Rig Veda 7.75.7: Mandala 7, Sukta 75, Mantra 7
Sukta 7.75
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सत्या सत्येभिर्महती महद्भिर्देवी देवेभिर्यजता यजत्रैः । रुजद्दृळ्हानि दददुस्रियाणां प्रति गाव उषसं वावशन्त ॥
satyā́ satyébhiḥ mahatī́ mahádbhir devī́ devébhiḥ yájatā yájatraiḥ | rujád dṛḷhā́ni dádad usríyāṇāṃ práti gā́va uṣásaṃ vāvaśanta ||
यह देवी सच लोगों के साथ सच है। बड़े लोगों के साथ बड़ी है। भगवान लोग जो पूजा के हकदार हैं, उनके साथ पूजा में बैठती है। वो मज़बूत बंधन तोड़ देती है। रोशनी की किरणें निकाल कर देती है। उषा की तरफ से रोशनी की गाय आवाज़ करती हैं।
Word by Word
- सत्याः
- true, truthful (ones)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (उषसः—विशेषण)Root सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- सत्येभिः
- with the true (ones/means)Adjectiveपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (सह/साधनभावः)Root सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- महतī
- greatAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (देवी—विशेषण)Root महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- महद्भिः
- with the great (ones/means)Adjectiveपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (सह/साधनभावः)Root महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवी
- the goddess (Uṣas)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot देवी (प्रातिपदिक < देव)
- देवेभिः
- with the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (सह/साधनभावः)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- यजता
- worthy of worshipAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (देवी—विशेषण)Root यजत (प्रातिपदिक; कृत्-विशेषण, √यज्)
- यजत्रैः
- with the worshipful (ones)Adjectiveपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (सह/साधनभावः)Root यजत्र (प्रातिपदिक; कृत्-विशेषण, √यज्)
- रुजत्
- breaking, shatteringVerbवर्त्तमानकाल (लट्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा, एकवचन (वेदिके—शतृदन्त-प्राय प्रयोगः: ‘breaking’)Role कर्तृ (देवी/उषस्)Root √रुज् (भञ्जने/हिंसायाम्)
- दृळ्हानि
- the firm (things), strongholdsAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot दृळ्ह (प्रातिपदिक < √दृंह्/दृढ् ‘to make firm’)
- ददत्
- giving, bestowingVerbवर्त्तमानकाल (लट्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा, एकवचन (वेदिके—शतृदन्त-प्राय प्रयोगः: ‘giving’)Role कर्तृ (देवी/उषस्)Root √दा (दाने)
- उस्रियाणाम्
- of the ruddy ones (dawn-cows/rays)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root उस्रिया (प्रातिपदिक; ‘dawn-cows’/rays)
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपपद-सम्बन्ध (दिशा/प्रत्यभिमुखता)Root प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गावः
- the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषसम्
- Uṣas, the DawnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वावशन्त
- they cried aloud, bellowedVerbलिट् (परिप्रास/पुनरुक्त-आवृत्तिः), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (गावः)Root √वाश्/√वश् (ध्वनौ; ‘to bellow/cry’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सत्याः | सत्येभिः | महती | महद्भिः | देवी | देवेभिः | यजता | यजत्रैः || रुजत् | दृळ्हानि | ददत् | उस्रियाणाम् | प्रति | गावः | उषसम् | वावशन्त || 1) सत्या स॒त्येभिः → सत्याः सत्येभिः (आ-प्रत्ययान्त ‘सत्या’ का प्रथमा-बहुवचन ‘सत्याः’)
- 2) महती महद्भिः: महत्-शब्द का तृतीया-बहुवचन ‘महद्भिः’ (त्→द्, भि-प्रत्यय)
- 4) यजता यजत्रैः: दोनों √यज्-सम्बद्ध कृत्प्रातिपदिक
- 5) रुजद्दृळ्हानि → रुजत् दृळ्हानि (त् + द् → द्द् संधि)
- 6) दददुस्रियाणाम् → ददत् उस्रियाणाम् (त् + उ → दु-प्रतीति; पदच्छेद में ‘ददत्’)
- 7) प्रति गाव उषसम् → प्रति गावः उषसम् (गावः का विसर्ग पदान्त)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Uṣas (Dawn), true among the true and great among the great, is worthy of worship with the worship-worthy gods. She breaks firm constraints and releases the bright herds; the cows (of light) low toward the Dawn.
Inner meaning
The awakening Power (Uṣas) arises in harmony with the aligned truths (satyebhiḥ) and the greater divine potencies (mahadbhiḥ). When the inner sacrifice becomes “true with the true,” Illumination breaks the hard knots of the subconscient (dṛḻhāni) and releases the usriyāṇām—luminous energies/rays of knowledge. The ‘cows’ are the recovered rays of insight that turn instinctively toward the Dawn, i.e., toward increasing consciousness.
Universal truth
When consciousness aligns with truth and greatness, awakening naturally dissolves entrenched limitations and releases hidden capacities of knowledge; inner faculties respond and reorient toward higher light.
Themes
satyam-ritam-brihat, release-of-light, truth-alliance
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇi lineage, Maṇḍala 7)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.75, RV 7.76, RV 7.77, RV 7.78
Family tradition
House of Vasiṣṭha hymns emphasizing ṛta/satya, harmony of divine powers, and progressive illumination (especially Uṣas/Agni/Varuṇa-Mitra currents).
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision frequently joins सत्य (truth) with ṛta (cosmic rightness): inner awakening is effective when the being becomes ‘true with the true,’ enabling release of hidden lights and right action.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- devī (goddess), satyā (truth-formed), yajatā (worthy of offering), ketumatī (bannered/sign-giving—implicit in nearby verses)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Savitṛ, Agni, Indra
Cosmic role
Brings the day; reveals forms; sets beings into activity; opens the paths for other gods/powers.
Inner power
Awakening illumination that discloses truth, breaks subconscious bindings, and releases rays of knowledge for the mind and life to follow.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning Uṣas invocations in Soma/Agni contexts; general dawn laud in pravargya-like dawn atmosphere (non-exclusive).
स॒त्या स॒त्येभि॑र्मह॒ती म॒हद्भि॑र्दे॒वी दे॒वेभि॑र्यज॒ता यज॑त्रैः । रु॒जद्दृ॒ळ्हानि॒ दद॑दु॒स्रिया॑णां॒ प्रति॒ गाव॑ उ॒षसं॑ वावशन्त ॥
स॒त्या । स॒त्येभिः॑ । म॒ह॒ती । म॒हत्ऽभिः॑ । दे॒वी । दे॒वेभिः॑ । य॒ज॒ता । यज॑त्रैः । रु॒जत् । दृ॒ळ्हानि॑ । दद॑त् । उ॒स्रिया॑नाम् । प्रति॑ । गावः॑ । उ॒षस॑म् । वा॒व॒श॒न्त॒ ॥
satyā | satyebhiḥ | mahatī | mahat-bhiḥ | devī | devebhiḥ | yajatā | yajatraiḥ | rujat | dṛḷhāni | dadat | usriyānām | prati | gāvaḥ | uṣasam | vāvaśanta
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh cadence; exact count depends on saṃhitā sandhi resolution)
Forward-driving, declarative, with emphatic openings and strong mid-line stresses.
Energizes aspiration and ‘breakthrough’ feeling—suitable for invoking a decisive inner opening and release.
- सत्या (satyā)
- Literal: true; truth-formed. Symbolic: consciousness established in सत्य (truth), free of inner falsehood
- सत्येभिः (satyebhiḥ)
- Literal: with/among the true ones. Symbolic: with true movements/powers of being; harmonized truths in the nature
- महतī / महद्भिः (mahatī/mahadbhiḥ)
- Literal: great / with the great. Symbolic: with vast divine potencies; expansion of consciousness
- यजता (yajatā)
- Literal: worship-worthy. Symbolic: that which deserves offering—highest value in the inner sacrifice
- रुजत् (rujat)
- Literal: breaking, shattering. Symbolic: dissolving rigid resistances/knots in the subconscient
- दृळ्हानि (dṛḻhāni)
- Literal: firm, hard-held (bonds). Symbolic: fixed habits, strongholds of ignorance, inner constrictions
- उस्रिया (usriyā) / उस्रियाणाम् (usriyāṇām)
- Literal: ruddy/bright cows; luminous ones. Symbolic: rays of illumination; herds of light recovered from concealment
- गावः (gāvaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of knowledge, luminous perceptions
- उषसम् (uṣasam)
- Literal: Dawn. Symbolic: spiritual awakening; first opening of higher light
Dawn praise emphasizing satya/mahat; supports rites aiming at truth-alignment and release of light
At daybreak; opening of recitation sequences praising Uṣas/Savitṛ.
Stotra/śastra praise; inner ‘offering’ of attention and will toward awakening.
Chant at waking to set intention: align speech/mind with truth, then sit briefly to feel inner knots loosen and light-perceptions arise.
satya from sat ‘being’ (√as ‘be’) + -ya: truth as ‘that which is’. rujat from √ruj ‘break’ (cf. ‘rupture’ as semantic parallel though not direct cognate). go ‘cow’ in RV frequently symbolizes ‘ray’/‘light of knowledge’; this is supported by its collocation with dawn and luminous epithets (usriyāṇām). dṛḷha ‘firm’ marks the stubborn fixity of obscuring formations.
Satya (truth of being), Bṛhat/Mahat (vastness, greatness), release from bonds (dṛḷha breaking)
Uṣas is a revealer of ṛta: by her coming, right order becomes visible and operative in life and mind.
‘True with the true’ indicates resonance: illumination descends when the seeker’s movements become truth-consistent.
Unveiling: manifestation occurs by breaking concealment and releasing hidden lights.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: progressive revelation of higher consciousness within embodied life.
Dawn
Dawn = first opening of higher awareness; cows = rays of knowledge; breaking bonds = liberation from subconscious inertia.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘release of the cows of light’: Dawn breaks firm-held constraints and releases the luminous herds (usriyā), while the ‘cows’ (rays/knowings) cry toward her. This is the Angiras-style liberation of light from confinement, expressed in Dawn’s daily act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- satya derives from the IE verb ‘to be’ (PIE *h₁es-). go ‘cow’ corresponds to PIE *gʷōus (Greek boûs, Latin bōs). The inherited ‘cows = wealth/light’ poetic economy is widespread in IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi affirms Dawn’s identity as satya among satya-powers and thus establishes her authority to break inner rigidities; the seeker’s part is worship/recognition, and the goddess’s response is the release of luminous knowings (go/usriyā).
Feel the ‘true-with-true’ alignment: let attention rest in sincerity; invite the dawn-force to break inner rigidity and release intuitive rays.
Ājñā (illumination) with support from Anāhata (truth-sense/sincerity)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana 6–8 rounds, then natural breath while repeating ‘satyā satyebhiḥ’.
From tamasic heaviness to awakened clarity and receptive silence.
Begin at waking: sit upright, chant once slowly, then pause and watch for subtle ‘rays’—new perceptions, right impulses—without forcing.
Triṣṭubh recitation with standard Vedic accents: identify udātta on marked syllables; svarita follows udātta; unmarked generally anudātta (exact pada accenting depends on śākhā).
Keep clear lift on udātta; avoid flattening the cadence at ‘rujad dṛḻhāni’; let the break be audible through a firmer consonant articulation.
(satyā): dental ‘t’, not retroflex, (dṛḻhāni): retroflex ḍ + ḻh cluster—articulate slowly, (uṣasaṃ): retroflex ‘ṣ’, (vāvaśanta): keep ‘va’ light; avoid ‘ba’
Clear, bright, slightly ascending tone to mirror dawn’s rise; steady breath support.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
