Rig Veda 7.80.1: Mandala 7, Sukta 80, Mantra 1
Sukta 7.80
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्रति स्तोमेभिरुषसं वसिष्ठा गीर्भिर्विप्रासः प्रथमा अबुध्रन् । विवर्तयन्तीं रजसी समन्ते आविष्कृण्वतीं भुवनानि विश्वा ॥
práti stómebhir uṣásaṃ vásiṣṭhā gīrbhír víprāsaḥ prathamā́ abudhran | vivartáyantīṃ rájasī samánté āvíḥ-kṛṇvatīṃ bhúvanāni víśvā ||
Der Uṣas entgegen mit Hymnen: die Vasiṣṭhas, die Seher, erwachen als die Ersten; sie, die die beiden Weiten ringsum wendet und alle Daseinsräume sichtbar macht.
Word by Word
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinableनिपात; अव्ययRoot प्रति (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- स्तोमेभिः
- with praises/hymnsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषसम्
- Dawn (Uṣas)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसिष्ठाः
- the Vasiṣṭhas (Vasiṣṭha’s clan/poets)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषिनाम)
- गीर्भिः
- with songs/utterancesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot गीर् (प्रातिपदिक; f.)
- विप्रासः
- inspired poets/seersNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमाः
- first, earliestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (विप्रासः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अबुध्रन्
- they awakened/they became awareVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √बुध् (बोधने)
- विवर्तयन्तीम्
- turning/rolling forth (the two realms)Participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/न्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (उषसम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot वि + √वृत्/√वर्त् (वर्तने) → विवर्तय् (णिच्)
- रजसी
- the two spaces/realms (heaven and earth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्विवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (यहाँ कर्मरूपेण)Role KarmaRoot रजस् (प्रातिपदिक; n.)
- समन्ते
- all aroundIndeclinable (adverbial use)अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणार्थ: “on all sides, around”Root समन्त (प्रातिपदिक) / समन्तात् (अव्ययार्थे)
- आविष्कृण्वतीम्
- making manifest, revealingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (उषसम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot आविस् (निपात) + √कृ (करणे) → आविष्कृण्वत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- भुवनानि
- worlds, beings/abodesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक; n.)
- विश्वा
- all, entireAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (भुवनानि इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): प्रति | स्तोमेभिः | उषसम् | वसिष्ठाः | गीर्भिः | विप्रासः | प्रथमाः | अबुध्रन् || विवर्तयन्तीम् | रजसी | समन्ते | आविष्कृण्वतीम् | भुवनानि | विश्वा || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) स्तोमेभिः+उषसम् → स्तोमेभिरुषसम् (विसर्ग/रुत्व-प्रभावः: -भिः + उ- → -भिरु-)
- (2) गीर्भिः+विप्रासः → गीर्भिर्विप्रासः (रुत्व: -भिः + व- → -भिर्व-)
- (3) आविष्कृण्वतीम्+भुवनानि → आविष्कृण्वतीं भुवनानि (अनुस्वार/दीर्घ-लेखनं पदान्ते)
- (4) भुवनानि+विश्वा → भुवनानि विश्वा (सन्धि न; पदविराम)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Vasiṣṭhas awaken first to Uṣas (Dawn) with hymns; Dawn turns and widens the two realms (heaven and earth / the two spaces) on every side and makes all worlds/planes visible.
Inner meaning
The illumining Power (Uṣas) responds to the soul’s aspiration (stoma, gir) and is “first” in the sense that inner awakening begins with a dawning of consciousness. She ‘turns the two rajasī’—the subjective and objective fields (inner mind-life and outer sense-world)—so they face the Light, and she renders the hidden layers of being (bhuvanāni) manifest to the inner sight.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress starts when aspiration calls down a first illumination; that light reorients both inner and outer life and reveals previously unseen planes, possibilities, and truths.
Themes
seer-awakening, cosmic manifestation, order of worlds, power of hymn
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.76–7.86 (Uṣas and allied hymns in Vasiṣṭha Maṇḍala), RV 7.18 (Indra-related Vasiṣṭha hymn), RV 7.33 (Vasiṣṭha tradition and spiritual authority)
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭhas are a principal ṛṣi-family of RV Maṇḍala 7, noted for hymns of inner guidance, harmony (ṛta), and luminous leadership; traditionally connected with Mitra–Varuṇa and the ordering powers.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha represents the settled, harmonizing seerhood: illumination that establishes right order (ṛta) in the being, so that dawn is not a passing mood but a stable awakening.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- prathamā (the first awakener), āviṣkṛṇvatī (the revealer), vivartayantī (the re-orienter/turner)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Aśvins, Mitra-Varuṇa
Cosmic role
She opens the day, unveils the worlds, and sets the movements of heaven-and-earth into luminous activity.
Inner power
The power of progressive revelation—bringing clarity, orientation, and discernment, making the hidden parts of nature visible to the inner witness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning pressing/recitation context; Uṣas hymns used to mark the transition into day and the commencement of sacred work.
प्रति॒ स्तोमे॑भिरु॒षसं॒ वसि॑ष्ठा गी॒र्भिर्विप्रा॑सः प्रथ॒मा अ॑बुध्रन् । वि॒व॒र्तय॑न्तीं॒ रज॑सी॒ सम॑न्ते आविष्कृण्व॒तीं भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ ॥
प्रति॑ । स्तोमे॑भिः । उ॒षस॑म् । वसि॑ष्ठाः । गीः॒ऽभिः । विप्रा॑सः । प्र॒थ॒माः । अ॒बु॒ध्र॒न् । वि॒व॒र्तय॑न्तीम् । रज॑सी॒ इति॑ । सम॑न्ते॒ इति॒ सम्ऽअ॑न्ते । आ॒विः॒ऽकृ॒ण्व॒तीम् । भुव॑नानि । विश्वा॑ ॥
prati | stomebhiḥ | uṣasam | vasiṣṭhāḥ | gīḥ-bhiḥ | viprāsaḥ | prathamāḥ | abudhran | vivartayantīm | rajasī iti | samanteitisam-ante | āviḥ-kṛṇvatīm | bhuvanāni | viśvā
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Expansive, forward-driving cadence suited to proclamation and unveiling.
Creates a sense of widening space and uplift; supports an inner ‘turning’ toward clarity and a steady ascent of attention.
- uṣas
- Literal: dawn. Symbolic: illumination; awakening of consciousness
- stoma
- Literal: hymn of praise. Symbolic: aspiration; uplifting formulation of the will toward the Divine
- gīr
- Literal: song/utterance. Symbolic: mantric speech; inspired thought-force
- vipra
- Literal: seer, inspired poet. Symbolic: the illumined mind capable of revelation
- abudhran
- Literal: they awoke. Symbolic: the psyche becomes conscious to higher light
- rajasī
- Literal: the two spaces/atmospheres. Symbolic: inner and outer fields of consciousness; mind-life and sense-world
- vivartayantī
- Literal: turning/causing to turn. Symbolic: reorientation of consciousness toward truth
- āviṣkṛṇvatī
- Literal: making manifest. Symbolic: revealing hidden planes and movements of being
- bhuvanāni viśvā
- Literal: all the worlds/planes. Symbolic: graded states of consciousness from physical to supramental (as progressively disclosed)
Dawn hymn used to inaugurate the day’s rite; emphasizes awakening of the adhvaryu/hotṛ consciousness through stoma and gīr.
At dawn; beginning of recitation/offerings; also suitable at the start of any sādhana session.
Recitation (japa/śruti) as an invocation for illumination and right orientation.
Use as a ‘start-of-day’ mantra to set intention: ask for revelation of the day’s inner and outer movements before action begins.
abudhran from √budh ‘awake, know’ (PIE *bheudh-). rajas- ‘space/region’ (often plural dual rajasī) indicates cosmic extension; vivart- from vi- + √vṛt ‘turn, revolve’ (PIE *wert-). āvíḥ-kṛ ‘make visible’ (āviḥ ‘openly’ + √kṛ ‘do/make’).
Ṛta as ordered revolution (vivart-), manifestation (āviḥ-kṛ), levels of being (bhuvana)
Uṣas brings the rhythmic order of manifestation—what is hidden becomes timely and rightly seen.
Truth as disclosure: seeing the worlds ‘as they are’ when the light arrives.
Daily re-creation: dawn as recurring emergence of manifestation from concealment.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindo-style) reading: planes of being revealed progressively to consciousness.
dawn
The first illumination that reconfigures perception—inner and outer life turn toward truth and previously unseen layers become evident.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn as revealer of the worlds: she ‘turns’ the rajasī and unveils all bhuvanas. Mythically the goddess brings creation into visibility each day; psychologically she rotates consciousness from inward obscurity to a panoramic awareness of multiple planes.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √budh ‘awake’ (abudhran) is a clear PIE inheritance (*bheudh-). √vṛt ‘turn’ (vivart-) is PIE *wert-. The verse uses archaic IE poetics: cosmic order described as a turning/revolution and revelation as ‘making visible’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Vasiṣṭhas awaken ‘first’ through stoma and gīr, implying that right speech is the means of communion. Dawn responds by unveiling the worlds—granting widened perception and ordered consciousness.
Invite the ‘first light’ of awareness; contemplate both inner and outer life turning toward truth.
Ājñā (brow) / Sahasrāra (as opening to higher light)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow 1:1 breathing while repeating the mantra mentally.
Pratyāhāra into dhāraṇā: from scattered perception to unified luminous attention.
Chant at first waking; then sit silently and notice what ‘worlds’ (thoughts, feelings, bodily states) become newly visible without judgment—let the light organize them.
Vedic svara depends on śākhā; generally observe udātta on marked syllables with anudātta baseline and svarita as the falling glide; keep the cadence of Triṣṭubh.
Let each pāda resolve cleanly at ~11 syllables; slight lift on udātta, gentle glide on svarita; avoid flattening the final cadence.
uṣasaṃ: keep short u, clear ṣ (retroflex), vasiṣṭhā: retroflex ṣṭh cluster, do not split, vivartayantīm: articulate -rt- and -yant- distinctly, āviṣkṛṇvatīm: kṛ with vocalic ṛ; nasal -ṇv- clearly
Bright, forward, with a sense of ‘opening’ on long vowels (ā, ī).
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