Rig Veda 1.185.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 185, Mantra 5

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 Shringara (love)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

संगच्छमाने युवती समन्ते स्वसारा जामी पित्रोरुपस्थे । अभिजिघ्रन्ती भुवनस्य नाभिं द्यावा रक्षतं पृथिवी नो अभ्वात् ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 1.185.5

Transliteration

saṅgácchamāne yuvatī sámante svásārā jāmī pitrór upásthe | abhijíghrantī bhúvanasya nā́bhiṃ dyā́vā rakṣataṃ pṛthivī no ábhvāt ||

Translation

आकाश और धरती, तुम दोनों बहनें हो। तुम साथ-साथ चलती हो, एक ही मन से। तुम एक पिताजी की गोद में बैठे हो। तुम दुनिया की नाभि की तरफ साँस ले रही हो। हमें बुरी ताकत से बचाओ जो हमें तोड़ना चाहती है।

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Word by Word

संगच्छमाने

(the two) going together, moving in unisonAdjective (present participle) · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (वर्तमान-शतृ/शानच्: -मान)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण द्यावा-पृथिव्योः) · Root सम्-गम् (धातु √गम्) / संगच्छमान (प्रातिपदिक)

युवती

the two young women (the two youthful ones)Noun/Adjective · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Vedic: युव॒ती = nom.du.)Role Kartā (द्यावा-पृथिव्यौ) · Root युवती (प्रातिपदिक < युवा)

समन्ते

all around, on every sideIndeclinable/Adverbial (locative used adverbially) · नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (अर्थे: ‘चारों ओर’)Role Adhikaraṇa · Root समन्त (प्रातिपदिक)

स्वसारा

(as) two sistersNoun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Vedic nom.du. स्वसारा)Role Kartā (द्यावा-पृथिव्यौ; apposition) · Root स्वसृ (प्रातिपदिक)

जामी

(as) a closely related pair, kindredNoun/Adjective · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Vedic: ‘जामी’ = ‘समान-जातीयौ/सम्बद्धे’)Role Kartā (apposition) · Root जामि (प्रातिपदिक)

पित्रोः

of the two parentsNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation) · Root पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

उपस्थे

in the lap, in the bosomNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa · Root उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)

अभिजिघ्रन्ती

sniffing toward, inhaling uponAdjective (present participle) · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (वर्तमान-शतृ: -न्ती)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण द्यावा-पृथिव्योः) · Root अभि-घ्रा (धातु √घ्रा ‘to smell’) / अभिजिघ्रन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)

भुवनस्य

of the world, of existenceNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha · Root भुवन (प्रातिपदिक < √भू)

नाभिम्

the navel; central hubNoun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma · Root नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)

द्यावा

O Heaven (and) … (Heaven-and-Earth pair)Noun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Vedic nom.du. द्यावा = द्यावापृथिव्यौ में प्रथम सदस्यः)Role Kartā (सम्बोधन/कर्तृ-प्रयोगः) · Root द्याव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)

रक्षतम्

protect (you two)!Verb · लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (addressed action) · Root रक्ष् (धातु √रक्ष्)

पृथिवी

O Earth (and) … (the pair)Noun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Vedic nom.du. पृथिवी = ‘पृथिव्यौ’)Role Kartā (सम्बोधन/कर्तृ-प्रयोगः; द्यावा के साथ द्वन्द्वार्थे) · Root पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)

नः

of us, for usPronoun · षष्ठी (enclitic gen.), बहुवचनRole Sampradāna/Beneficiary (for us) / Sambandha · Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अभ्वात्

from harm, from dangerNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole Apādāna (source to be protected from) · Root अभ्व (प्रातिपदिक ‘harm, danger, monstrousness’) + Abl.sg.

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): संगच्छमाने | युवती | समन्ते | स्वसारा | जामी | पित्रोः | उपस्थे || अभिजिघ्रन्ती | भुवनस्य | नाभिम् | द्यावा | रक्षतम् | पृथिवी | नः | अभ्वात् । विशेषाः: (1) ‘द्यावा पृथिवी’ इति वैदिक-द्विवचन-रूपे (nom.du.) द्वौ पदौ, युगलदेवता द्यावापृथिव्यौ। (2) ‘समन्ते’ सप्तमी-एकवचनं ‘समन्त’ इत्यस्य, क्रियाविशेषणवत् ‘चारों ओर’ अर्थे। (3) ‘संगच्छमाने’ तथा ‘अभिजिघ्रन्ती’ इत्येतौ वर्तमान-प्रत्ययान्ते कृदन्ते (स्त्री. द्विव.) द्यावापृथिव्योः विशेषणरूपे। (4) ‘अभ्वात्’ पञ्चमी-एकवचनं ‘अभ्व’ इत्यस्मात्—‘from danger’ इत्यर्थे।

The meaning

Outer meaning

Heaven and Earth are praised as two young sisters moving together in harmony, kin in the Father’s lap, ‘smelling/breathing toward’ the navel of the world; they are asked to protect us from the vast hostile power (abhvā).

Inner meaning

The two foundations of consciousness are not separate: they ‘move together’ when the seeker’s higher perception and embodied life agree. ‘Sisters’ (svasārā) indicates intimate kinship of these powers within one divine origin. ‘In the Father’s lap’ points to a sustaining transcendent Presence (the Father as the supreme/source consciousness) in which both mind and body rest. ‘Breathing toward the navel of the world’ suggests a centripetal harmonizing: all movements return to the navel (nābhi)—the psychic/central axis where dispersed energies unify. Protection is asked against abhvā: the vast disruptive force that breaks concord and scatters the being.

Universal truth

Harmony arises when higher understanding and practical life move together and continually return to an inner center; then disruptive vastness cannot dissolve the coherence of one’s becoming.

Themes

Cosmic harmony, Integration of planes, Guarding the sacrifice/inner being

The seer

Significance

The verse speaks in a universal yogic voice: the seer emphasizes concord (saṃgati) and centering (nābhi), key movements in inner discipline.

The deity

Devata

Dyāvāpṛthivī

Epithets

yuvatī, svasārā, jāmī, rodasī

Related deities

Agni (as nābhi/center of yajña in many contexts), Aditi (protective vastness contrasted with hostile vastness), Prajāpati / ‘Father’ principle (source-holding consciousness)

Cosmic role

They uphold the world-order by coordinated movement; they are the two converging fields within which all beings find a center (nābhi).

Inner power

Power of integration and centering—drawing scattered forces back to the psychic axis; establishing concord between thought and embodiment.

In ritual

Where it is used

Harmony-protection invocation within yajña; praise of the paired worlds as concordant supporters.

Accents and Padapatha

Chandas Analysis

Key Symbols

Ritual Application

Etymology

Philosophical Concepts

Vedic Cosmology

Natural Symbolism

Academic Analysis

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes