Rig Veda 4.42.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 42, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.42
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अहं राजा वरुणो मह्यं तान्यसुर्याणि प्रथमा धारयन्त । क्रतुं सचन्ते वरुणस्य देवा राजामि कृष्टेरुपमस्य वव्रेः ॥
aháṃ rājā́ váruṇo máhyaṃ tā́ny asuryā́ṇi prathamā́ dhārayanta | krátum sacante váruṇasya devā́ rājāmi kṛṣṭér upamásya vavréḥ ||
মই ৰজা বৰুণ; মোৰ বাবে সেই আদিম অসুৰীয় শক্তিসমূহে সেই মহৎ কৰ্মসমূহ ধাৰণ কৰিলে। দেবতাসকল বৰুণৰ ক্রতুত সংলগ্ন; সৰ্বোচ্চ পৰিবেষ্টনত আৱৃত হৈ মই জনসমূহৰ ওপৰত শাসন কৰোঁ।
Word by Word
- अहम्
- IPronoun1st person pronoun; nominative singularRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद्
- राजा
- kingNounmasculine; nominative singularRole कर्तृRoot राजन्
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNoun (proper/theonym)masculine; nominative singularRole कर्तृRoot वरुण
- मह्यम्
- to/for mePronoun1st person pronoun; dative singularRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- तानि
- those (things)Pronoun (demonstrative)neuter; accusative pluralRole कर्मRoot तद्
- असुर्याणि
- asuric/lordly powersAdjectiveneuter; accusative plural (agreeing with तानि)Role कर्मRoot असुर्य (असुर + य)
- प्रथमा
- the first (one)Adjective (used substantively)feminine; nominative singularRole कर्तृRoot प्रथम
- धारयन्त
- they held/maintainedVerbimperfect (Vedic injunctive-like use possible); 3rd person plural; parasmaipadaRole कर्तृRoot धृ
- क्रतुम्
- resolve; sacred will; power of intentionNounmasculine; accusative singularRole कर्मRoot क्रतु
- सचन्ते
- they accompany/attach themselvesVerbpresent; 3rd person plural; ātmanepadaRole कर्तृRoot सच्
- वरुणस्य
- of VaruṇaNoun (proper/theonym)masculine; genitive singularRole सम्बन्धRoot वरुण
- देवाः
- the godsNounmasculine; nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot देव
- राजामि
- I ruleVerbpresent; 1st person singular; parasmaipadaRole कर्तृRoot राज्
- कृष्टेः
- of the people/settled communityNounfeminine; genitive singularRole सम्बन्धRoot कृष्टि
- उपमस्य
- of the most excellent/foremostAdjectivemasculine; genitive singular (agreeing with वव्रेः)Role विशेषण-सम्बन्धRoot उपम
- वव्रेः
- of the chooser/protector (elect one)Nounmasculine; genitive singularRole सम्बन्धRoot वव्रि (from √वृ ‘to choose/cover’, Vedic noun)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-style): अहं राजा वरुणो → अहम् | राजा | वरुणः (final -o is sandhi for -ः before voiced consonant)
- मह्यं तानि → मह्यम् | तानि (anusvāra before dental)
- तान्यसुर्याणि → तानि | असुर्याणि (i + a → ya)
- प्रथमा धारयन्त → प्रथमा | धारयन्त
- सचन्ते वरुणस्य → सचन्ते | वरुणस्य
- देवा राजा॑मि → देवाः | राजामि (visarga lost before r)
- कृ॒ष्टेरु॑प॒मस्य॑ → कृष्टेः | उपमस्य (ḥ + u → r u, i.e., visarga sandhi to ‘र्’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Varuṇa declares: ‘I am king; the primal Asuric powers upheld my mighty workings. The gods follow Varuṇa’s will; I rule the peoples, wrapped in the supreme encompassing.’
Inner meaning
This is Varuṇa as the voice of the sovereign inner law: the ‘king’ consciousness that governs the movements of the being. ‘Asurya’ here is not demonic but the primal lordly power—capacity to hold and shape vast workings. The gods (inner powers) cleave to Varuṇa’s kratu (will/intention): when truth-order leads, all faculties align. ‘Upamasya vavreḥ’—the supreme encompassing—suggests the infinite wideness that contains and measures all, the psychological sky-ocean in which the individual is governed toward truth.
Universal truth
Real freedom comes from inner sovereignty: when consciousness is ruled by truth and vastness, the faculties naturally harmonize and life becomes governed by a higher law rather than impulse.
Themes
divine kingship, cosmic order and rule, Varuṇa’s sovereignty
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.42, RV 4.26, RV 4.27
Family tradition
RV 4.42 is dialogic/self-declaratory; Vāmadeva’s genius includes identification with cosmic powers—speaking from within the deity-consciousness (a hallmark for inner interpretation).
Significance
A classic instance of ‘seer-identification’: the rishi enters Varuṇa’s standpoint, revealing the yogic experience of inner kingship and law.
The deity
- Devata
- Varuṇa
- Epithets
- rājā (king), asura (lordly, sovereign), upama-vavra (supreme encompasser—implicit)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Ādityas, Indra (as complementary force)
Cosmic role
Guardian of r̥ta and satya; binds falsehood, measures worlds, maintains the vast order that the gods follow.
Inner power
Truth-governance, moral clarity, wideness, and the capacity to hold the being in disciplined harmony; the ‘noose’ as inner self-restraint that frees.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āditya/Varuṇa hymns used in Soma rites and royal/sovereignty themes; also recited for truth and release from bonds (symbolic).
अ॒हं राजा॒ वरु॑णो॒ मह्यं॒ तान्य॑सु॒र्या॑णि प्रथ॒मा धा॑रयन्त । क्रतुं॑ सचन्ते॒ वरु॑णस्य दे॒वा राजा॑मि कृ॒ष्टेरु॑प॒मस्य॑ व॒व्रेः ॥
अ॒हम् । राजा॑ । वरु॑णः । मह्य॑म् । तानि॑ । अ॒सु॒र्या॑णि । प्र॒थ॒मा । धा॒र॒य॒न्त॒ । क्रतु॑म् । स॒च॒न्ते॒ । वरु॑णस्य । दे॒वाः । राजा॑मि । कृ॒ष्टेः । उ॒प॒मस्य॑ । व॒व्रेः ॥
aham | rājā | varuṇaḥ | mahyam | tāni | asuryāṇi | prathamā | dhārayanta | kratum | sacante | varuṇasya | devāḥ | rājāmi | kṛṣṭeḥ | upamasya | vavreḥ
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4 x ~11
Majestic and declarative; carries royal authority and wide cadence.
Induces steadiness and ethical gravity; expands the mental field and encourages self-governance.
- राजा वरुणः (rājā varuṇaḥ)
- Literal: King Varuṇa. Symbolic: inner sovereign of truth, self-rule, and vast order
- असुर्याणि (asuryāṇi)
- Literal: Asuric powers (lordly might). Symbolic: primal sovereign capacities that uphold great workings
- प्रथमा (prathamā)
- Literal: the first, primal. Symbolic: original foundations of order in consciousness
- क्रतुम् (kratum)
- Literal: will, resolve, intelligent intention. Symbolic: truth-will that coordinates all inner gods/faculties
- देवाः (devāḥ)
- Literal: gods. Symbolic: powers of consciousness—illumination, harmony, force, delight
- उपमस्य वव्रेः (upamasya vavreḥ)
- Literal: of the supreme encompassing cover. Symbolic: infinite wideness that contains and measures; the law of totality
Royal/sovereignty formula within Soma liturgy and rājasūya-like ideological frame; establishes Varuṇa’s supreme law as basis for right rule and order.
In contexts invoking Varuṇa’s protection, confession/atonement themes, or establishing order (r̥ta) in rites.
Recitation with offerings; sometimes paired with prayers for forgiveness and right conduct (Varuṇa’s domain).
For integrity and self-discipline: chant to strengthen inner law, reduce self-deception, and cultivate spacious, impartial awareness.
asurya- from asúra ‘lord’ (older Vedic: sovereign, possessing might), not the later antagonistic Asura. krátu- ‘will, resolve, intelligent energy’ (central to Varuṇa’s governance of ṛta). vavré- from √vṛ ‘cover, enclose’ → ‘encompassing mantle’: Varuṇa’s vast containment and law.
Asuric sovereignty (lordly might as cosmic governance), kratu (divine will), Ṛta as political-cosmic order
Direct: Varuṇa is r̥ta’s king; the gods ‘cleave’ to his kratu—order precedes effective power.
Truth as governing principle; self-declaration implies unwavering satya-consciousness.
‘Encompassing’ suggests the original containment/measure of the cosmos—order as the first act of manifestation.
Bridges to Upaniṣadic idea of inner ruler (antaryāmin—theme): sovereignty of truth-consciousness.
night (Varuṇa’s watchfulness—suggested, not explicit)
Ocean/sky = vast consciousness; encompassing vault = the holding awareness that measures and contains impulses; stars = orderly truths within wideness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of cosmic kingship: Varuṇa declares himself king whose asurya (sovereign powers) are upheld by primordial supports; other gods align with his kratu. It is the archetype of rule by ṛta rather than force alone.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rājā ‘king’ continues PIE *h₃rḗǵs (rule; cf. Latin rēx). The semantic field ties governance to right order, matching the IE linkage between kingship and cosmic/ritual correctness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi yields voice to Varuṇa’s self-declaration: the hymn functions as identification and alignment—human consciousness is invited to recognize and internalize Varuṇa’s kratu (sovereign will of order) as the law governing the inner and outer ‘peoples’ (kṛṣṭi).
Enter Varuṇa’s standpoint: become the ‘king’ awareness that observes and governs all movements with truth and wideness.
ājñā (inner governance) with sahasrāra (vast encompassing)
Slow exhale emphasis (4 inhale, 8 exhale) to evoke vastness and restraint without strain.
From fragmented impulses to sovereign, law-bearing witness-consciousness.
After chanting, practice ‘truth-audit’: watch one subtle self-deception arise; without guilt, place it under the wide sky of awareness and choose one truthful correction.
Declarative udātta peaks on ‘ahaṃ rājā varuṇo’; keep svarita transitions smooth to preserve majesty.
Let the first pāda sound like proclamation; slow slightly on ‘kratuṃ sacante’ to emphasize alignment to will.
: a-ham (light h), : a-sur-yā-ṇi (retroflex ṇ), : pra-tha-mā (aspirated th), : sa-can-te (clear dental n), : va-vreḥ (cluster vr; visarga at end)
Deep, steady, spacious; minimal force, maximum authority.
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