Rig Veda 10.137.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 137, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.137
- Rishi
- As in RV 10.137 healing sequence
- Devata
- Vāta as viśva-bheṣaja
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
आ वात वाहि भेषजं वि वात वाहि यद्रपः । त्वं हि विश्वभेषजो देवानां दूत ईयसे ॥
ā́ vāta vā́hi bheṣajáṃ ví vāta vā́hi yád rápaḥ | tváṃ hí viśvá-bheṣajo devā́nāṃ dūtá ī́yase ||
O Vāyu, bringe das Heilmittel herbei; o Vāyu, blase auseinander und zerstreue, was verzehrt. Denn du bist das allumfassende Heil, der Bote, der zwischen den Göttern und unserem leiblichen Leben dahineilt.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- वात
- O WindNounmasculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot वात (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाहि
- carry, bringVerbimperative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot वह्
- भेषजम्
- remedy, medicineNounneuter, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, away, forthIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root वि (upasarga)
- वात
- O WindNounmasculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot वात (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाहि
- carry, driveVerbimperative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot वह्
- यत्
- whatever, that whichPronounneuter, nominative/accusative singular (relative)Role Karma (with implied verb ‘drive away’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रपः
- harm, disease, afflictionNounneuter, nominative/accusative singular (Vedic form: -as > -aḥ)Role Karma (thing to be removed)Root रपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- thouPronoun1st/2nd-person pronoun, nominative singularRole KartāRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableemphatic/causal particleRoot हि (particle)
- विश्वभेषजः
- universal healer; possessing all remediesNoun/Adjectivemasculine, nominative singular (bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa sense: ‘having all remedies’/‘universal healer’)Role Kartā (predicative to त्वम्)Root विश्व-भेषज (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounmasculine, genitive pluralRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- दूतः
- messengerNounmasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to त्वम्)Root दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईयसे
- thou goest, thou movestVerbpresent indicative, 2nd person singular, ātmanepadaRoot इ (Vedic: ईय- present stem)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: यद्रपः → यत् + रपः (final -d of यद् becomes -t before voiceless r- in Vedic sandhi). Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are not repeated in the pada forms here
- they do not change the morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Wind, blow medicinal healing towards us; blow away the disease and corruption. You are the bearer of universal medicine, moving as a messenger between the divine realms and the mortal world.
Inner meaning
Vata represents the Divine Life Force (Prana) acting in the nervous system and vital being. The invocation asks this Life Force to bring the energy of wholeness (Bheshaja) and to expel the impurities and psychological afflictions (Rapas) lodged in the subconscient. It acts as the link (Duta) connecting the human consciousness with the higher powers of the Gods.
Universal truth
Life energy (Prana) is the fundamental healing agent of the universe; when it flows unobstructed, it connects the finite to the infinite and purifies the vessel.
Themes
Vedic medicine, Breath-power, Purification and restoration
In ritual
Where it is used
Healing charm/prayer: calling in the curative breath-force and dispersing disease; can be applied in rites seeking removal of yakṣma/rapas-like wasting.
आ वा॑त वाहि भेष॒जं वि वा॑त वाहि॒ यद्रप॑: । त्वं हि वि॒श्वभे॑षजो दे॒वानां॑ दू॒त ईय॑से ॥
आ । वा॒त॒ । वा॒हि॒ । भे॒ष॒जम् । वि । वा॒त॒ । वा॒हि॒ । यत् । रपः॑ । त्वम् । हि । वि॒श्वऽभे॑षजः । दे॒वाना॑म् । दू॒तः । ईय॑से ॥
ā | vāta | vāhi | bheṣajam | vi | vāta | vāhi | yat | rapaḥ | tvam | hi | viśva-bheṣajaḥ | devānām | dūtaḥ | īyase
Healing charm/prayer: calling in the curative breath-force and dispersing disease; can be applied in rites seeking removal of yakṣma/rapas-like wasting.
bheṣaja: ‘healing’ (possibly from √bhiṣ ‘to heal’ in later Sanskrit; Vedic usage denotes remedy/power of cure). √vah ‘carry’ frames wind as carrier of subtle forces. dūta ‘messenger’ expresses mediation between divine plane and human embodiment—breath as the transmissive channel.
Breath as messenger between worlds, Healing as restoration of ṛta in the body, Universal remedy (viśva-bheṣaja)
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Wind as divine messenger-healer: a mythic identification of breath with the gods’ transmissive agency, bringing medicine and scattering decay. The cure is a movement—an arrival (ā) and a dispersal (vi).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ corresponds to PIE *wegh- ‘convey’ (Latin vehere). √i ‘go’ (īyase) reflects PIE *h₁ey- ‘go’ (Greek eîmi). The verse thus frames healing as motion/transport—an inherited poetic grammar.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi commands and trusts Vāta as viśva-bheṣaja: the deity is invoked to act directly within the organism, both supplying restorative force and removing the hostile depletion. The relationship is intimate and functional—breath as divine intervention.
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