Rig Veda 1.176.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 176, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.176
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Soma
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तस्मिन्ना वेशया गिरो य एकश्चर्षणीनाम् । अनु स्वधा यमुप्यते यवं न चर्कृषद्वृषा ॥
tásminn ā́ veśayā gíro yá ékaś carṣaṇī́nām | ánu svadhā́ yám úpyate yávam ná carkṛ́ṣad vṛ́ṣā ||
इस इंद्र के पास हमारी बात पहुँचाओ। वोही एक है जो सब लोगों का काम करता है। वो अपना काम खुद करता है, किसी का मुँह नहीं देखता। जैसे गेहूँ पिस के तैयार होती है, वैसे ही वो भी तैयार रहता है। उसकी शक्ति काम के लिए रेडी रहती है।
Word by Word
- तस्मिन्
- in/at that (one)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (प्रयोगानुसार), सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वेशय
- lead/settle (them) inVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; (causative) ‘cause to enter/settle’Role क्रियाRoot विश् (धातु; ‘प्रवेशने/निवेशने’), causative stem वेशय-
- गिरः
- hymns, songs, praisesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (वैकल्पिकं: द्वितीया बहुवचन; अत्र कर्मत्वे अधिकं)Role कर्मRoot गिर् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक) ‘वाक्/स्तुति’
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एकः
- alone, singleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (यः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्ताRoot एक (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- चर्षणीनाम्
- of the peoples, of the racesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot चर्षणि (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘जन/मनुष्य-समूह’), RV-प्रयोगः
- अनु
- after, according toIndeclinableअव्ययम्; ‘अनुगमन/अनुसार’ अर्थेRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्वधा
- by (his) own power / according to svadhāNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्: ‘स्वधया’ अर्थे RV-प्रयोगः)Role करणRoot स्वधा (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्वधाभिः/स्वभावशक्ति/पितृ-आहुत्य-शक्ति’)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उप्यते
- is approached, is gone toVerbलट्, कर्मणि (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot उप + या (धातु; ‘गत्यर्थ’), passive stem उपीयते/उप्यते (RV-संक्षेप)
- यवम्
- barleyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole उपमान-कर्मRoot यव (पुं. प्रातिपदिक) ‘barley’
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थे निपातःRoot न (अव्यय)
- चर्कृषत्
- has drawn/dragged (mightily)Verbलिट्/परिपूर्ण-भूत (RV-परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; (intensive nuance) ‘has vigorously drawn/dragged’Role क्रियाRoot कृष् (धातु; ‘कर्षणे/आकर्षणे/कर्षति’), intensive/reduplicated stem चर्कृष-
- वृषा
- the bull (the mighty one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot वृषन्/वृष (पुं. प्रातिपदिक) ‘bull; vigorous one’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): तस्मिन्ना → तस्मिन् + आ
- वेशया → वेशय (लोट् 2sg)
- गिरो → गिरः
- एकश्चर्षणीनाम् → एकः + चर्षणीनाम्
- स्वधा यम् → स्वधा + यम्
- यमुप्यते → यम् + उप्यते
- यवं न → यवम् + न. (स्वरचिह्नाः मन्त्रपाठे यथास्थानं; पदरूपे सामान्य-देवनागरी रूपाणि दत्तानि।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Set our utterances in him who alone stands for the peoples. Following his own law, he is pressed forth, like barley well-ground, the Bull who makes the energies ready.
Inner meaning
Place speech (giraḥ) into Soma—the one power that can stand for and harmonize the many human faculties (‘peoples’). Soma follows svadhā: its intrinsic truth-law; when pressed (upyate), it emerges as refined delight, like barley ground to readiness—meaning experience is processed, purified, and made fit for offering. Soma as Bull prepares the energies: it organizes the life-forces for right work by infusing them with luminous joy.
Universal truth
When speech and intention are rooted in intrinsic truth, experience is ‘ground’ into wisdom and becomes usable energy for right action.
Themes
Soma pressing symbolism, One power for the peoples, Preparation of energies
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 1.176.1, RV 1.176.3
Family tradition
A tradition of ‘right speech’ (brahman) where utterance is placed into the deity-power to become effective.
Significance
The rishi teaches the discipline of speech and offering: place words into the right consciousness (Soma) so they become transformative.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Indu)
- Epithets
- Ekaḥ (the One, here as unifier), Vṛṣā (bull)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Unifier and refiner; pressed forth to nourish gods and establish harmony among the many powers.
Inner power
Refining bliss that digests experience into luminous energy; harmonizes inner multiplicity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing hymn segment (Soma-stuti)
तस्मि॒न्ना वे॑शया॒ गिरो॒ य एक॑श्चर्षणी॒नाम् । अनु॑ स्व॒धा यमु॒प्यते॒ यवं॒ न चर्कृ॑ष॒द्वृषा॑ ॥
तस्मि॑न् । आ । वे॒श॒य॒ । गिरः॑ । यः । एकः॑ । च॒र्ष॒णी॒नाम् । अनु॑ । स्व॒धा । यम् । उ॒प्यते॑ । यव॑म् । न । चर्कृ॑षत् । वृषा॑ ॥
tasmin | ā | veśaya | giraḥ | yaḥ | ekaḥ | carṣaṇīnām | anu | svadhā | yam | upyate | yavam | na | carkṛṣat | vṛṣā
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4 × ~11
Balanced and instructive; strong caesura supports ‘placing’ and ‘pressing’ actions.
Creates composure and order; helps the mind ‘set’ speech into a single focus.
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: utterances, hymns. Symbolic: Mantric speech; thought-forms offered upward
- एकः (ekaḥ)
- Literal: one, alone. Symbolic: Unifying consciousness-principle that can gather the many into harmony
- चर्षणी (carṣaṇī)
- Literal: peoples, races. Symbolic: Multiple faculties/parts of the being
- स्वधा (svadhā)
- Literal: own law, inherent power. Symbolic: Intrinsic truth of a consciousness-force; self-existent right functioning
- उप्यते (upyate)
- Literal: is pressed (Soma). Symbolic: Inner extraction/refinement of delight through aspiration and discipline
- यवम् (yavam)
- Literal: barley. Symbolic: Raw experience/energy that must be processed into nourishment for the inner sacrifice
- चर्कृषत् (carkṛṣat)
- Literal: well-ground, crushed. Symbolic: Refined, clarified substance of experience ready for offering
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: Potent generative force of delight preparing energies
Soma-stotra focusing on pressing (up-yate) imagery; aligns with soma-pavamāna/pressing acts though this is in Mandala 1
At Soma extraction/pressing; to consecrate speech and align with Soma’s svadhā
Chant while pressing/offerings; inwardly, refine experience into delight and offer it upward
Use before speaking/teaching: align words with inner truth so speech carries harmony and power.
veśaya is causative from √viś ‘enter/settle’: ‘make (the hymns) enter/settle’—placing speech into the deity as receptacle. svadhā ‘own power/law’ (sva + dhā ‘to place’), the innate self-ordering capacity. upyate refers to pressing/extracting Soma; the barley simile emphasizes transformation by crushing—inner sense: the raw substance of nature is worked to release essence.
Svadhā as self-law of the divine power, Speech (giraḥ) as placement of consciousness, Transformation of substance into essence
Soma’s svadhā is a mode of ṛta: right functioning from within, not imposed from outside.
Truth is what remains after ‘grinding’—purified essence of experience.
Transformation through refinement: raw becomes luminous nourishment.
Integral symbolism: unity (ekaḥ) as experiential unifier of faculties.
Barley = raw life-substance; grinding = tapas-like processing; Soma = distilled delight that prepares energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the one sustaining power for the peoples, brought forth by pressing like grain ground to release its potency. Inner-shell: disciplined transformation releases the delight/essence that can uphold collective life and the seeker’s work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Causative constructions (veśaya) and the ‘self-law’ (svadhā) reflect archaic Indo-European modes of expressing agency and inherent nature. The grain-to-essence metaphor parallels IE poetics of transformation (raw → refined).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi ‘places’ speech into Soma, acknowledging Soma as the central support; the offered hymn participates in the pressing—outerly by rite, inwardly by intensification—so that Soma’s svadhā may operate in the sacrificer.
Offer speech into a single luminous delight; let thoughts be ‘ground’ into clear essence before expression.
viśuddha (throat)
Slow exhale chanting; brief pause before speaking afterward to feel svadhā—inner rightness.
Collected, unified, truth-aligned speech-mind.
Chant 3 times, then speak only after sensing a quiet ‘yes’ in the throat/heart—speech that arises from svadhā rather than impulse.
Tri-svara; keep udātta on key nouns (giraḥ, ekaḥ, svadhā, vṛṣā) as per your recitational source.
Mark the caesura after giro; allow a slight settling on svadhā to convey ‘own law’.
tasminn: geminate nn audible, veśayā: ś palatal; yā long, carṣaṇīnām: retroflex ṣ; long ī, svadhā: dh voiced aspirate; ā long, upyate: clear ‘py’ cluster, carkṛṣat: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ
Even, composed, slightly nasal resonance appropriate to Vedic chant.
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