Rig Veda 7.22.9: Mandala 7, Sukta 22, Mantra 9
Sukta 7.22
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
ये च पूर्व ऋषयो ये च नूत्ना इन्द्र ब्रह्माणि जनयन्त विप्राः । अस्मे ते सन्तु सख्या शिवानि यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
yé ca pū́rva ṛ́ṣayo yé ca nū́tnā índra bráhmāṇi janáyanta víprāḥ | asmḗ te santu sakhyā́ śivā́ni yūyáṃ pāta svastí-bhiḥ sadā́ naḥ ||
पुराने रिशि और आज के रिशि, सब इंद्र के लिए मंत्र बोलते हैं। इंद्र, हमारे साथ अच्छी दोस्ती रखना। तुम लोग हमेशा हमारा कल्याण करो और हमें सेफ रखो।
Word by Word
- ये
- who (those)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root च (निपात)
- पूर्वे
- former, earlierAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (ऋषयः इति विशेष्यस्य) अथवा पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (स्वतन्त्र-प्रयोगः)Role KartāRoot पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋषयः
- seersNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- who (those)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root च (निपात)
- नूत्नाः
- new, later (recent)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (ऋषयः/विप्राः इत्यर्थे)Role KartāRoot नूत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (Vocative)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्माणि
- sacred formulations, hymnsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot ब्रह्मन् (नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक; RV में ‘ब्रह्म’ = स्तोत्र/मन्त्र)
- जनयन्त
- they generated/producedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Root जन् (धातु) → जनयति (णिच्-प्रयोगः)
- विप्राः
- inspired poets, sagesNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मे
- among us, for usPronounसप्तमी बहुवचनम् (वैदिक-रूप; ‘अस्मासु’ = among us/for us)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचनम् (ते = ‘thy/your’)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्तु
- let there beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सदृश), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Root अस् (धातु)
- सख्याः
- friendships, alliancesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सखा’ से भाव)
- शिवानि
- auspicious, kindlyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (सख्याः इत्यस्य गुणवाचक-भावः; ‘शिव’ = कल्याणकारी)Root शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounप्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पात
- protectVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम-पुरुषः बहुवचनम्Root पा (धातु)
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with well-being, with blessingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root सदा (अव्यय)
- नः
- us / ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक) अथवा द्वितीया बहुवचनम् प्रसङ्गानुसारम्; अत्र ‘our/us’Role KarmaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-विग्रह): ये च पूर्व ऋषयः | ये च नूत्नाः | इन्द्र | ब्रह्माणि जनयन्त विप्राः || अस्मे ते सन्तु सख्याः शिवानि | यूयम् पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः || 1) ‘पूर्व॒ ऋष॑यः’ = पूर्वे + ऋषयः (विशेषण-विशेष्य; संहिता में पद-सीमा पर स्वर-संकेत). 2) ‘नूत्ना॒’ = नूत्नाः (प्रथमा बहुवचन; संहिता-लेखन में विसर्ग-लोप/पद-रूप-समायोजन). 3) ‘अस्मे’ वैदिक सप्तमी-बहुवचन (अस्मासु अर्थे). 4) ‘स्वस्तिभिः’ तृतीया-बहुवचन करण-प्रयोगः. 5) ‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम—अर्थतः ‘us/our’
- क्रियापद ‘पात’ के साथ कर्मत्वे ‘us’ ग्रहणीयम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
May your friendships be with us, auspicious, O Indra, as with the seers of old and those of today who generate the sacred words. May you (divine powers) always protect us with blessings of well-being.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks to be admitted into the living current of the rishis—past and present—who ‘generate’ brahman (mantric vision). Indra’s ‘sakhyā’ (friendships) are intimate alliances with illumined mind: a relationship of guidance, protection, and shared victory. The closing ‘yūyam’ widens the appeal to allied divine forces that support Indra’s work—powers of harmony and wellbeing (svasti) guarding the path so the new mantra-consciousness can be born safely.
Universal truth
Spiritual attainment is not isolated; it is entry into a timeless lineage of realization. True friendship with the Divine brings both illumination and protection, enabling the ongoing birth of inspired speech and insight.
Themes
Lineage of seers, Friendship with Indra, Benediction (svasti)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18, RV 7.19, RV 7.21, RV 7.23
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s book frequently invokes continuity of ṛṣi-lineage and divine friendship (sakhya) as the basis of sustained victory and protection.
Significance
A lineage-mantra: it situates the practitioner within an unbroken stream of revelation, emphasizing both inspiration (janayanta brahmāṇi) and safeguarding (svasti).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with allied protective powers in the closing plural)
- Epithets
- sakhā (friend, implied by sakhyā), protector-bestower of svasti (implied)
- Related deities
- Adityas (protective harmony), Maruts, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Indra grants fellowship and victorious wideness; allied gods maintain welfare and protection of the sacrificer/community.
Inner power
Capacity to create a stable, benevolent inner companionship with illumination, enabling fresh mantric insight to arise safely.
In ritual
Where it is used
Closing benediction within Indra hymn; protective conclusion in Soma praise
ये च॒ पूर्व॒ ऋष॑यो॒ ये च॒ नूत्ना॒ इन्द्र॒ ब्रह्मा॑णि ज॒नय॑न्त॒ विप्रा॑: । अ॒स्मे ते॑ सन्तु स॒ख्या शि॒वानि॑ यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
ये । च॒ । पूर्वे॑ । ऋष॑यः । ये । च॒ । नूत्नाः॑ । इन्द्र॑ । ब्रह्मा॑णि । ज॒नय॑न्त । विप्राः॑ । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । ते॒ । स॒न्तु॒ । स॒ख्या । शि॒वानि॑ । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
ye | ca | pūrve | ṛṣayaḥ | ye | ca | nūtnāḥ | indra | brahmāṇi | janayanta | viprāḥ | asme iti | te | santu | sakhyā | śivāni | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Expansive and inclusive; the final pāda has a benedictory cadence (svasti) that softens and widens.
Creates a sense of belonging to a sacred lineage and invokes a protective field of wellbeing.
- pūrve ṛṣayaḥ (पूर्वे ऋषयः)
- Literal: former seers. Symbolic: prior realizations/attainments available as a living influence
- nūtnāḥ (नूत्नाः)
- Literal: new, recent. Symbolic: present unfolding realizations; freshness of revelation now
- brahmāṇi janayanta (ब्रह्माणि जनयन्त)
- Literal: they generate the sacred words. Symbolic: they bring forth mantric formations—new truths born in consciousness
- viprāḥ (विप्राः)
- Literal: inspired seers. Symbolic: those whose mind vibrates to higher intuition
- sakhyā (सख्या)
- Literal: friendships, alliances. Symbolic: intimate cooperation with the divine illumination
- śivāni (शिवानि)
- Literal: benign, auspicious. Symbolic: luminous harmonies that heal and unify the being
- svastibhiḥ (स्वस्तिभिः)
- Literal: with well-beings/blessings. Symbolic: widenesses of right-being; protective harmony in all planes
- pāta (पात)
- Literal: protect. Symbolic: guard the sadhana from hostile intrusion and deviation
Protective closing (svasti) typical of hymn-end; used as benediction in Soma sessions and as a general auspicious seal.
As a concluding prayer for friendship and protection after praise/offerings
Benediction for sacrificer and community; sealing the rite with svasti
Use as a lineage-connection and protection prayer before study, travel, or beginning a new sadhana phase.
relates to √ṛṣ/√dṛś in the semantic field of seeing/knowing (seer as one who has vision). (√jan 'beget') presents mantra as something born, not fabricated. from 'friend' encodes reciprocal alliance. (propitious) is the harmonizing good. is su- 'good' + asti 'being'—good-being; psychologically, a stable wideness of well-being.
Continuity of revelation (pūrva and nūtnā ṛṣis), Mantra as generative power (janayanta brahmāṇi), Svasti as integral well-being
The same ṛta that worked in ‘pūrva’ rishis is invoked to work now—continuity of divine law in consciousness.
Brahmāṇi are ‘born’ from Satya; inspired speech is a manifestation of truth-plane influence.
Ongoing creation through revelation: mantras are generated anew in time while rooted in timeless seeing.
Vedic lineage-consciousness; bridges to Upaniṣadic guru-paramparā idea (though not identical historically).
Svasti = spacious harmony in the being; protection = maintaining inner atmosphere clear for revelation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The lineage of revelation: the mythic community of seers (ancient and new) continuously 'begets' brahman. Psychologically it asserts that the same Indra-force befriends and supports all who enter the mantric current, across time.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan 'beget' is IE (PIE *ǵenh1- 'beget' cf. Latin gignere, Greek gígnomai). svastí (su- + asti) parallels IE compositional strategies with *h1es- 'to be' (cf. Latin est, English is).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer requests sakhyā—an intimate alliance—rather than mere external gifts: Indra’s relationship is framed as a continuing friendship extended to the present sacrificer, guarded by svasti (states of right-being) that preserve the journey in r̥ta.
Connect to the stream of seer-consciousness; invoke Indra’s friendship as inner guidance; seal practice with protective wellbeing.
anāhata (friendship/benign alliance)
chant gently; after ‘svastibhiḥ’ take a slow inhale, exhale in silence imagining a wide protective light around you
Quiet trust and protected openness to inspiration.
Before mantra-japa or meditation, remember ‘pūrva’ and ‘nūtnā’—the timeless and the fresh; ask to be included in that continuity, then listen inwardly for a new, true formulation to arise.
Triṣṭubh with udātta prominence on indra, brahmāṇi, śivāni, svastibhiḥ; final pāda should descend into blessing-like calm.
Make the first pāda inclusive and expansive; slight pause after ‘viprāḥ’; soften the voice on ‘śivāni…svastibhiḥ’.
ṛṣayo: vocalic ṛ; ‘ṣ’ retroflex, nūtnā: long ū; retroflex ṇ, janayanta: clear ‘ya’ and dental ‘t’, śivāni: palatal ś, not dental s, svastibhiḥ: ‘sv’ cluster clean; visarga light
benedictory, warm, protective
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