Hymn 84: Home of delight and Indra's gifts

Rişhi: Gotama

MANTRA (1.84.1): MAY YOUR POWERS COMPLETELY MANIFEST IN US

O Indra, the Soma is poured out for you;

O assaulter of foes, one with luminous might, come to accept it;

May your Indra-powers fill (us) in full,

As the sun fills the mid world with his rays.

asāvi soma indra te

poured, Soma, Indra, for you,

shavişhţha dŗşhņava āgahi

of luminous might, assaulter, come,

ā tvā pŗņaktu indriyam

., your, fill, Indra-powers,

rajaĥ sūryo na rashmibhiĥ.

midworld, Sūrya, like, ray.

Details:

May all the powers of Indra completely manifest in the inner body of the aspirant. This is the prayer.

a + pŗņaktu: fill completely.

indriyam: all the powers of Indra;

MANTRA (1.84.2): INDRA COMES TO THE CHANTING AND YAJŇA

His steeds bring Indra

Of irresistible might

To the hymns of praise sung by the rişhis,

To their yajňas and to those of other men.

indramit harī vahato

Indra only, steeds, bring,

apratidhŗşhţa shavasam,

irresistible, might,

ŗşhīņām cha stutīĥ upa

rişhis, and, praise, also,

yajňam cha mānuşhāņām.

yajňa, and, men.

Details:

The manifestation of Indra in man is instrumented through the Life-energies symbolised by the steeds.

In Vedic times there were two distinct modes of God-realisation, the way of recitation or chanting and the way of yajňa (both inner and outer). It is the mīmāmsakas who popularised the idea that mantra is there only to be used in the outer rituals. Of course they ignored completely the inner yajňa.

Note also the distinction made between the yajňas of rişhis and the yajňas or rites of ordinary men. Rişhis focus on the inner yajňa, the ordinary persons on the outer. Indra comes to both.

MANTRA (1.84.3): STEEDS YOKED BY MANTRA

O slayer of Vŗtra, ascend your car;

The steeds are yoked by the mantra;

May your mind come towards us

Drawn by the potent word with its voice.

ā tişhţha vŗtrahan ratham

., ascend, slayer of vŗtra, the car,

yuktā te brahmaņā harī,

yoked, your, mantra, steeds,

arvāchīnam su te mano

here in front of us, ., your, mind,

grāvā kŗņotu vagnunā.

the potent word, draw, with its voice.

Details:

The mind of Indra is forced, as it were, to come to the chant by the mantra itself.

The steeds are not physical since they are yoked by the mantra.

grāvā: discussed in (1.83.6).

MANTRA (1.84.4): HOME OF TRUTH

O Indra, drink this purified Soma,

Excellent, immortal and rapturous;

The streams of the luminous Soma flow towards you

In the home of truth.

imam indra sutam piba

this, Indra, purified, (Soma), drink,

jyeşhţham amartyam madam

excellent, immortal, rapturous,

shukrasya tva abhi akşharan dhārā

luminous, towards, ., flow, streams,

ŗtasya sādane.

truth, home of.

Details:

The rişhis offer to the Lord of the Gods, in the highest station, the luminous streams of Ananda, Soma, won by their devotion and tapas.

ŗtasya sādane: The Home of Truth or the Home of the Supreme Light.

MANTRA (1.84.5): SALUTE HIS MIGHT SUPREME

Offer worship swiftly to Indra;

Recite the hymns;

May the purified Soma exhilarate him;

Salute his supreme strength.

indrāya nūnam archata

to Indra, quickly, offer worship,

ukthāni cha bravītana,

the hymn, and, recite,

sutā amatsuĥ indavaĥ

purified, rapturous, Soma,

jyeşhţham namasyatā sahaĥ.

supreme, salute, strength.

MANTRA (1.84.6): NO ONE HAS OVERTAKEN YOU

There is no better charioteer than you,

O Indra, when you travel with your steeds;

None is equal in strength (to you);

No one, even with good steeds, has overtaken you.

nakiĥ tvat rathītaro

none, other than you, better charioteer,

harī yat indra yachchhase,

steeds, which, Indra, travel,

nakiĥ tva anu majmanā

none, your, following, strength,

nakiĥ svashva ānashe.

none, with good steeds, overtaken (you).

Details:

Even though there may be other persons who have an abundance of Life energies or are well-horsed, none can overcome you.

MANTRA (1.84.7): UNVEILABLE INDRA

He alone bestows riches

On the mortal, the yajňa performer;

He is the lord of all, the unveilable Indra.

yah ekaĥ it vidayate vasu

he, one or alone, ., bestows, wealth,

martāya dāshuşhe,

for the mortal, yajňa performer or giver,

īshāno apratişhkuta indro anga.

lord of all, unveilable, Indra, indeed.

MANTRA (1.84.8): TRAMPLES THE NON-GIVER

When will the non-giving mortal

Be trampled like the weed by Indra?

When will he listen to our hymns of praise?

kadā martam arādhasam

when, mortal, non-giver,

padā kşhumpamiva sphurat,

with the feet, like the weed, tramples,

kadā naĥ shushravat gira indro anga.

when, our, listen, songs of praise, Indra, indeed.

Details:

arādhasam: non-giver, he who does not perform the yajňa. S translates it in this verse as one who has no wealth. But in (9.101.13) he assigns the meaning given here.

MANTRA (1.84.9): INDRA GRANTS FORMIDABLE MIGHT

To him who blazons Indra for many

And offers Soma everywhere,

Indra grants formidable might indeed.

yaĥ chit hi tvā bahubhya

who, indeed, you (Indra), for many,

ā sutāvān āvivāsati,

all around, Soma-offerer, shines,

ugram tat patyate shava indro anga.

formidable, for him, grants, might, Indra, indeed.

Details:

Indra grants wealth and might for the helpful person who makes the deeds and glory of Indra well known among many persons and freely shares the Delight of Existence, Soma, obtained by his works with all persons.

MANTRA (1.84.10): THE LIGHT MANIFESTS THE SUPREME GLORY

The all-pervading and sweet Soma

Is drunk by white rays of light;

They, moving with the bountiful Indra, rejoice manifesting the splendour;

They abide waiting for the establishment of Indra's self-empire.

svādoĥ itthā vişhūvataĥ madhvaĥ

sweet, ., all-pervading, Soma,

pibanti gauryaĥ,

drink, rays of light,

yā indreņa sayāvarīĥ vŗşhņā madanti shobhase

which (rays), with Indra, moving with, for the generous showerer, rejoice, for splendour;

vasvīĥ anu svarājyam.

abide, waiting, self-empire.

Details:

The Rays of Consciousness associated with Indra manifest the glory of the supreme Light. They partake of the Soma offered to Indra. Nourished by it they wait to establish his self-empire in the human aspirant.

gauryaĥ: Rays of Consciousness with the colour gaura, white.

MANTRA (1.84.11): RAYS OF LIGHT URGE THE VAJRA

Desirous of contact (with Indra),

These variegated rays mix the Soma (with their light);

Dear to Indra, the rays urge the destructive vajra (towards the foe);

They abide waiting for the establishment of his self-empire.

tā asya pŗshanāyuvaĥ

they (the rays), of Indra, desirous of contact,

somam shrīņanti pŗshnayaĥ,

the Soma, mix, dappled or variegated,

priyā indrasya dhenavaĥ vajram hinvanti sāyakam

dear to, of Indra, the rays, vajra, urge, destructive,

vasvīĥ anu svarājyam.

abide, waiting, self-empire.

Details:

Earlier the Rays were spoken of as white; now they have variegated hues, "because of their association with activities'. Issuing from the station of the supreme Light, they begin to attach themselves to Indra. They mix the Soma with the nectarous essence of the power of Consciousness.

dhenavaĥ: Rays of Light. Translating this word as cows is inappropriate in view of the phrase, "these dhenavaĥurge the destructive vajra'. The animal cow cannot urge the vajra. But the Rays of Consciousness urge vajra, the divine power of sound and light towards the enemies for their destruction.

MANTRA (1.84.12): LAWS FOR ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE

Surrendered to his might

The conscious rays serve him (Indra);

They follow his many laws for advance knowledge;

They abide waiting for the establishment of his self-empire.

tā asya namasā sahaĥ

they (the rays), of Indra, surrendered, might,

saparyanti prachetasaĥ

serve (Indra), conscious (rays),

vratāni asya sashchire purūņi pūrvachittaye

laws (of Indra), of him (Indra), follow, manus, for advance knowledge,

vasvīĥ anu svarājyam.

abide, waiting, for, the self-empire.

Details:

In the Veda, the spiritual Light has a consciousness of its own and this Light serves Indra. No service is possible without surrender.

Advance knowledge: Knowledge of what is to come to the human aspirant who follows the laws of Indra for the establishment of Indra's self-empire.

prachetasaĥ: the conscious Rays of Light. Again, this phrase cannot refer to the animal cow.

MANTRA (1.84.13): BONES OF THE SEER DADHYANCH

With the bones of Dadhyang,

Indra, the unassailable,

Slew the ninety-nine Vŗtrās.

indro dadhīcho asthabhi

Indra, of Dadhyang (a seer), bones of,

vŗtrāņi apratişhkutaĥ,

Vŗtrās, uncoverable or unassailable,

jaghāna navatīĥ nava.

slew, ninety, nine.

Details:

Dadhyang: he is a seer of the Atharva Veda. Literally the name dhi always means intelligence or Light or thought. Dadhyang is a person who goes towards dadhi, a product of the Rays of Light. The solidified or systematized form of this knowledge, dadhi, is referred to as the bones.

S. tries to explain this verse and the next by quoting the legends or myths found in the book Shatapatha Brāhmaņa and the purāņa which are dated much later than RV, by about one thousand years. The explanation in these books have symbolism of their own which is different from that of RV.

The myth of Dadhyang and the deities, Ashvins, is in (1.116.12) and (1.117.22). The seer of Bŗhad Araņyaka Upanishad in section (II.5) also quotes these two verses. All these verses will be discussed while dealing with (1.116.12).

Ninety-nine Vŗtrās: the plural Vŗtrās indicates the followers of Vŗtra; ninety-nine indicates an incomplete number which implies that not all the followers of Vŗtrās were killed. The same idea is present throughout the RV.

MANTRA (1.84.14): SOURCE OF THE LIFE-ENERGY

Looking for the head of the horse,

Which is located in the mountain of existence,

He found it in Sharyaņāvat.

ichchhan ashvasya yat shiraĥ

searching for, of the horse, that, head,

parvateşhu apashritam,

mountain of existence, sheltering,

tad vidat sharyaņāvati.

that, found, in Sharyaņāvat.

Details:

The horse is the symbol for the Life-energy, Prāņa, which has the potential for complete enjoyment. Head of the horse indicates the source or the crucial part of his Life-energy. Indra is looking for the source of all the Life-energy in the multi-tiered hill of existence. Only after finding this source can he complete the task of destroying the remaining vŗtrās. Recall that according to (1.84.13), all the vŗtrās were not destroyed.

This verse states that Indra found the source in sharyaņāvat. S translates this word as the name of a place in the province of Kurukshetra. Obviously this meaning is out of place. This word occurs in many places in RV where it is translated by the ritualists as the vessel for collecting the Soma. This statement offers a clue to its true meaning. It is the inner subtle heart, hŗdaya, the inner lotus in the subtle body of the man, the microcosm. It is this lotus centre which is the residence of Soma, the delight of existence.

 This interpretation is completely supported in RV (9.113.1), "Where the supreme Light of the world svar shines, there, in Sharyaņāvati, may Indra drink Soma.'

Other relevant RV references having the word sharyaņāvat are (8.53.11), (8.7.29), (8.3.39) and (9.65.22).

parvata: the hill is the symbol for the entire existence, both in microcosm and macrocosm having many plateaus, as mentioned in (1.10.2).

MANTRA (1.84.15): FOUND THE SECRET NAME

The wise found the secret name of the ray of Tvaşhţŗ

In this very place, the home of Soma, who gladdens; this is true indeed.

atra aha goĥ amanvata nāma tvaşhţuĥ apīchyam,

this place, ., rays of light, found, name, Tvaşhţŗ  (deity), secret,

itthā chandramasaĥ gŗhe.

this (truth), Soma, who gladdens, home.

Details:

Tvaşhţŗ  is the Divine architect who fashions the universe.

apīchyam nāma: Secret Name. It is secret only because its presence can be inferred only by yogic practice. Note that name in Veda is not a mere identifier, but a word which reveals its secret by appropriate methods like recitation.

chandramasaĥ: Home of Delight or Soma as stated in (1.22.14) and others. Chandra stands for Delight.

The continuity of thought in the three-verses (1.84.13) - (1.84.15) should be clear.

MANTRA (1.84.16): PROMOTING THE MANTRAS

Who can, in front of Indra, direct the truthful mantrās,

Heroic, lustrous, of unbearable fury,

Coming out of the mouth like arrows, flaming in the heart and rendering happiness?

He who promotes and protects these (mantrās) lives indeed.

ko adya yunkte dhuri gā ŗtasya

who, now, impel, in front, rays or mantrās, truth of,

shimīvato bhāmino durhŗņāyūn,

heroic, full of lustre, of unbearable fury,

āsannişhūn hŗtsu asaĥmayobhūn

arrow -mouthed, flaming in the heart, rendering happy,

yaĥ eşhām bhŗtyām ŗņadhat sa jīvāt.

who, these (words), protects, promotes, he, lives indeed.

Details:

The rare person who can utter such powerful mantrās in Indra's presence having the qualities described in lines two and three is blessed indeed. Only his life is worth living.

MANTRA (1.84.17): INDRA GIVES WITHOUT ASKING

Why need he flee or fear or how can he be harmed,

He, who knows Indra who is close to the devotee?

Why need he importune for progeny or for elephants,

Or for the (health of the) body or for relatives?

ka īşhate tujyate ko bibhāya

who, flees, is harmed, who, fears,

ko mamsate santam indram ko anti,

who, knows, stationed (near), Indra, who, near,

kaĥ tokāya ka ibhāya uta

who, progeny, who, elephants, or,

rāye adhi bravat tanve ko janāya.

wealth, ., asks, for (health of ) body, who, relatives.

Details:

When the devotee has established a relationship with Indra, then Indra will give all the desired things and there is no need for the devotee to petition Indra for his health, children etc., The devotee need not worry about the unseen causes of fear also.

adhi bravat: importunes or makes petitions.

MANTRA (1.84.18): RITE IN THE INNER SUBTLE BODY

Who, with offerings of clarity and intense aspiration,

Worships Agni, Indra and other Gods in due seasons,

To him do the Gods bring swiftly the response;

He, the invoker, God-favoured, calls Indra by yajňas and knows him (Indra).

ko agnim īţţe havişhā ghŗtena

who, Agni, and others who are praised, with offerings, with clarity,

sruchā yajātā ŗtubhiĥ dhruvebhiĥ,

aspiration, worships, in due seasons, intense,

kasmai devā āvahān āshu

To whom, Gods, bring, swiftly,

homa ko mamsate vītihotraĥ sudevaĥ.

invoker, who (invoker), knows, who calls Indra for his coming, God-favoured.

Details:

We will clarify the yajňa by which the devotee calls Indra as indicated in the last line.

The outward Vedic ritual has three aspects namely, the offering of food, the offering of the clarified butter or ghee and the Soma juice poured from the ladle, sruchā. All the three are symbols of events in the secret Vedic yoga occurring in the subtle body of seeker. The offering, havis, is all the yajamāna's actions, thoughts, feelings. The ghŗta, translated as ghee by ritualists, is the clarity or calmness which permeates all the offerings of our actions and thoughts. Thirdly, the Delight of existence, Soma is extracted from all our actions and offered to the deity using the vehicle of intense aspiration, sruchā, the uplifted ladle for ritualists. It is only by means of this many-sided yoga that Indra and other Gods manifest in the seeker.

vītihotra: performer of the yajňas for calling Indra to come; vīti means to come

īţţe: Those who are praised; derived from īd, to adore.

MANTRA (1.84.19): NO COMFORTER BESIDE YOU

You commend the mortal (praising you), O dear one;

O shining one, the mightiest,

O Indra, the affluent, there is no one

Who comforts more than you; (hence) I utter these words to you.

tvam anga prashamsişho

you, dear one, ., commend (the mortal),

devaĥ shavişhţha martyam,

the shining one, mightiest, mortal,

na tvat anyo maghavan asti

no,., other, affluent, is,

marita indra bravīmi te vachaĥ.

comforter, Indra, utter, to you, words.

Details:

prashamsişhaĥ: (Indra) who commends or encourages (the mortal).

MANTRA (1.84.20): MAY YOUR GIFTS NEVER HARM US

May not your riches and your growths in us

Ever disserve us, O indweller;

Bring the riches to all of us,

The seers of the mantrās, O benefactor of mankind.

mā te rādhāmsi mā ta ūtayo

not, your, riches, nor, your, increasings,

vaso asmān kadāchanā dabhan,

indweller, us, ever, disserve (to us),

vishvā cha na upamimīhi

all, and, us, measure or bring,

mānuşha vasūni charşhaņibhya ā.

benefactor of mankind, riches, seers of the mantra, bring.

Details:

May not the wealth you have given and the ever- increasing powers bestowed on us ever make us go astray from the divine path and may we not develop qualities like arrogance.

ā + upamimīhi: bring (the riches) and place them beside us.

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