Rig Veda 5.87.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 87, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.87
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्र ये दिवो बृहतः शृण्विरे गिरा सुशुक्वानः सुभ्व एवयामरुत् । न येषामिरी सधस्थ ईष्ट आँ अग्नयो न स्वविद्युतः प्र स्यन्द्रासो धुनीनाम् ॥
prá ye divó bṛhatáḥ śṛṇviré girā́ su-śúkvānaḥ su-bhvá evayā́marut | ná yeṣām ī́rī sadhástha ī́ṣṭa ā́ṃ agnáyo ná sva-vidyútaḥ prá spandrā́saḥ dhunī́nām ||
Vorwärts sind die, die aus dem weiten Himmel das Wort des Gesangs vernehmen, hell aufflammend und schön geziemend, o Maruts. Ihr antreibender Impuls versagt nicht am gemeinsamen Sitz; wie Feuer mit eigenem Blitz strömen vorwärts die Beben ihrer donnernden Mächte.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- ये
- who (they)Pronounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot यद् (sarvanāma-stem)
- दिवः
- from heavenNounfeminine ablative singular (Vedic: ‘from heaven/sky’)Role ApādānaRoot दिव्/द्यौ (prātipadika: दिव्)
- बृहतः
- from the great (lofty)Adjectivemasculine ablative singular (agreeing with दिवः in sense: ‘from the great’)Role ApādānaRoot बृहत् (adj. stem)
- शृण्विरे
- they are heard / they hearVerbpresent, 3rd person plural, Ātmanepada (Vedic injunctive/indicative usage)Root श्रु (धातु)
- गिरा
- with/through song (hymn)Nounfeminine instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot गिर् (prātipadika)
- सुशुक्वानः
- well-brightening, shining wellAdjective/Participlemasculine nominative plural (perfect active participle)Role KartāRoot शुक्व्/शुच् (Vedic root in perfect/participle formation; prātipadika: सु-शुक्वान्)
- सुभ्वः
- well-strong / well-mightyAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot सुभ्व (adj. stem)
- एवयाम
- O Evayāman (epithet)Noun/Adjectivemasculine vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot एवयामन् (prātipadika; epithet)
- मरुत्
- O Marut(s)Nounmasculine vocative singular (collective address)Role SambodhanaRoot मरुत् (prātipadika)
- न
- notIndeclinablenegationRoot न (particle)
- येषाम्
- of whomPronounmasculine/neuter genitive pluralRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot यद् (sarvanāma-stem)
- ईरी
- moves, stirs, is set in motionVerbpresent, 3rd person singular, Ātmanepada (Vedic form)Root ईर् (धातु)
- सधस्थे
- in the common seat / on the shared groundNounneuter locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सधस्थ (prātipadika)
- ईष्ट
- he/it seeks, impels, strivesVerbaorist (or injunctive), 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRoot इष् (धातु)
- आन्
- towards; indeed (particle)Indeclinablepreverb/particle cluster (Vedic intensifier/connector)Root आ (upasarga) + न् (enclitic particle; Vedic)
- अग्नयः
- firesNounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- न
- like, asIndeclinablecomparative particleRoot न (particle)
- स्वविद्युतः
- self-flashing, flashing of themselvesAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot स्व-विद्युत् (compound prātipadika)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- स्यन्द्रासः
- streamers, flowing onesNoun/Adjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot स्यन्द्र (prātipadika; from √स्यन्द ‘flow, stream’)
- धुनीनाम्
- of the roaring (waters/streams)Nounfeminine genitive pluralRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot धुनी (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (major): दिवो → दिवः (pada form)
- बृहतः kept as abl. sg. in sense with दिवः
- गि॒रा is instr. sg. of गिर्
- एव॒याम॑रुत् → एवयाम + मरुत् (vocative juxtaposition)
- येषा॒मिरी॑ → येषाम् + ईरी
- स॒धस्थ॒ ईष्ट॒ → सधस्थे (loc. sg.) + ईष्ट
- आँ treated as Vedic particle cluster (ā + enclitic)
- अग्नयो॒ न → अग्नयः + न
- स्ववि॑द्युत॒: → स्वविद्युतः
- स्य॒न्द्रासो॒ → स्यन्द्रासः
- धुनी॑नाम् unchanged
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Maruts, brilliant and well-formed, advance; they hear the chant from the vast heaven. Their driving force does not fail in the shared seat; like fires with their own lightning, the tremblings of their thunder-powers stream outward.
Inner meaning
The Maruts are the dynamic storm-forces of the Divine working in the vital and mental nature. “Hearing the chant from the wide heaven” signifies that these powers respond to the soul’s aspiration (gīrā) descending from the higher consciousness (bṛhat dyauḥ). Their “impulsion” (īrī) does not fail in the common seat (sadhastha)—the embodied field where mind, life, and body meet—because the divine energies remain stationed and coordinated there. Like inner fires flashing by their own light, the nervous/psychic vibrations (spandāsaḥ) of their force stream through the channels (dhunīnāṃ), breaking inertia and awakening luminous action.
Universal truth
When aspiration is sincere and turned upward, higher powers of consciousness answer. Their action is felt as intensification, vibration, and a streaming release of energy that clears obstruction and organizes the being around a greater Light.
Themes
storm-and-fire, mantric-response, vibration-power
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (probable, Atri-family attribution for RV 5.87)
- Lineage
- Atri
- Other hymns
- RV 5.86, RV 5.88, RV 5.52 (Marut themes, though different family)
Family tradition
Mandala 5 is predominantly Atri lineage; hymns often emphasize dynamic divine powers aiding the inner sacrifice.
Significance
The Atri vision frequently stresses ascent from the mortal seat to the wide heaven (bṛhat) and the cooperation of luminous forces (Maruts) with Agni (will) and Indra (illumined mind) in overcoming inner resistance.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- evayāmarut (O Maruts who come on the impulse), suśukvānaḥ (bright-flaming), subhvaḥ (well-becoming, splendid)
- Related deities
- Indra, Rudra, Agni, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Storm-gods and companions of Indra: they marshal the powers of the atmosphere, release rains, shake the worlds, and aid the victory over the Coverer.
Inner power
Dynamic divine Force (tapas-śakti) that energizes aspiration, intensifies purification, and turns vibration into luminous action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut/Indra-Marut offerings within Soma and Agni rites (general)
प्र ये दि॒वो बृ॑ह॒तः शृ॑ण्वि॒रे गि॒रा सु॒शुक्वा॑नः सु॒भ्व॑ एव॒याम॑रुत् । न येषा॒मिरी॑ स॒धस्थ॒ ईष्ट॒ आँ अ॒ग्नयो॒ न स्ववि॑द्युत॒: प्र स्य॒न्द्रासो॒ धुनी॑नाम् ॥
प्र । ये । दि॒वः । बृ॒ह॒तः । शृ॒ण्वि॒रे । गि॒रा । सु॒ऽशुक्वा॑नः । सु॒ऽभ्वः॑ । ए॒व॒याम॑रुत् । न । येषा॑म् । इरी॑ । स॒धऽस्थे॑ । ईष्टे॑ । आ । अ॒ग्नयः॑ । न । स्वऽवि॑द्युतः । प्र । स्प॒न्द्रासः॑ । धुनी॑नाम् ॥
pra | ye | divaḥ | bṛhataḥ | śṛṇvire | girā | su-śukvānaḥ | su-bhvaḥ | evayāmarut | na | yeṣām | irī | sadha-sthe | īṣṭe | ā | agnayaḥ | na | sva-vidyutaḥ | pra | spandrāsaḥ | dhunīnām
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, martial cadence with strong caesura—well-suited to Marut dynamism.
Produces a sense of surge and release; supports an inner experience of vibration moving upward and outward, as if energy ‘streams forth’.
- divo bṛhataḥ
- Literal: from the wide heaven. Symbolic: from the vast supramental/overmental range of consciousness (bṛhat) above the ordinary mind
- girā
- Literal: by/through the chant, word. Symbolic: mantric aspiration; the soul’s voiced will that calls higher forces
- suśukvānaḥ
- Literal: bright-flaming, blazing. Symbolic: inner energies kindled in purity; luminous dynamism
- sadhastha
- Literal: common seat, shared place. Symbolic: the embodied field of sacrifice; the meeting-ground of faculties in the human system
- īrī
- Literal: impulsion, driving energy. Symbolic: the forward-urge of tapas (concentrated force) in sādhanā
- agnayo na svavidyutaḥ
- Literal: like fires with their own lightning. Symbolic: self-luminous will-forces that carry their own illumination
- spandāsaḥ
- Literal: quiverings, vibrations. Symbolic: awakening of subtle prāṇic/psychic currents; conscious vibration of force
- dhunīnām
- Literal: of the roaring/streaming powers, torrents. Symbolic: channels/currents of energy in the being; rushing movements of divine Force
Invitatory praise: emphasizes that Maruts ‘hear’ the chant and arrive with flaming energy; used to intensify presence of the gods in the rite.
During invocations and praise (stotra/śastra contexts) to summon Marut support for Indra’s victory and for the rite’s momentum
Recitation to call the Maruts to the sadas (ritual seat) and strengthen the sacrifice’s force
Use as an energizing invocation before meditation or work: to awaken intensity, clarity, and coordinated action in the day’s ‘inner sacrifice’.
(√śru) ‘hear’ again: gods as responders to mantra. (gīr) ‘song/word’: the effective speech-force. imagery applied to Maruts: su-śukvāna ‘well blazing’ from √śuc ‘shine, blaze’. (vidyut) ‘lightning’ from √vidyut/√dyut ‘shine’: ‘sva-vidyutaḥ’ indicates intrinsic illumination, not borrowed. (spand) ‘throb/quiver’: vibration as dynamic manifestation of power; dhuni from √dhu ‘shake’.
mantra as effective hearing/response, vibration (spanda) as manifestation of force, bṛhat (vastness) as plane of origin
Marut action is ṛta as dynamic organization—impulsions that do not fail in the ‘common seat’ when aligned with the higher order.
Truth as self-luminous force (svavidyut): power that carries its own light.
Release of streams/torrents as a symbol of manifestation—energies flowing from the Vast into the embodied field.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindo): ascent to the Vast and descent of force into life.
Sky = higher mind; thunder/lightning = illumined force; streams = liberated energies/prāṇa-currents; fire = will; storm = transformative purification.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘heaven-born storm-fires that hear the hymn’: Maruts respond from the bṛhat div (wide heaven) to the gīr (chant), arriving as blazing, lightning-flashing forces whose thunder-vibrations stream. Psychologically: higher-plane energies answer the call of the word and set the being vibrating with awakened power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘fame/hearing’ complex (√śru) and ‘shine’ complex (√dyut) are core IE poetic materials. PIE *ḱleu- (hear/fame) underlies the recurrent hearing motif; PIE *dyeu-/ *di̯eu- and *dei̯k-/shine families contribute to div/dyut imagery (broadly IE luminous lexicon).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s word is presented as a summons that the gods actively ‘hear’; the relationship is performative: true utterance evokes true force. The Maruts’ ‘own lightning’ symbolizes that the invoked power becomes self-luminous in the practitioner, not dependent on external supports.
Invoke the Marut-force to convert aspiration into sustained energetic movement; feel ‘vibration streaming’ through the system without agitation.
Anāhata to Viśuddha (breath-force rising into expressive clarity)
Moderate ujjāyī or 4-4-6 breathing; on exhale feel force ‘stream forth’ as calm power.
Energized concentration (tapas) with widening (bṛhat) overhead.
Begin with a minute of upward attention to the ‘wide heaven’ above the head; chant once slowly, then 3 times moderately; sit and sense subtle vibrations becoming luminous and coordinated in the heart-throat axis.
Notated svaras unavailable in the provided text; chant with Vedic accent sensitivity: preserve pitch rise on likely udātta syllables and avoid flattening compounds.
Use padapāṭha to keep word boundaries clear (pra | ye | divo | bṛhataḥ ...). Maintain a slight lift on emphatic verbs (śṛṇvire, syandrāsaḥ).
ṛ in bṛhataḥ is a vocalic ‘r’ (bri-ha-taḥ), śṛṇvire: cerebral ṛ + clear ṇ, spandāsaḥ: keep ‘sp’ cluster crisp; long ā, svavidyutaḥ: articulate sva-vi-dyu-taḥ (dyu as ‘d-yu’)
Bright, forward-placed, steady (avoid shouting); let rhythm carry force.
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