Rig Veda 5.79.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 79, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.79
- Rishi
- Syāvāśva Ātreya
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
सा नो अद्याभरद्वसुर्व्युच्छा दुहितर्दिवः । यो व्यौच्छः सहीयसि सत्यश्रवसि वाय्ये सुजाते अश्वसूनृते ॥
sā no adyā́bharadvasur vyùcchā duhitar divaḥ | yó vyàucchaḥ sahīyasi satyáśravasi vāyyé sujāte aśvasūnṛte ||
आज वो हमें पैसा-दौलत लाके दे। आसमान की बेटी चमक रही है। और बड़ी हो रही है। सच सुनने वाली, हवा में चलने वाली, अच्छी पैदा हुई, तेज़ ताकत और अच्छी बातें लाने वाली।
Word by Word
- सा
- she (that goddess, i.e., Uṣas)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → सा (स्त्री.)
- नः
- for us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक) — ‘our/to us’Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → नः
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot अद्य (अव्यय)
- आ
- hither, towards (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- अभरत्
- brought / has broughtVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (भरणे)
- वसुः
- the good one; beneficent (one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अभरत्-क्रियायाः)Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (वि-)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- उच्छा
- dawn forth! / shine out!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वच्/√उच्? (वैदिक: उच्छा = उषसः क्रियापद-रूपम्; प्रायः √वस्/√उष्-सम्बद्ध ‘to dawn’)
- दुहितः
- O daughterNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven / of the skyNounपुं/स्त्री (वैदिक), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (दुहितः-दिवः)Root द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक) → दिव्
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (व्यौच्छः-क्रियायाः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- forth (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (वि-)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- औच्छः
- you dawned / you shone forthVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √उष् (उषे/उषसि ‘to dawn, shine’)
- सहीयसि
- you are stronger / more powerfulVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचन (नामधातु/विशेषण-आधारित: ‘you are mightier’)Role क्रियाRoot सहियस् (तुलनात्मक-प्रातिपदिक ‘stronger, mightier’) + √अस् (भू)
- सत्यश्रवसि
- O true-famed (of true renown)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सत्य-श्रवस् (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाय्ये
- O of Vāyu / O airy oneAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वाय्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘belonging to Vāyu / airy, of the wind’)
- सुजाते
- O well-bornAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सु-जात (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वसूनृते
- O (you) of horse(-bringing) true speech / O Ashva-sūnṛtā (epithet)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अश्व-सूनृत (समास-प्रातिपदिक; ‘having good speech with horses’ / ‘horse-true-speech’)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved sandhi/pada-splits: अद्याभरद् → अद्य + आ + अभरत्
- वसुर् → वसुः (visarga in pausa)
- व्युच्छा → वि + उच्छा
- दुहितर्दिवः → दुहितः + दिवः
- व्यौच्छः → वि + औच्छः. Accents in the input are noted but not re-marked on each pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
May she bring us today the wealth; shine out, Daughter of Heaven—you who have shone and grow in power: O true-hearing one, moving in the life-breath, well-born, bringing swift force and glad speech.
Inner meaning
The dawn-illumination is asked not only to awaken but to ‘bring the wealth of being’ (vasu)—stable inner resources: clarity, joy, strength, right capacities. The emphasis is on today (adya): realization must be made present. Uṣas is the bringer of vasu because illumination releases hidden riches in consciousness. Her growth in might (sahīyasi) indicates that repeated dawnings accumulate into a lasting transformation of prāṇa and action-force (aśva) and of expression (sūnṛtā).
Universal truth
Spiritual light is practical wealth: it brings resources for living—strength, clarity, right speech. Renewal must become a present, embodied gain, not a memory of past inspiration.
Themes
Invocation for inner wealth, Dawn as bringer
The seer
- Rishi
- Syāvāśva Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.79, RV 5.80, RV 5.81
Family tradition
Ātreya dawn-hymn lineage; stresses tangible ‘vasu’ as the reward of illumination.
Significance
The seer frames spiritual practice as a daily acquisition of inner wealth—illumination that becomes capacity and character.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- Duhitā Diváḥ, Vasu-dā (wealth-bringer, implied), Satyaśravasi, Sujātā, Sahīyasī
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Indra, Vāyu
Cosmic role
She brings the day’s gifts, reveals treasures, and increases the power of manifestation.
Inner power
Revealing force that converts hidden potential into usable spiritual resources.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn recitation for prosperity and auspicious strength for the day’s works
सा नो॑ अ॒द्याभ॒रद्व॑सु॒र्व्यु॑च्छा दुहितर्दिवः । यो व्यौच्छ॒: सही॑यसि स॒त्यश्र॑वसि वा॒य्ये सुजा॑ते॒ अश्व॑सूनृते ॥
सा । नः॒ । अ॒द्य । आ॒भ॒रत्ऽव॑सुः । वि । उ॒च्छ॒ । दु॒हि॒तः॒ । दि॒वः॒ । यो इति॑ । वि । औच्छः॑ । सही॑यसि । स॒त्यऽश्र॑वसि । वा॒य्ये । सुऽजा॑ते । अश्व॑ऽसूनृते ॥
sā | naḥ | adya | ābharat-vasuḥ | vi | uccha | duhitaḥ | divaḥ | yo iti | vi | aucchaḥ | sahīyasi | satya-śravasi | vāyye | su-jāte | aśva-sūnṛte
48
4 × ~12
Expansive with a ‘bringing’ motion; the first pāda often feels like a generous offering.
Invokes receptivity and gratitude; supports a felt sense of ‘receiving’ inner wealth.
- आभरत्वसुः (ābharadvasuḥ)
- Literal: may she bring wealth. Symbolic: descent of inner riches; consolidation of gains from illumination
- वसु (vasu)
- Literal: wealth, good. Symbolic: stable powers of being—light, force, harmony, joy
- अद्य (adya)
- Literal: today. Symbolic: the living present; immediacy of practice and realization
- वि उच्छ (vy uccha)
- Literal: shine out. Symbolic: active manifestation of illumination in mind and life
- सहीयसि (sahīyasi)
- Literal: you grow in might. Symbolic: cumulative strengthening of consciousness against resistance
- वाय्ये (vāyye)
- Literal: in breath/wind. Symbolic: illumination embodied in prāṇa; transformation of the vital
- अश्वसूनृते (aśvasūnṛte)
- Literal: horse and glad word. Symbolic: right force + right speech as fruits of dawn
Dawn prayer for ‘vasu/rayi’—increase of inner resources before action
At dawn; also before undertaking important work requiring clarity and right speech
Chanting with offering of first attention of the day to the light; in ritual context, paired with morning offerings
Morning affirmation for inner resources (vasu): steadiness, clarity, truthful communication.
ā-√bhṛ ‘bring’ is a primary Vedic verb of offering/descent (inner: bringing down powers). vásu ‘good/wealth’ (inner: essential goods of being, not mere possessions).
descent of riches (vasu/rayi) as powers of being, strength through illumination
Dawn’s regular return expresses ṛta; the ‘bringing’ of vasu is ṛta’s gift to the seeker aligned with it.
Truth heard becomes wealth embodied—satya turning into vasu.
Treasure-release: light unveils what was concealed by night.
Integral/psychological: illumination as practical transformation (siddhi in instruments).
dawn
Light reveals inner ‘treasures’—capacities and harmonies previously hidden; breath carries them into action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Dawn as the bringer of ‘vasu’—the goods of the gods—renewing the world each day. Innerly, illumination carries with it concrete powers (resources of will, clarity, right speech) necessary for the day’s sacrifice of works.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ is a classic PIE root *bher- (English ‘bear’, Greek phérō, Latin ferō), showing continuity of the ‘carrying/bringing’ action that becomes, in Vedic, a key verb for divine bestowal.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s demand is precise: not only ‘shine’ but ‘bring’ (ā-bharat) the effective wealth. The hymn thus frames illumination as instrumental—light must arrive with transferable energies (vasu) into the human vessel.
Receiving inner wealth: sit at dawn and let one quality (vasu)—calm, clarity, courage—descend and settle.
Anāhata (receiving, gratitude) and Maṇipūra (capacity/force)
6 slow breaths; on inhale feel ‘vasu’ entering as golden light; on exhale spread it through the body
Receptive empowerment; luminous gratitude
After chanting, write one truthful sentence (sūnṛtā) that defines your day’s intention, then take one small action (aśva) immediately to embody it.
Keep consistent Vedic accenting across the repeated epithets; avoid drifting pitch on the refrain-like ending.
Slightly broaden the first pāda (ābharadvasuḥ) to convey ‘bringing’; keep the rest flowing.
ābharat: long ā; bh aspirated, vasuḥ: short a; final visarga light, vy uccha: clear y glide, yo iti: separate ‘yo’ and ‘iti’ as in padapāṭha awareness, satyaśravasi: do not insert extra vowel between ś and r
Bright but grounded; a ‘giving/receiving’ warmth
3
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