Rig Veda 5.79.8: Mandala 5, Sukta 79, Mantra 8
Sukta 5.79
- Rishi
- Syāvāśva Ātreya
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
उत नो गोमतीरिष आ वहा दुहितर्दिवः । साकं सूर्यस्य रश्मिभिः शुक्रैः शोचद्भिरर्चिभिः सुजाते अश्वसूनृते ॥
utá no gómātīr íṣa ā́ vahā duhitar divaḥ | sākáṃ sū́ryasya raśmíbhiḥ śukráiḥ śócadbhir arcíbhiḥ sujāte aśvasūnṛte ||
Und bringe uns die Antriebe, reich an Strahlen, o Tochter des Himmels, — zugleich mit den Sonnenstrahlen, hell, flammend in lodernden Feuern —, o Wohlgeborene, die du schnelle Kraft und das freudige Wort herbeiträgst.
Word by Word
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अन्वर्थक निपात (conj./particle)Root उत
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (possessor)Root अस्मद्
- गोमतीः
- cow-rich (fem. pl.); rich in cattleAdjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (acc.), बहुवचनRole कर्म (object of ‘आ वहा’)Root गोमत्
- इषः
- refreshments; nourishment; provisionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (acc.), बहुवचन (Vedic form: इषः = इषाः)Role कर्म (co-object with गोमतीः)Root इष् (इष्/इषा) / प्रातिपदिक: इष्/इषा
- आ
- hither; towards (as preverb)Indeclinable (preverb) / particleउपसर्ग (to √वह)Root आ
- वहा
- bring; conveyVerbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √वह् (वहति)
- दुहितः
- O daughterNoun (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot दुहितृ
- दिवः
- of heaven; of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (gen.), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive qualifier of दुहितः)Root दिव् (द्यौः) / प्रातिपदिक: दिव्
- साकम्
- together withIndeclinableअव्यय (instrumental-comitative sense)Role सह/सहकारक (comitative)Root साकम्
- सूर्यस्य
- of the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (gen.), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive qualifier)Root सूर्य
- रश्मिभिः
- with raysNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instr.), बहुवचनRole करण/सह (means/association with साकम्)Root रश्मि
- शुक्रैः
- bright; shiningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instr.), बहुवचन (agreeing with रश्मिभिः)Role विशेषण (of रश्मिभिः)Root शुक्र
- शोचद्भिः
- glowing; blazingParticiple (present active)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instr.), बहुवचन (agreeing with रश्मिभिः)Role विशेषण (of रश्मिभिः)Root √शुच् (शोचति) → शोचत्
- अर्चिभिः
- with flames; with beamsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instr.), बहुवचनRole करण/सह (additional comitative/means)Root अर्चिस्
- सुजाते
- O well-born; of good birthAdjective (vocative) / epithetस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (epithet of the addressed deity)Root सु-जात (सु + √जन्) → सुजात
- अश्वसूनृते
- O Ashva-sūnṛtā (truth/benediction connected with horses); O gracious TruthNoun (vocative) / epithetस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (name/epithet of the addressed goddess)Root अश्व-सूनृत (compound: अश्व + सूनृत) / सूनृत (f.)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: गोम॑ती॒रिष॒ → गोमतीः + इषः (Vedic acc. pl. of इषा appears as इषः). शु॒क्रैः शोच॑द्भिर॒र्चिभि॒: → शुक्रैः + शोचद्भिः + अर्चिभिः (visarga in saṃhitā shown as ‘:’).
- vocatives दुहितः दिवः, सुजाते, अश्वसूनृते are direct addresses
The meaning
Outer meaning
And bring to us impulsions rich with rays, O Daughter of Heaven, together with the Sun’s beams—bright, burning with their flames—O well-born, bringing swift force and the glad word.
Inner meaning
The rishi asks for iṣaḥ—impulsions, forward-moving energies of nourishment and initiative—specifically ‘gomatīḥ’: filled with go, the rays of knowledge. These are to come ‘together with’ Sūrya’s raśmi-s (beams): the higher illumination that makes the impulsion pure, precise, and effective. The beams are śukra (luminous, clear) and śocadbhir arcibhiḥ (burning flames): the power that not only reveals but also purifies by consuming falsehood and inertia. Dawn is the mediator who brings these illumined impulsions into the human field.
Universal truth
True progress requires not only insight but illumined impulse—energy guided by clarity and purified by truth’s fire.
Themes
Solar accompaniment, Energizing impulse, Light as flame
The seer
- Rishi
- Syāvāśva Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 5.79, Rig Veda 5.80
Family tradition
Atri seers frequently link Uṣas with Sūrya: dawn as the opener, sun as the full directive illumination.
Significance
He seeks not passive light but ‘gomatī iṣaḥ’: illumined impulsions—an integral transformation of prāṇa by knowledge.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas (with Sūrya’s rays as accompaniment)
- Epithets
- duhitā divah, sujātā, aśvasūnṛtā
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Indra
Cosmic role
Uṣas ushers in Sūrya; she is the threshold illumination, bringing the sun’s beams into the world’s activity.
Inner power
She brings guided energy: impulses that are luminous, purified, and aligned with higher seeing.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn/Sun invocation at morning rites; supportive to daily Agnihotra mood (awakening + offering).
उ॒त नो॒ गोम॑ती॒रिष॒ आ व॑हा दुहितर्दिवः । सा॒कं सूर्य॑स्य र॒श्मिभि॑: शु॒क्रैः शोच॑द्भिर॒र्चिभि॒: सुजा॑ते॒ अश्व॑सूनृते ॥
उ॒त । नः॒ । गोऽम॑तीः । इषः॑ । आ । व॒ह॒ । दु॒हि॒तः॒ । दि॒वः॒ । सा॒कम् । सूर्य॑स्य । र॒श्मिऽभिः॑ । शु॒क्रैः । शोच॑त्ऽभिः । अ॒र्चिऽभिः॑ । सुऽजा॑ते । अश्व॑ऽसूनृते ॥
uta | naḥ | go--matīḥ | iṣaḥ | ā | vaha | duhitaḥ | divaḥ | sākam | sūryasya | raśmi-bhiḥ | śukraiḥ | śocat-bhiḥ | arci-bhiḥ | su-jāte | aśva-sūnṛte
48
4 x 12 syllables
Bright, streaming movement—especially apt for ‘raśmibhiḥ’ and ‘arcibhiḥ’.
Energizes while keeping clarity; good for morning activation with inward purity.
- इषः (iṣaḥ)
- Literal: impulsions, nourishment, refreshment. Symbolic: forward energies of growth—initiative, right push of life-force
- गोमतीः (gomatīḥ)
- Literal: rich in cows. Symbolic: rich in rays of knowledge/illumination
- दुहितर्दिवः (duhitar divaḥ)
- Literal: Daughter of Heaven. Symbolic: illumination born from the higher consciousness (div: luminous plane)
- रश्मिभिः (raśmibhiḥ)
- Literal: with beams. Symbolic: lines of higher seeing; directive light
- शुक्रैः (śukraiḥ)
- Literal: bright, shining. Symbolic: pure clarity, unmixed illumination
- शोचद्भिः अर्चिभिः (śocadbhir arcibhiḥ)
- Literal: with burning flames. Symbolic: purifying force that burns obscurity and false movement
Morning invocation for iṣ (impulsions) and solar rays; supports clarity and energization of works
At first light; also when beginning study, mantra-japa, or yogic practice.
Recite facing east; offer water/light mentally as ‘iṣ’ to the inner fire of aspiration.
Use as a ‘morning ignition’ mantra to invite bright, purifying clarity into one’s impulses and decisions.
íṣ ‘impulse/nourishment’ from √iṣ ‘impel, quicken’ (inner: energizing will). raśmí ‘rein/beam’ (inner: directed ray). arci ‘flame/ray’ from √arc ‘shine’.
iṣ (divine impulsion), illumination as directed force (raśmi)
Impulses become ṛta-aligned when guided by Sūrya’s beams—right direction rather than scattered desire.
Śukra rays indicate truth-light; burning flames indicate removal of falsehood.
From heaven to earth: descent of illumination into life-energy (iṣ).
Integral/psychological: transformation of prāṇa by higher knowledge.
dawn
Beams = directive insight; flames = purifying tapas; gomatī iṣ = energized aspiration rich in illuminations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn arrives ‘together with’ the Sun’s beams: the two-stage illumination (first Uṣas, then Sūrya) becomes a single coordinated action. Innerly, awakening (Uṣas) must be completed by full truth-vision (Sūrya) and its directed rays.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sū́rya continues the Indo-European solar lexicon (though etymology is complex). √arc ‘shine’ has parallels in IE brightness vocabulary; raśmí as ‘rein/beam’ shows the metaphor of light as something held and directed.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not merely for light but for ‘iṣ’—effective impulsion—arriving with solar precision. The devatā is thus invoked as a transformer of illumination into executable energy in the being.
Invite ‘gomatī iṣ’: let impulses arise only after a beam of clarity touches them.
Maṇipūra (impulse/drive) refined by Ājñā (clarity)
Sūrya-bhedana (gentle, if suitable) 7 cycles, then normal breath; chant softly to ‘cool’ the fire into clarity.
Bright, purified, forward-moving.
Before acting, pause: ‘Is this impulse gomatī—rich in light?’ If not, wait for the ray; let the burning flame remove the mixed motive.
Rigvedic accents; give brightness to ‘गोमतीः’ and ‘शुक्रैः’; keep ‘शोचद्भिरर्चिभिः’ crisp to evoke flame.
Sustain ‘ ’ as a linking phrase; then articulate the descriptive triad: raśmibhiḥ / śukraiḥ / śocadbhir arcibhiḥ.
: long īḥ at end; ‘go-ma-tīḥ’., : ‘du-hi-tar di-vaḥ’ (light dental t)., : ‘raś-mi-bhiḥ’ with ś., : ‘ar-ci-bhiḥ’ (not ‘archi’ with English ‘ch’).
Bright and pure, slightly sharpened articulation; not harsh.
5
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