Rig Veda 9.61.29: Mandala 9, Sukta 61, Mantra 29
Sukta 9.61
- Rishi
- Kavi Bhārgava
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Trishtubh/Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अस्य ते सख्ये वयं तवेन्दो द्युम्न उत्तमे । सासह्याम पृतन्यतः ॥
ásya te sakhyé vayáṃ tavéndo dyumná uttamé | sāsahyā́ma pṛtanyatáḥ ||
في هذه الصداقة منك، يا إندو، وفي قوّتك النورانية العليا، لعلّنا نغلبُ من يشنّ القتال. وبمؤازرة سوما (Soma) المتألّق نتجاوز قوى التفرقة والانقسام.
Word by Word
- अस्य
- of this (of him/it)Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्य (षष्ठी एकवचन)
- ते
- to youPronounएकवचन; चतुर्थी (dative) ‘to you’ (also possible षष्ठी ‘of you’ by form)Role सम्प्रदान (recipient) [preferred]Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → ते (चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन)
- सख्ये
- in (your) friendship, in companionshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरण (locative: sphere/occasion)Root सख्य (प्रातिपदिक; सखि-सम्बन्ध)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (subject)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → वयम्
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (enclitic/vedic form)Role कर्म (object)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त्वा
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (address)Root इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; सोम) → इन्दो
- द्युम्नः
- (as) glory, splendorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेष्य/विधेय (predicative/appositional to त्वा) अथवा कर्म-सम्बन्ध (as ‘as/for glory’ in sense)Root द्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्तमे
- in the highest (best)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (agreeing with सख्ये understood: ‘in the highest…’)Role अधिकरण (locative qualifier)Root उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of उद्/उत् + तम)
- सासह्याम
- may we overcome, may we prevailVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually उत्तमपुरुष), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (main verb)Root सह् (धातु) + सन्/सासह्य (desiderative/iterative base) → सासह्याम (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् 1pl)
- पृतन्यतः
- from the battling foe, from the attackerParticiple (Adjectival) / Noun-likeपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (abl./gen. sg form used here as ‘of/from the hostile fighter’; Vedic usage)Role अपादान (source: ‘from the assailant’) / सम्बन्धRoot पृतन्यत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ from धातु पृतन्/पृतन्य् ‘to fight, contend’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अस्य | ते | सख्ये | वयम् | त्वा | इन्दो | द्युम्नः | उत्तमे | सासह्याम | पृतन्यतः । 1) तवेन्दो = त्वा + इन्दो (स्वर-सन्धि/स्वर-समास; final -आ + initial इ- → ए). 2) द्यु॒म्न उ॑त्त॒मे = द्युम्नः + उत्तमे: विसर्गसन्धिः (ः + उ → उ; RV संहितापाठे विसर्गलोप/परिवर्तन). 3) Accent marks (॑, ॒) are from saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without accent resolution beyond sandhi-splitting
The meaning
Outer meaning
In your friendship, O Indu, in your highest splendor, may we prevail over those who wage battle.
Inner meaning
By entering Soma’s alliance (sakhya), we stand in the highest luminous power (uttama dyumna) and can overcome inner conflict-makers (pṛtanyataḥ): dividing impulses, cravings, and reactive formations that keep the being at war with itself.
Universal truth
Spiritual victory is not solitary strain but alliance with a higher joy; in that friendship, the soul gains luminous strength to overcome division.
Themes
Friendship with deity, Supreme illumination, Victory in battle, Soma as ally
The seer
- Rishi
- Kavi Bhārgava
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 9.61.25, RV 9.61.28
Family tradition
Bhārgava seers frequently stress ‘sakhya’—a personal relation with the god-force—suggesting yoga as alliance rather than mere propitiation.
Significance
The rishi presents Soma not only as purifier but as friend: a sustaining Ananda that grants the highest luminous power for inner victory.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Soma, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra (victory), Mitra (friendship principle, thematic), Agni (leader of sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Ally of the gods and men; giver of dyumna that enables victory in the cosmic battle for ṛta.
Inner power
Ananda as friendship—supportive, intimate strength that unifies the being and overcomes division.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña Pavamāna recitation emphasizing alliance and victory
अस्य॑ ते स॒ख्ये व॒यं तवे॑न्दो द्यु॒म्न उ॑त्त॒मे । सा॒स॒ह्याम॑ पृतन्य॒तः ॥
अस्य॑ । ते॒ । स॒ख्ये । व॒यम् । तव॑ । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । द्यु॒म्ने । उ॒त्ऽत॒मे । स॒स॒ह्याम॑ । पृ॒त॒न्य॒तः ॥
asya | te | sakhye | vayam | tava | indo iti | dyumne | ut-tame | sasahyāma | pṛtanyataḥ
44
4 × ~11
Noble and uplifting; less combative than earlier imperatives, emphasizing alliance and assured victory.
Creates trust and uplift; a sense of being supported by a higher friendly power.
- sakhye
- Literal: friendship, alliance. Symbolic: intimate support of the higher consciousness; inner companionship with Ananda
- dyumna
- Literal: splendor, luminous might. Symbolic: radiant power of illumined consciousness
- uttame
- Literal: highest. Symbolic: supramental/superior level of light; peak clarity and force
- sāsahyāma
- Literal: may we overcome, prevail. Symbolic: victory of integrated being over fragmentation
- pṛtanyataḥ
- Literal: those who fight, wage battle. Symbolic: inner divisive forces—conflict, contradiction, impulses at war
Alliance-with-Soma formula for victory in conflicts; ritual and inner battles
Within Soma praise sequences; supports the sacrificer’s confidence in overcoming adversities.
Chant as Soma is offered, affirming companionship with Soma’s power.
A mantra for teamwork, reconciliation of inner parts, and overcoming chronic inner conflict through ‘friendship with joy’.
sakhya: from sakhi ‘friend’ (√sac ‘accompany’ is related semantic field). dyumna: from dyu ‘shine, sky’ (PIE *dyeu- ‘sky/daylight’). √sah ‘overcome’ is ancient (PIE *seǵʰ-? debated), but Indo-Iranian preserves strong ‘endure/prevail’ semantics.
Sakhya as yoga-like alliance, Dyumna as illumination, Victory over division/conflict
Victory over pṛtanyataḥ signifies victory of ṛta over forces of division/disorder.
Highest dyumna is truth’s radiance; it unifies what is divided.
Integration: from divided battle to unified being through alliance with Ananda.
Integral yoga: Ananda as a power of unification enabling decisive transformation.
unspecified
unspecified
Friendship is the felt presence of higher consciousness; dyumna is the inner sun-like radiance that ends civil war in the psyche.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of divine friendship/alliance (sakhya) granting victory in battle. Inwardly, the alliance with Soma’s supreme illumination allows the seeker to overcome combative forces that fragment the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu-/dyumna derives from PIE *dyeu- ‘sky, daylight’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iūpiter via *dyeu-pəter). This preserves the archaic Indo-European linkage between luminosity and divine power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi frames Soma as a friend and ally rather than a distant god: by entering Soma’s ‘sakhya’ and ‘uttama dyumna’, the human group gains the capacity to prevail—reciprocity as intimacy and shared power.
Feel Soma as a friendly luminous presence; let it unify conflicting impulses; abide in ‘highest dyumna’ as clear, benevolent strength.
Integrated sattva with supportive Ananda; conflict dissolves into unified aspiration.
Begin with a brief recollection of gratitude (sakhya). Chant, then sit and sense a ‘luminous ally’ behind the heart and brow. Offer one inner conflict into that light; wait for a unifying insight or calm decision.
Vedic accents per RV; emphasize the name ‘índo’ with a clear lift; keep the phrase ‘dyúmna uttamé’ broad and luminous.
Let ‘sakhye’ sound intimate and warm; ‘sasahyāma’ firm but calm; soften at the end to convey assured victory rather than aggression.
dyumna: articulate dy- cluster cleanly, uttame: double t clearly, pṛtanyataḥ: retroflex ṛ; keep ‘ny’ palatal
Warm, steady, confident; slightly more lyrical than the preceding battle-imperative verses.
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