Rig Veda 2.38.3: Mandala 2, Sukta 38, Mantra 3
Sukta 2.38
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आशुभिश्चिद्यान्वि मुचाति नूनमरीरमदतमानं चिदेतोः । अह्यर्षूणां चिन्न्ययाँ अविष्यामनु व्रतं सवितुर्मोक्यागात् ॥
āśúbhiś cid yā́n ví mucāti nūnáṃ arī́ramad átamānaṃ cid étóḥ | ahyarṣū́ṇāṃ cid ní ayā́n aviṣyā́m ánu vratáṃ savitúr mókī ā́ agāt ||
Selbst die schnellen Bahnen lässt er jetzt los und macht sie frei; er hat selbst das in Bewegung gesetzt, was in seinem Gang unbewegt war. Selbst die Schlangenmächte hat er herabgeführt und unschädlich gemacht; dem Gesetz (vrata) Savitars folgend, kommt die befreiende Lösung.
Word by Word
- आशुभिः
- with the swift (ones); with swift (horses/means)Noun/Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार), तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot आशु
- चित्
- even; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (अव्यय)
- यान्
- vehicles; conveyances (those which go)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot य (याति) / यान (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart; forth; asunderIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- मुचाति
- releases; lets looseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot मुच्
- नूनम्
- now; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot नूनम् (अव्यय)
- अरीरमत्
- set in motion; made to move; impelledVerbलुङ् (अorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot रम् (उपसर्ग: आ-; कारण/प्रेरणार्थे) → आ-रम्
- अदत्तमम्
- the most giving; most liberalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root दत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातोः क्त) + तमप्
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (अव्यय)
- एतोः
- of the goer; of the mover (i.e., Savitṛ)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root एतु (प्रातिपदिक) / इ (एति) से सम्बन्धित
- अहि
- the serpent; the constrictor (Ahi)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot अहि
- अर्षूणाम्
- of the rushing ones; of the swift (streams/steeds)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अर्षु
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (अव्यय)
- नि
- down; intoIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot नि (उपसर्ग)
- अयाम्
- led; drove; guidedVerbलुङ् (अorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot या (याति) with preverb नि- → नि-या
- अविष्याम्
- may I enter; may I reachVerbविधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् (इच्छा/संभावना), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot विष्/विश् (प्रवेशने/व्याप्तौ) with preverb आ- → आ-विश्
- अनु
- after; according toIndeclinableअव्यय/उपसर्गRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- व्रतम्
- vow; ordinance; fixed lawNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot व्रत
- सवितुः
- of SavitṛNoun (deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root सवितृ
- मोक्या
- liberating; bringing releaseAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्ता (विशेषणरूपेण)Root मोक्य (प्रातिपदिक; √मुच् से ‘मोक्ष’/‘मोक’ भाव, यत्-प्रत्ययादि)
- अगात्
- went; cameVerbलुङ् (अorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot गम्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): आशुभिः चित् यान् वि मुचाति नूनम् अरीरमत् अदत्तमम् चित् एतोः । अहि अर्षूणाम् चित् नि अयाम् अविष्याम् अनु व्रतम् सवितुः मोक्या अगात् ॥ मुख्य सन्धि-विच्छेद: आशुभिः+चित् → आशुभिः चित्
- चित्+यान् → चित् यान्
- चित्+एतोः → चित् एतोः
- चित्+नि → चित् नि
- नि+अयाम् → नि अयाम्
- मोक्या+अगात् → मोक्या अगात्. स्वरचिह्न (उदात्त/स्वरित/अनुदात्त) मूलपाठानुसार हैं
The meaning
Outer meaning
He releases even the swift courses and sets them free; he makes move even what did not move in its going. He leads down the serpent-powers and renders them harmless; following Savitṛ’s law comes the liberating release.
Inner meaning
Savitṛ is the master of right movement: he can unbind the already swift energies (mental/vital powers) from wrong constraints and also awaken what is inert (tamasic parts) into progressive motion. The ‘serpent-powers’ (ahyarṣūṇām) are the coiled, instinctive, subconscient forces that can poison or obstruct; he ‘leads them down’—puts them in their proper lower place—and makes them non-venomous (aviṣyām), i.e., transformed from hostile impulses into usable life-energy. The result is mokī/mokya—release: not mere escape, but liberation through alignment with the divine ordinance (vrata).
Universal truth
True freedom is the right governance of energies: awakening what is inert, releasing what is bound, and transforming what is dangerous—by obedience to a higher law of light.
Themes
Liberation, Pacification of darkness, Right impulsion, Inner purification
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (Bhṛgu lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.36, Rig Veda 2.37, Rig Veda 2.38
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 2 seer emphasizing the practical spiritual mechanics of the sacrifice: release of powers, conquest of resistance, and right impulsion by solar deities.
Significance
His Savitṛ vision is therapeutic and transformative: the divine impulsion does not only illumine; it reorganizes and purifies the instinctive and inert layers.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Epithets
- impeller, law-giver by vrata, liberator (mokya-kṛt, sense)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of obstruction), Agni (purifier), Varuṇa (law), Soma (joy of release)
Cosmic role
Sets free the paths and movements of beings; awakens inert matter; subdues harmful powers; establishes safe and progressive motion.
Inner power
Force of enlightened impulsion that converts bondage into right dynamism and converts poison into energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Solar invocations for setting the rite in motion; recited when ‘releasing’ courses—symbolically opening paths for offerings and priestly actions.
आ॒शुभि॑श्चि॒द्यान्वि मु॑चाति नू॒नमरी॑रम॒दत॑मानं चि॒देतो॑: । अ॒ह्यर्षू॑णां चि॒न्न्य॑याँ अवि॒ष्यामनु॑ व्र॒तं स॑वि॒तुर्मोक्यागा॑त् ॥
आशुऽभिः॑ । चि॒त् । यान् । वि । मु॒चा॒ति॒ । नू॒नम् । अरी॑रमत् । अत॑मानम् । चि॒त् । एतोः॑ । अ॒ह्यर्षू॑णाम् । चि॒त् । नि । अ॒या॒न् । अ॒वि॒ष्याम् । अनु॑ । व्र॒तम् । स॒वि॒तुः । मोकी॑ । आ । अ॒गा॒त् ॥
āśu-bhiḥ | cit | yān | vi | mucāti | nūnam | arīramat | atamānam | cit | etoḥ | ahyarṣūṇām | cit | ni | ayān | aviṣyām | anu | vratam | savituḥ | mokī | ā | agāt
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4 x ~11 syllables
Energetic, decisive, with a ‘breaking-open’ cadence suited to release (vi-muc).
Stimulates will and courage; helpful to ‘unstick’ inertia and calm agitated instinct by a firm rhythm.
- āśubhiḥ
- Literal: with the swift ones. Symbolic: rapid energies—prāṇa currents, thought-forces, impulses of action
- vi mucāti
- Literal: he releases, unbinds. Symbolic: liberation from knots (granthi) of habit, fear, and obscurity
- atamānam
- Literal: not moving, not advancing. Symbolic: tamasic inertia; parts of nature that resist progress
- ahyarṣūṇām
- Literal: serpent-powers. Symbolic: subconscient instinct-forces; coiled energies that can obstruct or intoxicate
- aviṣyām
- Literal: non-venomous, harmless. Symbolic: purified life-force; transformed desire freed from poison
- vrata
- Literal: law/ordinance. Symbolic: ṛta as inner discipline and truth-direction
- mokī/mokya
- Literal: release, freeing. Symbolic: spiritual liberation through right impulsion (not repression)
Used where ‘release’ and ‘safe movement’ are sought—opening blocked paths, pacifying hostile forces; applicable as a protective/ordering recitation within Soma and daily rites.
Morning rites; moments of transition/opening (pravargya-like atmosphere of awakening, broadly).
Recitation to invoke Savitṛ’s impulsion for unobstructed movement and protection from harmful forces.
Use before beginning difficult work or during recovery from lethargy/addiction-patterns; as a mantra for transforming ‘poisoned’ impulses into harmless energy.
√muc ‘release’ is central: Savitṛ’s impulsion is not mere motion but freeing of blocked energies. atamānam (negated participial sense) marks inertia/obstruction. a-viṣya ‘non-poisonous’ from viṣ ‘poison’ (rendered harmless): serpent imagery becomes psychological—hostile impulses in the lower nature are pacified by the divine law (vrata). mokī (release) echoes the liberation theme: liberation arrives by conformity to Savitṛ’s ordinance.
Vrata (law that liberates), Mokṣa-like release (mokī), Transformation of hostile energies (a-viṣya)
Vrata is the operative face of ṛta: correct placing of forces (serpent led down) and correct movement (courses released).
Truth manifests as effective change: the unmoving begins to move; the dangerous becomes harmless.
Activation of movement in what is inert; re-channeling of primal energies into safe order.
Integral-psychological Vedic symbolism (Aurobindo/Kashyap): transformation over suppression.
dawn/morning (Savitṛ’s impulsion)
Courses = nāḍī/prāṇa and thought pathways; serpent = kundalinī-like coiled subconscient energy needing purification and right descent/placement.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The impeller who frees the courses and neutralizes serpent-powers. Mythically, a god renders the dangerous ‘ahi’ harmless; psychologically, Savitṛ’s law transforms toxic impulses (viṣ) into non-venomous energies, enabling liberated movement of the life-force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam (agāt) is PIE *gʷem- ‘go/come’ (cf. Latin veniō is different root, but Germanic ‘come’ is related). √muc has Indo-Iranian distribution (Av. muc- attested in related senses), supporting an inherited ‘release’ lexicon in ritual/psychological contexts.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks not only speed but safe, liberated speed: Savitṛ is invoked as the power that both releases and disciplines. The human side is ‘anu vratam’—following the law; the divine response is ‘mokī ā agāt’—release arrives as a lived condition.
Invoke the power that releases blocked channels and awakens inert parts; offer instinctive impulses to be made ‘non-venomous’.
Manipura (will/movement) with grounding into Muladhara (serpent-force placed rightly)
Kapalabhati (mild) or brisk exhale emphasis, followed by long calming exhales; end with a few rounds of sama-vṛtti.
Dynamic clarity; purified vitality; felt liberation.
Chant 7 or 11 times; then sit and identify one inert habit and one ‘poisoned’ impulse; visualize Savitṛ’s light unbinding the first and cooling/purifying the second; commit to one right action under vrata.
Maintain strict recitation with udātta peaks on key verbs (vi mucāti, āgāt) as marked; avoid musical ornamentation.
Give firmness to action-words: ‘vi mucāti’, ‘arīramat’, ‘ny ayām̐’, ‘anu vrataṃ’.
āśubhiś: keep ś soft palatal; final ḥ as light visarga, atamānam: articulate t clearly; long ā in -mā-, ahyarṣūṇām: cluster hy; keep ṛ vocalic; long ū, aviṣyām: ṣ retroflex; yām nasalization as per Vedic recitation if taught
Firm, bright, slightly martial; end-lines softened to indicate arriving release.
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