-request in Soma context: seeking vāja (victorious force) and go-mat (illumined wealth)
During stotra/uktha sequences seeking Indra’s gifts and victory.
Chanted praise and request accompanying offerings.
Use as an affirmation for ‘luminous effectiveness’: before work or study, invoke wide-seeing power and ask for organized rays of insight.
vāja- is more than ‘food/prize’: from a semantic field of strength and winning capacity → ‘plenitude of force’ suited to Indra. √dṛś (darṣi) signals revelation/manifestation. go-mant ‘possessing cows’ is read symbolically as ‘possessing rays/illumination’. maghavan ‘bounteous’ ties to magha- ‘gift/power to give’.
illumination (go as rays), manifestation (darś), plenitude of force (vāja)
Wide-seeing illumination aligns action with ṛta and makes force rightly ordered.
‘Go’ as rays indicates truth-knowledge becoming possessed, not merely glimpsed.
Multiplication of forms (sahasriṇam) as the cosmos’ abundance mirrored in consciousness.
Aurobindonian symbolic psychology: go = knowledge-light; vāja = effective power.
morning/noon (suggested by tawny radiance)
Tawny radiance = solar illumination in mind; herd = organized collection of insights; swift request = urgency of progress.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘gift of vāja and cows’ motif: Indra grants victorious force and the luminous herds. Innerly, it is the bestowal of dynamic power and illumined perceptions to the striving consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dṛś ‘see’ is Indo-European (cf. Greek derk- ‘see’ in related semantic territory; PIE *derḱ-). The linkage of ‘seeing’ with ‘knowing’ and ‘granting’ reflects archaic poetics where vision is power. The ‘cows’ as valued goods is inherited, but Vedic extends it into a stable symbolic register of light/knowledge.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Kāṇvas praise Indra’s abundant, radiant nature and in exchange seek concrete inner boons: vāja (effective force) and go-mant (illumined richness). Praise is the opening; the gift is the descent of power and light.
Invoke Indra as wide-seeing force; concentrate on converting insight into effective action (vāja) and gathering stable knowledge-lights (go).
maṇipūra (effective power) supported by ājñā (illumination)
brisk_energetic ujjāyī (gentle) for 12 breaths, then silent repetition on exhale.
Confident, expansive, action-ready illumination.
On ‘vājaṃ’ feel a surge of capable energy in the solar plexus; on ‘gomantam’ visualize rays collecting into a steady inner clarity; act immediately on one clear insight to embody the mantra.
Keep a bright lift on vocatives ‘maghavan’ and ‘vicarṣaṇe’ per Vedic accenting; avoid flattening compound tones.
Crisp consonants: kaṇvebhir, dhṛṣṇo, piśaṅga-, vicarṣaṇe; lengthen ī in īmahe.
dhṛṣṇav: vocalic ṛ and retroflex ṣ, sahasriṇam: retroflex ṇ, piśaṅgarūpam: nasal ‘ṅ’ before ‘g’, gomantam: ‘go’ long-ish open ‘o’ (not diphthong)
Bright, forward, victorious; keep tone steady, not shouted.
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