Rig Veda 10.61.23: Mandala 10, Sukta 61, Mantra 23
Sukta 10.61
- Rishi
- Angirasa / hymn-complex seer tradition
- Devata
- Indra and allied powers
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अध यद्राजाना गविष्टौ सरत्सरण्युः कारवे जरण्युः । विप्रः प्रेष्ठः स ह्येषां बभूव परा च वक्षदुत पर्षदेनान् ॥
adhá yád rājānā gáv-iṣṭau sárat saraṇyúḥ kāráve jaraṇyúḥ | vípraḥ préṣṭhaḥ sá hy eṣāṃ babhū́va párā ca vákṣad utá párṣad enān ||
दो राजा थे जो रोशनी ढूंढ रहे थे। उन्होंने एक ताकत चलाई जो तेज़ी से गई। एक रिशि जो सबसे प्यारा था, उनका लीडर बन गया। वो उनको आगे ले गया और पार करके ले आया।
Word by Word
- अध
- then, nowIndeclinableनिपात/अव्ययRoot अध (निपात)
- यत्
- what, that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- राजानौ
- the two kings (dual)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गविष्टौ
- in the quest for cattle; in cattle-seekingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot गविष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सरत्
- ran, spedVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), प्रथमा, एकवचनRoot सृ (धातु)
- सरण्युः
- Saraṇyu (a swift one; name/epithet)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सरण्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- कारवे
- to the singer/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot कारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरन्युः
- Jaraṇyu (name/epithet; ‘the aging/old one’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot जरन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- विप्रः
- the inspired sageNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रेष्ठः
- dearest, most belovedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of प्रिय)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot हि (निपात)
- एषाम्
- of thesePronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- बभूव
- has become; becameVerbलिट् (परोक्स-परफेक्ट), प्रथमा, एकवचनRoot भू (धातु)
- परा
- forth, awayIndeclinableउपसर्गार्थक अव्ययRoot परा (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- वक्षत्
- let him carry/leadVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमा, एकवचनRoot वह् (धातु)
- उत
- and also; moreoverIndeclinableनिपातRoot उत (निपात)
- पर्षत्
- let him ferry across; saveVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमा, एकवचनRoot पॄ/पॢ (धातु; ‘to carry across, save’)
- एनान्
- these (them)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एनद्-श्रुति)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अध | यत् | राजानौ | गविष्टौ | सरत् | सरण्युः | कारवे | जरन्युः | विप्रः | प्रेष्ठः | सः | हि | एषाम् | बभूव | परा | च | वक्षत् | उत | पर्षत् | एनान् । मुख्य सन्धि/संयोग: (1) यद् + राजानौ → यद्राजानौ (द् + र संयोग)
- (2) सरत् + सरण्युः → सरत्सरण्युः (त् + स)
- (3) वक्षत् + उत → वक्षदुत (त् + उ → दुत्, वैदिक संधि-रूप)
- (4) पर्षत् + एनान् → पर्षदेनान् (त् + ए → दे, वैदिक संधि-रूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the “two kings” in the quest for the cows/light set the swift-moving power (Saraṇyu) into motion for the singer seeking right praise, the beloved seer becomes their leader and carries them beyond, bringing them safely across.
Inner meaning
When the twin ruling powers of the inner being (illumined Mind and effective Will, or Indra with an allied kingly power) turn toward the recovery of the rays of knowledge (go), they release the swift executive force (saraṇyu) for the soul’s true chant (kārú). Then the vipra—intuitional seer-consciousness—becomes the guide: it leads the faculties beyond obstruction and ferries them across the dangerous passage (the subconscient flood/limit).
Universal truth
Progress requires a harmonized governance of consciousness: when higher directive powers awaken the right movement-force and align it with truthful aspiration, the intuitive discernment becomes the leader that carries life across resistance into a wider luminous state.
Themes
Quest for Light, Divine leadership (two kings), Crossing beyond obstruction
The seer
- Rishi
- Angirasa (hymn-complex seer tradition)
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.62, RV 1.71, RV 4.1, RV 10.62
Family tradition
Angirasas as discoverers of the cows (rays), allies of Indra, masters of the inner Word that breaks the cave of concealment.
Significance
The Angirasa current symbolizes the lineage of inner priests whose mantra and tapas open the hidden light; here the ‘vipra’ leadership is the Angirasa function—guiding the faculties across the limiting threshold.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with an allied ‘kingly’ power; the ‘two kings’)
- Epithets
- rājā (sovereign), gopati (lord of the cows—implicit), vṛtrahan (slayer of the coverer—contextual)
- Related deities
- Agni, Bṛhaspati, Sarasvatī, Aśvins, Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction and releaser of the luminous plenitudes; organizer of victorious movement in the worlds.
Inner power
Illumined Mind-force that strikes through darkness, releases intuition, and coordinates energies for the ascent.
In ritual
Where it is used
Recitation in contexts emphasizing the ‘go-iṣṭi’ (quest for light) and the passage beyond obstacles; supports the inner intent of leading the sacrificer across
अध॒ यद्रा॑जाना॒ गवि॑ष्टौ॒ सर॑त्सर॒ण्युः का॒रवे॑ जर॒ण्युः । विप्र॒: प्रेष्ठ॒: स ह्ये॑षां ब॒भूव॒ परा॑ च॒ वक्ष॑दु॒त प॑र्षदेनान् ॥
अध॑ । यत् । रा॒जा॒ना॒ । गोऽइ॑ष्टौ । सर॑त् । स॒र॒ण्युः । का॒रवे॑ । ज॒र॒ण्युः । विप्रः॑ । प्रेष्ठः॑ । सः । हि । ए॒षा॒म् । ब॒भूव॒ । परा॑ । च॒ । वक्ष॑त् । उ॒त । प॒र्ष॒त् । ए॒ना॒न् ॥
adha | yat | rājānā | go--iṣṭau | sarat | saraṇyuḥ | kārave | jaraṇyuḥ | vipraḥ | preṣṭhaḥ | saḥ | hi | eṣām | babhūva | parā | ca | vakṣat | uta | parṣat | enān
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, martial yet spacious cadence suited to breakthrough and crossing.
Builds inner momentum; the rhythm supports ‘carrying beyond’—a felt propulsion of consciousness past inertia.
- राजाना (rājānā)
- Literal: two kings/rulers. Symbolic: twin sovereign powers in us—directive Mind and commanding Will (often Indra with an allied power) governing the inner journey
- गविष्टौ (gaviṣṭau)
- Literal: in the search for cows. Symbolic: quest for the rays of knowledge/illumination (go) hidden by obscurity
- सरत् / सरण्युः (sarat / saraṇyuḥ)
- Literal: swift-moving; the runner. Symbolic: rapid executive force of consciousness; the dynamic energy that carries the movement forward
- कारवे (kārave)
- Literal: to/for the singer-poet. Symbolic: the aspiring soul-voice that forms right praise (mantric will)
- जरण्युः (jaraṇyuḥ)
- Literal: desiring to praise/fit for praise. Symbolic: the impulse toward true expression that aligns speech with the Real
- विप्रः (vipraḥ)
- Literal: seer, inspired sage. Symbolic: intuitional/illuminated consciousness that can lead the inner sacrifice
- परा… वक्षत् / पर्षत् (parā… vakṣat / parṣat)
- Literal: carried beyond; brought across. Symbolic: crossing beyond limitation and the covering resistance into a larger being
Recitation in contexts emphasizing the ‘go-iṣṭi’ (quest for light) and the passage beyond obstacles; supports the inner intent of leading the sacrificer across
Recitation within Indra/Angirasa-themed sequences; adaptable for invocations seeking guidance through obstacles.
Stotra/śastra-style praise: energizing the ‘swift force’ through mantra and intention.
Use when beginning demanding work or a spiritual transition: invoke higher governance, then act with swift, aligned energy under inner discernment.
√sṛ ‘run/flow’ in sarat suggests a released current of force; √vah ‘carry’ (PIE *weǵh-) and √pṛ ‘carry across/save’ encode the classic ‘ferryman’/rescuer semantics of divine guidance. vipra derives from a root sense of trembling/vibrating inspiration, fitting the psychological reading of illumined mind.
Guidance across limitation, Go (illumination) as aim, Inspired speech (vipra/kāru)
The ‘right praise’ and right-leading vipra indicate alignment with R̥ta that enables safe passage.
Vipra as truth-seer; crossing occurs by truth-guided movement, not by force alone.
Release of hidden light (go) by coordinated divine powers; widening into the Vast.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent by illumination and effective will.
The ‘ford’ is the threshold between ordinary mind and wider consciousness; Saraṇyu is the surge of effective energy that carries the being across once the higher rulers consent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘leading across’ (pārayaṇa) mythic action: divine powers enable the seer/leader to carry the community beyond and across obstacles in the quest for the cows (light).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ (PIE *weǵh-) is a stable Indo-European transport root; the ‘crossing’ verb √pṛ (in the sense ‘bring across/save’) parallels widespread IE salvation/crossing metaphors.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The devatā-powers empower the kāru/vipra: the poet’s rightly-directed praise becomes the channel through which the divine leadership carries the seekers beyond limitation, establishing a reciprocal economy of inspired speech and effective guidance.
Invoke the inner ‘two kings’ (higher mind and will) to release swift right action; rest awareness in the vipra-guidance that knows the way across.
ājñā (guidance/inner seeing)
Moderate rhythmic breathing (sama-vṛtti) while feeling a forward ‘carry’ on the exhale.
From effortful aspiration to guided flow (intuition-led action).
Before action, silently offer the work (kārú); ask for swift, right movement (saraṇyu) and commit to following the quiet decisive intuition (vipra) rather than impulsive drive.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as marked in the Saṃhitā accents; maintain clear udātta lifts on accented syllables (e.g., rājānā, gaviṣṭau) and controlled svarita falls.
Let udātta syllables be slightly higher and brighter; avoid flattening the cadence across pāda breaks.
Keep retroflex ṇ in saraṇyuḥ and jarāṇyuḥ distinct from dental n., Pronounce ṛ in gṛṇāno-like clusters (contextual) with a brief vocalic tap; here sustain short a in adha, yad., Maintain visarga-like ending force in -ḥ (vipraḥ) lightly, not aspirated as English ‘h’., Split consonant clusters cleanly: vakṣat (kṣ), parṣat (rṣ).
Bright, forward, and steady; emphasize the ‘carrying across’ with a slight rise into each pāda and a firm cadence at the end.
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