Rig Veda 7.51.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 51, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.51
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Ādityas and Aditi
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Shringara (love)
आदित्यासो अदितिर्मादयन्तां मित्रो अर्यमा वरुणो रजिष्ठाः । अस्माकं सन्तु भुवनस्य गोपाः पिबन्तु सोममवसे नो अद्य ॥
ādityā́so áditiḥ mādayantāṃ mitró aryamā́ váruṇo rájiṣṭhāḥ | asmā́kaṃ santu bhúvanasya gopā́ḥ píbantu sómam ávase no adyá ||
आदित्य और अदिति खुश हों। मित्र, अर्यमन, वरुण, जो सीधे और चमकदार हैं, वो दुनिया के रक्षक हों। आज वो सोम रस पी कर हमारी मदद करें, हमें आगे बढ़ा दें।
Word by Word
- आदित्याः
- the Ādityas (sons of Aditi)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक; अदिति-सम्बन्धी)
- अदितिः
- AditiNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मादयन्ताम्
- let them rejoice / be exhilaratedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role कर्तृ (आज्ञा/विधि)Root √मद् (मदँ—हर्षे/मादने), causative stem मादय-
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्यमा
- AryamanNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अर्यमा (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- रजिष्ठाः
- most radiant / most splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (आदित्याः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण-सम्बन्धः)Root रजिष्ठ (विशेषण; रजस्/रजि-सम्बद्ध, ‘अत्यन्तं रजस्वान्/दीप्तिमान्’ इत्यर्थे; -इष्ठ superlative)
- अस्माकम्
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्तु
- let them beVerbलोट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role कर्तृ (आज्ञा/विधि)Root √अस् (असँ—भुवि)
- भुवनस्य
- of the world / of existenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root भुवन (प्रातिपदिक; √भू से निष्पन्न)
- गोपाः
- protectors / guardiansNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot गोपा (प्रातिपदिक; गो + √पा ‘to protect’)
- पिबन्तु
- let them drinkVerbलोट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role कर्तृ (आज्ञा/विधि)Root √पा (पा—पाने)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवसे
- for help / for aidNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘help, aid’)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (वेदे प्रायः ‘to us/our’)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (प्रसङ्गानुसारम्)Root अस्मद् (एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम)
- अद्य
- today / nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययम्Role अधिकरण (काल)Root अद्य (अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आदित्याः | अदितिः | मादयन्ताम् | मित्रः | अर्यमा | वरुणः | रजिष्ठाः || अस्माकम् | सन्तु | भुवनस्य | गोपाः | पिबन्तु | सोमम् | अवसे | नः | अद्य || 1) ‘आदित्यासो’ = ‘आदित्याः’ (RV पदपाठ-रूप; -आसो बहुवचन-प्रथमा वैदिक-प्रत्ययः)
- 2) ‘अदितिर्मादयन्ताम्’ = ‘अदितिः मादयन्ताम्’ (विसर्ग-लोपः/सन्धिः)
- 3) ‘वरुणो रजिष्ठाः’ = ‘वरुणः रजिष्ठाः’ (विसर्गः ओ-आदेशः पूर्वपदे)
- 4) ‘सोममवसे’ = ‘सोमम् अवसे’ (म् + अ → मव्, परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रवृत्तिः)
- 5) ‘नो अद्य’ = ‘नः अद्य’ (विसर्ग-लोपः, एन्क्लिटिक-रूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May the Ādityas and Aditi be gladdened; Mitra, Aryaman, and Varuṇa—strong in luminous straightness—may be guardians of our world. Let them drink Soma for our help today.
Inner meaning
The truth-powers are ‘gladdened’ when the human being offers the Soma of inner delight—pure aspiration and consecrated joy. Mitra (harmony), Aryaman (noble effort/right exchange), and Varuṇa (vast law and purity) guard the ‘world’ of our being when we live in straightness. Their drinking of Soma signifies the descent of divine Ananda into mind and life, strengthening right action and protection.
Universal truth
When life is offered in gladness and sincerity, the powers of harmony, noble order, and vast truth take up guardianship of our inner world and increase the force of delight that sustains right living.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Āditya guardianship, Right order and harmony, Divine delight
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.86–7.89 (Varuṇa), RV 7.60–7.66 (Ādityas)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s Varuṇa-Mitra-Aryaman emphasis frames ethics and inner law as spiritual mechanics—guardianship arises from alignment and offering of delight (Soma).
Significance
He integrates delight with law: Soma is not escapism but the nectar that empowers truth-guardians to act in the aspirant.
The deity
- Devata
- Ādityas (Mitra, Aryaman, Varuṇa) with Aditi
- Epithets
- rajiṣṭhāḥ (most straight/bright), gopāḥ (guardians)
- Related deities
- Bhaga (dispenser of bliss), Savitar (impeller), Indra (illumined force), Agni (sacrificial will)
Cosmic role
Solar truth-powers maintaining harmony (Mitra), noble order (Aryaman), and vast law/purity (Varuṇa) within the universal and human worlds; Aditi as infinite ground.
Inner power
A triune governance of the being: harmonizing relations, uplifting will to noble law, and purifying by vast truth—sustained by Soma-delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-related invocation to Ādityas for protection and fostering; suitable within Soma yajña sequences and general Āditya offerings.
आ॒दि॒त्यासो॒ अदि॑तिर्मादयन्तां मि॒त्रो अ॑र्य॒मा वरु॑णो॒ रजि॑ष्ठाः । अ॒स्माकं॑ सन्तु॒ भुव॑नस्य गो॒पाः पिब॑न्तु॒ सोम॒मव॑से नो अ॒द्य ॥
आ॒दि॒त्यासः॑ । अदि॑तिः । मा॒द॒य॒न्ता॒म् । मि॒त्रः । अ॒र्य॒मा । वरु॑णः । रजि॑ष्ठाः । अ॒स्माक॑म् । स॒न्तु॒ । भुव॑नस्य । गो॒पाः । पिब॑न्तु । सोम॑म् । अव॑से । नः॒ । अ॒द्य ॥
ādityāsaḥ | aditiḥ | mādayantām | mitraḥ | aryamā | varuṇaḥ | rajiṣṭhāḥ | asmākam | santu | bhuvanasya | gopāḥ | pibantu | somam | avase | naḥ | adya
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4 × ~11 syllables; strong naming of deities in second pāda gives a stately mid-verse rise.
Dignified and declarative; names create a mantraic ‘pillar’ effect; final request (Soma) softens into nourishment.
Instills ethical-luminous confidence and a felt guardianship; ends with a sweetness of offering.
- मादयन्ताम् (mādayantām)
- Literal: may they be gladdened/intoxicated. Symbolic: may the divine powers receive and intensify the offered delight; increase their action in us
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: power of harmony, right relationship, luminous concord
- अर्यमा (aryamā)
- Literal: Aryaman. Symbolic: noble force of right effort, right exchange, aspiration to the higher law
- वरुणः (varuṇaḥ)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast purity, cosmic law, inner truth that releases from bonds
- रजिष्ठाः (rajiṣṭhāḥ)
- Literal: most straight/luminous in line (superlative of ‘straight/bright’). Symbolic: unerring rectitude of truth-consciousness
- भुवनस्य गोपाः (bhuvanasya gopāḥ)
- Literal: guardians of the world. Symbolic: protectors of the field of consciousness; keepers of the ‘cows’ (rays/knowledges) within the world-order
- सोमम् पिबन्तु (somam pibantu)
- Literal: let them drink Soma. Symbolic: let divine delight be received and circulated; Ananda descending into the system
- अवसे (avase)
- Literal: for help/fostering. Symbolic: for growth, protection, and right increase today
Soma-yajña context (explicit Soma-drinking); invocation for guardianship and right order
During offerings to Ādityas; also as a daily consecration for right relations and inner governance.
Offer Soma/oblations with the intention of gladening the truth-powers; inwardly align to straightness (rajiṣṭhā).
Chant before social engagement or leadership decisions: invoke Mitra (harmony), Aryaman (noble conduct), Varuṇa (integrity) and offer inner ‘Soma’ (quiet joy) to stabilize conduct.
√mad → mādayantām (caus./middle sense) ‘be gladdened’. gopā ‘protector’ from go + √pā ‘to protect’. Soma-drinking is not only ritual ingestion but symbolic intake of ānanda that empowers the gods’ functions in the human.
ṛta guardianship (Ādityas), ānanda as divine fuel (Soma), protection of becoming (bhuvana)
Ādityas guard ṛta; ‘straightness’ (rajiṣṭhā) is the line of ṛta in action.
Truth as rectitude and purity (Varuṇa) expressed through harmony (Mitra) and noble will (Aryaman).
Soma as the delight that sustains cosmic order—bliss as a creative/supportive principle.
Integral Vedism: Ananda is not secondary; it is a power that strengthens truth-activity in life.
Daytime/solar zenith resonance (implied)
Sun = law/illumination; Soma = bliss-essence feeding the gods within; guardianship = inner regulation and protection.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘gods drink Soma to guard the world’ mythologem: Soma is the empowering delight that strengthens the Ādityas’ guardianship of bhuvana. Innerly, delight nourishes right order and ethical harmony in the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The protector epithet gopā (go + √pā) uses an old agentive pattern; √pā ‘protect’ is widespread in IE (cf. Latin pāstor ‘shepherd’ as functional parallel). The triad Mitra–Varuṇa (and Aryaman) reflects archaic IE social-cosmic functions: contract, law, and noble affiliation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers Soma so the Ādityas may be ‘gladdened’—a reciprocal economy: the human gives delight/oblation; the gods respond as guardians of the world-process and of the rishi’s path today (adyá).
Offer inner delight to the truth-powers; cultivate harmony, noble conduct, and purity as guardians of the inner world.
Sahasrāra (Aditi-wideness)
Gentle inhalation on ‘mādayantām’ (receive gladness), slow exhalation on ‘gopāḥ’ (establish protection); end with a soft inward smile on ‘somam’.
Ordered joy—calm delight aligned with truth.
Begin with a brief self-review: where are relations disharmonious (Mitra), will slack or ignoble (Aryaman), truth compromised (Varuṇa)? Offer these into Soma-delight—quiet, sincere joy—so the gods ‘drink’ and intensify right movement today.
Keep udātta prominence on deity names (mitro, aryamā, varuṇaḥ) and on the imperative ‘pibantu’; allow a gentle settling on ‘avase no adya’.
Name-list should be clean and evenly spaced; ‘rajiṣṭhāḥ’ deserves a clear, bright emphasis to convey straightness.
(mādayantām): long ā, clear dy cluster, (aryamā): palatal ry, long ā, (rajiṣṭhāḥ): retroflex ṣṭh cluster; long āḥ ending, (bhuvanasya): soft bh, clear va, (somam): short o, not prolonged
Steady, luminous, gently joyful
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