Rig Veda 2.40.4: Mandala 2, Sukta 40, Mantra 4
Sukta 2.40
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Soma-Pūṣan
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
दिव्यन्यः सदनं चक्र उच्चा पृथिव्यामन्यो अध्यन्तरिक्षे । तावस्मभ्यं पुरुवारं पुरुक्षुं रायस्पोषं वि ष्यतां नाभिमस्मे ॥
divy ànyaḥ sádanaṃ cakra uccā́ pṛthivyā́m anyó ádhy antárikṣe | tā́v asmábhyaṃ puruvā́raṃ purukṣúṃ rāyáspoṣaṃ ví ṣyatāṃ nā́bhim asmé ||
এজনাৰ আসন দিৱ্যত উচ্ছত স্থাপিত; আনজনাৰ আসন পৃথিৱীত আৰু অন্তৰিক্ষত। সেই দুয়ো আমাৰ বাবে বৃদ্ধি-নাভি (কেন্দ্ৰ) বিস্তাৰ কৰক—ধনৰ পোষণ, বহু-বৰ (বহু দান), বহু-ক্ষু (বহু ফল-ফলন) সমৃদ্ধ—সেই নাভি আমাৰ ভিতৰত স্থাপন কৰক।
Word by Word
- दिव्यः
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अन्यः का विशेषण)Root दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक; दिव् ‘द्युतौ/स्वर्गे’ से) अथवा दिव्-सम्बद्ध
- अन्यः
- the one (of the two), the otherPronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अन्य (सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- सदनम्
- seat, abode, dwellingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सदन (प्रातिपदिक; √सद् ‘सीदति/वसति’ से)
- चक्र
- has made, fashionedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √कृ (करणे)
- उच्चा
- aloft, on highIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (स्थान/दिशा-अर्थे) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot उच्चा (अव्यय; ‘ऊर्ध्वम्/उच्चैः’)
- पृथिव्याम्
- on the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्यः
- the other (one)Pronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अन्य (सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अधि
- upon, over; inIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (उपरि/मध्ये-भावे)Root अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अन्तरिक्षे
- in the midspace, atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- तौ
- those twoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- अस्मभ्यम्
- to us, for usPronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- पुरुवारम्
- much-protecting / very shelteringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (रायस्पोषम् का विशेषण)Root पुरुवार (प्रातिपदिक; पुरु- ‘बहु’ + वार ‘रक्षा/आवरण/वार’)
- पुरुक्षुम्
- abounding in many dwellings/abodes; very bountifulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (रायस्पोषम् का विशेषण)Root पुरुक्षु (प्रातिपदिक; पुरु- ‘बहु’ + क्षु/क्षु ‘क्षय/क्षुति’—RV में ‘बहु-समृद्धि/बहु-आवास’ अर्थक विशेषण)
- रायः
- of wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (RV में), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (पोषम् का)Root राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक ‘धन, संपत्ति’)
- पोषम्
- nourishment, prosperityNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पोष (प्रातिपदिक; √पुष् ‘पोषणे’ से)
- वि
- apart, forth; intensivelyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्ग)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्यताम्
- let them spread/extend (bestow)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root √स्यै/√स्या (प्रसारणे/विस्तारे; Vedic ‘to spread/extend’)
- नाभिम्
- navel; hub; central pointNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (स्यताम् के साथ ‘नाभिम् …’ = ‘नाभि तक/केन्द्र में’ फैलाएँ)Root नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मे
- in us, among usPronounसप्तमी (वेदिक रूप), एकवचन/बहुवचन-प्रयोग (स्थानीय ‘हमारे यहाँ/हममें’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): दिव्यः अन्यः सदनम् चक्र उच्चा पृथिव्याम् अन्यः अधि अन्तरिक्षे । तौ अस्मभ्यम् पुरुवारम् पुरुक्षुम् रायः पोषम् वि स्यताम् नाभिम् अस्मे ॥ प्रमुख संधि: (1) दिव्य१॒॑न्यः = दिव्यः + अन्यः (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि)
- (2) पृथिव्याम॒न्यो = पृथिव्याम् + अन्यः (म् + अ → म्-अवग्रह/संधि)
- (3) अध्य॒न्तरि॑क्षे = अधि + अन्तरिक्षे (इ + अ → य्/ध्य्-रूप; वैदिक लेखन ‘अधि’ + ‘अन्तरिक्षे’)
- (4) ताव॒स्मभ्यं॑ = तौ + अस्मभ्यम् (औ + अ → आव्/आव-लोप; वैदिक संधि)
- (5) रायस्पोषं॒ = रायः + पोषम् (विसर्ग + प् → स्; ‘रायस्’ रूप)
- (6) ष्य॑तां = स्यताम् (उपसर्ग ‘वि’ के बाद उच्चारण/लिपि में ‘वि ष्यताम्’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Of the two, one has made his seat high in heaven; the other upon earth and in the mid-space. May they spread for us within us the navel-center of increase—riches and nourishment abundant in desirable powers and fruitful in many growths.
Inner meaning
The pair (Soma–Pūṣan) are seen as occupying complementary stations: one “aloft in heaven” (divi…uccā) indicates the supramental/illumined delight-principle (Soma as higher beatitude), while the other is active “on earth and in the mid-space” (pṛthivyām…antarikṣe), guiding and fostering the embodied journey (Pūṣan as practical leader through life-mind). Their joint action establishes the “nābhi” (navel/central hub) of growth within the seeker: a stable inner center where energies gather, circulate, and increase (poṣa). The ‘many doors’ (puruvāram) and ‘many growths’ (purukṣuṃ) suggest a wideness of capacities—multiple openings of consciousness and repeated fruitful expansions—yet organized around a single inner hub. In Aurobindonian terms, it is the formation of a psychic-energetic center that can receive higher delight and distribute it through life and mind.
Universal truth
Human flourishing—outer and inner—requires a centered increase: a stable inner ‘navel’ of nourishment where higher inspiration and embodied guidance meet. True prosperity is not accumulation but a widening, many-sided growth of capacities rooted in an inner center.
Themes
Integration, Inner prosperity, Cosmic seating, Centering
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditionally associated with the Gṛtsamada lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.3 (wideness and protection motifs), RV 2.23–24 (opening of light and victorious expansion), RV 2.40.3, 2.40.5–6 (same devatā sequence)
Family tradition
Gṛtsamada hymns often coordinate cosmic stations (heaven/earth/midspace) with inner stations (higher mind, embodied life, integrating center).
Significance
The seer frames dual divine action as a bridge between heights and embodiment, culminating in an inner ‘nābhi’—a stable center for growth, essential for integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma–Pūṣan (dual)
- Epithets
- puruvāram (many-opened, in the gift), purukṣu (many-growing, in the gift)
- Related deities
- Aditi (wideness and increase), Savitṛ (impulsion toward right movement), Bṛhaspati (opening of inner doors)
Cosmic role
Soma connects to the heavenly seat—delight and immortality; Pūṣan works through earth and midspace—guidance, protection, increase in the journey.
Inner power
Descent of higher ananda into the embodied system; formation of a centered, circulating nourishment (poṣa) that supports steady expansion.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-related praise/invocation; used to secure ‘poṣa’ (increase) and stability of the rite’s center (nābhi as ritual hub).
दि॒व्य१॒॑न्यः सद॑नं च॒क्र उ॒च्चा पृ॑थि॒व्याम॒न्यो अध्य॒न्तरि॑क्षे । ताव॒स्मभ्यं॑ पुरु॒वारं॑ पुरु॒क्षुं रा॒यस्पोषं॒ वि ष्य॑तां॒ नाभि॑म॒स्मे ॥
दि॒वि । अ॒न्यः । सद॑नम् । च॒क्रे । उ॒च्चा । पृ॒थि॒व्याम् । अ॒न्यः । अधि॑ । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षे । तौ । अ॒स्मभ्य॑म् । पु॒रु॒ऽवार॑म् । पु॒रु॒ऽक्षुम् । रा॒यः । पोष॑म् । वि । स्य॒ता॒म् । नाभि॑म् । अ॒स्मे इति॑ ॥
divi | anyaḥ | sadanam | cakre | uccā | pṛthivyām | anyaḥ | adhi | antarikṣe | tau | asmabhyam | puru-vāram | puru-kṣum | rāyaḥ | poṣam | vi | syatām | nābhim | asme iti
44
4×11 syllables (approx.)
Balanced and architectural—suited to mapping cosmic stations and establishing a central hub.
Gives a sense of vertical alignment (above/below) and then centering (nābhi), producing composure and wideness.
- दिवि ... उच्चा (divi ... uccā)
- Literal: in heaven, on high. Symbolic: Higher consciousness-plane; elevated delight/illumination
- पृथिव्याम् (pṛthivyām)
- Literal: on earth. Symbolic: Embodied nature; physical foundation for realization
- अन्तरिक्षे (antarikṣe)
- Literal: in the mid-space. Symbolic: Vital-mental field where movements must be harmonized
- नाभिम् (nābhim)
- Literal: navel, hub, central point. Symbolic: Inner center of integration and increase; stable psychic hub
- पोषम् (poṣam)
- Literal: nourishment, increase. Symbolic: Growth of consciousness, strength, and right enjoyment
- रायः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: riches. Symbolic: Plenitude of inner powers (light, force, joy) and their outer support
- पुरुवारम् (puruvāram)
- Literal: many-doored, many-opened. Symbolic: Multiple openings of consciousness; wide receptivity
- पुरुक्षुम् (purukṣum)
- Literal: rich in many growths/offspring. Symbolic: Repeated expansions; fruitful developments of faculties
Ritual prayer for establishing prosperity and increase as an inner ‘center’ (nābhi) linking heaven/earth/midspace—integrative function aligned with Soma rites and Pūṣan’s fostering role.
In Soma offerings or allied recitations seeking prosperity and protection.
Invoking the deities to establish increase and a firm center in the sacrificer and the rite.
Chant for creating an inner ‘center’ before work, study, or meditation; also for healing scattered attention and cultivating steady growth.
uccā ‘aloft’ relates to √uc ‘be high’. sadana from √sad ‘sit’ (PIE *sed- ‘sit’; cf. Lat. sedere). poṣa from √puṣ ‘thrive, prosper’ (cf. ‘push’ is not cognate; but semantic of increase). puru- ‘many’ is a common Vedic intensifier. vi-√sya (syatām): from √sī/√syā ‘to extend/spread’ (Vedic usage), expressing diffusion/establishment.
integration of planes of being, nābhi as inner center, poṣa (increase) as spiritual growth
Heaven–earth–midspace are ordered realms; the nābhi is the organizing hub where r̥ta is internalized as coherent growth.
The ‘high seat’ indicates a truth-plane source for nourishment; growth becomes satya-based rather than desire-based.
Cosmic differentiation of stations and their reintegration through a central hub of increase.
Integral Vedāntic orientation: descent of higher delight into embodied life, organized around a psychic center.
Vertical axis (heaven–earth) corresponds to higher consciousness descending into embodiment; nābhi corresponds to the integrating center where energies are digested and redistributed.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘two seats’ spanning heaven and earth/midspace, enabling a central hub (nābhi) of increase to be established in the human. It encodes the bridging of planes: illumination above, nourishment/guidance below and between—so the being becomes centered and prosperous in a deeper sense.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sadana (√sad) reflects PIE *sed- ‘sit’, a stable inherited image of divine ‘seating’/establishment. The triadic cosmology (heaven–midspace–earth) is a hallmark of archaic Indo-European world-mapping.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks the devatās to internalize their cosmic arrangement ‘in us’ (asme): not merely to give riches, but to spread a centered increase—an organized plenitude that makes the human vessel a stable meeting-place of higher and lower powers.
Establish the inner nābhi: feel a calm central hub from which nourishment spreads through the body and mind.
Maṇipūra (navel center as integration and distribution) with an upward link to Sahasrāra/upper mind for ‘high seat’.
Gentle breath into the navel region (diaphragmatic breathing), then imagine the inhale drawing from ‘above’ and exhale distributing through the whole being.
Centered wideness—stable hub with broad openings.
On each recitation, first sense the height (quiet, luminous source), then the grounding (body), then the midspace (life-mind), and finally seal it all in the navel-center as steady increase.
Vedic accents as marked in the Saṃhitā; sustain udātta on key contrasts (divi/uccā; pṛthivyām/antarikṣe) and on gift-words (poṣaṃ).
Keep pāda pauses clear to preserve the ‘two-station’ structure; slightly lengthen nābhim for centering emphasis without breaking meter.
Pronounce ‘antarikṣe’ with clear kṣ., Keep retroflex ṇ in anyo ( is dental n; but keep clear palatal y), and maintain visarga in anyaḥ., In ‘vi ṣyatām’ articulate the cluster as ‘vi ṣya-’ (not ‘vi sya-’).
Even, centering, slightly resonant in the mid-range.
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