Rig Veda 10.123.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 123, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.123
- Rishi
- Same hymn-cycle attribution as RV 10.123
- Devata
- Vena as mediator of the luminous revelation
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
समुद्रादूर्मिमुदियर्ति वेनो नभोजाः पृष्ठं हर्यतस्य दर्शि । ऋतस्य सानावधि विष्टपि भ्राट् समानं योनिमभ्यनूषत व्राः ॥
samudrā́d ū́rmim úd iyarti véno nabhojā́ḥ pṛṣṭháṁ haryatá̄́sya darśi | ṛtásya sā́nāv ádhi viṣṭápi bhrā́ṭ samānáṁ yónim abhy ànūṣata vrā́ḥ ||
वेन समुंदर से लहरा उठता है। वो आसमान से आया है और चमकता हुआ दिखता है। वो सचाई के ऊपर बैठे हैं। वो सब मिलकर एक ही जगह से पैदा होते हैं।
Word by Word
- समुद्रात्
- from the oceanNounपुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (अपादान); एकवचनRole अपादानRoot समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्मिम्
- a waveNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- उद्
- up, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग (पूर्वपद)Root उद् (उपसर्ग)
- ईयर्ति
- sets in motion / raisesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्र.पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot ईर् (धातु) / √ईर् ‘to raise, set in motion’
- वेनः
- Vena (a seer/solar being)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot वेन (प्रातिपदिक)
- नभोजाः
- sky-born / moving in the skyAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ता (वेनस्य विशेषणम्)Root नभोजस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sky-born/sky-going’)
- पृष्ठम्
- back, surfaceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
- हर्यतस्य
- of the lovely/desirable (one/thing)Adjectiveपुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root हर्यत (प्रातिपदिक; ‘desirable, lovely’)
- दर्शि
- the seeing one / seerNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ता (वेनस्य विशेषणम्)Root दर्शि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘seeing, seer/vision’)
- ऋतस्य
- of Ṛta (cosmic order)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- सानौ
- on the summit / ridgeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot सानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अधि
- upon, overIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘upon/over’Root अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- विष्टपि
- in the wide expanse / in the world-spaceNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role अधिकरणRoot विष्टपि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wide expanse/seat; world’)
- भ्राट्
- shining, blazingKṛdanta (participle used as predicate)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ता/विशेषण (वेनस्य)Root भ्राज् (धातु) → भ्राट् (वेदिक निपातित/कृदन्त-प्रयोग; ‘shining’)
- समानम्
- the same, commonAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसक; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (योनि-विशेषणम्)Root समान (प्रातिपदिक)
- योनिम्
- womb, source, abodeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘towards, upon’Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अनूषत
- they settled/dwelt (after him/thereupon)Verbलुङ्/इम्पर्फेक्ट (वेदिक); परस्मैपद; प्र.पुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot वस्/उष् (धातु; वेदिक) ‘to dwell/settle’ (अनु-उपसर्गयुक्त)
- व्राः
- the men/companions (Vedic: ‘vrās’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्ता (अनूषत इत्यस्य)Root व्र (प्रातिपदिक; वेदिक बहुवचन-रूप) / सम्भवतः ‘व्राः’ = ‘व्राः (जनाः/वीराः)’
Sandhi Notes
- समुद्रादूर्मिम् → समुद्रात् + ऊर्मिम् (त् + ऊ → दू, सन्धिः)
- उदियर्ति → उद् + ईयर्ति (उपसर्ग-सन्धि; द् + ई → दी)
- नभो॒जाः (पदस्वरूपेण समास/व्युत्पत्तिः; नभो- + जाः)
- ऋतस्य सानावधि → ऋतस्य + सानौ + अधि (अधि पृथक् अव्ययम्)
- वि॒ष्टपि भ्राट् (पदच्छेदः: विष्टपि + भ्राट्)
- अभ्यनूषत → अभि + अनूषत (अभि + अ → अभ्य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
From the ocean Vena raises the wave; heaven-born, he reveals the back of the golden one. On the summit of Ṛta in the highest seat, the radiant powers move toward the common womb, chanting assent.
Inner meaning
The ‘ocean’ is the deep infinite of consciousness; from it Vena lifts a ‘wave’—a rising movement of revelation into the surface mind. Heaven-born (nabhojāḥ), the mediator discloses the ‘back’ (pṛṣṭha) of the golden one: the concealed foundation of the solar truth, the hidden side of illumination not yet faced directly. On the summit of ṛta—where right order is native—the radiant powers (vrāḥ: shining energies) take their seat in the highest plane and converge toward a single origin (common yoni): unity-consciousness behind the many. Their chant of assent is the harmonized affirmation of the parts of being when they align with the one truth-womb.
Universal truth
Revelation rises from depth as a wave; when consciousness reaches the summit of right order, diverse powers naturally converge into unity and affirm a single origin of truth.
Themes
ascent of consciousness, revelation of the golden power, unification of forces
The seer
- Rishi
- Vena (hymn-cycle attribution)
- Other hymns
- RV 10.123.1–8
Significance
The seer-vision maps an ascent: from oceanic depth to the summit of ṛta, where multiplicity resolves into a common womb of unity.
The deity
- Devata
- Vena (revelatory mediator) with Ṛta as governing principle
- Epithets
- nabhojāḥ (heaven-born), darśi (revealer/one who sees, implied by ‘darśi’)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (golden one), Apas (ocean/waters), Ṛta (cosmic order), Viśve Devāḥ (radiant powers)
Cosmic role
Raises revelation from depth and unveils the golden solar foundation; leads powers to the seat of ṛta and unity.
Inner power
Capacity to draw up insight from the deep and orient the whole being toward unified truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Contemplative/recitational use; imagery congenial to Soma symbolism of ‘wave’ and revelation, without a fixed exclusive Śrauta placement.
स॒मु॒द्रादू॒र्मिमुदि॑यर्ति वे॒नो न॑भो॒जाः पृ॒ष्ठं ह॑र्य॒तस्य॑ दर्शि । ऋ॒तस्य॒ साना॒वधि॑ वि॒ष्टपि॒ भ्राट् स॑मा॒नं योनि॑म॒भ्य॑नूषत॒ व्राः ॥
स॒मु॒द्रात् । ऊ॒र्मिम् । उत् । इ॒य॒र्ति॒ । वे॒नः । न॒भः॒ऽजाः । पृ॒ष्ठम् । ह॒र्य॒तस्य॑ । द॒र्शि॒ । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । सानौ॑ । अधि॑ । वि॒ष्टपि॑ । भ्राट् । स॒मा॒नम् । योनि॑म् । अ॒भि । अ॒नू॒ष॒त॒ । व्राः ॥
samudrāt | ūrmim | ut | iyarti | venaḥ | nabhaḥ-jāḥ | pṛṣṭham | haryatasya | darśi | ṛtasya | sānau | adhi | viṣṭapi | bhrāṭ | samānam | yonim | abhi | ānūṣata | vrāḥ
44
4 × 11 syllables
Strong ascent-and-arrival rhythm; suited to ‘lifting’ and ‘summit’ imagery.
Elicits an inner upward surge followed by a stable settling in the final pāda (convergence/unity).
- समुद्र (samudra)
- Literal: ocean. Symbolic: infinite depth of consciousness; causal/subconscient reservoir
- ऊर्मि (ūrmi)
- Literal: wave. Symbolic: rising movement of revelation; surge of insight
- नभोजाः (nabhojāḥ)
- Literal: sky/heaven-born. Symbolic: origin in higher mind/overmind light; supramental-touch potential
- हर्यत (haryata)
- Literal: golden, desirable, tawny. Symbolic: solar truth-consciousness; luminous delight
- पृष्ठ (pṛṣṭha)
- Literal: back, surface, ridge. Symbolic: hidden foundation/behind-side of the light; what supports manifestation
- ऋतस्य सानौ (ṛtasya sānau)
- Literal: on the summit of ṛta. Symbolic: peak of right order; plane where truth-law is spontaneous
- विष्टपि (viṣṭapi)
- Literal: highest seat/abode. Symbolic: supreme station of consciousness; stable poise above lower turmoil
- योनि (yoni)
- Literal: womb, source. Symbolic: one origin of the many; unity-source
- व्राः (vrāḥ)
- Literal: radiant ones/powers (contextual). Symbolic: luminous energies/faculties converging toward unity
Contemplative/recitational use; imagery congenial to Soma symbolism of ‘wave’ and revelation, without a fixed exclusive Śrauta placement.
Use in meditation when seeking to integrate scattered energies into a single center; especially after emotional turbulence (ocean) to lift a wave of clarity.
samudrá ‘ocean’ (sam-ud-√dṛ/√ud ‘gathered waters’) becomes symbol of the deep foundation. ū́rmi ‘wave’ expresses emergence. nabhojā́ḥ ‘born of nabhas’ (wide heaven) indicates origin in higher consciousness. bhrā́ṭ from √bhrāj ‘shine’. ṛtá-sā́nu ‘summit of Ṛta’ fuses spatial metaphor with ethical-cosmic order. viṣṭápi as ‘lofty seat’ (often the highest world). anūṣata is difficult; taken here as a collective vocal assent/chanting toward the common yoni—psychologically, the harmonizing of powers into one matrix.
Ṛta as summit and seat, emergence from depth to height, unity of origin (samāna yoni)
Explicit: the summit of ṛta is the organizing peak where powers align.
Golden one as satya-light; revelation discloses its concealed foundation.
From the ocean arises the wave—manifestation from the unmanifest; then re-integration into a common womb.
Non-dual tendency within Vedic symbolism: many powers converge to one source when established in ṛta.
Ocean = depth of being; wave = emergent insight; sky-born = higher origin; summit = highest poise; common womb = unified Self/source.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘raising of the wave from the ocean’—a classic emergence motif: the hidden surge of consciousness is lifted from the depths and made to reveal the ‘golden one.’ It is an ascent from the inconscient to the summit of Ṛta, culminating in a unified origin (samāna yoni).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhrāj ‘shine’ (bhrāṭ) aligns with widespread IE radiance vocabulary (PIE *bʰerH-/ *bʰreg- type ‘shine’ is debated, but Indic preserves a robust ‘shine’ root-set). √mā (implicit in Ṛta’s ‘measured order’ elsewhere) and the spatial ‘summit’ metaphors are characteristic inherited poetics: cosmic law expressed as topography.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer witnesses Vena’s action as an inner yoga of ascent: the devatā raises the movement (ūrmī) and reveals the golden support, while the collective powers (vrāḥ) respond by harmonizing their voice toward unity—suggesting the ṛṣi’s role as organizer of inner forces under Ṛta.
Lift clarity from the depths; ascend to the ‘summit of ṛta’; gather all faculties into one center.
sahasrāra (summit/viṣṭapi) with support from ājñā (revelation)
box breathing 4-4-4-4 for steadiness, then natural breath while visualizing a wave rising to the crown.
Ascending concentration culminating in unified assent.
Chant once slowly; then sit and imagine a wave of light rising from the navel/heart to the crown, where it spreads into a golden stillness; invite all parts of you to ‘chant assent’ by silently affirming one intention.
Keep triṣṭubh gait: clear 11-syllable stride; apply Saṃhitā pitch accents if available; emphasize ascent imagery through gentle pitch rise, not volume.
Mark pāda transitions after ‘veno’, ‘darśi’, and ‘bhrāṭ’ with brief silence to let images land.
samudrād: long ā; final d is voiced dental, ūrmiṃ: long ū; anusvāra before m, viṣṭapi: ṣṭ cluster retroflex; keep short i vowels clean
Resonant and upward-aiming; end in a stable, unified tone on the final pāda.
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