Rig Veda 5.60.5: Mandala 5, Sukta 60, Mantra 5
Sukta 5.60
- Rishi
- Śyāvāśva Ātreya
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अज्येष्ठासो अकनिष्ठास एते सं भ्रातरो वावृधुः सौभगाय । युवा पिता स्वपा रुद्र एषां सुदुघा पृश्निः सुदिना मरुद्भ्यः ॥
ajyeṣṭhāso akaniṣṭhāsa ete saṃ bhrātaro vāvṛdhuḥ saubhagāya | yuvā pitā svapā rudra eṣāṃ sudughā pṛśniḥ sudinā marudbhyaḥ ||
ये मरुत भाई-भाई हैं। ना कोई बड़ा है ना छोटा। सब मिलकर बढ़ रहे हैं ताकि खुशी आए। इनका बाप रुद्र है जो कभी बूढ़ा नहीं होता। इनकी माँ पृश्नि है जो अच्छा दिन लाती है और इनके लिए दूध देती है।
Word by Word
- अज्येष्ठासः
- not the eldest (yet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) < ज्यै (धातु, ‘to be strong/older’)
- अकनिष्ठासः
- not the youngest (either)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot कनिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) < कनिष्/कनिष्ठ (comparative base ‘youngest’)
- एते
- thesePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, in unionIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भ्रातरः
- brothersNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधुः
- have grown / have increasedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRoot वृध् (धातु ‘to grow/increase’), reduplicated perfect stem वावृध्
- सौभगाय
- for good fortuneNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः); चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot सौभग (प्रातिपदिक) < सु- + भग (‘good fortune’)
- युवा
- youngAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिता
- fatherNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वपाः
- skilful / of good workmanshipAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot स्वपा (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय ‘good-worker, of good craft’) < सु- + पा/प (to work/shape; traditional epithet)
- रुद्रः
- RudraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- एषाम्
- of these / of themPronounषष्ठी; बहुवचनRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुदुघा
- well-yielding (in milk)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot सुदुघा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-milking’) < सु- + दुह् (धातु ‘to milk’)
- पृश्निः
- Pṛśni (the speckled mother)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot पृश्नि (प्रातिपदिक; name/epithet of the Maruts’ mother, ‘speckled one’)
- सुदिना
- with good days / by good seasonNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सुदिन (प्रातिपदिक) < सु- + दिन (‘good day’, ‘good time/season’)
- मरुद्भ्यः
- for the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): अज्येष्ठासः | अकनिष्ठासः | एते | सम् | भ्रातरः | वावृधुः | सौभगाय | युवा | पिता | स्वपाः | रुद्रः | एषाम् | सुदुघा | पृश्निः | सुदिना | मरुद्भ्यः । विशेष: ‘सं’ इति उपसर्गः ‘सम्’ रूपेण पदे पृथक्
- ‘भ्रातरः’ + ‘वावृधुः’ इत्यत्र संधिः न आवश्यकः (पदविरामः). ‘मरुद्भ्यः’ = मरुत् + भ्यस् (उद्-ध्वनि-सन्धि: त् → द् before भ्य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Maruts are neither eldest nor youngest; as brothers they have grown together for good fortune. Their father is ever-young Rudra of self-effective power; their mother Pṛśni is rich-yielding, bringing a good day for the Maruts.
Inner meaning
The Marut powers in us are a fraternity of forces—none claims seniority; they must grow together in harmony for saubhaga (felicity, right fortune). Their source is Rudra, the fierce-pure divine force of transformation, ever-young because spiritual power renews itself in each ascent. Rudra is svapā: self-effective, needing no external prop. Pṛśni, the mottled mother, is Nature’s field (prakṛti) with its mixed strands; when it becomes sudughā (rich-yielding) it pours out energies that support a ‘good luminous day’ (sudina)—a clear period of awakened consciousness for the Marut host to act.
Universal truth
Integral growth requires coordinated development of all life-energies; when the transforming divine force is accepted and Nature becomes a willing giver, life turns auspicious and luminous.
Themes
Marut-host as collective soul-forces, inner felicity (saubhaga) as right share of being, divine parentage: Rudra–Pṛśni mythic frame, non-hierarchical fraternity of powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Śyāvāśva Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.52 (Marut praise), RV 5.54 (Maruts as purifiers and helpers), RV 5.61 (continuation of Marut themes)
Family tradition
Śyāvāśva hymns (RV 5.52–5.61) emphasize the disciplined, luminous action of Marut powers and their alliance with Agni/Indra in the inner sacrifice.
Significance
Śyāvāśva’s vision often stresses collective harmony of forces—an integral yoga motif: all parts of nature must consent and grow together toward felicity.
The deity
- Devata
- Marutaḥ (Maruts) with Rudra and Pṛśni as parents
- Epithets
- subhagāsaḥ (blissful/fortunate—seen in adjacent verse), bhrātaraḥ (brothers)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Soma, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Maruts as atmospheric powers; Rudra as their fierce progenitor; Pṛśni as the generating cloud/nature-matrix.
Inner power
Maruts: coordinated prāṇa-shaktis; Rudra: transformative divine force that purifies and heals through intensity; Pṛśni: the nature-field that yields energies and ‘luminous days’ when consenting.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut invocations in Soma rites; also recited in contexts emphasizing Rudra-Marut lineage
अ॒ज्ये॒ष्ठासो॒ अक॑निष्ठास ए॒ते सं भ्रात॑रो वावृधु॒: सौभ॑गाय । युवा॑ पि॒ता स्वपा॑ रु॒द्र ए॑षां सु॒दुघा॒ पृश्नि॑: सु॒दिना॑ म॒रुद्भ्य॑: ॥
अ॒ज्ये॒ष्ठासः॑ । अक॑निष्ठासः । ए॒ते । सम् । भ्रात॑रः । व॒वृ॒धुः॒ । सौभ॑गाय । युवा॑ । पि॒ता । स्वपा॑ । रु॒द्रः । ए॒षा॒म् । सु॒ऽदुघा॑ । पृश्निः॑ । सु॒ऽदिना॑ । म॒रुत्ऽभ्यः॑ ॥
ajyeṣṭhāsaḥ | akaniṣṭhāsaḥ | ete | sam | bhrātaraḥ | vavṛdhuḥ | saubhagāya | yuvā | p itā | svapā | rudraḥ | eṣām | su-dughā | pṛśniḥ | su-dinā | marut-bhyaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Balanced, declarative; suitable for defining lineage and harmony.
Creates a sense of fraternity and steady uplift; stabilizes scattered energies into a unified cadence.
- अज्येष्ठासः (ajyeṣṭhāsaḥ)
- Literal: not the eldest. Symbolic: no single force dominates; equality of powers under the soul’s aim
- अकनिष्ठासः (akaniṣṭhāsaḥ)
- Literal: not the youngest. Symbolic: All must be uplifted
- भ्रातरः (bhrātaraḥ)
- Literal: brothers. Symbolic: harmonized powers acting in fraternity
- सौभगाय (saubhagāya)
- Literal: for good fortune. Symbolic: for felicity: right alignment that attracts grace and success in sādhanā
- युवा पिता (yuvā pitā)
- Literal: ever-young father. Symbolic: perennial renewing source of force in consciousness
- स्वपा (svapā)
- Literal: self-working, self-effective. Symbolic: autonomous divine power acting from within
- रुद्रः (rudraḥ)
- Literal: Rudra. Symbolic: purifying transformative force; healer through intensity
- पृश्निः (pṛśniḥ)
- Literal: the speckled/cow mother. Symbolic: Nature with mixed qualities; the generative field that can become a giver of luminous energies
- सुदुघा (sudughā)
- Literal: good-milking, rich-yielding. Symbolic: abundant outflow of supportive energies from transformed nature
- सुदिना (sudinā)
- Literal: good day. Symbolic: luminous interval of awakened clarity
Marut-invocations in Soma ritual sequences (general: Soma-yajña/Agniṣṭoma context), strengthening the communal ‘storm-powers’ for protection, force, and right enjoyment of the offering
During sequences calling supportive deities for strength and auspiciousness of the yajña.
Praise and alignment: inviting the Marut host to grow with the sacrificer toward saubhaga.
For team harmony and inner integration: recite when seeking coordinated effort among multiple drives (health, work, practice) under a single spiritual aim.
Key forms: (1) ajyeṣṭhāsaḥ / akaniṣṭhāsaḥ: privative a- + jyēṣṭha ‘eldest’ (superl. of jyāyas ‘older’, from √jyā ‘be stronger/older’) and kaniṣṭha ‘youngest’ (superl. of kanīyas ‘younger’). The double negation signals a non-hierarchical, equal-energy host. (2) vāvṛdhuḥ: perfect (intensive/reduplicated) of √vṛdh ‘to grow, increase, strengthen’. (3) saubhagāya: dat. sg. of saubhaga ‘good fortune’, from su- ‘good’ + bhaga ‘share, allotment, divine enjoyment’ (PIE *bʰag- ‘portion’). Interpretable inwardly as ‘right share of being’/felicity. (4) svapā: bahuvrīhi/adj. ‘self-working’, su- + apā? traditionally from sva- ‘self’ + √āp/√āpnu ‘attain’ or understood as ‘of good workmanship’; in RV usage conveys autonomous efficacy (inner will that accomplishes). (5) sudughā: su- + √duh ‘milk, yield’; inwardly ‘abundant outflow’ of force/illumination. (6) sudinā: su- + dina ‘day’ (from √div ‘shine’), indicating bright/auspicious inner time. (7) Pṛśni: ‘dappled, speckled’ from √pṛś ‘sprinkle, be variegated’; symbolically the many-hued executive Nature that bears the storm-gods.
Ṛta (harmonious order through coordinated powers), sahabhāva (integrality/collective action of faculties), tapas (fierce force that purifies and strengthens, implicit in Rudra-Marut dynamic)
‘Brothers growing together’ is Ṛta in the vital domain—right proportion and mutual support.
Svapā indicates truth-power acting from within, not dependent on outer circumstance.
Generation of divine energies from Rudra (force) and Pṛśni (nature-matrix) to produce luminous days.
Aurobindonian psychological cosmology: divine powers as functions of consciousness operating through nature.
daybreak-to-day (sudina as luminous day)
Cloud = mixed nature; rain/milk = outpouring energies; good day = clarified consciousness supporting dynamic action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine host of storm-gods as brothers’ born of Rudra and Pṛśni: a mythic kinship model where many powers act as one. Inwardly, it encodes a coordinated plurality of soul-forces (impulsions, energies, breaths) that grow together toward saubhaga (felicity/fullness), rather than competing in hierarchy.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Several lexemes preserve old Indo-European semantic fields: bhaga ‘share/allotment’ (PIE *bʰag- ‘portion, allot’) in saubhaga; √vṛdh ‘grow’ (PIE *werǵʰ-/ *wreḱ- type growth/strengthening roots; exact alignment varies by reconstruction) in vāvṛdhuḥ; and √duh ‘milk’ with cognate ideas of ‘yielding’ (cf. wider IE ‘to give/produce’ semantics), used metaphorically for abundance (sudughā). The superlative formations jyēṣṭha/kaniṣṭha are archaic comparative/superlative morphology marking rank, here negated to signal egalitarian collectivity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer recognizes the Maruts as a disciplined fraternity of powers who ‘increase together’ for saubhaga; the reciprocity is implicit: the hymn offers acknowledgement and alignment, and the Maruts respond by establishing ‘sudina’—clarity, right condition, and prosperous inner weather. Rudra as ‘svapā’ indicates that the divine help is not merely requested but awakens as self-effective force when the human consciousness enters right accord (ṛta) with the host.
Bring all impulses into ‘brotherhood’: equalize energies, remove inner hierarchy/conflict, align to a single aspiration.
Anāhata (harmony) with Maṇipūra (coordinated will)
Coherence breathing (5–6 breaths/min) to synchronize prāṇa currents; feel ‘brothers’ moving together.
Integrated poise: quiet center with unified vitality.
Contemplate Rudra as the inner transformer: offer resistances to be purified; invite Pṛśni (nature) to become sudughā—supportive and abundant.
Rigvedic accents as transmitted; keep clear udātta peaks on key terms (rudra, pṛśni, saubhagāya).
Maintain even low tone through long compounds; let udātta rise without over-singing; svarita as a gentle fall.
ajyeṣṭhāsaḥ: jyeṣṭh cluster—palatal j + yeṣṭh, akaniṣṭhāsaḥ: niṣṭh—retroflex ṣ + ṭh, svapā: short sva-, long -pā, pṛśniḥ: vocalic ṛ; śn cluster clean
Warm, unifying, steady; less martial than other Marut verses.
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