Rig Veda 5.70.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 70, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.70
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Primarily Mitra-Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ता वां सम्यगद्रुह्वाणेषमश्याम धायसे । वयं ते रुद्रा स्याम ॥
tā́ vāṃ samyág adruhvāṇéṣam aśyāma dhā́yase | vayáṃ te rudrā syāma ||
हम धोखा नहीं देंगे, सीधा रहेंगे। आपकी खुशी का पाना चाहते हैं। रुद्र देवता, हम आपके बन जाओ, आपकी शक्ति में।
Word by Word
- ताः
- those (f.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (गन्तव्य/प्राप्य-वस्तु; ‘those [things/ends]’)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- of/for you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role Sampradāna/Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्ध/प्रति; ‘of/for you two’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्यक्
- rightly, properlyIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; manner)Root सम् + अञ्च् (अव्यय-निर्माण; ‘rightly’)
- अद्रुह्वाणेषम्
- non-harming, not hostileAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषण-रूप; ‘non-harming’)Role Karma (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध; qualifies the sought object/goal)Root द्रुह् (धातु) → द्रुह्वाण (कृदन्त, शतृ/शानच्-प्रकार) + नञ्-अभाव; प्रातिपदिक: अ-द्रुह्वाण
- इषम्
- refreshment, strength, prosperityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इष्/इषा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘refreshment, strength, prosperity’)
- अश्यम
- may I attainVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)Root अश् (धातु ‘to reach, attain’)
- धायसे
- for the bestower (giver)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (प्रति/उद्देश्य; ‘for the bestower’)Root धा (धातु ‘to place, bestow, establish’) → धायस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bestower/placer’, Vedic)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of youPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role Sampradāna/Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्ध; ‘of you’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रुद्राः
- O RudrasNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा; ‘O Rudras’)Role Sambodhana (address)Root रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)Root अस् (धातु ‘to be’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): ताः वाम् सम्यक् अद्रुह्वाणेषम् इषम् अश्यम धायसे । वयम् ते रुद्राः स्याम । 1) ता वां → ताः + वाम् (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि-समायोजन; मन्त्रपाठे ‘ता’)
- 2) सम्यगद्रुह्वाणेषम् → सम्यक् + अद्रुह्वाणेषम् (क् + अ → ग् (जश्त्व) : सम्यक् > सम्यग्)
- 3) रुद्रा स्याम → रुद्राः + स्याम (विसर्ग-लोप; पदपाठे रुद्राः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May we, moving rightly and without betrayal, attain your nourishment/impulse (iṣ), for our sustaining. May we be yours, O Rudras.
Inner meaning
The prayer asks to move ‘samyak’—in right alignment—and ‘adruhvāṇā’—without treachery or self-deception (a central Aurobindonian key: sincerity). Then one can attain iṣ: the divine impulsion and nourishment that empowers the journey (not merely food, but force of progress). ‘Dhāyase’ suggests sustaining, placing, or nurturing—iṣ as that which supports the growth of the inner sacrifice. The vocative ‘rudrā’ is best taken as an epithet: ‘O strong, vehement protectors’—Mitra-Varuṇa in their force-aspect that wards off disorder and brings vigorous rectification. The seeker aspires to belong to that divine force, to be an instrument of it.
Universal truth
Progress depends on sincerity and right alignment; then a higher sustaining impulse descends, and we become participants in the divine protective force rather than victims of inner disorder.
Themes
Ethical discipline, Aspiration for force, Alignment with divine order
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.70.1
Family tradition
Atri’s compact petitions often emphasize sincerity (adruha) as the condition for receiving divine force (iṣ) and protection.
Significance
This verse condenses a yogic law: rightness + sincerity → descent of sustaining force → belonging to the divine protection.
The deity
- Devata
- Primarily Mitra–Varuṇa (with ‘rudrā’ as force-epithet)
- Epithets
- samyak-gati (guiders in right movement), adruha-priya (lovers of sincerity), rudra (fierce protectors, in force-aspect)
- Related deities
- Rudra, Agni (leader of inner sacrifice), Indra (illumination that supports right action)
Cosmic role
Guardians of order who also act with Rudra-like force to break falsehood and protect the evolution.
Inner power
Bestowal of iṣ (sustaining impulsion) when the being is sincere; forceful purification and protection against betrayal and deviation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Ethical alignment formula within Soma worship: the sacrificer seeks iṣ (impulse) only through adroha (non-betrayal), matching the Ādityas’ vratá.
ता वां॑ स॒म्यग॑द्रुह्वा॒णेष॑मश्याम॒ धाय॑से । व॒यं ते रु॑द्रा स्याम ॥
ता । वा॒म् । स॒म्यक् । अ॒द्रु॒ह्वा॒णा॒ । इष॑म् । अ॒श्या॒म॒ । धाय॑से । व॒यम् । ते । रु॒द्रा॒ । स्या॒म॒ ॥
tā | vām | samyak | adruhvāṇā | iṣam | aśyāma | dhāyase | vayam | te | rudrā | syāma
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4 pādas × 8 syllables
Compact and aspirational; a vow-like tone in short beats.
Creates a sense of ethical resolve and energetic readiness; good for repetitive japa-style use.
- स॒म्यक् (samyak)
- Literal: rightly, correctly. Symbolic: alignment with ṛta; integral rightness of intention and action
- अ॒द्रु॒ह्वा॒णा (adruhvāṇā)
- Literal: not betraying, not deceiving. Symbolic: sincerity; refusal of inner falsehood and divided will
- इष॑म् (iṣam)
- Literal: refreshment, impulse, nourishment. Symbolic: divine impulsion and energizing force for inner growth
- धाय॑से (dhāyase)
- Literal: for sustaining/nourishing. Symbolic: support of the inner sacrifice; stable growth of the new consciousness
- रुद्रा (rudrā)
- Literal: Rudras (storm-gods). Symbolic: the fierce-protective power that removes obstacles and purifies by force; here as a force-epithet for the invoked guardians
Ethical alignment formula within Soma worship: the sacrificer seeks iṣ (impulse) only through adroha (non-betrayal), matching the Ādityas’ vratá.
As a resolve before undertakings; also suitable before study/meditation to affirm sincerity.
Prayer for iṣ (force/nourishment) and self-offering (‘may we be yours’).
A mantra for integrity: recite before difficult conversations or decisions to prevent self-betrayal and invite right impulsion.
adruhvāṇá-: privative a- + √druh ‘to deceive, injure’ (PIE *dhreugh- ‘deceive’ proposed in some etymologies). iṣ- from √iṣ ‘to impel, invigorate, prosper’—hence ‘impulse/nourishment’ as dynamic force. aśyāma optative from √aś ‘to reach, attain’. dhā́yase: dative from a noun/verb related to √dhā ‘to place, set, sustain’; semantic bridge to ‘supporting nourishment’.
Adroha (non-injury/non-betrayal) as condition for receiving force, Iṣ as dynamic nourishment/impulse, Transformation of the seeker into a fit vessel (syāma)
Sincere right movement (samyak, adruha) is alignment with ṛta; iṣ is the supportive current of ṛta in action.
Non-betrayal as satya in will and speech.
Formation of a new nature sustained by divine impulsion (iṣ).
Karmayogic Vedism: right action powered by truth-aligned force.
Nourishment = sustaining prāṇa of sādhanā; storm-force = purifying energy that breaks resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘power granted through truth-alignment’: the gods’ force (iṣ) is not seized but attained by samyak conduct and adruha (non-betrayal). It encodes the Vedic law that siddhi follows ṛta, not mere desire.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The privative a- in adruhvāṇa is inherited Indo-European morphology. The ethical verb √druh ‘deceive’ belongs to a widespread IE semantic concern with truth vs. deceit in sacral speech—central to Indo-Iranian ritual poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi offers a vow of inner sincerity (no duplicity), seeking a reciprocal descent of force (iṣ). The gods respond not as arbitrary givers but as powers whose gifts follow lawful conditions—mirroring their role as guardians of vratá.
Sincerity (adruha) as the gate; receive iṣ as a descending/awakening force; offer oneself as an instrument of divine protection.
Maṇipūra (will/ardor) and Viśuddha (truth)
Kapalabhati-light (very gentle, 30 strokes) only if appropriate, followed by calm breathing; then chant to stabilize force into rightness.
Energetic clarity with ethical alignment; a sense of being ‘claimed’ by a higher force.
Before chanting, silently renounce one inner falsehood; chant 9 times; then act immediately in one small ‘samyak’ way (a truthful word, a clean decision, a disciplined step).
Keep Vedic accents as marked; Anuṣṭubh should be steady and mantra-like, with minimal melodic flourish.
Emphasize the ethical keys ‘samyak’ and ‘adruhvāṇā’; let ‘iṣam aśyāma’ be voiced as a clear aspiration; ‘rudrā’ slightly stronger (force-aspect) without harshness.
adruhvāṇā: cluster druh—pronounce clearly; ṇ retroflex, aśyāma: ‘śy’ conjunct clean, not ‘siy’, rudrā: long ā; keep d dental
Firm, resolved, bright; a protective tone on the final pāda.
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