Rig Veda 2.36.6: Mandala 2, Sukta 36, Mantra 6
Sukta 2.36
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Dual ‘Kings’ within Soma-invitation
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
जुषेथां यज्ञं बोधतं हवस्य मे सत्तो होता निविदः पूर्व्या अनु । अच्छा राजाना नम एत्यावृतं प्रशास्त्रादा पिबतं सोम्यं मधु ॥
juṣéthāṃ yajñáṃ bódhataṃ hávasya me sattó hótā ní-vidaḥ pū́rvyā́ ánu | ácchā rājānā náma ety ā́vṛtaṃ praśāstrā́d ā́ pibatāṃ sómyaṃ mádhu ||
दोनों राजा, यह यज्ञ पसंद करो और मेरी आवाज़ सुनो। होता पुराने नियम के हिसाब से बैठा है। तुम दोनों को प्रणाम है, तुम्हारी तरफ से आया है। प्रशस्त्री के बोल से सोम की मीठी रस पियो।
Word by Word
- जुषेथाम्
- may you two enjoy / acceptVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपद (वेदिक रूप)Root जुष् (धातु)
- यज्ञम्
- the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- बोधतम्
- wake up / take notice, you twoVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot बुध् (धातु)
- हवस्य
- of the invocation / of the callNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot हव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘हव’/‘हवस्’ = invocation, oblation-call)
- मे
- myPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सत्तः
- being present, seated (you two)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (वेदिक रूप; ‘सन्तौ’ के स्थान पर)Role कर्ताRoot सत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √अस् ‘to be’)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priestNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- निविदः
- the nivid-formula (ritual invitation)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वेदिक; -द्-स्तेम का रूप), अथवा षष्ठी एकवचन संदर्भानुसारRole सम्बन्धRoot निविद् (प्रातिपदिक; ritual ‘invitation/formula’)
- पूर्व्याः
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (निविदः के विशेषणरूपेण)Role विशेषणRoot पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after, according toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अनु (अव्यय)
- अच्छा
- towardsIndeclinableगत्यर्थक अव्ययRoot अच्छा (अव्यय)
- राजाना
- the two kings (the two deities addressed)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन (वेदिक द्विवचन)Role कर्मRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमः
- reverence, homageNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत्: ‘नमः’ = reverence)Role कर्मRoot नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- एति
- goes / comesVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot इ (धातु)
- आवृतम्
- encompassing, envelopingAdjective (Participle)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (नमः के विशेषण/पूरक रूपेण: ‘आवृतम्’ = ‘encompassing/covering’)Role विशेषणRoot आ-वृत् (धातु) / आवृत (कृदन्त)
- प्रशास्त्रात्
- from the recitation/command (the ‘praśāstra’)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot प्र-शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot आ (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- पिबतम्
- drink, you twoVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot पा (धातु)
- सोम्यम्
- soma-related, of SomaAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषणRoot सोम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधु
- sweet drink, honeyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (संधि-निरसन): जुषेथाम् | यज्ञम् | बोधतम् | हवस्य | मे | सत्तः | होता | निविदः | पूर्व्याः | अनु | अच्छा | राजाना | नमः | एति | आवृतम् | प्रशास्त्रात् | आ | पिबतम् | सोम्यम् | मधु । मुख्य संधि: (1) सत्तो होता → सत्तः होता (विसर्ग-लोप/वेदिक संधि-रूप) (2) निविदः पूर्व्या → निविदः पूर्व्याः (विशेषण-समन्वय) (3) अच्छा राजाना → अच्छा राजाना (अव्यय + द्विवचन) (4) नम एति → नमः एति (विसर्ग-संधि) (5) एत्या-वृतम् → एति आवृतम् (स्वर/पदविभाग के कारण संयुक्त पाठ) (6) प्रशास्त्रादापिबतम् → प्रशास्त्रात् आ पिबतम् (त् + आ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The two Kings are invited: delight in the sacrifice, awaken to the call; the seated Hotṛ follows the ancient summons. Homage turns toward the two Kings; from the Praśāstṛ’s recitation drink the Soma’s honey.
Inner meaning
The ‘two Kings’ (rājānā) can be read psychologically as paired sovereign powers that must jointly rule the being—commonly Indra–Varuṇa, or Mitra–Varuṇa, or (in Soma contexts) Indra–Soma; without full hymn context the exact pair is uncertain, but the inner sense is a dual mastery: illumination and wideness/order, or power and harmony. The seeker asks these sovereign principles to ‘wake’—to become active in the consciousness. The Hotṛ is the invoking flame/will seated in stability; he follows the ‘ancient summons’—the perennial method of inner sacrifice. The Praśāstṛ’s word is the directive truth that organizes the rite: from that guiding discernment the Soma-honey is drunk—delight received under right governance.
Universal truth
Lasting transformation requires a balanced sovereignty in us: power must be paired with law/harmony (or illumination with wideness). Delight becomes safe and fruitful when received under right guidance and enduring discipline.
Themes
dual deities (two kings), invocation and response, Soma assimilation, ritual speech authority
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.86 (Varuṇa), RV 7.60 (Mitra-Varuṇa), RV 7.24 (Indra)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha frequently emphasizes right governance by cosmic law (Varuṇa/ṛta) together with luminous power (Indra/Mitra), making ‘two kings’ a natural motif in his spiritual psychology.
Significance
He frames sādhanā as a disciplined calling of higher rulers into the human kingdom, so the inner sacrifice proceeds by ancient, reliable law.
The deity
- Devata
- Rājānā (Dual sovereign deities; exact pair uncertain in this excerpt)
- Epithets
- Rājānā (Two Kings)
- Related deities
- Agni (Hotṛ), Soma, Indra, Mitra-Varuṇa
Cosmic role
Joint rulership of the cosmos: protection, right order, and victorious guidance of the sacrifice.
Inner power
Balanced mastery—illumination with law, power with harmony; ensures Soma-delight is integrated without disorder.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma invitation to a dual deity (common in Soma rites: Mitra-Varuṇa, Indra-Varuṇa, etc.)
जु॒षेथां॑ य॒ज्ञं बोध॑तं॒ हव॑स्य मे स॒त्तो होता॑ नि॒विद॑: पू॒र्व्या अनु॑ । अच्छा॒ राजा॑ना॒ नम॑ एत्या॒वृतं॑ प्रशा॒स्त्रादा पि॑बतं सो॒म्यं मधु॑ ॥
जु॒षेथा॑म् । य॒ज्ञम् । बोध॑तम् । हव॑स्य । मे॒ । स॒त्तः । होता॑ । नि॒ऽविदः॑ । पू॒र्व्याः । अनु॑ । अच्छ॑ । राजा॑ना । नमः॑ । ए॒ति॒ । आ॒ऽवृत॑म् । प्र॒ऽशा॒स्त्रात् । आ । पि॒ब॒त॒म् । सो॒म्यम् । मधु॑ ॥
juṣethām | yajñam | bodhatam | havasya | me | sattaḥ | hotā | ni-vidaḥ | pūrvyāḥ | anu | accha | rājānā | namaḥ | eti | āvṛtam | pra-śāstrāt | ā | pibatam | somyam | madhu
44
4×11
Invitatory and dialogic; alternating calls and confirmations.
Creates a sense of ‘twofold’ balance—invokes steadiness and alertness together.
- राजाना (rājānā)
- Literal: two kings. Symbolic: dual sovereign powers governing the inner life (paired divine principles)
- जुषेथाम् (juṣethām)
- Literal: take delight. Symbolic: consent of higher powers to inhabit and enjoy the inner work
- बोधतम् (bodhatam)
- Literal: awaken, become aware. Symbolic: activation of higher faculties from latency to operative presence
- होता सत्तः (hotā sattaḥ)
- Literal: Hotṛ seated. Symbolic: steady will/invocation established in poise
- निविदः पूर्व्याः (nividaḥ pūrvyāḥ)
- Literal: ancient summons. Symbolic: timeless mantric call / perennial yogic method
- नमः आवृतम् (namaḥ āvṛtam)
- Literal: homage turned toward. Symbolic: reversal of attention from outer to inner Divine
- प्रशास्त्रात् (praśāstrāt)
- Literal: from the Praśāstṛ’s word. Symbolic: from guiding discernment/command of truth that orders experience
- सोम्यं मधु (somyaṃ madhu)
- Literal: Soma-honey. Symbolic: sweet delight of clarified consciousness
Soma rite with multiple priest roles (Hotṛ, Praśāstṛ); drinking Soma as ratification of invoked powers’ presence
During Soma offerings where paired deities are invoked; accompanied by Praśāstṛ’s recitation.
Invitation, homage, and offering of Soma via officiant roles.
Meditation for balancing complementary qualities (clarity + calm lawfulness; strength + kindness) before receiving joy/pleasure.
√juṣ ‘to enjoy/accept favorably’ indicates divine consent. √budh ‘to wake/know’ marks the response of higher powers to the call. pra-√śās ‘to instruct, command’ suggests ordering power; psychologically, the guiding discernment that directs energies under ṛta.
awakening/response (bodh) of higher consciousness, right guidance/order (praśās) as ṛta in action
The ‘ancient summons’ and Praśāstṛ ordering imply that delight must follow ṛta.
Praśāstṛ as truth-directive: right naming and right command align experience with satya.
Cosmic governance as a pair of complementary principles; sacrifice as the means of their manifestation in the human field.
Integral Vedic psychology: deities as functional powers; paired gods as complementary operations in consciousness.
Turning (āvṛtam) = reversal of attention inward; Soma = delight; seated Hotṛ = stable aspiration; dual kings = balanced polarities in nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The awakening of the ruling divine pair (‘two kings’) to the call and their drinking of Soma: mythically, the enthronement/activation of sovereign cosmic powers within the ordered sacrifice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rāján- ‘king’ aligns with PIE *h₃rḗǵs (Latin rēx, etc.), showing archaic sovereignty terminology. √budh has broad IE cognates (e.g., English ‘bid’ is not cognate, but Germanic *beudan is different; closer is Slavic bud- ‘awake’), supporting inherited ‘awakening’ semantics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers a call and ancient nivid-formulas; the devatās respond by awakening and accepting Soma through the ordering word of the Praśāstṛ—reciprocity mediated by correct speech and right direction.
Awaken the inner sovereign pair (clarity + law/harmony) and receive delight under guidance.
Ājñā (governance) + Anāhata (harmonizing consent)
Alternate-nostril (nāḍi-śodhana) for ‘two kings’ balance; then 6 slow breaths on ‘somyaṃ madhu’.
Balanced, attentive tranquility.
Name two qualities you need (e.g., courage and patience). Invoke both, feel them ‘seated’ in you, then allow a gentle sweetness to spread without losing discipline.
Recite with Vedic accents as per Śākala; keep the dual-invocation phrasing clearly separated (juṣethām | bodhatam).
Sustain caesura after first pāda; articulate ‘praśāstrād ā’ as a clean transition.
juṣethām: clear ṣ., nividaḥ: short i, voiced d., āvṛtam: retroflex ṛ and clear vṛ., pibatam: dental t not retroflex.
Even, balanced, slightly softened on ‘somyaṃ madhu’.
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