Rig Veda 5.46.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 46, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.46
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ with explicit enumeration
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अग्न इन्द्र वरुण मित्र देवाः शर्धः प्र यन्त मारुतोत विष्णो । उभा नासत्या रुद्रो अध ग्नाः पूषा भगः सरस्वती जुषन्त ॥
agná índra váruṇa mítra devā́ḥ śárdhaḥ prá yanta mā́ruto tá viṣṇo | ubhā́ nā́satyā rudró ádha gnā́ḥ pūṣā́ bhágaḥ sárasvatī juṣanta ||
अग्नि, इंद्र, वरुण, मित्र, यह सब देवता आगे आएँ। मरुतों का ग्रुप और विष्णु भी आएँ। दोनों नासत्य, रुद्र और देव शक्तियाँ, पूषा, भग, सरस्वती, सब हमसे खुश हों और हमारी पूजा स्वीकार करें।
Word by Word
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वरुण- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मित्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्धः
- host, troopNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot शर्ध- (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्र (उपसर्ग)
- यन्ति
- go, proceedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot या (धातु) ‘to go’
- मारुतः
- the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot मारुत- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक निपातRoot उत (निपात)
- विष्णुः
- ViṣṇuNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot विष्णु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उभा
- bothAdjective (numeral-like)(द्विवचनार्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot उभ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नासत्या
- the Nāsatyas (Aśvins)Noun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot नासत्य- (प्रातिपदिक)
- रुद्रः
- RudraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot रुद्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध
- then; moreoverIndeclinableअनन्तरार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक निपातRoot अध (निपात)
- ग्नाः
- divine women; goddessesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ग्ना- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूषा
- PūṣanNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot पूषन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भगः
- BhagaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot भग- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सरस्वती
- SarasvatīNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सरस्वती- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषन्त
- may they favor; may they enjoy (our offering)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्गीय प्रयोगः वैदिके), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot जुष् (धातु) ‘to enjoy, favor’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: देवा॒: → देवाः
- मारु॑तो॒त → मारुतः + उत
- उ॒भा नास॑त्या (no sandhi; dual agreement)
- ग्नाः is an independent pada (Vedic plural of ग्ना ‘divine woman’). Verbal forms: यन्ति (√या, pres.3pl)
- जुषन्त is Vedic injunctive/imperatival usage from √जुष् (3pl), expressing a benedictive ‘may they favor’
The meaning
Outer meaning
A catalogue-invocation: Agni, Indra, Varuṇa, Mitra, the gods; the Marut host and Viṣṇu; the two Aśvins (Nāsatyas), Rudra, the goddesses; Pūṣan, Bhaga, Sarasvatī—may all come forward and delight in us and our offering.
Inner meaning
The rishi summons a complete orchestra of inner powers needed for integral progress. Agni kindles the will; Indra brings illuminating force; Mitra-Varuṇa establish harmony and vast truth-law; Maruts energize and purify the life-force; Viṣṇu widens the consciousness by the three strides; Aśvins heal and make the journey swift; Rudra breaks the knots and compels upward intensity; the gnāḥ (divine powers/goddesses) support formation; Pūṣan guides on the inner roads; Bhaga apportions delight and right enjoyment; Sarasvatī gives the flowing inspiration and right word. ‘Juṣanta’—may they take delight—means: may the higher powers accept and increase our inner offering (attention, aspiration, surrender).
Universal truth
Wholeness requires many faculties in harmony: will, light, law, energy, wideness, healing, transformative force, guidance, delight, and inspired speech. Progress becomes secure when all cooperate in the inner sacrifice.
Themes
all-gods invocation, integration of powers, acceptance of offering, inner yajña pantheon
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.3 (Agni as inner priest), RV 5.81 (Savitṛ impulse), RV 5.85 (Varuṇa and ṛta themes)
Family tradition
Atri hymns often gather multiple deities as complementary functions; the family style is integrative and practical for the ‘whole sacrifice’ of life.
Significance
The seer’s act is synthetic invocation: calling all needed god-powers so no part of the being is left unsupported in the ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ (All-Gods)
- Epithets
- viśve devāḥ (all the gods), śardhaḥ (host), juṣanta (may they accept/delight)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Maruts, Viṣṇu, Aśvins, Rudra, Pūṣan, Bhaga, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Totality of cosmic powers sustaining order, growth, protection, and illumination in the worlds.
Inner power
Integration: aligning many faculties into one consenting movement toward the Divine.
In ritual
Where it is used
Viśve Devāḥ āhuti/invocation within soma-yajña sequences
अग्न॒ इन्द्र॒ वरु॑ण॒ मित्र॒ देवा॒: शर्ध॒: प्र य॑न्त॒ मारु॑तो॒त वि॑ष्णो । उ॒भा नास॑त्या रु॒द्रो अध॒ ग्नाः पू॒षा भग॒: सर॑स्वती जुषन्त ॥
अग्ने॑ । इन्द्र॑ । वरु॑ण । मित्र॑ । देवाः॑ । शर्धः॑ । प्र । य॒न्त॒ । मारु॑त । उ॒त । वि॒ष्णो॒ इति॑ । उ॒भा । नास॑त्या । रु॒द्रः । अध॑ । ग्नाः । पू॒षा । भगः॑ । सर॑स्वती । जु॒ष॒न्त॒ ॥
agne | indra | varuṇa | mitra | devāḥ | śardhaḥ | pra | yanta | māruta | uta | viṣṇo iti | ubhā | nāsatyā | rudraḥ | adha | gnāḥ | pūṣā | bhagaḥ | sarasvatī | juṣanta
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4 × ~11 syllables; list-like invocations ride the triṣṭubh beat.
Processional and expansive; names fall like offerings into the fire.
Creates a sense of being surrounded and assisted; the psyche feels ‘gathered’ into a protected circle of powers.
- अग्नि (agni)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will, initiator and priest of the inner sacrifice
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: illumined mind; force that breaks obstruction and releases light
- वरुण (varuṇa)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast truth-law; purity, restraint, and right order
- मित्र (mitra)
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, right relation, luminous friendship in the being
- मारुत शर्धः (māruta śardhaḥ)
- Literal: troop/host of the Maruts. Symbolic: storm-forces: dynamic energies that purify and uplift prāṇa
- विष्णु (viṣṇu)
- Literal: Viṣṇu. Symbolic: widening consciousness; the three strides of expansion
- नासत्या (nāsatyā)
- Literal: the two Nāsatyas (Aśvins). Symbolic: swift helpers; healers of the divided nature
- रुद्र (rudra)
- Literal: Rudra. Symbolic: force of transformation; breaks rigidity, awakens intensity
- ग्नाः (gnāḥ)
- Literal: divine women/powers. Symbolic: formative shaktis—supporting powers of manifestation
- पूषा (pūṣā)
- Literal: Pūṣan. Symbolic: inner guide on the paths; protector of the journey
- भग (bhaga)
- Literal: Bhaga. Symbolic: distributor of felicity; right share of delight and attainment
- सरस्वती (sarasvatī)
- Literal: Sarasvatī. Symbolic: inspired flow of knowledge, mantra, right speech
All-gods invocation used widely in śrauta settings to invite multiple deities to the offering; functions as a comprehensive calling of powers
At points of inviting the gods to the barhis (sacred seat) and to accept the offering.
Āvāhana (invitation) and jūṣaṇa (securing acceptance) through recitation.
A ‘complete support’ invocation before meditation or major life tasks; recite once to call will, light, harmony, law, energy, wideness, healing, transformation, guidance, delight, and inspired speech.
√JUṢ ‘enjoy, be pleased’ indicates reciprocal acceptance of offering. The list is a deliberate pantheon-summons: each name is a function within the inner yajña—Agni (will), Indra (power), Varuṇa/Mitra (law/harmony), Maruts (energies), Viṣṇu (expansive stride), Aśvins (healing), Rudra (purification), Pūṣan (guidance), Bhaga (portion/bliss), Sarasvatī (inspired speech).
reciprocity of yajña (juṣanta), harmony and law (Mitra-Varuṇa), healing/purification (Aśvins, Rudra)
Mitra-Varuṇa anchor the hymn in ṛta; the All-Gods represent the functioning of ṛta across faculties.
Acceptance (juṣanta) implies alignment of the human offering with truth-consciousness.
Cosmic collaboration: many powers sustain the ordered unfolding of worlds and the human ascent.
Integral Vedic psychology (deities as powers of one Consciousness).
Fire = will; storm = purifying energies; river = flowing inspiration/knowledge; wideness (Viṣṇu) = expansion of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘assembly of the Gods’ mythologem: a summoning of multiple functional powers to participate in the yajña. Psychologically, it is the integration of faculties (will, power, law, harmony, energy, expansion, healing, purification, guidance, bliss, inspiration).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The enumerative hymn-style is a shared Indo-European poetic technique (catalogue of divine names). Several theonyms have Indo-Iranian correspondences (Mitra, Varuṇa ~ Iranian tradition; āpaḥ etc. elsewhere), supporting a common mythic lexicon.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi invites the gods to ‘advance’ (pra yanta) and ‘take delight’ (juṣanta), indicating the yajña as mutual enjoyment: the human offers aspiration and clarity; the gods bring their powers into the human field.
Invoke specific inner functions: will (Agni), light (Indra), harmony/law (Mitra-Varuṇa), purified energy (Maruts), wideness (Viṣṇu), healing (Aśvins), transformative intensity (Rudra), inspired flow (Sarasvatī).
ajna (illumination/Indra), anahata (Mitra harmony), vishuddha (Sarasvatī mantra-flow), manipura (Agni will)
Three-part breathing (dirgha) while mentally placing each deity-function into the corresponding center; exhale with ‘juṣanta’—may they consent.
Collected, supported, harmonized.
Do not invoke vaguely: feel each power as a distinct capacity in you. Offer a simple inner oblation—attention, sincerity, and the will to change—then rest in receptivity for ‘acceptance’ (juṣaṇa).
Name-lists require careful accent preservation; keep udatta on the lexically accented syllables of each deity-name as per pada tradition; avoid ‘sing-song’ flattening.
Slight pause after clusters: agna indra varuṇa mitra | … mārutota viṣṇo | … sarasvatī juṣanta. Let ‘juṣanta’ land firmly as the accepting seal.
: ‘ag-na’ (not ‘ag-ni’ in vocative sandhi context), : retroflex not required; ‘va-ru-ṇa’ with clear ṇ, : ‘mā-ru-to-ta’ (t not dentalized into d), : ‘viṣ-ṇo’ retroflex ṣ and ṇ, : ‘sa-ras-va-tī’
Clear, invocatory, slightly brighter tone on each name; soften into receptivity on ‘juṣanta’.
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