Rig Veda 7.21.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 21, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.21
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्र यन्ति यज्ञं विपयन्ति बर्हिः सोममादो विदथे दुध्रवाचः । न्यु भ्रियन्ते यशसो गृभादा दूरउपब्दो वृषणो नृषाचः ॥
prá yanti yajñáṃ vipáyanti bárhiḥ sómamā́do vidáthe dudhrávācaḥ | ny ù bhriyante yaśáso gṛbhā́d ā́ dū́ra-upabdaḥ vṛ́ṣaṇo nṛṣā́caḥ ||
Ils s’avancent vers le sacrifice ; ils étendent le barhis, le siège sacré. Dans l’assemblée, la joie du soma est préparée par des invocations à la voix ferme. Les gloires sont portées d’en bas, hors de l’étreinte, vers la manifestation ; au loin s’étend l’appel à la Puissance-Taureau qui chemine parmi les hommes.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- यन्ति
- they go, they proceedVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3rd person pluralRole (with implied subject) KartāRoot या (धातु)
- यज्ञम्
- the sacrificeNounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, widely, distinctlyIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root वि (upasarga)
- पयन्ति
- they drink/imbibeVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3rd person pluralRole KartāRoot पा (धातु) "to drink" (Vedic: also ‘to taste/imbibe, enjoy’)
- बर्हिः
- the sacred grass (barhis)Nounneuter, nominative singularRole Kartā (of an implied verb like ‘is spread/laid’ or as ritual subject)Root बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed drink)Nounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आदः
- eaters/consumers (i.e., drinkers)Adjectivemasculine, nominative plural (agentive/participial use)Role Kartā (with following plural predicate)Root आद (kṛdanta from √अद् ‘to eat’ / ‘to consume’)
- विदथे
- in the rite/assembly (vidatha)Nounneuter, locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुध्रवाचः
- having swift/impetuous speechAdjectivemasculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (agreeing with ‘आदः’ as a descriptive epithet)Root दुध्रु-वाच् (compound prātipadika)
- न्यु
- down, in (emphatic)Indeclinablepreverb/particle combination used with verbsRoot नि (upasarga) + उ (particle; Vedic)
- भ्रियन्ते
- they are borne/carriedVerbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद, 3rd person pluralRole (with implied subject) KartāRoot भृ (धातु)
- यशसः
- glories, renownNounneuter, nominative plural (Vedic; also interpretable as genitive singular by form, but here as nom. pl. in sense ‘glories’)Role Kartā (of ‘भ्रियन्ते’)Root यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृभादाः
- givers of grasping/booty; bestowers who seize (epithet)Noun/Adjectivemasculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to ‘यशसः’ or to the carriers/agents)Root गृभा-द (compound; kṛdanta from √दा ‘to give’ with base ‘गृभा/गृभ’ ‘seizing, grasping’)
- दूर
- farAdjective (used adverbially in compound)indeclinable-like first member of compoundRoot दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- उपब्दः
- having a call/cry; soundingNoun/Adjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (as epithet in apposition)Root उपब्द (प्रातिपदिक; from upa-√vad/√bad ‘sound, call’)
- वृषणः
- the bull; the vigorous oneNoun/Adjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (epithet)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नृषाचः
- dwelling among men; abiding with menAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (epithet)Root नृ-षाच् (compound prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved minimally: सोममादो → सोमम् + आदः
- दूरउपब्दो → दूर + उपब्दः. Other items are already in padapāṭha-like segmentation (e.g., प्र, वि, न्यु as separate particles/preverbs). Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are not reproduced in the pada list
- forms correspond to the underlying unaccented padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
They advance to the sacrifice and spread the sacred grass-seat; in the assembly the soma-delight is prepared with firm-voiced invocations. The glories are carried down from the grasp; far-reaching is the call to the Bull-power who moves among men.
Inner meaning
The mantra describes the ordered movements of the inner yajña. ‘They go forward’ are the awakened faculties (thought, will, breath, sense-energy) turning toward consecration. ‘Spreading the barhis’ is laying the receptive foundation in consciousness—quiet, wide, and ready to receive the gods. Soma-māda is prepared in vidatha (the inner gathering): delight is made ready by steadfast, unwavering speech (dudhravācaḥ), i.e., mantra that does not wobble with doubt. ‘Glories’ (yaśasaḥ) borne down from the grasp (gṛbhāt) suggest higher powers/attainments descending from a held concentration into active manifestation. The far-reaching call to the ‘Bull’ (vṛṣaṇaḥ) among men is the invocation of Indra’s virile force of illumination that can act within human nature (nṛṣāc).
Universal truth
Spiritual realization is not random: it requires orderly preparation—receptive groundwork, steady invocation, concentrated holding—and then a descent of higher powers into lived action; the divine force must be called to operate within human nature.
Themes
ritual-preparation, invocation, descent-of-glory, collective-assembly
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.21.1, RV 7.21.3, RV 7.21.4
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s hymns often map the rite’s outer order to an inner discipline: preparation (barhis), invocation (stoma), descent (yaśas).
Significance
The seer emphasizes method: stable mantra and prepared receptivity are prerequisites for the descent of higher glory into life.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣan (Bull), Nṛṣāc (moving among men)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Receives soma and responds to calls; empowers human community; brings victorious force and illumination.
Inner power
Dynamic, virile illumination that can be invoked to operate inside human nature, translating higher gains into action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña procedural verse (preparation of seat, invocations, calling Indra)
प्र य॑न्ति य॒ज्ञं वि॒पय॑न्ति ब॒र्हिः सो॑म॒मादो॑ वि॒दथे॑ दु॒ध्रवा॑चः । न्यु॑ भ्रियन्ते य॒शसो॑ गृ॒भादा दू॒रउ॑पब्दो॒ वृष॑णो नृ॒षाच॑: ॥
प्र । य॒न्ति॒ । य॒ज्ञम् । वि॒पय॑न्ति । ब॒र्हिः । सो॒म॒ऽमादः॑ । वि॒दथे॑ । दु॒ध्रऽवा॑चः । नि । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । भ्रि॒य॒न्ते॒ । य॒शसः॑ । गृ॒भात् । आ । दू॒रेऽउ॑पब्दः । वृष॑णः । नृ॒ऽसाचः॑ ॥
pra | yanti | yajñam | vipayanti | barhiḥ | soma-mādaḥ | vidathe | dudhra-vācaḥ | ni | oṃ iti | bhriyante | yaśasaḥ | gṛbhāt | ā | dūre--upabdaḥ | vṛṣaṇaḥ | nṛ-sācaḥ
44
4 x ~11
Processional movement (pra yanti…) with strong mid-line stresses; evokes advancing order and summoning call.
Creates a sense of organized inner march; steadies speech and breath; culminates in a far-calling invocation.
- यज्ञम् (yajñam)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: inner offering and self-consecration
- बर्हिः (barhiḥ)
- Literal: sacred grass-seat. Symbolic: receptive base in consciousness; prepared inner field
- विदथे (vidathe)
- Literal: in the assembly. Symbolic: inner gathering of faculties; concentrated session of yoga
- दुध्रवाचः (dudhravācaḥ)
- Literal: firm-voiced. Symbolic: steady mantra/speech not shaken by doubt or inertia
- सोममादः (somamādaḥ)
- Literal: soma-intoxication/delight. Symbolic: ecstatic delight that empowers illumination
- यशसः (yaśasaḥ)
- Literal: glories. Symbolic: attainments/powers of consciousness; luminous results
- गृभात् (gṛbhāt)
- Literal: from the grasp/hold. Symbolic: from concentration; held awareness
- दूरउपब्दः (dūra-upabdaḥ)
- Literal: far-reaching call/summons. Symbolic: invocation that penetrates layers of being, reaching the higher power
- वृषणः (vṛṣaṇaḥ)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: virile force of divine power (Indra’s dynamic illumination)
- नृषाचः (nṛṣācaḥ)
- Literal: moving among men. Symbolic: the divine acting within the human instrument
Description of rite-preparation: barhis spreading, soma-mada in vidatha; summoning Indra by far-resounding call
At the stage of preparing the barhis and voicing firm invocations in the vidatha
Spreading barhis, chanting invocations, summoning Indra to the offering
Use as a ‘pre-meditation checklist’ mantra: prepare the seat/body, steady speech, gather faculties, then invoke the higher force.
barhis as ‘seat’ from √bṛh/√barh (spread/expand) supports the inner reading: preparing a widened base for descent. dudhra-vāc ‘firm speech’ emphasizes mantra as steady force. yaśas ‘glory’ (from √yaś ‘to be famed, splendid’) becomes inward excellence. dūra-upabda highlights the far-reaching efficacy of the call.
Yajña as ordering of consciousness, Mantra as firm speech, Yaśas as inner glory
The orderly sequence—advance, prepare, invoke, descent—mirrors ṛta as methodical right action in consciousness.
Dudhravācaḥ implies satya-vāk: speech that holds truth-force and therefore effects descent.
Descent of ‘yaśas’ from the grasp into manifestation: higher world-force entering the human plane.
Yoga of invocation and descent (integral Vedic psychology)
Barhis = calm receptive wideness; Soma = luminous joy; sound-call = mantra that reaches higher planes and draws force down.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘making-ready of the seat’ and the ‘far-resounding summons’: the human side widens the base (barhis) and stabilizes speech (dudhra-vāc), enabling the descent of yaśas (glory) and the arrival of Indra among men.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear’ (bhriyante) = PIE *bher-. √yaś has IE parallels in prestige/glory semantics (though exact PIE reconstruction debated). The verse shows typical IE poetic parallelism: action of preparation → act of calling → descent/arrival.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi-community constructs conditions—widened seat, firm speech, soma-delight—so Indra can be ‘nṛsāc’, present in the human sphere; Indra responds by bringing yaśas (inner victory and luminous excellence).
Prepare receptivity (barhis), stabilize mantra (dudhravācaḥ), hold concentration (gṛbhāt), invite descent of higher force (yaśas).
mūlādhāra (seat/stability) and ājñā (invocation/illumination)
Square breathing 4–4–4–4 for 4 rounds to ‘spread the seat’; then chant once with long, even exhale.
Collected, forceful, organized (tapas with calm).
Sit; feel the body as barhis (a spread field). Gather thoughts into one hold. Chant, then pause listening for a ‘descent’—a quiet strength or clarity entering the mind and chest.
Recitative Vedic accents; keep ‘pra yanti’ with a slight rising on udātta; sustain steadiness through long compounds.
Mark the movement: ‘prá yanti’ (forward), then settle on ‘barhíḥ’; brighten on ‘dūré-upabdaḥ’ to express far-reaching call.
: articulate vi-pa-yan-ti, not ‘vipayant’., : keep aspirates dh and vācḥ clear; final ḥ lightly aspirated., : separate dūra-upabdaḥ; avoid swallowing the hiatus.
Steady and resonant; minimal ornamentation; end with a strong, open tone on ‘nṛṣācaḥ’.
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