Rig Veda 3.61.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 61, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.61
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
उषो देव्यमर्त्या वि भाहि चन्द्ररथा सूनृता ईरयन्ती । आ त्वा वहन्तु सुयमासो अश्वा हिरण्यवर्णां पृथुपाजसो ये ॥
uṣó devyám amartyā́ ví bhāhi candra-rathā sūnṛ́tā ī́rayantī | ā́ tvā vahantu su-yámāso áśvā hiraṇya-varṇāṃ pṛthú-pājaso yé ||
हे उषा देवी, तुम अमृत हो, मरने वाली नहीं। चमक के फैलो। तुम्हारी रथ है, चाँद जैसी चमक वाली। तुम सच्ची बातें चलाती हो। तुम्हारे घोड़े अच्छे से जुड़े हैं, वो तुम्हे लाते हैं। सोने जैसा रंग है उनका, और चमक बड़ी है।
Word by Word
- उषः
- O Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (आह्वान) / कर्तृ (सन्दर्भतः)Root उषस्- (प्रातिपदिक) < √उष् (उष् दीप्तौ)
- देव्यम्
- divine (radiance/appearance)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (विशेषणरूपेण)Role कर्म (वि-भा-हि इत्यस्य)Root देव्य- (देव + यत्) (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्त्या
- with/through (her) active/striving power (Vedic epithet)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करण/हेतुवाचक (विशेषण-प्रयोगः)Root अर्त्य- (प्रातिपदिक) < ऋत/अर्ति-सम्बद्ध (वेदिक विशेषण)
- वि
- forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्गःRole क्रियाविशेषण (प्रकर्ष/विभाग)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भाहि
- shine forthVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √भा (दीप्तौ)
- चन्द्ररथा
- O (Dawn) of the bright/moonlike chariotNoun (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot चन्द्र-रथ- (समासः; प्रातिपदिक)
- सूनृता
- O fair-speaking one / true utteranceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सूनृता- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईरयन्ती
- impelling, setting in motionVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उषसः विशेषणम्)Root √ईर्/ईरय् (प्रेरणे)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गःRole क्रियाविशेषण (आगमन/समन्तात्)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (वहन्तु इत्यस्य)Root युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम)
- वहन्तु
- let (them) carry/bringVerbलोट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √वह् (वह प्रापणे/वहने)
- सुयमासः
- well-guided, well-reinedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अश्वाः विशेषणम्)Root सु-यम- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-guided/with good control’)
- अश्वाः
- horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिरण्यवर्णाम्
- golden-colouredAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (त्वाम्/उषसम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot हिरण्य-वर्ण- (समासः; प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथुपाजसः
- of broad strength/mightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (ये इत्यनेन सह)Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (अश्वानाम्)Root पृथु-पाजस्- (समासः; प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- who, which (those)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अश्वाः इत्यस्य पुनर्निर्देशः)Root यद्- (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): उषः | देव्यम् | अर्त्या | वि | भाहि | चन्द्ररथा | सूनृता | ईरयन्ती | आ | त्वा | वहन्तु | सुयमासः | अश्वाः | हिरण्यवर्णाम् | पृथुपाजसः | ये । (देवनागरी-पाठे ‘उषो’ = उषः (सम्बोधन-प्रयोगे विसर्गलोपः); ‘आ त्वा’ इत्यत्र उपसर्ग-प्रयोगः; अन्यत्र प्रमुखः बाह्यसन्धिः न्यूनः।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to the goddess Dawn to shine widely, arriving in a moon-bright chariot, setting true utterances in motion, drawn by well-yoked, golden, wide-radiant horses.
Inner meaning
Uṣas is the inner awakening that spreads through the being. Her “moon-bright chariot” suggests a calm, reflective illumination (mind purified of heat and turbulence). She sets “sūnṛtāḥ” in motion—truth-bearing inspirations and right speech arising from the soul’s sincerity. The well-yoked horses are disciplined life-forces (aśvāḥ) that carry the seeker into a wider radiance (pṛthupājas).
Universal truth
When consciousness awakens, it brings a serene light that mobilizes truth in thought and speech; disciplined energies then carry that illumination into action and widen it through the whole life.
Themes
illumination, truth-speech, disciplined energies, arrival of dawn
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.61.1, Rig Veda 3.62.10, Rig Veda 3.53, Rig Veda 3.54
Family tradition
Royal-turned-brahmarṣi seer; hymns often emphasize the conquest of light and the establishment of ṛta through inspired force.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s stream commonly moves from aspiration to illumination: he invokes powers that widen consciousness, harmonize speech, and yoke energies to the Truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- devī, amartyā, candrarathā, hiraṇyavarṇā, pṛthupājas
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Aśvins, Soma
Cosmic role
She opens the worlds each day, revealing forms, paths, and the order of becoming; she heralds Sūrya and awakens the sacrificer.
Inner power
Awakening-intelligence that brings clarity, truth-impulse, and the first wideness of the higher light; she initiates the day of yoga.
In ritual
Where it is used
Uṣas-stotra in morning pressing/recitation contexts; general dawn-invocation within soma-sacrifice atmosphere
उषो॑ दे॒व्यम॑र्त्या॒ वि भा॑हि च॒न्द्रर॑था सू॒नृता॑ ई॒रय॑न्ती । आ त्वा॑ वहन्तु सु॒यमा॑सो॒ अश्वा॒ हिर॑ण्यवर्णां पृथु॒पाज॑सो॒ ये ॥
उषः॑ । दे॒वि॒ । अम॑र्त्या । वि । भा॒हि॒ । च॒न्द्रऽर॑था । सू॒नृताः॑ । ई॒रय॑न्ती । आ । त्वा॒ । व॒ह॒न्तु॒ । सु॒ऽयमा॑सः । अश्वाः॑ । हिर॑ण्यऽवर्णाम् । पृ॒थु॒ऽपाज॑सः । ये ॥
uṣaḥ | devi | amartyā | vi | bhāhi | candra-rathā | sūnṛtāḥ | īrayantī | ā | tvā | vahantu | su-yamāsaḥ | aśvāḥ | hiraṇya-varṇām | pṛthu-pājasaḥ | ye
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving yet spacious; suited to invocation and widening.
Creates an expanding cadence—helpful for feeling the ‘vi-bhā’ (spreading light) and for energizing disciplined aspiration.
- uṣā / uṣas
- Literal: dawn. Symbolic: spiritual awakening; illumination entering the being
- devī amartyā
- Literal: divine, deathless. Symbolic: a timeless power of consciousness, not limited by mortal mind
- vi bhāhi
- Literal: shine widely. Symbolic: expand awareness beyond narrow ego-limits
- candrarathā
- Literal: moon-charioted. Symbolic: cool, steady, reflective light of clarified mind
- sūnṛtāḥ īrayantī
- Literal: setting true utterances in motion. Symbolic: release of soul-true inspiration and right speech (mantra-born intuition)
- aśvāḥ suyamāsaḥ
- Literal: well-yoked horses. Symbolic: disciplined vital energies yoked to the inner aim
- hiraṇyavarṇām
- Literal: golden-hued. Symbolic: luminous, sattvic radiance of higher knowledge
- pṛthupājas
- Literal: broad in radiance. Symbolic: vastening of light-power through the nature
Dawn invocation at the opening of ritual day; supports awakening of truthful speech (sūnṛtā) in recitation
At daybreak or at the opening of a rite to invoke auspicious illumination
Recitation/chant as an āvāhana (inviting) of Dawn; offering of praise as inner ‘oblation’ of attention
Morning meditation invocation before study/work: call for calm illumination and truthful speech.
√bhā ‘to shine’ (bhāhi) is a central IE light-root (cf. Slavic *běl- ‘white’ as a semantic neighbor, though not direct). (sūnṛtā-) ‘good/true speech’ = su- ‘good’ + nṛtā (from √nṛ/√nar? in Vedic formation meaning ‘utterance’), conventionally ‘truth-speaking’. (yama) in su-yamāsa ‘well-reined’ from √yam ‘to restrain, hold’, giving the inner sense of disciplined energies.
truthful inspiration (sūnṛtā), discipline (yam) as vehicle of light, immortality (amartyā) of the luminous principle
Uṣas is a revealer of ṛta—she sets right movement (īrayantī) in thought and life.
sūnṛtāḥ as truth-utterances: speech aligned to inner truth rather than desire.
Daily re-creation of the worlds through Light’s arrival; manifestation through illumination.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent from mind to higher light and wideness.
dawn
The first calm illumination that mobilizes intuition and yokes life-energy to the soul’s intention.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn arrives on her radiant car drawn by well-yoked horses and sets true inspirations in motion. Inwardly, illumination comes carried by disciplined life-forces and awakens the current of truthful speech and right intuition.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The Dawn complex again reflects PIE *h₂éwsōs in the goddess identity. √yam ‘to rein/hold’ has IE parallels in control/holding roots; it underlines a shared poetic idea: the light is borne by ‘reined’ steeds (regulated energies).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests not only light but the stirring of sūnṛtā—truth-bearing utterance—so the hymn itself becomes an instrument of awakening. Dawn’s coming is thus the enabling condition for inspired speech and right seeing in the sacrificer.
Invite the ‘dawn’ of awareness: calm, reflective clarity that initiates truthful thought and speech.
ājñā (clarity/vision) and viśuddha (truthful expression)
Nādi-śodhana 6–12 rounds, then a gentle inhale-hold for ‘vi bhāhi’ (no strain)
Waking-to-witness transition; quiet brightness with widening attention.
At first light, sit upright; repeat the mantra slowly, feeling the ‘horses’ as gathered energies; end with a resolve to speak only what is true and helpful today.
Vedic svara as in śākala tradition; preserve marked udātta/anudātta/svarita especially on uṣo, vi bhāhi, candrarathā, sūnṛtā, ā tvā.
Let udātta rise clearly; avoid flattening compounds (candrarathā, hiraṇyavarṇām, pṛthupājas). Keep caesura after |.
uṣo: retroflex ṣ, short u; visarga absent here in vocative sandhi, candrarathā: clear d+r cluster; do not over-lengthen a, sūnṛtā: long ū and ā; ṛ is vocalic (not ri), hiraṇyavarṇām: ṇ is retroflex; keep ‘hiraṇya’ three beats, pṛthupājas: pṛ = vocalic ṛ; j as in ‘judge’
Bright, clear, slightly uplifted; end each pāda with gentle openness rather than drop.
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