Sangachhadhvam Rig Veda 10.191.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 191, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.191
- Rishi
- Saṃvanana
- Devata
- Saṃvanana / Concord
- Chandas
- Virāḍ-anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । देवा भागं यथा पूर्वे संजानाना उपासते ॥
saṃ gácchadhvaṃ saṃ vádadhvaṃ saṃ vo mánāṃsi jānatām | devā́ bhāgáṃ yáthā pū́rve saṃjānānā́ upā́sate ||
सब साथ में चलो। सब साथ में बात करो। सबका दिमाग एक जगह लगा के सोचो। जैसे पुराने टाइम के देवता एक दूसरे के साथ मिलकर काम करते थे, वैसे ही तुम भी साथ में काम करो।
Word by Word
- सम्
- together, in unionIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (अव्यय)Root सम् (उपसर्ग) / saṃ-
- गच्छध्वम्
- go (you all), proceedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole Kartā (युष्मद्-कर्तृक आज्ञा)Root √गम् (गच्छ-)
- सम्
- togetherIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (अव्यय)Root सम् (उपसर्ग) / saṃ-
- वदध्वम्
- speak (you all)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole Kartā (युष्मद्-कर्तृक आज्ञा)Root √वद्
- सम्
- togetherIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (अव्यय)Root सम् (उपसर्ग) / saṃ-
- वः
- Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role Sampradāna/सम्बन्ध (Root युष्मद् (वः) सर्वनाम
- मनांसि
- minds, thoughtsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Kartā (जानताम्-क्रियायाः)Root मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) / मनस्-
- जानताम्
- let (them) know/recognize; be in accordVerbलोट्, तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद (आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे: ‘let … know/agree’)Role Kriyā (मनांसि-कर्तृक)Root √ज्ञा (जान-)
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (उपासते-क्रियायाः)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक) / देव-
- भागम्
- share, portionNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (उपासते-क्रियायाः)Root भाग (प्रातिपदिक) / भाग-
- यथा
- as, just asIndeclinableसम्बन्धाव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार)Root यथा (अव्यय) / yathā
- पूर्वे
- the former/earlier (ones)Adjective (substantive)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (उपासते-क्रियायाः; ‘पूर्वे (देवाः)’)Root पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) / पूर्व-
- संजानानाः
- being of one mind; agreeing togetherParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), आत्मनेपदीय, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā-विशेषण (पूर्वे/देवाः)Root सम्+√ज्ञा (संजान-)
- उपासते
- worship/serve, attend uponVerbलट्, तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kriyā (देवाः/पूर्वे संजानानाः कर्तारः; भागम् कर्म)Root उप+√आस् (उपास-)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सम् | गच्छध्वम् | सम् | वदध्वम् | सम् | वः | मनांसि | जानताम् | देवाः | भागम् | यथा | पूर्वे | संजानानाः | उपासते । 1) ‘सं गच्छध्वम्’ इत्यत्र सम्-उपसर्गः क्रियापदेन सह प्रयोगः
- संहितायां ‘देवा’ इति रूपं दृश्यते। 4) ‘संजानाना उपासते’ इत्यत्र संहितापाठे ‘संजानानाः’ (प्रथमा बहु.) + ‘उपासते’
- विसर्गः पदान्ते छन्दसि लोपितः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
An exhortation to a group: go together, speak together, let minds be of one understanding; as the ancient gods unitedly approached and shared their portion, so should the people unite in worship/work.
Inner meaning
A mantra of psychological integration. The scattered movements of the being—impulses (gacchadhvam), speech-forces (vadadhvam), and thoughts (manāṃsi)—are to be brought into concord (saṃ). The ‘gods of old’ are the perfected powers in us that naturally cooperate when the inner sacrifice is rightly ordered; then each receives its true share (bhāga) without conflict. Unity becomes the condition for effective offering and for collective sādhanā.
Universal truth
Harmony is not mere agreement but synchronized movement of will, speech, and mind toward a shared truth; such unity unlocks fair distribution of resources and a higher collective intelligence.
Themes
Social harmony, Ritual unity, Ethical-ṛta, Collective yoga
The seer
- Rishi
- Saṃvanana (traditional attribution for RV 10.191)
- Other hymns
- RV 10.191.1, RV 10.191.3
Family tradition
Concord hymns used to bind assemblies; later Vedic social-ritual application with deep yogic import as integration of faculties.
Significance
The rishi-vision frames unity as a spiritual technology: concord creates a vessel for higher powers to descend and act without distortion.
The deity
- Devata
- Saṃvanana (Concord) / Devāḥ-as-exemplar
- Epithets
- saṃjñāna (shared knowing), saṃgati (coming together), saṃvāda (harmonized speech)
- Related deities
- Agni (integrator through will), Bṛhaspati (harmonizing word), Mitra (concord/contract)
Cosmic role
Power that binds many into one order; in ritual, ensures cooperative functioning of divine powers.
Inner power
Integrative force that synchronizes action, speech, and thought into a single intentional current.
In ritual
Where it is used
Saṃgīti/assembly concord recitation; used to consecrate cooperation in yajña and community decisions
सं ग॑च्छध्वं॒ सं व॑दध्वं॒ सं वो॒ मनां॑सि जानताम् । दे॒वा भा॒गं यथा॒ पूर्वे॑ संजाना॒ना उ॒पास॑ते ॥
सम् । ग॒च्छ॒ध्व॒म् । सम् । व॒द॒ध्व॒म् । सम् । वः॒ । मनां॑सि । जा॒न॒ता॒म् । दे॒वाः । भा॒गम् । यथा॑ । पूर्वे॑ । स॒म्ऽजा॒ना॒नाः । उ॒प॒ऽआस॑ते ॥
sam | gacchadhvam | sam | vadadhvam | sam | vaḥ | manāṃsi | jānatām | devāḥ | bhāgam | yathā | pūrve | sam-jānānāḥ | upa-āsate
Anuṣṭubh (probable, common for exhortative verses)
32
4 pādas × 8 syllables (likely)
March-like, directive, with repeated ‘saṃ’ creating a unifying refrain.
Induces group coherence; stabilizes attention and reduces inner chatter by rhythmic unanimity.
- सम् (saṃ)
- Literal: together. Symbolic: integral unification; consent of parts of the being
- गच्छध्वम् (gacchadhvam)
- Literal: go/move. Symbolic: align life-movements and actions toward one aim
- वदध्वम् (vadadhvam)
- Literal: speak. Symbolic: harmonize speech; truthful communication as yogic force
- मनांसि (manāṃsi)
- Literal: minds. Symbolic: thought-waves; mental formations to be unified
- जानताम् (jānatām)
- Literal: let (them) know/awaken. Symbolic: awakening into shared understanding (saṃjñāna)
- देवाः (devāḥ)
- Literal: gods. Symbolic: luminous faculties/powers of consciousness
- भागम् (bhāgam)
- Literal: portion/share. Symbolic: right distribution of energies; each power receiving its due function
- संजानानाः (saṃjānānāḥ)
- Literal: in mutual understanding. Symbolic: collective consciousness; coordinated intelligence
Saṃjñāna/saṃvanana usage: recited to establish harmony among officiants/participants; applicable in communal rite settings where concord is prerequisite for effective sacrifice.
Before collective rites, councils, or distribution of offerings; also at the start of group undertakings
Collective recitation to establish unity; sometimes followed by shared offering/portioning
Ideal for teams/families: chant together before meetings; set a shared intention and a brief silence after the verse.
saṃ- intensifies unity. √gam → gacchadhvam ‘go together’. √vad → vadadhvam ‘speak together’. √jñā with saṃ- → saṃjānānāḥ ‘knowing together’ (PIE *ǵneh₃- ‘know’). bhāga ‘share/portion’ from √bhaj ‘to apportion’ (PIE *bʰag- ‘share, allot’; cf. Slavic bogŭ ‘god’ via ‘dispenser’ semantic in some traditions).
saṃjñāna (shared knowing), ṛta as social and inner order, yajña as coordinated action of powers
Ṛta in the human group: right relation and synchronized function mirroring the gods’ cooperation.
Truthful, concordant speech (vāc) as foundation of unity.
From multiplicity to unity: the many powers become effective when organized around a single truth.
Integral/psychological Veda: the ‘gods’ as powers of consciousness coordinating in the sacrifice of life.
Going = life-force direction; speaking = expressive energy; portion = allocation of prāṇa/attention among faculties under a single aim.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The gods as the archetype of concord: divine powers succeed because they ‘know together’ and approach the sacrifice in unity; human society is asked to mirror that divine coordination so the work becomes effective.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jñā (PIE *ǵneh₃-) in saṃjānānāḥ shows the inherited ‘knowledge’ root; √gam (PIE *gʷem-) and √vad (often linked with PIE *weh₂d- ‘speak’ in Indo-Iranian development) display archaic imperative plural forms used for collective exhortation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi mediates a practical spiritual law: unity of speech, movement, and mind allows the divine powers to act unobstructed in the group. The ‘devāḥ’ are both exemplars and inner agencies that become present when concord is established.
Unify the parts: align action, speech, and thought into one intention; practice inner ‘consent’ (saṃ) before speaking or acting.
Viśuddha (speech-truth)
Coherent breathing (5-5) in a group; chant on exhale together; pause in shared silence.
Quiet unanimity; reduced fragmentation; ‘one field’ feeling.
Before difficult conversations: chant once, then speak only what supports shared truth; notice and release inner dissenting impulses into silence.
Rigvedic accentuation with repeated initial ‘saṃ’ giving a clear lift; keep pāda breaks clean to preserve collective rhythm.
Strike ‘saṃ’ uniformly each time; keep consonant clusters crisp (gacch-, vad-).
(gacchadhvam): ‘cch’ as doubled affricate; avoid ‘gachadavam’, (vadadhvam): clear ‘dhv’ cluster, (manāṃsi): long ‘āṃ’ nasalized, (saṃjānānāḥ): palatal ‘jā’, long vowels sustained
Unison, even and calm; avoid individual flourish—aim for collective sameness.
3
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