Rig Veda 10.94.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 94, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.94
- Devata
- Grāvāṇaḥ / Soma-process
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एते वदन्त्यविदन्नना मधु न्यूङ्खयन्ते अधि पक्व आमिषि । वृक्षस्य शाखामरुणस्य बप्सतस्ते सूभर्वा वृषभाः प्रेमराविषुः ॥
etḗ vadanty ávidann anā́ mádhu ní ūṅkhayante ádhi pakvé ā́miṣi | vṛkṣásya śā́khām aruṇásya bápsatas té sū́bharvā vṛṣabhā́ḥ préma rāvīṣuḥ ||
Diese reden; sie haben den Honig ohne Gefährt gefunden; sie schaukeln und pressen auf die gereifte Masse. Wie ein Zweig des rötlichen Baumes schlagen sie; jene laststarken Stiere haben vorne aufgeröhrt.
Word by Word
- एते
- these (men/ones)Pronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / एष- (प्रदर्शक)
- वदन्ति
- they speak/sayVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √वद् (वदति)
- अविदन्
- they found/obtainedVerbलुङ् (अorist), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √विद् (विन्दति/वेद) — here ‘to find/obtain’
- अना
- (particle) indeed/then; (Vedic connective)Indeclinableअव्ययम्Role (सम्बन्ध/उपपद-निपात)Root अना (अव्यय/निपात; RV usage)
- मधु
- honey; sweetness; meadNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः द्वितीया एकवचनम् (or प्रथमा/द्वितीया; here object)Role KarmaRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, inIndeclinableउपसर्गःRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- उङ्खयन्ते
- they churn/stirVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √उङ्ख्/उङ्खय् (Vedic) ‘to stir/churn/rock’
- अधि
- upon, overIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पक्वे
- on the ripe (fruit/food)Adjectiveपुं/नपुं? सप्तमी एकवचनम् (स्थाने) — ‘on/at the ripe (thing)’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पक्व (कृदन्त/विशेषण; √पच्)
- आमिषि
- in/at the bait; in the morsel of foodNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः सप्तमी एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot आमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृक्षस्य
- of the treeNounपुंलिङ्गः षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्ध)Root वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- शाखाम्
- branchNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरुणस्य
- of the ruddy/red (one)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्ध)Root अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- बप्सतः
- of (him) pecking/devouringVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः षष्ठी एकवचनम् (gen. sg. agreeing with अरुणस्य)Role (सम्बन्ध; कर्तृ-विशेषण)Root √बप्स् (Vedic) ‘to peck/devour, eat greedily’
- ते
- theyPronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- सूभर्वाः
- well-bearing/strong-bearing (epithet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सू-भर्वन्/भर्व (Vedic epithet; prātipadika)
- वृषभाः
- bulls; strong malesNounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गःRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- एमराविषुः
- they rushed forth / they pressed onVerbलिट्/लुङ्? (RV perfect/aorist-like), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √मृ/मर् + आ + वि (Vedic compound-verb; ‘to go/press on, rush apart’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): एते | वदन्ति | अविदन् | अना | मधु | नि | उङ्खयन्ते | अधि | पक्वे | आमिषि | वृक्षस्य | शाखाम् | अरुणस्य | बप्सतः | ते | सूभर्वाः | वृषभाः | प्र | एमराविषुः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) वदन्त्यविदन् → वदन्ति + अविदन् (इ + अ = य्)
- (2) मधु न्यूङ्खयन्ते → मधु + नि + उङ्खयन्ते (नि + उ…; संहितायां ‘न्यू…’)
- (3) पक्व आमिषि → पक्वे + आमिषि (ए + आ संहितायां)
- (4) शाखा॑मरु॒णस्य → शाखाम् + अरुणस्य (म् + अ)
- (5) बप्सत॒स्ते → बप्सतः + ते (ः + त)
- (6) प्रेमराविषुः → प्र + एमराविषुः (प्र + ए…)
The meaning
Outer meaning
These speak; they have found the honey without a vehicle; they rock and press upon the ripened substance. Like a branch of the ruddy tree they strike; those strong-burdened bulls have roared forth in front.
Inner meaning
The instruments of tapas ‘find honey’ (madhu = Soma-delight) without external supports—Ananda arises directly from inner work, not from outer props. They press the ‘ripened substance’: matured experience, ready for extraction of essence. The striking like a branch of the ruddy tree (aruṇa) suggests the life-force turned luminous-red (dawn/fire hue) that lashes rhythmically, awakening the nerves and subtle channels. The stones are called ‘bulls’—powerful, virile forces of action—bearing a noble burden (sū-bharvāḥ) of the sacrifice; their roar is the forward surge of awakened prāṇa and mantra-vibration breaking inertia.
Universal truth
When consciousness matures, delight can be extracted directly from life’s substance. Powerful disciplined energies, once trained, become the very voice and force that carries one beyond inertia.
Themes
Soma-bliss, pressing-action, force-symbolism (bull), direct-attainment
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.94.1-5
Significance
The verse is a vivid psychophysical metaphor: it maps how disciplined ‘pressure’ on ripened experience releases direct sweetness and a forward roar of life-force.
The deity
- Devata
- Grāvāṇaḥ / Soma-process (indirectly Indra)
- Epithets
- vṛṣabha (bull-like, powerful), sūbharvā (good-burdened)
- Related deities
- Soma, Indra, Uṣas (aruṇa imagery), Agni
Cosmic role
Transform dense substance into Soma; generate the force-field for Indra’s illumination.
Inner power
Rhythmic pressure, awakened prāṇa, and direct relish of inner sweetness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing praise; depiction of stones’ action and sound
ए॒ते व॑द॒न्त्यवि॑दन्न॒ना मधु॒ न्यू॑ङ्खयन्ते॒ अधि॑ प॒क्व आमि॑षि । वृ॒क्षस्य॒ शाखा॑मरु॒णस्य॒ बप्स॑त॒स्ते सूभ॑र्वा वृष॒भाः प्रेम॑राविषुः ॥
ए॒ते । व॒द॒न्ति॒ । अवि॑दन् । अ॒ना । मधु॑ । नि । ऊ॒ङ्ख॒य॒न्ते॒ । अधि॑ । प॒क्वे । आमि॑षि । वृ॒क्षस्य॑ । शाखा॑म् । अ॒रु॒णस्य॑ । बप्स॑तः । ते॒ । सूभ॑र्वाः । वृ॒ष॒भाः । प्र । ई॒म् । अ॒रा॒वि॒षुः॒ ॥
ete | vadanti | avidan | anā | madhu | ni | ūṅkhayante | adhi | pakve | āmiṣi | vṛkṣasya | śākhām | aruṇasya | bapsataḥ | te | sūbharvāḥ | vṛṣabhāḥ | pra | īm | arāviṣuḥ
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4 × ~11; strong imagery packed into each pāda gives punchy cadence.
Striking, kinetic; repeated dentals/retroflexes mimic impacts and rocking motion.
Energizes the listener; evokes a visceral sense of rhythmic effort yielding sweetness.
- madhu
- Literal: honey. Symbolic: Soma-ananda; sweetness of consciousness
- avidan anā
- Literal: found (it) without a vehicle/support. Symbolic: direct realization not dependent on external conditions
- pakva āmiṣi
- Literal: ripened flesh/substance. Symbolic: matured life-material/experience ready for transformation
- ny ūṅkhayante
- Literal: they rock/press down. Symbolic: rhythmic tapas; repeated pressure of practice
- aruṇasya vṛkṣasya śākhām
- Literal: branch of the ruddy tree. Symbolic: luminous life-force channel; dawn/fire current striking to awaken
- vṛṣabhāḥ
- Literal: bulls. Symbolic: strong action-forces (vital energies) disciplined for the work
- arāviṣuḥ
- Literal: roared. Symbolic: released power-sound; triumphant vibration preceding illumination
Soma pressing: vivid kinetic description of the pressing action and its ‘finding’ of Soma-madhu.
During active pressing; when the rhythmic rocking/striking is prominent
Accompanying the physical pressing with mantra; celebrating Soma extraction
Chant during walking meditation or rhythmic breathwork to link steady effort with emergence of inner sweetness.
√vid (avidan) PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (cf. Latin videre). madhu PIE *médʰu (cf. English mead). aruṇa ‘ruddy’ linked to dawn/fire hues—psychologically, the red power of awakening. vṛṣabha ‘bull’ from √vṛṣ ‘rain, be virile, invigorate’—force that fertilizes consciousness. anā ‘without (vehicle)’ underscores immediacy: Soma’s sweetness is found directly when the inner pressure is true.
direct realization (anā) without intermediary, knowledge-finding (√vid) as discovery of bliss (madhu)
Right rhythm (pressing) brings right essence (madhu).
Direct ‘finding’ without supports points to self-existent truth of Ananda within.
Essence drawn from matured matter; delight latent in substance.
Integral-Vedic: matter is not denied; it is ‘ripened’ and pressed to reveal delight.
dawn-tinted (aruṇa)
Aruṇa = awakening illumination in life-force; honey = bliss; bull = powerful prāṇa; branch strike = rhythmic channel activation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The discovery of madhu (Soma-sweetness) through pressing: the mythologem of bliss/immortality released by concentrated force. The stones as ‘bulls’ enact the cosmic pressing that yields delight and knowledge.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu is a direct PIE inheritance (*médʰu), and √vid reflects PIE *weyd-. The verse fuses ‘knowing/finding’ (vid) with ‘honey/bliss’ (madhu), an archaic Indo-European nexus where sweetness and inspired knowledge are contiguous.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi reads the ritual action as a revelation: the Devata-power in the stones ‘finds’ madhu. By naming their motions and symbols (aruṇa, vṛṣabha), he aligns consciousness with the pressing-force so that Soma’s sweetness becomes an inner attainment.
Press the ‘ripened’ content of mind (mature emotions/thoughts) with steady awareness until sweetness is released.
svadhisthana (rasa/sweetness) and manipura (pressing force)
Rhythmic breath with gentle bandha (uddiyana-light) to feel ‘pressing’; then relax into savoring (madhu) on exhale.
Energized, embodied, joy-emergent.
Bring to mind a mature life-experience; apply steady, non-reactive attention (pressing). Watch the essence (learning/peace/sweetness) emerge without needing external reassurance.
Observe udatta on key verbs (avadann/ūṅkhayante/bapsataḥ/arāviṣuḥ as accented in recitation tradition); keep falls clean at pāda ends.
Give rhythmic emphasis to ny ūṅkhayante and bapsataḥ to mimic rocking/striking; broaden vowel on madhu.
avidann: double n; do not lengthen a, anā: long ā; clear separation from preceding word if needed, ny ūṅkhayante: pronounce ūṅ as long ū + nasal; kh aspirated, pakve: clear ‘kv’ cluster, aruṇasya: retroflex ṇ; short a endings, sūbharvā: long ū; bh aspirated, prema: separate pra + im in padapatha sense (prā-īm) when chanting with care
Percussive, vigorous; let ‘madhu’ be warm and rounded.
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