Rig Veda 10.170.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 170, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.170
- Devata
- Sūrya/Jyotis with Viśvakarman as cosmic artisan principle
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
विभ्राजञ्ज्योतिषा स्वरगच्छो रोचनं दिवः । येनेमा विश्वा भुवनान्याभृता विश्वकर्मणा विश्वदेव्यावता ॥
vibhrā́jan jyótiṣā svàr ágaccho rocanáṁ diváḥ | yéne mā́ víśvā bhúvanāny ā́bhṛtā viśvákarmanā viśvádevyāvatā ||
तू अपनी रोशनी लेकर सूरज की दुनिया में गया है। आसमान का वो चमकता हिस्सा तेरा है। तूने ही सारी दुनिया को संभाला है। तू ही सब काम करता है, और सब देवी-देवता तेरे साथ हैं।
Word by Word
- वि
- apart, forth (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root वि- (उपसर्ग)
- भ्राजन्
- shining, radiantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सम्बोधन/विशेषण-रूपेण कर्तरि)Role Kartā (as qualifier of the subject ‘thou’)Root भ्राज् (धातु) → भ्राजत्/भ्राजन् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- ज्योतिषा
- with light, by lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वः
- to heaven / to the celestial lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गन्तव्य-रूपेण)Role Karma (goal/object of motion)Root स्वर्/स्वः (प्रातिपदिक; ‘heaven, sun-light’)
- अगच्छः
- thou didst go, thou wentestVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot गम् (धातु)
- रोचनम्
- the shining realm, radianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (goal/object of motion)Root रोचन (प्रातिपदिक; from रुच् ‘to shine’)
- दिवः
- of heaven, of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- येन
- by whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमा
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (of passive ‘were borne/held’)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (इमानि/भुवनानि इत्यर्थे; वैदिके स्त्री-रूपेण ‘इमा’ सह सामञ्जस्यं)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनानि
- worlds, beings/realmsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (of passive)Root भुवन (प्रातिपदिक; from भू ‘to be’)
- आभृता
- were borne/held up, were brought forthVerbभूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसक/स्त्री प्रथमा बहुवचन (भुवनानि/इमा इत्यस्य सह), कर्मणि प्रयोगःRoot आ-√भृ (धातु) → आभृत (भूतकृदन्त)
- विश्वकर्मणा
- by Viśvakarman (the All-fashioner)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole Karaṇa / Kartā (agent-instrument in passive)Root विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘All-maker’)
- विश्वदेव्यावता
- together with all the gods / with all divine powersAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (विश्वकर्मणा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karaṇa (qualifier of the instrumental agent)Root विश्वदेव्यावत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘accompanied by all the gods/divinities’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: वि + भ्राजन् + ज्योतिषा + स्वः + अगच्छः + रोचनम् + दिवः । येन + इमा + विश्वा + भुवनानि + आभृता + विश्वकर्मणा + विश्वदेव्यावता । Notable: (1) स्व१॒॑रग॑च्छः = स्वः + अगच्छः (visarga before vowel)
- (2) येने॒मा = येन + इमा (e + i → e; written as one in saṃhitā)
- (3) भुव॑ना॒न्याभृ॑ता = भुवनानि + आभृता (i + ā → yā, hence -न्याभृता)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Shining with your light you have gone to the solar world, the luminous realm of heaven; by you all these worlds are upheld—by the All-Worker, supported by the powers of the All-Gods.
Inner meaning
The luminous consciousness, shining by its own light, ascends/attains svah (the higher luminous plane) and the rocana of heaven (the radiant wideness). This attainment is not private: through this Light, all ‘worlds’ (planes and parts of the being) are upheld and integrated. Viśvakarman here signifies the cosmic artisan principle within— the organizing Intelligence that builds harmony—supported by the totality of divine powers (Viśve Devāḥ) as differentiated faculties of the One Light.
Universal truth
When the higher light is realized, it becomes a sustaining order for the whole life; the many powers of existence coordinate as one workmanship.
Themes
Cosmogony, Ascent to svah, Universal craftsmanship, All-gods support
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.170.1, Rig Veda 10.170.2, Rig Veda 10.170.3
Significance
The seer links realization (going to svah) with integration (upholding all worlds), a hallmark of inner-yajña psychology: ascent must result in a reorganized life.
The deity
- Devata
- Sūrya/Jyotis with Viśvakarman and Viśve Devāḥ as sustaining powers
- Epithets
- Vibhrājan (shining forth), Rocana-dhāma (dweller in luminous realm, implied)
- Related deities
- Viśvakarman, Viśve Devāḥ, Savitṛ, Agni
Cosmic role
Ascends/abides in the luminous heaven and sustains all worlds through cosmic workmanship.
Inner power
Integrative intelligence: harmonizes all parts of the being under a single light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Solar ascent/praise within śrauta recitation; also thematically aligned with Viśvakarman hymns used in construction/consecration contexts
वि॒भ्राज॒ञ्ज्योति॑षा॒ स्व१॒॑रग॑च्छो रोच॒नं दि॒वः । येने॒मा विश्वा॒ भुव॑ना॒न्याभृ॑ता वि॒श्वक॑र्मणा वि॒श्वदे॑व्यावता ॥
वि॒ऽभ्राज॑म् । ज्योति॑षा । स्वः॑ । अग॑च्छः । रो॒च॒नम् । दि॒वः । येन॑ । इ॒मा । विश्वा॑ । भुव॑नानि । आऽभृ॑ता । वि॒श्वऽक॑र्मणा । वि॒श्वदे॑व्यऽवता ॥
vi-bhrājam | jyotiṣā | svaḥ | agacchaḥ | rocanam | divaḥ | yena | imā | viśvā | bhuvanāni | ābhṛtā | viśva-karmaṇā | viśvadevya-vatā
Gāyatrī (possible) or Triṣṭubh (probable overall for the hymn); this verse is often treated as Triṣṭubh-like in cadence
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (probable)
Ascending movement in the first hemistich, then a broad sustaining cadence in the second.
Gives a felt ‘rise’ followed by a stable, supportive resonance—useful for integration after uplift.
- vibhrājan
- Literal: shining forth. Symbolic: self-luminous awakening; consciousness that illumines itself
- svaḥ
- Literal: the luminous world (svarga). Symbolic: higher mind/illumined plane of consciousness
- rocanaṃ divaḥ
- Literal: the shining realm of heaven. Symbolic: radiant wideness where truth-perception is natural
- bhuvanāni
- Literal: worlds, domains. Symbolic: levels of being (body-life-mind and higher ranges)
- ābhṛtā
- Literal: borne, upheld. Symbolic: held together in unity; sustained by a higher order
- viśvakarmaṇā
- Literal: by the All-Worker. Symbolic: inner cosmic intelligence shaping and harmonizing the nature
- viśvadevyāvatā
- Literal: supported by the powers of all gods. Symbolic: supported by the full spectrum of divine faculties within the being
Cosmic affirmation used in rites emphasizing universal support and ascent to svah (luminous plane); complements solar/Soma sequences.
At sunrise/forenoon; or when affirming cosmic support of the rite and its worlds
Recitation as a support-invocation; mental offering of all parts of life to the sustaining light
Use after meditation to ‘bring the light down’ into body-life-mind and organize the day.
svàr (svah) denotes a luminous plane; not merely ‘sky’ but a level of consciousness. rocanam (√ruc) is the shining domain. ā-√bhṛ (ābhṛtā) ‘borne’ suggests worlds as carried formations within a sustaining consciousness. Viśvakarman (‘all-doer’) frames the Light as a universal creative intelligence rather than a physical luminary alone.
svah as plane of luminous consciousness, Viśvakarman as universal creative intelligence, worlds upheld (ābhṛtā) as sustained order
Worlds are ‘borne’ by the luminous principle—r̥ta as the sustaining architecture.
Rocana of heaven implies a truth-region where seeing and being coincide.
Cosmic workmanship: the All-Worker forms and sustains multiplicity through coordinated powers.
Integral Vedic: ascent (svah) plus manifestation (upholding bhuvanāni) = spiritual realization expressed in life.
Morning ascent toward mid-morning/zenith
Ascent to svah = rising to illumined mind; upholding worlds = stabilizing and harmonizing physical-vital-mental layers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ascent of the shining power to svah and the upholding of all worlds: a cosmogonic myth where the Light is both traveler and sustainer. Psychologically it depicts the ascent of awareness to a higher luminous plane, from which the multiplicity of inner worlds is held together by a unifying creative intelligence (Viśvakarman).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam (agacchaḥ) is PIE *gʷem- ‘go/come’ (cf. Latin venīre via different root; but Sanskrit gam is a primary IE motion verb). √bhṛ ‘bear’ is PIE *bher- (cf. English bear). The cosmological statement is built with instrumental agency (‘by whom’, ‘by Viśvakarman’)—a typical IE syntactic strategy for attributing world-order to a divine function.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi contemplates the devatā as a cosmic principle: the Light’s attainment of svah becomes a model for the aspirant’s ascent. The hymn establishes trust in a universal support-system—worlds are not chaotic but ‘borne’ by an all-working intelligence aided by the totality of divine powers.
Ascend to a quiet luminous plane (svah), then consciously let that light uphold and harmonize all inner ‘worlds’.
Sahasrāra to entire nāḍī system (integration)
Slow exhale emphasis (1:2 ratio) to ‘bear’ the light into the body; pause briefly after exhale for stability
Integrated luminous calm; sense of a higher order working through you.
After chanting, scan body–vital–mind; on each layer repeat inwardly ‘ābhṛtā’ (borne) and feel it held by a single sunlike awareness.
Let ‘svaḥ agacchaḥ’ carry a gentle rise; settle on ‘ābhṛtā’ and ‘viśvakarmaṇā’ with a grounded cadence.
Clear separation of phrases: (vibhrājañ jyotiṣā) | (svar agaccho rocanaṃ divaḥ) || (yenemā…)—avoid breathlessness.
vibhrājañ: final ‘ñ’ nasalization before pause, rocanaṃ: ‘c’ unaspirated; nasal ‘aṃ’, viśvakarmaṇā: ‘śv’ cluster; retroflex ṇ, viśvadevyāvatā: keep ‘vyā’ as a glide, not ‘vi-yā’
Warm, steady, integrating; slightly lower pitch on the sustaining half.
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