Rig Veda 2.29.7: Mandala 2, Sukta 29, Mantra 7
Sukta 2.29
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
माहं मघोनो वरुण प्रियस्य भूरिदाव्न आ विदं शूनमापेः । मा रायो राजन्त्सुयमादव स्थां बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ॥
mā́haṃ maghóno varuṇa priyásya bhūridā́vna ā́ vidaṃ śū́nām ā́peḥ | mā́ rāyó rājan suyámād áva sthāṃ bṛhád vadema vidáthe suvī́rāḥ ||
Que no pierda yo, oh Varuṇa, la amada cercanía del dador generoso, ni caiga en el vacío y la carencia. Oh Rey, que no me aparte del sendero bien guiado de la plenitud; que proclamemos lo Vasto en la asamblea, dotados de heroica fuerza interior.
Word by Word
- मा
- not; do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्ययRoot मा (निषेध) / mā
- अहम्
- IPronounप्रथमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अहम्
- मघोनः
- of the bountiful one (Maghavan)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक: मघोन्-)
- वरुण
- O VaruṇaNoun (deity)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वरुण
- प्रियस्य
- of the dear one; of what is dearAdjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root प्रिय
- भूरिदाव्नः
- of the much-giving oneAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root भूरिदावन् (भूरि + दावन् < √दा ‘to give’)
- आ
- towards; untoPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot आ
- विदम्
- may I find; I found (aor.)Verbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (अहम्)Root √विद् (विदँ ‘to find/know’)
- शूनम्
- in vain; emptily; fruitless(ly)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्म/प्रकारRoot शून
- आपेः
- of help; of assistanceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root आपि
- मा
- not; do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्ययRoot मा (निषेध)
- रायः
- of wealth; of richesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root राय्/राय (रे/रै) ‘wealth’
- राजन्
- O kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot राजन्
- सुयमात्
- from good guidance/control; from good ruleNoun/Abstractपुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी एकवचनRole अपादानRoot सु-यम (सु + √यम् ‘to restrain/guide’)
- अव
- down; away; offPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अव
- स्थाम्
- do you two not depart/stand away (from)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (देवौ/वरुण-मित्रौ)Root √स्था (to stand)
- बृहद्वदेम
- may we speak greatly; may we utter lofty (speech)Verbविधिलिङ्/लोट्-प्राय (आशीर्लिङ्-भाव), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (वयम्)Root √वद् (to speak)
- विदथे
- in the rite/assembly; in the ceremonial gatheringNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot विदथ
- सुवीराः
- having good heroes; strong in sons/menAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (वयम्)Root सु-वीर
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): मा + अहम्
- मघोनः (षष्ठी एक.) + वरुण (सम्बोधन)
- भूरिदाव्नः (षष्ठी एक.) + आ + विदम्
- शूनम् + आपेः
- मा + रायः
- राजन् + सुयमात् + अव + स्थाम्
- बृहद् + वदेम
- विदथे + सुवीराः. ‘माहम्’ = मा + अहम् (निषेध + सर्वनाम). ‘बृहद्वदेम’ = बृहद् (क्रियाविशेषण/विशेषणरूपेण) + वदेम. ‘स्थाम्’ द्विवचन-आज्ञार्थ (वरुण-मित्रौ इत्यादि द्वयदेवतासम्बोधन-प्रयोगः सम्भाव्यः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet prays to Varuṇa not to lose the dear presence of the generous giver and not to fall into emptiness and want. He asks the King not to let him drop away from the well-guided path of wealth/plenitude, and prays to speak the Vast in the assembly, with heroic strength.
Inner meaning
Varuṇa is the sovereign of vastness and law. The ‘dear presence’ is the felt nearness of the divine giver—inner Grace that brings plenitude (rāyas). To ‘fall into śūna’ (emptiness) is to lose contact with the inner source and enter a barren consciousness—dryness, meaninglessness, or poverty of force. ‘Su-yamāt’ is the well-governed leading: the rightly guided movement of life-energy under truth. The aspiration ‘bṛhad vadema’ is central to Aurobindo’s reading: to utter/manifest the Vast (bṛhat)—wideness of consciousness—within the vidatha (assembly), i.e., in the collective and in one’s inner gathering of powers. ‘Suvīrāḥ’ are not merely brave sons but inner hero-forces: strong, luminous energies that can hold the wideness steadily.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires sustained contact with the source of plenitude and a disciplined guidance of life. When consciousness widens into the Vast, speech and action become true, strong, and beneficent in the collective life.
Themes
repetition/refrain, steadfastness, avoidance of emptiness, speech of the Vast
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.28 (Varuṇa), RV 7.86 (Varuṇa: confession and restoration, later seer but thematic kin)
Family tradition
Bhṛgu lineage often links Varuṇa with wideness, law, and release; emphasizes the move from fault/fear to plenitude and bṛhat.
Significance
A culminating aspiration: not merely removal of evil, but establishment in plenitude and the capacity to ‘speak the Vast’—to live and express widened truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Varuṇa (Āditya)
- Epithets
- rājan (king), maghavan-like bounteous (maghonaḥ), bhūridāvan (giver of much)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Savitṛ
Cosmic role
Sovereign of ṛta, regulator of cosmic and moral law; opener into vastness; dispenser of plenitude through right order.
Inner power
Widening of consciousness (bṛhat), governance of life-movement (su-yama), and bestowal of inner riches (rāyas).
In ritual
Where it is used
Varuṇa hymns in śrauta offerings; prayers for prosperity, right governance, and social/ritual harmony.
माहं म॒घोनो॑ वरुण प्रि॒यस्य॑ भूरि॒दाव्न॒ आ वि॑दं॒ शून॑मा॒पेः । मा रा॒यो रा॑जन्त्सु॒यमा॒दव॑ स्थां बृ॒हद्व॑देम वि॒दथे॑ सु॒वीरा॑: ॥
मा । अ॒हम् । म॒घोनः । व॒रु॒ण॒ । प्रि॒यस्य॑ । भू॒रि॒ऽदाव्नः॑ । आ । वि॒द॒म् । शून॑म् । आ॒पेः । मा । रा॒यः । रा॒जन् । सु॒ऽयमा॑त् । अव॑ । स्था॒म् । बृ॒हत् । व॒दे॒म॒ । वि॒दथे॑ । सु॒ऽवीराः॑ ॥
mā | aham | maghonaḥ | varuṇa | priyasya | bhūri-dāvnaḥ | ā | vidam | śūnam | āpeḥ | mā | rāyaḥ | rājan | su-yamāt | ava | sthām | bṛhat | vadema | vidathe | su-vīrāḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Majestic and expansive; supports the theme of bṛhat (vastness) with long, steady propulsion.
Encourages widening and confidence; stabilizes aspiration toward plenitude and true speech.
- वरुण (varuṇa)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: sovereign vastness; law of truth that widens and governs
- मघोनः (maghonaḥ)
- Literal: bounteous, generous. Symbolic: the giver-power of abundance in consciousness
- प्रियस्य (priyasya)
- Literal: dear, beloved. Symbolic: intimate presence of the Divine felt by the soul
- भूरिदावन् (bhūridāvan)
- Literal: giver of much. Symbolic: plentitude descending as force, joy, and right means
- शूनम् (śūnam)
- Literal: emptiness, lack. Symbolic: aridity/void from loss of inner contact
- रायः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: spiritual riches: light, force, joy, right capacity
- सुयमात् (suyamāt)
- Literal: well-guided leading. Symbolic: right governance of the path; disciplined guidance by truth
- बृहत् (bṛhat)
- Literal: the Vast. Symbolic: wideness of consciousness; expansive truth-being
- विदथे (vidathe)
- Literal: assembly, session. Symbolic: collective field; inner gathering of faculties for offering
- सुवीराः (suvīrāḥ)
- Literal: having good heroes/strong men. Symbolic: possessing inner heroic energies (vīra) to sustain realization
Refrain-like repetition for emphasis on not falling into inner poverty; used to reinforce the prayer for rayi and bṛhat.
When seeking protection of prosperity and right course; also in assemblies or communal rites as a blessing for collective strength.
Recitation with offerings; invocation of Varuṇa’s kingship to maintain ṛta in the community.
Use for overcoming inner dryness and fear of loss; as an affirmation to remain on a well-guided path and to speak from wideness rather than reactivity.
This mantra duplicates RV 2.28.11 in the provided input. See the etymological notes there: rayi as inner plenitude; bṛhat as expanded consciousness; su-yama as right governance/leading.
Bṛhat (the Vast consciousness), Rayi (plenitude/felicity), Su-yama (right governance/self-control)
Varuṇa’s kingship ensures the su-yama (right leading) of life under ṛta.
True speech (‘bṛhad vadema’) as expression of satya in the collective.
Widening as a cosmic function: the Vast as a sustaining principle of worlds and of the inner universe.
Integral Vedism: bṛhat as widening consciousness; wealth as powers of realization rather than material only.
Vastness = widened awareness; path = regulated movement of energies; wealth = accumulated light-force-joy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Reassertion of the core movement: not falling from divine-guided plenitude into emptiness; establishing bṛhat through inspired speech and heroic inner energies.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- See RV 2.28.11 analysis: √as in svasti-related formations and modal/prohibitive constructions preserve archaic IE features.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A renewed plea for sustained divine favor and right governance, emphasizing continuity of protection and widening.
Widen into bṛhat; maintain contact with the ‘dear presence’ of the giver; stay on su-yama (rightly guided discipline).
Viśuddha (true vast speech) and Sahasrāra/Ājñā (wideness, guidance).
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale feel ‘bṛhat’ expanding the inner space; on exhale offer speech/thought into truth.
From threatened scarcity to expansive plenitude and steady guidance.
When dryness appears, do not chase stimulation; return to wideness (bṛhat). Keep daily ‘su-yama’—simple right-guided habits. Speak less from agitation, more from the Vast; let words carry calm power.
Tri-svara; let udātta rise on ‘varuṇa’, ‘rājan’, and especially ‘bṛhat’.
Give spacious pauses around ‘bṛhad vadema’; allow the line to ‘open’ vocally to mirror vastness.
śūnam: long ū; keep ś palatal, bhūridāvnaḥ: articulate bhū-ri-dāv-; keep vnaḥ cluster clear, su-yamāt: keep y distinct; do not merge into ‘suyamā’, suvīrāḥ: long ī; retroflex ṛ in vīr
open-throated, expansive, calm
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