Rig Veda 6.72.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 72, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.72
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra and Soma
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्रासोमा वासयथ उषासमुत्सूर्यं नयथो ज्योतिषा सह । उप द्यां स्कम्भथुः स्कम्भनेनाप्रथतं पृथिवीं मातरं वि ॥
indrā́somā vāsáyatha uṣā́sám ut sū́ryaṃ nayatho jyótiṣā sahá | úpa dyā́ṃ skambháthuḥ skámbhanenā́prathataṃ pṛthivī́ṃ mātáraṃ ví ||
इंद्र और सोम, तुम सुबह को चमकाते हो और सूरज को उजाले के साथ लाते हो। तुम आसमान को पकड़े रखते हो, गिरने नहीं देते। तुम धरती माँ को फैला के बड़ा बना देते हो।
Word by Word
- इन्द्रासोमा
- Indra and SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे/कर्तरि)Role KartāRoot इन्द्र + सोम (प्रातिपदिक) (द्वन्द्व-समास)
- वासयथः
- you two cause to dwell / make (it) shine forthVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole KriyāRoot √वास्/√वस् (caus. वासयति)
- उषासम्
- the DawnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्
- up; forthIndeclinableनिपातRoot उत् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- सूर्यम्
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- नयथः
- you two lead / bringVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole KriyāRoot √नी
- ज्योतिषा
- with lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सह
- together; along withIndeclinableसह-योगे अव्ययम्Root सह (अव्यय)
- उप
- up to; towardsIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्गRoot उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- द्याम्
- the heaven (sky)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्कम्भथुः
- you two propped / supportedVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole KriyāRoot √स्कम्भ्
- स्कम्भनेन
- by (your) support; with a propNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्कम्भन (√स्कम्भ् से कृत-प्रातिपदिक; करण/साधन-भाव)
- आ
- forth; fullyIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग)
- प्रथतम्
- you two spread out / made broadVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole KriyāRoot √प्रथ्
- पृथिवीम्
- the EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- मातरम्
- (as) motherNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (विशेषण-भावे अपि)Root मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart; widelyIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्द्रासोमा | वासयथः | उषासम् | उत् | सूर्यम् | नयथः | ज्योतिषा | सह | उप | द्याम् | स्कम्भथुः | स्कम्भनेन | आ | प्रथतम् | पृथिवीम् | मातरम् | वि || 1) इन्द्रा॑सोमा = इन्द्र + सोम (द्वन्द्व, प्रथमा-द्विवचन)
- 2) उषास॒मुत्सूर्यं॑ = उषासम् + उत् + सूर्यम् (उत् निपातः; संहितायां ‘म्’ + ‘उ’ संयोगः)
- 3) नयथो॒ = नयथः (विसर्गः पदान्ते; संहितायां ओ-भावः)
- 4) स्क॒म्भथु॒: = स्कम्भथुः (विसर्ग-चिह्नः)
- 5) स्कम्भ॑ने॒नाप्र॑थतं = स्कम्भनेन + आ + प्रथतम् (ए + आ → एआ/एना-प्रकारेण संधिः; ‘-नेन + आ-’ संहितायां ‘नेना-’)
- 6) पृथि॒वीं मा॒तरं॒ वि = पृथिवीम् + मातरम् + वि (वि उपसर्गः/निपातः, क्रियायोगे ‘वि-प्रथ’ अर्थः ‘विस्तरेण’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra and Soma make the Dawn shine and lead forth the Sun with light. They uphold heaven by their upholding force and widen the Mother Earth.
Inner meaning
The illumined force (Indra) and bliss-force (Soma) awaken Uṣas—inner illumination—and bring forward the Sun of truth with jyotis (conscious light). They ‘prop up’ heaven: they establish the higher mind (dyauḥ) as a stable support in us by the power of support (skambhana). They widen earth: they expand the physical-vital base (pṛthivī mātā) so it can contain the descent and play of higher consciousness without breaking—an integral transformation image.
Universal truth
Awakening is not only seeing light; it is stabilizing higher consciousness and enlarging the embodied base so life can hold truth.
Themes
cosmic architecture, illumination, stability and wideness, inner awakening
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.72, RV 6.70-74 (Bharadvāja cluster)
Family tradition
Seers of the ‘two worlds’ (heaven/earth) harmonized by divine powers; emphasis on establishing supports (skambha) and widening nature for truth.
Significance
The rishi’s vision is integrative: illumination must be supported above and embodied below—dyauḥ stabilized, pṛthivī widened.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra and Soma
- Epithets
- Awakeners of Dawn, Leaders of the Sun, Upholders of Heaven, Wideners of Earth
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Varuṇa (cosmic order), Viṣṇu (wideness/steps)
Cosmic role
They maintain the cosmic structure (heaven upheld, earth widened) and renew the daily revelation of light (dawn/sun).
Inner power
Indra: establishing luminous stability; Soma: expanding receptivity and joy so the foundation can widen.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise in Soma yajña; prayers for cosmic stability and light
इन्द्रा॑सोमा वा॒सय॑थ उ॒षास॒मुत्सूर्यं॑ नयथो॒ ज्योति॑षा स॒ह । उप॒ द्यां स्क॒म्भथु॒: स्कम्भ॑ने॒नाप्र॑थतं पृथि॒वीं मा॒तरं॒ वि ॥
इन्द्रा॑सोमा । वा॒सय॑थः । उ॒षस॑म् । उत् । सूर्य॑म् । न॒य॒थः॒ । ज्योति॑षा । स॒ह । उप॑ । द्याम् । स्क॒म्भथुः॑ । स्कम्भ॑नेन । अप्र॑थतम् । पृ॒थि॒वीम् । मा॒तर॑म् । वि ॥
indrāsomā | vāsayathaḥ | uṣasam | ut | sūryam | nayathaḥ | jyotiṣā | saha | upa | dyām | skambhathuḥ | skambhanena | aprathatam | pṛthivīm | mātaram | vi
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4×11 syllables (approx.), strong syntactic parallelism
Balanced, architectural rhythm; fitting for ‘upholding’ and ‘widening’ themes.
Creates steadiness and spaciousness; supports a felt inner ‘uprightness’ and expansion.
- uṣāsam
- Literal: Dawn. Symbolic: Spiritual awakening; first illumination in the being
- sūryam
- Literal: Sun. Symbolic: Full truth-light, revealed consciousness
- jyotiṣā
- Literal: with light. Symbolic: Conscious-force that leads and clarifies
- dyām
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: Higher mind/mental plane of wideness and law
- skambhathuḥ / skambhanena
- Literal: you uphold / by upholding force. Symbolic: Establishing stable higher poise; inner ‘pillar’ of consciousness
- pṛthivīm mātaram
- Literal: Mother Earth. Symbolic: The embodied nature that must be broadened and made receptive
- aprathatam
- Literal: you widened. Symbolic: Expansion of capacity, receptivity, and foundation
Soma pressing hymns; used to invoke illumination and the stabilizing/widening powers necessary for the rite and for inner victory.
During offerings seeking strength, clarity, and stable order
Stotra/śastra recitation accompanying oblations; symbolic ‘upholding’ of rite’s order
Chant for grounding during spiritual opening—ask for stability (skambha) and capacity (aprathatam) so illumination integrates safely.
Key terms: √nī 'lead' (nayathaḥ) → guiding the emergence of light; √skambh 'support, prop' → cosmic/psychological stabilization; √prath 'spread, widen' → expansion of consciousness; uṣas- 'dawn' (opening) vs sūrya- (full illumination): a graded symbolism of revelation.
graded revelation (Uṣas → Sūrya), support (skambha) as cosmic order, expansion (prath) of consciousness
Upholding heaven and widening earth are acts of maintaining ṛta—right cosmic architecture in consciousness.
Leading forth the Sun with light indicates satya’s emergence into mind and life.
World-formation as stabilization (support) plus expansion (widening)—a recurrent Vedic cosmogonic gesture.
Bridges to later ‘Skambha’ speculation (AV) and Upaniṣadic inner-world correspondences (microcosm/macrocosm).
dawn
Dawn = first insight; Sun = full realization; Heaven upheld = stable higher poise; Earth widened = expanded embodied capacity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cosmic ordering through illumination: raising Dawn, leading out the Sun, propping Heaven, widening Earth. Inwardly, Indra-Soma awaken the first openings (uṣas) and then bring forward full truth-light (sūrya), while establishing stable higher mind (dyām skambh-) and expanding the embodied field (pṛthivī prath-).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √prath 'spread' is cognate in the IE family of 'broad/flat' expansions (cf. English broad via Germanic developments; Sanskrit pṛthu 'broad'). The paired heaven/earth structuring is a classic Indo-European cosmological formula, expressed through inherited verbs of 'support' and 'spread'.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes not only victory but the conditions of victory: illumination plus stable support and wideness. The gods are asked/recognized as builders of the inner cosmos, making the practitioner capable of holding higher light without collapse and of expanding the earthly nature to receive it.
Stabilize the ‘upper’ consciousness and widen the ‘lower’ nature to receive light.
mūlādhāra (earth base) and ājñā (light-leading)
slow inhale imagining dawn-light rising; exhale grounding into the pelvis/feet; pause briefly feeling an inner pillar
upright, spacious, quietly luminous
After chanting, sit with spine as ‘skambha’; feel a canopy of quiet above the head (dyām upheld) and a widening warmth in the abdomen and legs (pṛthivī expanded).
Maintain Vedic accents; keep ‘indrāsomā’ as a single vocative unit; observe udātta on marked syllables (e.g., ).
Give a slight lift on ‘uṣāsam ut sūryam’; broaden tone on ‘dyām skambhathuḥ’ to mirror ‘upholding’.
uṣāsam (clear ṣ), jyotiṣā (palatal ṣ, long ā), skambhathuḥ (nasal m + bh cluster), aprathatam (clear th), pṛthivīm (ṛ vowel)
steady, upright, spacious resonance
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