Rig Veda 2.13.1: Mandala 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 1
Sukta 2.13
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
ऋतुर्जनित्री तस्या अपस्परि मक्षू जात आविशद्यासु वर्धते । तदाहना अभवत्पिप्युषी पयोंऽशोः पीयूषं प्रथमं तदुक्थ्यम् ॥
ṛtur janitrī tasyā apaḥ pari makṣū jāta āviśad yāsu vardhate | tad āhanā abhavat pipyuṣī payo ’ṃśoḥ pīyūṣaṃ prathamaṃ tad ukthyam ||
The Season, the begetting Power—around her the Waters: swiftly, once born, he entered into those in which he grows. Then she became the milch-cow, swelling with richness; the milk of the stalk, the first nectar—this is worthy of the hymn.
Word by Word
- ऋतुः
- the season; the proper timeNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot ऋतु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनित्री
- the begetter; mother/producerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot √जन् (जनि-), कृत्: तृच्/त्री (जनित्री)
- तस्याः
- of herPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अप्- (जल) (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around; aboutIndeclinableअव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- मक्षु
- quickly; at onceIndeclinableअव्ययRoot मक्षु (अव्यय)
- जातः
- bornAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (with आविशत्)Root √जन्, क्त (जात)
- आ
- towards; intoIndeclinableअव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अविशद्
- enteredVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √विश् (प्रवेशने) + आ-
- यासु
- in which (waters)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्धते
- grows; increasesVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √वृध् (वर्धने)
- तदा
- thenIndeclinableअव्ययRole कालाधिकरण (Temporal)Root तदा (अव्यय; तद् + दा)
- अहना
- in two days; by (the space of) two daysNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/Instrumental time-span)Root अहन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभवत्
- becameVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √भू (भवति)
- पिप्युषी
- swelling; becoming full (with milk)Adjective/Participleस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (with अभवत्)Root √प्याय्/√पि (वृद्धौ/पूरणे), कृत्: क्वसु/उषी (पिप्युषी)
- पयः
- milk; nourishmentNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (with प्रथयति implied) / or Object in appositionRoot पयस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अंशोः
- of the soma-stalk / of the rayNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root अंशु- (प्रातिपदिक; सोम-डण्ड/किरण)
- पीयूषम्
- sweet juice; ambrosial sapNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पीयूष- (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमम्
- firstAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (पीयूषम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (qualifier)Root प्रथम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Anuvāda/CorrelativeRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थ्यम्
- worthy of recitation/praise; to be sung as an ukthaAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (तत् इति विशेषणम्/विधेय)Role Karma or PredicateRoot उक्थ्य- (प्रातिपदिक; उक्थ-सम्बद्ध)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): ऋतुः | जनित्री | तस्याः | अपः | परि | मक्षु | जातः | आ | अविशत् | यासु | वर्धते | तदा | अहना | अभवत् | पिप्युषी | पयः | अंशोः | पीयूषम् | प्रथमम् | तत् | उक्थ्यम् । मुख्य सन्धयः: (1) ऋतुः+जनित्री → ऋतुर्जनित्री (विसर्ग-रेफः)
- (2) तस्याः+अपः → तस्या अपः (पाठे तस्या॑ अ॒पः; विसर्ग-लोप/पदविराम)
- (3) अपः+परि → अपः परि (पदविराम)
- (4) जातः+आविशद् → जात आविशद् (ओष्ठ्य/स्वर-सन्धि: -ः + आ- → -a + ā-; संहितायां ‘जात आविशद्’)
- (5) पयः+अंशोः → पयोंऽशोः (विसर्गस्य ‘ऽ’ आदेशः स्वरादौ)
- (6) तत्+उक्थ्यम् → तदुक्थ्यम् (त् + उ → द् उ; जश्त्व)
The meaning
Inner meaning
Ṛtu is not merely ‘season’ but the right time/order of manifestation—Nature’s rhythmic power of becoming. Janitrī is the generative Shakti that brings the new consciousness to birth. ‘Waters’ are the flowing energies of life and consciousness that surround and support this birth. The ‘born one’ (often Soma in such imagery) enters the Waters—delight entering the life-stream—and grows there. The generative power becomes a cow: the consciousness that yields ‘milk’—rays/essence of nourishment. ‘Milk of the stalk’ (aṃśoḥ payaḥ) points to Soma’s pressed essence: first pīyūṣa, the primal nectar of immortality—Ananda as the first taste of the divine life.
Universal truth
When the right rhythm (ṛtu) and the generative power align, consciousness is born into the flowing life-energies and begins to yield a first nectar—an experiential sweetness that nourishes further growth.
Themes
cosmogonic symbolism, soma-essence, waters and growth, right timing
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.13.2, RV 2.12.14, RV 2.12.15
Family tradition
RV 2.13 shifts imagery toward generative rhythms, waters, and Soma-like nourishment—complementing the Indra victory hymns by showing how delight and right order are produced.
Significance
The seer presents a subtle psychology of emergence: right timing, generative power, and the waters of life collaborate to produce the first nectar of inner immortality.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- ukthya (worthy of hymn)
- Related deities
- Soma, Āpas (Waters), Aditi (generative wideness), Agni
Cosmic role
Though imagery is Soma/Waters-like, Indra can be the power who establishes the right movement and enables the nectar’s release and growth in the waters of existence.
Inner power
Capacity to set the rhythm of manifestation and to make the life-energies yield their delight-essence.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-related contemplation/recitation; waters and Soma imagery suggest use alongside Soma preparation or āpo-related rites (general)
ऋ॒तुर्जनि॑त्री॒ तस्या॑ अ॒पस्परि॑ म॒क्षू जा॒त आवि॑श॒द्यासु॒ वर्ध॑ते । तदा॑ह॒ना अ॑भवत्पि॒प्युषी॒ पयों॒ऽशोः पी॒यूषं॑ प्रथ॒मं तदु॒क्थ्य॑म् ॥
ऋ॒तुः । जनि॑त्री । तस्याः॑ । अ॒पः । परि॑ । म॒क्षु । जा॒तः । आ । अ॒वि॒श॒त् । यासु॑ । वर्ध॑ते । तत् । आ॒ह॒नाः । अ॒भ॒व॒त् । पि॒प्युषी॑ । पयः॑ । अं॒शोः । पी॒यूष॑म् । प्र॒थ॒मम् । तत् । उ॒क्थ्य॑म् ॥
ṛtuḥ | janitrī | tasyāḥ | apaḥ | pari | makṣu | jātaḥ | ā | aviśat | yāsu | vardhate | tat | āhanāḥ | abhavat | pipyuṣī | payaḥ | aṃśoḥ | pīyūṣam | prathamam | tat | ukthyam
44
4 x ~11
Flowing and generative; more liquid consonants and imagery-driven cadence than the Indra-victory verses.
Invites a sense of ‘ripening’ and emergence; supports contemplative absorption into rhythms of growth.
- ऋतु (ṛtu)
- Literal: season, right time. Symbolic: Right rhythm/order of manifestation; timely opening in sādhanā
- जनित्री (janitrī)
- Literal: begetter, mother-power. Symbolic: Generative Shakti that births new consciousness
- अपः (apaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: Life-energies, flowing consciousness, subtle currents
- जात (jāta)
- Literal: born. Symbolic: Newly awakened delight/knowledge-force entering life
- वर्धते (vardhate)
- Literal: grows. Symbolic: Progressive increase of realization within the life-field
- आहना (āhanā)
- Literal: milch-cow (as in yielding). Symbolic: Consciousness that gives nourishing essence/rays
- पयः (payaḥ)
- Literal: milk. Symbolic: Nourishment of light and strength; essence of experience
- अंशोः (aṃśoḥ)
- Literal: of the stalk (Soma plant). Symbolic: The support/body of experience from which bliss is extracted
- पीयूष (pīyūṣa)
- Literal: nectar. Symbolic: Immortalizing Ananda, first taste of divine delight
- उक्थ्य (ukthya)
- Literal: worthy of hymn. Symbolic: That which deserves conscious affirmation/utterance
Soma-pressing context: emergence of the first pīyūṣa (nectar) from aṃśu; usable in Soma praise sequences emphasizing right timing (ṛtu) and generative order
During Soma pressing sequences or hymns praising the generative flow of Soma/waters within the sacrifice
Recitation to affirm the birth and increase of Soma-essence and its nourishing power
Use for ‘right timing’ and organic growth—chant when beginning a new practice, project, or healing process; emphasize patience with rhythmic unfolding.
This begins RV 2.13 (traditionally Indra-related), but the diction is cosmogonic/ritual-psychological: ṛtu as ‘right season/rhythm’ (ordered becoming) and janitrī as generative power. ā-√viś ‘enter’ suggests incarnation/infusion into the waters (life-field). √pyā ‘swell’ underpins ‘pipyūṣī’—abundance of essence. pīyūṣa ‘nectar’ symbolizes first emergence of delight/immortalizing sap from the pressed stalk (aṃśu), i.e., the first refined essence of experience.
ṛtu as rhythmic order of manifestation, birth and growth in the life-field, ānanda/nectar as first essence
Ṛtu is the operational face of ṛta—order as time-rhythm; manifestation succeeds when rhythm is right.
The ‘first nectar’ is a truthful sign of alignment—an experiential satya rather than concept.
Birth into the waters: consciousness entering life and yielding nectar; abundance as a natural consequence of right order.
Integral-psychological reading: cosmic processes mirror inner yogic emergence (rhythm → birth → growth → nectar).
ṛtu explicitly (seasonal rhythm rather than a specific season)
A timely opening in practice allows delight to enter the life-stream and mature into nourishing essence; abundance arises as milk/nectar of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A birth-and-infusion myth: the born power enters the waters and grows; the generatrix becomes abundant and yields first nectar. Innerly, right rhythm (ṛtu) and generative force produce the first distilled delight/essence in consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘beget’ reflects PIE *gen- (Greek γίγνομαι, Latin gignere). √vṛdh ‘grow’ reflects PIE *werdh-. The semantic chain birth → entering → growth is expressed through inherited IE verbal morphology and preverbs.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi hymns the divine process of ordered becoming: by naming ṛtu and the first pīyūṣa, he aligns the rite (and inner practice) with the right rhythm that allows the deity’s force to enter and increase.
Contemplate right rhythm (ṛtu) and allow a new sweetness (pīyūṣa) to be born within the flow of life.
svādhiṣṭhāna (waters/flow)
Slow, wave-like breathing; chant on a long exhale, pause briefly to ‘taste’ the nectar quality.
Receptive, ripening awareness; subtle joy emerging in the background.
Chant 7–14 times, then sit with attention in the lower abdomen/pelvic bowl as ‘waters.’ Invite a gentle sweetness to spread without forcing; note any sense of right timing for action rather than mental planning.
Observe Vedic accents as given; keep a more fluid melodic contour to match ‘waters’ imagery while maintaining udātta precision.
Let each pāda flow into the next with minimal breaks; slight pause after ‘yāsu vardhate’ to feel ‘growth’ before the nectar image.
ṛtur: vocalic ‘ṛ’ clear, not ‘ritur’, janitrī: long ‘ī’ at end, makṣū: ‘kṣ’ conjunct crisp, pīyūṣam: long ‘ī’ and ‘ū’; avoid shortening
Liquid, resonant, slightly softer than Indra-victory verses; savor vowels.
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