Rig Veda 1.121.1: Mandala 1, Sukta 121, Mantra 1
Sukta 1.121
- Rishi
- Hiraṇyastūpa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Ka
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
कदित्था नॄँ: पात्रं देवयतां श्रवद्गिरो अङ्गिरसां तुरण्यन् । प्र यदानड्विश आ हर्म्यस्योरु क्रंसते अध्वरे यजत्रः ॥
kád itthā́ nṝ́ṃ pā́traṃ devayatā́ṃ śrávadgíro áṅgirasāṃ turaṇyán | prá yad ānáḍ víśa ā́ harmyásyorú kraṃsate adhvaré yajátraḥ ||
वो भगवान को ढूंढने वाले लोगों का सारा काम संभालता है। अंगिरस रिशियों के गाने सुनता है और जल्दी काम करता है। जब वो आगे बढ़ता है, लोगों को भी साथ ले चलता है। यज्ञ के काम में वो खुल के हिस्सा लेता है।
Word by Word
- कद्
- when? how?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थ-अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल-प्रश्न) / अव्ययRoot कद् (प्रश्नार्थ-अव्यय) अथवा कदा
- इत्था
- thus, in this mannerIndeclinableअव्ययRole अव्यय (प्रकार) / Adhikaraṇa (रीति)Root इत्था (अव्यय)
- नॄन्
- men, heroesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पात्रम्
- vessel, receptacleNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole Kartā (यदि ‘श्रवत्’ इति क्रियायाः कर्तृ) / Karma (यदि ‘कद्…पात्रम्’ इति)Root पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवयताम्
- of the god-seeking (worshippers)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root देवयत् (देव + यत्; ‘देवय’ इति कृत-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रवत्
- hears, listensVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (वैदिक प्रयोगः; ‘श्रवत्’ = ‘श्रृणोति/श्रवति’)Role KriyāRoot श्रु (धातु)
- गिरः
- songs, hymns, wordsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अङ्गिरसाम्
- of the AṅgirasesNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अङ्गिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुरण्यन्
- hastening, speedingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्राय); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (श्रवत्-कर्तृस्य विशेषणम्)Root तुर् (धातु) / तुरणि (प्रातिपदिक) → ‘तुरण्य’ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableअव्ययRole अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्ग)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यत्
- which, thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा; एकवचन (सम्बन्धक)Role Karma/सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- दानड्विषः
- of the gift-hater (one who hates giving)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दानड्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; दान + द्विष्)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableअव्ययRole अव्यय (उपसर्ग)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- हर्म्यस्य
- of the house, mansionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root हर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- उरु
- wide, farAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role Karma/अव्ययीभाव-प्राय (परिमाण/विस्तार)Root उरु (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रंसते
- steps, advancesVerbलट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot क्रम्स्/क्रंस् (धातु; वैदिक रूप)
- अध्वरे
- in the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (स्थान/प्रसङ्ग)Root अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- यजत्रः
- worthy of worshipAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (क्रंसते-कर्तृस्य विशेषणम्)Root यजत्र (प्रातिपदिक; यज्-धातु से)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-सन्धि-विग्रह): कद् + इत्था
- नॄँ: → नॄन् (द्वितीया बहु.)
- श्रवद्गिरः → श्रवत् + गिरः (द्/त्-सन्धि)
- प्र + यत्
- यदा-नड्विषः → यत् + दानड्विषः (यद्-सम्बन्धक ‘यत्’ + षष्ठी ‘दानड्विषः’)
- हर्म्यस्य + उरु → हर्म्यस्योरु (अ + उ → ओ)
- अन्ये पदाः प्रायः असन्धिताः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A questioning verse asks how he becomes the vessel of god-seeking men—he who hears the Angiras’ songs and hastens. When he advances, he moves the peoples forward; in the sacrifice he strides wide into the home.
Inner meaning
This hymn to Ka (the ‘Who?’—the hidden Creator) frames the Divine as the one who becomes the pātra, the containing vessel in human beings who aspire (devayatām). He ‘hears’ (śravat) the Angiras songs—inner flames of aspiration and illumined utterance—and hastens (turaṇyan) to respond. When that creative Presence moves in us, the ‘peoples’ (viśaḥ: the many powers and parts of the being) are impelled forward. He strides wide (uru kraṃsate) into the harmya—our inner home/structure—within adhvara (the unbroken movement of offering), establishing a larger consciousness in the house of works.
Universal truth
The Divine answers sincere aspiration; when the hidden Creator enters the human vessel, all parts of life are reorganized and propelled toward a wider, truer action.
Themes
cosmogony inquiry, seer-lineage, initiation into sacrifice, widening consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Hiraṇyastūpa Āṅgirasa (traditional)
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.121 (entire sūkta)
Family tradition
Angiras lineage associated with inner Fire (Agni) and the discovery/release of light (cows/rays) through mantra and tapas.
Significance
As an Āṅgirasa, the seer’s keynote is the power of inspired speech and inner flame to invoke the concealed Creator; inquiry (‘Ka?’) becomes a yogic method of revelation.
The deity
- Devata
- Ka (Prajāpati / the Unknown God)
- Epithets
- Ka (Who), Prajāpati, Viśvakarman-like creator aspect (by function)
- Related deities
- Agni, Bṛhaspati, Indra, Savitṛ
Cosmic role
Originating intelligence/will that upholds and organizes worlds; the responder to the seer’s call who enters the human vessel.
Inner power
The inmost creative Presence that widens consciousness and coordinates the many parts of the being into a single offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
Philosophical-invocation hymn used in Soma and general śrauta recitation cycles; also suited for brahmodya (sacred inquiry) atmosphere
कदि॒त्था नॄँ: पात्रं॑ देवय॒तां श्रव॒द्गिरो॒ अङ्गि॑रसां तुर॒ण्यन् । प्र यदान॒ड्विश॒ आ ह॒र्म्यस्यो॒रु क्रं॑सते अध्व॒रे यज॑त्रः ॥
कत् । इ॒त्था । नॄन् । पात्र॑म् । दे॒व॒ऽय॒ताम् । श्रव॑त् । गिरः॑ । अङ्गि॑रसाम् । तु॒र॒ण्यन् । प्र । यत् । आन॑ट् । विशः॑ । आ । ह॒र्म्यस॑ । उ॒रु । क्रं॒स॒ते॒ । अ॒ध्व॒रे । यज॑त्रः ॥
kat | itthā | nṝn | pātram | deva-yatām | śravat | giraḥ | aṅgirasām | turaṇyan | pra | yat | ānaṭ | viśaḥ | ā | harmyasa | uru | kraṃsate | adhvare | yajatraḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Expansive, driving, inquiry-to-revelation cadence
Builds momentum and wideness; suited to ‘questioning that calls down an answer’.
- क (ka) / कदित्था (kad itthā)
- Literal: Who? how indeed?. Symbolic: the ineffable Creator beyond names, discoverable by inner inquiry
- पात्रम् (pātram)
- Literal: vessel, cup. Symbolic: the receptive consciousness capable of holding the divine influx
- देवयताम् (devayatām)
- Literal: of those who seek the gods. Symbolic: aspirants turning toward higher powers
- श्रवत् गिरः (śravad giraḥ)
- Literal: hears the songs. Symbolic: responds to mantra/aspiration; the Divine is drawn by truth-utterance
- अङ्गिरसाम् (aṅgirasām)
- Literal: of the Angiras. Symbolic: seer-fires: illumined will and luminous thought
- तुरण्यन् (turaṇyan)
- Literal: hastening. Symbolic: swift descent of help when the call is authentic
- विशः (viśaḥ)
- Literal: peoples/clans. Symbolic: multiple powers in the being (senses, drives, thoughts) needing right leadership
- हर्म्य (harmya)
- Literal: home, mansion. Symbolic: the inner house of consciousness; structured being
- अध्वरे (adhvare)
- Literal: in the sacrifice (unbroken rite). Symbolic: continuous offering—integral practice
- उरु क्रंसते (uru kraṃsate)
- Literal: strides wide. Symbolic: expansion into vastness; widening of mind and life
Cosmogonic/inquiry hymn employed in reflective and consecratory contexts; supports ritual contemplation of the creating power behind the sacrifice (Prajāpati/Ka).
At reflective moments in ritual—establishing the unseen Lord behind the gods; also at beginnings to set the aim
Recitation as praise-inquiry; offering of speech (vāc) as oblation
Use as a contemplative mantra before study/meditation: hold the question ‘Who is the mover in me?’ and listen inwardly.
pātra ‘vessel’ from √pā/√pat? (standard: pātra ‘container’), used metaphorically for a fit receptacle of power. aṅgiras: linked to agni/fire-seer tradition; the Aṅgiras mythos centers on discovery of light/cows. √kram ‘stride’ (PIE *krem- ‘step’) indicates expansive advance (uru-kram). adhvara: ‘unbroken’ rite (often analyzed as a-dhvara), but inwardly ‘the path of work’—disciplined action aligned with ṛta.
the fit vessel (pātra) as adhikāra, śruti → realization (hearing to becoming), ṛta enacted as adhvara (ordered work)
The Creator’s ‘wide stride’ in adhvara signifies ṛta establishing right movement in works.
He ‘hears the Angiras songs’: truth-utterance is the bridge between human and divine.
Creator entering the human house; reordering the many powers into a single forward movement.
Early theistic-gnostic inquiry; bridges to Upaniṣadic ‘self-inquiry’ and Prajāpati doctrine.
House = inner structure of personality; stride = expansion of consciousness; hearing song = responsiveness of the Divine to aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The making of the human into a ‘pātra’ (vessel) by hearing the Aṅgiras songs and hastening in the adhvara—initiation into the fire-lineage that recovers light. Cosmogonic inquiry is tied to inner formation: the creator-power manifests as widening stride within the sacrificial work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ aligns with PIE *ḱleu̯- ‘hear’ (cf. Greek klýō), and √kram ‘stride’ reflects an IE stepping root. The formulaic linkage of ‘hearing inspired song’ to ‘attainment’ is an inherited poetic mechanism across IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi approaches the devatā as an unknown/hidden creator-power (Ka) by asking how the human becomes a fit receptacle. The devatā is not merely petitioned; it is sought as the principle that turns hearing (śravat) into widened action (uru-kram) within the adhvara.
Inner inquiry: ‘Who in me hears the true call and moves all parts forward?’ Rest as the witnessing-creator presence.
Ājñā (inquiry/vision) / Sahasrāra (vast stride into wideness)
4-pāda triṣṭubh breathing: inhale on pāda 1, hold lightly on pāda 2, exhale on pāda 3, rest on pāda 4 (adapt gently)
Widened, attentive, questioning silence
Chant once slowly; then keep the ‘Ka?’ as a living question without mental answering; notice which inner parts (viśaḥ) begin to align and move forward.
Triṣṭubh with Vedic accents; keep udātta peaks clear on key interrogatives (kad/ka) and action verbs (śravat/turaṇyan/kraṃsate).
Maintain caesura-like pauses typical in triṣṭubh; do not rush compounds: devayatāṃ śravad giro | aṅgirasāṃ turaṇyan.
‘nṝm̐ḥ’—keep the syllabic ṛ and nasalization precise., ‘aṅgirasām’—hard g, clear ‘ra’., ‘adhvare’—dh aspirated; ‘kraṃsate’ with anusvāra before s.
Resonant, inquiry-toned, expansive
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