Rig Veda Sukta 93
Mandala 10Sukta 9315 Mantras

Sukta 93

Sukta 10.93

Devata

Dyāvāpṛthivī (Heaven and Earth)

Chandas

Gāyatrī/Anuṣṭubh not applicable; likely Triṣṭubh/related (needs verification for 10.93.1 specifically)

Dieser Hymnus ruft Dyāvāpṛthivī — Himmel und Erde — als das weite, mütterliche Zwei an, das die Welten trägt und fortwährenden Schutz gegen überwältigende und gewaltsame Mächte gewährt. Im Verlauf der Sukta weitet sich das Gebet zu einer Schau geordneter Kraft: Das Opfer wird „mehr-als-menschlich“, und die kosmische Fügung vieler Kräfte wird als bereits zum Wohl des Opfernden eingesetzt bekräftigt.

Recitation with translationRig Veda 10.93

Mantras

Mantra 1

महि द्यावापृथिवी भूतमुर्वी नारी यह्वी न रोदसी सदं नः । तेभिर्नः पातं सह्यस एभिर्नः पातं शूषणि ॥

Groß sind Himmel und Erde geworden — weit, mütterlich, stark — die beiden Welten uns immerdar. Mit ihnen schützt uns vor überwältigenden Mächten; mit ihnen schützt uns vor anstürmender Gewalt.

Mantra 2

यज्ञेयज्ञे स मर्त्यो देवान्त्सपर्यति । यः सुम्नैर्दीर्घश्रुत्तम आविवासत्येनान् ॥

In Opfer um Opfer dient jener Sterbliche den Göttern wahrhaft — der, durch ihre Gnaden, zum Weithörendsten wird und sie durch treuen, gastlichen Empfang immer wieder gegenwärtig macht.

Mantra 3

विश्वेषामिरज्यवो देवानां वार्महः । विश्वे हि विश्वमहसो विश्वे यज्ञेषु यज्ञियाः ॥

O ihr alle, lichtvollen und glühenden Mächte, ihr seid die große schirmende Kraft der Götter. Denn ihr alle seid von allumfassender Macht; ihr alle seid anrufwürdig, ihr alle opferwürdig in den Opfern.

Mantra 4

ते घा राजानो अमृतस्य मन्द्रा अर्यमा मित्रो वरुणः परिज्मा । कद्रुद्रो नृणां स्तुतो मरुतः पूषणो भगः ॥

Diese sind wahrlich die Könige der Unsterblichkeit, die freudigen: Aryaman, Mitra, Varuṇa, der Allumwandelnde; auch Rudra, von den Menschen gepriesen, die Maruts, Pūṣan und Bhaga — Mächte, die in uns die unsterbliche Weite walten und zuteilen.

Mantra 5

उत नो नक्तमपां वृषण्वसू सूर्यामासा सदनाय सधन्या । सचा यत्साद्येषामहिर्बुध्नेषु बुध्न्यः ॥

Und es mögen zu uns kommen die Nacht mit den Wassern und die beiden kraftspendenden — Sonne und Mond — zu unserem Sitz des Bewusstseins und zum wahren Gewinn; wenn sie beisammensitzen, dann erwacht die Schlangenkraft in den Tiefen in ihren Fundamenten.

Mantra 6

उत नो देवावश्विना शुभस्पती धामभिर्मित्रावरुणा उरुष्यताम् । महः स राय एषतेऽति धन्वेव दुरिता ॥

Und es mögen uns die göttlichen Aśvins, Herren der leuchtenden Gaben, und Mitra-Varuṇa durch ihre Kräfte des gegründeten Lichtes schützen. Dann drängt die große Fülle des Seins voran und geht über die Schwierigkeiten hinaus, wie man eine weite öde Strecke überschreitet.

Mantra 7

उत नो रुद्रा चिन्मृळतामश्विना विश्वे देवासो रथस्पतिर्भगः । ऋभुर्वाज ऋभुक्षणः परिज्मा विश्ववेदसः ॥

Und es mögen auch die Rudras uns Erbarmen erweisen; es mögen die Aśvins, alle Götter, der Herr des Wagenpfades und Bhaga zu Hilfe kommen; es mögen die R̥bhus — Vāja, R̥bhukṣan und der Allbewegliche, die Allwissenden — herbeikommen und unsere Kräfte in rechte Gestalt fügen.

Mantra 8

ऋभुॠभुक्षा ऋभुर्विधतो मद आ ते हरी जूजुवानस्य वाजिना । दुष्टरं यस्य साम चिदृधग्यज्ञो न मानुषः ॥

R̥bhu, R̥bhukṣa, R̥bhu – die Wonne des Ordners kommt heran; zu dir, o Herr der Fülle, sind deine beiden Rosse angespannt, die des Eifrigen, des Sieghaften. Schwer zu durchqueren ist seine Harmonie (sāman), und das Opfer (yajña) wird zu einer eigenen, nichtmenschlichen Macht.

Mantra 9

कृधी नो अह्रयो देव सवितः स च स्तुषे मघोनाम् । सहो न इन्द्रो वह्निभिर्न्येषां चर्षणीनां चक्रं रश्मिं न योयुवे ॥

Mach uns unübereilt, o Gott Savitar; und ihn preise ich unter den Freigebigen. Möge Indra mit den tragenden Feuern in uns die Kraft dieser Völker niederlegen – wie den Felgenkranz des Rades, wie einen Strahl, der in rechtem Lauf gehalten wird.

Mantra 10

ऐषु द्यावापृथिवी धातं महदस्मे वीरेषु विश्वचर्षणि श्रवः । पृक्षं वाजस्य सातये पृक्षं रायोत तुर्वणे ॥

In diesen (unseren Werken), o Himmel und Erde, setzt uns unter unseren Heldenkräften großen, alltragenden Ruhm. Stärkung zum Gewinn der vāja, Stärkung des Reichtums, und Stärkung zum sieghaften Ansturm.

Mantra 11

एतं शंसमिन्द्रास्मयुष्ट्वं कूचित्सन्तं सहसावन्नभिष्टये । सदा पाह्यभिष्टये मेदतां वेदता वसो ॥

Diesen Lobpreis, o Indra, nach dir verlangend—wenn er auch klein erscheint—nimm an zu unserem wahren Schutz, o Gewaltiger. Behüte uns immer zum Ziel, zur Zuflucht; lass uns wachsen an Gut und an Wissen, o Vasu.

Mantra 12

एतं मे स्तोमं तना न सूर्ये द्युतद्यामानं वावृधन्त नृणाम् । संवननं नाश्व्यं तष्टेवानपच्युतम् ॥

Diesen meinen Stoma haben sie vermehrt wie die weithin leuchtende Bahn der Sonne unter den Menschen: ein Zusammenfügen, wie ein kunstvoll gefügtes Wagenwerk, fest, nicht gleitend—damit die innere Einung unserer Kräfte standhaft und dauernd sei.

Mantra 13

वावर्त येषां राया युक्तैषां हिरण्ययी । नेमधिता न पौंस्या वृथेव विष्टान्ता ॥

Bei denen, deren Reichtum sich wendet und in rechte Anspannung kommt, ist goldener Glanz mit ihnen verbunden. Ihre Manneskraft wird nicht in bloßem Halbmaß zurückgehalten; sie liegt nicht vergeblich zerstreut, sondern gelangt zu ihrem festgesetzten Ende.

Mantra 14

प्र तद्दुःशीमे पृथवाने वेने प्र रामे वोचमसुरे मघवत्सु । ये युक्त्वाय पञ्च शतास्मयु पथा विश्राव्येषाम् ॥

Dies verkünde ich: in der harten Enge und in der weiten Ausdehnung, im suchenden Entzücken, unter den mächtigen Herren der Kraft — jene, die zum Werk des Anschirrens (Yoga) fünfhundert Pfade unseres Strebens weithin vernehmbar machten.

Mantra 15

अधीन्न्वत्र सप्ततिं च सप्त च । सद्यो दिदिष्ट तान्वः सद्यो दिदिष्ट पार्थ्यः सद्यो दिदिष्ट मायवः ॥

Hier hat er siebzig und sieben eingesetzt; sogleich hat er sie euch geordnet — sogleich das irdische Fundament, sogleich die gestaltenden Mächte des wirkenden Bewusstseins.

Inside Sukta 93

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Heaven and Earth are hailed as great, wide, motherly, and ever-present, immediately asked to protect the worshipper from overpowering harm.

  2. Development

    The hymn expands from protection into the idea of right arrangement: cosmic order and sacrificial order mirror each other, and the rite gains an elevated potency beyond ordinary human action.

  3. Climax

    A peak vision of the yajña as an ‘other-than-human’ power—an action that, when harmonized, carries the sacrificer across difficulty and limitation.

  4. Where it settles

    The sukta closes by affirming that the cosmic measures and formative powers are already established (‘seventy and seven’), leaving the listener with assurance of stability, support, and well-set order.

The deity: Dyāvāpṛthivī

  • In the VedaDyāvā (Heaven) and Pṛthivī (Earth) are praised together as the broad, nurturing parents—‘rodasī’—who support beings, uphold ṛta (cosmic order), and shelter the sacrificer. They are addressed as ever-present, vast, and strong, capable of warding off hostile pressures and violence.
  • Cosmic functionThey form the fundamental cosmic dyad: the upper and lower realms that contain and sustain life, establish spatial order, and provide the stable field in which gods, humans, and sacrifice operate.
  • Inner significanceSpiritually, they symbolize the stable ground of consciousness: the higher luminous expanse (clarity, aspiration) and the embodied foundation (support, endurance). Invoking them is a way of asking for inner steadiness and protection so that the yajña (disciplined action) can become effective and uplifted beyond ordinary limitation.

The seer

  • Anonym (R̥gveda 10.93; late-maṇḍala attribution uncertain)The hymn’s distinctive blend of Dyāvāpṛthivī praise with a late-Vedic, expansive sacrificial-cosmic idiom (including R̥bhu imagery and “non-human” yajña power).

Famous verses

tebhir naḥ pātaṃ ("with them protect us")
Verse 10.93.1Programmatic opening: defines Dyāvāpṛthivī as vast, motherly supports and frames the hymn’s core petition—protection from overpowering forces and violent assault.Read verse 10.93.1 →
yajño na mānuṣaḥ ("the sacrifice [is] not human")
Verse 10.93.8Expresses the late-Vedic insight that a perfectly formed harmony makes the sacrifice a distinct, transpersonal power—capturing the hymn’s movement from protection to empowered rite.Read verse 10.93.8 →
saptatiṃ ca sapta ca ("seventy and seven")
Verse 10.93.15Concluding affirmation of established cosmic ordering (‘seventy and seven’), sealing the hymn with a sense of already-accomplished arrangement and support.Read verse 10.93.15 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Vast and all-encompassing (urvī, mahi)
  • Motherly/nurturing (nārī)
  • Supporters of ṛta and life
  • Protective guardians against harm
  • Paired unity (the Two Worlds acting together)

Also by this seer

  • Ascription to a specific named seer is not secure for RV 10.93 in common recensions; the hymn is treated as part of the largely anonymous or variably-attributed material of Maṇḍala 10.

The rite, step by step

  • Establish the sacred space and kindling of Agni; seat the rite within the ‘Two Worlds’ as its cosmic enclosure.
  • Recite opening verses to Dyāvāpṛthivī, naming their vastness and constant presence, and explicitly asking protection from sahyasa (overpowering forces) and śūṣaṇa (assailing violence).
  • Continue with praises that connect cosmic order to the efficacy of the rite, affirming that the yajña can become ‘non-human’ (transpersonal) in power when rightly arranged.
  • Optionally integrate related invocations (e.g., artisan/ordering powers like the R̥bhus) as images of perfected formation and harmonization of the rite.
  • Conclude with an affirmation of established cosmic measures/forces (‘seventy and seven’) as already set in place, sealing confidence and steadiness for the sacrificer.

Offerings

  • Ghee (ājya) into Agni
  • Soma libations (where applicable)
  • Grain/oblations consistent with the household or śrauta setting
  • Simple water and incense substitutes in later practice when soma is not available

Frequently Asked Questions

They are Heaven and Earth addressed together as the ‘Two Worlds’—vast parental powers that uphold life and provide protection and stability for the worshipper and the sacrifice.

The hymn chiefly asks Heaven and Earth to protect the sacrificer from overpowering pressures and violent attack, and to keep the ritual action firmly supported within cosmic order.

It means that when the rite is rightly harmonized and ‘arranged,’ it becomes larger than personal effort—an objective, uplifting power that carries the practitioner beyond ordinary limitation.

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