Rig Veda 3.59.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 59, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.59
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Mitra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अयं मित्रो नमस्यः सुशेवो राजा सुक्षत्रो अजनिष्ट वेधाः । तस्य वयं सुमतौ यज्ञियस्यापि भद्रे सौमनसे स्याम ॥
ayám mitró namasyàḥ suśévo rājā́ sukṣatró ajaniṣṭa vedhā́ḥ | tásya vayám sumatáu yajñíyasyā́pi bhadré saúmanase syā́ma ||
मित्र को प्रणाम करना चाहिए। वो अच्छा है, अच्छा राज करता है, और समझदार है। उनकी सही सोच में हम खुश रहें। हम अपने मन में शांति महसूस करें।
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमस्यः
- worthy of reverenceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot नमस्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नम् ‘to bow’ से भाव/योग्यतार्थक)
- सुशेवः
- very graciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सु-शेव (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शेव ‘kind/benign’)
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुक्षत्रः
- of good sovereignty/powerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सु-क्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक; सु + क्षत्र ‘dominion/power’)
- अजनिष्ट
- was born / aroseVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √जन् (जनि) ‘to be born, arise’
- वेधाः
- the wise ordainerNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wise disposer/ordainer’)
- तस्य
- of himPronounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमतौ
- in (his) good will/favorNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सु-मति (प्रातिपदिक; सु + मति ‘thought, favor’)
- यज्ञियस्य
- of the worshipful (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fit for sacrifice/worship’)
- अपि
- also; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (सम्बन्ध/निपात)Root अपि
- भद्रे
- in auspiciousness / in the goodNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सौमनसे
- in good dispositionNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सु-मनस् → सौमनस (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good-mindedness, harmony’)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √अस् ‘to be’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अयम् | मित्रः | नमस्यः | सुशेवः | राजा | सुक्षत्रः | अजनिष्ट | वेधाः | तस्य | वयम् | सुमतौ | यज्ञियस्य | अपि | भद्रे | सौमनसे | स्याम । विशेष: ‘यज्ञियस्यापि’ = यज्ञियस्य + अपि (अ + अ → आ)
- ‘सौमनसे’ रूपम् सु-मनस्-प्रातिपदिकस्य वृद्धि-निर्मित ‘सौमनस’ (भाववाचक) इत्यस्य सप्तमी एकवचनम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Mitra is worthy of reverence—kind, a king with good dominion, a wise disposer born for the work. May we be in his right understanding, and in auspicious gladness of soul-harmony.
Inner meaning
Mitra is invoked as the sovereign principle of concord in the being: the ‘king’ (rājā) who governs the inner kingdom by a just, luminous rule (sukṣatra). As vedhāḥ, he is the arranger of the sacrifice—he organizes thought, emotion, and action into a coherent offering. To bow (namasyaḥ) is to submit egoistic preference to the law of harmony. The result is sumati (right intelligence) and saumanasa (glad, unified mind-heart), an inner auspiciousness that makes spiritual work effective.
Universal truth
True sovereignty is benevolent order: when intelligence is harmonized and the soul becomes glad and unified, life naturally moves toward right action and right relation.
Themes
Divine sovereignty, Benign governance, Auspicious mind-state, Adoration as inner surrender
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.59.3, RV 3.59.5, RV 3.62.10
Family tradition
A seer-lineage stressing the building of a new inner order through tapas and illumination, often invoking solar deities for right governance of life.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s vision frequently turns the gods into inner powers: kingship becomes self-mastery; sacrifice becomes conscious offering; harmony becomes the basis for spiritual transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra
- Epithets
- namasya, suśeva, rājā, sukṣatra, vedhāḥ, yajñiya
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Indra (illumination supporting order), Agni (leader of sacrifice), Savitar
Cosmic role
Sovereign of concord and right relation; establishes trustworthy order among beings and within the worlds.
Inner power
The ‘royal’ harmonizer in the psyche: integrates mind and heart, creates ethical clarity, and makes the inner work orderly and fruitful.
In ritual
Where it is used
Offerings and praises to Mitra (often paired with Varuṇa) in Soma and fire rites (general)
अ॒यं मि॒त्रो न॑म॒स्य॑: सु॒शेवो॒ राजा॑ सुक्ष॒त्रो अ॑जनिष्ट वे॒धाः । तस्य॑ व॒यं सु॑म॒तौ य॒ज्ञिय॒स्यापि॑ भ॒द्रे सौ॑मन॒से स्या॑म ॥
अ॒यम् । मि॒त्रः । न॒म॒स्यः॑ । सु॒ऽशेवः॑ । राजा॑ । सु॒ऽक्ष॒त्रः । अ॒ज॒नि॒ष्ट॒ । वे॒धाः । तस्य॑ । व॒यम् । सु॒ऽम॒तौ । य॒ज्ञिय॑स्य । अपि॑ । भ॒द्रे । सौ॒म॒न॒से । स्या॒म॒ ॥
ayam | mitraḥ | namasyaḥ | su-śevaḥ | rājā | su-kṣatraḥ | ajaniṣṭa | vedhāḥ | tasya | vayam | su-matau | yajñiyasya | api | bhadre | saumanase | syāma
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4 × ~11 syllables
Regal and steady; a ‘kingly’ stride matching the theme of sovereignty and rule.
Instills composure, dignity, and inner alignment; stabilizes the emotional field into glad harmony.
- नमस्यः (namasyaḥ)
- Literal: to be bowed to, worthy of reverence. Symbolic: ego’s consent to a higher law; inner humility that opens to guidance
- सुशेवः (suśevaḥ)
- Literal: very gracious/benign. Symbolic: benevolence of harmony; friendliness of the divine order
- राजा (rājā)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: governing power in consciousness that rules impulses and thoughts
- सुक्षत्रः (sukṣatraḥ)
- Literal: of good dominion/power. Symbolic: right mastery—effective, non-violent control through clarity
- वेधाः (vedhāḥ)
- Literal: wise disposer/ordainer. Symbolic: the organizing intelligence that arranges the inner yajña
- यज्ञिय (yajñiya)
- Literal: adorable, fit for sacrifice. Symbolic: that which is to be consciously offered to; divine principle worthy of inner worship
- सुमति (sumati)
- Literal: good thought/right understanding. Symbolic: harmonized discernment; luminous counsel within
- सौमनस (saumanasa)
- Literal: gladness, good-mindedness. Symbolic: unified heart-mind; serene joy from inner concord
Praise-verse establishing Mitra’s kingship; used to support intentions of social/inner harmony and right governance in ritual space.
For securing social concord, truthful agreements, right governance, and auspiciousness of the yajña.
Recitation with oblation and namas (reverent salutation), seeking the deity’s ‘sumati’.
Chant before meetings, reconciliation, or leadership decisions; use as a ‘right-governance’ mantra for speech and action.
namasyà-: gerundive from √nam 'to bow'—worthy to be bowed to. kṣatrá-: from √kṣi 'to rule, possess, dwell' → dominion/power; sukṣatrá 'good governance' as inner sovereignty. vedhā́-: from √vidh 'to arrange, apportion, worship'—the one who disposes the right order; ties to ṛta as distribution of functions.
Inner kingship (rājan) as ordered consciousness, Sumati and saumanasa (purified mind), Ṛta as wise apportioning (vedhā)
Mitra as rājā-sukṣatra embodies ṛta as benevolent governance.
Truth as trustworthy relation—speech and intent aligned, enabling saumanasa.
Cosmic order as a ‘kingdom’ upheld by luminous law; inner creation becomes orderly when the harmonizer rules.
Integral interpretation: divine powers as faculties of consciousness; yajña as inner transformation.
mid-morning/noon (clarity and governance)
Solar clarity = governing discernment; kingship = self-mastery; auspiciousness = sattvic harmony in mind-heart.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The manifestation of the 'king' power of harmony: Mitra appears as rājā and vedhā, instituting right dominion. Mythically, it is the enthronement of cosmic order within the human and communal field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rājā reflects IE kingship lexicon (Skt rājan-, Lat rēx via *h₃rḗǵs, though by different developments), encoding sovereignty as ordering principle. kṣatra- expresses a parallel to IE power/dominion terms, but characteristically Vedic in linking rule with dwelling/possession (√kṣi).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s homage (namasyaḥ) is paired with a request for inner qualities (sumati, saumanasa). The devatā is not asked for external spoils but for a re-formation of mind and governance—Mitra’s kingship mirrored as self-rule.
Invoke the ‘inner king’—harmonize mind and heart; practice truthful, benevolent intention.
anahata
equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) 4-4 or 6-6 for 3–5 minutes
settled, dignified peace; quiet confidence
Chant with a slight bow of the head at ‘namasyaḥ’; after chanting, sit and let the chest soften, as if a solar warmth organizes scattered thoughts into one clear intention.
Use Vedic accent as per śākhā; maintain udātta lift without over-stressing; keep svarita as a gentle fall.
Break at caesuras naturally after sense-units; keep ‘ayam mitro’ as a clear opening phrase.
mitro: short ‘o’ glide, not ‘mee-tro’, sukṣatro: pronounce kṣ as ‘ksh’ with clear cluster, ajaniṣṭa: ṣṭ as retroflex cluster; keep vowels pure, saumanase: ‘au’ diphthong, then ‘ma-na-se’ evenly
warm, steady, reverent
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