Rig Veda 10.32.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 32, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.32
- Devata
- Agni/Inner Fire as the guided seer-power
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
तदित्सधस्थमभि चारु दीधय गावो यच्छासन्वहतुं न धेनवः । माता यन्मन्तुर्यूथस्य पूर्व्याभि वाणस्य सप्तधातुरिज्जनः ॥
tád ít sadhástham abhí cā́ru dīdhaya gā́vo yác chā́san vahatúṃ ná dhenávaḥ | mātā́ yán mantúr yūthásya pū́rvyā́bhí vā́ṇasya saptádhātur íj jánaḥ ||
वो अच्छी सोच को देवताओं की जगह पे रख देता है। किरण जैसे गाय दूध देती हैं, वैसे ही यह भी अपना काम करती हैं। जब पुरानी माँ अपने झुंड के साथ शब्द की तरफ बढ़ती है, तब इंसान अपना सही जन्म पाता है। यह सात हिस्सों में बना होता है।
Word by Word
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root इत् (निपात)
- सधस्थम्
- common seat/assembly-placeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सधस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; सध-स्थ ‘साथ/सभा-स्थान’)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- चारु
- beautiful, dearAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सधस्थम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीधयत्
- he pondered/caused to contemplateVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (दीधयत् = causative/iterative sense ‘made (them) think/pondered’)Role KartāRoot धी/ध्या (धातु; ‘to think, to meditate’)
- गावः
- the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which/that (thing)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध/यद्-तद्)Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शासन्
- commanding, directingVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (कर्तरि)Role KartāRoot शास् (धातु; ‘to command, instruct’)
- वहतुम्
- to carry, to conveyVerbतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभावRole KarmaRoot वह् (धातु; ‘to carry, convey’)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा/निषेधार्थक निपात (यहाँ उपमा ‘like’)Root न (अव्यय)
- धेनवः
- milch-cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- माता
- motherNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- when/that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध)Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्तुः
- of the counsellor/thinkerNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot मन्तु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘counsel, thought, adviser’)
- यूथस्य
- of the herdNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्व्या
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (माता इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘former, ancient’)
- अभि
- towards, overIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाणस्य
- of the voice/utteranceNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot वाण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘voice/sound/arrow’—RV often ‘voice/utterance’)
- सप्तधातुः
- of sevenfold substanceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (वाणस्य इति विशेषणम्)Role SambandhaRoot सप्त-धातु (समास; ‘having seven layers/constituents’)
- इत्
- indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root इत् (निपात)
- जनः
- the people/folkNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): तदित् → तत् + इत्
- सधस्थम् (no further split)
- अभि चारु (external sandhi absent)
- दीधय (pada text) taken as finite form दीधयत् (RV injunctive/imperf. usage)
- गावो → गावः
- यच्छासन्वहतुम् → यत् + शासन् + वहतुम्
- न धेनवः (no sandhi)
- माता यन्मन्तुर्यूथस्य → माता + यत् + मन्तुः + यूथस्य
- पूर्व्याभि → पूर्व्या + अभि
- वाणस्य सप्तधातुरिज्जनः → वाणस्य + सप्तधातुः + इत् + जनः. Accents are retained as in Saṃhitā but not re-marked per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
He sets fair thought upon the common seat when the cows, like milch-cows, obey and carry the burden. When the ancient Mother of the herd moves toward the Word, the sevenfold-founded human being is driven toward his proper birth.
Inner meaning
The ‘common seat’ (sadhastha) is the shared plane of the gods in us: a stable luminous foundation. ‘Cows’ are rays of knowledge; when they obey the inner discipline they ‘carry the burden onward’—they bear the work of transformation like dhenu (milch-cows) yielding nourishment. The ‘ancient Mother of the herd’ is the primal Consciousness/Śakti (Aditi-like) that turns toward Vāc (the creative Word). Then the human being founded on ‘seven’ (seven principles/planes or seven energies) is impelled into right birth—true becoming in ṛta.
Universal truth
When knowledge-rays submit to inner order and the primal consciousness aligns with the creative Word, human nature is re-born into its true kind through a sevenfold harmonized foundation.
Themes
recovery-and-guidance of the Rays (gāvaḥ), establishment of luminous thought (dhī), Word-power shaping the human vessel
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.32.1, RV 10.32.2, RV 10.32.3, RV 10.32.5
Significance
A classic example for symbolic exegesis: ‘cows’ and ‘mother’ are not pastoral but cognitive and cosmic—knowledge-rays and the primal Śakti moving toward Vāc to create a new human birth.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (inner Fire) with Indraic illumination in the background
- Epithets
- hotṛ (priest, implied by sadhastha), kavi (seer, implied by dīdhaya), purohita (leader in front, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Vāc/Sarasvatī, Aditi, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Agni as the organizer of the sacrifice: establishes the seat, disciplines the rays, and enables right birth through the Word.
Inner power
Divine Will and discerning flame that coordinates knowledge and speech into transformation.
In ritual
Where it is used
General recitation in Agni/Soma contexts; psychologically, for establishing dhī (right vision) and opening the ‘rays’ (gāvaḥ) to bear the inner work
तदित्स॒धस्थ॑म॒भि चारु॑ दीधय॒ गावो॒ यच्छास॑न्वह॒तुं न धे॒नव॑: । मा॒ता यन्मन्तु॑र्यू॒थस्य॑ पू॒र्व्याभि वा॒णस्य॑ स॒प्तधा॑तु॒रिज्जन॑: ॥
तत् । इत् । स॒धऽस्थ॑म् । अ॒भि । चारु॑ । दी॒ध॒य॒ । गावः॑ । यत् । शास॑न् । व॒ह॒तुम् । न । धे॒नवः॑ । मा॒ता । यत् । मन्तुः॑ । यू॒थस्य॑ । पू॒र्व्या । अ॒भि । वा॒णस्य॑ । स॒प्तऽधा॑तुः । इत् । जनः॑ ॥
tat | it | sadha-stham | abhi | cāru | dīdhaya | gāvaḥ | yat | śāsan | vahatum | na | dhenavaḥ | mātā | yat | mantuḥ | yūthasya | pūrvyā | abhi | vāṇasya | sapta-dhātuḥ | it | janaḥ
48
Likely 4 × ~12
Deliberate and constructive; imagery unfolds in stages (seat → rays → mother → birth).
Builds a sense of inner architecture; listener feels alignment and ‘right formation’ taking place.
- सधस्थम् (sadhastham)
- Literal: common seat, assembly-place. Symbolic: stable plane where divine powers meet in the seeker—inner altar of harmony
- चारु दीधय (cāru dīdhaya)
- Literal: he kindles/sets fair thought. Symbolic: the awakened intelligence establishes a beautiful, clear intention in the inner field
- गावः (gāvaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge released and organized
- शासन् (śāsan)
- Literal: obeying, under command. Symbolic: illumined thoughts disciplined by the higher will (Agni/Indra) rather than wandering
- वहतुम् (vahatum)
- Literal: to carry, to bear. Symbolic: to sustain the yogic work and bring it to its goal
- धेनवः (dhenavaḥ)
- Literal: milch-cows. Symbolic: knowledge that nourishes and increases inner strength/bliss
- माता ... यूथस्य पूर्व्या (mātā ... yūthasya pūrvyā)
- Literal: the ancient mother of the herd. Symbolic: primal Consciousness-Force (Aditi/Śakti) source of the rays
- वाṇस्य (vāṇasya)
- Literal: of the word/sound (Vāc). Symbolic: creative mantra-consciousness shaping new birth
- सप्तधातुः (saptadhātuḥ)
- Literal: sevenfold-founded. Symbolic: being organized on seven principles/energies (from physical to luminous mental/spiritual)
General recitation in Agni/Soma contexts; psychologically, for establishing dhī (right vision) and opening the ‘rays’ (gāvaḥ) to bear the inner work
Applicable in Agni-centered invocations and Vāc/knowledge-oriented recitations
Establishing the inner/outer altar-seat; praising the ordered movement of rays (gāvaḥ)
Use before study, mantra-japa, or creative work: to discipline thought-rays and align speech with deeper consciousness.
Key terms: sadhástha (saha ‘together’ + sthā ‘to stand’) indicates a shared plane of consciousness, often the ‘seat’ where divine powers assemble. dīdhaya is an intensive formation from √dhī (to think, perceive, hold vision), suggesting a concentrated, kindling cognition. gā́vaḥ ‘cows’ in RV frequently denotes luminous rays/knowledges (go- also ‘light’), hence their ‘bearing’ (√vah) is the carrying-forward of illumination into the human journey. śāsan from √śās (to command/instruct) frames illumination as obedient to a higher law (ṛta). vā́ṇasya from √vā/√van (speech-sound, inspired utterance) points to mantra/word as a formative power. sapta-dhātu ‘sevenfold-founded’ aligns with Vedic septenary structuring (seven rays, seven waters, seven fires), here as the human’s inner constitution capable of receiving the Word.
Ṛta (governance/command that the rays obey), Vāc (creative Word), septenary order (sapta-dhātu as structured being)
Obedient rays (gāvaḥ śāsan) indicate ṛta governing cognition; then knowledge becomes carrying-power, not distraction.
Mother moving toward Vāc suggests truth-conscious speech: word that reveals what is, not merely describes.
Anthropogenesis as spiritual rebirth: the sevenfold human is ‘impelled’ into right kind by alignment of consciousness and word.
Symbolic cosmology aligned with Aurobindo/Kashyap: Vāc as creative consciousness; sevenfold being as layered psychology.
Cows = rays; milk = nourishment/bliss from knowledge; herd = ordered faculties; mother = primal consciousness; seat = stable inner altar.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cows’ as rays/knowledges that must be brought to the sadhástha (common divine seat) and made to ‘carry’ (vah-) the work under command (śās-). This is a variant of the larger RV myth of recovering/ordering the luminous herds—here internalized as the disciplined movement of illuminations into the seat of right vision and inspired Word.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ matches PIE *weǵʰ- / *weǵ- ‘to convey, transport’ (cf. Latin vehō). √sthā in sadhástha reflects PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’ (cf. Greek histēmi, Latin stō). √dhī (vision/thought) is Indo-Iranian in its semantic elevation of ‘thought’ as a luminous faculty; while direct PIE mapping is debated, the poetic grammar shows an inherited IE style: relative yát-clauses, comparative ná, and abstract compounding (sapta-dhātu) to encode cosmological structure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer’s act is to ‘set the fair dhī’ upon the divine seat; the Devata-side responds by making the rays (gāvaḥ) obedient to law and capable of bearing nourishment. Reciprocity is implicit: disciplined illumination (divine governance) enables inspired Word (vāṇ-) to descend into the human’s sevenfold constitution, and the human, thus ‘impelled’ (íj), becomes fit for further divine leading.
Bring attention to the ‘seat’ in the heart-head axis; invite scattered thoughts (rays) to obey a single higher intention; let speech arise from that stillness.
Viśuddha (Vāc/word) supported by Ājñā (clarity)
Bhrāmarī (humming) 5 rounds to attune to inner Vāc, then silent sitting
Collected, luminous, creatively aligned.
Chant once; then practice 2 minutes of ‘thought-herding’: each thought-ray is gently returned to the central intention. End by speaking one true sentence (a vow or insight) from stillness.
Chant with steady mid-range; mark semantic peaks on sadhastham, gāvaḥ, mātā, saptadhātuḥ (exact Vedic svara requires source)
Hold a slight pause after sadhastham; articulate gāvo clearly (long ā); emphasize saptadhātuḥ as concluding force.
sadhastham: dental ‘d’, aspirate ‘sth’ clearly, dīdhaya: long ī; retroflex not involved, dhenuvaḥ: ‘dh’ voiced aspirate; ‘e’ long, saptadhātuḥ: keep retroflex ṭ; long ā in dhātuḥ
Steady, formative, slightly resonant on Vāc-related words
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
