Rig Veda 7.38.8: Mandala 7, Sukta 38, Mantra 8
Sukta 7.38
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Vājinaḥ / Viprāḥ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
वाजेवाजेऽवत वाजिनो नो धनेषु विप्रा अमृता ऋतज्ञाः । अस्य मध्वः पिबत मादयध्वं तृप्ता यात पथिभिर्देवयानैः ॥
vā́je-vā́je ’vata vājino no dháneṣu viprā amṛtā ṛta-jñā́ḥ | asyá mádhvaḥ pibata mā́dayadhvaṃ tṛptā́ yāta pathíbhiḥ deva-yā́naiḥ ||
In jedem Aufwallen des Vāja helft uns, o Vājins, in unseren Gewinnen — o Seher, Unsterbliche, Kenner des Ṛta. Trinkt von dieser honigsüßen Essenz und werdet froh; gesättigt zieht auf den götterwärts führenden Pfaden, dem Devayāna.
Word by Word
- वाजे
- in the prize/contestNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (वाजे) — ‘in/at the prize, in the contest’Role अधिकारणRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजे
- in each contestNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवत
- may (he) help/protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ) परस्मैपद; मध्यम? नहीं—प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन (अवत = ‘let him/it help/protect’) — वैदिक प्रयोग में देवता-प्रार्थनाRole (क्रिया)Root अव् (अवते) / अव (रक्षणे) धातु
- वाजिनः
- the vigorous/prize-winning onesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन — ‘the prize-winners/strong ones’Role कर्तृ (अवत्-क्रियायाः) / संबोधनार्थे अपि सम्भवRoot वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic) — ‘of us/our’Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- धनेषु
- in riches, in gainsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचन — ‘in riches/among prizes’Role अधिकारणRoot धन (प्रातिपदिक)
- विप्राः
- O inspired seersNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन — ‘inspired seers/priests’Role कर्तृ (पिबत/मादयध्वम्) / संबोधनRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृताः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन — विप्राः इति विशेषणम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतज्ञाः
- knowers of ṛtaAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन — ‘knowing ṛta (cosmic order)’Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot ऋतज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; ऋत + ज्ञा)
- अस्य
- of thisPronounषष्ठी एकवचन — ‘of this (one)’Role सम्बन्धRoot इदम्
- मध्वः
- of the sweet (mead/soma)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: मध्वः < मधुनः) — ‘of the sweet drink/soma-honey’Role सम्बन्धRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिबत
- drinkVerbलोट् परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष बहुवचन — ‘drink!’Role (क्रिया)Root पा (पिबति) धातु
- मादयध्वम्
- rejoice, become exhilaratedVerbलोट् आत्मनेपद; मध्यमपुरुष बहुवचन — ‘be exhilarated/rejoice!’Role (क्रिया)Root मद् (हर्षे/मादने) caus./denom?; मादयति
- तृप्ताः
- satedParticiple/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन — ‘sated, satisfied’Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot तृप् (तृप्यति) धातु; क्त (past passive participle)
- यात
- goVerbलोट् परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष बहुवचन — ‘go!’Role (क्रिया)Root या (गत्यर्थे) धातु
- पथिभिः
- by pathsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन — ‘by/with paths’Role करणRoot पथिन्/पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवयानैः
- by the god-leading (divine) [ways]Adjective/Nounनपुंसक/पुं?; तृतीया बहुवचन — पथिभिः इति विशेषणम्: ‘by god-going (divine) [paths]’Role करणRoot देवयान (प्रातिपदिक; देव + यान)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वाजे वाजे अवत वाजिनः नः धनेषु विप्राः अमृताः ऋतज्ञाः । अस्य मध्वः पिबत मादयध्वम् तृप्ताः यात पथिभिः देवयानैः ॥ 1) वाजे॑वाजे = वाजे वाजे (पुनरुक्ति)
- 2) वाजेऽवत = वाजे + अवत (अ + अ → ’अ’ अवग्रह)
- 3) मध्व॑: = मध्वः (वैदिक षष्ठी एकवचन; मधु-शब्दस्य विशेष रूप)
- 4) पथिभि॑र्देव॒यानै॑: = पथिभिः + देवयानैः (विसर्ग-संधि: ः + द → र्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In every attainment of vāja (strength/plenitude), help us in our gains, O vājinaḥ—seers, immortal, knowers of ṛta. Drink this honey and become glad; satisfied, travel by the godward paths.
Inner meaning
The hymn asks the divine seer-powers (viprāḥ) that embody victorious plenitude (vāja) to assist the seeker repeatedly (“vāje-vāje”: at each wave of progress). These powers are “amṛtāḥ” (deathless) and “ṛtajñāḥ” (knowers of truth-order): they act according to the right rhythm of growth. “madhú” is Soma’s honey-bliss—ananda that feeds the gods within; when these inner powers drink it, they become luminous and joyful (“mādayadhvam”), and then move along “devayānaiḥ pathibhiḥ”—the inner pathways of ascent (to higher consciousness) and descent (bringing powers down into life).
Universal truth
Sustained progress comes in waves; each wave is stabilized by truth-guided insight and nourished by inner bliss, enabling higher forces to circulate through the being along orderly paths.
Themes
Soma invitation, Ecstasy (mad), Ṛta knowledge, Divine movement (devayāna)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.38.1-6 (context of invocation), RV 7.39.1-3 (arrival of gods)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s hymns frequently coordinate multiple divine functions—illumination, force, and bliss—into a single movement of ṛta.
Significance
He frames spiritual life as rhythmic progress (vāje-vāje), nourished by Soma-bliss and governed by ṛta—an integral psychology of ascent and descent.
The deity
- Devata
- Vājinaḥ / Viprāḥ (divine seer-forces; Viśve Devāḥ in Soma context)
- Epithets
- amṛtāḥ, ṛtajñāḥ, vājinaḥ, viprāḥ
- Related deities
- Soma (madhu), Indra (vāja/victory), Agni (carrier of offering), Aśvins (helpers in gains, thematic)
Cosmic role
They secure plenitude and right increase, uphold ṛta, and carry the Soma delight through the worlds via devayāna paths.
Inner power
Inspired intelligence and victorious energy that become effective when suffused with Ananda (madhu/Soma).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering sequence—inviting divine powers to drink Soma and aid in gains
वाजे॑वाजेऽवत वाजिनो नो॒ धने॑षु विप्रा अमृता ऋतज्ञाः । अ॒स्य मध्व॑: पिबत मा॒दय॑ध्वं तृ॒प्ता या॑त प॒थिभि॑र्देव॒यानै॑: ॥
वाजे॑ऽवाजे । अ॒व॒त॒ । वा॒जि॒नः॒ । नः॒ । धने॑षु । वि॒प्राः॒ । अ॒मृ॒ताः॒ । ऋ॒त॒ऽज्ञाः॒ । अ॒स्य । मध्वः॑ । पि॒ब॒त॒ । मा॒दय॑ध्वम् । तृ॒प्ताः । या॒त॒ । प॒थिऽभिः॑ । दे॒व॒ऽयानैः॑ ॥
vāje--vāje | avata | vājinaḥ | naḥ | dhaneṣu | viprāḥ | amṛtāḥ | ṛta-jñāḥ | asya | madhvaḥ | pibata | mādayadhvam | tṛptāḥ | yāta | pathi-bhiḥ | deva-yānaiḥ
44
4 × ~11
Wave-like recurrence (vāje-vāje) within a steady triṣṭubh stride; celebratory yet directive.
Energizes aspiration and confidence; induces a subtle gladness and a sense of ‘path-opening’ upward.
- वाजे-वाजे (vāje-vāje)
- Literal: in every vāja, again and again. Symbolic: recurrent surges of spiritual strength and accomplishment
- अवत (avata)
- Literal: help/protect. Symbolic: graceful support of higher powers in inner and outer gains
- विप्राः (viprāḥ)
- Literal: seers/poets. Symbolic: illumined faculties; inspired discernment in the mind
- अमृताः (amṛtāḥ)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless principles of consciousness, not subject to decay
- ऋतज्ञाः (ṛtajñāḥ)
- Literal: knowers of ṛta. Symbolic: powers that act according to truth-order and right timing
- मध्वः (madhvaḥ)
- Literal: of honey/sweet essence. Symbolic: Soma-bliss; sweetness of divine Ananda
- मादयध्वम् (mādayadhvam)
- Literal: become glad/intoxicated. Symbolic: uplift of consciousness by bliss, not by desire
- देवयानैः (devayānaiḥ)
- Literal: god-going. Symbolic: inner channels of ascent/descent between human and divine planes
- पथिभिः (pathibhiḥ)
- Literal: by paths. Symbolic: ordered movements of consciousness; yogic routes of transformation
Soma-drinking invitation (pibata, mādayadhvam) and welcoming of gods along devayāna paths in Soma sacrifice
At Soma pressing/offerings or invocations to collective gods; also apt for prayers for success and right increase.
Offering madhu/Soma, calling the gods to drink, become gladdened, and move on devayāna paths to accomplish the work.
Use before work/study/creative effort: offer the day’s intention as ‘madhu’; ask illumined faculties to act in ṛta and bring steady progress in each ‘wave’.
madhú ‘honey/sweetness’ from PIE *médʰu (cf. English mead, Greek méthy), a key Indo-European sacral drink term; in Vedic it expands to soma-delight and inner sweetness of consciousness. ṛta-jñā́-: compound of ṛtá (ordered truth) + √jñā ‘know’—knowledge as alignment, not mere cognition. √mad ‘to be glad, intoxicated’ indicates divine ecstasy as a state of widened consciousness.
Ṛta-jñā (knowledge of cosmic order), Immortality (amṛta) as consciousness-state, Devayāna as inner ascent/descent of divine forces
ṛtajñāḥ: progress and gains are asked to be governed by truth-order rather than ego-impulse.
The ‘devayāna paths’ imply a truthful connection between planes—what is realized above must be faithfully carried into life below.
Circulation of delight (Soma) as a creative sustenance for divine action; worlds linked by paths of light.
Integral-Vedic psychology (Aurobindo): Soma as Ananda that empowers the gods (faculties) to transform nature.
unspecified (often Soma-rite daytime, but not stated)
unspecified
Honey/Soma = sweetness of concentrated consciousness; paths = nadis/inner routes of movement between levels of being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘gods’ journey on the devayāna’ to drink the honeyed soma: divine powers descend/arrive by luminous paths, become fulfilled, and thereby strengthen the sacrificer’s vāja—an exchange that is psychologically the inflow of delight and truth-knowledge.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhú is a flagship IE sacral lexeme (PIE *médʰu), showing continuity of ritual-poetic vocabulary across Indo-European cultures. The semantic range (sweet drink → ecstasy → delight) demonstrates inherited metaphorical extension.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers the ‘honey’ and calls the devatā to drink and rejoice; in reciprocity, the devatā—knowers of ṛta—support the seeker’s gains (dhaneṣu) and renew the right-ordered force (vāje-vāje) in the human vessel.
Let inspired discernment (vipra) drink inner sweetness (madhu) so action proceeds in ṛta; contemplate ‘devayāna’ as an inner channel of ascent/descent.
Viśuddha (nectar/sweetness, inspired expression) with Ājñā (ṛta-knowledge)
Gentle kumbhaka after inhale while sensing ‘madhu’ in the head/heart; exhale imagining the ‘devayāna path’ opening upward.
Quiet wonder with steady strength—joyful clarity rather than excitement.
Begin by offering a small ‘cup’ of attention as Soma: concentrate sweetness (gratitude/joy). Invite the higher faculties to become glad and then guide decisions by right measure (ṛta).
Triṣṭubh with clear accenting of repeated vā́je-vā́je; maintain udātta peaks on viprā́, amṛtā́, ṛtajñā́ḥ (per accent tradition).
Let the repetition ‘vāje-vāje’ be rhythmically identical; do not rush ‘mādayadhvam’—keep the internal glide of svarita.
(vāje-vāje): long ā; distinct hyphenated repetition, (avata): short a; dental t, (viprā): long ā, (ṛtajñāḥ): vocalic ṛ; palatal ñ; long āḥ, (madhvaḥ): dhv cluster; audible ḥ, (mādayadhvam): long ā; dhv cluster, (devayānaiḥ): ai diphthong; final ḥ
Warm, inviting, and bright—like offering sweetness; end with a sense of ‘satisfied onwardness’.
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