Rig Veda 3.53.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 53, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.53
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
जायेदस्तं मघवन्त्सेदु योनिस्तदित्त्वा युक्ता हरयो वहन्तु । यदा कदा च सुनवाम सोममग्निष्ट्वा दूतो धन्वात्यच्छ ॥
jāyéd ástaṃ maghaván tséd u yóniḥ tád ít tvā yuktā́ hárayo vahantu | yadā́ kadā́ ca sunávāma sómam agníṣ ṭvā dūtó dhanvā́ty áccha ||
हे दान करने वाले, जब तुम घर जाओ तो वो जगह तुम्हारे लिए आराम की जगह बन जाए। तुम्हारी ताकत वाली बाई तुम्हे हमारे पास लाएँ। जब भी हम सोम रस निकालते हैं, अग्नि तुम्हारा पैगम बन के तुम्हारे पास भागता है।
Word by Word
- जायेत
- may be born / may ariseVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्र. 3, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root जन् (धातु)
- अस्तम्
- home; down; to the setting (place)Indeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (गत्यर्थे/दिशा-देश)Root अस्तम् (अव्यय/निपात; ‘home, down, to setting’)
- मघवन्
- O bountiful one (Maghavan, Indra)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
- स
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम; स-)
- इदु
- indeed; justIndeclinableअव्ययRole (भावार्थ-निपात)Root इदु (निपात)
- योनिः
- womb; source; resting-placeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/अथवा विधेय-नाम (predicate)Root योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole (सम्बन्ध/निर्देश)Root तद् (सर्वनाम)
- इत्
- just; preciselyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (भावार्थ-निपात)Root इत् (निपात)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- युक्ताः
- yoked; harnessedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (हरयः-विशेषणम्)Root युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त, भूतकृदन्त)
- हरयः
- the tawny steedsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वहन्तु
- let them carryVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, प्र. 3, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root वह् (धातु)
- यदा
- whenIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल)Root यदा (अव्यय)
- कदा
- at what time; wheneverIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल)Root कदा (अव्यय)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRole (समुच्चय)Root च (निपात)
- सुनवाम
- may we press (extract)Verbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, उ. 1, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root सु (धातु ‘to press/extract’)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- दूतः
- messengerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अग्निः-विशेषणम्)Root दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
- धन्वाति
- speeds; hastensVerbलट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद, प्र. 3, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root धन्व्/धन्वा (धातु-आधारित; ‘to speed/urge, run’—वैदिक प्रयोग)
- अच्छ
- towards; straight toIndeclinableअव्ययRole (गत्यर्थ-निपात)Root अच्छ (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ निपात)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धिविच्छेद): जायेत् + अस्तम् | मघवन् + स + इदु + योनिः | तत् + इत् + त्वा | युक्ताः + हरयः + वहन्तु | यदा + कदा + च | सुनवाम + सोमम् | अग्निः + त्वा | दूतः + धन्वाति + अच्छ । विशेष: ‘सेदु’ = ‘स इदु’
- ‘तदित्त्वा’ = ‘तत् इत् त्वा’
- ‘अग्निष्ट्वा’ = ‘अग्निः त्वा’
- ‘त्यच्छ’ = ‘ति + अच्छ’ (धन्वाति + अच्छ)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Indra that his return “home” be a true resting-place and renewal; may his yoked tawny steeds bring him to the sacrificer. Whenever Soma is pressed, Agni as Indra’s messenger hastens across wide spaces to summon him.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks that the movement of consciousness into “rest” (astam) not become inertia but a regenerative womb (yoni)—a return into the inner seat where power is renewed. The “tawny horses” are the dynamic life-forces yoked to the illumined Mind (Indra) that can carry the divine help into our field. Soma-pressing is the deliberate extraction of bliss/rapture from experience; when that happens, Agni (divine Will) acts as the inner envoy, running through the wide inner spaces (dhanvāti) to call down Indra’s light and victorious intelligence.
Universal truth
True renewal is not escapist withdrawal but a conscious return to the source within, from which enlightened power can re-enter life. When aspiration (Agni) is steady and joy is distilled (Soma), illumination (Indra) naturally descends and reorganizes the being.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Summoning Indra, Agni as messenger, Renewal and resting-place
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra (Kauśika)
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1-3.60 (many hymns attributed to Viśvāmitra), RV 3.62 (Gāyatrī mantra, traditionally linked to Viśvāmitra)
Family tradition
A royal-turned-seer lineage emphasizing conquest by mantra and the conversion of force into light; Viśvāmitra’s hymns often depict the dynamic ascent of consciousness and the formation of inner order.
Significance
Viśvāmitra represents the transformation of kṣatriya power into brahmic vision—mastery of energies through truth-speaking (satya) and mantra-force, aligning human will with cosmic order.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with Agni as functional messenger)
- Epithets
- Maghavan (bounteous), Vṛtrahan (implied: slayer of the Coverer), Śatakratu (implied: of a hundred powers)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Maruts
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who breaks obstructions, releases the waters/cows (lights), and establishes victorious movement of the Truth in the worlds.
Inner power
Illuminating Mind-force that clears subconscient resistance and brings decisive clarity, courage, and effective action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing (Soma-yajña) invocations to Indra; Agni as dūta in the offering-sequence
जा॒येदस्तं॑ मघव॒न्त्सेदु॒ योनि॒स्तदित्त्वा॑ यु॒क्ता हर॑यो वहन्तु । य॒दा क॒दा च॑ सु॒नवा॑म॒ सोम॑म॒ग्निष्ट्वा॑ दू॒तो ध॑न्वा॒त्यच्छ॑ ॥
जा॒या । इत् । अस्त॑म् । म॒घ॒ऽव॒न् । सा । इत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । योनिः॑ । तत् । इत् । त्वा॒ । यु॒क्ताः । हर॑यः । व॒ह॒न्तु॒ । य॒दा । क॒दा । च॒ । सु॒नवा॑म । सोम॑म् । अ॒ग्न् । त्वा॒ । दू॒तः । ध॒न्वा॒ति॒ । अच्छ॑ ॥
jāyā | it | astam | magha-van | sā | it | oṃ iti | yoniḥ | tat | it | tvā | yuktāḥ | harayaḥ | vahantu | yadā | kadā | ca | sunavāma | somam | agn | tvā | dūtaḥ | dhanvāti | accha
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, martial yet spacious cadence suited to invocation and swift descent of power.
Builds momentum and ‘calling’ energy; supports a felt sense of summoning illumination into the body-mind.
- अस्तम् (astam)
- Literal: home, setting, resting-place. Symbolic: inward return; collected state where forces are gathered
- योनिः (yoni)
- Literal: womb, source. Symbolic: matrix of renewal; psychic ground of rebirth
- हरयः (harayaḥ)
- Literal: tawny horses. Symbolic: yoked energies of action and sensation carrying illumined force
- सोम (soma)
- Literal: Soma juice. Symbolic: divine Ananda/bliss distilled from experience
- अग्नि दूतः (agni dūtaḥ)
- Literal: Agni the messenger. Symbolic: aspiring will that mediates between human and divine consciousness
- धन्वाति (dhanvāti)
- Literal: hastens across wide spaces. Symbolic: swift traversing of inner planes to summon higher power
Soma pressing (savana) invocation: calling Indra to come whenever Soma is pressed; Agni mediates as dūta in the rite and inwardly as the flame of aspiration.
During Soma libations and Indra-stotras/śastras; also in contexts of inviting the deity to the seat (āsandi)
Pressing Soma, offering, and invitatory recitation to draw Indra’s presence
Use as a meditation-invocation before inner work: ‘return to the source (yoni), then call illumined force (Indra) through aspiration (Agni) and joy (Soma)’.
jāyā ‘wife’ (√jan ‘beget’ underlying semantic field of birth/renewal); yóni- ‘womb/source’ (√yu ‘to join, yoke’ is not direct; yoni is a seat/source term). hárayaḥ ‘tawny ones’ (Indra’s horses; color-word tied to brilliance). √vah ‘carry’ in vahantu. sunávāma from √su ‘press/express’ (Soma pressing; psychologically extracting essence). agní- from √ag ‘drive’/‘move’ (traditional), functioning as dūtá- ‘messenger’ (√dū ‘to go quickly’ in sense-field of dispatch).
renewal/birth (yoni), mediation (Agni as link between planes), ananda (Soma as delight-essence)
The ‘true resting-place’ implies a return that preserves ṛta—rest that renews rather than collapses into tamas.
Yoni as satya-ground: the authentic source-state from which right action proceeds.
Re-creation through return to origin: withdrawal → renewal → descent of power.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent-descent rhythm; psychic source as matrix of transformation.
evening/setting (suggested by astam)
Evening-return = inward recollection; fire = aspiring will; Soma = bliss-current; horses = energized faculties carrying illumination across inner expanses.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘arrival of Indra on the tawny steeds’ whenever Soma is pressed, with Agni as the herald-messenger. Innerly, whenever delight is extracted (Soma), the will-flame (Agni) calls down the victorious force (Indra) carried by disciplined energies (yuktā harayaḥ).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ (vahantu) continues PIE *weǵh-. The messenger motif (dūta) and the formula ‘whenever/whensoever’ (yadā kadā ca) are typical of IE hymnic temporality: repeated ritual time becomes a repeated psychological opening.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi establishes a dependable channel: human pressing of Soma (inner extraction of essence) is met by divine response—Indra’s coming. Agni embodies the rishi’s aspiration as an active envoy that bridges the human act and the divine descent.
‘Return to the womb of renewal’—settle into the heart/inner seat, then invoke illumined mind-force to act through the energies.
Anāhata (heart) as yoni of renewal; Ajñā for Indra’s illumination
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana or 4-4-6 breathing; on exhale, feel Agni ‘running’ outward to summon; on inhale, receive Indra’s descent.
Collected inwardness followed by bright, decisive clarity.
Begin with 2–3 minutes of inward gathering (astam/yoni). Then chant once slowly, once with more force. After chanting, sit and watch for a descending brightness in the forehead and a steady will in the chest.
Use Rigvedic accenting: preserve udātta on marked syllables; svarita on following dependent syllables; avoid flattening compounds like ‘agniṣ ṭvā’. (Exact śākhā-specific svara requires a pada-svara text.)
Lean slightly on udātta syllables; keep anudātta low and unforced; let svarita glide down.
jāyed: lengthen ‘ā’; keep ‘y’ clear (jā-ye-d), maghavan: aspirate ‘gh’ (magh-), light ‘v’, yoniḥ: ‘yo’ long-open, final visarga audible but soft, yuktā harayo: retroflex? none; keep ‘kt’ crisp in yuktā, sunavāma: ‘vā’ long; keep ‘na’ dental, agniṣ ṭvā: pronounce as agniṣ-ṭvā (ṣṭ cluster), dhanvāty: articulate ‘nv’ and ‘ty’ without inserting extra vowel
Bright, summoning tone; steady chest resonance with clear consonants.
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