Rig Veda 4.5.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 5, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.5
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Bibhatsa (revulsion) and Karuna (compassion)
अभ्रातरो न योषणो व्यन्तः पतिरिपो न जनयो दुरेवाः । पापासः सन्तो अनृता असत्या इदं पदमजनता गभीरम् ॥
abhrā́taro na yóṣaṇo vyántaḥ patír ipo na jánayo dur-évāḥ | pā́pāsaḥ sánto anṛtā́ asatyā́ idáṃ padám ajanata gabhīrám ||
كَنِسَاءٍ بلا إخوةٍ يتيهنَ بلا حامٍ، وكَزَوْجاتِ سيّدٍ مُعادٍ يَسلكنَ سُبُلَ السوء. إذ هُم آثمون—كاذبون، غيرُ قائمين على ساتيا (الحقّ الواقعي)—فلا يقدرون أن يُنْجِبوا هذا الـ«پَدَ» العميق، مقامَ الوعي.
Word by Word
- अभ्रातरः
- brotherless (men), without brothersAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (with जनयः) / subject of the clauseRoot अ-भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास) भ्रातृ
- न
- like, asIndeclinableनिपात (उपमा/तुलना) प्रयुक्तRoot न
- योषणः
- women, maidensNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Upamāna (standard of comparison)Root योषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्यन्तः
- going apart, dispersedVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (agreeing with अभ्रातरः) / predicative participleRoot वि + अ (धातु: अ/इ ‘to go, move’; RV usage: ‘to go apart, disperse’)
- पतिः
- master, husband, lordNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (implied in comparison) / upamāna-memberRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- इपो
- of the enemy/hostile oneNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation with पतिः)Root इपु/इप (प्रातिपदिक; RV: ‘enemy/hostile’)
- न
- likeIndeclinableनिपात (उपमा)Root न
- जनयः
- they beget, they produceVerbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole Kriyā (finite verb); takes कर्म = इदं पदम्Root जन (धातु: जन् ‘to beget, produce’)
- दुरेवाः
- evil-minded, ill-disposedAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (with जनयः) / subjectRoot दुर्-एव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ill-going/ill-minded’)
- पापासः
- wicked onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (appositional to दुरेवाः) / subjectRoot पापा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘evil, sinful’)
- सन्तः
- beingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (agreeing with पापासः) / predicativeRoot अस् (धातु: अस् ‘to be’)
- अनृताः
- untruthful, falseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Viśeṣaṇa (of पापासः) / predicativeRoot अन्-ऋत (प्रातिपदिक; ‘untrue’)
- असत्याः
- untrue, faithlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Viśeṣaṇa (of पापासः) / predicativeRoot अन्-सत्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘not true’)
- इदम्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole Karma (object of जनयः/अजनत)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पदम्
- step; track; place; (here) a ‘footing/position’Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole Karma (object)Root पद (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजनत
- they generated, they producedVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole Kriyā (finite verb); subject = पापासः…Root जन (धातु: जन् ‘to beget, produce’)
- गभीरम्
- deep, profoundAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (agreeing with पदम्)Role Karma-viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of object पदम्)Root गभीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदपाठानुसार विच्छेद: अभ्रातरः | न | योषणः | व्यन्तः | पतिः | इपोः | न | जनयः | दुरेवाः || पापासः | सन्तः | अनृताः | असत्याः | इदम् | पदम् | अजनत | गभीरम् || 1) इपो न = इपोः + न (षष्ठी एकवचन ‘इपोः’ का ओ-रूप पदसंहिता में ‘इपो’). 2) इदं पदम् अजनत: संहिता में ‘इदं प॒दम॑जनता’ = पदम् + अजनत (अ + अ → अ; तथा त/त् संधि से ‘अजनत’). 3) उच्चारण-चिह्न (उदात्त/स्वरित/अनुदात्त) संहिता-पाठ के अनुसार हैं
- पद-विश्लेषण में मूल पद रूप (अभ्रातरः, इदम्, इपोः आदि) लिया गया है।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like women without brothers they wander unprotected; like wives of a hostile master they move in evil ways. Sinners—untrue, not founded in the Real—they cannot produce this deep station.
Inner meaning
The verse describes hostile inner forces and false formations: movements without ‘brother’ (supporting strength) are unguarded and scattered; energies yoked to a hostile lord (ego/desire) go into crooked ways. Being anṛta/asatya—out of truth and not grounded in Being—they cannot generate the gabhīra pada: the deep stable realization/station of consciousness. This is a psychological diagnosis: without truth and right support, no deep foundation can be established.
Universal truth
A life led by falsehood and divided motives cannot found deep spiritual stability; truth and right support are prerequisites for lasting realization.
Themes
Falsehood and deviation, Incapacity of hostile forces, Deep realization (pada), Moral-psychological critique
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.5.1, RV 4.5.2, RV 4.5.3, RV 4.5.4
Family tradition
The Gautamas often contrast truth-aligned movements with falsehood-resistances; the poetry diagnoses inner adversaries as ‘anṛta/asatya’.
Significance
The seer clarifies why some forces cannot reach depth: without satya and right support, they remain wandering and infertile for realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (contextual purifier and establisher of the deep pada)
- Epithets
- (implicit) Path-finder, (implicit) Purifier
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (satya-law), Mitra (harmony), Indra (breaker of coverings)
Cosmic role
Agni separates true from false and establishes stable stations of consciousness by burning away anṛta.
Inner power
Discerning flame that refuses unstable compromise; builds inner foundation by truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Polemic/protective verse within Agni hymn; used to mark off opponents/hostile forces
अ॒भ्रा॒तरो॒ न योष॑णो॒ व्यन्त॑: पति॒रिपो॒ न जन॑यो दु॒रेवा॑: । पा॒पास॒: सन्तो॑ अनृ॒ता अ॑स॒त्या इ॒दं प॒दम॑जनता गभी॒रम् ॥
अ॒भ्रा॒तरः॑ । न । योष॑णः । व्यन्तः॑ । प॒ति॒ऽरिपः॑ । न । जन॑यः । दुः॒ऽएवाः॑ । पा॒पासः॑ । सन्तः॑ । अ॒नृ॒ताः । अ॒स॒त्याः । इ॒दम् । प॒दम् । अ॒ज॒न॒त॒ । ग॒भी॒रम् ॥
abhrātaraḥ | na | yoṣaṇaḥ | vyantaḥ | pati-ripaḥ | na | janayaḥ | duḥ-evāḥ | pāpāsaḥ | santaḥ | anṛtāḥ | asatyāḥ | idam | padam | ajanata | gabhīram
44
4×11 (approx.)
Denunciatory and descriptive; similes create a stark, cautionary rhythm.
Creates aversion to false movements; supports discrimination and renunciation of crooked pathways.
- abhrātaraḥ
- Literal: without brothers. Symbolic: without supporting powers (strength, clarity, noble impulses); unprotected movements
- yoṣaṇaḥ / janayaḥ
- Literal: women / wives. Symbolic: energies of nature (prakṛti-movements) that need right guidance/support
- patiripo
- Literal: a hostile master/husband. Symbolic: ego/desire as tyrannical ruler of energies
- durevāḥ
- Literal: evil-going, of bad ways. Symbolic: crooked habitual patterns, tamasic/rajasic drift
- pāpāsaḥ
- Literal: sinners. Symbolic: forces that miss the mark of ṛta; self-deforming movements
- anṛtāḥ
- Literal: untrue. Symbolic: thought/impulse not aligned with truth-consciousness
- asatyāḥ
- Literal: not founded in satya/being. Symbolic: without ontological grounding; unstable formations
- gabhīram padam
- Literal: deep station/step. Symbolic: stable depth-realization; firm inner base in the soul or truth-plane
Denunciation of hostile/false movements during the rite; clarifies why the adversaries cannot reach the deep 'pada' of ṛta
When identifying and excluding obstructive influences from the rite
Recitation as verbal ‘fencing’ of the sacred space; reaffirming truth-alignment
Use as self-inquiry: identify energies ruled by ego/desire and re-offer them to the inner Fire for right guidance.
abhrātara: a- 'without' + bhrātṛ 'brother' → lacking support/kin. dur-evā: dur- 'bad' + eva/√i 'go' → evil-going. anṛta/asatya: negations of ṛta/satya. √jan 'beget, generate' used for producing states/realizations. gabhīra 'deep' (possibly from √gāh 'dive').
Satya vs. Asatya, Ṛta vs. Anṛta, Gabhīra pada (deep station of realization)
Anṛta movements cannot found ṛta’s stable station; depth belongs to truth-order.
Explicit via asatya/anṛta contrast: only satya can ‘beget’ stable realization.
True creation (begetting) of a ‘pada’ requires truth-substance; falsehood is sterile for depth.
Ontological ethics: being (sat) and truth (satya) as necessary ground for realization.
Wandering = scattered consciousness; hostile master = ego; deep station = settled soul-depth/inner cave of truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The exclusion of the false from the deep station of truth: a recurring motif where powers of anṛta cannot enter or generate the secret seat (pada) of ṛta—preparing for the recovery of hidden light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The satya/asatya and ṛta/anṛta oppositions use inherited negation strategies and archaic truth vocabulary (ṛta as 'ordered rightness'). √jan 'generate' reflects a widespread Indo-European metaphor of 'begetting' states, laws, or lineages.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi distinguishes his path from adversarial movements: by naming their anṛta nature, he implicitly aligns with Agni’s purifying discernment that separates truth-bearing energies from misruled, scattered impulses.
Discern and withdraw from false, ego-ruled energies; establish truth-ground for deep meditation.
muladhara (foundation)
Slow grounding breath; longer exhale to settle wandering impulses; brief breath-retention only if already stable
From scattered restlessness to grounded sincerity
Observe which inner movements ‘wander’ and feel unprotected—thought-loops, cravings, resentments. Identify their ‘hostile master’ (ego-demand). Without condemnation, refuse their leadership; return to a simple satya: one honest intention. Sit into the sense of depth (gabhīra) below thought, as a stable inner ground.
Tri-svara; keep contrasts clear—heavier tone on ‘pāpāsaḥ… anṛtā… asatyā’.
Let the similes be clearly separated by pauses; final pāda should descend with firmness on ‘gabhīram’.
abhrātaro: aspirated bh; long ā, yoṣaṇo: retroflex ṣ, patiripo: crisp t; ripo with short i, anṛtā: vocalic ṛ; do not turn into ‘anrita’, asatyā: clear a-sat-ya with dental t
Sober, grave, grounded (avoid theatrical harshness)
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