Rig Veda 8.30.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 30, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.30
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ, ‘gods of Manu’
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
इति स्तुतासो असथा रिशादसो ये स्थ त्रयश्च त्रिंशच्च । मनोर्देवा यज्ञियासः ॥
íti stutā́so asatha riśādasó yé stha tráyaś ca triṃśácc ca | manór devā yajñiyāsaḥ ||
এইভাবে স্তবিত হলে তোমরা উপস্থিত হও—অপকার-নাশক, অনিষ্ট-বিদারক—তোমরা যারা তিন ও ত্রিশ; হে মনুর দেবগণ, যজ্ঞযোগ্য, আমাদের ঋত-এর বিধানে স্থিত রাখো।
Word by Word
- इति
- thusIndeclinableनिपात/उद्धरणार्थक-अव्ययRoot इति (निपात)
- स्तुतासः
- the praised ones / those who are praisedNoun/Adjective (participle used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √स्तु (स्तुति) → स्तुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- असथ
- you wereVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; वैदिक रूप: असथ = असतRoot √अस् (भू)
- रिशादसः
- harm-destroyers / slayers of injuryNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (सम्बोधन/विशेषण-रूपेण स्तुतासः/देवाः प्रति)Root रिशा-दस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष समास: ‘हानि/क्षति’ + ‘दस्’)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (सम्बन्धक)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्थ
- you areVerbलट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; वैदिक एन्क्लिटिक/संक्षिप्त रूप ‘स्थ’ = ‘स्थ’ (stha) ‘you are’Root √अस् (भू)
- त्रयः
- threeNumeral (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā/विशेषण (गणनार्थ)Root त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- त्रिंशत्
- thirtyNumeralसंख्या; प्रायः अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (यहाँ ‘त्रिंशत्’ = thirty)Role Kartā/विशेषण (गणनार्थ)Root त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- मनोर्
- of ManuNoun (proper/ancestral name)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (वैदिक संधि: मनोः + देवाः → मनोर् देवाः)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive: ‘of Manu’)Root मनु (प्रातिपदिक) → मनोः
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (मुख्य विषय)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञियासः
- worthy of sacrifice / fit for worshipAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā/विशेषण (देवाः प्रति)Root यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक; यज्ञ + य (तद्धित/विशेषण))
Sandhi Notes
- (1) मनोर् देवाः = मनोः (षष्ठी एकवचन ‘मनु’) + देवाः
- विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः (ः → र्) स्वरादौ। (2) असथ वैदिक-रूपः: लङ् मध्यमबहुवचन ‘असत’ का रूपान्तर। (3) त्रयश्च = त्रयः + च
- विसर्गलोपः। (4) त्रिंशच्च = त्रिंशत् + च
- त् + च → च्च (व्यञ्जनसन्धि)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Thus, when praised, you are present—destroyers of harm—you who are the three and the thirty; O gods of Manu, worthy of sacrifice.
Inner meaning
Praise (stuti) is an act of conscious alignment that makes the divine powers present (asatha). They are riśādasaḥ—those who consume/destroy injury: they remove inner distortions, hostile forces, and obscuring habits. “Three and thirty” indicates the complete cosmic set of powers (a totality of functions). “Gods of Manu” are the powers guiding the human mental being (Manu as archetype of man), establishing right order in human life.
Universal truth
When consciousness sincerely turns to higher principles, they become operative; wholeness (a complete set of powers) is needed to overcome harm and establish order.
Themes
All-gods invocation, Protection, Completeness of divine host
The seer
Significance
A practical mantra of invocation: it states the law that sincere praise brings presence, and presence brings protection and integral ordering of life.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ (All Gods), ‘gods of Manu’
- Epithets
- Riśādasaḥ (destroyers of harm), Yajñiyāsaḥ (worthy of sacrifice), Trayaḥ-triṃśat (the complete host)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of obstructors), Agni (leader of sacrifice), Maruts (forces that disperse obstruction), Aditi (integral wholeness)
Cosmic role
Collectively uphold the cosmos and protect the human journey; they represent the full spectrum of divine functions needed for order and growth.
Inner power
Integrated protection: removal of inner obstacles, harmonization of faculties, and guidance of human evolution (Manu principle).
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation of Viśve Devāḥ in collective offerings; number formula aligns with traditional deva-counts used in śrauta contexts.
इति॑ स्तु॒तासो॑ असथा रिशादसो॒ ये स्थ त्रय॑श्च त्रिं॒शच्च॑ । मनो॑र्देवा यज्ञियासः ॥
इति॑ । स्तु॒तासः॑ । अ॒स॒थ॒ । रि॒शा॒द॒सः॒ । ये । स्थ । त्रयः॑ । च॒ । त्रिं॒शत् । च॒ । मनोः॑ । दे॒वाः॒ । य॒ज्ञि॒या॒सः॒ ॥
iti | stutāsaḥ | asatha | riśādasaḥ | ye | stha | trayaḥ | ca | triṃśat | ca | manoḥ | devāḥ | yajñiyāsaḥ
Invocatory and enumerative; builds momentum through epithets and number-formula.
Creates a felt ‘arrival’ of protective forces; stabilizes and strengthens resolve.
- स्तुतासः (stutāsaḥ)
- Literal: being praised. Symbolic: the act of conscious consent and invocation; aspiration taking form as word
- असथ (asatha)
- Literal: you are / you become present. Symbolic: descent/manifestation of higher powers into awareness
- रिशादसः (riśādasaḥ)
- Literal: eaters of harm/injury. Symbolic: powers that dissolve inner negativity, falsehood, and hostile movements
- त्रयः च त्रिंशत् (trayaḥ ca triṃśat)
- Literal: three and thirty. Symbolic: the full complement of cosmic functions; integrality of the divine administration
- मनोः (manoḥ)
- Literal: of Manu. Symbolic: of the human archetype; gods that shape and uplift the mental being
- यज्ञियासः (yajñiyāsaḥ)
- Literal: worthy of sacrifice. Symbolic: powers fit to be offered to/with—central to inner yajña
Sarvadevatya praise; suitable in rites invoking the full pantheon and seeking protection (riśa-destruction) and right establishment of the sacrifice.
At points of summoning and protection within yajña; also suitable as daily protective recitation.
Offer praise and oblation; request removal of harm and establishment of right order.
Use as a protective preface before travel, work, or challenging conversations—invoking the ‘complete host’ to remove inner reactivity and outer harm.
riśa ‘harm’ + √ad ‘eat’ forms riśādasaḥ: powers that consume hostile forces—psychologically, they devour inner afflictions and false movements. The enumeration ‘three and thirty’ reflects Vedic cataloging of divine powers (often linked to traditional counts of deities), here interpreted as a complete host spanning principal triads and extended powers. manu relates to √man ‘think’: ‘gods of Manu’ are powers active in the human mental being and its law (dharma-like order).
R̥ta upheld by collective divine powers, Manu as archetype of mental order and human law, protection as purification (harm ‘eaten’)
The gods’ presence restores R̥ta in the human field by consuming forces of injury and disorder.
Truth becomes effective when the full set of powers is invoked, not a partial aspiration.
Humanity (Manu) is upheld by a comprehensive divine ecology—many coordinated powers.
Integral Vedic theism: many powers as necessary for wholeness; psychological reading of ‘harm’ as inner obstruction.
A constellation of inner lights forms a protective order around the psyche; yajña is the inner process of offering that keeps this order active.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of the complete divine assembly that protects the human journey: the gods are counted and invoked as a totality that ‘eats harm.’ In the inner reading, the many luminous faculties collectively remove obstacles and establish the seeker in sacrificial alignment (yajña as inner offering).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ad ‘eat’ (PIE *h₁ed-) in a protective epithet is archaic: destruction is expressed as consumption. √man (PIE *men-) in manu highlights the mental foundation of human order and the gods’ relation to it.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Praise (stu) is presented as the means of presence: when rightly hymned, the gods ‘are’ (asatha) for the human. The exchange is explicit—invocation brings descent/availability; the gods repay by consuming harms and making the human sacrifice effective.
Invoke a complete protection: call all higher qualities to the front, especially those that ‘eat harm’—discernment, calm, courage, truth-speech.
manipura
kapālabhāti (very mild, if appropriate) as symbolic ‘riśa-dasa’ cleansing; otherwise strong nasal exhales 10 rounds, then quiet sitting.
Protected strength and readiness; purified field for practice.
Chant, then name the ‘harm’ to be consumed (fear, anger, inertia). Offer it into inner Agni; feel the host of powers forming a circle of light around you.
Unspecified; give clear udatta lift on riśādaso and yajñiyāsaḥ; keep the number phrase trayaś ca triṃśac ca rhythmically even.
Mark small pauses: (iti) | stutāsaḥ | asatha | riśādasaḥ | … ; avoid rushing the enumeration.
stutāsaḥ: ‘stu-tā-saḥ’ long ā, asatha: ‘a-sa-tha’ (th aspirated), riśādasaḥ: ś as palatal; long ā, trayaś ca: ś + ca separated cleanly, triṃśat: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ś, manoḥ: final ḥ light, yajñiyāsaḥ: ‘yaj-ñi-yā-saḥ’ with clear ñ
invocatory, bright, slightly forceful for protection
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