Rig Veda 10.159.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 159, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.159
- Devata
- Household/union power voiced by the wife
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मम पुत्राः शत्रुहणोऽथो मे दुहिता विराट् । उताहमस्मि संजया पत्यौ मे श्लोक उत्तमः ॥
máma putrā́ḥ śatru-háṇo átho me duhitā́ virā́ṭ | utā́ham asmi saṃjayā́ pátyau me ślóka uttamáḥ ||
Meine Söhne sind Erschläger der feindlichen Mächte; und meine Tochter ist Virāj, weithin herrschend. Und ich bin sieghaft; in meinem Gatten ist mein Wort das höchste.
Word by Word
- मम
- of me / myPronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पुत्राः
- sonsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शत्रुहणः
- enemy-slayingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (पुत्राः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root शत्रु-हन् (समास; हन् धातु ‘हनँ’)
- अथो
- and also / moreoverIndeclinableनिपात (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थ)Root अथ + उ (निपात-संयोग)
- मे
- of me / myPronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दुहिता
- daughterNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- विराट्
- illustrious / sovereign / splendidAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (दुहिता इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root विराज्/विराट् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विराज्’)
- उत
- and / alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-निपातRoot उत (निपात)
- अहम्
- IPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मि
- amVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष? → उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot अस् (धातु)
- संजया
- victorious / winningAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अहम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root सम् + जि (धातु ‘जि’ ‘जय’); संजया (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक, ‘विजयी/जयशीला’)
- पत्यौ
- in/with (my) husbandNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (वेदिक-रूप: -औ)Role अधिकारणRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मे
- of me / myPronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्लोकः
- fame / renown / praiseNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्तमः
- highest / bestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (श्लोकः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठे ‘शत्रुहणोऽथो’ इति सन्धिः: शत्रुहणः + अथो → शत्रुहणोऽथो (विसर्गस्य ओकारादेशः, अवग्रहः)
- ‘उताहम्’ इति: उत + अहम् → उताहम् (स्वर-सन्धि)
- ‘पत्यौ’ वेदिक-सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपम् (पति + औ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
My sons are slayers of enemies; my daughter is wide-ruling. And I am victorious; in my husband my word is supreme.
Inner meaning
‘Sons’ are the active powers born of the union of consciousness and force—energies that strike hostile formations (śatru) in the nature: doubt, inertia, falsehood. The ‘daughter’ as virāṭ is the expansive consciousness (wide-ruling) that gives largeness and right sovereignty to the being. The speaker is saṃjayā—integral victory, not partial. ‘My word is supreme in my husband’ means the soul’s truth-speech becomes the law within the executive mind/life, so action obeys the higher utterance.
Universal truth
When inner union is established, one gives birth to forces that conquer resistance and to a widening consciousness that governs life. Victory is secured when truth-speech becomes the guiding law of action.
Themes
progeny as powers, victory over hostility, sovereignty and speech
The seer
- Rishi
- Anonymous feminine seer-voice (strī) of RV 10.159.
- Other hymns
- RV 10.159.1, RV 10.159.2, RV 10.159.4, RV 10.159.5
Significance
Presents the fruits of inner harmony: victorious energies (sons), vastness (virāṭ daughter), and the enthronement of truth-word (śloka) as ruler in the partnered nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Household/Union Śakti (with Virāṭ and Victory powers)
- Epithets
- śatruhaṇa (enemy-slaying power), virāṭ (vast sovereign), saṃjayā (victory)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory), Bṛhaspati (word-power), Aditi (vastness)
Cosmic role
Ensures growth of powers that protect and expand the human domain; establishes sovereignty of truth in relational and inner governance.
Inner power
Generation of victorious energies and vast consciousness; enthronement of mantra-vāk as directive force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Domestic prosperity/protection charm; affirmation of authority and harmony in the household.
मम॑ पु॒त्राः श॑त्रु॒हणोऽथो॑ मे दुहि॒ता वि॒राट् । उ॒ताहम॑स्मि संज॒या पत्यौ॑ मे॒ श्लोक॑ उत्त॒मः ॥
मम॑ । पु॒त्राः । श॒त्रु॒ऽहनः॑ । अथो॒ इति॑ । मे॒ । दु॒हि॒ता । वि॒राट् । उ॒त । अ॒हम् । अ॒स्मि॒ । स॒म्ऽज॒या । पत्यौ॑ । मे॒ । श्लोकः॑ उ॒त्ऽत॒मः ॥
mama | putrāḥ | śatru-hanaḥ | atho iti | me | duhitā | virāṭ | uta | aham | asmi | sam-jayā | patyau | me | ślokaḥ ut-tamaḥ
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4 × ~8 syllables (probable)
Triumphal yet domestic; steady cadence supports ‘saṃjayā’ (complete victory).
Builds confidence and a sense of protected inner space; supports affirmation of truth-guided action.
- पुत्राः (putrāḥ)
- Literal: sons. Symbolic: dynamic powers/energies born of inner union
- शत्रुहणः (śatruhaṇaḥ)
- Literal: enemy-slayers. Symbolic: forces that defeat inner adversaries (falsehood, inertia, division)
- दुहिता (duhitā)
- Literal: daughter. Symbolic: a derived power of consciousness—often widening/manifesting aspect
- विराट् (virāṭ)
- Literal: wide-ruling, vast. Symbolic: expansive consciousness; integrality and largeness
- संजया (saṃjayā)
- Literal: complete victory. Symbolic: integral conquest over resistance
- श्लोक (śloka)
- Literal: utterance, verse, fame. Symbolic: authoritative word of truth; mantra-speech governing the nature
Marriage/household prosperity and victory charm; also inner practice: generating victorious energies (putrāḥ) and expansive sovereignty (virāṭ) from harmonized union.
During household rites, protection prayers, or before undertaking collective family decisions.
Recite with offering of light; in modern use, recite while setting an intention for family/inner parts to cooperate under truth.
Use as ‘inner family’ integration: align mind (husband), will (wife-śakti), energies (sons), and vastness (daughter-virāṭ) under one truth.
śatru ‘enemy’ (possibly from √śad/√śat ‘to harm’ in later analyses; here functional) + √han ‘slay’ again signals conquest of obstruction. virāṭ ‘wide-ruling’ (vi + rāj ‘to rule’, PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘rule’, cf. Latin rēx). ślóka from √śru/√ślok? traditionally linked to √śru ‘hear’ in the sense of ‘that which is heard/renowned’; in Vedic, ślóka is a pronounced utterance conferring fame/authority—inner sense: victorious mantra-word.
generation of powers from unified consciousness, sovereignty (rāj/virāṭ) as mastery of manifestation, mantric word (śloka) as authority of truth
Rita as harmony of inner ‘household’—each power performs its function without rivalry.
Truth-word becomes uttama (highest) in governance of action.
From union arises progeny—new powers and expanded consciousness.
Integral Yoga lens: integration of parts under psychic truth; virāṭ as wideness of being.
Children = emergent faculties; virāṭ = inner sky/vast field; śloka = vibratory law that shapes behavior.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Fertility and victory as spiritual outcomes of right union: progeny symbolize born powers that conquer hostility; the daughter as virāṭ symbolizes expansive sovereignty; the supreme śloka indicates the triumph of the truth-word within the relational field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- virā́ṭ draws on √rāj ‘rule’ from PIE *h₃reǵ- (rex/raj). √han continues PIE *gʷhen-. The superlative uttamáḥ reflects PIE superlative formation patterns (cf. Latin -issimus as a different strategy but same functional category).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s voice becomes an instrument of ślóka—effective utterance. The devata is the victorious harmony itself: by proclaiming it, the seer establishes a template where union yields conquering energies and expansive rule of truth in life.
Integrate inner parts: invoke victorious energies, wideness, and truth-speech as the governing principle.
Anāhata (integration) and Viśuddha (truth-word)
Slow coherent breathing; on inhale feel ‘virāṭ’ widen, on exhale affirm ‘śloka uttamaḥ’.
Unified, strong, spacious.
After chanting, journal one ‘enemy’ pattern to be slain today and one act that expresses vastness (patience, generosity, perspective).
Maintain steady udātta emphasis on ‘śatruhaṇaḥ’, ‘virāṭ’, ‘saṃjayā’, ‘uttamaḥ’.
Give ‘virāṭ’ a slightly elongated, expansive tone; land firmly on ‘uttamaḥ’.
: ‘śa-tru-ha-ṇo’ with retroflex ṇ, : clear retroflex ṭ at end, : nasal ‘ṃ’ before j, : ‘śl’ conjunct—keep crisp
Steady, dignified, expansive resonance.
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