Rig Veda 1.116.24: Mandala 1, Sukta 116, Mantra 24
Sukta 1.116
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Āucathya
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Adbhuta (wonder)
दश रात्रीरशिवेना नव द्यूनवनद्धं श्नथितमप्स्वन्तः । विप्रुतं रेभमुदनि प्रवृक्तमुन्निन्यथुः सोममिव स्रुवेण ॥
dáśa rā́trīr áśivena náva dyū́n avánaddhaṁ śnathitám apsv àntáḥ | víprutaṁ rebhám udáni právṛktam ún ninyathuḥ sómam iva sruvéṇa ||
দশ ৰাতি আৰু নৱ দিন ধৰি, অশিৱ বন্ধনে বাঁধি, আঘাতপ্ৰাপ্ত হৈ জলৰ অন্তৰত ৰ’ব্ভ—ছিটাই পৰি, ত্যাজ্য হৈ—পৰি আছিল; তোমালোকেই তাক ওপৰলৈ তুলিলা, যেন স্ৰুৱেৰে সোম ৰস উলিয়াই আনা হয়; নিমজ্জিত চেতনাক তোমালোকেই উন্মুক্ত আলোকলৈ পুনৰ আনিলা।
Word by Word
- दश
- tenNounअव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (विशेषणरूपेण)Role विशेषण (कर्म/अधिकरण-सम्बन्धी)Root दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- रात्रीः
- nightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्म (काल-परिमाणम्)Root रात्रि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अशिवेन
- with an unkind/inauspicious (one)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (करणे)Role करणRoot अ-शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
- नव
- nineNounअव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (विशेषणरूपेण)Role विशेषण (कर्म/अधिकरण-सम्बन्धी)Root नवन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यून्
- daysNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्म (काल-परिमाणम्)Root द्यु/दिव्- (प्रातिपदिक: द्यून् ‘दिन’)
- अवनद्धम्
- bound, tied upVerbभूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावःRole विशेषण (रेभम् प्रति)Root अव-√नह् (नहँ बन्धने)
- श्नथितम्
- loosened, slackenedVerbभूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावःRole विशेषण (रेभम् प्रति)Root √श्नथ् (श्नथँ शिथिलीकरणे/विमोचने)
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अप्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तः
- withinIndeclinableअव्यय; स्थानवाचकRole अधिकरण-विशेषणRoot अन्तर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विप्रुतम्
- tossed about, driftingAdjectiveभूतकृदन्त/विशेषणरूप; द्वितीया एकवचन (रेभम् विशेषयति)Role विशेषण (रेभम् प्रति)Root वि-√प्लु/√प्लव् (प्लु/प्लव गतौ/प्लवने) → विप्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
- रेभम्
- RebhaNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रेभ- (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषि/पुरुषनाम)
- उदनि
- in the waterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role अधिकरणRoot उदन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रवृक्तम्
- cast forth, thrown outAdjectiveभूतकृदन्त (क्त); द्वितीया एकवचन (रेभम् विशेषयति)Role विशेषण (रेभम् प्रति)Root प्र-√वृज्/√वृक् (वृजँ/वृकँ छेदने/वर्जने) → प्रवृक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- उन्निन्यथुः
- you two lifted up, brought outVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); उत्तमपुरुष? (न) — प्रथमपुरुष द्विवचन; ‘you two raised/brought up’Role क्रिया (कर्तृ: अश्विनौ)Root उद्-√नी (नीञ् प्रापणे/नयने)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole उपमान (उपमेय-क्रियासम्बन्धः)Root सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमावाचक अव्ययRole सम्बन्ध (उपमा)Root इव (अव्यय)
- स्रुवेण
- with a ladleNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot स्रु- (प्रातिपदिक: स्रुव ‘ladle’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): दश रात्रीः | अशिवेन | नव द्यून् | अवनद्धम् | श्नथितम् | अप्सु अन्तः | विप्रुतम् | रेभम् | उदनि | प्रवृक्तम् | उन्निन्यथुः | सोमम् इव | स्रुवेण । 1) अप्स्वन्तः → अप्सु + अन्तः (उकारस्य वकारादेशः, संहितायाम्)
- 2) सोममिव → सोमम् + इव (म् + इ → मि)
- 3) द्यूनव॑नद्धम् इति संहितापाठे ‘द्यून् अवनद्धम्’ (नकारान्त-समास/संहितासन्धि; न् + अ → न)
The meaning
Outer meaning
For ten nights and nine days, bound and wounded within the waters, Rebha—scattered and cast away—was lifted up by you, as Soma is drawn out with the ladle.
Inner meaning
Rebha (the vibrating soul-voice) falls into the waters—subconscient depths—bound by hostile conditions and wounded by adversity. For a full cycle (ten nights, nine days: prolonged darkness with intermittent light), the consciousness is submerged and dispersed (vipruta). The Aśvins raise it out, as Soma is drawn from the hidden vessel: they extract the bliss-essence from the depths and bring the soul’s voice back into manifest expression and light.
Universal truth
Even when consciousness is submerged in the subconscient and feels bound for long periods, a higher grace can extract the essence and restore the voice of the soul—turning suffering into distilled strength and sweetness.
Themes
rescue from waters, revival, Soma symbolism, restoration of voice/seer
The seer
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Āucathya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.116.21, Rig Veda 1.164
Family tradition
Seer of darkness-to-light transitions; adept at portraying inner crisis and rescue in vivid symbolic narratives.
Significance
The Rebha episode is a classic inner-allegory: the soul-voice submerged in the subconscient is recovered by divine powers, prefiguring yogic emergence from depression or inertia.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, swift rescuers, healers
- Related deities
- Soma, Varuṇa (waters), Uṣas
Cosmic role
Saviours from peril, especially from waters/night; they restore life, breath, and voice at the dawn-threshold.
Inner power
Extraction and reintegration: they draw up the submerged consciousness and reconstitute its coherence, like drawing Soma (ānanda) into the waking being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise; Soma imagery makes it resonant with Soma sacrifice themes.
दश॒ रात्री॒रशि॑वेना॒ नव॒ द्यूनव॑नद्धं श्नथि॒तम॒प्स्व१॒॑न्तः । विप्रु॑तं रे॒भमु॒दनि॒ प्रवृ॑क्त॒मुन्नि॑न्यथु॒: सोम॑मिव स्रु॒वेण॑ ॥
दश॑ । रात्रीः॑ । अशि॑वेन । नव॑ । द्यून् । अव॑ऽनद्धम् । श्न॒थि॒तम् अ॒प्ऽसु । अ॒न्तरिति॑ । विऽप्रु॑तम् । रे॒भम् । उ॒दनि॑ । प्रऽवृ॑क्तम् । उत् । नि॒न्य॒थुः॒ । सोम॑म्ऽइव स्रु॒वेण॑ ॥
daśa | rātrīḥ | aśivena | nava | dyūn | ava-naddham | śnathitam ap-su | antariti | vi-prutam | rebham | udani | pra-vṛktam | ut | ninyathuḥ | somam-iva sruveṇa
44
4 × ~11
Grave, wave-like movement with strong upward turn in the final pāda (un ninyathuḥ).
Supports catharsis and emergence; effective for those working through heaviness, trauma, or long stagnation.
- दश रात्रीः नव द्यून् (daśa rātrīḥ nava dyūn)
- Literal: ten nights, nine days. Symbolic: a long cycle of obscurity with partial light; endurance through a phase-change
- अशिवेन (aśivena)
- Literal: by what is unkind/inauspicious. Symbolic: adverse forces; harmful circumstances
- अवनद्धम् (avanaddham)
- Literal: bound down. Symbolic: constricted consciousness; depression/limitation
- श्नथितम् (śnathitam)
- Literal: wounded/torn. Symbolic: injured vital-mental fabric; fragmented will
- अप्सु अन्तः (apsu antaḥ)
- Literal: within the waters. Symbolic: subconscient depths; undifferentiated life-mass
- विप्रुतम् (viprutam)
- Literal: scattered. Symbolic: dispersed energies; loss of coherence
- उदनि प्रवृक्तम् (udani pravṛktam)
- Literal: cast into the water. Symbolic: thrown into the subconscious; overwhelmed
- सोममिव स्रुवेण (somam iva sruveṇa)
- Literal: like Soma with the ladle. Symbolic: extraction of bliss-essence by a conscious act; drawing nectar from depth
Aśvin rescue narrative suited to Soma ritual symbolism (explicit Soma simile); supports themes of extraction of essence and revival
Dawn; also during healing rites or personal recovery practices.
Stuti recalling a rescue from waters; implicit request for similar lifting.
Use as a mantra for coming out of depression/addiction/overwhelm—‘lift me out of the waters’—paired with gentle discipline.
ava-√nadh 'bind down' depicts constriction; √śnath 'break, maim' indicates damaged formation. Waters (apsu/udani) regularly signify the moving depths (vital/subconscious). √nī 'lead' with ut- (unnin-) is a key 'rescue upward' verb. Soma extraction (sruva) is used as an inner analogy: drawing the essence from obscurity into conscious availability.
subconscious immersion and recovery, extraction of essence (Soma as inner delight/immortalising force), healing of broken being
From vipruta (scattered) to re-gathered coherence—ṛta reasserts itself against dissolution.
The ‘true ones’ act through time (ten nights) without failure; rescue is inevitable when the call is held.
Emergence from waters: a rebirth motif; Soma drawn out parallels manifestation of delight from inconscience.
Integral evolution: ascent of consciousness from the subconscient; bliss extracted from depth.
night-to-dawn transition (implied)
Waters = subconscient; nights = obscurity; Soma = bliss/essence; ladle = conscious will that can ‘draw out’ delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rescue of Rebha from confinement in the waters after a prolonged period—an archetypal 'descent into waters and re-emergence' motif. The Soma simile frames the rescue as extraction of hidden essence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √nī 'lead' from PIE *neh₁- 'lead' (Latin dūcō is different root; but Indo-Iranian has strong *neh₁ evidence). ap- 'water' is a classic PIE hydronymic root *h₂ep- (Skt ap-, Avestan ap-, Latin aqua is debated but often linked). The poetic equation of 'essence' and 'pressed Soma' reflects inherited Indo-European sacral drink poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi remembers the Aśvins as saviours of a seer (Rebha), implying that the divine twins preserve the very faculty of mantra-vision and utterance. Their help restores not only life but the capacity to speak truth—central to ṛta-maintenance.
Practice ‘uplift from the waters’: feel awareness rising from the base/spine into the heart and brow, carrying a sweetness (Soma) upward.
muladhara
long exhale breathing (1:2 ratio) for calming; then chant
From submerged/inert to emerging, coherent awareness with a hint of bliss.
Chant slowly; on ‘apsv antaḥ’ acknowledge the depth without fear; on ‘un ninyathuḥ’ visualize a steady upward pull. After chanting, sit silently and ‘taste’ Soma—subtle sweetness in the heart.
Keep the anudātta portions low to evoke depth; let udātta rises mark the ‘lifting’ moments, especially near ‘ut’ and ‘un ninyathuḥ’.
Slightly lengthen the pause after the first pāda to convey the long confinement; then move steadily to the uplifting close.
rebham: re-bham (clear bh), apsv antaḥ: apsu with s + v glide; antaḥ with visarga, viprutaṃ: vi-pru-taṃ (clear dental t), sruveṇa: sru-ve-ṇa (retroflex ṇ)
Deep, compassionate tone; crescendo toward the final lifting phrase.
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