Rig Veda 1.39.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 39, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.39
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Bhayankara
उपो रथेषु पृषतीरयुग्ध्वं प्रष्टिर्वहति रोहितः । आ वो यामाय पृथिवी चिदश्रोदबीभयन्त मानुषाः ॥
upó ratheṣu pṛ́ṣatīr ayugdhvaṃ práṣṭir vahati róhitaḥ | ā́ vo yā́māya pṛthivī́ cid aśrod ábībhayanta mā́nuṣāḥ ||
मरुत अपने रथों में तेज़ घोड़े जोड़ते हैं। लाल रंग के घोड़े आगे चल रहे हैं। जब वो आते हैं तो धरती भी सुन लेती है। लोगों के दिल में डर होता है।
Word by Word
- उपो
- near, up to (emphatic: indeed)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात; ‘उप’ + ‘उ’ (वेदिक एन्क्लिटिक/पदपूरक)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- रथेषु
- on/in the chariotsNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृषतीः
- the speckled (mares)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot पृषती (प्रातिपदिक)
- अयुग्ध्वम्
- you yokedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot युज् (धातु)
- प्रष्टिः
- the goad/whip (goading-rod)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्रष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वहति
- carries, conveysVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot वह् (धातु)
- रोहितः
- the Roḥita (the red one; a steed/figure named Rohita)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot रोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वः
- for you (pl.)Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (एन्क्लिटिक); बहुवचन; ‘your/for you’ (contextually: for you)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यामाय
- for the course/going, for the journeyNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot याम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिवी
- the EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्यय; बलवाचक/अपि-अर्थRoot चित् (निपात)
- अश्रोत्
- heardVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot श्रु (धातु)
- अबीभयन्त
- they feared, were afraidVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot भी (धातु)
- मानुषाः
- men, mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): उपो | रथेषु | पृषतीः | अयुग्ध्वम् | प्रष्टिः | वहति | रोहितः || आ | वः | यामाय | पृथिवी | चित् | अश्रोत् | अबीभयन्त | मानुषाः । 1) उपो = उप + उ (वेदिक पदपूरक/एन्क्लिटिक ‘उ’)
- 2) आ वः: ‘आ’ निपात + ‘वः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम
- 3) पृथिवी चित्: ‘चित्’ निपात ‘even’
- 4) अश्रोद् (संहिता-पाठ) = अश्रोत् (पद-पाठ), अन्त्य ‘त्’ का घोष/संधि-परिवर्तन
The meaning
Outer meaning
You yoked the dappled mares to your chariots; the ruddy one bears the pole. At your coming even the Earth heard, and men trembled.
Inner meaning
The Maruts harness the variegated energies (pṛṣatīḥ: many-colored, mixed life-forces) to the chariot of progress; the ‘ruddy’ power (rohitaḥ) bears the forward-driving axis—symbol of ardent force that carries the movement. When this divine surge approaches, even the physical consciousness (pṛthivī) registers it; the ordinary human mind (mānuṣa) trembles because the higher vibration disrupts habitual limits and demands a new poise.
Universal truth
When higher energy is organized and directed, it becomes a vehicle for transformation; the lower nature senses the approach and reacts with fear until it learns trust and alignment.
Themes
divine arrival, yoking of energies, awe and transformation
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.39, RV 1.36–1.38
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns often show vivid kinetic imagery (chariots, steeds, storms) used as symbols of inner powers and their disciplined harnessing.
Significance
Kaṇva frames the yoga of energy: not suppression of life-force, but yoking it to the divine movement so that even the body-nature can ‘hear’ and respond.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- rathīnaḥ (chariot-borne—implied), yuvānaḥ (youthful—traditional), śubhrāḥ (bright—traditional)
- Related deities
- Indra, Rudra, Uṣas (via rohita/dawn-red resonance), Parjanya
Cosmic role
Drivers of storm and swift movement in the mid-region; they prepare the field for Indra’s illumination and the rain of Soma/Parjanya.
Inner power
Capacity to harness and coordinate prāṇa into a disciplined, victorious momentum; awakens the body-consciousness to higher vibrations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut stotras in Soma rites; also general invocatory use for protection and energizing movement.
उपो॒ रथे॑षु॒ पृष॑तीरयुग्ध्वं॒ प्रष्टि॑र्वहति॒ रोहि॑तः । आ वो॒ यामा॑य पृथि॒वी चि॑दश्रो॒दबी॑भयन्त॒ मानु॑षाः ॥
उपो॒ इति॑ । रथे॑षु । पृष॑तीः । अ॒यु॒ग्ध्व॒म् । प्रष्टिः॑ । व॒ह॒ति॒ । रोहि॑तः । आ । वः॒ । यामा॑य । पृ॒थि॒वी । चि॒त् । अ॒श्रो॒त् । अबी॑भयन्त । मानु॑षाः ॥
upo iti | ratheṣu | pṛṣatīḥ | ayugdhvam | praṣṭiḥ | vahati | rohitaḥ | ā | vaḥ | yāmāya | pṛthivī | cit | aśrot | abībhayanta | mānuṣāḥ
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4 x ~11 syllables; strong mid-pāda pause supports the ‘yoking’ and ‘arrival’ clauses.
Rolling and swift; imitates chariot motion and approaching rumble.
Creates a felt sense of approach—useful to summon energy and alertness.
- रथेषु (ratheṣu)
- Literal: on/into chariots. Symbolic: the organized movement of sādhanā; vehicle of progress
- पृषतीः (pṛṣatīḥ)
- Literal: dappled mares. Symbolic: mixed vital energies, impulses of life with varied qualities to be yoked to the divine purpose
- रोहितः (rohitaḥ)
- Literal: ruddy/red one. Symbolic: ardent force; dawn-red energy; dynamic tapas that carries the axis of progress
- प्रष्टिः (praṣṭiḥ)
- Literal: pole/shaft of the chariot. Symbolic: central directive will/axis that steadies and carries the movement
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: physical consciousness; the grounded base of nature
- मानुषाः (mānuṣāḥ)
- Literal: men/humans. Symbolic: ordinary mental consciousness reacting to the inrush of the higher Force
Theophany-description used to ‘make present’ the gods in the rite; yoking imagery aligns with ritual chariot/vehicle symbolism and with the yoking of powers to the sacrifice.
When calling Maruts as a troop to the offering, especially before requests for protection and rain-like boons.
Verbal ‘yoking’—inviting the powers to take their seat and carry the sacrifice forward.
Before practice or work: visualize yoking scattered energies into one directed will; use as a centering invocation.
√yuj ‘yoke’ (ayugdhvam) = disciplined harnessing of energies. rohita ‘ruddy’ connects to red radiance of dawn/fire/sun—symbolically the luminous drive that carries the movement. aśrot from √śru ‘hear’ indicates the ‘heard’ vibration/rumor of divine approach. Reduplicated abībhayanta (√bhī) marks strong affect—psychologically, the ego-nature trembles before descending force.
yoking as inner discipline, descent of higher force causing ego-tremor, sound/hearing as revelation (śruti-structure implicit)
The properly yoked energies move in ṛta rather than in chaotic impulse.
Truth manifests as right coordination: the axis (praṣṭi) holds the movement true.
Formation of a vehicle: creation as harnessing forces into an ordered progression.
Aurobindonian psychological Veda: transformation of prāṇa and body-consciousness through divine Force.
dawn-like suggestion (rohitaḥ)
Yoking = discipline of energies; ruddy = tapas/awakening; earth hearing = body becoming conscious; human trembling = ego-mind confronted by higher power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘chariot-theophany’ mythologem: Maruts arrive with yoked steeds; earth itself hears. Inner sense: when the dynamic powers are harnessed, their advent reverberates through the whole embodied field, and the surface human nature trembles before the greater force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ continues PIE *yeug-; chariot imagery is a classic Indo-European poetic complex. √śru ‘hear’ aligns with PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’ (cf. Greek klýō, English ‘loud’ via related developments), underscoring the aural revelation dimension of Vedic tradition.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi narrates the gods’ approach as a present event, turning perception into invocation. By describing the yoking and the cosmic ‘hearing,’ he prepares the human field to receive the descending energies despite the initial fear-response.
Gather scattered impulses and ‘yoke’ them to a central aspiration; feel the axis of will carrying you forward.
svādhiṣṭhāna (vital movement) integrated into maṇipūra (directed will)
4-4-6 rhythmic breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to simulate ‘yoking’ and steadying the pole; then a brief silent witnessing.
Alert, unified prāṇic flow with grounded embodiment.
On inhale, feel energies gathering; on hold, feel the axis steady; on exhale, feel forward movement without strain; let the body ‘hear’ the subtle force without fear.
Maintain clear udātta on key nouns (rathéṣu, pṛ́ṣatīḥ, róhitaḥ) per recensional accenting; keep svarita glides clean on sandhi.
Crisp articulation in clusters: upo ratheṣu / pṛṣatīr ayugdhvam—keep the yoking action audible; pause lightly after rohitaḥ.
pṛṣatīḥ: vocalic ṛ; avoid ‘pri’, ayugdhvam: pronounce -gdh- carefully (g + dh) without swallowing, aśrod: keep śr cluster clear, abībhayanta: long ī; don’t over-speed the reduplication
Resonant and rolling, like distant thunder; grounded in the chest.
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