Rig Veda 4.25.3: Mandala 4, Sukta 25, Mantra 3
Sukta 4.25
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Multi-devatā focus: Ādityas/Aditi/Jyotiḥ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
को देवानामवो अद्या वृणीते क आदित्याँ अदितिं ज्योतिरीट्टे । कस्याश्विनाविन्द्रो अग्निः सुतस्यांशोः पिबन्ति मनसाविवेनम् ॥
kó devā́nām ávo adyā́ vṛṇīte ká ādityā́n áditiṃ jyótiḥ īṭṭe | kásyāśvínāv índro agníḥ sutásyāṃśóḥ pibanti mánasā́vivénam ||
आज कौन भगवानों की शरण लेता है? कौन अदिति और सूरज जैसी रोशनी की पूजा करता है? अश्विनी कुमार, इंद्र और अग्नि सब मिलकर सोम का पानी पीते हैं। उनका मन एक होता है, कोई भेद-भाव नहीं।
Word by Word
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवः
- help, protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अद्य (अव्यय)
- वृणीते
- choosesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √वृ (वृणीते) चयन/वरणे
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आदित्यान्
- the ĀdityasNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अदितिम्
- AditiNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- ज्योतिः
- light, radianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईट्टे
- praises, invokesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √ईड्/√ईळ् (ईट्टे) स्तुतौ/याचने
- कस्य
- of whom?Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विनौ
- the Aśvins (two)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतस्य
- of the pressed (Soma)Adjective (past passive participle used substantively)पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root सुत (√सु + क्त, प्रातिपदिक)
- अंशोः
- of the Soma-stalk / Soma-portionNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिबन्ति
- drinkVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √पा (पिबति) पाने
- मनसा
- with the mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अविवेनम्
- unperplexed, with undivided discernmentAdjectiveपुं/नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (as object/qualifier of what is drunk or the act)Root अविवेन (प्रातिपदिक; न-वि-वेन ‘not lacking insight/skill’, RV adj.)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): कः देवानाम् अवः अद्य वृणीते । कः आदित्यान् अदितिम् ज्योतिः ईट्टे । कस्य अश्विनौ इन्द्रः अग्निः सुतस्य अंशोः पिबन्ति मनसा अविवेनम् ॥ 1) दे॒वाना॒मवो॑ → देवानाम् + अवः (म् + अ → मव्, संहितायाम्)
- 2) क आ॑दि॒त्याँ → कः + आदित्यान् (विसर्गलोपः/ओष्ठ्यसन्धिः; पदे कः)
- 3) ज्योति॑रीट्टे → ज्योतिः + ईट्टे (विसर्गस्य रुत्वम्: ः + ई → र् ई)
- 4) कस्या॒श्विना॒विन्द्रो॑ → कस्य + अश्विनौ + इन्द्रः (अ + इ संधिः; संहितायाम् …विन्द्रः)
- 5) सु॒तस्यां॒शोः → सुतस्य + अंशोः (अ + अ → आ; संहितायाम् सुतस्यांशोः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Who today chooses the guardianship/help of the gods? Who worships the Ādityas—Aditi—the Light? For whom do the Aśvins, Indra, and Agni drink the pressed portion with a mind undivided?
Inner meaning
The seer asks who is capable of living under the ‘guardianship’ (avo) of the divine powers—i.e., consenting to be governed by higher law. Worship of the Ādityas/Aditi/Jyotiḥ means turning to the vast, unbinding infinity (Aditi) as luminous truth. When the mind becomes avivena (undivided, not split by desire and doubt), then the divine forces—the swift harmonizers (Aśvins), the illumined mind (Indra), and the transforming will (Agni)—can ‘drink’ the pressed share: they take up the offered essence of the seeker’s energies and convert it into progress.
Universal truth
Divine protection is not arbitrary; it is chosen by the seeker through alignment with vast truth and an undivided mind. When inner division ceases, higher powers can fully receive and transform one’s offered life-energy.
Themes
divine guardianship, infinite light, multi-deity participation, mental unity
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.2 (Agni and inspiration), RV 4.13-4.18 (truth and illumination motifs)
Family tradition
A lineage attentive to the solar law (Ādityas) and the psychology of inner unity versus division.
Significance
Vāmadeva links divine response to an inner condition: avivena manas—unity of will, thought, and aspiration—without which even Soma remains only outer offering.
The deity
- Devata
- Ādityas / Aditi / Jyotiḥ (with Aśvins, Indra, Agni)
- Epithets
- Aditi (unbound, infinite), Ādityas (lords of ṛta), Jyotiḥ (luminous truth)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Savitar, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Upholders of ṛta and moral-cosmic order; Aditi as the vast matrix of existence; light as revelation.
Inner power
Vastness that loosens knots; luminous discernment; swift harmonizing intuition (Aśvins); decisive illumination (Indra); transforming will (Agni).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering portions to multiple deities; invocations of Ādityas and associated gods
को दे॒वाना॒मवो॑ अ॒द्या वृ॑णीते॒ क आ॑दि॒त्याँ अदि॑तिं॒ ज्योति॑रीट्टे । कस्या॒श्विना॒विन्द्रो॑ अ॒ग्निः सु॒तस्यां॒शोः पि॑बन्ति॒ मन॒सावि॑वेनम् ॥
कः । दे॒वाना॑म् । अवः॑ । अ॒द्य । वृ॒णी॒ते॒ । कः । आ॒दि॒त्यान् । अदि॑तिम् । ज्योतिः॑ । ई॒ट्टे॒ । कस्य॑ । अ॒श्विनौ॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । अ॒ग्निः । सु॒तस्य॑ । अं॒शोः । पि॒ब॒न्ति॒ । मन॑सा । अवि॑ऽवेनम् ॥
kaḥ | devānām | avaḥ | adya | vṛṇīte | kaḥ | ādityān | aditim | jyotiḥ | īṭe | kasya | aśvi nau | indraḥ | agniḥ | sutasya | aṃśoḥ | pibanti | manasā | avi-venam
44
4 × ~11
Expansive and luminous; the second pāda opens into the breadth of Aditi/Jyotiḥ.
Induces a sense of wideness and integration; the final cadence stabilizes on ‘undivided mind’ as a seal.
- अवः (avaḥ)
- Literal: help, protection, guardianship. Symbolic: governance by higher consciousness; active grace as law
- आदित्यान् (ādityān)
- Literal: Ādityas (solar deities). Symbolic: powers of truth, wideness, and right law
- अदितिम् (aditim)
- Literal: Aditi (the Infinite, unbound). Symbolic: limitless consciousness releasing from constriction
- ज्योतिः (jyotiḥ)
- Literal: light. Symbolic: truth-illumination, self-revealing knowledge
- अश्विनौ (aśvinau)
- Literal: the Aśvins. Symbolic: swift twin powers: intuition and life-force harmony; healing and right timing
- अं॒शोः (aṃśoḥ)
- Literal: share/portion (of Soma). Symbolic: the distilled essence of experience offered to the gods
- मनसा अविवेनम् (manasā avivenam)
- Literal: with an undivided mind. Symbolic: integral concentration; non-dual sincerity without inner split
Universalizing turn: identifies the integrative sacrificer whose unified mind makes the offering acceptable to multiple divine powers; applicable in Soma rites where several deities partake of Soma shares.
In multi-devatā sequences where different powers ‘drink’ their share; also in rites seeking protection and right order.
Offering Soma portions; recitation to invite guardianship and unity.
Meditation for inner integration: offer the ‘share’ of your day (attention/energy) to truth and vastness; cultivate undivided mind before action.
Aditi from a- ‘not’ + √dā/√dit? in Vedic tradition: ‘unbound, undivided’—the Infinite; here explicitly paired with jyotiḥ (light) to mark inner infinity-consciousness. √vṛ ‘choose’ indicates deliberate selection of divine guardianship. aṃśa ‘portion’ is the allotted share of Soma—innerly, the rightly apportioned delight offered to the powers. avi-vena ‘not split’ from √vi ‘separate’ suggests unity of mind as condition for the gods’ drinking (acceptance).
Aditi (infinity/undividedness), R̥ta via Ādityas (lawful luminous order), unity of mind (avi-vena manas)
Ādityas represent the lawful harmony; choosing them is choosing ṛta as one’s inner governance.
Jyotiḥ is satya made visible—truth that illumines and orders the mind.
Aditi as the infinite womb/background from which forms arise without bondage.
Early seeds of Upaniṣadic ‘vastness’ and unity of mind as condition for realization.
morning/daybreak into day (solar)
unspecified
Sun/light = truth-revelation; Aditi/sky = boundless consciousness; Aśvins = swift intuitive adjustments; Soma = bliss-essence offered; undivided mind = integrated being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘gods drinking the Soma-share’ mythologem, conditioned by unity: when the mind is undivided (avi-vena), the divine powers truly receive the offering. The verse lifts the Indra theme into a wider r̥taic order—Ādityas/Aditi/Jyotiḥ—showing that victory and help depend on establishing infinity-light and mental wholeness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘drink’ (pibanti) is PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’ (cf. Latin bibere, English beverage via Latin). √vṛ ‘choose’ is PIE *wel-/*wer- ‘to choose/want’ (cognate networks). The twin motif (Aśvins) corresponds to widespread IE ‘Divine Twins’ myth-patterns, though the names are Indo-Iranian specific.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi sets an interior criterion: the gods’ protection and participation are chosen and secured by the seeker who worships infinity as light (Aditi = jyotiḥ) and maintains an undivided mind. The devatās respond by ‘drinking’—assimilating the offering—meaning the inner powers become active within the unified vessel.
Rest attention in vastness (Aditi) and invite truth-light (jyotiḥ) to unify the mind; then offer your ‘share’ (aṃśa) of energy to the divine powers.
Sahasrāra/upper crown (vastness) with Ājñā (light of discernment).
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) for 6–12 rounds to cultivate avivena (undivided) mind; then silent offering.
From divided motives → integrated sincerity → luminous wideness.
Before important decisions, repeat the mantra slowly; feel the mind becoming one stream. Offer the decision into Aditi’s vastness; wait for a clear, calm ‘yes’ from within.
Tri-svara; emphasize the lift on ‘ādityān… aditim… jyotiḥ’ as a luminous ascent; verify exact udatta placements from svara-marked text.
Sustain openness through the second pāda; do not rush ‘manasā avivenam’—let it settle as a concluding seal.
ādityān: long ā; dental ‘t’, aditim: short i; clear ‘ti’, jyotiḥ: ‘jyo’ glide, visarga audible but soft, aśvinau: ‘śv’ cluster clear, sutasyāṃśoḥ: nasalization on ‘āṃ’; ‘aṃśoḥ’ with ś, avivenam: v-i-v-e-nam, keep vowels distinct
Wide, even, and luminous; less force, more clarity.
3
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