Rig Veda 2.42.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 42, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.42
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Śakuni with protective/apotropaic framing against hostile agents
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Bhayankara and Shanta (peace)
मा त्वा श्येन उद्वधीन्मा सुपर्णो मा त्वा विददिषुमान्वीरो अस्ता । पित्र्यामनु प्रदिशं कनिक्रदत्सुमङ्गलो भद्रवादी वदेह ॥
mā́ tvā śyéná úd vadhīn mā́ su-parṇó mā́ tvā vidád íṣu-mān vīró ástā | pitryā́m ánu pra-díśaṁ kaníkradat su-maṅgálo bhadrá-vādī vada iha ||
Que le faucon ne te frappe pas, que l’oiseau aux fortes ailes ne te saisisse pas, que le héros armé de flèches ne te trouve pas pour cible. Crie selon la direction des pères ; sois de bon augure, dis ici la bonne parole.
Word by Word
- मा
- not; lestIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्ययRoot मा (निषेध) अव्यय
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद्
- श्येनः
- the hawkNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot श्येन
- उद्वधीत्
- may (he) not strike/kill (you)Verbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot उद्-√वध्
- मा
- lestIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्ययRoot मा (निषेध) अव्यय
- सुपर्णः
- the fair-winged (bird)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सुपर्ण
- मा
- lestIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्ययRoot मा (निषेध) अव्यय
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद्
- विदत्
- may (he) not find/come uponVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot √विद् (लभ्/ज्ञा) — here ‘find/come upon’
- इषुमान्
- arrow-armed; having arrowsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इषुमन्त्
- वीरः
- a warriorNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वीर
- अस्ता
- the archerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role KartāRoot अस्तृ/अस्त (प्रातिपदिक: ‘archer’)
- पित्र्याम्
- paternal; of the FathersAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (प्रदिशम् विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot पितृय (adj. ‘paternal, of the fathers’)
- अनु
- along; followingIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (अनुगमनार्थ)Root अनु
- प्रदिशम्
- direction; regionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot प्रदिश्
- कनिक्रदत्
- crying out; calling aloudVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot √क्रन्द् (कनिक्रद् = तीव्र/पुनरुक्त क्रन्दन)
- सुमङ्गलः
- very auspiciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सु-मङ्गल
- भद्रवादी
- speaking auspiciouslyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot भद्र-वाच्/भद्र-वादिन्
- वदेह
- speak!; say!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 2 एकवचनRoot √वद्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): मा त्वा श्येनः उद्वधीत् । मा सुपर्णः । मा त्वा विदत् इषुमान् वीरः अस्ता । पित्र्याम् अनु प्रदिशम् कनिक्रदत् सुमङ्गलः भद्रवादी वदेह । Notes: (1) श्ये॒न उद्व॑धी॒त् → श्येनः उद्वधीत् (visarga before vowel)
- (2) विद॒दिषु॑मान् → विदत् इषुमान् (t + i sandhi; underlying aorist vidat)
- (3) मान्वी॒रो → इषुमान् वीरः (final -n + v- gives nasal assimilation in saṃhitā)
- (4) अस्ता is Vedic nominative sg. ‘archer’ (agent noun), standing with वीरः as apposition
The meaning
Outer meaning
May no falcon strike you, no strong-winged bird seize you, and no arrow-armed hero find you as a target. Cry out along the ancestral direction; be auspicious, speak the good word here.
Inner meaning
The intuitive sign must not be destroyed by higher but hostile forces (falcon/strong-winged: swift predatory movements—overactive vital ambition, sharp analytic mind turned adversarial). Nor should the ‘arrow-armed hero’ (aggressive will, forceful ego-drive) target and silence intuition. ‘Ancestral direction’ points to the true line of inner tradition: the soul’s established path in the being (pitṛyāna as the track of forefathers = the secure channel of accumulated truth). The mantra asks intuition to keep calling from that secure channel and to utter beneficent truth in the present moment.
Universal truth
Inner guidance is fragile at first; it can be overridden by predatory impulses, aggressive will, or hostile brilliance. The remedy is to keep intuition aligned with the deepest lineage of truth in oneself and to insist on benevolent speech and direction.
Themes
Apotropaic protection, Auspicious speech omen, Safe passage, Guarding the sign
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada Bhārgava
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.42.1, RV 2.42.3
Family tradition
A tradition of mantra as protection and as a means to establish right movement (ṛta) against hostile agencies.
Significance
The seer frames obstacles not merely as external dangers but as forces that can ‘kill’ or ‘capture’ the inner sign—hence the insistence on guarding intuition and keeping speech beneficent.
The deity
- Devata
- Śakuni / Śakunta (protective omen-sign)
- Epithets
- sumaṅgala, bhadravādī
- Related deities
- Agni (protector and guide), Varuṇa (guardian of order), Indra (clears hostile cover)
Cosmic role
Guardian-sign that indicates safe passage; a voice of ṛta that can ward off hostile trajectories.
Inner power
Protective intuition; the capacity to ‘cry out’ warnings and confirmations from the right inner direction.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protection against evil omens and dangers during movement; securing auspicious speech/signs
मा त्वा॑ श्ये॒न उद्व॑धी॒न्मा सु॑प॒र्णो मा त्वा॑ विद॒दिषु॑मान्वी॒रो अस्ता॑ । पित्र्या॒मनु॑ प्र॒दिशं॒ कनि॑क्रदत्सुम॒ङ्गलो॑ भद्रवा॒दी व॑दे॒ह ॥
मा । त्वा॒ । श्ये॒नः । उत् । व॒धी॒त् । मा । सु॒ऽप॒र्णः । मा । त्वा॒ । वि॒द॒त् । इषु॑ऽमान् । वी॒रः । अस्ता॑ । पित्र्या॑म् । अनु॑ । प्र॒ऽदिश॑म् । कनि॑क्रदत् । सु॒ऽम॒ङ्गलः॑ । भ॒द्र॒ऽवा॒दी । व॒द॒ । इ॒ह ॥
mā | tvā | śyenaḥ | ut | vadhīt | mā | su-parṇaḥ | mā | tvā | vidat | iṣu-mān | vīraḥ | astā | pitryām | anu | pra-diśam | kanikradat | su-maṅgalaḥ | bhadra-vādī | vada | iha
48
4×12 (approx.); extended cadence accommodates the triple negation (mā…mā…mā…).
Incantatory and protective; repeated mā creates a warding rhythm.
Builds a protective field; the listener feels a ‘closing of gates’ against intrusion and a re-opening toward auspicious speech.
- श्येन (śyena)
- Literal: falcon. Symbolic: swift predatory impulse; sharp force that can ‘strike down’ nascent intuition
- सुपर्ण (suparṇa)
- Literal: strong-winged bird. Symbolic: powerful vital/mind-force that can seize and appropriate the sign
- इषुमान् वीरः अस्ता (iṣumān vīro astā)
- Literal: arrow-armed hero, archer. Symbolic: aggressive ego-will aiming at the intuitive faculty
- पित्र्याम् अनु प्रदिशम् (pitryām anu pradiśam)
- Literal: along the ancestral direction. Symbolic: along the soul’s true line; the safe channel of established inner truth
- भद्रवाडी (bhadravādī)
- Literal: speaker of the good. Symbolic: truth-speech that heals and harmonizes
Protective charm for safe movement and auspicious omens; used to avert harm (natural predators/enemies) and secure favorable speech-signs at the outset of journeys or rites.
Before travel; when disturbed by threatening signs/dreams; at thresholds
Recite as a protective charm; optionally with rightward circumambulation and a small libation/water-sprinkling
Use when anxiety or intrusive thoughts ‘hunt’ the mind: recite to protect intuition from being targeted by fear, aggression, or overthinking.
śyena ‘falcon’ (also mythically linked elsewhere with Soma-bringing, but here as threat) denotes swift predation; su-parṇa ‘good/strong-winged’ intensifies avian power. iṣu ‘arrow’ from √iṣ ‘to impel’ → projectile as driven force; iṣu-mān ‘armed’. astā ‘archer’ from √as ‘to throw’/‘cast’ in Vedic usage. pitrya ‘ancestral’ from pitṛ ‘father’ (< PIE *ph₂tḗr). bhadra ‘fortunate, good’ from √bhad ‘to be auspicious/prosper’ (semantic of well-being). The repeated mā- prohibitives create an apotropaic shield-formula.
Rakṣā (protection), Śubha-vāc (good/true speech as safeguard), Continuity with the ancestral path (pitrya as sanctioned way)
Pitryā pradiś is the ‘right channel’—movement in ṛta rather than in predatory deviation.
Good speech is not mere positivity; it is satya that stabilizes the journey.
Sustaining a newly born sign/insight against devouring forces.
Integral symbolic psychology: hostile ‘birds’ and ‘archer’ as inner forces that attack the intuitive messenger.
Predators = devouring impulses; archer = targeted aggression; ancestral direction = deep inner orientation; bird-cry = intuition’s protective alarm.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the protection of the omen/sign-bird against hostile forces (predators, hunter). Outer threats mirror inner hostile movements—sudden predatory impulses and ‘arrow-like’ thoughts. The verse seeks an unbroken auspicious indication (bhadravādī) aligned with the sanctioned path (pitryā pradíś).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pitryām < pitṛ continues PIE *ph₂tḗr ‘father’ (Latin pater). The prohibitive mā + aorist/jussive is an old Indo-Iranian modality for apotropaic speech. Directional compounds (pra-diś) and iterative imperatives reflect archaic performative formula style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi directs the omen-power: ‘speak good here’—treating the sign as an active participant in the rite’s success. The devatā is thus a functional agency: when protected and rightly oriented, it becomes a carrier of favorable truth (bhadra-vāc) for the seeker.
Shield the intuitive faculty; reaffirm the deepest inner orientation (‘ancestral direction’ as soul-line).
ājñā (discernment/intuition) with a protective grounding in mūlādhāra (security of the path)
On each ‘mā’, exhale gently as a sealing gesture; pause briefly after each prohibition to feel protection established.
From vigilance to protected inwardness; quiet confidence.
Identify three inner ‘predators’: (1) devouring desire, (2) overpowering mental force, (3) aggressive will. Name them silently, then recite to restore the intuitive sign and let it speak bhadra in the present.
Emphasize the three mā phrases with clear udatta peaks; keep the rest even and protective in tone.
Each mā begins firmly but not harshly; let the cadence ‘seal’ after ud vadhīt / vidad / astā.
śyena: palatal ś; avoid ‘shye-na’ splitting—keep as śye-na., suparṇa: retroflex ṇ; keep ‘parṇa’ clear., iṣumān: retroflex ṣ; long ā in mā., pitryām: cluster try; light but distinct., bhadravādī: aspirate bh; long ī at end.
Protective, mantra-like; slightly stronger on prohibitive clauses, softer on auspicious conclusion.
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