Rig Veda 4.26.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 26, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.26
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra, with the seer speaking in a divine-empowered voice
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अहं भूमिमददामार्यायाहं वृष्टिं दाशुषे मर्त्याय । अहमपो अनयं वावशाना मम देवासो अनु केतमायन् ॥
aháṃ bhū́mim adadām ā́ryāyāháṃ vṛ́ṣṭiṃ dāśúṣe mártyāya | ahám apó anayaṃ vāvaśānā́ máma devā́so ánu kétam āyan ||
मैंने ज़मीन आर्य लोगों को दी। जो लोग भगवान को पूजा चढ़ाते हैं, उनको मैंने बारिश दी। मैंने पानी को उसकी दिशा में चलाया। देव लोगों ने मेरा साथ दिया, वो मेरे पीछे आए।
Word by Word
- अहम्
- IPronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भूमिम्
- the earth, groundNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot भूमि- (स्त्री)
- अददाम्
- I gaveVerbलुङ् (अorist), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot दा (दाने)
- आर्यायै
- to the Aryan (woman)/to the noble oneNoun/Adjective (used substantively)चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole सम्प्रदानRoot आर्या- (स्त्री) < आर्य-
- अहम्
- IPronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृष्टिम्
- rainNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot वृष्टि- (स्त्री)
- दाशुषे
- to the worshipper/offerer (the giver of oblations)Participle (perfect active, used as noun)चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (दाश्वस्-)Role सम्प्रदानRoot दाश्वस्- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक), √दाश् (दाने/यज्-सम्बद्धः ‘to offer, to give’)
- मर्त्याय
- to a mortalNounचतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole सम्प्रदानRoot मर्त्य- (पुं)
- अहम्
- IPronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- the watersNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot अप्- (स्त्री; plural tantum)
- अनयम्
- I led/broughtVerbलुङ् (अorist), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot नी (नयने) उपसर्गः अनु-
- वावशाना
- eager/desirous (I, being eager)Participle (present, middle; intensive nuance)प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कर्तृ-सामानाधिकरण्ये ‘अहम्’)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root वावशान- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक), √वश्/वश् (इच्छायाम्/वशीकरणे; ‘to desire/seek, be eager’), पुनरुक्त-परिपूर्णता (intensive/reduplicated)
- मम
- of me, myPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवासः
- the godsNounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot देव- (पुं)
- अनु
- after, followingIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- केतम्
- sign, signal, intentionNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्म (गत्यर्थे लक्ष्य/अनुगमन-विषयः)Root केत- (पुं)
- आयन्
- they came, they followedVerbलुङ् (अorist), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot इ (गत्यर्थे) उपसर्गः आ-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): अहम् | भूमिम् | अददाम् | आर्यायै || अहम् | वृष्टिम् | दाशुषे | मर्त्याय || अहम् | अपः | अनयम् | वावशाना || मम | देवासः | अनु | केतम् | आयन् । 1) ‘भूमिमददाम्’ = भूमिम् + अददाम् (म् + अ → म् अ; संहितायां संयोगः)
- 2) ‘आर्यायाहम्’ = आर्यायै + अहम् (ए + अ → आ; प्रगृह्य-न भवति)
- 3) ‘दाशुषे मर्त्याय’ इत्यत्र सन्धिः न विशेषः (ए + म्)
- 4) ‘अहमपो’ = अहम् + अपः (म् + अ → म् अ)
- 5) ‘अनयं वावशाना’ संहितायां य् + व् संयोगः
- 6) ‘देवासो अनु’ = देवासः + अनु (ः + अ → ओऽ/ओ; संहितायां ‘देवासोऽनु’ प्रकारः)
- 7) ‘अनु केतमायन्’ = अनु + केतम् + आयन् (म् + आ → म् आ; संयोगः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speaker says: I gave earth to the Arya; I gave rain to the mortal who offers. I led the waters in their yearning flow; the gods followed my beacon.
Inner meaning
From the divine-empowered ‘I’ (seer-state), the mantra describes the boons of awakened consciousness. ‘Bhūmi’ (earth) is the widened foundation—stable existence and a field for the Arya, the one who strives upward (ārya = noble, aspiring). ‘Vṛṣṭi’ (rain) is the descent of force, grace, and fertility into the mortal nature that offers (dāśuṣe). ‘Āpaḥ’ (waters) are the streaming energies and truths released from obstruction; they yearn (vāvaśānāḥ) toward manifestation. ‘Ketu’ is the luminous signal/beacon of awakened awareness; when that inner light is established, the ‘devāḥ’ (powers of consciousness) naturally align and follow—harmonizing the being.
Universal truth
A true awakening creates a stable foundation, brings down nourishing force, releases blocked energies, and organizes inner powers around a clear guiding light.
Themes
divine giving, rain-abundance, guidance by consciousness-sign, waters symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.26.1 (identity expansion), RV 4.27 (related revelations), RV 4.1 (Agni as inner priest—basis of offering)
Family tradition
In Vāmadeva’s ‘aham’ hymns, the seer speaks as a channel of divine action, describing how inner realization reorganizes life and cosmic forces.
Significance
This verse is a blueprint of yogic transformation: wideness (earth), descent (rain), release (waters), and alignment (gods following the beacon).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavan (giver; implied), vṛtrahan (releaser of waters; implied), ketumat (luminous-signed; implied through ketu)
- Related deities
- Parjanya (rain aspect), Varuṇa (waters/order), Sūrya (ketu/light), Agni (offering)
Cosmic role
Giver of wideness and rain, releaser/leader of waters, organizer of the gods’ powers around the victorious light.
Inner power
Illumined mind-force that establishes a broad base, brings down energy, frees blocked currents, and coordinates the inner faculties.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra/Soma context with themes of rain and waters; suitable in rites seeking prosperity and release of obstructions
अ॒हं भूमि॑मददा॒मार्या॑या॒हं वृ॒ष्टिं दा॒शुषे॒ मर्त्या॑य । अ॒हम॒पो अ॑नयं वावशा॒ना मम॑ दे॒वासो॒ अनु॒ केत॑मायन् ॥
अ॒हम् । भूमि॑म् । अ॒द॒दा॒म् । आर्या॑य । अ॒हम् । वृ॒ष्टिम् । दा॒शुषे॑ । मर्त्या॑य । अ॒हम् । अ॒पः । अ॒न॒य॒म् । व॒व॒शा॒नाः । मम॑ । दे॒वासः॑ । अनु॑ । केत॑म् । आ॒य॒न् ॥
aham | bhūmim | adadām | āryāya | aham | vṛṣṭim | dāśuṣe | martyāya | aham | apaḥ | anayam | vavaśānāḥ | mama | devāsaḥ | anu | ketam | āyan
44
4 × ~11
Grand and beneficent; a giving cadence (adadām… adadām) followed by flowing movement (apo anayam).
Instills trust in descent and guidance; evokes a sense of inner wideness and coordinated energies.
- bhūmim adadām
- Literal: I gave earth. Symbolic: I established a wide, stable basis of consciousness and life-field
- āryāya
- Literal: to the Arya/noble. Symbolic: to the aspiring being oriented upward toward truth
- vṛṣṭim
- Literal: rain. Symbolic: descent of power/grace, fertility of consciousness
- dāśuṣe
- Literal: to the giver/offerer. Symbolic: to the one who practices offering—inner sacrifice and gratitude
- martyāya
- Literal: to the mortal. Symbolic: the embodied nature subject to limitation, to be transformed
- apo anayam
- Literal: I led the waters. Symbolic: I guided released energies/truth-streams into right channels
- vāvaśānāḥ
- Literal: yearning, eager. Symbolic: the soul’s and life’s energies longing for liberation and flow
- ketam
- Literal: beacon, sign, light. Symbolic: the inner signal of awakened awareness; guiding intuition
- devāso anu āyan
- Literal: the gods followed. Symbolic: higher faculties/powers align when the central light is established
Affirmation of divine bestowal in response to offering (dāśuṣ); supports rites seeking rain/abundance and inner wideness
In Soma liturgy and rain/prosperity invocations; also as a celebratory recitation of divine giving.
Stuti affirming divine bestowal in response to offering (dāśuṣe).
Chant when seeking stability (earth), renewal (rain), and emotional/energetic unblocking (waters); pair with a conscious offering practice (service, gratitude, surrender).
√dā ‘give’ (PIE *deh₃-) frames the seer’s power as distributive grace. ā́rya- from √ar ‘to fit, to move upward/attain’ (semantic: noble, orderly, striving): inwardly the aspirant aligned to ṛta. vṛ́ṣṭi ‘rain’ (√vṛṣ ‘to rain/sprinkle, be potent’): descent of force/abundance. ap- ‘waters’ (PIE *h₂ep-): streams of life/energy; led by √nī ‘to lead’ (PIE *neyH-). ketá- ‘mark, radiance, intention’ becomes the guiding consciousness-sign which the devās follow.
Arya as upward-striving order, descent of abundance (vṛṣṭi), gods as functional powers following consciousness (keta)
Leading the waters implies establishing right flow and order in life-energies.
Ketu as the sign of truth-consciousness around which powers align.
Descent and organization: the awakened light founds a world (earth), fertilizes it (rain), and sets currents in motion (waters).
Proto-Upaniṣadic theism/identity: divine action through realized consciousness; integral transformation of embodied life.
monsoon-cloud or dawn-to-day (symbolic descent after illumination)
rainy/monsoon (symbolically)
Earth = stable foundation of being; rain = descending force/blessing; waters = released energies and truth-currents; beacon = guiding intuition/awakened awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The bestowal-and-leading myth: earth-field and rain-descent are granted to the Arya and the giver; the waters are guided into their right course. Mythically it resonates with Indra’s releasing/ordering of waters, but voiced here as realized agency within the seer.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- áp- ‘waters’ continues PIE *h₂ep- (Lat. aqua is different but related in watery lexicon; Hitt. ḫapa-). √nī ‘lead’ is PIE *neyH- (Lat. nēre?; Eng. nigh not cognate; but Sanskrit nayati aligns with Greek néō ‘I go’ in broader motion field). √dā is PIE *deh₃- (Gk. dídōmi).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi speaks as an instrument of divine distribution: gifts come to the aspirant (ārya) and the giver (dāśuṣ) through right relation. The gods ‘follow the keta’—powers align behind a central awakened intention in the human, showing inner governance rather than external petition alone.
Establish inner ‘earth’ (grounded presence), invite ‘rain’ (descending peace/force), and allow ‘waters’ (emotions/energies) to flow under guidance of a clear ‘ketu’ (inner light).
mūlādhāra (earth) and sahasrāra (descent), integrated through suṣumṇā
slow diaphragmatic breathing: inhale ‘widen’ (earth), exhale ‘descend’ (rain); then observe spontaneous flow (waters)
Grounded wideness with gentle descending force; harmonized inner faculties
After chanting, do a brief body-scan to ‘give earth’ (stability), then visualize a cool rain of light descending from above, unblocking and guiding inner currents toward calm action.
Maintain the repeated ‘aham’ with clear udatta emphasis; let the flow of ‘apo anayam’ be more liquid in delivery.
Slight pause after each giving statement: aham bhūmim adadām… | aham vṛṣṭim…; then connect smoothly through apo anayam vāvaśānā.
bhūmim: long ū, āryāya: long ā; ry cluster clean, vṛṣṭim: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣṭ, dāśuṣe: long ā; ś sound, vāvaśānā: keep repeated vā- clear; long ā, ketam: short e; crisp t, āyan: long ā; y glide
cool, nourishing, steady; like rain and flowing water
5
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
