Rig Veda 3.8.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 8, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.8
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Vanaspati / sacrificial post and the deities supporting the yajña
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
युवा सुवासाः परिवीत आगात्स उ श्रेयान्भवति जायमानः । तं धीरासः कवय उन्नयन्ति स्वाध्यो मनसा देवयन्तः ॥
yuvā́ su-vāsā́ḥ párivīta ā́gāt sá u śréyān bhavati jā́yamānaḥ | táṃ dhīrā́saḥ kaváya ún nayanti svādhyò manasā devayántaḥ ||
यह नौजवान है, अच्छे कपड़े पहने, अपनी चमक से ढाका हुआ। पैदलते ही वो सबसे बड़ा बन जाता है। रिशि लोग उसे उठाते हैं, जो अपने मन को संभाल के भगवान की तरफ ले जाते हैं।
Word by Word
- युवा
- young (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot युवन्- (प्रातिपदिक) / यु (यौते इति धातु-सम्बन्धः)
- सुवासाः
- well-clad, wearing good garmentsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot सु- + वासस्- (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा सु- + वस् (धातु) → वासस्-
- परिवीतः
- wrapped around, encompassed, clothedParticiple (past passive) used adjectivallyपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot परि- + √वी (वी- वेष्टने/आवरणे) → वीत (क्त)
- आगात्
- came, arrivedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot आ- + √गम् (गच्छति)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपातः (अवधारण/अनुनासिक-प्रयोगः)Root उ (निपात)
- श्रेयान्
- better, more excellentAdjective (comparative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot श्रेयस्- (श्रेष्ठ-तुल्य/उत्तम-भाव) < श्रि/श्री-सम्बन्धः
- भवति
- becomesVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √भू (भवति)
- जायमानः
- being born, as he is bornParticiple (present middle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √जन् (जायते) → जायमान (शानच्, वर्तमानकाले मध्यम/आत्मने)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धीरासः
- the steadfast/wise onesNoun/Adjective (substantive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot धीरा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- कवयः
- poets, seersNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot कवि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उन्नयन्ति
- lead up, raise, bring forthVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KriyāRoot उद्- + √नी (नयति)
- स्वाध्यः
- self-impelled, of his own power/impulseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (तम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot सु- + आध्य/आध्य- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्वाध्य’ = स्वाधीन/स्वाध्याय-सम्बद्ध ‘self-impelled/own-impulse’)
- मनसा
- with (their) mind, by thoughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot मनस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवयन्तः
- seeking the gods, god-ward, worshippingParticiple (present active)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (धीरासः/कवयः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot देव- + √यम्/√यत् (इच्छायाम्/प्रवृत्तौ) → देवयन्त् (शतृ, वर्तमानकाले)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: ‘आगा॒त्स उ॒’ इति पदच्छेदे ‘आगात् । सः । उ’ (त् + सः → त्स) । ‘श्रेयान्भवति’ इति ‘श्रेयान् । भवति’ (न् + भ → न्भ) । ‘स्वाध्यो मनसा’ इति ‘स्वाध्यः । मनसा’ (ः + म → यो; विसर्गस्य यकारादेशः) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Youthful, well-clad, fully encompassed, he comes; and even as he is born he becomes more excellent. The steadfast seers and poets uplift him—self-mastered—by a mind that seeks the Divine.
Inner meaning
Vanaspati (and the rite-supporting divine formative power) is seen as a youthful, radiant presence—‘well-clad’ in its own luminous energies and ‘encompassed’ (parivīta) by protective light. As it is ‘born’ in the sacrifice (as the support is established and consciousness is formed), it immediately grows in excellence: the inner instrument becomes nobler as soon as it is rightly generated. The dhīrāḥ kavayaḥ—steady seers within us (discernment, inspired intelligence)—uplift this power through svādhyā manas: a self-governed mind turned godward (devayantaḥ).
Universal truth
The divine in us grows by being consciously uplifted: when the mind becomes self-mastered and seeks the Divine, the nascent higher power quickly surpasses the old nature in excellence.
Themes
inner birth of the divine power, ascent of consciousness, seer-poet as agent of transformation, yajña as inner discipline
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha (traditional attribution for RV 3.8 in some traditions; attribution debated)
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1-7.104 (Vasiṣṭha maṇḍala, broader family corpus)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha hymns often emphasize harmony (ṛta), right formation, and the gradual birth of a higher nature under divine guidance.
Significance
The verse reads as a psychology of inner formation: the ‘born’ higher power is uplifted by disciplined, godward mind—an image consonant with Vasiṣṭha’s emphasis on ordered growth and truth-harmony.
The deity
- Devata
- Vanaspati (as youthful formative power)
- Epithets
- Yuvā (youthful, here as attribute), Suvāsā (well-clad, here as attribute)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati (kavi/word power)
Cosmic role
Formative support that enters the rite as a fresh power, growing in excellence and enabling ascent.
Inner power
Self-renewing, well-formed energy that becomes increasingly luminous when upheld by disciplined aspiration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Consecration/raising of the sacrificial support (yūpa/wood) and its auspicious ‘birth’ into the rite
युवा॑ सु॒वासा॒: परि॑वीत॒ आगा॒त्स उ॒ श्रेया॑न्भवति॒ जाय॑मानः । तं धीरा॑सः क॒वय॒ उन्न॑यन्ति स्वा॒ध्यो॒३॒॑ मन॑सा देव॒यन्त॑: ॥
युवा॑ । सु॒ऽवासाः॑ । परि॑ऽवीतः । आ । अ॒गा॒त् । सः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । श्रेया॑न् । भ॒व॒ति॒ । जाय॑मानः । तम् । धीरा॑सः । क॒वयः॑ । उत् । न॒य॒न्ति॒ । सु॒ऽआ॒ध्यः॑ । मन॑सा । दे॒व॒ऽयन्तः॑ ॥
yuvā | su-vāsāḥ | pari-vītaḥ | ā | agāt | saḥ | oṃ iti | śreyān | bhavati | jāyamānaḥ | tam | dhīrāsaḥ | kavayaḥ | ut | nayanti | su-ādhyaḥ | manasā | deva-yantaḥ
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4 x ~11 syllables
Elevating and descriptive, with a concluding uplift; suited to ‘birth and ascent’ imagery.
Invokes freshness and upward movement; encourages self-mastery and aspiration.
- युवा (yuvā)
- Literal: youthful. Symbolic: ever-renewing spiritual force; fresh energy of growth
- सुवासा: (suvāsāḥ)
- Literal: well-clad. Symbolic: clothed in harmonious energies; well-formed instrument
- परिवीतः (parivītaḥ)
- Literal: wrapped around; encompassed. Symbolic: protected by light; integrally collected consciousness
- जायमानः (jāyamānaḥ)
- Literal: being born. Symbolic: new formation of higher nature arising in practice
- श्रेयान् (śreyān)
- Literal: more excellent; better. Symbolic: superior poise of consciousness (śreyas over preyas)
- धीरा: (dhīrāsaḥ)
- Literal: steadfast; wise. Symbolic: stable discernment; inner seer-faculty
- कवयः (kavayaḥ)
- Literal: poets; seers. Symbolic: mantric intuition; creative revelation
- स्वाध्यः (svādhyaḥ)
- Literal: self-controlled; self-mastered. Symbolic: governed mind; disciplined inner rule
- देवयन्तः (devayantaḥ)
- Literal: seeking the gods/divine. Symbolic: aspiration toward higher powers; godward orientation
Yajña context involving Vanaspati (sacrificial tree/post) and the raising/establishing of the ritual structure; applicable in Soma rites where the post/wood and ordered ascent of the offering are central (general Śrauta usage).
As the support is brought/raised and the rite is being established; to invoke excellence and divine-mindedness in participants.
Recitation accompanying installation; mental consecration by the officiants/seers.
Mantra for cultivating disciplined aspiration: chant before creative work or study to ‘uplift’ the nascent higher capacity with a self-mastered mind.
Key terms: yuvā́ (adj., ‘young’, from √yu ‘to join/keep vital, youthful’; in Vedic often ‘ever-young’ divine energy). su-vāsā́ḥ (su- ‘good’ + vāsas ‘garment’, from √vas ‘to clothe/dwell’; suggests right forms that ‘house’ the power). párivīta (ppp. of pari-√vī ‘to wrap/encompass’; total integration). ā́gāt (aor. of ā-√gam ‘to come’; descent/arrival). śréyān (comparative of śrī/śrīyas ‘splendour, fortune’; ‘the better/higher’). dhīrā́saḥ (from dhī ‘insight’ + -ra; ‘those founded in dhī’). kaváyaḥ (kavi ‘seer’, linked to √ku/√kav ‘to see/poetize’). ún nayanti (ud-√nī ‘to lead up’; ascent). svādhyaḥ (su-ādhya; ādhya related to ‘governed/ordered’; interpreted as self-rule/inner discipline). devayántaḥ (pres. ptc. of deva-√i/√yam ‘to seek/go toward’; aspiration toward luminous powers).
Ṛta (right order as ‘well-clad/encompassed’ manifestation), inner birth (jāyamāna as emergence of higher consciousness), ascent/elevation (ud-√nī)
Suvāsā/parivīta suggest ordered, integrated formation—ṛta embodied as harmony of energies.
Śreyān as the growth of truth-nature over lesser movements.
Immediate excellence of the newborn higher power—spiritual evolution as continual birth.
Ethic of śreyas (later Upaniṣadic vocabulary resonates); integral psychology of ascent.
Youth = ever-new divine force; clothing = harmonized energies; encirclement = collectedness; uplift by seers = ascent via discernment and mantra-intuition.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘birth-and-ascent’ mythologem: a luminous power arrives ‘well-clad’ and ‘encompassed’ and is then ‘raised upward’ by seers. Mythically this echoes the recurring Vedic pattern where the divine principle is born/manifested in the human arena and then elevated to its effective sovereignty—an inner Agni-like emergence without naming Agni explicitly.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ā-√gam ‘to come’ continues PIE *gʷem- ‘to go/come’ (cf. Greek baínō via different root, but Indo-Iranian *gam is central; Latin veniō is *gʷem-). √vas ‘clothe/dwell’ relates to PIE *wes- ‘to dwell’ (cf. English ‘was’ not cognate; but Sanskrit vasati, Latin vesta possibly related via dwelling/hearth complex). √nī ‘lead’ reflects PIE *neh₁- ‘to lead’ (cf. Latin dūcō is different; but ‘nī-’ is well-attested Indo-Iranian). The prefixal system (ā-, pari-, ud-) shows inherited PIE preverb behavior shaping nuanced spatial/psychological semantics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is expressed as cooperative ascent: the devatā ‘comes’ already bearing right form (su-vāsāḥ, parivītaḥ), while the rishis (dhīrāsaḥ kavayaḥ) actively ‘raise’ and establish it through disciplined mind and aspiration (svādhyaḥ manasā devayantaḥ). The offering is thus the human instrument’s self-ordering that permits the divine to manifest more excellently (śreyān) at birth.
Uplift the ‘newborn’ higher tendency: protect it with collectedness and feed it with aspiration.
Ājñā (disciplined mind) with Anāhata (devayanta—godward longing).
Bhrāmarī (5–7 rounds) to collect the mind, then chant once slowly, keeping attention at the brow and heart.
Freshly awakened, quietly inspired, self-governed.
Identify the newborn movement (a new habit, insight, or aspiration). After chanting, make one protective boundary (parivīta)—reduce one distraction today—and one uplifting act (un nayanti): study, silence, or service.
Tri-svara; maintain a gentle rise on descriptive epithets (yuvā, suvāsāḥ) and a clear cadence into ‘devayantaḥ’.
Keep word boundaries clear in clusters: ‘parivīta āgāt’; avoid swallowing final consonants.
yuvā: long ā, suvāsāḥ: long ā; visarga audible but light, parivīta: long ī, jāyamānaḥ: long ā in jā-; retroflex ṇ not present—use dental n, svādhyo: long ā; pronounce ‘dhy’ conjunct cleanly, devayantaḥ: ‘ya’ glide clear; final ḥ light
Clear, luminous, slightly softened; let the verse ‘arrive’ and ‘rise’.
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