Rig Veda 1.2.7: Mandala 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 7
Sukta 1.2
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
मित्रं हुवे पूतदक्षं वरुणं च रिशादसम् । धियं घृताचीं साधन्ता ॥
mítraṃ húve pūtá-dakṣaṃ váruṇaṃ ca riśā́dasam | dhíyaṃ ghṛtā́cīṃ sā́dhantā ||
Main Mitra ko bulata hoon jo saaf aur sahi kaam karta hai. Varuna ko bhi bulata hoon jo buraai ko khatam karta hai. In dono ki yeh dua hai ki humare mann mein sahi soch aaye. Woh soch saaf ho, seedhi ho, aur kaam aaye.
Word by Word
- मित्रम्
- Mitra (the deity)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) प्रत्यय-वत्
- हुवे
- I invoke / callVerbलट् (वेदे प्रायः वर्तमानार्थे), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot √हू (ह्वे) आह्वाने
- पूतदक्षम्
- of purified power/skillAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (मित्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root पूत-दक्ष (समास; पूत < √पू पवने/शोधने, दक्ष ‘शक्ति/कौशल’)
- वरुणम्
- Varuṇa (the deity)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च
- रिशादसम्
- harm-destroying / warding off injuryAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (वरुणम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root रिशादस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘हानि/क्षति’ + ‘दस्/दंस्’ ‘दंशने/हिंसायाम्’ इत्यर्थे बहुधा व्याख्येयम्)
- धियम्
- thought / inspired prayerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धि (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘बुद्धि/प्रेरणा/स्तोत्र-धारणा’)
- घृताचीम्
- ghee-anointed / flowing with gheeAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (धियम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root घृताची (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; घृत ‘clarified butter’ + अची ‘अञ्च्/अच्’ ‘गमन/प्रवृत्ति’—‘घृत-युक्ता/घृत-प्रवहिणी’ इत्यर्थे)
- साधन्ता
- the two accomplishing / bringing to successParticipleप्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन (मित्रावरुणौ इति द्वन्द्व-भावेन कर्तरौ)Role कर्तृRoot √साध् (साधने/सिद्धौ) → साधन्त (वर्तमाने कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) अथवा वेदेषु ‘साधन्ता’ इति द्विवचन/बहुवचन-प्रयोगः (कर्तरि)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): मित्रम् | हुवे | पूतदक्षम् | वरुणम् | च | रिशादसम् | धियम् | घृताचीम् | साधन्ता ।
- केवलं समुच्चयः। (२) ‘धियं घृताचीं’ इत्यत्र अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-प्रयोगः पदान्ते
- सन्ध्यभावः न्यूनः। (३) ‘साधन्ता’ इति रूपं वेदप्रयोगे मित्रावरुणयोः द्विवचनकर्तरि—‘मित्रावरुणौ साधन्ता’ इत्यर्थसम्बन्धः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seer invokes Mitra, whose power of action is purified and faultless, and Varuṇa, who removes harm; may these two accomplish in us an inspired thought that is straight and shining like clarified butter.
Inner meaning
Mitra (harmonising light) and Varuṇa (vast truth-law) are called to purify and perfect our inner executive power (dakṣa) and to remove hostile distortions (riśa). Their joint action establishes a dhī (inspired thought-movement) that is ghṛtācī—smooth, luminous, and rightly directed—so the inner sacrifice (yajña) can proceed without deviation.
Universal truth
When harmony (Mitra) and vast moral-spiritual law (Varuṇa) govern the being, thought becomes clear, straight, and effective; purified discernment protects life from harm and aligns action with truth.
Themes
Invocation, Ṛta-order, Purification, Protection-from-harm, Inspired-thought (dhī)
The seer
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Vaiśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- RV 1.1, RV 1.2, RV 1.3, RV 1.4, RV 1.5
Family tradition
Early Mandala 1 invocatory cycle; visionary-poetic lineage emphasising the inner yajña and the awakening of dhī through the gods’ powers.
Significance
Madhucchandas embodies the ‘honeyed rhythm’ of inspired speech: the dhī that becomes fit to receive divine forces. In Aurobindonian reading, he models the first movements of the yoga of the Rig Veda—invocation, purification, and right orientation to ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa
- Epithets
- pūtadakṣa (purified discernment-power), riśādas (harm-destroying), ṛtāvṛdh (increasers of ṛta), ṛtaspṛś (touchers of ṛta)
- Related deities
- Aryaman, Bhaga, Aditi, Savitar
Cosmic role
Twin sovereign powers maintaining ṛta: Mitra establishes harmony and right relation; Varuṇa enforces vast law, purity, and true order.
Inner power
They unify clarity and conscience: harmonising intelligence (Mitra) with the binding truth-force (Varuṇa) so thought becomes straight, luminous, and protected from falsehood.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning/early Soma and Agni invocations; Mitra–Varuṇa praises in introductory sequences
मि॒त्रं हु॑वे पू॒तद॑क्षं॒ वरु॑णं च रि॒शाद॑सम् । धियं॑ घृ॒ताचीं॒ साध॑न्ता ॥
मि॒त्रम् । हु॒वे॒ । पू॒तऽद॑क्षम् । वरु॑णम् । च॒ । रि॒शाद॑सम् । धिय॑म् । घृ॒ताची॑म् । साध॑न्ता ॥
mitram | huve | pūta-dakṣam | varuṇam | ca | riśādasam | dhiyam | ghṛtācīm | sādhantā
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3 pādas × 8 syllables
Compact, forward-driving, mantra-like clarity; suited for crisp invocation and inner alignment.
Creates a focused, luminous concentration; the short pādas help the mind ‘lock in’ to a straight dhī (ghṛtācī) and sustain a clean, sattvic intensity.
- मित्र (mitra)
- Literal: Friend; ally; contract/harmony. Symbolic: Power of concord, right relation, luminous harmony in the mind and life
- वरुण (varuṇa)
- Literal: The encompassing one; lord of the waters/law. Symbolic: Vastness and sovereign truth-law that binds the being to ṛta and releases from falsehood
- पूतदक्ष (pūta-dakṣa)
- Literal: Purified skill/ability. Symbolic: Cleansed executive discernment; right formation-power in action
- रिशादस् (riśādas)
- Literal: Destroyer of harm/injury. Symbolic: Remover of inner disturbance, hostile suggestions, and wrong movements
- धिय (dhiyā)
- Literal: Thought; understanding; inspiration. Symbolic: Inspired cognition that leads the sacrifice; illumined intelligence
- घृताची (ghṛtācī)
- Literal: Moving with ghee; ghee-flowing. Symbolic: Thought flowing with luminous clarity (ghṛta = light-substance), straight and effective
- साधन्ता (sādhantā)
- Literal: May they accomplish/realise. Symbolic: Divine powers effecting siddhi—making inner formation successful
Used as an invoking verse for Mitra-Varuṇa in soma-related recitations and general āhavana/invocation contexts; broadly applicable in Śrauta as a stuti for establishing ṛta and removing harm (exact viniyoga varies by Śākhā and Prayoga manuals).
At the opening of recitation cycles; especially where ṛta, purity, and protection are sought
Āhvāna (invocation) and stuti (praise) to establish right order before offerings
Use as a pre-meditation alignment mantra: invoke harmony and truth-law before study, decision-making, or any disciplined practice.
Key terms: (1) mitrá-: from √mi ‘to bind/measure’ (also associated with ‘contract, alliance’ in Indo-Iranian); denotes the harmonizing binder of right relations. (2) váruṇa-: traditionally linked with √vṛ ‘to cover, encompass, restrain’; as cosmic ‘enveloper’ he establishes law by binding the false and holding the vast order. (3) dakṣá-: from √dakṣ ‘to be able, competent, fit’; denotes skilled power, right capacity, effective will; pūta- (ppp. of √pū ‘to purify, cleanse’) qualifies it as clarified, ritually and psychologically. (4) riśā́- ‘injury, harm’ + √ad ‘to eat’ → riśā́dasa- ‘harm-eater’, i.e., remover/consumer of hostile forces. (5) dhī-: inspired intelligence/vision; the formative luminous thought. (6) ghṛtá-: ‘clarified butter’ but symbolically ‘clarified light/essence’; ghṛtā́cī ‘moving in/with ghṛta’ → thought that runs in clarity and truth. (7) √sādh: ‘to bring straight, succeed, accomplish’ (semantic of effective realization).
Ṛta (cosmic rightness and order), Satya (truth as alignment with ṛta), Inner purification of will (pūta-dakṣa), Removal of hostile forces (riśā́dasa)
Mitra–Varuṇa are guardians of ṛta; the mantra asks that ṛta become operative as clear thought and right action.
Purification (pūta) implies truth-cleansing of motive and cognition.
Establishing order in the human instrument so the ‘world’ of the inner sacrifice can be rightly built.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic symbolism (Aurobindo/Kashyap): dhī as supramental-leaning intuition; ṛta as truth-consciousness.
Cosmic order as the ‘sky-wide’ law (Varuṇa’s vastness); Purification imagery (pūta, ghṛta) linked to clarified substances and luminous clarity
Dawn-to-morning transition (invocatory clarity)
Ghee = luminous substance of consciousness; sky/ocean vastness = wideness of being; dawn-morning clarity = emergence of right thought.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The central mythic action is not a battle narrative but the establishment of ṛta through the paired sovereignty of Mitra–Varuṇa: Mitra harmonizes relations (social/cosmic contracts), Varuṇa enforces vast law by binding falsehood and consuming injury (riśā́). The ‘mythologem’ is the restoration of right order in the human vessel by purifying effective will (pūta-dakṣa) and accomplishing inspired vision (dhī) that flows in clarified light (ghṛta).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Mitra has clear Indo-Iranian continuity: Vedic Mitrá ~ Avestan Miθra, both tied to covenant/contract and the binding of right relations (often linked to PIE *mei- ‘to bind/measure/exchange’ in scholarly proposals). Varuṇa is less directly cognate but preserves archaic sovereign functions comparable to wider Indo-European ‘binding’ and ‘law’ motifs; semantically it aligns with PIE patterns where sovereignty includes both beneficent order and punitive binding. The compound riśā́dasa (harm-eater) uses a productive old formation (X + √ad ‘eat’) found across early Indo-European poetics as a vivid agentive epithet.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi’s reciprocity is framed as an inner yajña: he offers invocation (huve) and the aspiration for purified capacity (pūta-dakṣa) and luminous thought (dhī ghṛtācī); in return Mitra–Varuṇa are asked to ‘sādh’—to make the inner movement effective. The exchange is not material but psychological: the gods are powers of consciousness that, when called, reorganize the seeker’s will and thought into alignment with ṛta, while consuming disruptive and injurious impulses (riśā́).
Unify harmony with truth: hold a wide, quiet awareness (Varuṇa) while establishing kind, balanced relation and clarity (Mitra).
ājñā (clarity of dhī) and viśuddha (truthfulness/purity of expression)
Even nāḍī-śodhana style breathing (or simple equal inhale/exhale) while repeating the mantra mentally
Sattvic quietude with widened awareness; intuitive clarity replacing reactive thought.
Before action, pause and invoke: ‘May my discernment be purified; may harm be removed; may my thought flow straight with light.’ Let decisions arise from the ghṛtācī dhī rather than impulse.
Gāyatrī with Vedic svaras (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per Śākala recension; follow pada accents on invocation words (mitraṃ, varuṇam, dhiyam).
Keep udātta syllables slightly raised; do not over-musicalise—maintain steady recitative pitch with clear svarita falls.
(mitraṃ): clear dental ‘t’, light ‘r’, (pūta-dakṣam): long ‘ū’; ‘kṣ’ as conjunct, not ‘kh’, (riśādasam): ‘ś’ palatal, not retroflex, (ghṛtācīm): ‘ghṛ’ with vocalic ṛ; long ‘ā’
Clear, contained, sattvic; slightly resonant in the chest with a quiet lift toward the brow on dhiyam/ghṛtācīm.
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