Rig Veda 2.35.3: Mandala 2, Sukta 35, Mantra 3
Sukta 2.35
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Apāṃ Napāt
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
समन्या यन्त्युप यन्त्यन्याः समानमूर्वं नद्यः पृणन्ति । तमू शुचिं शुचयो दीदिवांसमपां नपातं परि तस्थुरापः ॥
samanyā́ yánty úpa yanty anyā́ḥ samā́nam ū́rvaṃ nády aḥ pṛṇanti | tám ū śúciṃ śúcayo dīdivā́ṃsam apā́ṃ nápātaṃ pári tasthur ā́paḥ ||
مياهٌ تسيرُ معًا، وأُخَرُ تقتربُ؛ والأنهارُ تملأُ حوضًا واحدًا مشتركًا. وحولَه—الطاهرِ المتلألئ—تقفُ المياهُ الطاهرةُ، تُحيطُ بأپام نپات، كأنها تحرسُ لهيبَ الوعي السِّرّي.
Word by Word
- समन्याः
- some (of them), certain (fem. pl.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot समन्य (प्रातिपदिक) < सम्-अन्य
- यन्ति
- they goVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु)
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole उपपद (दिशा/समीप्य)Root उप
- यन्ति
- they goVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु)
- अन्याः
- others (fem. pl.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- समानम्
- the sameAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot समान (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्वम्
- bed/channel (river-bed)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ऊर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- नद्यः
- riversNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृणन्ति
- they fillVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot पॄ/पृ (धातु; ‘to fill, satisfy’)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊ
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातRole सम्बन्ध/निपातRoot ऊ
- शुचिम्
- bright, pureAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणि)Root शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुचयः
- the bright/pure onesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीदिवांसम्
- shining, radiantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (परस्मैपदी परिपूर्ण-भूत/परफेक्ट-भागवत् ‘having shone’ > ‘shining’)Role विशेषण (कर्मणि)Root दीदिवांस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दीदिव्/√दीप् ‘to shine’)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नपातम्
- offspring/son (epithet: ‘Child of the Waters’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot नपात् (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole उपपद (परितः)Root परि
- तस्थुः
- they have stoodVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot स्था (धातु)
- आपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- समन्या यन्ति उप यन्ति अन्याः → समन्याः यन्त्युप यन्त्यन्याः (यन्ति+उप=यन्त्युप; यन्ति+अन्याः=यन्त्यन्याः)
- समानम् ऊर्वम् → समानमूर्वम् (म्+ऊ=मू)
- तम् ऊ → तमू (म्+ऊ=मू)
- आपाम् नपातम् → अपां नपातम् (षष्ठी बहु. ‘आपाम्’ का वैदिक संक्षेप/पदपाठ-रूप ‘अपाम्/अपां’)
- तस्थुः आपः → तस्थुरापः (ः+आ=रा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Some waters flow together, others approach; the rivers fill one common reservoir. The pure Waters stand around the pure, shining Child of the Waters, encircling him.
Inner meaning
The many currents of life and mind (āpaḥ, nadyaḥ) converge toward a single inner basin (ūrva)—the gathered consciousness in which the secret Fire can be held. When the movements become pure (śucayaḥ), they naturally circle and protect the shining psychic presence (Apāṃ Napāt), as if guarding the inner flame from dispersion and obscuration.
Universal truth
When the scattered energies of life are unified and purified, they create a stable inner receptacle; in that collectedness, the luminous core of consciousness is revealed and safeguarded.
Themes
Waters and unity, Guarded inner fire, Purification leading to illumination
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.35.4, RV 2.35.5, RV 2.1
Family tradition
The hymn-cycle often portrays gods as inner functions: here the waters are not merely physical but psychological streams that must be gathered around the secret flame.
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s vision shows the method of inner yoga: collect the many movements into one basin, purify them, and the hidden divine becomes steadily present.
The deity
- Devata
- Apāṃ Napāt
- Epithets
- śuci (pure), dīdivāṃs (shining)
- Related deities
- Agni (flame principle), Āpas (waters as goddesses), Sarasvatī (flow of inspiration, gathering into truth)
Cosmic role
Hidden radiance within the waters; a central luminous principle around which the waters arrange themselves.
Inner power
The psychic center that draws dispersed energies into unity and radiates purity; the ‘secret flame’ that becomes stable when surrounded by purified movements.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āpas/purification contexts; hymnic praise in śrauta recitation; symbolically apt for consecration of waters.
सम॒न्या यन्त्युप॑ यन्त्य॒न्याः स॑मा॒नमू॒र्वं न॒द्य॑: पृणन्ति । तमू॒ शुचिं॒ शुच॑यो दीदि॒वांस॑म॒पां नपा॑तं॒ परि॑ तस्थु॒राप॑: ॥
सम् । अ॒न्याः । यन्ति॑ । उप॑ । य॒न्ति॒ । अ॒न्याः । स॒मा॒नम् । ऊ॒र्वम् । न॒द्यः॑ । पृ॒ण॒न्ति॒ । तम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । शुचि॑म् । शुच॑यः । दी॒दि॒ऽवांस॑म् । अ॒पाम् । नपा॑तम् । परि॑ । त॒स्थुः॒ । आपः॑ ॥
sam | anyāḥ | yanti | upa | yanti | anyāḥ | samānam | ūrvam | nadyaḥ | pṛṇanti | tam | oṃ iti | śucim | śucayaḥ | dīdi-vāṃsam | apām | napātam | pari | tasthuḥ | āpaḥ
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4 × ~11
Flowing yet firm; the parallelism (‘some…others…’) creates a wave-like movement resolving into steadiness.
Encourages mental gathering and unification; induces a sense of circling protection and concentrated calm.
- नद्यः (nadyaḥ)
- Literal: rivers. Symbolic: streams of thought, emotion, life-force moving through the being
- समानम् ऊर्वम् (samānam ūrvaṃ)
- Literal: one common basin/reservoir. Symbolic: collected consciousness; unified inner field capable of holding light
- शुचिम् (śucim)
- Literal: pure. Symbolic: clarified consciousness free from mixture/ego-turbidity
- दीदिवांसम् (dīdivāṃsam)
- Literal: shining, blazing. Symbolic: self-luminous awareness; psychic fire made evident
- परि तस्थुः (pari tasthuḥ)
- Literal: stood around, encircled. Symbolic: protective concentration; establishing a sacred boundary of attention
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: life-substance, subconscious and vital currents purified into conscious flow
Water symbolism and containment of sacred power; relevant to purification sequences and to Soma’s watery matrix where hidden fire is invoked.
At moments emphasizing purification and convergence (before offerings; before Soma pressing; or in water consecrations).
Invocation/praise; ritual washing parallels the inner cleansing and gathering.
Use as a short practice before meditation: imagine all inner ‘streams’ converging into one quiet lake around a central flame.
√pṛ ‘fill’ (PIE *pelH- ‘fill’, cf. Greek πίμπλημι via different formation). ūrvá ‘hollow/basin’ expresses receptivity; psychologically, the shared vessel of being. √dī/√dyut ‘shine’ (PIE *dyeu- ‘shine, sky, day’). The waters ‘standing around’ suggests containment/guardianship of the inner fire-principle.
Unity of movements into one vessel (samānam ūrvam), Purity (śuci) as condition for revelation, Hidden luminous principle within the flow
The ordered convergence of streams into a common basin images ṛta—right arrangement of energies around the luminous truth.
Purity (śuci) is the condition for truth to shine steadily in the waters of life.
From multiplicity of flows to unity around a luminous center; microcosmic recapitulation of cosmic ordering.
Yoga-psychological interpretation aligned with Aurobindo: concentration and purification reveal the psychic being.
Rivers = wandering thoughts/impulses; basin = collected attention; circling waters = protective mindfulness; shining child = revealed inner soul-fire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The paradox of the shining ‘Child of Waters’ surrounded by waters: the secret fire concealed and protected in the watery element. Inwardly, divergent life-movements converge into one vessel, and in that purified unity the luminous will is revealed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dīdivāṃs- from √dī/√dyut relates to PIE *dyeu- (sky/day/shine; cf. Zeus, Latin deus). √sthā (tasthur) is PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’ (cf. English stand, Latin stare). These stable IE roots support the imagery of ‘standing around’ the shining principle.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi contemplates the devatā’s mode of manifestation: the deity is not seized by force, but revealed when the waters (movements) become pure and coordinated. The relationship is epistemic and transformative: knowledge comes by arranging the field (ūrvam) rightly.
Unify scattered energies: let thoughts/emotions ‘flow’ into one inner lake; then rest attention on the central luminous point (Apāṃ Napāt).
ajna (for gathering and concentration)
Box-breath 4-4-4-4 for 5 rounds to collect the streams; then chant once slowly.
collectedness (ekāgratā) with a soft luminous center; protective stillness.
Visualize multiple streams entering a single basin at the heart/solar plexus; on the final pāda, feel a ring of quiet attention encircling a subtle flame; remain silent for 1–2 minutes.
Rigvedic accents; emphasize the parallel cadence in the first pāda; lift on ‘śuciṃ’ and ‘apāṃ napātam’.
Keep the first half flowing (like rivers), then slightly broaden and steady on ‘tam ū śuciṃ…’; avoid rushing ‘pari tasthuḥ āpaḥ’.
‘samānam’ with clear long ā, ‘ūrvaṃ’ long ū, nasalized ‘ṃ’, ‘dīdivāṃsam’ keep long ī and nasal ‘āṃ’, ‘pari’ lightly rolled r
cool, steady, flowing; slightly brighter tone on ‘dīdivāṃsam’.
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