Rig Veda 5.69.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 69, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.69
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Mitra-Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
या धर्तारा रजसो रोचनस्योतादित्या दिव्या पार्थिवस्य । न वां देवा अमृता आ मिनन्ति व्रतानि मित्रावरुणा ध्रुवाणि ॥
yā́ dhartā́rā rájaso rocanásyotá́dityā divyā́ pārthívasya | ná vāṃ devā́ amṛ́tā ā́ minanti vratā́ni mitrā́varuṇā dhruvā́ṇi ||
तुम आसमान और ज़मीन को संभाले हुए हो। तुम देवता हो जो ऊपर रहते हैं। कोई भी देवता तुम्हारे फ़ैसलों को हिला नहीं सकता। मित्र और वरुण, तुम्हारे नियम पक्के हैं, कभी नहीं बदलते।
Word by Word
- या
- who/which (those)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-कर्तृ; विशेष्य-सम्बन्धः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य-
- धर्तारः
- supporters, sustainersNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot धृ (धातु) → धर्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- रजसः
- of the midspace/atmosphere (rajas)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रोचनस्य
- of the shining realm/lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root रोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root उत (निपात)
- आदित्या
- O Ādityas (Mitra and Varuṇa)Noun (proper/class name)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन द्विवचनम्Role Sambodhana (address)Root आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिव्याः
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (as qualifier of धर्तारः)Root दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- पार्थिवस्य
- of the earthly (realm)Adjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root न (निषेध)
- वाम्
- of you two / to you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी द्विवचनम् (enclitic)Role Sampradāna / Sambandha (to/for you two; or of you two)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → वाम्
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृताः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (as qualifier of देवाः)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards; unto; (intensifier with verb)Indeclinable (preverb)अव्ययम्Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- मिनन्ति
- they damage/violateVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KriyāRoot मि (धातु; हिंसायाम्/क्षेपे) → मिन्
- व्रतानि
- vows, ordinances, fixed lawsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्रावरुणा
- O Mitra and VaruṇaNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन द्विवचनम्Role Sambodhana (address)Root मित्र-वरुण (द्वन्द्व-समास प्रातिपदिक)
- ध्रुवाणि
- firm, unshaken, steadfastAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (विशेषणम्)Role Karma (as qualifier of व्रतानि)Root ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): धर्तारा॒ रज॑सो → धर्तारः + रजसः
- रोच॒नस्यो॒ता → रोचनस्य + उत
- (voc.) आदि॒त्या → आदित्या
- दि॒व्या पार्थि॑वस्य → दिव्याः + पार्थिवस्य
- न वां॑ → न + वाम्
- अ॒मृता॒ आ → अमृताः + आ
- मि॑नन्ति व्र॒तानि॑ → मिनन्ति + व्रतानि
- व्र॒तानि॑ मित्रावरुणा → व्रतानि + मित्रावरुणा
- ध्रु॒वाणि॑ (agrees with व्रतानि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You who uphold the luminous realm and the wide spaces, O divine Ādityas, of heaven and of earth—no immortal gods can disturb your firm ordinances, O Mitra and Varuṇa.
Inner meaning
Mitra-Varuṇa are praised as sustainers of the ‘rocaná’ (luminous realm) and ‘rajas’ (wide spaces)—not merely physical heaven/atmosphere but planes of consciousness from mind to supramental light. Their vratāni (ordinances) are stable laws of truth: sincerity, right relation, self-restraint, and harmony that keep the ascent steady. Even other divine powers do not ‘shake’ these laws: all effective spiritual forces must work within truth and order. Psychologically, this is a reminder that illumination must be held by discipline of truth; otherwise light becomes unstable or mixed.
Universal truth
True freedom is not lawlessness: higher realization stands on firm principles of truth and harmony that stabilize and protect the growth of consciousness across all planes of life.
Themes
Cosmic order, Divine law (vrata), Sovereignty of Mitra-Varuṇa, Stability against disturbance
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.62 (Mitra-Varuṇa), RV 5.63 (Ādityas), RV 5.69.2, RV 5.70.1
Family tradition
Atri’s Āditya hymns stress the stability of ṛta and the necessity of firm inner law for enduring illumination.
Significance
The Atri vision often insists that the luminous planes (rocanāni) are accessed and held by truth-discipline (vrata), not by impulse or mere ecstasy.
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa (Ādityas)
- Epithets
- dhartārā (upholders), divyā ādityā (divine Ādityas), dhruva-vrata (firm in law)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumination-power working within ṛta), Agni (will serving ṛta), Sūrya (truth-light), Aditi (infinite source)
Cosmic role
They uphold heaven and earth—i.e., the total order of manifestation—by establishing inviolable principles of ṛta.
Inner power
Capacity to stabilize illumination, enforce sincerity, correct deviation, and harmonize the parts of the being under truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āditya praise within śrauta offerings; recited for protection of vows and correctness of rite (vrata).
या ध॒र्तारा॒ रज॑सो रोच॒नस्यो॒तादि॒त्या दि॒व्या पार्थि॑वस्य । न वां॑ दे॒वा अ॒मृता॒ आ मि॑नन्ति व्र॒तानि॑ मित्रावरुणा ध्रु॒वाणि॑ ॥
या । ध॒र्तारा॑ । रज॑सः । रो॒च॒नस्य॑ । उ॒त । आ॒दि॒त्या । दि॒व्या । पार्थि॑वस्य । न । वा॒म् । दे॒वाः । अ॒मृताः॑ । आ । मि॒न॒न्ति॒ । व्र॒तानि॑ । मि॒त्रा॒व॒रु॒णा॒ । ध्रु॒वाणि॑ ॥
yā | dhartārā | rajasaḥ | rocanasya | uta | ādityā | divyā | pārthivasya | na | vām | devāḥ | amṛtāḥ | ā | minanti | vratāni | mitrāvaruṇā | dhruvāṇi
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Grave and authoritative; strong caesura-like pauses emphasize ‘upholding’ and ‘firm ordinances’.
Instills steadiness and ethical clarity; the listener feels supported and corrected into a stable alignment.
- ध॒र्तारा (dhartārā)
- Literal: upholders, supporters. Symbolic: powers that sustain the planes of consciousness and keep the seeker from falling into disorder
- रज॑सः (rajasaḥ)
- Literal: wide spaces/regions. Symbolic: expanses of consciousness—vital, mental, and higher ranges
- रो॒च॒नस्य (rocanasya)
- Literal: of the luminous realm. Symbolic: plane of illumination; clarified seeing
- दि॒व्या पार्थि॑वस्य (divyā pārthivasya)
- Literal: of heaven and of earth. Symbolic: higher and lower nature; spirit and embodied life
- व्र॒तानि (vratāni)
- Literal: ordinances, vows, laws. Symbolic: stable truth-principles governing inner life
- ध्रુ॒वाणि (dhruvāṇi)
- Literal: firm, fixed. Symbolic: unshakeable foundations of ṛta in the being
Recitation supporting the establishment of ṛta in Soma offerings; reinforces the inviolability of divine vratāni as a protective frame for the rite and the inner discipline of the sacrificer.
When reaffirming observances, truth-speaking, and right order in ritual sequences; also suitable for daily resolve.
Stuti (praise) emphasizing the inviolability of divine law; supports ‘vrata’ observance by the sacrificer.
A mantra for recommitting to inner discipline: truthfulness, non-betrayal, harmony in relationships, and steadiness in practice.
dhar-tā́rā: agent noun from √dhṛ ‘to hold, bear, support’ (PIE *dher- ‘hold’). rocaná- from √ruc ‘to shine’ (PIE *leuk- ‘light’ is a broader cognate field; Indo-Aryan √ruc is a distinct but semantically allied light-root). vratá- from √vṛ ‘to choose/will’ → ‘chosen rule/ordinance’; in RV, vratá is the self-law of a god—its inherent mode of action—hence psychologically the fixed truth-habit of higher powers. dhruvá- from √dhru/√dhrū ‘to be firm’ (stability, pole-star-like fixity). minanti from √mī ‘to lessen, damage’.
Ṛta as stable law (dhruvā vratāni), Divine sovereignty and guardianship, Integration of heaven/earth in consciousness
Explicit: Mitra-Varuṇa’s vratāni are the operational laws of ṛta that no power can violate.
Illumined realm (rocaná) is sustained only by satya-based ordinances.
Sustaining creation: not the first emergence, but the continual upholding of worlds/planes by law.
Dharma-as-ṛta (Vedic antecedent to dharma): cosmic law as spiritual foundation.
Light = illumined consciousness; wide spaces = expanded being; heaven/earth = higher/lower nature integrated under truth-law.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘sovereignty that upholds the worlds’: Mitra-Varuṇa as world-bearers maintaining the luminous domain and the mid-space, with ordinances so firm that even other immortals do not overturn them. Mythically it encodes a hierarchy of order: the cosmic kingship of the Ādityas as the unshakable frame of creation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold’ (dhar-tā́r-) aligns with PIE *dher- ‘hold/support’ (cf. Gk. thronos ‘seat’ is not direct; but the semantic field of support is pan-IE). The idea of ‘fixed law’ (dhruvá vratá-) parallels IE sacral-juridical diction where cosmic order is articulated as binding rule (cf. Avestan aša vs. Vedic ṛta as the Indo-Iranian reflex of order/truth).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi affirms trust: the human seeker leans on the stability of the gods’ vratāni. The relationship is not bargaining but alignment—by recognizing the unshakeable divine law, the sacrificer’s mind gains a stable inner axis, enabling right action in the embodied (pārthiva) field without being disturbed by contrary forces.
Contemplate ‘vrata’ as inner truth-discipline that holds illumination steady across life.
Viśuddha (truth in speech) and Maṇipūra (firm will/discipline)
4–4–6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to embody steadiness; repeat the last pāda mentally on the exhale.
Steady, upright, law-abiding clarity—calm strength rather than emotional surge.
Before practice, recall one ‘vrata’: truthfulness, non-deception, or harmony; chant once, then sit and feel the ‘supporting pillars’ in the spine and mind.
Follow Vedic accent marks; keep a firm udatta rise on key nouns (dhartārā, rocanasya, vratāni, dhruvāṇi).
Deliver pāda 3–4 with declarative firmness; ‘na vāṃ devā amṛtā ā minanti’ should sound like an unshakeable assertion.
rocanasya: ‘ca’ is palatal, keep ‘ro-ca-na’ clear, dhruvāṇi: aspirated dh + long ū; do not shorten, ādityā: long ā at both ends
Upright, steady, slightly weighty; avoid rushing the negation clause.
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