Rig Veda 3.33.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 33, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.33
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Nadyaḥ / Sindhu
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Adbhuta (wonder)
रमध्वं मे वचसे सोम्याय ऋतावरीरुप मुहूर्तमेवैः । प्र सिन्धुमच्छा बृहती मनीषावस्युरह्वे कुशिकस्य सूनुः ॥
rámadhvaṃ me vácase somyā́ya ṛ́tāvarīr úpa muhūrtám eváiḥ | prá síndhum ácchā bṛhatī́ manīṣā́vasyúr ahve kuśíkasya sūnúḥ ||
मेरा बोल सुनो, यह सोम से निकला है, धरम के रक्षक तुम लोग। थोड़ा वक़्त के लिए पास आओ, तुम्हारी रफ़्तार तेज़ है। मेरा मन सिंधु नदी की तरफ जा रहा है। मैं कुशि का बेटा हूँ, मुझे मदद चाहिए, इसलिए तुम्हे बुला रहा हूँ।
Word by Word
- रमध्वम्
- rejoice / take delightVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root रम् (धातु)
- मे
- of me / myPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वचसे
- for (my) utterance / speechNounचतुर्थी, एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्गRole सम्प्रदानRoot वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोम्याय
- for the Soma(-related), for the Soma-worthyAdjectiveचतुर्थी, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (विशेषणरूपेण)Role सम्प्रदान (वचसे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सोम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतावरीः
- O truth-possessing (waters/streams)Noun/Adjectiveप्रथमा, बहुवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot ऋतावरी (प्रातिपदिक; ऋत + वरी)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गभाव)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- मुहूर्तम्
- a moment, a short timeNounद्वितीया, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्म (गत्यर्थे/कालपरिमाणे)Root मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- एवैः
- indeed, just, surelyIndeclinableनिपातसमूहः (एव + वै) — वैदिकप्रयोगःRole (निपात; अर्थप्रबलनम्)Root एव (अव्यय) + इः/ए (निपात-प्रयोगः; वै इति निपातः)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableRole (उपसर्गभाव)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सिन्धुम्
- the Sindhu (river/stream)Nounद्वितीया, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्म (गत्यर्थे ‘अच्छा’ इत्यनेन)Root सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अच्छा
- towards, untoIndeclinableRole (गत्यर्थ-क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root अच्छा (अव्यय)
- बृहती
- the great (one)Adjective/Nounप्रथमा, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (मनीषा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root बृहती (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनीषा
- thought, inspired insightNounप्रथमा, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवस्युः
- desirous of help/favorAdjectiveप्रथमा, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (कुशिकस्य सूनुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अवस्यु (प्रातिपदिक; अवस् ‘help’ + यु)
- अह्वे
- I call / I invokeVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root ह्वे/ह्वा (धातु; आह्वानार्थ)
- कुशिकस्य
- of KuśikaNoun (proper)षष्ठी, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बन्धRoot कुशिक (प्रातिपदिक; जन/ऋषिनाम)
- सूनुः
- son (descendant)Nounप्रथमा, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (अह्वे इत्यस्य कर्तृ-सम्बन्धः; आत्मपरिचयः)Root सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): रमध्वं | मे | वचसे | सोम्याय | ऋतावरीः | उप | मुहूर्तम् | एव वैः (संहितायाम्: एवैः) || प्र | सिन्धुम् | अच्छा | बृहती | मनीषा | अवस्युः | अह्वे | कुशिकस्य | सूनुः । टिप्पणी: ‘एवैः’ इति संहितापाठे ‘एव वै’ (निपातद्वय) इत्यस्य संधिरूपं
- वैदिके निपातानां संहितायां संक्षेपः सामान्यः। ‘सिन्धुमच्छा’ = ‘सिन्धुम् + अच्छा’ (म् + अ → मच्छा) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The rivers, as upholders of ṛta, are asked to delight in the poet’s Soma-born word and come near swiftly. The seer’s vast thought goes toward Sindhu; he invokes the rivers for help in need.
Inner meaning
The word (vacas) is ‘Somya’—born of inner delight and clarity—therefore it can harmonize the forces that uphold ṛta (ṛtāvarīḥ). The seeker asks the swift-moving currents of consciousness to draw near and cooperate. The ‘bṛhatī manīṣā’ is the expansive inspired thought that reaches toward the great stream (Sindhu): the integral flow of being. In avasyu (need/aspiration), the seer calls for aid so the inner movement may cross from constriction into the vast.
Universal truth
Speech and intention arising from inner delight and truth-order have a unifying power: they can call scattered energies into alignment and convert necessity into a supported passage.
Themes
Prayer for passage, Rita-upholding powers, Inspired speech (vāc), Lineage self-identification
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.33.1-8, RV 3.62.10, RV 3.53
Family tradition
Kauśika tradition of mantric mastery and tapas—speech as a power that compels alignment with ṛta.
Significance
Viśvāmitra here is the archetype of the ‘mantra-worker’: he relies not on outer force but on Soma-born word to obtain cooperation of the cosmic currents.
The deity
- Devata
- Nadyaḥ / Sindhu
- Epithets
- ṛtāvarīḥ (upholders of ṛta), swift-coursing (evaiḥ implied), great stream (Sindhu)
- Related deities
- Soma (source of the ‘somya’ word), Indra (breaker of obstructions to the waters), Savitṛ (impeller of right movement)
Cosmic role
As Sindhu and the river-powers, they represent the primary current that carries life and offering; they ensure right passage when approached in harmony with ṛta.
Inner power
Right-flowing energies of life and mind that can become allies to the mantra; they bring immediacy and momentum to the seeker’s movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation to Waters/Rivers for assistance and safe passage; also for sanctifying speech before an undertaking.
रम॑ध्वं मे॒ वच॑से सो॒म्याय॒ ऋता॑वरी॒रुप॑ मुहू॒र्तमेवै॑: । प्र सिन्धु॒मच्छा॑ बृह॒ती म॑नी॒षाव॒स्युर॑ह्वे कुशि॒कस्य॑ सू॒नुः ॥
रम॑ध्वम् । मे॒ । वच॑से । सो॒म्याय॑ । ऋत॑ऽवरीः । उप॑ । मु॒हू॒र्तम् । एवैः॑ । प्र । सिन्धु॑म् । अच्छ॑ । बृ॒ह॒ती । म॒नी॒षा । अ॒व॒स्युः । अ॒ह्ने॒ । कु॒शि॒कस्य॑ । सू॒नुः ॥
ramadhvam | me | vacase | somyāya | ṛta-varīḥ | upa | muhūrtam | evaiḥ | pra | sindhum | accha | bṛhatī | manīṣā | avasyuḥ | ahne | kuśikasya | sūnuḥ
48
4 x ~12 syllables
Expansive and persuasive; suitable for invitation (‘draw near’) and for projecting ‘vast thought’.
Creates a widening in the chest and head; supports confident invocation and the sense of ‘approach’ of helpful forces.
- वचस् (vacas)
- Literal: word, utterance. Symbolic: mantric vibration; formulated truth of consciousness that can command and harmonize forces
- सोम्य (somya)
- Literal: Soma-born, sweet, delightful. Symbolic: arising from inner Ananda; speech purified of ego-strain
- ऋतावरीः (ṛtāvarīḥ)
- Literal: upholders of ṛta. Symbolic: powers that maintain right movement—energies that obey truth-order when rightly invoked
- एवैः (evaiḥ)
- Literal: with swift courses/impulses. Symbolic: quick responsiveness of inner energies once the right note is struck
- बृहती मनीषा (bṛhatī manīṣā)
- Literal: vast thought/insight. Symbolic: expansive illumined intelligence opening into wideness (bṛhat)
- सिन्धु (sindhu)
- Literal: the great river (Sindhu). Symbolic: the great current of integral consciousness; the main stream of the yoga toward wideness
- अवस्यु (avasyu)
- Literal: needing help, seeking protection. Symbolic: the soul’s earnest aspiration at a point of difficulty
Direct address to river-goddesses for favorable response and safe crossing; the hymn functions as a persuasive ‘vācas’ to obtain their consent
Before crossing waters; before recitation/uktha in a rite; at moments requiring swift support.
Mantric address to the river powers; offering or libation near water; request for anukūla (favorable response).
Use before important communication or decisions: cultivate ‘somya vacas’ (speech from calm delight) and ask inner energies to align with ṛta.
ramadhvam from √ram ‘delight, be pleased’ (consent through joy). ṛtāvarīḥ ‘ṛta-increasing/ṛta-guarding’ (ṛta + √vṛ/√var ‘choose/cover/guard’ in Vedic epithet formation). somyāya from soma (delight/immortal essence) + adjectival -ya. bṛhatī from bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ (Bṛhat as vast truth). manīṣā from √man ‘think’ with visionary sense. avasyu from avas ‘help, protection’.
Ṛta as the principle rivers uphold, Soma as delight empowering inspired speech, Bṛhat (vastness) as expansion of consciousness
Direct: the rivers are invoked as ṛtāvarīḥ; the mantra assumes cosmic forces respond to truth-intoned speech.
Somya vacas implies speech grounded in inner truth rather than ego-impulse.
Manifestation as ordered flow; speech (vāc) as a creative power that guides the flows.
Aurobindonian psychological exegesis: Vāc as effective power of consciousness; Sindhu as wideness/current of being.
Swift energies of life-mind responding to delight-born mantra; the great current of wideness drawing the seeker forward.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The seer’s persuasive hymn to the river-mothers as ṛta-upholders: speech empowered by Soma seeks their joyful assent, enabling passage—mythically, the human word aligned with cosmic order moves nature-powers to cooperate.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ram ‘delight’ belongs to an Indo-European affective lexicon; √bṛh ‘grow’ parallels PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise/high’ in semantic neighborhood of elevation/expansion (connections debated but the ‘bṛhat’ vastness is a core Indo-Aryan development). √man ‘think’ is PIE *men- (mind).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers Soma-touched speech as a gift and asks a reciprocal gift: the rivers’ near approach and consent. The relationship is contractual in ṛta—right speech (vāc) elicits right response (safe, supportive flow).
Formulate ‘somya vacas’: speak inwardly a single truth-sentence from calm delight; feel inner currents gather and cooperate.
Viśuddha (truth-speech) supported by Anāhata (sweetness/Ananda)
Slow inhale imagining rivers drawing near; exhale softly voicing the mantra or a seed-sound (e.g., ‘om’) to sweeten speech.
Harmonized receptivity—energies approach and align with a central aspiration.
Before difficult conversations or inner conflicts, pause until speech becomes ‘somya’; then invoke the ‘ṛtāvarī’ powers—let truth-order, not impulse, decide the direction.
Maintain clear udatta rises on invocatory vocatives (ṛtāvarīḥ) and on key nouns (vacas, sindhum, manīṣā); let svarita carry the musical fall without clipping.
Slightly lengthen the invitation phrases ‘ramadhvam… upa muhūrtam’; open the tone on ‘bṛhatī manīṣā’.
ṛtāvarīḥ: crisp ṛ, long ā, and clear v; avoid turning ṛ into ‘ri’., muhūrtam: long ū; do not compress to ‘muhurtam’., sindhum acchā: keep ‘acchā’ with clear aspirated ch and long ā.
Warm, inviting, slightly smiling resonance (somya), then expansive on ‘bṛhatī’.
3
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
