Rig Veda 6.64.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 64, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.64
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja tradition
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सुगोत ते सुपथा पर्वतेष्ववाते अपस्तरसि स्वभानो । सा न आ वह पृथुयामन्नृष्वे रयिं दिवो दुहितरिषयध्यै ॥
sugóta te supáthā párvateṣv avā́te apás tarasi svabhāno | sā́ na ā́ vaha pr̥thuyāman nr̥ṣve rayím divó duhitariṣayádhyai ||
उषा देवी के रास्ते अच्छे हैं, पहाड़ों पे भी साफ रास्ते मिलते हैं। वो खुद चमकती है, पानी और हवा के ऊपर से गुज़र जाती है। ऐ देवी, तुम हमें आसमान की बेटी की तरफ से बरकत ला के दो। तुम बहुत बड़ी हो, हमें आगे बढ़ने की ताकत दो।
Word by Word
- सु॒गोत
- having good paths / good-guidingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (देवी-सम्बोधन/विशेषणम्)Role विशेषणम् (सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः) / कर्तृ-सम्बन्धीRoot सु-गो (प्रातिपदिक: सु ‘good’ + गो ‘going/way’; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास) अथवा सु-गोतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचनम् (enclitic) ‘of you/thy’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘your’Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सु॒पथा॒
- having good pathsAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (देवी-विशेषणम्)Role विशेषणम् (सम्बोधन/कर्तृ-सम्बन्धी)Root सु-पथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- पर्व॑तेषु
- on the mountainsNounपुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role अधिकारण (locative) — ‘on/in the mountains’Root पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवा॒ते
- downwards / downwardIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषणम्Root अव (उपसर्ग) + वात (प्रातिपदिक) / अथवा अव-आत (कृदन्त-भाव) ; पदपाठे प्रायः ‘अवाते’ = ‘अव + आते’ (आ-√या/इ) इति न, अत्र ‘अवाते’ इति अव्यय-प्रयोगः ‘downwards’ इत्यर्थे
- अ॒पः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (object) — what is spread/extendedRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water’)
- त॒रसि
- you cross / you traverseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया); कर्ता = (त्वम्) उषाःRoot √तॄ (तॄ/तॄञ् ‘to cross, overcome’; वैदिके ‘to pass over, to traverse’)
- स्वभानो
- O self-radiant oneNoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (देवी-सम्बोधन)Role सम्बोधनRoot स्व-भानु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘self-luminous’)
- सा
- shePronounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (she = Uṣas)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to usPronounचतुर्थी/षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (enclitic); अत्र चतुर्थी ‘to us’Role सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither / towardsIndeclinableअव्ययम् (उपसर्गः) — ‘towards, hither’Role क्रियाविशेषणम्/उपसर्गःRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वह
- bring / conveyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रिया; कर्ता = (त्वम्) उषाःRoot √वह् (to carry, convey)
- पृथुयामन्
- O wide-travelling oneAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (देवी-विशेषण/सम्बोधन)Role सम्बोधन-विशेषणम्Root पृथु-यामन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘broad-going/with broad course’)
- ऋष्वे
- O lofty oneAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधन-विशेषणम्Root ऋष्व (प्रातिपदिक; ‘lofty, great, exalted’)
- र॒यिम्
- wealthNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (what is brought)Root रयि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wealth, treasure’)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of heaven’Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sky, heaven’)
- दुहितर्
- O daughterNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (वैदिक रूप: दुहितर्)Role सम्बोधनRoot दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘daughter’)
- इष॒यध्यै॑
- to seek/procure (for us)Verbal (Infinitive) / Kṛdantaवैदिक-इन्फिनिटिव् (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजनार्थ) — ‘in order to seek/impel’Role प्रयोजन (purpose) सह ‘वह’Root √इष् (to seek, desire, impel) + ध्यै (तुमुन्/इन्फिनिटिव्-प्रकारः; वैदिक infinitive in -ध्यै)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: सुगोत ते सुपथा पर्वतेष्ववाते अपस्तरसि स्वभानो । सा न आ वह पृथुयामन्नृष्वे रयिं दिवो दुहितरिषयध्यै ॥ Sandhi resolution (मुख्य): पर्वतेष्ववाते = पर्वतेषु + अवाते
- न॒ आ = नः + आ
- पृथुयामन्नृष्वे = पृथुयामन् + ऋष्वे (न् + ऋ → न्नृ). दुहितरिषयध्यै = दुहितर् + इषयध्यै (र् + इ → रि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Good are thy goings and paths even on mountains; self-luminous, thou crossest over waters and winds. Bring to us, O wide-moving lofty one, the rayi (wealth/fullness) of Heaven’s Daughter for our increase and impetus.
Inner meaning
The Dawn-power establishes workable passages through ‘mountains’—fixed difficulties, hardened habits, and seemingly immovable limitations. She traverses ‘waters and winds’: subconscious-emotional currents (āpaḥ) and restless vital-mental movements (vāta). Being self-luminous (svabhānū), she is not dependent on outer supports. The prayer is for rayi—not mere material wealth but plenitude of inner resources (light, force, joy) that increases (iṣayadhyai) the seeker’s aspiration and forward impulsion.
Universal truth
Illumination creates a path through the hardest obstacles and stabilizes us across emotional and mental turbulence; true wealth is the inner plenitude that fuels growth and aspiration.
Themes
Guidance, Ascent and widening, Bestowal of rayi
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 6.58 (paths and guidance motifs), RV 6.61 (Sarasvatī crossing and flow imagery)
Family tradition
The Bharadvāja seers often map spiritual progress as a journey with paths, crossings, and obstacles—imagery apt for yogic practice.
Significance
This verse is a practical yogic petition: not only praise of dawn but request for concrete inner resources and forward impulsion.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas (Dawn)
- Epithets
- svabhānū (self-luminous), pṛthuyāman (wide-moving), ṛṣvā (lofty)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (crossing waters as inspiration), Aśvins (helpers in journey), Agni (leader of the path)
Cosmic role
She makes the world traversable—over mountains, waters, winds—by establishing order and visibility.
Inner power
Guiding light that carries the seeker safely through turbulence and resistance, bringing plenitude for progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning prayer for safe passage and prosperity; auspicious beginning for travel and work.
सु॒गोत ते॑ सु॒पथा॒ पर्व॑तेष्ववा॒ते अ॒पस्त॑रसि स्वभानो । सा न॒ आ व॑ह पृथुयामन्नृष्वे र॒यिं दि॑वो दुहितरिष॒यध्यै॑ ॥
सु॒ऽगा । उ॒त । ते॒ । सु॒ऽपथा॑ । पर्व॑तेषु । अ॒वा॒ते । अ॒पः । त॒र॒सि॒ । स्व॒भा॒नो॒ इति॑ स्वऽभानो । सा । नः॒ । आ । व॒ह॒ । पृ॒थु॒ऽया॒म॒न् । ऋ॒ष्वे॒ । र॒यिम् । दि॒वः॒ । दु॒हि॒तः॒ । इ॒ष॒यध्यै॑ ॥
su-gā | uta | te | su-pathā | parvateṣu | avāte | apaḥ | tarasi | svabhāno itisva-bhāno | sā | naḥ | ā | vaha | pṛthu-yāman | ṛṣve | rayim | divaḥ | duhitaḥ | iṣayadhyai
44
4 x ~11 syllables; balanced movement between descriptive and petitionary halves.
Steady, ‘journeying’ cadence; feels like measured strides across terrain.
Stabilizes and orients; good for regaining direction amid confusion or emotional weather.
- supathā
- Literal: good paths. Symbolic: right inner methods; clear routes of progress
- parvateṣu
- Literal: on mountains. Symbolic: obstacles, rigid formations, entrenched patterns
- avāte
- Literal: in winds. Symbolic: restless vital-mental currents; scattered energies
- apaḥ tarasi
- Literal: you cross the waters. Symbolic: you pass through subconscious/emotional depths without being submerged
- svabhānū
- Literal: self-luminous. Symbolic: self-existent light of consciousness; intrinsic guidance
- pṛthuyāman
- Literal: wide-moving. Symbolic: widening action of illumination across all parts of being
- ṛṣve
- Literal: lofty, exalted. Symbolic: raised to higher poise; noble aspiration
- rayiṃ
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: plenitude of inner riches—knowledge, strength, delight
- divo duhitā
- Literal: daughter of heaven. Symbolic: power born of higher consciousness descending into the human
- iṣayadhyai
- Literal: for increase/impulsion. Symbolic: to intensify aspiration and right dynamism
Morning invocation for ‘right paths’ and increase (iṣ), suited to prātaḥ-savana orientation
Dawn; also before journeys or major transitions as a path-clearing invocation.
Recitation with intention of removing obstacles and inviting abundance; could accompany offering of water/light in simple practice.
Chant when starting a difficult project (‘mountain’) or when emotions/thoughts are turbulent (‘waters/winds’).
su-gā/su-pathā: su ‘good’ + √gā/√gam ‘go’ / patha ‘path’. svabhānu: sva ‘self’ + bhānu ‘radiance’. √tṛ (tarasi) ‘cross’. rayi: Vedic ‘plenitude’ linked to sustaining power. √iṣ ‘impel’ → iṣayadhyai (dative infinitival sense ‘for impelling/increasing’).
right path (supathā), increase/impulsion (iṣ), plenitude (rayi)
Right order is experienced as a path that remains ‘good’ even in hardest terrain.
Self-luminous truth that does not depend on external certainty.
Descent of heavenly plenitude (rayi) into human life to fuel evolution/progress.
Integral yoga orientation: descent of higher light (heaven’s daughter) bringing resources for transformation.
dawn
unspecified
Obstacles, restlessness, and subconscious currents are traversed by steady illumination; abundance descends as inner support.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Uṣas as the path-opener who crosses the cosmic waters and reaches the heights, then brings rayi (plenitude) to the seeker—mythically the dawn’s unhindered journey; psychologically the opening of inner passages across obstructing currents.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Path-language (pathā) and crossing (√tṛ) are archaic IE motifs for traversal from darkness to light; ‘waters’ as primordial flows is a shared Indo-European cosmopoetic image.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not for objects but for widened movement and plenitude that increases the inner force (iṣ). The deity’s gift is functional: it enables progress on the ‘good paths’ she herself embodies.
Contemplate ‘supathā’—the simplest right next step. Let dawn-light descend from above the head and widen through the body.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (guidance) with grounding in Mūlādhāra (safe passage)
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) 6–10 rounds to ‘cross winds’ (vāta) and settle currents.
Oriented, steady, quietly aspiring.
After chanting, journal one ‘mountain’ and name one ‘good path’ through it. Offer the effort as rayi received from above—use it for increase (iṣa) rather than anxiety.
Tri-svara; keep clarity on compounds like pṛthuyāmann and svabhāno.
Slightly emphasize ‘supathā’ and ‘svabhānū’ as mantra-pivots; keep the petition ‘sā na ā vaha…’ tender and inviting.
Retroflex ‘ṭ’ in supathā (pathā is dental; keep ‘th’ aspirated), ‘svabhāno’—avoid inserting extra vowel: sva-bhā-no, ‘pṛthuyāmann’—retain ṛ and nasal ending, ‘iṣayadhyai’—pronounce ṣ as retroflex, and dhy as a tight cluster
Steady, guiding, with gentle warmth in the petition.
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