Rig Veda 5.46.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 46, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.46
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ with cosmic supports explicitly invoked
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्राग्नी मित्रावरुणादितिं स्वः पृथिवीं द्यां मरुतः पर्वताँ अपः । हुवे विष्णुं पूषणं ब्रह्मणस्पतिं भगं नु शंसं सवितारमूतये ॥
indrāgnī́ mitrā́varuṇā́ditim svàr pṛthivī́ṃ dyā́ṃ marútaḥ párvatāṃ ápaḥ | huvè víṣṇuṃ pūṣáṇaṃ bráhmaṇas-pátiṃ bhágaṃ nú śáṃsaṃ savitā́ram ūtáye ||
मैं इंद्र और अग्नि को बुलाता हूँ। मित्र और वरुण को बुलाता हूँ। अदिति, जो ऊपर दुनिया में रहती है, उन्हें भी बुलाता हूँ। धरती और आसमान, मरुत, पहाड़ और पानी, सबको बुलाता हूँ। विष्णु, पूषा, बृहस्पति, भग और सविता, सबसे मदद माँगता हूँ।
Word by Word
- इन्द्राग्नी
- Indra and AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole सम्प्रदान (आह्वान/उद्देश्य) / सम्बोधनार्थ-प्रयोगRoot इन्द्र + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) (द्वन्द्व-समास)
- मित्रावरुणा
- Mitra and VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole सम्प्रदान (आह्वान/उद्देश्य)Root मित्र + वरुण (प्रातिपदिक) (द्वन्द्व-समास)
- अदितिम्
- AditiNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हुवे इति क्रियायाः)Root अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वः
- heaven (svarga)Indeclinableअव्यय (स्वर्गलोकः)Role कर्म (हुवे—आह्वान-विषयः)Root स्वर्/स्वः (अव्यय/नाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिवीम्
- the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्याम्
- the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वैदिक-रूप; क्लासिकल: मरुतान्)Role कर्मRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पर्वतान्
- mountainsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वैदिक; ‘waters’)Role कर्मRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हुवे
- I invoke / I callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot ह्वे (धातु) ‘आह्वाने’
- विष्णुम्
- ViṣṇuNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूषणम्
- PūṣanNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पूषण् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्मणस्पतिम्
- Bṛhaspati (Lord of prayer)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ब्रह्मणस् + पति (प्रातिपदिक) (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास)
- भगम्
- BhagaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भग (प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- now / indeedIndeclinableअव्यय (अनुकरण/सम्बोधन-बलवर्धक)Root नु (निपात)
- शंसम्
- praise / hymnNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शंस (प्रातिपदिक)
- सवितारम्
- SavitarNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतये
- for aid / for protectionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य: ‘for help’)Root ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): इन्द्राग्नी | मित्रावरुणा | अदितिम् | स्वः | पृथिवीम् | द्याम् | मरुतः | पर्वतान् | अपः | हुवे | विष्णुम् | पूषणम् | ब्रह्मणस्पतिम् | भगम् | नु | शंसम् | सवितारम् | ऊतये । 1) इन्द्रा + अग्नी → इन्द्राग्नी (द्वन्द्व)
- 2) मित्रा + वरुणा → मित्रावरुणा (द्वन्द्व)
- 3) वरुणा + अदितिम् → वरुणादितिम् (आ + अ → आ)
- 4) अदितिम् + स्वः: पदान्त-म् परे स्व- इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘म्’ स्थिरम्
- 5) पर्वतान् + अपः: न् + अ → न् (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-प्रवृत्ति सम्भव, परन्तु पदच्छेदे पृथक्)
- 6) सवितारम् + ऊतये → सवितारमूतये (म् + ऊ → म् ऊ; संहितायां दीर्घ-सन्धि-प्रदर्शन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet calls many powers: Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuṇa, Aditi, the luminous world (svaḥ), Earth and Heaven, the Maruts, the Mountains, the Waters; and calls Viṣṇu, Pūṣan, Brahmaṇaspati, Bhaga, the hymn of praise, and Savitṛ for help.
Inner meaning
This is an integral map of the inner cosmos. The rishi invokes not only deities but also the cosmic supports—earth/heaven, mountains/waters—because the yoga must be grounded (pṛthivī) and opened to the higher mind (dyauḥ, svaḥ). Mountains are stable powers of ascent (firm realizations); waters are flowing consciousness and purifying currents. Brahmaṇaspati is the lord of the creative Word (mantric formation) that breaks obstacles; Savitṛ is the divine impeller who sets the right movement in motion; ‘śaṃsam’ (the praise) itself is invoked as a power—mantra is an active force of consciousness, not mere speech.
Universal truth
Spiritual practice succeeds when it includes the whole field: higher inspiration, grounded embodiment, stable realizations, flowing purification, right guidance, and the power of the Word to shape consciousness.
Themes
total invocation, cosmic integration, help on the path, mantra as formative force
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.47 (Viśve Devāḥ sequence continuation), RV 5.83 (Parjanya—waters/force symbolism in Book 5), RV 5.85 (Varuṇa—ṛta and wideness)
Family tradition
Atri’s hymns frequently expand the invocation to cosmic structures (dyāvāpṛthivī, āpaḥ, parvatāḥ), reflecting a yoga that includes all planes of being.
Significance
The seer teaches that the inner journey is cosmic: one calls on powers of consciousness and also stabilizing/flowing supports to make the ascent secure and integral.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ with Dyāvāpṛthivī, Āpaḥ, Parvatāḥ as supports
- Epithets
- svaḥ (luminous), ūtaye (for help)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Maruts, Viṣṇu, Pūṣan, Brahmaṇaspati, Bhaga, Savitṛ
Cosmic role
Total divine ecology: powers of will, light, law, wideness, guidance, and the supporting structures of world-order.
Inner power
Integration across planes: grounding (earth), opening (heaven), stability (mountains), purification/flow (waters), and mantric formation (Brahmaṇaspati).
In ritual
Where it is used
Viśve Devāḥ invocation in soma-yajña / iṣṭi contexts
इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्नी मि॒त्रावरु॒णादि॑तिं॒ स्व॑: पृथि॒वीं द्यां म॒रुत॒: पर्व॑ताँ अ॒पः । हु॒वे विष्णुं॑ पू॒षणं॒ ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पतिं॒ भगं॒ नु शंसं॑ सवि॒तार॑मू॒तये॑ ॥
इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्नी इति॑ । मि॒त्रावरु॒णा । अदि॑तिम् । स्वरिति॑ स्वः॑ । पृ॒थि॒वीम् । द्याम् । म॒रुतः॑ । पर्व॑तान् । अ॒पः । हु॒वे । विष्णु॑म् । पू॒षण॑म् । ब्रह्म॑णः । पति॑म् । भग॑म् । नु । शंस॑म् । स॒वि॒तार॑म् । ऊ॒तये॑ ॥
indrāgnī iti | mitrāvaruṇā | aditim | svar iti svaḥ | pṛthivīm | dyām | marutaḥ | parvatān | apaḥ | huve | viṣṇum | pūṣaṇam | brahmaṇaḥ | patim | bhagam | nu | śaṃsam | sav itāram | ūtaye
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables (Jagatī tendency); exact scansion depends on recension and sandhi.
Broader, more flowing than triṣṭubh—suited to enumerating a whole cosmos.
Produces spaciousness and inclusivity; the listener feels the field of practice widen and become well-supported.
- इन्द्राग्नी (indrāgnī)
- Literal: Indra and Agni. Symbolic: illumined mind + divine will acting together
- अदिति (aditi)
- Literal: Aditi. Symbolic: infinite consciousness; unbroken freedom and wideness
- स्वः (svaḥ)
- Literal: luminous world. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined plane of consciousness
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: embodied foundation; steadiness and receptivity in the physical being
- द्यौः/द्याम् (dyām)
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: higher mental/spiritual openness
- पर्वतान् (parvatān)
- Literal: mountains. Symbolic: stable powers/realizations; firm ascents in consciousness
- अपः (apaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: flowing consciousness, purification, delight-currents
- ब्रह्मणस्पति (brahmaṇaspati)
- Literal: lord of the sacred word. Symbolic: master of mantra-force; breaks inner obstacles and builds right formations
- शंसम् (śaṃsam)
- Literal: praise/recitation. Symbolic: the effective mantra as a conscious power invoked for aid
- सवितृ (savitṛ)
- Literal: Savitṛ. Symbolic: divine impeller; sets right movement and awakens inner dawns
Comprehensive invocation for aid (ūtaye) before offerings; integrates cosmic planes and functional deities, suitable for Soma and general śrauta recitation
When calling multiple deities and cosmic supports for ‘ūtí’ (help) and successful offering.
Āvāhana with an expanded ‘cosmic roll-call’ to ensure completeness of the rite.
Use as a ‘whole-being’ invocation: before meditation, name the planes—body (earth), mind (heaven), higher light (svaḥ), stability (mountains), purification (waters)—then invoke guidance and mantra-power.
√HU ‘call, invoke’ is archaic ritual diction. Aditi from a- ‘not’ + √DĀ ‘bind’ (traditional ‘unbound’), symbolizing infinity. Brahmaṇaspati: brahman (formative mantra-power) + pati ‘lord’. Savitṛ from √SU/√SAV ‘impel, vivify’ (the arouser). śaṃsa ‘praise’ from √ŚAṂS ‘recite, praise’—speech as force.
Aditi (infinity), svah (luminous plane), brahman (mantric formative power), impulsion (Savitṛ)
Mitra-Varuṇa and the ordered cosmos (earth/heaven/waters) signify ṛta as the structure of right becoming.
Invoking ‘svaḥ’ points to truth-illumination as the helping plane.
Worlds and supports are not inert nature but conscious powers cooperating in evolution.
Vedic integralism (proto-Vedānta in seed): many forms as powers of one Consciousness; mantra as creative force (Brahmaṇaspati).
Earth = embodied steadiness; Heaven = mental openness; Mountains = fixed realizations; Waters = flowing purification and delight; Svaḥ = illumined mind/higher light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘total cosmos summoned to aid’ mythologem: not only gods but cosmic supports (dyāvā-pṛthivī, parvata, āpaḥ, svah) are invoked. Psychologically, it is the calling of all planes and faculties to collaborate in transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyām (sky) continues PIE *dyew- ‘sky/daylight’ (cf. Zeus, dies). pṛthivī (broad earth) parallels inherited earth/sky dyad common across Indo-European traditions. The invocation formula (huve + accusatives) reflects stable inherited liturgical syntax.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi stands as the caller who assembles a complete inner-cosmic alliance ‘for help’ (ūtaye). The devatās are approached as powers to be integrated: Indra-Agni (effective action), Mitra-Varuṇa (right order), Aditi (infinite wideness), Brahmaṇaspati (mantric formation), Savitṛ (awakening impulse).
Invoke and align the planes: feel body as steady earth, mind as open heaven, illumined mind as svaḥ; let waters cleanse and mountains stabilize; then call Savitṛ to impel right movement.
muladhara (earth stability), sahasrara/ajna (heaven/svaḥ openness), vishuddha (Brahmaṇaspati/śaṃsa mantra-power)
On inhale: ‘svaḥ’—receive light; on exhale: ‘apaḥ’—release impurities; end with silent intention ‘ūtaye’—for help.
Spacious, supported, integrative.
If practice becomes ungrounded, return to ‘pṛthivī’; if dull, open to ‘dyām/svaḥ’; if unstable, build ‘parvatāḥ’ (steady realizations) through repetition and sincerity; if congested, let ‘āpaḥ’ flow via breath and release.
If Jagatī, keep a slightly more flowing line; preserve Vedic accents on compound names (indrāgnī, mitrāvaruṇā).
Mark clear pāda pauses despite the long list; avoid rushing the cosmic supports (pṛthivīṃ dyām… parvatān āpaḥ).
: ‘in-drāg-nī’ (retain consonant cluster), : ‘mi-trā-va-ru-ṇā’ with retroflex ṇ, : ‘a-di-tim’ (short vowels), : ‘brah-ma-ṇa-spa-tim’ (retroflex ṇ), : ‘ū-ta-ye’ (long ū)
Spacious and even; articulate lists clearly; let ‘ūtaye’ soften into a prayerful cadence.
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