Rig Veda 10.36.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 36, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.36
- Devata
- Dyāvāpṛthivī with appeal against Nirṛti
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Bhayankara
द्यौश्च नः पृथिवी च प्रचेतस ऋतावरी रक्षतामंहसो रिषः । मा दुर्विदत्रा निॠतिर्न ईशत तद्देवानामवो अद्या वृणीमहे ॥
dyáuś ca naḥ pṛthivī́ ca prácetasā ṛtā́varī rakṣatām áṃhaso ríṣaḥ | mā durvidátrā níṛtir na īśata tád devānām ávo adyā́ vṛṇīmahe ||
आसमान और धरती हमारे लिए प्रोटेक्शन दें, यह दोनों समझदार हैं और सच का धरम रखते हैं। हमें तकलीफ़ और बुराई से बचाएँ। कोई बुरी ताक़त हमारे ऊपर न छा जाए। आज हम भगवान की यही प्रोटेक्शन माँग रहे हैं।
Word by Word
- द्यौः
- Heaven (Sky)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके प्रायः), प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक) < दिव्
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- पृथिवी
- EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- प्रचेतसौ
- the wise, fore-knowing (two)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन (विशेषणम् द्यावापृथिव्योः)Role KartāRoot प्रचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतावरी
- upholding ṛta (cosmic order), trueAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन (विशेषणम् द्यावापृथिव्योः)Role KartāRoot ऋतावरी (प्रातिपदिक)
- रक्षताम्
- let (them two) protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot रक्ष्
- अंहसः
- from distress / sinNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot अंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रिषः
- from harm, injuryNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot रिष्/रिषा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘हानि/क्षति’)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेध (prohibitive)Root मा
- दुर्विदत्रा
- ill-disposing, giving illAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (विशेषणम् निॠतिः)Role KartāRoot दुर्विदत्रा (प्रातिपदिक; दुḥ+विदत्रा)
- निॠतिः
- Nirṛti (goddess of destruction), calamityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot निॠति (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- ईशत
- let (her) not rule / have powerVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot ईश्
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद्
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवः
- help, protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकाल-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अद्य
- वृणीमहे
- we choose / we seekVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole KriyāRoot वृ (वृणुते)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-विग्रह): द्यौः च नः पृथिवी च प्रचेतसौ ऋतावरी रक्षताम् अंहसः रिषः । मा दुर्विदत्रा निॠतिः नः ईशत । तत् देवानाम् अवः अद्य वृणीमहे ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) द्यौश्च → द्यौः + च (विसर्ग + च = श्च)
- (2) रक्षतामंहसो → रक्षताम् + अंहसः (म् + अ = म्-अ, संहितायां ‘मं’)
- (3) अंहसो रिषः (पदसीमा)
- (4) दुर्विदत्रा निॠतिः (पदसीमा)
- (5) निॠतिर्न → निॠतिः + न (विसर्ग-लोपः/रुत्व-प्रभावः; संहितायां ‘र्’)
- (6) ईशत तद्देवानामवो → ईशत + तत् + देवानाम् + अवः (तत् + देवानाम् = तद्देवानाम्; अवः पूर्वे ‘म्’ परे ‘अ’ इत्यादि संहितारूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Heaven and Earth, wise and guardians of ṛta, protect us from distress and injury. Let ill-apportioning Nirṛti not rule us. Today we choose the gods’ protection.
Inner meaning
Heaven (higher mind) and Earth (embodied nature) are invoked as pracetasā—conscious supports—when they are aligned with ṛta (truth-order). Protection is requested against aṃhas and riṣ (inner suffering and harm), i.e., forces that deform the movement. Nirṛti is not merely a “goddess of destruction” but the power of negation, wrong distribution, and collapse into disorder—psychologically, depression, meaninglessness, and the pull of the subconscient dissolution. The refrain is a deliberate choice: the aspirant selects divine support as the governing law of the day’s consciousness.
Universal truth
A stable life needs both clarity of the higher mind and steadiness of the embodied foundation; when these are aligned with truth, they protect us from inner breakdown. Negation gains power when we do not consciously choose a higher governance.
Themes
protection, rejection of misfortune, truth-order guardianship
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.36.3-4 (same refrain; progressive protection imagery)
Significance
The refrain ‘tad devānām avo adyā vṛṇīmahe’ is a yogic act of sankalpa: choosing alignment with the divine order each day, rejecting Nirṛti’s governance.
The deity
- Devata
- Dyāvāpṛthivī (Heaven-and-Earth) with rejection of Nirṛti; concluding appeal to the Gods’ protection
- Epithets
- pracetasā (wise/conscious), ṛtāvarī (guardians of ṛta)
- Related deities
- Aditi/Ādityas (ṛta guardianship), Varuṇa (ṛta-law), Agni (mediator establishing order in the sacrifice)
Cosmic role
They are the two great supports of manifestation—above and below—maintaining stability and order for life and consciousness.
Inner power
Integration of higher understanding (dyauḥ) with steady embodiment (pṛthivī), forming a protective field against breakdown and wrong movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective prayer within Viśvedevāḥ contexts; could be used in expiatory/protection sequences (rakṣoghna emphasis)
द्यौश्च॑ नः पृथि॒वी च॒ प्रचे॑तस ऋ॒ताव॑री रक्षता॒मंह॑सो रि॒षः । मा दु॑र्वि॒दत्रा॒ निॠ॑तिर्न ईशत॒ तद्दे॒वाना॒मवो॑ अ॒द्या वृ॑णीमहे ॥
द्यौः । च॒ । नः॒ । पृ॒थि॒वी । च॒ । प्रऽचे॑तसा । ऋ॒तव॑री॒ इत्यृ॒तऽव॑री । र॒क्ष॒ता॒म् । अंह॑सः । रि॒षः । मा । दुः॒ऽवि॒दत्रा॑ । न्र्ऽऋ॑तिः । नः॒ । ई॒श॒त॒ । तत् । दे॒वाना॑म् । अवः॑ । अ॒द्य । वृ॒णी॒म॒हे॒ ॥
dyauḥ | ca | naḥ | pṛthivī | ca | pra-cetasā | ṛtavarī ity ṛta-varī | rakṣatām | aṃhasaḥ | riṣaḥ | mā | duḥ-vidatrā | nr-ṛtiḥ | naḥ | īśata | tat | devānām | avaḥ | adya | vṛṇīmahe
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables; last pāda is the fixed refrain cadence
Steady, judicial, protective; clear negation ‘mā…’ then firm resolution in the refrain.
Establishes inner boundary and resolve; the refrain lands like a seal of protection.
- द्यौः (dyauḥ)
- Literal: Heaven. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous consciousness above
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: Earth. Symbolic: embodied nature, foundation of practice
- प्रचेतसा (pracetasā)
- Literal: wise, conscious. Symbolic: mind and body made aware; conscious supports rather than mechanical habit
- ऋतावरी (ṛtāvarī)
- Literal: guardians of ṛta. Symbolic: powers that uphold truth-order in the being
- अंहसः (aṃhasaḥ)
- Literal: from distress/narrowness. Symbolic: from constriction and suffering born of ignorance
- रिषः (riṣaḥ)
- Literal: harm, injury. Symbolic: forces that wound the inner growth (falsehood, revolt, inertia)
- निर्ऋति (nirṛti)
- Literal: dissolution, misfortune. Symbolic: negation; wrong-apportioning collapse into disorder/subconscient pull
- देवानाम् अवः (devānām avaḥ)
- Literal: help/protection of the gods. Symbolic: active grace of higher powers stabilizing evolution
Apotropaic protection verse; recitable for warding off misfortune and wrong destiny in domestic and śrauta settings
At the start of day/rite; when warding off misfortune or inner/outer harm.
Recitation with a protective intention; optionally accompanied by ācamana (water-sipping) or a simple offering to Agni as witness.
Daily ‘choice’ mantra: chant upon waking to set governance—truth-order over negation; useful during anxiety/depressive spirals.
prácetasā: pra- + cetas ‘consciousness’ from √cit ‘perceive’. ṛtāvarī: ṛta ‘truth-order’ + -varī (possessive/feminine), ‘those rich in ṛta’. níṛti: ni- + √ṛ ‘to go/fit’? traditional as ‘decay/dissolution’; in RV a personified power of loss and wrong destiny. √īś ‘to rule’ (PIE *h₁eis- ‘to be vigorous/powerful’ debated). √vṛ ‘choose’ (PIE *wel- ‘to wish/choose’).
ṛta (truth-order) as protection, nirṛti (negation) as opposing force, choice (vṛṇīmahe) as act of alignment
Dyāvāpṛthivī as ṛtāvarī: when aligned to ṛta, they become protective supports of evolution.
Satya as the reliable ground (earth) and clear height (heaven) of consciousness.
Sustaining creation against forces of dissolution; maintaining the cosmic supports in the human field.
Vedic-psychological cosmology: world-powers as inner supports; Nirṛti as anti-evolutionary tendency.
Sky = clarity and wideness of mind; Earth = stability and patience of practice; Nirṛti = inner collapse/entropy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘guardians of ṛta versus Nirṛti’ pattern: Heaven and Earth as conscious upholders protect the sacrificer, while Nirṛti is the hostile power of loss and wrong allotment. Innerly, the wide higher consciousness and the stable embodied basis together prevent the descent into negation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyau- reflects PIE *dyew- (sky, bright), pṛthivī from √pṛth ‘broad’ parallels IE ‘broad earth’ formulas. The opposition of a protective cosmic pair vs. a personified misfortune is a widespread IE poetic structure (binary guardianship vs. hostile fate).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi explicitly ‘chooses’ (vṛṇīmahe) divine protection—an inner consent. The devatās respond as protective consciousness-forms; Nirṛti is denied sovereignty by the seeker’s alignment with ṛta.
Establish the ‘axis’: feel a clear sky-like awareness above and a steady earth-like support below; affirm ‘mā nirṛtir na īśata’.
Mūlādhāra (earth stability) and Sahasrāra (sky openness) linked by Suṣumṇā awareness.
Inhale ‘dyauś ca naḥ’, exhale ‘pṛthivī ca’; then a longer exhale on ‘mā… nirṛtiḥ’ to release negation; end with a steady inhale-exhale on the refrain.
Protected poise; vertical alignment.
When negativity arises, name it as Nirṛti (the wrong apportioning), refuse its rule, and re-choose the devic protection ‘today’ (adyā) as a renewed commitment.
Triṣṭubh protection style: lift on ‘pracetasā’ and ‘ṛtāvarī’; strong prohibitive accent on ‘mā’; refrain chanted with even, sealing cadence.
Pause after ‘rakṣatām’; make ‘mā durvidatrā’ crisp; refrain slightly slower as a concluding seal.
Pronounce ‘nirṛtiḥ’ with clear retroflex ṛ (nir-ṛ-tiḥ), not ‘niriti’., Keep visarga in ‘aṃhasaḥ’ light but audible., ‘ṛtāvarī’—do not flatten ṛ; keep long ā.
Protective, steady, low-centered.
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