Rig Veda 6.74.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 74, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.74
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Soma-Rudra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Raudra (fury)
तिग्मायुधौ तिग्महेती सुशेवौ सोमारुद्राविह सु मृळतं नः । प्र नो मुञ्चतं वरुणस्य पाशाद्गोपायतं नः सुमनस्यमाना ॥
tigmā́yudhau tigmáhetī suśévau somā́rudrāv ihá sú mṛḷataṃ naḥ | prá no muñcataṃ váruṇasya pā́śād gopā́yataṃ naḥ sumanasyámānā ||
सोम और रुद्र, तुम्हारी चमक-तेज़ बने हैं, लेकिन तुम बड़े दयालु हो। हमें पर कृपा करो। वरुण की पाश, उस बंधन को, तोड़ के हमें आगे बढ़ने दो। हमें बचा के रखना, हमारे लिए अच्छा सोच के।
Word by Word
- ति॒ग्मायु॑धौ
- O sharp-weaponed (two)Adjective (dual vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (देवद्वन्द्व-सम्बोधन), सम्बोधन-द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन (addressed deities)Root तिग्म-आयुध
- ति॒ग्महे॑ती
- O having sharp missiles (two)Adjective (dual vocative epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग (हेति-), सम्बोधन-द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot तिग्म-हेति
- सु॒शेवौ॒
- O very gracious/kind (two)Adjective (dual vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सु-शेव
- सोमा॑रुद्रौ
- O Soma and RudraNoun (dvandva proper name)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम + रुद्र
- इ॒ह
- hereIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (place)Root इह
- सु
- well, indeedIndeclinable (particle/intensifier)अव्ययRole (modifier)Root सु
- मृ॑ळतं
- be gracious / show mercyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (addressed to the deities)Root मृळ् (मृड्) / मृडय्
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? एकवचन-बहुवचनरूप (एन्क्लिटिक), सामान्यतः षष्ठी बहुवचन ‘our/us’Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (to us / for us)Root अस्मद्
- प्र
- forth, awayIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRole (verb-modifier)Root प्र
- नः
- usPronounएन्क्लिटिक (as above)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- मुञ्चतं
- release, set freeVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot मुच्
- वरु॑णस्य
- of VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root वरुण
- पाशा॑त्
- from the noose/bondNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचनRole अपादानRoot पाश
- गोपा॒यतं॑
- protectVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot गोपाय् (नामधातु from गोपाय/गोप) / causative sense ‘to protect’
- नः
- usPronounएन्क्लिटिक (as above)Role कर्म/सम्प्रदान (object ‘us’)Root अस्मद्
- सुमन॒स्यमा॑ना
- being well-minded / favorably disposedParticiple (adjectival)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्/आन), प्रथमा द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (agreeing with सोमरुद्रौ)Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifier of the addressed deities)Root सु-मनस् + √अस् (denominative/verb ‘to be well-disposed’) → सुमनस्य; participle from सुमनस्यते
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: ‘सोमा॑रुद्रावि॒ह’ = ‘सोमा॑रुद्रौ + इ॒ह’ (औ + इ → आवि, संहितायां ‘रुद्रौ इह’ → ‘रुद्राविह’)
- ‘पाशा॑द्गोपा॒यतं॑’ = ‘पाशा॑त् + गोपा॒यतं॑’ (त् + ग् → द्ग्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma and Rudra, though armed with sharp weapons and darts, are gracious; be merciful here. Release us from Varuṇa’s noose and protect us with goodwill.
Inner meaning
Rudra’s sharpness is the discriminating power that can pierce ego-formation; Soma’s grace soothes the shock of transformation. The seeker asks that this incisive force be benevolent, not destructive. Varuṇa’s pāśa is the binding of cosmic law—felt inwardly as the tightening consequence of falsehood, guilt, and limitation. The prayer is for liberation from constricting bonds through sincere alignment with truth, and for ongoing guardianship (gopāyataṃ) by a divine benevolence that keeps the being from relapse.
Universal truth
The same power that wounds also heals when guided by grace; liberation from bondage comes by consenting to truth and letting the higher guardianship reorder life.
Themes
release from bonds, mercy and protection, law and grace polarity, Soma-Rudra dual power
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Lineage
- Bārhaspatya
- Other hymns
- RV 6.1, RV 6.28, RV 6.51
Family tradition
Bharadvāja’s hymns often combine force and protection—invoking fierce powers in their beneficent aspect for inner safety.
Significance
The seer recognizes the necessity of sharp purification but asks it to operate under grace, and seeks release from karmic/cosmic bonds through divine guardianship.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma-Rudra (with Varuṇa allusion)
- Epithets
- tigmāyudha, tigmahetī, suśeva, gopā
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Mitra, Agni
Cosmic role
Rudra enforces purification; Soma restores and harmonizes; Varuṇa represents the binding law of ṛta that constricts falsehood.
Inner power
A combined action: decisive cutting of false ties, followed by soothing integration and protective oversight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective/śānti recitation; also suitable in contexts of expiation and release from bonds (conceptually).
ति॒ग्मायु॑धौ ति॒ग्महे॑ती सु॒शेवौ॒ सोमा॑रुद्रावि॒ह सु मृ॑ळतं नः । प्र नो॑ मुञ्चतं॒ वरु॑णस्य॒ पाशा॑द्गोपा॒यतं॑ नः सुमन॒स्यमा॑ना ॥
ति॒ग्मऽआ॑युधौ । ति॒ग्महे॑ती॒ इति॑ ति॒ग्मऽहे॑ती । सु॒ऽशेवौ॑ । सोमा॑रुद्रा । इ॒ह । सु । मृ॒ळ॒त॒म् । नः॒ । प्र । नः॒ । मु॒ञ्च॒त॒म् । वरु॑णस्य । पाशा॑त् । गो॒पा॒यत॑म् । नः॒ । सु॒ऽम॒न॒स्यमा॑ना ॥
tigma-āyudhau | tigmahetī ititigma-hetī | su-śevau | somārudrā | iha | su | mṛḷatam | naḥ | pra | naḥ | muñcatam | varuṇasya | pāśāt | gopāyatam | naḥ | su-manasyamānā
44
4 × ~11
Commanding and urgent; the pāśa-release line carries a strong forward push (pra no muñcataṃ).
Felt as a ‘cutting free’ followed by a protective settling; good for breaking inner fear of punishment.
- तिग्मायुधौ / तिग्महेती (tigmāyudhau/tigmahetī)
- Literal: sharp-weaponed, sharp-darted. Symbolic: Incisive truth-force that cuts delusion
- सुशेवौ (suśevau)
- Literal: very gracious. Symbolic: Compassionate guidance in transformation
- मृळतम् (mṛḻatam)
- Literal: be merciful. Symbolic: Let purification be tempered with grace
- वरुणस्य पाशात् (varuṇasya pāśāt)
- Literal: from Varuṇa’s noose. Symbolic: From bonds of law felt as inner constriction due to false movement
- गोपायतम् (gopāyatam)
- Literal: guard, protect. Symbolic: Sustaining vigilance of higher consciousness
- सुमनस्यमाना (sumanasyamānā)
- Literal: with good mind, benevolent. Symbolic: Divine goodwill as a protective atmosphere
Prayer for release from pāśa and for protection; applicable in rites of expiation/prāyaścitta and protective recitations.
When seeking mercy, protection, or release from binding consequences; in rites addressing Rudra/Varuṇa appeasement themes.
Recitation with offerings; symbolic loosening/untying; protective circumambulation in later practice.
Mantra for guilt-release and self-forgiveness anchored in truth: use when feeling ‘tightened’ by anxiety or self-judgment.
(tigma) ‘sharp’ (cf. Greek stígma ‘point/mark’ is not a cognate; but ‘sharp/pointed’ is a common IE semantic). √mṛḷ ‘to be gracious/merciful’ is a Vedic root of appeasement. (pāśa) ‘noose’ from √paś/√pāś ‘bind, snare’. Varuṇa’s pāśa symbolizes binding by ṛta when the being deviates; psychologically, constriction by inner untruth.
Ṛta as law that binds (Varuṇa’s pāśa), grace that releases (mṛḷ, √muc)
Varuṇa’s noose is ṛta’s corrective pressure; release implies restoration to right order.
Freedom comes by moving toward Satya, not by evasion; the noose loosens as truth is embraced.
Maintenance of cosmic harmony through binding and release; mercy as part of order.
Ethico-spiritual psychology: law (Varuṇa) becomes inner conscience; grace (Soma-Rudra) enables transformation.
Sharp discernment cuts bondage; benevolent consciousness protects the new freedom.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A classic Vedic mythologem: release from Varuṇa’s noose. The gods who can strike (tigma-) are asked to turn that force into merciful cutting of bonds—transforming punitive law into liberating grace.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘binding/releasing’ pair is again prominent: pāśa (noose) and √muc (release). Indo-Iranian shares strong lexical correspondences for binding (Avestan band-, and snare terms), reflecting an inherited legal-moral metaphor: cosmic order as a cord that restrains deviation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to a complex divine psychology: the same powers that punish (sharp weapons) can also heal and free (mṛḷ, muñc). The reciprocity is trust-based: the worshipper seeks not mere victory but a benevolent divine disposition (sumanasyamānā).
Feel where ‘noose’ constriction sits (throat/solar plexus); invoke cutting clarity with compassion.
Viśuddha (throat—truth/bond) and Maṇipūra (control/fear).
Inhale with ‘su mṛḻatam’; exhale long on ‘pra no muñcataṃ’ imagining the bond loosening and sliding off.
Liberated calm with vigilant protection.
Confess inwardly the false movement without self-hate; invite Rudra to cut it, Soma to soothe, and hold the mind in sumanas (benevolence) toward oneself and others.
Tri-svara; keep ‘pra no muñcataṃ’ clearly articulated; svarita transitions should not blur consonants.
Slightly intensify on tigmāyudhau/tigmahetī (awe), soften on su mṛḻatam (mercy), then firm on pra no muñcataṃ (release).
‘tigmāyudhau’: pronounce dhau as aspirated dh + au, ‘mṛḻatam’: retroflex ḻ; if difficult, approach as mṛḍatam with care depending on recensional norm, ‘pāśāt’: long ā; clear ś, ‘sumanasyamānā’: keep -sy- conjunct clean
Reverent and steady; compassionate warmth on mercy phrases.
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