Rig Veda 4.43.1: Mandala 4, Sukta 43, Mantra 1
Sukta 4.43
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
क उ श्रवत्कतमो यज्ञियानां वन्दारु देवः कतमो जुषाते । कस्येमां देवीममृतेषु प्रेष्ठां हृदि श्रेषाम सुष्टुतिं सुहव्याम् ॥
ká u śravat katamó yajñiyā́nāṃ vandā́ru deváḥ katamó juṣāte | kásyemā́ṃ devī́m amṛ́teṣu préṣṭhāṃ hṛdí śréṣāma suṣṭutíṃ suhávyām ||
कौन सुनेगा हमारी पूजा? देवताओं में से कौन हमारी अर्ज़ सुनेगा? हमारे दिल में एक बात है जो अमृत से भी प्यारी है। यह हमारी अच्छी दुआ है जो भगवान के लिए है। कौन इसे अपनाएगा?
Word by Word
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (श्रवत् इत्यस्य) / प्रश्नकर्ताRoot क (प्रश्न-प्रातिपदिक) सर्वनाम
- उ
- indeed, thenIndeclinableनिपातRoot उ (निपात) अव्यय
- श्रवत्
- may (he) hear / listenVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot श्रु (धातु) → श्रवत् (लोट्/विधिलिङ्-आदेशरूप, वैदिक)
- कतमः
- which one (of many)?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (देवः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) / प्रश्नRoot कतम (प्रश्न-प्रातिपदिक) सर्वनाम
- यज्ञियानाम्
- of the worship-worthy (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (कतमः—यज्ञियानाम्)Root यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक; यज्ञ + -इय)
- वन्दारुः
- praiseworthy / one who is to be praisedAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (देवः)Root वन्दारु (प्रातिपदिक; √वन्द् ‘to praise’ + -आru)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (जुषाते इत्यस्य)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- कतमः
- which one?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (देवः) / प्रश्नRoot कतम (प्रश्न-प्रातिपदिक) सर्वनाम
- जुषाते
- is pleased with / acceptsVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot जुष् (धातु) ‘to enjoy, accept, be pleased’
- कस्य
- of whom? / for whom?Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (कस्य—सुष्टुतिम्)Root क (प्रश्न-प्रातिपदिक) सर्वनाम
- इमाम्
- thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (श्रे॑षाम इत्यस्य)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवीम्
- goddessNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इमाम्—देवीम्)Root देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृतेषु
- among the immortalsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (मध्ये/विषये)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रेष्ठाम्
- most dearAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (देवीम्)Root प्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of प्रिय)
- हृदि
- in the heartNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रे॑षाम
- let us place / may we setVerbलुङ्/इञ्जङ्क्टिव् (वैदिक प्रयोग), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot श्रि/श्रय् (धातु) ‘to place, set, bestow’ → श्रेषाम् (वैदिक; injunctive/aorist-type form)
- सुष्टुतिम्
- good praise, hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (श्रे॑षाम)Root सु- + स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तु ‘to praise’)
- सुहव्याम्
- well-invoking / bringing good oblationsAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (सुष्टुतिम्)Root सु- + हव्य (प्रातिपदिक; √हू ‘to call/invoke’ / हव्य ‘oblation/invocation’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): कः उ श्रवत् कतमः यज्ञियानाम् वन्दारुः देवः कतमः जुषाते । कस्य इमाम् देवीम् अमृतेषु प्रेष्ठाम् हृदि श्रेषाम सुष्टुतिम् सुहव्याम् ॥ 1) कस्ये॒माम् = कस्य + इमाम् (स्वर-सन्धि: अ + इ → ए). 2) दे॒वीम॒मृते॑षु = देवीम् + अमृतेषु (म् + अ- आरम्भे परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रयोग; लेखने ‘म’ एव).
- ‘श्रवत्’ वैदिक आज्ञार्थक-रूपम्, ‘श्रे॑षाम’ वैदिक इञ्जङ्क्टिव्/लुङ्-प्रयोगः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet asks which god among the sacrifice-worthy powers will truly hear and accept the hymn, and for whom this most-beloved divine Word among the Immortals should be placed in the heart as a well-formed praise and rich offering.
Inner meaning
The seeker stands at the threshold of inner sacrifice and asks: which divine Power will respond to the soul’s call now? The ‘divine Word’ (devī vāk / suṣṭuti) is the inspired mantra-force arising from the heart; it must be rightly oriented to the appropriate inner deity. The Aśvins, as swift bringers of right movement and healing harmony, are invoked to receive the aspiration and to align the inner instruments so the Word becomes effective and ‘well-shaped’.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress begins with discernment of the right inner orientation: when aspiration is sincere, the higher powers respond; but the Word must be formed in the heart with clarity, beauty, and offering-intent for it to become a transformative force.
Themes
Invocation and discernment, Establishing mantra in the heart, Reciprocity of offering and divine acceptance
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1, RV 4.2, RV 4.26, RV 4.27, RV 4.40-4.42
Family tradition
Vāmadeva’s hymns often move from questioning aspiration to confident invocation, emphasizing inspired speech (vāk) and the right opening to the gods.
Significance
Vāmadeva is a seer of the ‘right formation’—how the Word and will become fit vessels for divine descent; his poetry frequently turns ritual images into inner disciplines of realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Nāsatyā, Dasrā (wonder-workers), Śubhaspatī (lords of beauty/auspiciousness, by later tradition)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūryā, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Twin powers of swift arrival and restoration: they mediate between Night and Dawn, bringing help, healing, and right functioning; they are the divine ‘rescuers’ who respond quickly to the call.
Inner power
Harmonizing and healing force that rectifies the mixed movements of mind-life-body, enabling the inspired Word to take effect and the journey to proceed safely.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvinā-śastra / Aśvina-stotra contexts in Soma rites (general usage for Aśvins)
क उ॑ श्रवत्कत॒मो य॒ज्ञिया॑नां व॒न्दारु॑ दे॒वः क॑त॒मो जु॑षाते । कस्ये॒मां दे॒वीम॒मृते॑षु॒ प्रेष्ठां॑ हृ॒दि श्रे॑षाम सुष्टु॒तिं सु॑ह॒व्याम् ॥
कः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । श्र॒व॒त् । क॒त॒मः । य॒ज्ञिया॑नाम् । व॒न्दारु॑ । दे॒वः । क॒त॒मः । जु॒षा॒ते॒ । कस्य॑ । इ॒माम् । दे॒वीम् । अ॒मृते॑षु । प्रेष्ठा॑म् । हृ॒दि । श्रे॒षा॒म॒ । सु॒ऽस्तु॒तिम् । सु॒ऽह॒व्याम् ॥
kaḥ | oṃ iti | śravat | katamaḥ | yajñiyānām | vandāru | devaḥ | katamaḥ | juṣāte | kasya | imām | devīm | amṛteṣu | preṣṭhām | hṛdi | śreṣāma | su-stutim | su-havyām
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Question-driven, forward-thrusting cadence with emphatic openings (kaḥ/katamaḥ) that create urgency.
Invokes alert aspiration and discrimination; the repeated interrogatives sharpen attention and inward listening.
- श्रवत् (śravat)
- Literal: will hear. Symbolic: the higher consciousness that consents and responds to aspiration
- यज्ञियानाम् (yajñiyānām)
- Literal: of those worthy of sacrifice. Symbolic: powers of the Divine that can be consciously invoked and embodied
- वन्दारु (vandāru)
- Literal: adoration, reverent praise. Symbolic: the soul’s bhakti-impulse that opens the inner gates
- जुषाते (juṣāte)
- Literal: accepts, enjoys. Symbolic: the divine reception that turns effort into grace and effectiveness
- देवीम् (devīm)
- Literal: the goddess (Word). Symbolic: inspired speech/mantra-śakti arising from the psychic being
- अमृतेषु (amṛteṣu)
- Literal: among the Immortals. Symbolic: planes/powers of deathless consciousness
- हृदि (hṛdi)
- Literal: in the heart. Symbolic: the psychic center where true offering is made
- सुष्टुतिम् (suṣṭutim)
- Literal: well-shaped hymn. Symbolic: rightly formed thought-word that can carry force
- सुहव्याम् (suhavyām)
- Literal: rich in oblation / good for invocation. Symbolic: mantra that is effective as an inner offering
Aśvin invocation in soma rites and morning pressing contexts; mantra functions as a ‘calling’ and ‘selection’ of the responsive deity
Dawn or early pressing contexts associated with Aśvins (broadly, morning invocations)
Stotra/śastra recitation to invite the Aśvins to the offering and to ‘accept’ the praise.
Use as a pre-meditation invocation: ‘Which higher help is nearest now?’—to orient the session and offer the heart’s Word.
√śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱleu̯- ‘hear, be famed’; cf. Greek klúō, English ‘loud’ via ‘heard-of’)—divine hearing implies effective response. √juṣ ‘to relish, accept’ marks the reciprocity of yajña. devī (f.) indicates the hymn/vision as a power, not mere speech: Vāc as goddess-like agency; hṛd ‘heart’ as inner seat where mantra is established.
Vāc as divine power, intentionality and right address in yajña, inner heart as altar/seat
The ‘right recipient’ implies alignment with Ṛta—invocation becomes effective when ordered rightly.
The ‘most-beloved among the Immortals’ hints at the true Word that carries satya-force.
Vāk as formative power: the hymn is not mere speech but a shaping force in consciousness.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent by aspiration and descent by receptive Word.
dawn/early morning (Aśvin sphere, implicit)
The dawn-threshold in consciousness when the heart forms the mantra and seeks the nearest divine response.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘the deity who hears and comes’: divine responsiveness to the call. It frames the Aśvins as powers of swift arrival and help, but expressed as a quest for the right channel of divine reception.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- śru- ‘hear’ reflects PIE *ḱleu̯-; deva reflects PIE *dei̯wós. The interrogative pattern (kaḥ/katamaḥ/kasya) is an inherited Indo-European poetic device for hymnic discernment and invocation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions himself as a careful mediator: the hymn is a living power (devīm) that must be rightly offered and inwardly seated (hṛdi). The devatā is not compelled; it is invited to ‘enjoy’ (juṣ-) the offering, indicating mutual consent and harmony with ṛta.
Discern the nearest active divine help; place the mantra-force in the heart as offering.
Anāhata (heart)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or 4-4 breathing to settle, then silent listening after each pāda.
Receptive aspiration (śraddhā) moving toward intuitive hearing.
Begin by asking inwardly ‘who will hear?’ then feel the heart-space; recite once slowly, then rest in stillness, allowing the ‘answer’ to arise as a movement of clarity or quiet joy.
Mixed udātta/anudātta with svarita on sandhi; follow śākhā-specific accents (Rigvedic).
Emphasize interrogatives ‘kaḥ, katamaḥ’ with clear udātta lift; keep ‘devīm… hṛdi’ gently sustained.
Keep retroflex ḍ/ṭ distinct if present in recitation tradition (here minimal)., Hold long vowels: preṣṭhām, suṣṭutim, suhavyām., Cluster clarity: amṛteṣu (ṛ as vocalic r), juṣāte (ṣ).
Clear, questioning at first; then warm and centered on ‘hṛdi’.
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