Rig Veda 1.117.25: Mandala 1, Sukta 117, Mantra 25
Sukta 1.117
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
एतानि वामश्विना वीर्याणि प्र पूर्व्याण्यायवोऽवोचन् । ब्रह्म कृण्वन्तो वृषणा युवभ्यां सुवीरासो विदथमा वदेम ॥
etā́ni vāmaśvinā vīryā́ṇi prá pūrvyā́ṇy ā́yavo’vocan | bráhma kṛṇvánto vṛṣaṇā yuvábhyāṁ suvī́rāso vidátham ā́ vadema ||
लोगों ने अश्विन भाई के पुराने काम बताए हैं। वो बहुत ताकतवाले हैं। हम भी उनकी पूजा करते हैं और मंत्र बोलते हैं। इससे हम लोगों में भी ताकत आती है और सबके सामने बात कर सकते हैं।
Word by Word
- एतानि
- thesePronoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role Karma (उक्तानि/वर्णितानि ‘these deeds’)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- of you two / you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया द्विवचनम् (वेदिक-रूप)Role सम्बन्ध (of you two) / कर्म-सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (proper) / Vocativeसम्बोधन (vocative) द्विवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot अश्विन् (देव-नाम)
- वीर्याणि
- heroic deeds, powersNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role Karma (things proclaimed) / विषयRoot वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, openlyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier/forward)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- पूर्व्याणि
- former, ancientAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (वीर्याणि इति विशेष्येण सह)Role विशेषण (of ‘deeds’)Root पूर्व्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक < पूर्व)
- आयवः
- the Āyus (descendants of Ayu), men of oldNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (speakers)Root आयु (प्रातिपदिक) → आयवस् (वेदिक बहुवचन)
- अवोचन्
- they proclaimed, spokeVerbलुङ् (अorist) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (main verb)Root वच् (धातु)
- ब्रह्म
- sacred formulation, hymn/prayerNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Karma (what is being made/uttered)Root ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृण्वन्तः
- making, fashioningVerbal adjective (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्तः (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (agreeing with ‘we’)Root कृ (धातु)
- वृषणा
- O you two mighty/bull-like onesNoun/Adjective (epithet)सम्बोधन (vocative) द्विवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक; देव-विशेषण)
- युवभ्याम्
- for you two, to you twoPronounतृतीया/चतुर्थी द्विवचनम् (वेदिक रूप)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (for you two / to you two)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सुवीरासः
- well-heroed, valiant (men)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (we, as ‘good-heroed/valiant’)Root सु-वीर (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- विदथम्
- the assembly, ritual sessionNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role Karma/अधिकारण-लक्ष्य (object/goal of speaking)Root विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- to, towards; inIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्ग (towards, in)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वदेम
- may we speak, let us utterVerbविधिलिङ्/लोट्-आशय (optative) परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (wish/intent)Root वद् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एतानि | वाम् | अश्विना | वीर्याणि | प्र | पूर्व्याणि | आयवः | अवोचन् || ब्रह्म | कृण्वन्तः | वृषणा | युवभ्याम् | सुवीरासः | विदथम् | आ | वदेम || 1) ‘पूर्व्याणि आयवः’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘पूर्व्याण्यायवः’ (इ + आ = या) । 2) ‘आयवोऽवोचन्’ इत्यत्र ‘आयवः अवोचन्’ → विसर्गस्य ‘ओऽ’ (अवग्रह) । 3) ‘विदथम् आ वदेम’ इत्यत्र ‘विदथमा वदेम’ (अ + आ = आ) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
These heroic deeds of the Ashvins, ancient ones, have the seekers proclaimed. Making the brahman (mantra-force) for you two, O strong ones, may we, rich in heroes, speak in the assembly.
Inner meaning
The verse turns from narrative to method: the āyavaḥ (seekers) proclaim the divine vīryāṇi (powers) to awaken those same powers in themselves. ‘Brahma kṛṇvantaḥ’ means forging the mantra-force—concentrated word of vision—so speech becomes an instrument of realization. ‘Suvīrāsaḥ’ are not merely brave men but inner heroes: purified energies and courageous faculties that can stand in the vidatha (assembly of the gods within, the awakened consciousness) and articulate truth.
Universal truth
Praising the divine powers is itself a yoga: by consciously shaping mantra (brahman), we build inner heroism and gain the right to speak from an awakened assembly rather than from confusion.
Themes
hymnic self-reference, mantra as creative act, community of seekers
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.117, RV 1.118
Family tradition
Āṅgirasa tradition treats mantra as a tool to recover and embody illumination; praise is a means of invoking and becoming the powers praised.
Significance
This concluding turn emphasizes the Vedic secret: brahman (mantra) is a creative act; by making it, the seeker becomes suvīra—capable of participating in the inner vidatha.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Vṛṣaṇā (strong ones), Aśvinā, Dasrā
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (brahman/master of mantra), Agni (leader of inner sacrifice), Indra (heroic illumination)
Cosmic role
Swift twin powers who enact ancient restorations and renewals; patrons of the aspirant’s progress.
Inner power
They respond to shaped mantra-force, strengthening inner heroism and enabling true speech in the awakened consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Concluding praise (phala-śruti-like function) within an Aśvin hymn; supports communal recitation and offering contexts.
ए॒तानि॑ वामश्विना वी॒र्या॑णि॒ प्र पू॒र्व्याण्या॒यवो॑ऽवोचन् । ब्रह्म॑ कृ॒ण्वन्तो॑ वृषणा यु॒वभ्यां॑ सु॒वीरा॑सो वि॒दथ॒मा व॑देम ॥
ए॒तानि॑ । वा॒म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । वी॒र्या॑णि । प्र । पू॒र्व्याणि॑ । आ॒यवः॑ । अ॒वो॒च॒न् । ब्रह्म॑ । कृ॒ण्वन्तः॑ । वृ॒ष॒णा॒ । यु॒वऽभ्या॑म् । सु॒ऽवीरा॑सः । वि॒दथ॑म् । आ । व॒दे॒म॒ ॥
etāni | vām | aśvinā | vīryāṇi | pra | pūrvyāṇi | āyavaḥ | avocan | brahma | kṛṇvantaḥ | vṛṣaṇā | yuva-bhyām | su-vīrāsaḥ | vidatham | ā | vadema
44
4 × ~11
Concluding, declarative triṣṭubh: public proclamation and resolve; strong caesuras suit ‘pra… avocan’ and ‘ā vadema’.
Energizes resolve: turns listening into participation—one feels ready to ‘speak in the assembly’ of higher consciousness.
- वीर्याणि (vīryāṇi)
- Literal: heroic powers/deeds. Symbolic: effective divine forces; capacities of transformation
- पूर्व्याणि (pūrvyāṇi)
- Literal: ancient, primeval. Symbolic: eternal archetypal workings of consciousness-powers
- आयवः (āyavaḥ)
- Literal: seekers, desiring ones. Symbolic: aspirants who pursue the Light and call the gods inwardly
- ब्रह्म (brahma)
- Literal: sacred utterance, prayer. Symbolic: mantra-force; creative word of vision shaping consciousness
- वृषणा (vṛṣaṇā)
- Literal: strong, virile (dual). Symbolic: mighty intensities of action and help (the Ashvins as forceful powers)
- विदथ (vidatha)
- Literal: assembly, worship gathering. Symbolic: inner council of awakened faculties; the yoga-field where truth is spoken
Concluding/transition verse: affirmation of praise as brahman in the sacrificial assembly; used as a summative recitation in Aśvin hymns
At the close of hymn sequences to affirm proclamation and the making of brahman.
Recitation as a seal: declaring the deeds, then offering the crafted brahman to the deities.
Use as an affirmation after chanting: ‘I forge mantra-force and cultivate inner heroism; may my speech arise from awakened clarity.’
vīrya from vīra ‘hero’ (root complex of strength) → potency. brahman from √bṛh ‘to expand’ (as word-force that enlarges consciousness). vidatha possibly from √vid ‘to know’ → ‘place/act of knowing’ as well as ritual assembly. āyavaḥ linked to āyu ‘life’ and movement toward—aspirants who press forward with life-energy.
Brahman (mantric force), Vidatha (assembly of knowing/offering), Vīrya (spiritual potency)
Speaking in the vidatha implies speech aligned with ṛta—truth-effective utterance.
Proclamation is not propaganda but satya-vāk: speech that participates in the real.
Mantra as creation: brahman ‘made’ by the seeker becomes a formative power in consciousness.
Mantra-śakti orientation; anticipates Upaniṣadic emphasis on vāṅmaya brahman (word as power) in a Vedic key.
dawn-to-day transition (hymn context)
As light rises, the inner assembly convenes; mantra-forging is like kindling a force that makes the being ‘hero-rich’.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A meta-mythologem: the mantra itself as a creative power. The ancient deeds are not only remembered; they are re-made as brahman, enabling the same divine action to recur in the present consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid ‘know’ (vidatha) reflects PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (cf. Lat. vidēre, Eng. wit). The optative vadem marks inherited Indo-European modal expression for prayer/wish.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the human side as co-creative: by ‘making brahman’ the sacrificers become fit vessels (suvīrāsaḥ) and participate in the divine working; speech in the vidatha is both offering and instrument.
Mantra-śakti: feel the sound as a crafted force; end with a vow of truthful speech and courageous action.
Viśuddha (mantra/speech) and Maṇipūra (heroic force)
Chant on a steady exhale; brief pause after each pāda to ‘seal’ the brahman in silence.
From receptive devotion to active, luminous resolve.
After recitation, write one sentence of ‘ṛta-vāk’ (truth-effective intention) for the day; act on it to embody suvīrya (inner heroism).
Keep accent fidelity; triṣṭubh benefits from clear pāda breaks—do not blur ‘pra… avocan’ and ‘ā vadema’.
Let the concluding ‘ā vadema’ land with a gentle downward settle (not loud, but decisive).
etāni: long ā; dental t, vīryāṇi: ‘īr’ long; retroflex ṇ, pūrvyāṇi: ‘pūrv’ with clear rv cluster, brahma kṛṇvantaḥ: vocalic ṛ in kṛ-; anusvāra in -antaḥ with visarga breath, vṛṣaṇā: retroflex ṇ; long ā at end, vidatham: dental th aspirated, not ‘t’
Firm, bright, declarative—like a concluding seal of the hymn.
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