Rig Veda 3.33.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 33, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.33
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Sindhu with Vipāś
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Shringara (love)
अच्छा सिन्धुं मातृतमामयासं विपाशमुर्वीं सुभगामगन्म । वत्समिव मातरा संरिहाणे समानं योनिमनु संचरन्ती ॥
ácchā síndhuṃ mātṛ́tamām ayā́saṃ vipā́śam urvī́ṃ subhágām aganma | vátsam iva mā́tarā saṃrihāṇé samā́naṃ yónim ánu saṃcárantī ||
हम सिंधु नदी के पास गए। यह नदी माँ जैसी है। थकती नहीं है। विपाश नदी बड़ी है। अच्छी है। दोनों नदियाँ जैसे माँ बच्चे को चाटती है, वैसे हैं। एक ही जगह से निकलती हैं। एक साथ भागती हैं।
Word by Word
- अच्छा
- towardsIndeclinableअव्यय (गत्यर्थे ‘towards’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अच्छा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
- सिन्धुम्
- the river SindhuNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सिन्धु
- मातृतमाम्
- most motherlyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सिन्धुम् विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot मातृ (तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त)
- अयासम्
- unwearied, tirelessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सिन्धुम् विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot अयास (a-yāsa)
- विपाशम्
- the river Vipāś (Beas)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot विपाशा
- उर्वीम्
- broad, wideAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विपाशम् विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot उर्वी
- सुभगाम्
- fortunate, auspiciousAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विपाशम् विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot सु-भग
- अगन्म
- we went / we reachedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गम्
- वत्सम्
- a calfNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वत्स
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इव
- मातरौ
- two mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot मातृ
- संरिहाणे
- licking together / fondling (by licking)Verb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रकारः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (मातरौ विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot सं + रिह्
- समानम्
- same, commonAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (योनिम् विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot समान
- योनिम्
- womb; source; bedNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot योनि
- अनु
- along, followingIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (अनुगमनार्थे)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अनु
- संचरन्ती
- moving together; going togetherVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (मातरौ विशेषणम्; वैदिके -न्ती द्विवचनेऽपि)Role KartāRoot सं + चर्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अच्छा | सिन्धुम् | मातृतमाम् | अयासम् | विपाशम् | उर्वीम् | सुभगाम् | अगन्म । वत्सम् | इव | मातरौ | सं-रिहाणे | समानम् | योनिम् | अनु | सं-चरन्ती । 1) ‘मातृतमामयासं’ = ‘मातृतमाम् अयासम्’ (म् + अ → म् अ; संहितायां संयोगः)
- 2) ‘विपाशमुर्वीं’ = ‘विपाशम् उर्वीम्’ (म् + उ → म् उ)
- 3) ‘सुभगामगन्म’ = ‘सुभगाम् अगन्म’ (म् + अ → म् अ)
- 4) ‘वत्समिव’ = ‘वत्सम् इव’ (म् + इ → म् इ)
- 5) ‘योनि॒मनु’ = ‘योनिम् अनु’ (म् + अ → म् अ)
- 6) ‘संरिहाणे/संचरन्ती’ में ‘सं-’ उपसर्ग समास/संयोगरूपेण।
The meaning
Outer meaning
We came to the Sindhu, most motherly and unwearied, to Vipāś wide and fortunate; like two mothers licking their calf, they move together, following one common womb.
Inner meaning
The seeker arrives at the greater current (Sindhu)—the most maternal, inexhaustible flow of consciousness—and also at Vipāś, the wide fortunate stream. The two powers behave like mothers tending a calf: they nurture the growing psychic being. ‘One womb’ (samāna yoni) signifies a single origin in the One Consciousness; the currents are distinct in action yet unified in source and purpose, leading the sadhaka along a common channel of progress.
Universal truth
Diverse supports in life—teachers, practices, inner faculties—can appear separate, but when aligned to truth they arise from one source and work together to nurture growth.
Themes
River hymn, Mother symbolism, Unity of streams, Safe passage
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.33.1-13
Family tradition
Seer of passages: arriving at greater currents symbolizes reaching wider consciousness; his poetry often turns external journey into inner attainment.
Significance
Marks a stage of the yoga: contact with the ‘most motherly’ sustaining flow and recognition of unity of source (samāna yoni).
The deity
- Devata
- Sindhu with Vipāś (river-mothers)
- Epithets
- Mātṛtamā (most motherly), Ayāsa (unwearied), Urvī (wide), Subhagā (fortunate)
- Related deities
- Śutudrī, Āpas, Sarasvatī, Indra
Cosmic role
Great and subsidiary currents of nourishment and movement; they uphold life and connect origins to fulfillment.
Inner power
Maternal sustaining consciousness and widening force that supports the psychic growth and harmonizes the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Hymns to rivers/waters in travel and boundary-crossing contexts; blessings for abundance and safe passage.
अच्छा॒ सिन्धुं॑ मा॒तृत॑मामयासं॒ विपा॑शमु॒र्वीं सु॒भगा॑मगन्म । व॒त्समि॑व मा॒तरा॑ संरिहा॒णे स॑मा॒नं योनि॒मनु॑ सं॒चर॑न्ती ॥
अच्छ॑ । सिन्धु॑म् । मा॒तृऽत॑माम् । अ॒या॒स॒म् । विपा॑शम् । उ॒र्वीम् । सु॒ऽभगा॑म् । अ॒ग॒न्म॒ । व॒त्सम्ऽइ॑व । मा॒तरा॑ । सं॒रि॒हा॒णे इति॑ स॒म्ऽरि॒हा॒णे । स॒मा॒नम् । योनि॑म् । अनु॑ । स॒म्ऽचर॑न्ती ॥
accha | sindhum | mātṛ-tamām | ayāsam | vipāśam | urvīm | su-bhagām | aganma | vatsam-iva | mātarā | saṃrihāṇe itisam-rihāṇe | samānam | yonim | anu | sam-carantī
48
4 × ~12 syllables
Broad, maternal flow; spacious cadence matching ‘urvī’ (wideness).
Soothing and grounding; encourages trust in sustaining support and unity.
- सिन्धुम् मातृतमाम् (sindhum mātṛtamām)
- Literal: Sindhu, most motherly. Symbolic: the great sustaining current of consciousness that carries and nurtures
- अयासम् (ayāsam)
- Literal: unwearied. Symbolic: inexhaustible spiritual support; perennial flow
- विपाशम् उर्वीम् (vipāśam urvīm)
- Literal: Vipāś, wide. Symbolic: wideness of being; spacious channel for progress
- सुभगाम् (subhagām)
- Literal: fortunate, auspicious. Symbolic: harmonious flow that brings right results
- समाऩं योनिम् (samānaṃ yonim)
- Literal: one common womb. Symbolic: single origin in the One; unity behind multiplicity
- वत्सम् इव (vatsam iva)
- Literal: like a calf. Symbolic: the growing soul/nascent inner being being nurtured
River hymn for passage; establishing concord with the great flow (Sindhu) and its tributary powers
On approaching waters or invoking their favor; in sequences honoring the great rivers (Sindhu complex).
Praise and approach (acchā… aganma) with reverence; seeking nourishment and auspicious movement.
A mantra for invoking ‘the Motherly Flow’—support during burnout, grief, or transitions; cultivating trust and wideness.
ayāsam ‘unwearied’ (a- + yāsa ‘weariness’). yoni ‘womb/source’ from √yu/related to ‘join’ semantics in Vedic usage; denotes matrix/origin. saṃcarantī from sam-√car ‘move together’. mātṛtamā superlative of mātṛ ‘mother’ (PIE *méh₂tēr).
Yoni as common origin (one matrix of energies), Spaciousness (urvī) as widening consciousness, Inexhaustible nurturing flow (ayāsam)
Following one yoni implies moving in the one right channel of truth-order.
Samāna yoni is a Satya-sign: the One behind the many is the truth of existence.
Many streams from one womb; manifestation as differentiated movements of a single source.
Upaniṣadic anticipation: unity-of-source symbolism; also integral yoga emphasis on wideness and the Mother-power as sustaining consciousness.
Contact with inexhaustible maternal consciousness and widening support; recognition of unity behind diverse movements.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rivers as two Mothers sharing one womb/source (yoni): a mythic portrayal of multiple powers that arise from a single origin and cooperate to nourish the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mātṛ ‘mother’ is directly PIE *méh₂tēr. √gam ‘go/come’ is PIE *gʷem- (cf. Latin venīre via *gʷem- developments; Germanic ‘come’). The shared ‘womb/source’ motif is an inherited Indo-European cosmogonic idiom of origin as a matrix.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer approaches the rivers as conscious nurturers: by acknowledging Sindhu as ‘most motherly’ and naming their shared yoni, he seeks alignment and support—so the passage is sustained by a coordinated, benevolent flow.
Rest in the sense of an inexhaustible maternal support (Sindhu) and wideness (Vipāś) holding the practice.
Anāhata (maternal tenderness) expanding into Viśuddha/Ājñā (wide clarity); grounding in Svādhiṣṭhāna (waters).
Slow diaphragmatic breathing with a gentle pause after inhale; feel ‘being held’ on the pause; exhale as a widening river.
Quiet trust, receptive wideness, unified movement.
When fragmented, repeat samānaṃ yonim… and sense all parts arising from one origin; let the heart soften, then widen awareness like a river plain.
Maintain flowing Jagatī with clear udatta peaks on sindhum, mātṛtamām, vipāśam, urvīm, subhagām, yonim.
Give a tender emphasis to mātṛtamām and ayāsam; keep the final pāda smooth to convey ‘one womb’ unity.
mātṛtamām: retroflex ṛ, long ā in -mām, ayāsam: long ā; avoid turning yā into jā, vipāśam: long ā; ś clearly palatal, saṃrihāṇe: nasal + r cluster; keep ṇ retroflex, yonim: short o, dental n
Soft, warm, sustained; let the tone ‘mother’ the listener.
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