Rig Veda 1.185.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 185, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.185
- Rishi
- Traditionally attributed to an early seer of the Dyāvā-Pṛthivī cycle in RV 1.185
- Devata
- Dyāvāpṛthivī
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अतप्यमाने अवसावन्ती अनु ष्याम रोदसी देवपुत्रे । उभे देवानामुभयेभिरह्नां द्यावा रक्षतं पृथिवी नो अभ्वात् ॥
átapyamāne avásāvantī ánu ṣyāma ródasī deváputre | ubhé devā́nām ubháyebhir áhnāṃ dyā́vā rakṣataṃ pṛthivī no ábhvāt ||
आकाश और धरती, तुम दोनों देवियाँ हो। तुम अंदर से चमक रही हो और हमें पोषने की शक्ति रखती हो। हम तुम्हारे साथ चलना चाहते हैं। तुम देवियों की हो और दिन-रात दोनों को अपने में समेटी हो। हमें बुरी ताकत से बचाओ।
Word by Word
- अतप्यमाने
- being heated / glowingParticiple (verbal adjective)स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचनम् (रोदसी इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृपद-सम्बन्धः: ‘रोदसी’)Root √तप् (तप्) / प्रातिपदिक: तप्यमान-
- अवसावन्ती
- possessing protection; protectiveAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचनम् (रोदसी इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृपद-सम्बन्धः)Root प्रातिपदिक: अवसावन्त- (अवस् ‘help, protection’ + वन्त)
- अनु
- along; afterIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)अव्ययम्Role उपसर्ग/सम्बन्धसूचक (गत्यर्थे ‘along/after’)Root अनु
- ष्याम
- may we abide / may we followVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (वयं) — क्रियाRoot √श्यै/√शी (Vedic: ‘to lie/rest/abide’; desiderative/optative nuance in context)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds: Heaven and EarthNoun (dual collective)स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्विवचनम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (सन्दर्भे: अनु ष्याम—अनुगमनस्य कर्म/आश्रयः)Role कर्म/आधार (ययोः अनुगमनम्)Root प्रातिपदिक: रोदसी- (द्वन्द्व/द्विवचन-शब्दः ‘heaven-and-earth’)
- देवपुत्रे
- O god-born ones (Heaven and Earth)Noun (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-द्विवचन-रूपेण (वेदे ‘-e’ द्विवचन-सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-प्रयोगः), रोदसी इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बोधनम्Role सम्बोधन (रोदसी प्रति)Root प्रातिपदिक: देवपुत्र-
- उभे
- bothPronoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा द्विवचनम् (द्यावापृथिव्योः)Role विशेषण (द्यावा/पृथिवी)Root प्रातिपदिक: उभ-
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी: ‘of the gods’)Root प्रातिपदिक: देव-
- उभयेभिः
- with both (kinds)Adjective/Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (अह्नाम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role करण/सह (तृतीया: ‘with/by both’)Root प्रातिपदिक: उभय-
- अह्नाम्
- of days (day-times)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी: ‘of days’)Root प्रातिपदिक: अहन्-
- द्यावा
- Heaven (in the dual pair)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा द्विवचनम् (द्यावापृथिवी इति द्वन्द्वस्य प्रथमाङ्गम्)Role कर्ता (रक्षतम् इत्यस्य)Root प्रातिपदिक: द्याव्-
- रक्षतम्
- protect (you two)!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्Role क्रिया (सम्बोधन-कर्तृ: द्यावापृथिवी)Root √रक्ष्
- पृथिवी
- Earth (in the dual pair)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा द्विवचनम् (द्वन्द्व-समुच्चयः: द्यावा…पृथिवी)Role कर्ता (रक्षतम् इत्यस्य)Root प्रातिपदिक: पृथिवी-
- नः
- us; ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन-एन्क्लिटिक (here: ‘us/our’)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (रक्षणस्य लाभार्थी)Root अस्मद्-
- अभ्वात्
- from danger / from harmNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (अपादानम्: ‘from’)Role अपादान (यतः रक्षणम्)Root अभ्व- (प्रातिपदिक: ‘harm, danger, monster-like evil’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): अतप्यमाने | अवसावन्ती | अनु | ष्याम | रोदसी | देवपुत्रे || उभे | देवानाम् | उभयेभिः | अह्नाम् | द्यावा | रक्षतम् | पृथिवी | नः | अभ्वात् । विशेषम्: ‘रोदसी’ द्विवचन-शब्दः (द्यावापृथिव्यौ)
- ‘देवपुत्रे’ रोदसी-सम्बोधन/विशेषणम्
- ‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम
- ‘अभ्वात्’ पञ्चमी—अपादानार्थे ‘from harm’
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Heaven and Earth—called divine daughters—glowing with ardour and rich in protection: may we move in their following; they who belong to the gods and encompass both kinds of days should protect us from the vast hostile power (abhvā).
Inner meaning
Dyāvā-Pṛthivī are the two great bases of the sadhana: the higher luminous mind (Heaven) and the firm embodied consciousness (Earth). Their “tapas” is the inner ardour that ripens aspiration; their “avasa” is the supporting Grace that upholds the seeker. To “move following them” is to align our life-movement with the higher law (ṛta) that descends from the mind of light into embodied practice. The ‘two kinds of days’ indicate alternating states—illumination and obscuration, expansion and contraction—both to be held within the divine order. The protection sought is from abhvā: the vast, hostile Inconscience/chaos that breaks continuity of inner progress.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth requires both a descending light (clarity, meaning) and an ascending firmness (practice, embodiment). When these two powers act in harmony, the seeker is guarded against the pull of formless confusion and hostile inertia.
Themes
Nature-praise as inner psychology, Cosmic parents as guardians, Protection from darkness/hostility, Alignment with the divine movement (anu)
The seer
Significance
The anonymity fits the universal character of this prayer: the paired cosmic foundations are invoked as impersonal supports of the inner yajña, suggesting a collective or archetypal voice rather than a strongly individualized rishi-signature.
The deity
- Devata
- Dyāvāpṛthivī
- Epithets
- rodasī, devaputre, janitrī (implicit across the hymn), urvī, bṛhatī
- Related deities
- Agni (as the inner priest working between Heaven and Earth), Sūrya (as the light moving in Heaven), Aditi (as the vastness that is protective rather than hostile), Varuṇa-Mitra (as guardians of ṛta)
Cosmic role
The dual foundation of manifestation: Heaven as the luminous, ordering expanse; Earth as the stable, bearing field—together sustaining beings and the movements of day/time.
Inner power
Integration of higher illumination with embodied steadiness; the capacity to hold alternating states (light/shadow) while maintaining forward movement in ṛta.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation for protection and right movement within the yajña; paired-worlds praise (Dyāvā-Pṛthivī stuti).
अत॑प्यमाने॒ अव॒साव॑न्ती॒ अनु॑ ष्याम॒ रोद॑सी दे॒वपु॑त्रे । उ॒भे दे॒वाना॑मु॒भये॑भि॒रह्नां॒ द्यावा॒ रक्ष॑तं पृथिवी नो॒ अभ्वा॑त् ॥
अत॑प्यमाने॒ इति॑ । अव॑सा । अव॑न्ती॒ इति॑ । अनु॑ । स्या॒म॒ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । दे॒वपु॑त्रे॒ इति॑ दे॒वऽपु॑त्रे । उ॒भे इति॑ । दे॒वाना॑म् । उ॒भये॑भिः । अह्ना॑म् । द्यावा॑ । रक्ष॑तम् । पृ॒थि॒वी॒ इति॑ । नः॒ । अभ्वा॑त् ॥
atapyamāne | avasā | avantī | iti | anu | syāma | rodasī iti | devaputreitideva-putre | ubhe iti | devānām | ubhayebhiḥ | ahnām | dyāvā | rakṣatam | pṛthivī iti | naḥ | abhvāt
Triṣṭubh (probable, based on RV 1.185 style and cadence)
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Grave, forward-moving, with a protective and declarative cadence suited to invocation and safeguarding.
Creates a steady, expansive field—felt as ‘two supports’ around the practitioner—reducing anxiety and restoring alignment with a larger order.
- rodasī (Dyāvā-Pṛthivī)
- Literal: the two worlds / Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: upper luminous consciousness and lower embodied foundation acting as a paired support for transformation
- devaputre
- Literal: daughters of the gods. Symbolic: powers derived from the divine plane, not merely physical sky/earth—channels for higher influence
- tapyamāne (atapyamāne)
- Literal: glowing/heating with tapas. Symbolic: inner ardour that ripens aspiration and burns obscurity
- avasa / avasāvantī
- Literal: help, protection; rich in help. Symbolic: the sustaining grace and guardianship that supports the inner sacrifice
- ubhayebhir ahnām
- Literal: with both kinds of days. Symbolic: holding both bright and shadowed states within the yogic rhythm without collapse
- abhvāt
- Literal: from the vast/overwhelming (often hostile). Symbolic: the wide Inconscience, chaotic resistance, or hostile immensity that swallows discernment
General protective and harmonizing invocation; suitable for recitation in daily agnihotra context and in rites seeking ‘rakṣā’ (guarding) and right ordering (ṛta) of the sacrificer’s space.
As a protective and harmonizing recitation within soma/agnicayana-related sequences or general stuti-prayoga contexts (by theme).
Recitation with offering/attention to the ‘two worlds’ as seats of the rite; establishing safe, ordered space.
Use before meditation or important work to align ‘sky-mind’ and ‘earth-body’ and to ask protection from overwhelm, confusion, and hostile mental states.
Key terms: (1) átapyamāne: present middle participle (dual feminine) from √tap ‘to heat, glow, practice tapas’; psychologically ‘concentrated ardour that purifies’. (2) avásā: instr. sg. of avás ‘help, protection, fostering’ (√av ‘to protect, favour’). (3) ródasī: dual of ródas ‘heaven/earth as a pair’; a fixed Vedic dual. (4) devá-putre: dual voc. fem. ‘children/daughters of the gods’; putra/putrī from √pū ‘to purify’ is sometimes adduced in Vedic etymology; functionally here marks divine provenance. (5) rakṣatam: 2nd dual imperative of √rakṣ ‘guard, preserve’. (6) ábhvāt: abl. sg. of ábhva ‘vast, monstrous, overpowering’; from √bhū/√bhav ‘become’ with intensifying prefix a-, indicating overwhelming becoming/expanse—hence the ‘huge adverse’.
Tapas (inner heat/discipline), Rita (cosmic order, implied by ‘belonging to the gods’ and protective regularity of days), Protection against Abhva (the vast adverse/inconscient)
Following Dyāvā-Pṛthivī implies moving in the track of ṛta: the descent of right order from the luminous mind into embodied life.
Protection is sought so that truth-perception is not swallowed by abhvā (vast inconscience).
The two worlds as the primal supports/parents of becoming; time (‘days’) unfolds within their embrace.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap): cosmic powers as states and functions of consciousness.
Day-cycle as a whole (both kinds of days: bright and shadowed phases).
Sky = clarity and wideness of mind; Earth = stability and receptivity of the body-nature; day-cycles = alternating inner states; tapas = concentrated aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The paired cosmic parents (Heaven-and-Earth) as guardians who maintain the ordered cycles (‘days’) and protect the human from the ‘abhva’—the huge hostile expanse identified inwardly with the Inconscience/chaos that threatens the sacrifice and the seeker’s formation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The dual ródasī (Two Worlds) preserves an archaic Indo-European poetic habit of invoking cosmic pairs. Dyā́vā (Dyā́uḥ) continues PIE *dyew- ‘sky, daylight’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iuppiter < *dyēus-pəter). rakṣ- ‘guard’ parallels a widespread IE semantic field of protection/warding. The optative syāma (√as ‘to be’) reflects inherited modal morphology used for wish/aspiration.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker seeks alignment (‘anu ṣyāma’) with the cosmic movement embodied by Dyāvā-Pṛthivī, asking not for outer goods but for protective ordering of the inner journey. The reciprocity is: the human offers conscious aspiration and right speech; the cosmic powers respond with avas (fostering protection) and rakṣā (guarding) against the abhva that disrupts ṛta.
Unite ‘sky-mind’ and ‘earth-body’: feel a vast clarity above and a stable support below; offer the day’s movement into their harmony.
sahasrara (Heaven) and muladhara (Earth) axis integration
Slow nasal breathing with a gentle pause after inhale; on exhale, feel grounding into Earth; on inhale, widen into Heaven.
Widened, protected equanimity; a poised movement in ṛta rather than reactive impulse.
Before action, invoke the two supports: (1) widen the mind until it is sky-like, (2) steady the body until it is earth-like; then proceed, asking protection from overwhelm and hostile suggestions.
Vedic svara as per Śākala tradition: observe udatta/anudatta/svarita on marked syllables (notably in atapyamāne, avasāvantī, rodasī, devaputre, rakṣatam, abhvāt).
Keep the udatta crisp and slightly raised; svarita as a controlled fall; maintain even tempo through the refrain-like cadence ‘dyāvā rakṣatam pṛthivī no abhvāt’.
atapyamāne: keep -py- light (not ‘pya’ separated); long ā in -mā-, rodasī: dental d, long ī at end, devaputre: clear retroflex ṭ? (none here); keep ‘tr’ conjunct crisp, rakṣatam: retroflex ṣ; avoid ‘rakshatam’ becoming too aspirated, abhvāt: cluster bhv—voice bh, glide into v; long ā
Steady, spacious, protective; avoid sharpness—chant as if building a shelter of sound.
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