Rig Veda 2.35.5: Mandala 2, Sukta 35, Mantra 5
Sukta 2.35
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Apāṃ Napāt
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Shringara (love)
अस्मै तिस्रो अव्यथ्याय नारीर्देवाय देवीर्दिधिषन्त्यन्नम् । कृता इवोप हि प्रसर्स्रे अप्सु स पीयूषं धयति पूर्वसूनाम् ॥
asmái tisró avyathyā́ya nā́rīr devā́ya devī́r didhiṣánty ánnam | kṛtā́ iva úpa hí prasarsré apsú sá pīyū́ṣaṃ dhayati pūrvasū́nām ||
અસ્મૈ—તે અવિથ્ય (અપરાજેય) દેવ માટે—ત્રણ દિવ્ય સ્ત્રીઓ (દેવીઓ) અન્નને સ્થિર કરે છે. સુકૃત કાર્ય સમાન તે જળોમાં પ્રસરી જાય છે; અને તે પૂર્વસૂનાઓ—પ્રથમ જન્મેલા શક્તિઓ—નું પીયૂષ, મૂળ અમૃત, પીવે છે.
Word by Word
- अस्मै
- to him / for himPronoundative singular (पुं/स्त्री/नपुं—सर्वनाम)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- तिस्रः
- threeNumeral/Adjectivefeminine nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot त्रि (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक: तिसृ)
- अव्यथ्याय
- for the unshakable (one)Adjectivemasculine dative singularRole सम्प्रदानRoot अ-व्यथ्य (व्यथ् ‘to tremble, be distressed’ + यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्यय; negated)
- नारीः
- womenNounfeminine accusative pluralRole कर्मRoot नारी
- देवाय
- for the godNounmasculine dative singularRole सम्प्रदानRoot देव
- देवीः
- goddessesNounfeminine accusative pluralRole कर्मRoot देवी
- दिधिषन्ति
- they desire to place/put; they bestowVerbpresent, active (परस्मैपद), 3rd person pluralRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु) — desiderative stem: दिधिष-
- अन्नम्
- foodNounneuter accusative singularRole कर्मRoot अन्न
- कृताः
- made; preparedParticiple/Adjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole कर्तृ (उपमान-सम्बन्धे)Root कृ (धातु) → कृत (PPP)
- इव
- as if; likeIndeclinableparticle of comparisonRoot इव
- उप
- towards; nearIndeclinable (preverb) / particleupasarga/particleRoot उप
- हि
- indeed; forIndeclinableemphatic/causal particleRoot हि
- प्रसर्स्रे
- has flowed forth; has streamedVerbperfect, middle (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person singularRole क्रियाRoot सृ (धातु) with preverb प्र-; reduplicated perfect: प्र-सस्र-
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounlocative plural (feminine)Role अधिकरणRoot अप् (स्त्री) ‘water’
- सः
- hePronounmasculine nominative singularRole कर्तृRoot तद्
- पीयूषम्
- milk; sweet drink; nectarNounneuter accusative singularRole कर्मRoot पीयूष
- धयति
- drinks; sucksVerbpresent, active (परस्मैपद), 3rd person singularRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु) ‘to suck, drink’ (धय-)
- पूर्वसूनाम्
- of the former mothers; of those who bore earlierCompound (Adj+Noun) / Noun phrasefeminine genitive pluralRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root पूर्व + सू (स्त्री) ‘bearing/bringing forth’ → सूना (gen. pl.)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): अस्मै | तिस्रः | अव्यथ्याय | नारीः | देवाय | देवीः | दिधिषन्ति | अन्नम् || कृताः | इव | उप | हि | प्रसर्स्रे | अप्सु | सः | पीयूषम् | धयति | पूर्वसूनाम् || Notable: नारीः+देवाय → नारीर्देवाय (visarga/रेफ sandhi)
- देवीः+दिधिषन्ति → देवीर्दिधिषन्ति
- इव+उप → इवोप
- सः+पीयूषम् → स पीयूषम् (visarga loss before voiceless/semivowel in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
For the unassailable god, three divine women set the food. He spreads forth in the waters like a work accomplished; he drinks the pīyūṣa, the primal nectar, of the first-born ones.
Inner meaning
The ‘three divine women’ are the triple powers that nourish the hidden flame—often read as the three streams of consciousness (inspiration/illumination/intuitive discernment) or the three goddesses of the waters that prepare sustenance for the inner fire. The deity is avyathyāya—unshakable: the psychic truth is not wounded by surface turmoil. As the inner work becomes ‘well done’ (kṛtā iva), the flame spreads through the waters—pervading the life-nature. He drinks pīyūṣa, the original nectar of the pūrvasūna (first-born powers): the primal delight/essence that precedes mental division—Soma-like bliss at the source of manifestation.
Universal truth
When the triple powers of consciousness feed the inner divine flame, it becomes unassailable and permeates life; then one tastes the original nectar—ananda—at the roots of experience.
Themes
Nectar and nourishment, Triple feminine energies, Manifestation in waters
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.35.1-4, RV 2.3
Family tradition
The Gṛtsamada hymns frequently encode a systematic inner yajña: powers prepare the offering, the inner fire consumes and transforms, and delight is released.
Significance
This verse points to the ‘nourishment’ of the inner fire by higher powers and the resulting descent of primordial bliss—central to an integral yoga of transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Apāṃ Napāt
- Epithets
- avyathyāya (unassailable), devāya (to the god)
- Related deities
- Soma (nectar/bliss), Āpas (divine waters), Agni (fire that consumes food/annam), Aditi (primal source—echo of ‘first-born’)
Cosmic role
A sustaining hidden deity who receives nourishment from divine powers and diffuses through the waters, releasing primal nectar.
Inner power
Unshakable psychic fire that, once fed by higher consciousness, spreads through the vital and opens the taste of immortal delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Offerings involving āpas and nourishment symbolism; in śrauta settings, part of praise that aligns waters, fire, and soma-like essence.
अ॒स्मै ति॒स्रो अ॑व्य॒थ्याय॒ नारी॑र्दे॒वाय॑ दे॒वीर्दि॑धिष॒न्त्यन्न॑म् । कृता॑ इ॒वोप॒ हि प्र॑स॒र्स्रे अ॒प्सु स पी॒यूषं॑ धयति पूर्व॒सूना॑म् ॥
अ॒स्मै । ति॒स्रः । अ॒व्य॒थ्याय॑ । नारीः॑ । दे॒वाय॑ । दे॒वीः । दि॒धि॒ष॒न्ति॒ । अन्न॑म् । कृता॑ऽइव । उप॑ । हि । प्र॒ऽस॒र्स्रे । अ॒प्ऽसु । सः । पी॒यूष॑म् । ध॒य॒ति॒ । पू॒र्व॒ऽसूना॑म् ॥
asmai | tisraḥ | avyathyāya | nārīḥ | devāya | devīḥ | didhiṣanti | annam | kṛtāiva | upa | hi | pra-sarsre | ap-su | saḥ | pīyūṣam | dhayati | pūrva-sūnām
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4 × ~11
Ritual-solemn with a culminating sweetness; the final pāda carries a savoring cadence around ‘pīyūṣam’.
Invokes stability and nourishment, then opens a felt sense of sweetness and inward satisfaction.
- तिस्रः…नारीः (tisraḥ…nārīḥ)
- Literal: three women. Symbolic: triple goddesses/powers: threefold consciousness-energy that prepares nourishment for the soul-fire
- अव्यथ्याय (avyathyāya)
- Literal: unassailable, unshaken. Symbolic: psychic stability; invulnerable truth in the being
- अन्नम् (annam)
- Literal: food. Symbolic: substance of experience offered to the inner fire; nourishment of consciousness
- प्रसर्स्रे (prasarsre)
- Literal: has spread forth. Symbolic: pervasion of the divine fire through the life-nature; expansion of awakened consciousness
- पीयूषम् (pīyūṣam)
- Literal: nectar, milk-essence. Symbolic: immortal delight (ānanda), soma-essence in consciousness
- पूर्वसूनााम् (pūrvasūnām)
- Literal: of the first-born. Symbolic: primal powers/first formations of consciousness; original sources before mental fragmentation
Nourishment/nectar motif in Soma milieu; aligns with offerings and inner ‘feeding’ of the divine flame through clarified essence.
When emphasizing sustenance of divine power and the granting of nectar/delight; suitable after purification rites or before soma/food offerings.
Symbolic feeding of the deity; offering of annam and libations; contemplative acknowledgment of divine pervasion in waters.
Use before meals or before beginning creative work: offer the ‘food’ of experience to the inner fire and invoke the taste of calm delight.
a-vyathya ‘unshakable’ from √vyath ‘tremble’. pīyūṣa ‘nectar’ denotes essence/sap; psychologically, the distilled delight/knowledge-substance. prasarsre from √sṛ ‘flow’ indicates manifestation from within. ‘three divine women’ often correlate with triple streams/energies (e.g., threefold waters, or triple goddesses of inspiration); kept intentionally polyvalent.
Unshakable divine principle (avyathyāya), Nourishment as inner substance (anna), Pīyūṣa as essence of original powers
Right action (‘work well done’) allows divine pervasion; ṛta is the law that makes nourishment become nectar.
The unassailable (avyathyā) indicates the truth-being that remains steady through all movements.
Triple powers nourish the hidden creator-fire; from primal sources arises nectar that sustains worlds.
Integral Vedānta/psychological: ananda as original essence accessed when higher powers feed the psychic fire.
Food = experiences and energies offered to transformation; three goddesses = triple higher faculties; nectar = bliss; spreading in waters = permeation through vital/subconscient.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The three divine women who ‘set the food’ for the Child of Waters, and the deity who drinks the primal nectar: a myth of divine nourishment and self-renewal. Inwardly, triple energies (streams of inspiration/force) feed the unshakable inner flame with essence (pīyūṣa), enabling its expansion in the waters of life.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- anna ‘food’ is from √ad ‘eat’ (PIE *h₁ed-; cf. Latin edere). √sṛ ‘flow’ is an Indo-Iranian staple for emanation imagery. √dhay ‘suckle/drink’ connects to nourishment semantics found widely across IE languages. The triadic feminine motif parallels Indo-European poetic triads (three rivers, three goddesses) used to structure cosmological processes.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi describes the deity’s sustenance as a paradigm: when the supporting energies are rightly arranged (didhiṣanti annam), the devatā expands (prasarsre) and partakes of essence (pīyūṣa). The implied exchange is instructional—showing the aspirant how to ‘feed’ the inner divine through right ordering and offering.
Receive nourishment from the triple higher powers; offer experiences as ‘food’ to the inner flame; rest in the taste of primordial sweetness.
svadhisthana (waters/bliss)
Slow inhale imagining cool waters rising; slow exhale imagining a warm flame spreading gently; end with 3 breaths focusing on sweetness at the palate/throat (nectar sense).
stable, nourished, quietly blissful; sense of pervasion through the life-nature.
1) Invoke the three powers: aspiration (will), illumination (clarity), delight (sweetness). 2) Offer the day’s energies as annam to the inner fire. 3) After chanting, keep tongue relaxed and notice subtle ‘nectar’ feeling—contentment without cause.
Rigvedic accenting; sustain the cadence through the list-like first half; give a gentle savoring emphasis to ‘pīyūṣam’.
Avoid chopping ‘tisro avyathyāya nārīḥ’; keep it as one offering-gesture; broaden slightly on the final pāda.
‘avyathyāya’ with clear ‘thya’ cluster (not ‘taya’), ‘didhīṣanti’ keep long ī, ‘pīyūṣam’ long ī and long ū, ‘pūrvasūnām’ maintain long ū and nasal ending
soft, nourishing, inward; let the final words be sweet and lingering.
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