Rig Veda 10.72.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 72, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.72
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati / Angirasa-tradition
- Devata
- Aditi and Dakṣa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
भूर्जज्ञ उत्तानपदो भुव आशा अजायन्त । अदितेर्दक्षो अजायत दक्षाद्वदितिः परि ॥
bhū́r jajñe uttāná-pado bhúva āśā́ ajāyanta | ádite r dákṣo ajāyata dákṣād v áditiḥ pári ||
La Tierra nació con fundamentos de amplio paso; surgió el espacio intermedio, y nacieron las direcciones del anhelo. De Aditi nació Dakṣa, y de Dakṣa de nuevo Aditi: la Ilimitada, que retorna en círculo.
Word by Word
- भूर्जज्ञे
- was born / came into beingVerbलुङ् (aorist), आत्मनेपद, 3rd person singularRoot भूर्ज् (प्रातिपदिक: भूर्ज्/भूर्ज-) + √जन्
- उत्तानपदः
- the outstretched-footed (ones)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot उत्तान-पद (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवः
- the worlds / beingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot भुवस् (प्रातिपदिक) / √भू (भवति) से व्युत्पन्न
- आशाः
- the directions / quartersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजायन्त
- were born / aroseVerbलुङ् (aorist), आत्मनेपद, 3rd person pluralRoot √जन्
- अदितेः
- of AditiNoun (Proper)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRoot अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- दक्षः
- DakṣaNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजायत
- was bornVerbलुङ् (aorist), आत्मनेपद, 3rd person singularRoot √जन्
- दक्षात्
- from DakṣaNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- अदितिः
- AditiNoun (Proper)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around; in turn (cyclically)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: भूर्ज॑ज्ञ उत्ता॒नप॑दो भु॒व आशा॑ अजायन्त । अदि॑ते॒र्दक्षो॑ अजायत॒ दक्षा॒द्वदि॑ति॒: परि॑ ॥ Sandhi resolution (मुख्य): 1) अदि॑ते॒र्दक्षो॑ → अदितेः + दक्षः (विसर्ग-लोप/रेफ-आदेश: -ेः + द- → -ेर् द-) 2) दक्षा॒द्वदि॑ति॒: → दक्षात् + अदितिः (त् + अ- → द् + अ-; संधि में 'द्व' लेखन; पद-पाठ में स्पष्टतः: दक्षात् | अदितिः) Accent note: उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न संहिता में हैं
- पद-विभाग में मूल शब्द-रूप रखे गए हैं।
The meaning
Outer meaning
With the wide-stepping bases, Earth is born; the mid-world comes forth and the directions arise. From Aditi is born Dakṣa, and from Dakṣa again Aditi—Infinity and formative intelligence generating each other in a circling origin.
Inner meaning
Once the foundations of consciousness widen, the ‘earth’ principle (bhūḥ)—stable embodied existence—takes form; then the ‘mid-world’ (bhuvaḥ)—the vital-mental field of movement—opens, and aspiration/directions (āśāḥ) become active. The verse then reveals a key occult law: Infinity (Aditi, boundless consciousness) gives birth to right-forming intelligence (Dakṣa), and that intelligence, by right arrangement, re-manifests Infinity in experience. The infinite is realized through right formation; right formation is empowered by the infinite.
Universal truth
Embodiment and life-world arise on foundations of wideness; aspiration orients growth; and the infinite and the power of right organization mutually sustain each other—freedom needs order, and true order is born of freedom.
Themes
Cosmogony, Aditi, Dakṣa, Rita (right order) and Infinity
The seer
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati (Angirasa-tradition)
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 10.72 (cosmogonic sequence), RV 2.23 (Bṛhaspati as brahmaṇaspati), RV 4.50 (opening the hidden)
Family tradition
Angirasa: builders of inner worlds through mantra and illumination; they ‘found’ the planes (bhū/bhuvaḥ/svaḥ) by the Word and the Fire.
Significance
The seer’s vision links cosmic creation with psychological creation: wideness (Aditi) and right formation (Dakṣa) are the twin keys of integral realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Aditi and Dakṣa
- Epithets
- Aditi: anantā (infinite, implied), amṛtasya mātā (mother of immortality—traditional), Dakṣa: kratu (effective will, allied concept), dhī (forming thought, allied concept)
- Related deities
- Ādityas, Varuṇa (ṛta/wideness), Mitra (harmonizing order), Bṛhaspati (formative word)
Cosmic role
Aditi is the boundless matrix of the gods; Dakṣa is the architecting intelligence that shapes worlds and laws.
Inner power
Aditi = inner wideness and freedom; Dakṣa = discerning, organizing intelligence that makes wideness workable in life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aditi is prominent in rites seeking wholeness, release, and rightness (ṛta); this verse functions as a doctrinal ground for invoking her and the Ādityas.
भूर्ज॑ज्ञ उत्ता॒नप॑दो भु॒व आशा॑ अजायन्त । अदि॑ते॒र्दक्षो॑ अजायत॒ दक्षा॒द्वदि॑ति॒: परि॑ ॥
भूः । ज॒ज्ञे॒ । उ॒त्ता॒नऽप॑दः । भु॒वः । आशाः॑ । अ॒जा॒य॒न्त॒ । अदि॑तेः । दक्षः॑ । अ॒जा॒य॒त॒ । दक्षा॑त् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । अदि॑तिः । परि॑ ॥
bhūḥ | jajñe | uttāna-padaḥ | bhuvaḥ | āśāḥ | ajāyanta | aditeḥ | dakṣaḥ | ajāyata | dakṣāt | oṃ iti | aditiḥ | pari
44
4×~11 syllables
Measured, architectonic rhythm—apt for ‘birth of worlds’ and reciprocal law.
Creates a feeling of structure arising within wideness; stabilizes and clarifies the mind.
- bhūḥ (भूः)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: grounded embodiment; stability of the physical consciousness
- bhuvaḥ (भुवः)
- Literal: mid-world/atmosphere. Symbolic: vital-mental plane; field of movement, desire, dynamism
- uttānapadaḥ (उत्तानपदः)
- Literal: wide-stepping bases. Symbolic: expanded supports; broadened inner poise enabling manifestation
- āśāḥ (आशाः)
- Literal: directions. Symbolic: aspiration and orientation of consciousness
- Aditi (अदिति)
- Literal: the unbound/infinite. Symbolic: infinite consciousness; wideness, freedom from limitation
- Dakṣa (दक्ष)
- Literal: skill, capacity, forming power. Symbolic: right-discriminating intelligence; effective will of organization; creative competence
- pari (परि)
- Literal: around, in a circle. Symbolic: recurrence/circular causality; self-begetting movement of manifestation
Aditi is prominent in rites seeking wholeness, release, and rightness (ṛta); this verse functions as a doctrinal ground for invoking her and the Ādityas.
Recited in reflective cosmogonic contexts; suitable for contemplative portions of Vedic study and pravacana.
For practitioners: invoke Aditi (wideness) before planning/decision-making; then call Dakṣa (right formation) to organize life without shrinking the inner freedom.
: from √dakṣ ‘to be strong/able, be competent; to accomplish’ → capacity for right arrangement; hence ‘formative intelligence’. (Aditi): a- ‘not’ + √dā/√dī ‘to bind, divide’ (traditional etymology: ‘undivided/unbounded’). The reciprocal generation (Aditi ↔ Dakṣa) encodes a paradox of infinity and order mutually supporting each other.
mutual arising of infinity and order (Aditi–Dakṣa), ṛta as right formation, cosmic layering (bhūḥ/bhuvaḥ)
Dakṣa is the operational face of ṛta—order that is not constraint but right arrangement of the infinite.
Truth manifests as stable earth (bhūḥ) and dynamic mid-world (bhuvaḥ) when founded on wideness.
Worlds arise by establishing bases; infinity and formation reciprocally generate manifestation.
Bridges early Vedic cosmogony with later Vedānta/Sāṃkhya-style concerns (unbounded principle + organizing intelligence) while remaining symbolic-psychological in Aurobindonian reading.
Earth = embodied steadiness; mid-world = life-force and mental motion; directions = aspiration; Aditi/Dakṣa = wideness and right organization.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The cosmogonic paradox of reciprocal begetting: Aditi (the Infinite) gives rise to Dakṣa (right-forming intelligence), and Dakṣa gives rise again to Aditi. Mythically it asserts that infinity is not chaos; it expresses itself through order, and order re-opens into infinity—an inner yoga of formation and release.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The layered cosmos (earth/mid-region) parallels widespread IE tripartite cosmology. ‘pada’ (foundation/step) from PIE *ped- again encodes world-structure via ‘steps’/measures.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi approaches Aditi not merely as a mother-goddess but as the experiential Infinite in the seeker; Dakṣa is the operative power that organizes life into ṛta. Their mutuality implies that spiritual freedom (Aditi) must be embodied through right practice and discernment (Dakṣa).
Alternate contemplation of wideness (Aditi) and right formation (Dakṣa): expand awareness, then gently organize thought and action from that expanse.
Anahata (wideness) to Ajna (right discrimination)
Inhale ‘Aditi’ (expansion), exhale ‘Dakṣa’ (ordering) for 12 rounds; then sit in silent wideness.
Spacious equanimity with precise clarity.
When overwhelmed, return to Aditi (open space); when scattered, invoke Dakṣa (quiet structuring). Let order arise without contraction.
Tri-svara; emphasize udātta on bhūḥ/bhuvaḥ and the divine names Aditi/Dakṣa per recensional accent.
Give a clear lift on jajñe/ajāyata; keep the ‘pari’ ending rounded and complete.
Pronounce ṛ in bhūr as long vowel ū (bhūḥ) with visarga release, In aditer: keep short i and clear dental t, Dakṣād: maintain retroflex ṣ (ṣa) distinctly from s
Even, architect-like delivery—steady resonance rather than dramatic peaks.
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