Rig Veda 3.62.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 62, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.62
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra–Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अस्मे तदिन्द्रावरुणा वसु ष्यादस्मे रयिर्मरुतः सर्ववीरः । अस्मान्वरूत्रीः शरणैरवन्त्वस्मान्होत्रा भारती दक्षिणाभिः ॥
asmé tád indrāvaruṇā vásu syād asmé rayír marutaḥ sárvavīraḥ | asmā́n varū́trīḥ śaráṇair avantv asmā́n hotrā́ bhā́ratī dákṣiṇābhiḥ ||
इंद्र और वरुण, हमारे अंदर अच्छा धन आए। मरुत गण, तुम भी हमारे पास पूरा बल लाओ। रक्षक शक्तियाँ हमें अपने साये में रखें। भारती देवी, यज्ञ की शक्ति, अपने दान से हमारे काम आएँ।
Word by Word
- अस्मे
- in/for usPronounसप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूपRole अधिकारणRoot अस्मद्
- तत्
- that (boon/thing)Pronounप्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot तद्
- इन्द्रावरुणा
- O Indra and VaruṇaNoun (dual deity name)सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (देवद्वय)Role सम्प्रदान (आह्वान/सम्बोधन)Root इन्द्र-वरुण (समाहार/द्वन्द्व प्रातिपदिक)
- वसु
- wealth, goodNounप्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot वसु
- स्यात्
- may it beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अस् (भू) धातु
- अस्मे
- in/for usPronounसप्तमी, एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिकRole अधिकारणRoot अस्मद्
- रयिः
- wealth, bountyNounप्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (स्यात्-क्रियायाः विषयः)Root रयि
- मरुतः
- O MarutsNounसम्बोधन/प्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole सम्प्रदान (आह्वान/सम्बोधन)Root मरुत्
- सर्ववीरः
- having all heroes; rich in men/sonsAdjectiveप्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; रयिः इति विशेषणम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot सर्व-वीर (बहुव्रीहि प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मान्
- usPronounद्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अस्मद्
- वरूत्रीः
- protectresses; defensesNounप्रथमा, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot वरूत्री
- शरणैः
- with shelters/refugesNounतृतीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole करणRoot शरण
- अवन्तु
- let them protectVerbलोट् (imperative), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अव् (रक्षणे) धातु
- अस्मान्
- usPronounद्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अस्मद्
- होत्रा
- with the priestly office/ministrationNounतृतीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole करणRoot होत्रा
- भारती
- Bhāratī (goddess of speech/ritual)Noun (deity name)प्रथमा, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot भारती
- दक्षिणाभिः
- with gifts/fees (dakṣiṇās)Nounतृतीया, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole करणRoot दक्षिणा
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): अस्मे तद् इन्द्रावरुणा वसु स्यात् | अस्मे रयिः मरुतः सर्ववीरः | अस्मान् वरूत्रीः शरणैः अवन्तु | अस्मान् होत्रा भारती दक्षिणाभिः || Notable: तदि॑न्द्रावरुणा = तत् + इन्द्रावरुणा
- र॒यिर्म॑रुतः = रयिः + मरुतः
- अस्मान्वरूत्रीः = अस्मान् + वरूत्रीः
- शर॒णैर॑वन्तु = शरणैः + अवन्तु
- अस्मान्होत्रा = अस्मान् + होत्रा
The meaning
Outer meaning
In us may that good be established, O Indra–Varuṇa; in us may the plenitude be, O Maruts, rich in all heroic powers. May the Protectresses guard us with shelters; may Bhāratī the priestly power uphold us with her gifts.
Inner meaning
The prayer turns inward repeatedly (asme… asme… asmān… asmān): establish the divine good (vasu) as a settled habit of consciousness. Let the Marut energies become a plenitude (rayiḥ) ‘with all heroes’—i.e., filled with effective faculties: courage, endurance, skill, right impulse. The Varūtrīs are inner protectresses—guarding powers (often goddesses of the path) that provide shelters (śaraṇa) against relapse into ignorance. Bhāratī, the inspired Word and right priesthood in us, upholds the sacrifice with dakṣiṇā—right giving, right exchange, the offering of ego into truth.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress becomes stable when the good is installed within, energies are made heroic and harmonious, protections are established against regression, and speech/action are consecrated through right offering.
Themes
Indwelling wealth, Protection and refuge, Ritual speech as power, All-heroic plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Kauśika lineage, traditionally)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.62.1-2, RV 3.62.4, RV 3.53
Family tradition
A strongly ‘integral’ prayer: not only victory but stabilization (vasu), fullness (rayi), protection (varūtrī), and right speech-offering (Bhāratī).
Significance
Represents the mature stage of sādhanā: establishing the gains in the being and protecting them through right inner governance and inspired speech.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra–Varuṇa; Maruts; Varūtrīs; Bhāratī
- Epithets
- sarvavīra (all-heroic), varūtrī (protecting), hotrā (priestly power)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī, Ilā, Aditi, Agni
Cosmic role
Indra–Varuṇa establish victorious truth-order; Maruts supply dynamic powers; Varūtrīs protect the path; Bhāratī sustains the sacrifice through inspired formulation and right giving.
Inner power
Stabilization: installs good, energizes faculties, shields the consciousness, and aligns speech/action with the inner offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and prosperity prayer within Soma/communal rite; invokes both warrior-force and priestly speech-power for integral safeguarding.
अ॒स्मे तदि॑न्द्रावरुणा॒ वसु॑ ष्याद॒स्मे र॒यिर्म॑रुत॒: सर्व॑वीरः । अ॒स्मान्वरू॑त्रीः शर॒णैर॑वन्त्व॒स्मान्होत्रा॒ भार॑ती॒ दक्षि॑णाभिः ॥
अ॒स्मे इति॑ । तत् । इ॒न्द्रा॒व॒रु॒णा॒ । वसु॑ । स्या॒त् । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । र॒यिः । म॒रु॒तः॒ । सर्व॑ऽवीरः । अ॒स्मान् । वरू॑त्रीः । श॒र॒णैः । अ॒व॒न्तु॒ । अ॒स्मान् । होत्रा॑ । भार॑ती । दक्षि॑णाभिः ॥
asme iti | tat | indrāvaruṇā | vasu | syāt | asme iti | rayiḥ | marutaḥ | sarva-vīraḥ | asmān | varūtrīḥ | śaraṇaiḥ | avantu | asmān | hotrā | bhāratī | dakṣiṇābhiḥ
44
4 × ~11
Mantra-like insistence with repeated ‘asme/asmān’; balancing cadence suitable for ‘establishing’.
Grounding and protective; listeners feel ‘installed’ in a safe, empowered inner order.
- asme/asmān
- Literal: in us/us. Symbolic: the inner field (adhāra) as the true altar
- vasu
- Literal: good, wealth. Symbolic: essential good: truth, peace, right force
- rayiḥ
- Literal: plenitude, riches. Symbolic: fullness of capacities and inner resources
- sarvavīraḥ
- Literal: having all heroes. Symbolic: all effective powers/faculties awakened and aligned
- varūtrīḥ
- Literal: protectresses. Symbolic: guarding goddesses: protective discernments, helpful forces
- śaraṇaiḥ
- Literal: with shelters. Symbolic: safe inner poises, refuges of consciousness
- bhāratī
- Literal: Bhāratī (goddess), the word/power of prayer. Symbolic: inspired speech, mantra-śakti, priestly intelligence
- dakṣiṇābhiḥ
- Literal: with gifts/fees. Symbolic: right offering, consecration, generous surrender of the lower to the higher
Protective and prosperity prayer within Soma/communal rite; invokes both warrior-force and priestly speech-power for integral safeguarding.
Protective and prosperity-seeking segments of rites; also where priestly powers (Bhāratī) and dakṣiṇā are thematized.
Recited with offering and dakṣiṇā distribution; invoking protection around the sacrificial ground.
Daily protection + stabilization practice: chant to establish good habits, energize will, and consecrate speech (truthful communication).
vasú ‘good/wealth’ from √vas ‘dwell/shine’ (semantic overlap of ‘good dwelling’ and ‘brightness’). varū́trī from √vṛ ‘cover, protect’ (PIE *wer- ‘cover’). dakṣiṇā from dakṣiṇa ‘right/south/skillful’ → ‘right offering/gift’; psychologically, right distribution of energies. Bhāratī linked with √bhṛ/√bhā in the field of bearing and shining speech; in RV, a goddess of the word and rite.
indwelling of the divine good (asme…syāt), integral protection (varūtrī/śaraṇa), right giving/exchange (dakṣiṇā) as law of reciprocity
The ‘good established in us’ is ṛta internalized as character and action.
Stability of vasu and rayi indicates truth becoming substance, not idea.
Formation of a protected, empowered inner world through divine collaboration.
Vedic mantra-psychology: Vak (Bhāratī) as shaper; protective shaktis as guardians of transformation.
Storm = energized prāṇa turned heroic; shelters = stable poises; priestly power = ordering intelligence of speech and offering.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Establishment of the divine ‘vasu’ and ‘rayi’ within the human collectivity, guarded by protectress-powers and upheld by the priestly goddess of speech. The mythic action is not conquest outside but settlement (sthā/√as implied) of wealth and protection inside the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛ ‘cover/protect’ (varūtrī) reflects a widespread IE root *wer- ‘cover’ (cf. English ‘wear’ in the sense of covering). The reciprocity encoded in dakṣiṇā parallels IE gift-exchange structures in sacral economies.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks for an integral yoga of powers: Indra–Varuṇa establish the good; Maruts supply dynamic heroic energies; Varūtrīs create safe inner spaces; Bhāratī stabilises the ascent through inspired word and right offering (dakṣiṇā), sealing the exchange between human aspiration and divine response.
Stabilize gains: ‘In me let the good be established’; then seal with protection and consecrated speech.
mūlādhāra (stability/shelter) + viśuddha (Bhāratī/vāk)
Slow 4-4-6 breathing; on exhale repeat ‘asme’; after chanting, 2 minutes of silence feeling a protective boundary.
Settled, protected wideness; energized but calm.
After chanting, speak one sentence of deliberate truth (Bhāratī practice) and perform one small act of right giving (dakṣiṇā as inner generosity).
Tri-svara; keep repeated ‘asme’ as steady anudatta-to-udatta lift; highlight udatta on deity names and on ‘sarvavīraḥ’, ‘bhāratī’.
Slight pauses at each ‘asme’ to ‘install’ the intention; soften on ‘śaraṇaiḥ’ for shelter-feel.
sarvavīraḥ: long ī, visarga audible, varūtrīḥ: long ū and retroflex ṭr cluster, śaraṇaiḥ: palatal ś, diphthong aiḥ, bhāratī: long ā and ī, dakṣiṇābhiḥ: retroflex ṣ, long ā; aspirated bh
Protective, warm, inward; avoid sharpness—aim for sealing calm.
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