Rig Veda 6.21.9: Mandala 6, Sukta 21, Mantra 9
Sukta 6.21
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Viśvedevāḥ with Indra prominent
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
प्रोतये वरुणं मित्रमिन्द्रं मरुतः कृष्वावसे नो अद्य । प्र पूषणं विष्णुमग्निं पुरंधिं सवितारमोषधीः पर्वताँश्च ॥
protaye varuṇaṃ mitram indraṃ marutaḥ kṛṣvā vase no adya | pra pūṣaṇaṃ viṣṇum agniṃ puraṃdhiṃ savitāram oṣadhīḥ parvatāṃś ca ||
Zu unserer Hilfe heute stelle voran Varuṇa und Mitra, Indra und die Maruts zu unserem Schutz. Stelle voran Pūṣan, Viṣṇu, Agni, Purandhi – die Macht rechten Überflusses –, Savitṛ, die heilenden Pflanzen (oṣadhī) und auch die Berge.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- ऊतये
- for help, for aidNounfeminine; dative singularRole SampradānaRoot ऊति (prātipadika)
- वरुणम्
- VaruṇaNounmasculine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वरुण (prātipadika)
- मित्रम्
- MitraNounmasculine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot मित्र (prātipadika)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounmasculine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (prātipadika)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounmasculine; accusative plural (Vedic form; = मरुतान्)Role KarmaRoot मरुत् (prātipadika)
- कृष्व
- make!, do!, perform!Verbimperative; 2nd person singular; parasmaipadaRoot कृ (धातु)
- आवसे
- for protection, for helpNounneuter; dative singularRole SampradānaRoot आवस् (prātipadika)
- नः
- of us, ourPronoungenitive/enclitic; 1st person pluralRoot अस्मद् (pronominal base)
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinabletemporal adverbRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अद्य (avyaya)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- पूषणम्
- PūṣanNounmasculine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot पूषण् (prātipadika)
- विष्णुम्
- ViṣṇuNounmasculine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot विष्णु (prātipadika)
- अग्निम्
- AgniNounmasculine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- पुरंधिम्
- Purandhi (goddess of plenty/abundance)Nounfeminine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot पुरंधि (prātipadika)
- सवितारम्
- SavitṛNounmasculine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot सवितृ (prātipadika)
- ओषधीः
- medicinal plants, herbsNounfeminine; accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot ओषधि (prātipadika)
- पर्वतान्
- mountainsNounmasculine; accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot पर्वत (prātipadika)
- च
- andIndeclinableconjunctionRoot च (avyaya)
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution: प्रोतये → प्र + ऊतये (o from a+ū)
- मरुतः is Vedic accusative plural (for later मरुतान्)
- कृ॒ष्वाव॑से → कृष्व + आवसे (no hiatus in saṃhitā)
- सवि॒तार॒मोष॑धीः → सवितारम् + ओषधीः (sandhi m + o → mo)
- पर्व॑ताँश्च → पर्वतान् + च (n + c → ñc/ṃśc in saṃhitā orthography). Accents are as in saṃhitā text
- padapāṭha normally removes sandhi and marks independent padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
For help and protection today, the hymn asks to set forward a wide array of deities—Varuṇa, Mitra, Indra, Maruts, Pūṣan, Viṣṇu, Agni, Purandhi, Savitṛ—along with healing plants and mountains.
Inner meaning
The seeker invokes a complete inner ecology of powers for integral protection and progress: Varuṇa (vast purity and law) and Mitra (harmony and right relation), Indra (illumined mind), Maruts (dynamic thought-forces), Pūṣan (the inner guide on the paths), Viṣṇu (wide-pervading steps of consciousness), Agni (divine will), Purandhi (right plenty/skill of manifestation), Savitṛ (impulsion of truth), oṣadhīḥ (healing energies that restore the nervous-vital system), and parvatāḥ (mountain-stability, the firm bases of being). ‘Set them forward’ (pra…kṛṣva) is to bring these powers to the front of awareness so they lead action today.
Universal truth
Human wholeness requires many complementary divine qualities—law, harmony, illumination, guidance, wideness, will, right abundance, true impulsion, healing, and stability—mobilized together for protection and growth.
Themes
All-gods invocation, Protection and help (ūti/avase), Integration of cosmic powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.21 (context), RV 6.50 (Viśvedevāḥ), RV 6.52 (All-Gods)
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns often broaden from a single deity to a harmonized pantheon, reflecting an integral approach to the inner sacrifice.
Significance
The seer here turns toward an integral invocation—calling multiple cosmic powers as coordinated inner faculties for total protection and effective living.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśvedevāḥ (All-Gods), with Indra prominent
- Epithets
- protectors (avase), helpers (ūtaye)
- Related deities
- Ādityas, Rudras/Maruts, Agni, Savitṛ
Cosmic role
Collective harmony of cosmic powers sustaining the world-order and aiding the sacrificer.
Inner power
Integrated psycho-spiritual functioning: law (Varuṇa), harmony (Mitra), illumination (Indra), dynamic force (Maruts), guidance (Pūṣan), wideness (Viṣṇu), will (Agni), right plenty (Purandhi), true impulsion (Savitṛ), healing (Oṣadhis), stability (Mountains).
In ritual
Where it is used
Viśvedevāḥ/saṃgati-type invocations in Soma and general śrauta recitations for protection and success of the rite.
प्रोतये॒ वरु॑णं मि॒त्रमिन्द्रं॑ म॒रुत॑: कृ॒ष्वाव॑से नो अ॒द्य । प्र पू॒षणं॒ विष्णु॑म॒ग्निं पुरं॑धिं सवि॒तार॒मोष॑धी॒: पर्व॑ताँश्च ॥
प्र । ऊ॒तये॑ । वरु॑णम् । मि॒त्रम् । इन्द्र॑म् । म॒रुतः॑ । कृ॒ष्व॒ । अव॑से । नः॒ । अ॒द्य । प्र । पू॒षण॑म् । विष्णु॑म् । अ॒ग्निम् । पुर॑म्ऽधि॑म् । स॒वि॒तार॑म् । ओष॑धीः । पर्व॑तान् । च॒ ॥
pra | ūtaye | varuṇam | mitram | indram | marutaḥ | kṛṣva | avase | naḥ | adya | pra | pūṣaṇam | viṣṇum | agnim | puram-dhim | savitāram | oṣadhīḥ | parvatān | ca
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4 × ~11
Processional and enumerative; a litany-like forward movement.
Creates a sense of comprehensive protection—like calling guardians from all directions.
- ऊतये (ūtaye)
- Literal: for help, for aid. Symbolic: grace/supporting force that carries the seeker through difficulty
- अवसे (avase)
- Literal: for protection. Symbolic: guarding power that preserves right movement
- वरुण (varuṇa)
- Literal: god of cosmic law/waters. Symbolic: vast purity, truth-law, inward restraint that supports clarity
- मित्र (mitra)
- Literal: friend, god of harmony. Symbolic: harmonizing force, right relations among parts of the being
- मरुतः (marutaḥ)
- Literal: storm gods. Symbolic: dynamic thought-winds; energies that break inertia and support Indra
- पूषण (pūṣan)
- Literal: nourisher, guide. Symbolic: inner guide on the path; safe leading of life-journey
- विष्णु (viṣṇu)
- Literal: all-pervading. Symbolic: wideness; three steps of expanding consciousness
- अग्नि (agni)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will, leader of inner sacrifice
- पुरंधि (puraṃdhi)
- Literal: abundance/prosperity, right plenty. Symbolic: power of right formation and plenitude in works; effective intelligence in life
- सवितार (savitāram)
- Literal: impeller. Symbolic: truth-impulsion, awakening force that sets energies in right motion
- ओषधीः (oṣadhīḥ)
- Literal: healing plants. Symbolic: restorative vibrations; healing capacities in nature and body-consciousness
- पर्वतान् (parvatān)
- Literal: mountains. Symbolic: stable foundations; immovable peace and strength
General protective invocation (sarvadevatā-prārthanā) within Soma and daily offerings; integrates multiple powers for comprehensive aid.
At the start of undertakings or when broad support is sought ‘today’ (adya).
Recitation to ‘set forward’ (pra) the gods—placing them at the forefront of the sacrifice and intention.
A daily ‘integral protection’ chant: invoke clarity (Varuṇa), harmony (Mitra), illumination (Indra), energy (Maruts), guidance (Pūṣan), wideness (Viṣṇu), will (Agni), right abundance (Purandhi), right impulsion (Savitṛ), healing (oṣadhis), and stability (mountains) for the day.
ūtí ‘help’ from √av ‘protect/aid’. Varuṇa from √vṛ/var ‘cover, encompass’ (vast law). Mitra from Indo-Iranian ‘contract/friend’ (PIE *mey- ‘bind/exchange’ debated). Marut from √mar ‘shine/strike’ (storm/life-energy). Pūṣan from √puṣ ‘nourish’. Viṣṇu from √viṣ/√viś ‘pervade’ (traditional). Agni from PIE *h₁n̥gʷnis (Lat ignis). oṣadhi ‘healing plant’ from √uṣ/√oṣ ‘burn/quick’ + dhī? (traditional segmentation varies; semantic: healing growth). parvata ‘mountain’ from parvan ‘joint/knuckle’ → ‘ridge/height’.
R̥ta guardianship (Varuṇa-Mitra), Pervasion/stride (Viṣṇu), Impulsion of consciousness (Savitṛ), Healing integration (oṣadhi)
Varuṇa–Mitra uphold ṛta; the whole pantheon is invoked to manifest ṛta in life and action.
Savitṛ and Indra bring truth-impulsion and truth-illumination into the day’s movements.
World as a coordinated play of powers; human life succeeds by conscious alignment with that coordination.
Integral Vedic theism (Aurobindonian): many godheads as differentiated powers of the One Consciousness.
day (adya as present day emphasis; Savitṛ suggests daylight impulsion)
Herbs = restorative prāṇa and nerves; mountains = steadfast peace; sun-impulsion = awakening of right action; storm = energizing thought-force; fire = will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mobilization of a pantheon for aid: a 'summoning of powers' mythologem where distinct cosmic functions are harmonized. Psychologically, it is an integral yoga: law (Varuṇa), harmony (Mitra), force (Indra/Maruts), guidance (Pūṣan), pervasion (Viṣṇu), will (Agni), abundance (Purandhi), impulsion (Savitṛ), healing (oṣadhi), stability (mountains).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Agni < PIE *h₁n̥gʷnis (Lat ignis). pitṛ not here, but Varuṇa/Mitra are Indo-Iranian legal-social deities; the collocation Mitra-Varuṇa parallels Avestan Miθra/Ahura legal order themes, showing shared Indo-Iranian heritage of covenant/order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi orchestrates a coordinated descent of divine functions (‘pra…kṛṣva’): not passive prayer but directive alignment. The human asks for comprehensive protection ‘today’—immediate, practice-oriented assistance across all layers of life and consciousness.
Integral alignment: consciously invoke and feel each power as a function within you (law, harmony, illumination, energy, guidance, wideness, will, abundance, impulsion, healing, stability).
Whole-axis practice; especially mūlādhāra (mountain stability), maṇipūra (Agni/force), ājñā (Indra), sahasrāra (Viṣṇu-wideness).
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for 3–5 rounds, then chant as a protective mandala.
Centered, harmonized, quietly empowered.
After chanting, pause and sequentially ‘install’ each deity as an inner function for the day; end by feeling a stable mountain-base and a wide sky-mind together.
Litany-style Triṣṭubh: keep clear accentuation on deity names (varuṇám, mitrám, índram, marútaḥ, pū́ṣaṇam, víṣṇum, agním, savitā́ram).
Do not rush the list; separate each deity with a micro-pause while keeping the pāda flow intact.
pūṣaṇam: long ū and retroflex ṣ., puraṃdhiṃ: nasalization on ‘ṃ’ before dh., oṣadhīḥ: long īḥ; keep initial o- open., parvatān: clear ‘rv’ cluster.
Calm, inclusive, ‘invoking in all directions’.
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