Tr. He who in his vastness is a continent of bliss,– the friend of the Soma-giver and he carries him safely through to that Indra raise the chant.
yaḥ who (Indra); rāyaḥ of wealth (divine, inner); avaniḥ continent support (name of the earth, since the earth is the continent of all the beings that have come to be); mahān vast (hence is fitting his being the continent); great in strength also, and that is how supāraḥ reaches safe (reaches the devotee of God well-protected to the goal to be aimed at); sunvataḥ and of him who presses the Soma becomes the sakhā companion; tasmai to that; indrāya Indra, for the benefit of this Indra (dative in the sense of 'for his sake ') gāyata raise the chant (with mantras).
It is plainly stated in this Rik that Indra is the companion of the one who presses the libation. Our explanation of mandayat sakhaḥ, as Indra the friend who delights, stands vindicated.
We have commented upon the hymn, sūrupa-kſtnum. The ritualists have hallowed its use in the rites. It is of little use to us to enquire into that. Hence we briefly examine the purport of the hymn following the inner meaning as it coheres excellently that-wise. It is to be noted that whether in the outer or in the inner, the hymn is applied in the Soma sacrifice. When it is the inner sacrifice that is in progress, it is the praise of Indra by the Rishi who has reached a distinct stage. What is that stage in which it becomes necessary to obtain something from Indra ? What indeed is that object to be attained, for the sake of which the great Rishi, sacrificer of Soma, makes the entreaty ? Let us see.
The Soma that is pressed, purified, becomes the food of the Gods. Partaking of the Soma, according to their share, the Gods strong by its delight themselves increase in man and also increase him thereby and make him competent for the most excellent experiences. And those who becoming unselfish give not their own delight, the sap, the essence, of all experiences, denoted by the term Soma, to the Gods saying “for the Gods is this, not mine” but on the other hand, are selfish, addicted to the enjoyment of the senses and live a low life-they are not the worshippers of the Gods but adorers of the titans named Panis. The Panis are the lords of him whose consciousness is bound to sense-objects, and like traffickers they behave in dealings with him whose activities are confined in every way. They do not press the Soma, do not offer the purified libation of Soma, neither do they chant the mantras. It is by these very Panis that the luminous rays of consciousness (bright ray-cows of the Sun) are stolen and concealed in the cave. And that cave, it must be noted, is the unawakened consciousness, substratum of impressions, that is hidden in us prior to the awakened consciousness. It is not merely in the cave so denoted that the Panis conceal the cows but also in the dense darkness of inert matter in physical objects, signified by the word adri, hill. And also they tame, attempt to deflect even the hound of the Gods, Sarama by name-the form of luminous intuition-who follows their own path and seeks to discover the stolen COWS.
These Panis are now overtaken by the completion of the libation of Soma. They and Vritra (and the emanations of Vritra) who cover and obstruct our full powers and the glories of action are transcended by the ascent of the Rishi's sacrifice that has begun. So also is put behind Vala who encircles the light blocking it from us. Even when the prominent titans, enemies of the sacrifice, are bypassed, there are others stationed on the path, those who restrain by limits, confine or censure. Though these do not like Pani, Vritra, Vala, etc., - oppose the spread of Power, Knowledge and Action, yet they impede the Rishi in his progress, in his ascent step by step. They bring to light the defects, like omissions, deficiencies and excesses of his power, knowledge and action and stand across saying: “You cannot go further. We shall not give the password to go ahead before you acquire the competency to advance.”
Thus in this hymn is mentioned that state of being in which the Rishi calls Indra for the increase of the divine light, Indra by whom the warding off of the obstructors, and the defects like deficiencies arising because of them is made possible. And Indra is the lord of the functionaries of the triple world, the gods, regarding himself as the Principle of universal Mind, Divine Sovereign, made of Mind. By his grace has to be acquired in us the sportive play of the mind in its form of luminous knowledge which is his glory. By this will result to the mind deformed due to pursuit of sense-objects and deluded by false knowledge, an expansiveness from constriction, a release from bondage and a vastness of light from a flicker of light.
The pure, bright knowledge coming from Indra is perfect form, is capable of effecting good mental movements or good actions by which day to day increase is possible ; hence does the Rishi call, in the first Rik, “the fashioner of perfect forms, for increase”.
Nourished and joyous by partaking the Soma that is pressed out, the knowledge of divine illumination showers its own rays ("the intoxication of the rapture gives indeed the Light”)-in the second.
And even though we would be able to know the intimate movements of the divine knowledge by reason of the attainment of the special lumination of the consciousness, still may not Lord Indra become beyond sense-perception and difficult of sight due to the advent of excessive lustre-in the third.
Then addressing his own inner self or another companion worshipper, he says, “Indra alone is to be asked though strong in speed, he of the wise eye, discerns the favourable and the unfavourable, gives the excellent place and has given to our companions”- this in the fourth.
Let the restrainers of our next attainment, themselves, assent and say, “You are now competent, go elsewhere also, entrusting the work to Indra, strive on ”- this in the fifth.
May those who are favourable to us, collaborators in the work, engage in the divine action say, “O seer, you have done the work well ; its fruit is the great felicity of Indra; let us be there itself”-this in the sixth.
The rest of the Riks till the end of the hymn devoted to the description of the glory of Indra and containing prayer to Indra are to be clearly grasped by an understanding of the meaning of the mantras following the line expounded earlier.
Thus ends the eighth group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.