Rig Veda 7.38.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 38, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.38
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Savitar
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अपि ष्टुतः सविता देवो अस्तु यमा चिद्विश्वे वसवो गृणन्ति । स नः स्तोमान्नमस्यश्चनो धाद्विश्वेभिः पातु पायुभिर्नि सूरीन् ॥
ápi stu̱táḥ savitā́ devó astu yám ā́ cid víśve vásavo gṛṇánti | sá naḥ stómān namasyáś canó dhād víśvebhiḥ pātu pāyúbhir ní sūrī́n ||
सवितर वो देवता है जिसको सब गाते हैं। वसु देवता भी उनकी तारीफ करते हैं। वो हमारे गाने और हमारी पूजा को स्थिर करें। वो अपनी रक्षा से हमारे अच्छे लोगों को बचाएं।
Word by Word
- अपि
- also; indeedIndeclinableparticle (emphatic/also)Root अपि
- ष्टुतः
- praisedVerb (participle)past passive participle, nominative singular masculineRole Kartā (as predicate to subject)Root √स्तु (स्तवति)
- सविता
- Savitar (the impeller)Nounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवः
- the godNounmasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to सविता)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- may (he) beVerbimperative/benedictive sense, 3rd person singular, presentRoot √अस् (अस्ति)
- यम्
- whomPronounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- unto; towardsIndeclinable (preverb)upasarga (towards/unto), used with √गॄRoot आ
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableparticle (even)Root चित्
- विश्वे
- allAdjective (substantive)masculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसवः
- the VasusNounmasculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to विश्वे)Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृणन्ति
- praise; singVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person pluralRoot √गॄ (गृणाति/गृणति)
- सः
- hePronounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us; ourPronoungenitive/enclitic plural (Vedic: ‘of us/our’)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary, ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोमान्
- hymns; praisesNounmasculine, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमस्यः
- worthy of reverenceAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (predicate adjective to सः)Root नमस्य (प्रातिपदिक; from √नम् with desiderative/denominative sense ‘to do reverence’)
- चनः
- indeed; alsoIndeclinableenclitic particle (emphatic/also; ‘indeed’)Root चन (particle, Vedic)
- धात्
- may he place; bestowVerbinjunctive/aorist-imperative sense, 3rd person singular (Vedic: ‘let him place/establish’)Root √धा (दधाति)
- विश्वेभिः
- with all (of them)Adjective (substantive)masculine/neuter, instrumental pluralRole KaraṇaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- पातु
- may he protectVerbimperative, 3rd person singularRoot √पा (पिबति/पाति ‘protects’)
- पायुभिः
- with protectors; guardiansNounmasculine, instrumental pluralRole KaraṇaRoot पायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down; within; firmlyIndeclinable (preverb)upasarga (down/into; here: ‘within/firmly’)Root नि
- सूरीन्
- patrons; bountiful men (chiefs)Nounmasculine, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolutions (Vedic): (1) चिद्विश्वे → चित् + विश्वे (final -d of चिद् becomes -t before voiceless/initial v treated as consonantal onset in pada-division). (2) नः स्तोमान् → नः + स्तोमान् (visarga before sibilant). (3) स्तोमा॑न्नम॒स्यश्चनो॑ → स्तोमान् + नमस्यः + च + नः/चनः: here the Saṃhitā shows -न् + न- assimilation (स्तोमान् + नमस्यः) and enclitic particle cluster
- reading taken as ‘नमस्यः चनः’ (Vedic particle चन). (4) धाद्विश्वेभिः → धात् + विश्वेभिः (final -t before voiced v becomes -d in Saṃhitā). (5) पातु पायुभिर्नि → पातु + पायुभिः + नि (visarga before n). Accents retained as in Saṃhitā
- pada-division ignores accent marks
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Savitṛ be the praised god whom all the Vasus sing; may he establish our hymns and reverence, and protect our sūrīs with all protections.
Inner meaning
The hymn asks that the inner Impeller be truly active in us—not merely named. The Vasus (powers of stable harmony) ‘sing’ him when the being is founded in luminous order. Savitṛ then ‘sets’ (dhāt) our stomas and namas: he organizes both our aspiration (mantric thought) and our surrender (reverent self-offering) into an effective inner sacrifice. His many guardianships protect the sūrīs—illumined leaders within: the discerning intelligence, the intuitive will, and the seekers who carry the light forward.
Universal truth
True progress needs both aspiration and humility; when the guiding Light organizes them, the inner leaders are protected and the journey becomes secure.
Themes
Praise and protection, Collective divine affirmation (Vasus), Safeguarding the ‘sūrīs’
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.35, RV 7.60, RV 7.66, RV 7.88
Family tradition
Mandala 7’s Savitṛ-Aditya current: protection through ṛta and collective divine powers (Vasus/Ādityas).
Significance
A Vasiṣṭha hallmark: the divine must ‘establish’ (dhā) the human offering so it becomes effective power, not mere speech.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Epithets
- deva (luminous), stuta (praised/affirmed)
- Related deities
- Vasus, Aditi, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman
Cosmic role
Organizer of movements; bestower of protection; awakener praised by the Vasus.
Inner power
The force that stabilizes aspiration and surrender into a coherent sadhana and guards the illumined faculties.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and auspicious Savitṛ praise within broader offerings; recited for securing the efficacy of stoma and namas
अपि॑ ष्टु॒तः स॑वि॒ता दे॒वो अ॑स्तु॒ यमा चि॒द्विश्वे॒ वस॑वो गृ॒णन्ति॑ । स न॒: स्तोमा॑न्नम॒स्य१॒॑श्चनो॑ धा॒द्विश्वे॑भिः पातु पा॒युभि॒र्नि सू॒रीन् ॥
अपि॑ । स्तु॒तः । स॒वि॒ता । दे॒वः । अ॒स्तु॒ । यम् । आ । चि॒त् । विश्वे॑ । वस॑वः । गृ॒णन्ति॑ । सः । नः॒ । स्तोमा॑न् । न॒म॒स्यः॑ । चनः॑ । धा॒त् । विश्वे॑भिः । पा॒तु॒ । पा॒युऽभिः॑ । नि । सू॒रीन् ॥
api | stutaḥ | savitā | devaḥ | astu | yam | ā | cit | viśve | vasavaḥ | gṛṇanti | saḥ | naḥ | stomān | namasyaḥ | canaḥ | dhāt | viśvebhiḥ | pātu | pāyu-bhiḥ | ni | sūrīn
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Declarative and protective; balanced cadence suitable for establishing and guarding.
Creates steadiness and confidence; supports inner alignment and a sense of being ‘held’ by guidance.
- स्तुत (stuta)
- Literal: praised. Symbolic: made active by conscious affirmation and remembrance
- वसु (vasu)
- Literal: the Vasus, bright powers. Symbolic: stabilizing energies of harmony and right possession in consciousness
- स्तोम (stoma)
- Literal: hymn of praise. Symbolic: formed thought of aspiration; mantra as structured uplift
- नमस्य (namasya)
- Literal: act of reverence. Symbolic: surrender, self-offering, right humility of the ego
- पायुभि (pāyubhiḥ)
- Literal: with protectors/guardianships. Symbolic: multiple safeguards of the divine guidance across planes
- सू॒रीन् (sūrīn)
- Literal: seer-leaders, illumined ones. Symbolic: inner guides: intuitive mind, discerning will, luminous aspiration
Protective hymn for establishment of stoma and namas; general auspicious usage
Before or during praise sequences; also as a protective invocation for leaders/priests
Stuti and namas; asking the deity to ‘set’ the hymn and protect the sūrīs
Before study/teaching/leading: recite to stabilize intention and protect discernment from confusion.
Vasus: from vasu ‘good, wealth’ (powers of abundance). sūrī: traditionally ‘patron/hero’; inner reading as ‘illumined leader’ (from sūrya/light association in poetic usage, though etymology is debated). √gṛ ‘sing’ and √dhā ‘establish’ highlight the performative efficacy of praise—speech that ‘places’ order.
Efficacy of stoma (hymn) to establish order, Protection (pāyu) as sustaining ṛta in life
Implicit: Savitṛ’s protection and establishment align the human act with ṛta.
Truth as reliability: the hymn becomes ‘set’ in reality, not drifting in mental vagueness.
Formation: divine power shapes human speech and reverence into effective force.
Integral yoga orientation: aspiration + surrender under a guiding Light.
dawn/morning
Illumination that stabilizes and protects the inner ‘leaders’ against obscurity and dispersion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Savitar as universally praised protector whose guardianships secure the ‘sūrīs’—the leading lights. The mythic action is protective establishment: hymn and reverence become stabilized supports under divine guarding.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā (protect) and √dhā (place/establish) are core IE roots. The collocation ‘stómān… dhād’ shows the archaic IE idea of words as deeds—speech that institutes reality.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi requests that Savitar ‘place’ (dhād) the stomas and namas—i.e., make the human approach stable and effective—and then guard the inner leaders (sūrīs). The reciprocity is: sustained praise for sustained protection and right establishment.
Offer aspiration (stoma) and surrender (namas) and ask the inner Light to organize them into steady practice.
viśuddha (mantric speech) and ājñā (inner guidance)
Even-count breathing (e.g., 4-4 or 6-6) to embody ‘establishment’; pause briefly after exhale on ‘pātu’ (protect).
Collected calm with alert strength; protected clarity.
Before chanting, make a simple inner bow (namas). Then chant as if placing the hymn into Savitṛ’s hands; visualize a ring of light protecting the discerning mind (sūrī).
Use Saṃhitā accent marks; keep udatta peaks crisp on key invocatory words (savitā, devó, pātu).
Let ‘api stutaḥ’ be light but clear; emphasize ‘dhād’ (establish) with firmness; soften into protection on ‘pātu pāyubhiḥ’.
(api): short a and i, (stutaḥ): cluster st; avoid adding vowel, (gṛṇanti): vocalic ṛ; dental n, (namasyaḥ): keep palatal ś, (pāyubhiḥ): long ā; y consonant clear, (sūrīn): long ū, long ī; retroflex not needed
Steady, protective, slightly softened at the end.
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