Rig Veda 2.24.13: Mandala 2, Sukta 24, Mantra 13
Sukta 2.24
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उताशिष्ठा अनु शृण्वन्ति वह्नयः सभेयो विप्रो भरते मती धना । वीळुद्वेषा अनु वश ऋणमाददिः स ह वाजी समिथे ब्रह्मणस्पतिः ॥
utā́śiṣṭhā́ ánu śṛṇvanti váhnayaḥ sabhéyo vípro bharate matī́ dhánā | vīḷu-dvéṣā ánu váśa ṛṇám ādadíḥ sá ha vājī́ sam-ithé bráhmaṇas-pátiḥ ||
وحتى حملةُ النارِ الأقوياءُ يُصغونَ إليه؛ والكاهنُ المُلهَمُ اللائقُ بالمجلسِ يُبرزُ خواطرَ هي ثروةٌ. وبحسبِ مشيئتِه ينتزعُ الدَّيْنَ من قبضةِ العداء؛ ذلك الظافرُ هو براهماṇاسپتي في مَجْمَعِ القتالِ (السَّمِتي).
Word by Word
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अथ (particle)Root उत
- आशिष्ठाः
- blessings; benedictionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आ-शास् (धातु) / आशिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after; along; in accordanceIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (postposition-like)Root अनु
- शृण्वन्ति
- they hear; they listenVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot श्रु (शृणोति)
- वह्नयः
- the bearers/priests; carriers (often ritual functionaries)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सभेयः
- belonging to the assembly; in the सभाAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (विप्रः इति विशेषण)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root सभेय (प्रातिपदिक, ‘सभा’ से)
- विप्रः
- the inspired poet/seerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- भरते
- he bears; he brings; he carriesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot भृ (भरति)
- मतीः
- thoughts; hymnic inspirationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- धना
- wealth; prizesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot धन (प्रातिपदिक)
- वीळुद्वेषाः
- having hostility/hatred toward the ‘वीळु’ (obstructers/hostile ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास; subject-qualifier)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root वीळु-द्वेष (समास; द्वेष प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after; alongIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अनु
- वश
- control; dominion; willNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वश (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋणम्
- debt; obligationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऋण (प्रातिपदिक)
- आददिः
- he has taken; he took awayVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot आ-दा (ददाति)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- ह
- indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic)Root ह
- वाजी
- the prize-winner; vigorous oneNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition)Root वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिथे
- in the battle; in the contestNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot समिथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्मणस्पतिः
- Brahmaṇaspati (Lord of prayer/sacred utterance)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to सः/वाजी)Root ब्रह्मणस्-पति (समास)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): उ॒ताशि॑ष्ठा॒ → उत् + आशिष्ठाः (ut + āśiṣṭhāḥ)
- स॒भेयो॒ विप्रो॑ → सभेयः + विप्रः
- म॒ती धना॑ → मतीः + धना
- वी॒ळु॒द्वेषा॒ अनु॒ वश॑ → वीळुद्वेषाः + अनु + वशम् (final -म् often weakened in saṃhitā; restored here)
- ऋ॒णमा॑द॒दिः → ऋणम् + आददिः
- स ह वा॒जी → सः + ह + वाजी. Accent marks are preserved in the given saṃhitā text
- pada forms shown are unaccented lexical forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
The strongest flame-bearers listen; the inspired seer fit for the assembly brings thoughts that are riches. Following his will, he removes the debt from the hostile hold; he is the victorious Brahmaṇaspati in the battle-meeting.
Inner meaning
When Brahmaṇaspati (master of the mantric Word) is active, the inner carriers of the flame (vahnayaḥ: powers that bear the will/Agni) become obedient to the higher hearing. The vipra (inspired mind) brings matī (thought-formations) that are true wealth—effective ideas, right discernments, mantric formations. The “debt” (ṛṇa) is the accumulated deficit of ignorance, wrong habit, and obscured energies owed to the hostile holding forces (vīḻudveṣāḥ: hard-set resistances). In the inner battle (samithe), Brahmaṇaspati wins by right formation: he cancels the bondage-account and restores freedom of movement.
Universal truth
True speech and inspired intelligence create real wealth: they reorganize life-energy, dissolve inherited burdens, and give victory over entrenched resistance.
Themes
Victory-in-battle, Power-of-Word, Assembly-and-inspiration, Removal-of-bondage
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.23, RV 2.24, RV 2.25
Family tradition
A seer-poet whose hymns often depict the inner polity: assembly (sabhā), battle (samiti), and the ordering power of mantra.
Significance
He presents Brahmaṇaspati not as mere ritual priest but as the decisive inner strategist whose word reorganizes forces and cancels bondage.
The deity
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati
- Epithets
- vipra (as power of inspiration, implied), vājī (victorious/possessing vāja), sabheya (fit for the assembly, by function)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (closely identified form), Agni (flame and carrier), Indra (victory and illumination), Vāc (speech)
Cosmic role
Lord of brahman (formative sacred utterance); establishes right order of powers, opens paths, grants victory and wealth.
Inner power
Mantric intelligence that turns inspiration into effective formation; removes binding deficits and hostile holdings through right articulation of truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise of Brahmaṇaspati for victory and removal of obstacles in yajña; recited in contexts seeking success in contest and clarity of counsel.
उ॒ताशि॑ष्ठा॒ अनु॑ शृण्वन्ति॒ वह्न॑यः स॒भेयो॒ विप्रो॑ भरते म॒ती धना॑ । वी॒ळु॒द्वेषा॒ अनु॒ वश॑ ऋ॒णमा॑द॒दिः स ह॑ वा॒जी स॑मि॒थे ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पति॑: ॥
उ॒त । आशि॑ष्ठाः । अनु॑ । शृ॒ण्व॒न्ति॒ । वह्न॑यः । स॒भेयः॑ । विप्रः॑ । भ॒र॒ते॒ । म॒ती । धना॑ । वी॒ळु॒ऽद्वेषाः॑ । अनु॑ । वशा॑ । ऋ॒णम् । आ॒ऽद॒दिः । सः । ह॒ । वा॒जी । स॒म्ऽइ॒थे । ब्रह्म॑णः । पतिः॑ ॥
uta | āśiṣṭhāḥ | anu | śṛṇvanti | vahnayaḥ | sabheyaḥ | vipraḥ | bharate | matī | dhanā | vīḷu-dveṣāḥ | anu | vaśā | ṛṇam | ādadiḥ | saḥ | ha | vājī | sam-ithe | brahmaṇaḥ | patiḥ
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Martial and deliberative: ‘assembly’ and ‘battle’ imagery supported by firm triṣṭubh gait.
Energizes the will while keeping intelligence in command; helps the listener feel organized and defended inwardly.
- वह्नयः (vahnayaḥ)
- Literal: bearers/conveyers (often of fire). Symbolic: inner forces that carry will and aspiration; executive energies that must obey the higher word
- स॒भेयः (sabheyaḥ)
- Literal: fit for the assembly. Symbolic: consciousness capable of collective harmony; the inner ‘council’ where powers are ordered
- विप्रः (vipraḥ)
- Literal: inspired sage. Symbolic: illumined mind receiving intuition
- मती (matī)
- Literal: thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: formed insights/mantric ideations that build the inner being
- धना (dhanā)
- Literal: riches. Symbolic: spiritual wealth: capacities, clarity, force, right joy
- ऋणम् (ṛṇam)
- Literal: debt. Symbolic: karmic/psychological arrears: compulsions, obscurations, unassimilated energies
- स॒मिथે (samithe)
- Literal: in battle-meeting. Symbolic: the inner conflict where light confronts resistance
Used where Brahmaṇaspati is invoked for victory in contest (samithe) and for the efficacy of inspired speech in the sabhā (assembly), i.e., ritual debate/recitation and the overcoming of hostile forces.
Before competitive undertakings, debates, or decisive ritual moments requiring ‘winning’ through brahman (right formulation).
Recitation alongside offerings; invoking Brahmaṇaspati to marshal the ‘vahnayas’ and remove impediments.
For clearing mental clutter and guilt/burden: chant as a ‘debt-release’ prayer—dropping self-accusation and hostile inner narratives.
(vahni) < √vah ‘to carry’ (PIE *weǵh- ‘carry/transport’, cf. English ‘weigh’ in distant semantic development; Latin vehō ‘I carry’ close cognate); (vipra) from √vip/vep ‘to tremble, be inspired’ → inspired poet; (mati) < √man ‘think’ (PIE *men-); (ṛṇa) ‘debt’ from √ṛ ‘to go/move’ with semantic specialization ‘obligation’ (debated), later juridical/ethical extensions; / (sam-ithé) from sam + √idh/idh? ‘kindle/encounter’—here conventional ‘battle, contest’ usage.
Brahman (effective Word), Debt (ṛṇa) as bondage to be removed, Will (vaśa) as mastery
The ‘assembly’ implies ordered harmony of powers—ṛta as governance of inner faculties.
True inspiration (vipra) yields riches because it aligns thought with satya.
Creation as formation of matī (thought-forms) that become effective wealth; liberation as removal of ṛṇa.
Integral-psychological Vedic interpretation: hostile forces as subconscient fixations; mantra as transformative formation.
Fire-bearers = energies carrying aspiration; battle = inner tapasya where resistance is confronted; assembly = harmonized faculties.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Lord of the Word as a warrior-priest who wins the ‘battle-meeting’ by inspired thought and removes the ‘debt’ imposed by hostile, entrenched powers. Mythically it is the conquest of obstruction through brahman (mantric force), not merely physical combat.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mati (thought) continues PIE *men-; vahni from √vah aligns with Latin vehō, showing inherited ‘carrying’ semantics applied to ritual carriers of fire/oblation. The verse’s sabhā-oriented diction (sabhéyaḥ) preserves an early Indo-European social institution (assembly) mirrored across IE cultures.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer (vipra) participates in Brahmaṇaspati’s function: he ‘brings’ matī as dhana (treasures), aligning human inspired speech with the divine Word. In return, the deity’s power clears ṛṇa (bondage) and grants vāja (victorious force) in inner and outer contests.
Listen inwardly until the ‘executive energies’ obey the higher intention; then let one clear formulation (mantric thought) arise and displace hostile patterns.
Maṇipūra (will/battle-force) guided by Viśuddha (truth-speech)
3-part breath: inhale ‘listening’ (anu śṛṇvanti), hold briefly ‘council’ (sabheyo), exhale ‘release’ (ṛṇam ādadiḥ).
Alert, courageous, strategically calm.
Name the ‘debt’ as a pattern (fear, shame, compulsion); on each recitation, offer it into the Word-power and feel it cancelled, replaced by one actionable insight.
Observe udatta on key verbs and names (e.g.,, ḥ) with svarita resolution; keep compound accents stable across sandhi.
Mark a clear pause after each pāda; emphasize ‘vipro’ and ‘ṛṇam ādadiḥ’ as semantic pivots.
(vahnayaḥ): ‘vh’ as v+aspirated h sequence; keep ‘hn’ clear, (sabheyaḥ): ‘bh’ aspirate, not ‘beya’, (vīḻu): retroflex ḻ (as in transliteration) approximated carefully; do not reduce to plain ‘l’ if trained, (ṛṇam): vocalic ṛ, brief and centered
Crisp, martial clarity; let the final ‘brahmaṇas patiḥ’ land firmly.
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