Rig Veda 2.38.9: Mandala 2, Sukta 38, Mantra 9
Sukta 2.38
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
न यस्येन्द्रो वरुणो न मित्रो व्रतमर्यमा न मिनन्ति रुद्रः । नारातयस्तमिदं स्वस्ति हुवे देवं सवितारं नमोभिः ॥
na yasyéndro varúṇo ná mitró vratám aryamā́ ná minánti rudráḥ | nā́rātayas tám idáṃ svastí huv́e deváṃ savitā́raṃ námo-bhiḥ ||
જેના ઋત-વ્રતને ઇન્દ્ર પણ ક્ષીણ કરતો નથી, વરુણ પણ નહિ, મિત્ર પણ નહિ, અર્યમન પણ નહિ, રુદ્ર પણ નહિ; અને શત્રુબળો પણ તેને આઘાત કરી શકતા નથી—એ દેવ સવિતૃને હું અહીં કલ્યાણ માટે નમસ્કારપૂર્વક આહ્વાન કરું છું.
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation)Root न
- यस्य
- of whom/whosePronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (proper deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (as subject of ‘does not violate’)Root इन्द्र
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNoun (proper deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वरुण
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- मित्रः
- MitraNoun (proper deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मित्र
- व्रतम्
- vow; ordinance; sacred lawNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object of ‘violate’)Root व्रत
- अर्यमा
- AryamanNoun (proper deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अर्यमन् (प्रातिपदिक: अर्यमा-)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- मिनन्ति
- they violate; they transgressVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot मिन् (धातु) / मि- (हिंसादौ/क्षेपे) → ‘to diminish, violate’
- रुद्रः
- RudraNoun (proper deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot रुद्र
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- अरातयः
- hostilities; harms; malevolent forcesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अराति
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object of ‘call/invoke’)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इदम्
- this; herePronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (adverbial: ‘here/this’)Role अधिकारण/देश (adverbial)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वस्ति
- well-being; welfare; auspiciouslyIndeclinable/Noun (fixed auspicious formula)मङ्गलवाचक अव्ययRole प्रयोजन/आशीः (benedictive sense)Root स्वस्ति
- हुवे
- I invoke; I callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, 1 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot हू (धातु) ‘to call, invoke’
- देवम्
- the godNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (apposition to ‘tam’)Root देव
- सवितारम्
- SavitṛNoun (proper deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक: सवितार्/सवितृ)
- नमोभिः
- with obeisances; with reverencesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole करण (instrument)Root नमस्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): यस्येन्द्रः → यस्य + इन्द्रः
- इदं → इदम् (before svasti)
- स्वस्ति हुवे is a fixed collocation ‘for welfare I invoke’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Savitṛ’s ordinance is not diminished by Indra, Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, nor Rudra; nor can hostile powers assail it. That god Savitṛ is invoked for well-being with reverence.
Inner meaning
The right law of becoming (vrata) established by Savitṛ—true impulsion toward the divine life—stands above even the greatest cosmic powers: illumination (Indra), vast truth-order (Varuṇa), harmony (Mitra), noble right relations (Aryaman), and transformative force (Rudra). When the seeker aligns with Savitṛ’s inner command, hostile formations (nārātayaḥ: obstructing, perverting impulses) cannot break the movement. The mantra is a call to place one’s evolution under the inviolable guidance of the divine Will-to-Truth.
Universal truth
A life aligned with a higher truth-law becomes inwardly unassailable; even powerful forces cannot overthrow the integrity of right becoming.
Themes
Rita-order, Inner governance of will, Protection from hostile powers, Solar impulsion of consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.23 (Bṛhaspati—breaking obstacles), RV 2.38 (Savitṛ—right impulsion)
Family tradition
Bhṛgu-inspired emphasis on inviolable law (ṛta/vrata) and the steadfastness of the true path against hostile forces.
Significance
The seer frames Savitṛ not as a minor solar deity but as the sovereign principle of right impulsion that even other god-powers support rather than override.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Epithets
- deva, lord of vrata (implied), bestower of svasti
- Related deities
- Indra, Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, Rudra
Cosmic role
Supreme impeller establishing the inviolable course of becoming; source of auspicious protection.
Inner power
The sovereign directive of the soul’s evolution—steady, unbreakable, protective against inner hostility.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective invocation to Savitṛ within solar hymnic sequences; used to secure auspiciousness (svasti) for rite and community.
न यस्येन्द्रो॒ वरु॑णो॒ न मि॒त्रो व्र॒तम॑र्य॒मा न मि॒नन्ति॑ रु॒द्रः । नारा॑तय॒स्तमि॒दं स्व॒स्ति हु॒वे दे॒वं स॑वि॒तारं॒ नमो॑भिः ॥
न । यस्य॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । वरु॑णः । न । मि॒त्रः । व्र॒तम् । अ॒र्य॒मा । न । मि॒नन्ति॑ । रु॒द्रः । न । अरा॑तयः । तम् । इ॒दम् । स्व॒स्ति । हु॒वे । दे॒वम् । स॒वि॒तार॑म् । नमः॑ऽभिः ॥
na | yasya | indraḥ | varuṇaḥ | na | mitraḥ | vratam | aryamā | na | minanti | rudraḥ | na | arātayaḥ | tam | idam | svasti | huve | devam | savitāram | namaḥ-bhiḥ
44
4×11
Declarative and protective; strong negations (‘na… na…’) create a shield-like rhythm.
Builds inner confidence and a sense of guarded integrity; the repeated ‘na’ feels like sealing breaches.
- vratam
- Literal: ordinance, vow, law. Symbolic: truth-law of right becoming; inner discipline aligned with the divine
- na minanti
- Literal: do not diminish. Symbolic: cannot weaken or reduce the truth-movement once founded in the soul
- Indra
- Literal: king of gods. Symbolic: illumined mind-force that breaks darkness
- Varuṇa
- Literal: lord of ṛta, vastness. Symbolic: cosmic truth-order and wideness holding the law
- Mitra
- Literal: friend, covenant deity. Symbolic: harmony, right relation, concord in consciousness
- Aryaman
- Literal: noble companion. Symbolic: right social/spiritual law; noble aspiration and ethical order
- Rudra
- Literal: the howler. Symbolic: purifying, fierce transformative force
- nārātayaḥ/ārātayaḥ
- Literal: hostile powers. Symbolic: inner adversaries: doubt, inertia, falsehood, perversion
- svasti
- Literal: well-being, auspiciousness. Symbolic: integral harmony and safe passage in the yoga
Morning/solar invocations within Soma-related recitation cycles; Savitṛ hymns are commonly employed to consecrate impulse (prasava) and right movement of thought and action in śrauta settings (general pravargya/pressing-day orientation rather than a single exclusive rite).
At commencements, transitions, or when invoking protection against obstacles/hostilities.
Recitation with namas (reverential offering) to establish spiritual protection and right course.
Use as a daily protective affirmation before work/meditation: ‘May the truth-law in me not be diminished by any force within or without.’
Key terms: (1) vratá : from √vṛ ‘to choose, to will; to cover/contain’ → a chosen rule/observance; psychologically, the settled orientation of the will in accord with ṛta. (2) minánti : √min ‘to lessen, damage, impair’ (class 1) → no god-force can ‘diminish’ Savitṛ’s law; indicates its supra-personal necessity. (3) Savitṛ : from √sū / √su ‘to impel, vivify, set in motion’ (traditional derivations vary) → the Power that sets the inner faculties moving toward Truth. (4) svastí : su- ‘good’ + asti ‘being’ → stable right-being; not mere luck but ontological harmony. (5) arātáyaḥ : a- ‘non’ + rāta ‘given’ (from √rā ‘to give’) → ‘non-givers’, deniers; in inner sense, forces of obstruction and contraction that refuse the giving of light/joy.
Ṛta (cosmic/right order) as inviolable ordinance, Satyam–Ṛtam–Bṛhat (truth, right order, wideness) implied through Savitṛ’s unassailable rule, Inner well-being (svasti) as right-establishedness
Savitṛ’s vrata is a direct expression of ṛta upheld by all major deva-powers.
Truth is presented as inherently invincible when founded in the divine impulsion.
Not creation but governance: maintenance of the ordained course against dissolution/hostility.
Dharma/ṛta-centered theism with yogic psychology of hostile forces (asuric tendencies).
twilight/dawn (svasti invocations common)
Sun = sovereign guidance; ‘hostile powers’ = inner obscurations; ‘svasti’ = harmonized psycho-physical field under truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘inviolable divine ordinance’: Savitṛ’s vrata stands above even the great Ādityas and Rudra, and is unassailable by arātayaḥ (obstructing powers). Mythically, it is the sovereignty of the solar impeller who sets the gods and worlds into right motion; psychologically, it is the immutable inner law of Truth that governs the faculties and cannot be reduced by any force once established.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- svastí (su- + asti) parallels Indo-European *h₁su- ‘good’ + *h₁es- ‘to be’ (cf. Greek eu- and esti; Latin su- as ‘good’ in compounds and esse ‘to be’). mitrá- aligns with the Indo-Iranian legal/contract sphere (Avestan miθra-), reflecting an inherited concept of covenant/order. The verb √min ‘diminish’ has IE comparanda in semantic field ‘lessen’ (though exact cognates are debated), used here in a formulaic negation to mark inviolability.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi approaches Savitṛ through namas (reverent self-offering), asking not for outer gain primarily but for svasti—right-being. The reciprocity is: the human aligns will and speech to the divine ordinance (vrata), and Savitṛ, as impeller of the true movement, secures the seeker against inner obstructions (arātayaḥ) and stabilizes the right course of action.
Establish an inner ‘vrata’: a clear intention aligned with truth; feel it as a ring of light no hostile thought can pierce.
maṇipūra (will/steadfastness) guided by ājñā (right direction)
4-4-6 breathing: inhale 4 (receive Savitṛ’s impulsion), hold 4 (seal the vrata), exhale 6 (release hostile waves).
Protected clarity; fearless alignment.
When doubts/impulses attack, repeat the mantra slowly; reaffirm that the true course is upheld by greater powers of consciousness.
Accented negations are crucial: keep crisp pitch on ‘ná’ and on deity names with their udatta marks (e.g., índro, vár(u)ṇo).
Deliver the first two pādas with firm, even emphasis; soften into a benedictive tone on ‘svasti huve’.
‘svasti’ as /sva-sti/ (not ‘su-asti’)., ‘namobhiḥ’ with visarga: /na-mo-bhiḥ/., Keep ‘Aryamā’ long final ā.
Steady, protective, slightly forceful on the ‘na…’ series; then warm on the invocation.
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