Rig Veda 7.66.13: Mandala 7, Sukta 66, Mantra 13
Sukta 7.66
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Ādityas as embodiments of ṛta and opponents of anṛta
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ऋतावान ऋतजाता ऋतावृधो घोरासो अनृतद्विषः । तेषां वः सुम्ने सुच्छर्दिष्टमे नरः स्याम ये च सूरयः ॥
ṛtā́vān ṛtájātā ṛtā́vṛdho ghorā́so anṛtádviṣaḥ | téṣāṃ vaḥ sumné succhárdiṣṭame naráḥ syāma yé ca sū́rayaḥ ||
यह देवता सच से बने हैं, सच से पैदा हुए हैं, सच से बड़े होते हैं। झूठ से बुरा मानते हैं। इनकी मेहरबानी में हम सेफ रहें, हम और जो लोग रोशनी में रहते हैं।
Word by Word
- ऋतावानः
- possessing ṛta (truth/cosmic order)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ऋतावन् (प्रातिपदिक; ऋत + वन्)
- ऋतजाताः
- born of ṛta / rightly bornAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ऋतजात (कृदन्त; √जन् ‘जायते’ + त; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद ऋत-)
- ऋतावृधः
- increasing/strengthening ṛtaAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ऋतावृध (प्रातिपदिक; ऋत + √वृध् ‘वर्धते’ → वृध)
- घोरासः
- terrible, formidableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनृतद्विषः
- hating falsehood (untruth-haters)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अनृतद्विष् (कृदन्त/बहुव्रीहि; अनृत + √द्विष् ‘द्वेष्टि’)
- तेषाम्
- of themPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- वः
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक); बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सुम्ने
- in (your) favor, graceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सुम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुच्छर्दिष्टमे
- in the most bounteous/most beneficent (favor)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (सुम्ने इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सुच्छर्दिष्टम (कृदन्त/विशेषण; सु- + √छर्द् ‘वमति/क्षरति’ (वेद. ‘वर्षति/प्रस्रवति’ भाव) + इष्ट (superlative base))
- नरः
- men, heroesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole (मुख्यक्रिया)Root √अस् ‘अस्ति’ (वेद. optative)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- सूरयः
- patrons, nobles, benefactorsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ऋतावानः | ऋतजाताः | ऋतावृधः | घोरासः | अनृतद्विषः || तेषाम् | वः | सुम्ने | सुच्छर्दिष्टमे | नरः | स्याम् | ये | च | सूरयः || 1) ‘तेषां वः’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘तेषां’ + ‘वः’ (एन्क्लिटिक) — विशेषसन्धि-परिवर्तनं न दृश्यते। 2) ‘स्याम ये’ इत्यत्र ‘स्याम्’ अन्ते अनुस्वार/म् परतः ‘य’—पदपाठे पृथक्। 3) ‘सुच्छर्दिष्टमे’ एकपदम् (सु-उपसर्गयुक्तं विशेषणम्), ‘सुम्ने’ इत्यस्य विशेषणत्वेन सप्तमी-एकवचनम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Ādityas are truth-possessed, truth-born, truth-increasing, fierce against untruth. May we dwell in their happiest grace and most sheltering protection—both we and the illumined leaders.
Inner meaning
Truth is not merely an idea but a power that can possess the being (ṛtāvāna), generate its movements (ṛtajātā), and increase them (ṛtāvṛdha). These powers are ‘fierce’ to the falsehood (anṛta) in us—habits, self-deception, obscurity. The prayer asks to live inside their ‘sumna’ (benign influence) and ‘succhardi’ (best shelter): an inner atmosphere where the seeker and the ‘sūrayaḥ’ (luminous leaders—higher thoughts/inner guides) can act safely and effectively.
Universal truth
Growth in consciousness requires active opposition to falsehood and a protective field of truth; leadership—inner or outer—must be illumined to serve the collective journey.
Themes
truth-alignment, rejection of falsehood, divine shelter, community of seers
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.60, RV 7.61, RV 7.62, RV 7.63, RV 7.64, RV 7.65, RV 7.66
Family tradition
Mandala 7’s disciplined, law-centered spirituality; emphasis on ṛta as both cosmic and psychological order.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha frames spirituality as a life in truth: not escape but purification, protection, and luminous leadership within the human journey.
The deity
- Devata
- Ādityas (Mitra–Varuṇa–Aryaman) as embodiments of ṛta
- Epithets
- ṛtāvānaḥ, ṛtajātāḥ, ṛtāvṛdhaḥ, anṛtadviṣaḥ, ghorāsaḥ
- Related deities
- Aditi, Bhaga, Savitar, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Maintain moral-cosmic law; punish and remove disorder; support the righteous path and social harmony.
Inner power
Truth-force that purifies, protects, and strengthens discernment; creates an inner ‘safe shelter’ for higher guidance to operate.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and benedictive Āditya recitation; suitable for dawn rites and truth-vows
ऋ॒तावा॑न ऋ॒तजा॑ता ऋता॒वृधो॑ घो॒रासो॑ अनृत॒द्विष॑: । तेषां॑ वः सु॒म्ने सु॑च्छ॒र्दिष्ट॑मे नर॒: स्याम॒ ये च॑ सू॒रय॑: ॥
ऋ॒तऽवा॑नः । ऋ॒तऽजा॑ताः । ऋ॒त॒ऽवृधः॑ । घो॒रासः॑ । अ॒नृ॒त॒ऽद्विषः॑ । तेषा॑म् । वः॒ । सु॒म्ने । सु॒च्छ॒र्दिःऽत॑मे । न॒रः॒ । स्याम॑ । ये । च॒ । सू॒रयः॑ ॥
ṛta-vānaḥ | ṛta-jātāḥ | ṛta-vṛdhaḥ | ghorāsaḥ | anṛta-dviṣaḥ | teṣām | vaḥ | sumne | succhardiḥ-tame | naraḥ | syāma | ye | ca | sūrayaḥ
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables each
Firm, declarative rhythm; strong adjectival stacking that builds force.
Elicits moral strength and clarity; the cadence supports resolve against inner falsehood.
- ṛtāvānaḥ
- Literal: possessed of ṛta. Symbolic: consciousness inhabited by truth-order
- ṛtajātāḥ
- Literal: born of ṛta. Symbolic: movements arising from truth rather than desire or fear
- ṛtāvṛdhaḥ
- Literal: increased by ṛta. Symbolic: progress that expands through alignment with truth
- ghorāsaḥ
- Literal: fierce, formidable. Symbolic: forceful purification that does not compromise with falsehood
- anṛtadviṣaḥ
- Literal: hating untruth. Symbolic: inner discrimination that rejects distortion and self-deception
- sumna
- Literal: grace, favor. Symbolic: benign influence that uplifts and harmonizes
- succhardiṣṭama
- Literal: most good-sheltering. Symbolic: best inner protection—truth as a refuge
- sūrayaḥ
- Literal: illumined ones/leaders. Symbolic: higher faculties, inspired guides, luminous intelligence
Used to invoke protection (chardis) and favor (sumná) while affirming the gods’ anti-anṛta function—important for rites seeking moral/psychic purification.
Morning or before undertakings requiring integrity (oaths, agreements, leadership decisions)
Invocation for protection (succhardi) and alignment with ṛta; mental offering of sincerity
Use before difficult conversations: chant to anchor in truth and non-distortion; set intention to reject ‘anṛta’ (rationalization, exaggeration).
ṛta- from √ar/√ṛ ‘fit, move rightly’ (semantic: rightness/order). anṛta- ‘untruth’ with privative an-. dviṣ- ‘hate’ from √dviṣ (PIE *dweyk- ‘be hostile’). sumná ‘grace’ from su- ‘good’ + √man ‘think’ → ‘good thought’ becoming ‘favor’; psychological: consenting benevolence. chardis ‘shelter, covering’ relates to protective enclosure; superlative -iṣṭha intensifies.
Ṛta vs Anṛta (truth vs falsehood), divine protection (chardis), grace/consent (sumná)
Central: the Ādityas are defined by origin, growth, and possession of ṛta.
Truth as a living force that grants protection and right leadership.
Order grows (vṛdh) through truth; disorder is actively opposed to preserve the world-process.
Integral-psychological interpretation: deities as powers of consciousness that establish law within the being.
‘Shelter’ is the stable truth-field in the mind/heart; ‘fierceness’ is the purifying intensity that cuts through falsehood.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The polar battle ṛta vs anṛta: the gods are ‘fierce’ not as storm-deities but as truth-powers that destroy falsehood. The sought boon is not spoils but ‘best shelter’—a stable psychic protection in which the community of sūrīs can abide.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The truth/untruth opposition with privatives (an-) is structurally archaic. √dviṣ ‘hate’ has IE hostility cognates. Superlative morphology (-iṣṭha) reflects inherited Indo-European degrees of comparison.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks inclusion ‘in their grace’—a state of being held within divine protection. The gods’ fierceness is welcomed as an inner purifying severity against anṛta, enabling the seer-community to live and act from ṛta.
Discern ‘anṛta’ patterns today; invoke truth-force to purify speech and intention.
viśuddha (truthful expression) and ājñā (discernment)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 7 rounds, then chant once slowly.
Ethical lucidity; sattvic courage.
After chanting, note one subtle falsehood you habitually tell yourself; replace it with a precise, compassionate truth-statement.
Maintain clear udātta rises on ṛtā- syllables (ṛtāvāna, ṛtajātā, ṛtāvṛdha) to emphasize truth-power; keep compound accents intact.
Chunk the adjective series with micro-pauses: ṛtāvāna | ṛtajātā | ṛtāvṛdho; then firm stress on anṛtadviṣaḥ.
Consonant clusters: succhardiṣṭame (keep ‘cch’ gemination), ghorāso: long ō, do not shorten, anṛta: vocalic ṛ, crisp t
firm, protective, slightly martial but controlled
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