Rig Veda 7.60.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 60, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.60
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Sūrya in relation to Mitra-Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
एष स्य मित्रावरुणा नृचक्षा उभे उदेति सूर्यो अभि ज्मन् । विश्वस्य स्थातुर्जगतश्च गोपा ऋजु मर्तेषु वृजिना च पश्यन् ॥
eṣá syá mitrāvaruṇā nṛcákṣā ubhé úd eti sū́ryo abhí jmán | víśvasya sthātúr jágataś ca gopā́ ṛjú márteṣu vṛjinā́ ca páśyan ||
मित्र और वरुण, यह सूरज सबको देखता है जैसे आँख देखती है। दोनों जगह उठता है, ऊपर और नीचे। जो खड़ा है और जो चल रहा है, सबकी नज़र रखता है। लोगों में सीधा और टेढ़ा दोनों देखता है।
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष
- स्यः
- that (very one), hePronoun (enclitic/deictic)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role Kartā (एषः के सह-सम्बन्धे) / deictic appositionRoot स (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स्य
- मित्रावरुणा
- Mitra and VaruṇaNoun (dual compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot मित्र + वरुण (प्रातिपदिक-द्वन्द्व)
- नृचक्षाः
- having men as their sight; watchers of menAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (मित्रावरुणयोः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root नृ + चक्षस् (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-प्रातिपदिक: ‘men-seeing’)
- उभे
- both (two)Adjective/Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole Kartā (उदेति इत्यस्य)Root उभ (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- उदेति
- rises, goes upVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot उद् + इ (धातु: इ ‘to go’)
- सूर्यः
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, over, uponIndeclinableRole Upasarga/AdverbialRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ज्मन्
- the earth/ground, regionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अभि इत्यस्य कर्म)Role KarmaRoot ज्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक ‘earth/ground/region’)
- विश्वस्य
- of all, of the wholeAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्थातुः
- of what stands; of the stationaryNoun (agent noun)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root स्थातृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्था ‘to stand’ → स्थातृ ‘stander’)
- जगतः
- of what moves; of the moving worldNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root जगत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘moving world’)
- च
- andIndeclinableRole ConnectorRoot च (अव्यय)
- गोपाः
- guardians, protectorsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (मित्रावरुणयोः)Role Kartā (नाम-विशेषणम्)Root गोपा (प्रातिपदिक; go + √पा ‘to protect’)
- ऋजु
- straight, rightlyIndeclinable (adverbial)Role Kriyā-viśeṣaṇaRoot ऋजु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; here adverbially)
- मर्तेषु
- among mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृजिनानि
- wrongs, sins, crooked deedsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (पश्यन् इत्यस्य)Root वृजिन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘crookedness, sin, wrong’)
- च
- andIndeclinableRole ConnectorRoot च (अव्यय)
- पश्यन्
- seeing, observingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (मित्रावरुणयोः/सूर्यस्य सह-सम्बन्धे)Role Kartā (participial, agreeing with subject)Root √पश् (धातु ‘to see’) → शतृ-प्रत्यय पश्यत्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-विग्रह): एषः स्यः मित्रावरुणा नृचक्षाः | उभे उदेति सूर्यः अभि ज्मन् | विश्वस्य स्थातुः जगतः च गोपाः | ऋजु मर्तेषु वृजिनानि च पश्यन् || 1) ए॒ष स्य → एषः स्यः (विसर्ग-लोप/वैदिक संधि-लेखन). 2) मित्रावरुणा: द्वन्द्व-समास, प्रथमा-द्विवचन. 3) नृचक्षा: ‘नृ-चक्षस्’ बहुव्रीहि
- द्विवचन ‘नृचक्षाः’. 4) उ॒भे उदे॑ति: उभे (प्रथमा-द्विवचन) + उदेति (लट् 3sg). 5) अ॒भि ज्मन्: अभि + ज्मन् (द्वितीया एकवचन). 6) जगतश्च → जगतः च (च-परसवर्ण/संयोग-लेखन). 7) वृजि॒ना च → वृजिनानि च (पदपाठानुसारं नपुंसक बहुवचन कर्मपदम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Sun, O Mitra and Varuṇa, the human-seeing eye, rises over both realms; guardian of all that stands and moves, he sees among mortals the straight and the crooked.
Inner meaning
Sūrya is nṛcakṣā—consciousness that truly sees the human condition. Rising over ‘both realms’ (outer/inner; heaven/earth), it becomes the witness and judge in us: discerning ṛju (straight, aligned) and vṛjinā (crooked, deviating). As gopā (guardian), the solar truth preserves what is stable in the being and guides what is moving—thought, life, action—back into rightness.
Universal truth
Illumination is not neutral brightness; it is discernment. When truth-consciousness rises, it reveals integrity and distortion, helping life align with the straight path.
Themes
Sun as guardian, Ethical discernment, Totality (standing and moving)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.60.1, RV 7.86-89
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s solar-Varuṇa orientation: moral discernment under the eye of truth and law.
Significance
The rishi establishes Sūrya as the inner ethical-spiritual witness that reveals deviation and restores right order.
The deity
- Devata
- Sūrya (addressed in relation to Mitra-Varuṇa)
- Epithets
- nṛcakṣāḥ, gopā (guardian), viśvasya gopā (guardian of all)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Savitar
Cosmic role
All-seeing eye; sustainer of life and revealer of ṛta; illuminator across worlds.
Inner power
Discriminative light—reveals sincerity and self-deception; protects the growth of knowledge (go/rays).
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning solar recitation; moral/ṛta alignment verses in daily worship
ए॒ष स्य मि॑त्रावरुणा नृ॒चक्षा॑ उ॒भे उदे॑ति॒ सूर्यो॑ अ॒भि ज्मन् । विश्व॑स्य स्था॒तुर्जग॑तश्च गो॒पा ऋ॒जु मर्ते॑षु वृजि॒ना च॒ पश्य॑न् ॥
ए॒षः । स्यः । मि॒त्रा॒व॒रु॒णा॒ । नृ॒ऽचक्षाः॑ । उ॒भे इति॑ । उत् । ए॒ति॒ । सूर्यः॑ । अ॒भि । ज्मन् । विश्व॑स्य । स्था॒तुः । जग॑तः । च॒ । गो॒पाः । ऋ॒जु । मर्ते॑षु । वृ॒जि॒ना । च॒ । पश्य॑न् ॥
eṣaḥ | syaḥ | mitrāvaruṇā | nṛ-cakṣāḥ | ubhe iti | ut | eti | sūryaḥ | abhi | jman | viśvasya | sthātuḥ | jagataḥ | ca | gopāḥ | ṛju | marteṣu | vṛjinā | ca | paśyan
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Measured, declarative, judicial—like a statement of cosmic fact.
Strengthens inner honesty and self-observation; creates a vigilant calm.
- नृचक्षाः (nṛ-cakṣāḥ)
- Literal: human-seeing, seeing men. Symbolic: inner witness that perceives motives, truth, and falsehood in the human nature
- उभे (ubhe)
- Literal: both (realms). Symbolic: inner/outer, subjective/objective, heaven/earth—total field of experience
- गोपा (gopā)
- Literal: cowherd/guardian. Symbolic: protector and guide of the rays of knowledge (go = light-rays) and of the whole being
- स्थातुः / जगतः (sthātuḥ / jagataḥ)
- Literal: of what stands / of what moves. Symbolic: stable foundations of consciousness and the dynamic movements of thought-life
- ऋजु (ṛju)
- Literal: straight. Symbolic: aligned with ṛta; sincerity, integrity, right movement
- वृजिना (vṛjinā)
- Literal: crooked, wrong. Symbolic: distortion by desire, fear, ignorance; deviation from truth
Solar witness motif supporting vows/truth; recited to affirm that the cosmic eye upholds ṛta by perceiving right and wrong.
At sunrise or before decisions requiring discernment and integrity
Recitation as ācamana-like purification of speech and intention
Use as a daily ‘inner audit’ mantra—invoking the witness that sees straight and crooked in one’s motives.
cakṣ- 'see' (PIE *kʷekʷ-/'see' complex often discussed) yields cakṣā 'eye'. gopā: go 'cow/ray' + pā 'protect'—Vedic double sense supports inner reading: guarding the rays of illumination (go) within the worlds. sthā 'stand' (PIE *steh₂-) vs. gam/jag 'move' (√gam; jagat from √gam with reduplicated/iterative sense) frames totality: stable and mobile existence.
Cosmic witnessing, Ṛta as moral-cosmic order, Discernment of straight vs. crooked (ṛju vs. vṛjina)
Explicit: Sūrya sees ṛju and vṛjinā—alignment and deviation from ṛta.
Truth as seeing, not merely believing; illumination as disclosure.
Ongoing governance: preservation of the standing and guidance of the moving.
Ethical-psychological Vedic vision anticipating Upaniṣadic witness-consciousness.
sunrise
Awakening of the inner witness that surveys the whole field and distinguishes integrity from distortion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Sun as the all-seeing guardian who upholds ṛta by witnessing human conduct: he rises over both worlds and discriminates right from distortion. This is the mythic foundation for truth, oath, and moral order under the Ādityas.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The polarity sthātu (√sthā, PIE *steh₂-) and jagat (movement, √gam) reflects an inherited IE cosmological dichotomy of the stable and the mobile. The guardian term gopā preserves archaic pastoral lexicon repurposed into cosmic-ethical semantics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi acknowledges the Sun as an instrument of Mitra-Varuṇa’s oversight: divine order is not abstract but perceptive and present. The human relationship is accountability and aspiration—living so that the Sun’s seeing supports, not condemns.
Cultivate the inner witness that sees straight/crooked impulses without judgment, then choose alignment.
Ājñā (witness/seeing)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for steadiness; on exhale mentally repeat ‘ṛju… vṛjinā… paśyan’.
Witnessed clarity and ethical resolve.
Chant 3–9 times; then review the day ahead: identify one ‘straight’ intention to strengthen and one ‘crooked’ habit to correct, under the calm solar gaze.
Use RV svara where available; keep declarative clarity; slight emphasis on ‘nṛcakṣāḥ’, ‘gopā’, ‘ṛju’, ‘vṛjinā’.
Do not blur compounds: ‘mitrāvaruṇā nṛcakṣā’; pause lightly at pāda ends to preserve Triṣṭubh gait.
nṛcakṣāḥ: vocalic ṛ; ‘kṣ’ conjunct crisp, ubhe: both vowels clear, not ‘ubhi’, jman: pronounce as ‘jman’ (cluster) with care; avoid inserting extra vowel, ṛju: vocalic ṛ; soft ‘ju’, vṛjinā: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ‘ṇ’ not present—keep dental ‘n’ per text
Even, observant, ‘witness’ tone; no dramatic swell.
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