Rig Veda 10.44.11: Mandala 10, Sukta 44, Mantra 11
Sukta 10.44
- Devata
- Brihaspati and Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
बृहस्पतिर्नः परि पातु पश्चादुतोत्तरस्मादधरादघायोः । इन्द्रः पुरस्तादुत मध्यतो नः सखा सखिभ्यो वरिवः कृणोतु ॥
bṛ́haspátir naḥ pári pātu paścā́d utóttarasmād ádharād aghāyóḥ | índraḥ purástād utá madhyató naḥ sákhā sákhibhyo vári-vaḥ kṛṇotu ||
बृहस्पति हमें पीछे से बचाए, ऊपर से भी, नीचे से भी। बुरी चीज़ें न आएँ पास। इंद्र आगे से रक्षा करे, बीच से भी। वो दोस्त है, अपने दोस्तों के लिए रास्ता साफ करता है।
Word by Word
- बृहस्पतिः
- BṛhaspatiNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot बृहस्पति- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान (हितार्थे)Root अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पातु
- may (he) protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot पा (रक्षणे)
- पश्चात्
- from behindIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot पश्चात् (अव्यय)
- उत
- and / alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उत (निपात)
- उत्तरात्
- from the northAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशि), पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot उत्तर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्मात्
- from that (side)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot स्मात् (अव्यय/निपात; निर्देशार्थक)
- अधरत्
- from belowAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशि), पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot अधर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अघायोः
- of the two evil-doers / malign onesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अघायू- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अघं कामयते/करोति’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरस्तात्
- from the frontIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot पुरस्तात् (अव्यय)
- उत
- and / alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उत (निपात)
- मध्यतः
- from the middleIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot मध्यतः (अव्यय; मध्य-तस्)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान (हितार्थे)Root अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम)
- सखा
- (as) a friendNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root सखि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सखिभ्यः
- to (his/our) friendsNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सखि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरिवः
- wide space / free course / favorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वरिवस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विस्तार/अवकाश/उपकार’)
- कृणोतु
- may (he) make / grantVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot कृ (करणे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: बृहस्पतिः नः परि पातु पश्चात् उत उत्तरात् स्मात् अधरत् अघायोः । इन्द्रः पुरस्तात् उत मध्यतः नः सखा सखिभ्यः वरिवः कृणोतु ॥ 1) बृहस्पति॑र् + नः → बृहस्पति॑र्नः (विसर्ग-रेफः संधि)
- 2) पश्चात् + उत → पश्चादुत (द् + उ)
- 3) उत + उत्तरात् → उतोत्तरात् (उ + उ → ओ)
- 4) उत्तरात् + स्मात् → उत्तरस्मात् (त् + स् → त्स्; लेखने ‘उत्तरात् स्मात्’)
- 5) अधरत् + अघायोः → अधरादघायोः (त् + अ → द्; परसवर्ण/व्यञ्जनसंधि)
- 6) पुरस्तात् + उत → पुरस्ता॑दुत (त् + उ → द्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A protective invocation: Bṛhaspati guards from behind, above, and below against harm; Indra guards from the front and middle, and as a friend makes wide safe space for his friends.
Inner meaning
Bṛhaspati (lord of the Word, master of inspired thought) is asked to protect the seeker from unseen attacks—past impressions (behind), higher pressures (above), and lower impulses (below). Indra (illumined mind-force) is asked to lead from the front (future movement, initiative) and from the middle (present equilibrium), creating varivas—inner wideness, freedom from constriction, and safe passage through difficulty. The mantra maps total psychological protection: the Word stabilizes the whole field, while Indra opens the path and sustains the central poise.
Universal truth
True safety is not mere defense but the creation of inner wideness. When inspired intelligence (Bṛhaspati) and illumined power (Indra) cooperate, life’s directions—past, future, above, below, and present—become harmonized and protected.
Themes
protection, spatial-totality, friendship with the gods, inner freedom (varivas)
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.44.10 (same sūkta)
Significance
The verse exemplifies the Vedic ‘integral protection’: not only warding off harm, but establishing wideness (varivas) through Indra and right-guiding speech-thought through Bṛhaspati.
The deity
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati and Indra
- Epithets
- Bṛhaspati (lord of brahman/word), Indra (Sakhā—Friend)
- Related deities
- Agni (carrier of offerings; will), Sarasvatī (inspired flow of speech), Maruts (dynamic supports of Indra)
Cosmic role
Bṛhaspati: opens the path by the power of truth-word, guards the order of the sacrifice. Indra: pioneers the advance, breaks obstruction, grants wideness and victory.
Inner power
Bṛhaspati: discerning, mantra-born protection; Indra: courageous illumination that creates inner space and forward movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective stotra; could be used in rites seeking safe passage and warding off evil influences
बृह॒स्पति॑र्न॒: परि॑ पातु प॒श्चादु॒तोत्त॑रस्मा॒दध॑रादघा॒योः । इन्द्र॑: पु॒रस्ता॑दु॒त म॑ध्य॒तो न॒: सखा॒ सखि॑भ्यो॒ वरि॑वः कृणोतु ॥
बृ॒हस्पतिः॑ । नः॒ । परि॑ । पा॒तु॒ । प॒श्चात् । उ॒त । उत्ऽत॑रस्मात् । अध॑रात् । अ॒घ॒ऽयोः । इन्द्रः॑ । पु॒रस्ता॑त् । उ॒त । म॒ध्य॒तः । नः॒ । सखा॑ । सखि॑ऽभ्यः । वरि॑ऽवः । कृ॒णो॒तु॒ ॥
bṛhaspatiḥ | naḥ | pari | pātu | paścāt | uta | ut-tarasmāt | adharāt | agha-yoḥ | indraḥ | purastāt | uta | madhyataḥ | naḥ | sakhā | sakhi-bhyaḥ | vari-vaḥ | kṛṇotu
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4 × ~11
Protective, enclosing rhythm in first half; expansive, opening cadence in second half with varivaḥ.
Creates a felt ‘shield’ around the body-mind, then a release into wideness; excellent for beginning meditation or travel.
- बृहस्पतिः (bṛhaspatiḥ)
- Literal: lord of the prayer/word. Symbolic: inspired intelligence; guardian power of mantra and right discernment
- परि पातु (pari pātu)
- Literal: may he guard all around. Symbolic: integral protection of the consciousness-field
- पश्चात् (paścāt)
- Literal: from behind. Symbolic: past samskāras, subconscious residues
- उत्तर/अधर (uttara/adhara)
- Literal: above/below. Symbolic: higher mental pressures and lower vital-physical impulses
- अघायोः (aghāyoḥ)
- Literal: from harms/evil-doers. Symbolic: forces of falsehood, disturbance, hostile suggestions
- इन्द्रः (indraḥ)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: illumined mind-force leading the advance
- पुरस्तात् (purastāt)
- Literal: in front. Symbolic: guidance of forward movement and right initiative
- मध्यतः (madhyataḥ)
- Literal: from the middle. Symbolic: central poise; inner balance in action
- वरिवः (varivaḥ)
- Literal: wide space, room. Symbolic: wideness, freedom, safe passage in consciousness
- सखा (sakhā)
- Literal: friend. Symbolic: intimate divine ally within
Protective (rakṣas) framing around the rite/journey; suited to transitional moments in Soma ritual and to general apotropaic recitation.
Before journeys, before entering ritual space, at the start of a meditation session, or during anxiety/instability
Recitation facing east (Indra ‘in front’), then a brief circumambulation or visualization of protection in all directions
Directional protection practice: chant once while sensing protection behind/above/below, then once sensing guidance ahead/within.
bṛhaspati: bṛh- ‘to grow, expand’ (PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise, high’ is debated; Indo-Aryan bṛh is archaic) + pati ‘lord’ (PIE *pótis). varivas ‘wide space’ from √vṛ ‘to cover/choose’ with semantic development to ‘room, scope’; in RV often denotes ‘freedom, opportunity’. agha ‘harm’ (moral/ontological) denotes hostile forces, not merely social evil.
guardianship of the Word (Brihaspati) and force (Indra), creation of inner space (varivas) enabling R̥ta-based progress, protection against hostile formations (agha)
The quarters are harmonized; protection is alignment of the being with cosmic order.
Bṛhaspati’s guarding is fundamentally the guarding of truth in thought and speech.
Wideness (varivas) as a created space—Indra makes room for the soul’s journey.
Integral Vedic psychology: deities as powers structuring the field of consciousness.
Directions correspond to layers of consciousness: behind=past/subconscient, above=supramental/mental pressure, below=instinct/vital, front=future movement, middle=present equilibrium; varivas=inner spaciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The gods as guardians of the quarters: Brihaspati protects from rear/above/below; Indra secures front and center, creating ‘wide space’ (varivas). Inwardly, the Word-power guards the subconscient and lower nature, while the Force-power leads the advance and stabilises the active field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati ‘lord’ is a clear IE inheritance (PIE *pótis). Spatial adverbs (purastāt, paścāt) show old deictic morphology. The reciprocal social vocabulary (sakhā ‘friend’) reflects archaic IE ‘companion’ semantics used for divine-human alliance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not for isolated boons but for a protected total field of practice: Brihaspati secures the foundations by the Word; Indra, as friend, opens varivas—inner liberty—so the collective ‘friends’ can advance without obstruction.
Establish a protective circumference and then widen the inner space (varivas).
Anahata (friendship/inner support) and Ajna (right guidance)
Box-breath 4–4–4–4 for 3 rounds; then chant on a long exhale to feel ‘space’ expand
From guardedness to calm wideness; from scattered attention to centered protection
Visualize Bṛhaspati as a golden ring of mantra-light around you (behind/above/below). Visualize Indra as a blue-gold force ahead and in the heart-center, opening a clear path; rest in the widened field after chanting.
Maintain tri-svara; lift on deity names (bṛhaspatiḥ, indraḥ) and on varivaḥ; keep pāda-end falls clean.
Mark directional words with slight emphasis: paścād / uttarasmād / adharāt / purastāt / madhyataḥ; let ‘varivaḥ’ be elongated slightly.
bṛhaspatiḥ: vocalic ṛ; ‘sp’ cluster crisp, asmād uttarasmād: double ‘tt’ dental, adharāt: clear ‘dh’ aspirate, varivaḥ: ‘v’ not ‘w’; final visarga light
Protective, steady, not forceful; broaden tone on ‘varivaḥ’.
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