Rig Veda 8.31.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 31, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.31
- Devata
- General deva-support
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
न देवानामपि ह्नुतः सुमतिं न जुगुक्षतः । श्रवो बृहद्विवासतः ॥
ná devā́nām ápi hnutaḥ sumatím ná jugukṣataḥ | śrávo bṛhád vivāsataḥ ||
لا يَفُوتُهُما حتّى فَضْلُ الآلِهَةِ، ولا يَرُدّانِ حُسْنَ الرَّأْيِ (سُمَتِي). وبِالعِبادَةِ يَنالانِ صِيتَ السَّمْعِ العَظيمَ—اعتِرافًا مُنيرًا واسِعَ المَدى.
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation)Root न
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root देव
- अपि
- evenIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also, even)Root अपि
- ह्नुतः
- has failed / has fallen shortVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (implicit subject)Root ह्नु
- सुमतिम्
- good thought; favorNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सुमति
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation)Root न
- जुगुक्षतः
- has sought to hide/guard (i.e., has not held back)Verbलिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (desiderative/reduplicated perfect form used in Vedic)Role कर्तृ (implicit subject)Root गुप् (गोपायने) / √गुप्
- श्रवः
- fame; gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म/प्रत्ययार्थ (object/result)Root श्रवस्
- बृहत्
- greatAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with श्रवः)Role विशेषणRoot बृहत्
- विवासतः
- of the worshipping one; of the one who servesKṛdanta (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (present active participle: विवासत्-)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive: of the worshipper)Root वि-वास् (उपसेवायाम्) / विवास
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: न | देवानाम् | अपि | ह्नुतः | सुमतिम् | न | जुगुक्षतः | श्रवः | बृहत् | विवासतः । बाह्यसन्धिः: देवानाम्+अपि → देवानामपि
- बृहत्+विवासतः → बृहद्विवासतः (त् + व → द् + व)
The meaning
Outer meaning
They do not miss even the gods’ favor; they do not reject good understanding. Worshipping, they win vast hearing-fame.
Inner meaning
The dual powers (or the harmonized inner pair) do not fall away from divine support (devānām… sumati). They refuse the movement that rejects right understanding (su-mati): the luminous intelligence that chooses the true. Through vivāsa (reverent service/worship), the being attains bṛhat śravas—vast ‘hearing’: wide receptivity and recognition, the capacity to receive and to be established in the larger Truth. In Aurobindonian terms, śravas is not social fame but the ‘heard’ revelation—expanding receptivity to the Word of Truth.
Universal truth
Sincere reverence and right understanding keep us in the stream of grace. The true ‘fame’ is widened receptivity: the capacity to hear and embody a greater truth.
Themes
divine-favor, right-intelligence, vastness
The seer
Significance
This verse states the ethical-psychological condition for Vedic attainment: do not reject sumati (right understanding). In the Aurobindo–Kashyap line, sumati is a decisive inner faculty—without it, the sacrifice misfires even if outward acts continue.
The deity
- Devata
- The supportive Devas (in the atmosphere of the invoked dual powers)
- Epithets
- sumati-dā (givers of right understanding) (implied), bṛhat-śravas (vast hearing/fame) (as attainment)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumination), Agni (right will), Sarasvatī (inspired speech/hearing)
Cosmic role
Guardians of right movement; bestowers of favor and widened receptivity.
Inner power
Grace that keeps the seeker aligned; illumination that prevents rejection of the true and expands the capacity to receive.
In ritual
Where it is used
General praise accompanying offerings; reinforcement of right disposition in the yajña.
न दे॒वाना॒मपि॑ ह्नुतः सुम॒तिं न जु॑गुक्षतः । श्रवो॑ बृ॒हद्वि॑वासतः ॥
न । दे॒वाना॑म् । अपि॑ । ह्नु॒तः । सु॒ऽम॒तिम् । न । जु॒गु॒क्ष॒तः॒ । श्रवः॑ । बृ॒हत् । वि॒वा॒स॒तः॒ ॥
na | devānām | api | hnutaḥ | su-matim | na | jugukṣataḥ | śravaḥ | bṛhat | vivāsataḥ
32
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (approximate)
Didactic and balanced; negations (‘na…na…’) give firm ethical emphasis.
Clarifies resolve; strengthens discrimination and reverent attitude; opens a sense of wideness.
- सुमतिम् (sumatim)
- Literal: good thought; good understanding. Symbolic: luminous discernment; truth-guided intelligence
- देवानाम् ... (devānām)
- Literal: of the gods. Symbolic: support of higher powers; influx of light and right force
- विवासत: (vivāsataḥ)
- Literal: worshipping; serving reverently. Symbolic: continuous offering-attitude; humility and aspiration in action
- श्रवः (śravaḥ)
- Literal: hearing; fame. Symbolic: receptivity to revelation; wideness of consciousness that ‘hears’ truth
- बृहत् (bṛhat)
- Literal: vast. Symbolic: the wide consciousness (bṛhat) beyond narrow mind
Stotra/praise emphasizing right attitude (vivas) to secure sumati and śravas
At the close of an offering sequence or when affirming right mind (sumati) and deva-support.
Recitation with añjali or offering gesture; mental reaffirmation of alignment.
Use as a ‘vow’ mantra: before decisions, study, or speech—invoke not rejecting sumati; cultivate receptive listening.
sumati: mati from √man ‘think’ → ‘mental formation/understanding’; su- gives ‘right, harmonious’. bṛhat: central RV term (Satyam Ṛtam Bṛhat), indicating expansion beyond narrow ego-mind. śravas: from √śru ‘hear’; fame/glory as ‘that which is heard’—psychologically, the resonance of achieved truth in the consciousness-field.
Sumati (right understanding), Bṛhat (the Vast consciousness)
Not missing deva-favor implies staying in ṛta; vivāsa is living in right relation to the cosmic powers.
Sumati is satya in cognition—thinking aligned to truth.
Vedic psychology leading toward Upaniṣadic wideness (bṛhat) and śruti (hearing/revelation).
Bṛhat = wide sky of consciousness; śravas = the inner ear that receives inspiration and truth-word.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The gaining of sumati and bṛhat śravas through worship: the mythic exchange where reverent service opens the channel for divine favor and expansive glory. Innerly, right aspiration refuses ignorance and receives the Vast.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ is PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear, fame’ (cf. Greek kléos, Latin clueo), a classic Indo-European poetic inheritance linking ‘hearing’ to ‘glory’. √men (mati) is PIE *men- ‘think’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s vivās (reverent honoring) is the human offering of consciousness; the devatās respond with sumati (guiding intelligence) and bṛhat śravas (expansive affirmation), marking a reciprocity of attitude and illumination.
Cultivate sumati: the quiet, truth-sensing intelligence; practice deep listening (śravas) to the inner guidance.
Viśuddha (listening/speech) and Ājñā (discernment)
Nadi śodhana (gentle) to balance and refine discrimination; then silent listening on the natural pause after exhale.
Receptive wideness; calm discrimination.
Recite slowly; after each repetition, sit in silence and ‘listen’ inwardly for the next right thought or movement; train not to reject it when it comes quietly.
Let the two ‘na’ clauses be clearly separated; maintain a slight lift on ‘sumatim’ and ‘śravo bṛhat’.
Emphasize the negations without harshness; broaden tone on ‘bṛhat’ to suggest wideness.
‘hnutaḥ’—keep initial h audible; cluster hnu- cleanly., ‘jugukṣataḥ’—retain the repeated gu; do not simplify consonants., ‘śravo’—ś palatal; ‘bṛhat’ with vocalic ṛ.
Clear, quiet, spacious; allow resonance on long vowels.
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