Rig Veda 2.30.9: Mandala 2, Sukta 30, Mantra 9
Sukta 2.30
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Bhayankara
यो नः सनुत्य उत वा जिघत्नुरभिख्याय तं तिगितेन विध्य । बृहस्पत आयुधैर्जेषि शत्रून्द्रुहे रीषन्तं परि धेहि राजन् ॥
yó naḥ sánutya utá vā jighatnúr abhikhyā́ya táṃ tigiténa vidhya | bṛ́haspata ā́yudhair jéṣi śátrūn druhé ríṣantaṃ pári dhehi rājan ||
जो हमारे पीछे पड़ के मारना चाहे, उसे पहचान कर मारो। बृहस्पति, तुम अपने हथियार से दुश्मन को हराओ। राजा, धोखेबाज़ के आस-पास दीवार बना दो।
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सम्बन्धवाचकः) / यः-सम्बन्धःRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to/for us; ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (to/for us; our)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सनुत्य
- from of old; formerlyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role अधिकरण (कालवाचक) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot सनु (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थे ‘पुरा/पूर्वम्’)
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role समुच्चय/विकल्प-सूचकRoot उत
- वा
- orIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role विकल्पRoot वा
- जिघत्नुः
- a would-be slayer; one who seeks to strike/killAdjective (agent-noun)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (यः… जिघत्नुः) / विशेषणम्Root हन् (धातु) → जिघत्नु- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, desiderative/iterative nuance)
- अभिख्याय
- having identified/markedVerbal indeclinable (gerund)क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तम्, अव्ययम्Role पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having recognized/marked)Root अभि-√ख्या (धातु) → अभिख्याय (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तिगितेन
- with a sharp (weapon/arrow)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (उपकरणवाचक), तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot तिगित (प्रातिपदिक; ‘तीक्ष्ण/शर-सम्बद्ध’)
- विध्य
- pierce! strike!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √व्यध् (धातु ‘to pierce’)
- बृहस्पते
- O BṛhaspatiNoun (deity name)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयुधैः
- with weaponsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
- जेषि
- conquer!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √जि (धातु ‘to conquer’)
- शत्रून्
- enemiesNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्रुहे
- in hostility; in treacheryNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरण (हेतौ/विषये) / ‘in treachery/hostility’Root द्रुह् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘द्रोह/हानि’)
- रीषन्तम्
- harming; injuringAdjective (present participle)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (तम्… रीषन्तम्) / विशेषणम्Root √रीष् (धातु ‘to injure, harm’) → रीषन्त् (वर्तमाने कृदन्त/शतृ)
- परि
- around; all aroundIndeclinable (preverb) / particleअव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थRoot परि
- धेहि
- place! set!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √धा (धातु ‘to place, put’)
- राजन्
- O kingNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): यो नः सनुत्य उत वा जिघत्नुः अभिख्याय तम् तिगितेन विध्य । बृहस्पते आयुधैः जेषि शत्रून् द्रुहे रीषन्तम् परि धेहि राजन् ॥ Key points: (1) जिघत्नुरभिख्याय → जिघत्नुः + अभिख्याय (visarga before vowel)
- (2) शत्रून्द्रुहे → शत्रून् + द्रुहे (न् + द् sandhi)
- (3) रीषन्तं परि → रीषन्तम् + परि (final -म् before p-)
- Accents as in saṃhitā: न॒ः, सनु॑त्य, वा॑, जिघ॒त्नुः, अभि॒ख्याय, ति॑गि॒तेन॑, बृह॑स्पत॒, आयु॑धैः, शत्रू॑न्, द्रु॒हे, रीष॑न्तम्, परि॑, राजन्
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whoever creeps upon us or would strike us—having identified him, pierce him with a sharp point. O Bṛhaspati, conquer the foes with your weapons; O King, set a boundary around the deceiver who harms.
Inner meaning
An inner protection formula. The hostile force is subtle: it ‘steals upon’ (sanutya) as unnoticed suggestions, and it ‘would strike’ (jighatnu) as sudden impulses or depressions. The first requirement is yogic recognition—abhikhyāya, ‘having clearly seen/marked.’ Then comes the ‘keen point’ (tigitena): the sharp discriminative insight that pierces the false movement at its root. Bṛhaspati is the master of inspired, truth-bearing word and the soul’s counsel; his ‘weapons’ are mantric clarity, right judgment, and the force of truth. ‘Set a boundary’ (pari dhehi) is to establish a protective circle of consciousness—limits, disciplines, and luminous law—so the deceiver (druha) cannot enter and harm.
Universal truth
What harms the seeker is often not open attack but stealthy distortion. The remedy is (1) clear seeing, (2) sharp discernment, and (3) firm boundaries rooted in truth-power.
Themes
protection from covert harm, Brihaspati weapons (mantric), discern-and-strike
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.23 (Bṛhaspati hymn: breaker of obstacles), RV 1.18 (Bṛhaspati protection motifs), RV 10.108 (Saramā and discovery through right speech—related theme)
Family tradition
Bhārgava hymns frequently emphasize brahma (inspired word) as a weapon and protection; Bṛhaspati is central as the lord of the mantra-force.
Significance
The seer frames a yogic method: recognition → piercing discrimination → protective establishment of truth-order.
The deity
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Epithets
- Rājan (King), Brahmaṇaspati (closely allied form), Gaṇānāṃ gaṇapati (later echo of lordship over hosts)
- Related deities
- Indra (executive force of illumination), Agni (will/priest), Sarasvatī (inspired flow of speech)
Cosmic role
Priest of the gods and lord of brahma: the formative power of truth-speech that opens paths, conquers obstruction, and establishes right order.
Inner power
Illumined counsel and mantric strength; the capacity to detect deception and enforce a boundary of truth in the mind and life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective recitation within the sacrifice; also suited to rites seeking defense against inimical forces
यो न॒: सनु॑त्य उ॒त वा॑ जिघ॒त्नुर॑भि॒ख्याय॒ तं ति॑गि॒तेन॑ विध्य । बृह॑स्पत॒ आयु॑धैर्जेषि॒ शत्रू॑न्द्रु॒हे रीष॑न्तं॒ परि॑ धेहि राजन् ॥
यः । नः॒ । सनु॑त्य । उ॒त । वा॒ । जि॒घ॒त्नुः । अ॒भि॒ऽख्याय॑ । तम् । ति॒गि॒तेन॑ । वि॒ध्य॒ । बृह॑स्पते । आयु॑धैः । जे॒षि॒ । शत्रू॑न् । दु॒हे । रिष॑न्तम् । परि॑ । धे॒हि॒ । रा॒ज॒न् ॥
yaḥ | naḥ | sanutya | uta | vā | jighatnuḥ | abhi-khyāya | tam | tigitena | vidhya | bṛhaspate | āyudhaiḥ | jeṣi | śatrūn | duhe | riṣantam | pari | dhehi | rājan
44
4 × ~11
Alert, tactical rhythm—like watchfulness and quick response
Creates vigilance; the imperative verbs (‘vidhya’, ‘jeṣi’, ‘dhehi’) produce a commanding protective field.
- sanutya (सनुत्य)
- Literal: stealthily, creeping. Symbolic: subconscient infiltration: unnoticed suggestions, slow drift from truth
- jighatnu (जिघत्नुः)
- Literal: striker, would slay. Symbolic: sudden impulse/attack: anger, despair, craving
- abhikhyāya (अभिख्याय)
- Literal: having observed/recognized. Symbolic: mindfulness and right diagnosis of the hostile movement
- tigita (तिगित)
- Literal: sharp, keen. Symbolic: razor-like viveka that cuts through falsehood
- vidhya (विध्य)
- Literal: pierce!. Symbolic: directly strike the root of the distortion, not symptoms
- Bṛhaspati (बृहस्पति)
- Literal: lord of the great (prayer/word). Symbolic: truth-guided inner teacher; inspired word that conquers
- āyudhaiḥ (आयुधैः)
- Literal: with weapons. Symbolic: mantric force, discernment, right will, luminous law
- druha (द्रुह)
- Literal: deceiver, traitor. Symbolic: falsehood in the psyche; self-betraying tendency
- pari dhehi (परि धेहि)
- Literal: place around, enclose. Symbolic: establish protective circle: discipline, vigilance, luminous boundary
Apotropaic (protective) usage: identifying and repelling covert hostility; suitable in rites seeking safeguarding of the yajamāna and the sacrifice
When signs of obstruction/hostility appear; before undertaking risky actions
Mantric ‘warding’: identifying and ritually repelling hostile powers; establishing a protective enclosure
As a ‘psychic shield’ mantra: use before challenging conversations, travel, or when intrusive thoughts recur.
druh- from √druh 'to deceive, be hostile' (druh as treachery/falsehood); tigitá- 'sharp' (as in pointed weapon/insight); abhikhyāya from abhi-√khyā 'to perceive, make known' → recognition/discernment; pari-√dhā 'to place around' → protective enclosure.
viveka-like discernment (abhikhyāya), druh (falsehood/treachery) vs ṛta
‘Pari dhehi’ is the establishment of r̥ta as a perimeter—order that keeps chaos/falsehood out.
Truth is a weapon: it reveals the stealthy deceiver and neutralizes it.
Bṛhaspati as shaper: brahma organizes consciousness, carving channels for the divine movement.
Mantra-śakti and buddhi-viveka emphasis; anticipates Upaniṣadic stress on truth and discernment as liberative powers.
Keen point = focused insight; boundary = stable field of awareness/discipline around the being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The identification and neutralization of the covert attacker: a classic protective mythic action where the divine priest-power (Bṛhaspati) uses keen weapons. Psychologically: recognize the subtle hostile movement (habit, doubt, deceit) and pierce it with sharp discrimination; then establish a protective circumference of right order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √druh has Indo-Iranian cognacy (Avestan druj- 'lie, deception'), a key Indo-Iranian ethical polarity (ṛta/aša vs druj). This is strong evidence for inherited moral-cosmic opposition expressed in ritual poetry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi delegates the act of discernment-and-strike to Bṛhaspati, implying that right speech/illumined intelligence is the true defense. The 'king' epithet frames Bṛhaspati as sovereign over mental territories, capable of setting boundaries against intrusion.
Three-step practice: (1) notice stealthy drift, (2) name it precisely, (3) pierce with a short decisive insight and re-establish boundaries.
Maṇipūra (protective will) and Ājñā (keen discrimination)
Short ‘alertness’ practice: 9 rounds of brisk exhale-focused breathing (kapālabhāti light, if suitable), then chant slowly to seal the boundary.
From vulnerability to guarded luminosity; vigilant calm
After chanting, visualize a thin ring of light around the body-mind; choose one rule of discipline for the day as ‘pari dhehi’ in action.
Imperatives carry strong udātta lift: vidhya, jeṣi, dhehi; keep ‘abhikhyāya’ clearly articulated as the pivot of recognition.
Pause slightly after ‘abhikhyāya’ (having seen) to enact the seeing; then deliver ‘tigitena vidhya’ as a single decisive stroke.
Keep aspirates: bṛhaspate (bhṛ not; it is bṛ-), and dh in dhehi., Retroflex ṇ absent here; but keep dental n in sanutya clear., tigita: pronounce ti-gi-te-na with hard g.
Commanding yet controlled; crisp consonants, steady pitch
1
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