Rig Veda 2.24.6: Mandala 2, Sukta 24, Mantra 6
Sukta 2.24
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
अभिनक्षन्तो अभि ये तमानशुर्निधिं पणीनां परमं गुहा हितम् । ते विद्वांसः प्रतिचक्ष्यानृता पुनर्यत उ आयन्तदुदीयुराविशम् ॥
abhí-nákṣanto abhí yé tám ānaśúr nidhíṃ paṇīnā́ṃ paramáṃ gúhā hitám | té vidvā́ṃsaḥ prati-cákṣyānṛ́tā púner yáta u ā́yan tád úd īyur ā́viśam ||
जिन्होंने दबाव डाला और उस खजाने तक पहुँचे जो पणिस ने गुफा में छुपा रखा था। वो लोग समझ गए कि झूठ सामने है। फिर वापस आए और ऊपर निकल गए खुले आसमान में।
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग) अव्यय
- नक्षन्तः
- reaching, attainingVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; प्र. पुं. बहु.; (वैदिक) ‘नक्षन्तः’ = वर्तमान कृदन्तवत् प्रयोगःRole KartāRoot नश् (धातु) / नक्ष् (वैदिक रूप)
- अभि
- towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग) अव्यय
- ये
- who (those who)Pronounपुं. प्रथमा बहु.Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तमः
- darknessNounनपुं. द्वितीया एक. (वैदिक: तमः = तमसम्)Role KarmaRoot तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनशुः
- they attained, reachedVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद; प्र. पुं. बहु.Role KartāRoot नश् (धातु)
- निधिम्
- treasure, depositNounपुं. द्वितीया एक.Role KarmaRoot निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पणीनाम्
- of the Paṇis (niggardly demons/hoarders)Nounपुं. षष्ठी बहु.Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root पणि (प्रातिपदिक)
- परमम्
- highest, supremeAdjectiveनपुं. द्वितीया एक. (निधिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषण-भावेन)Root परम (प्रातिपदिक)
- गुहा
- in a cave, in concealmentNounस्त्री. सप्तमी एक. (वैदिक: गुहा = गुहायाम्)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
- हितम्
- placed, hiddenParticiple/Adjectiveनपुं. द्वितीया एक.; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)Role Karma (निधिम् इति विशेषणम्)Root धा (धातु) → हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- theyPronounपुं. प्रथमा बहु.Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विद्वांसः
- knowing ones, the wiseNoun/Adjectiveपुं. प्रथमा बहु.; वर्तमान कृदन्त (वत्/वस्)Role Kartā (ते इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root विद् (धातु) → विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रतिचक्ष्य
- having seen/observedIndeclinable (Gerund)ल्यप् (क्त्वार्थे) अव्ययम्Root चक्ष् (धातु) + प्रति (उपसर्ग) → प्रतिचक्ष्य (क्त्वा/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त)
- अनृताः
- untruthful ones, false (people)Adjective/Nounपुं. प्रथमा बहु. (ते इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषण-भावेन)Root अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुनः
- again, backIndeclinableअव्ययRoot पुनः (अव्यय)
- यतः
- from where, whenceIndeclinableअपादानार्थक-अव्यय (from which/whence)Role ApādānaRoot यतस् (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
- उ
- indeed, andIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/connecting)Root उ (निपात)
- आयन्
- they cameVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद; प्र. पुं. बहु. (वैदिक संक्षेप: आयन् = आयन्/आयन्)Role KartāRoot इ (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुं. द्वितीया एक. (उदीयुर् इत्यस्य कर्म/विषयः)Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उदीयुः
- they rose up, went forthVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद; प्र. पुं. बहु.Role KartāRoot इ (धातु) + उद् (उपसर्ग)
- आविशम्
- I enteredVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद; उत्तम पुं. एक.Role KartāRoot विश् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
Sandhi Notes
- मुख्य संधि-विच्छेद: (1) अभि ये → अभि | ये (संधि-नियमेन यथावत्)
- (2) तमा॑न॒शुः → तमः | अनशुः (वैदिक: तमः द्वितीया एक. ‘तमसम्’ अर्थे)
- (3) गुहा॑ हि॒तम् → गुहा | हितम् (गुहा = सप्तमी एक. ‘गुहायाम्’)
- (4) प्रति॒चक्ष्यानृ॑ता → प्रतिचक्ष्य | अनृताः
- (5) पुन॒र्यत॑ः → पुनः | यतः (विसर्ग-लोप/रेफ-संधि)
- (6) उ॒ आय॒न् → उ | आयन्
- (7) तदुदी॑युः → तत् | उदीयुः (द् + उ → दु)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ancient seers (Angirasas), pressing forward, discovered the supreme treasure of the Panis hidden in a secret cave. Realizing the falsehood of the hoarders, they returned from that place and ascended to the open world.
Inner meaning
The spiritual seekers (Angirasas) dive into the subconscient darkness (the cave) to recover the Divine Light and Truth (the treasure/cows) stolen by the senses and ego-forces (Panis). Having identified and rejected the falsehood of limited existence, they liberate the trapped light and ascend into the infinite wideness of the Supermind.
Universal truth
Evolution is not just an ascent but a recovery; one must penetrate the darkest depths of the subconscious to reclaim the hidden potential of consciousness before rising to spiritual liberation.
Themes
Paṇi-hoarding overcome, treasure in the cave, rejection of falsehood, ascent into openness
In ritual
Where it is used
Supports the ‘quest’ motif in soma-sacrifice: seekers guided by mantra find the hidden wealth and reject untruth; also contemplatively used for inner reversal from anṛta to ṛta.
अ॒भि॒नक्ष॑न्तो अ॒भि ये तमा॑न॒शुर्नि॒धिं प॑णी॒नां प॑र॒मं गुहा॑ हि॒तम् । ते वि॒द्वांस॑: प्रति॒चक्ष्यानृ॑ता॒ पुन॒र्यत॑ उ॒ आय॒न्तदुदी॑युरा॒विश॑म् ॥
अ॒भि॒ऽनक्ष॑न्तः । अ॒भि । ये । तम् । आ॒न॒शुः । नि॒धिम् । प॒णी॒नाम् । प॒र॒मम् । गुहा॑ । हि॒तम् । ते । वि॒द्वांसः॑ । प्र॒ति॒ऽचक्ष्य॑ । अनृ॑ता । पुनः॑ । यतः॑ । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । आय॑न् । तत् । उत् । ई॒युः । आ॒ऽविश॑म् ॥
abhi-nakṣantaḥ | abhi | ye | tam | ānaśuḥ | nidhim | paṇīnām | paramam | guhā | hitam | te | vidvāṃsaḥ | prati-cakṣya | anṛtā | punaḥ | yataḥ | oṃ iti | āyan | tat | ut | īyuḥ | āviśam
Supports the ‘quest’ motif in soma-sacrifice: seekers guided by mantra find the hidden wealth and reject untruth; also contemplatively used for inner reversal from anṛta to ṛta.
Paṇi (hoarder) is mythic-psychological: the tendency that withholds the ‘rays/treasures’ for the egoic dark. nidhí ‘deposit’ marks latent powers. guhā ‘cave’ is the concealed layer of consciousness. anṛtá is not mere lying but deviation from ṛta (right order). ā-viś suggests entry into a settled, open domain—release into wideness.
anṛta vs ṛta, initiation of the vidvāṃs (knower), release into wideness (uru/āviśam)
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Paṇi-treasure myth: the hoarders conceal the treasure in the cave; the knowers reach it and then turn away from anṛta, rising into openness. Innerly, it is the recovery of latent powers from the subconscient and a decisive conversion from false, crooked movement to truthful ascent.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘cave/hidden treasure’ and ‘ascent’ pattern is a common Indo-European narrative grammar. The opposition of *h₁r̥tós-like ‘right order’ vs negated forms appears as ṛta/anṛta, a distinctively Vedic articulation of a broader inherited concern with truth/order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns with the vidvāṃsaḥ—those who, under the divine guidance of Brahmaṇaspati, can face and reject anṛta. The devata’s gift is not only ‘treasure’ but the power of truthful reorientation and upward release.
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