Rig Veda 7.76.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 76, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.76
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
त इद्देवानां सधमाद आसन्नृतावानः कवयः पूर्व्यासः । गूळ्हं ज्योतिः पितरो अन्वविन्दन्त्सत्यमन्त्रा अजनयन्नुषासम् ॥
ta íd devā́nāṃ sadhamā́da āsann ṛtā́vānaḥ kaváyaḥ pū́rvyāsaḥ | gūḷháṃ jyótiḥ pitáro ánv avindant satyámantrā ajanayann uṣā́sam ||
पुराने रिशि लोग थे जो देवताओं के साथ मिलकर खुश रहते थे। इन लोगों ने धरम को पकड़ा रखा था। उन्होंने छुपा हुआ रोशनी ढूँढ ली। सच्चे मंत्रों से उन्होंने सवेरा पैदा कर दिया।
Word by Word
- ते
- theyPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root इत् (निपात)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- सधमादः
- the common feast/assembly (sacrificial session)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role अधिकारण (समासार्थे: ‘सधमादे’ = सधमाद-स्थाने)Root सधमाद (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सह-माद’/‘सध’ + ‘माद’)
- आसन्
- wereVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root अस् (धातु)
- ऋतावानः
- possessing ṛta (truth/order), righteousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (ते इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root ऋतावन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कवयः
- seers, poetsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (ते इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन्)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्व्यासः
- ancient, of oldAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (ते इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पूर्व’ + य)
- गूळ्हम्
- hiddenAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (अन्वविन्दन् इत्यस्य)Root गूळ्ह (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गुह् ‘गोपने’ का भूतकृदन्त/निष्पन्न-विशेषण)
- ज्योतिः
- lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (अन्वविन्दन् इत्यस्य; गूळ्हं ज्योतिः)Root ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पितरः
- the Fathers (ancestors)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्वविन्दन्
- found out, discoveredVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root अनु-√विद् (धातु; ‘विन्दति’)
- सत्यमन्त्राः
- having true mantras / true in their formulasAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (पितरः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सत्य-मन्त्र (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- अजनयन्
- generated, brought forthVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root √जन् (णिच्) = जनयति (धातु)
- उषासम्
- Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (अजनयन् इत्यस्य)Root उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ते इत् देवानाम् सधमादः आसन् ऋतावानः कवयः पूर्व्यासः । गूळ्हम् ज्योतिः पितरः अन्वविन्दन् सत्यमन्त्राः अजनयन् उषासम् ॥ 1) इद्देवानाम् = इत् + देवानाम् (द् + द् संयोग)
- 2) सधमाद आसन् = सधमादः + आसन् (विसर्गलोपः पदान्ते स्वरारम्भे)
- 3) आसन्नृतावानः = आसन् + ऋतावानः (न् + ऋ → नृ; संहितायां ‘आसन्नृ…’)
- 4) अन्वविन्दन्त्सत्यमन्त्राः = अन्वविन्दन् + सत्यमन्त्राः (न् + स् → न्त्स् संयोग)
- 5) अजनयन्नुषासम् = अजनयन् + उषासम् (न् + उ → न्नु संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ancient seers, united in the gods’ common delight and established in Ṛta, discovered the hidden Light along its path; by true mantras they brought Dawn to birth.
Inner meaning
The “Fathers” (pitaraḥ)—the earlier perfected powers of consciousness in us—recover a concealed illumination (gūḻhaṃ jyotiḥ) by following the track of Ṛta (the right movement). When speech becomes satya-mantra (truth-vibration rather than opinion), it does not merely describe awakening; it generates it: Uṣas is “born” as a stable state of inner dawn.
Universal truth
Illumination is not accidental; it is unveiled by alignment with truth-order (ṛta) and by disciplined, truthful expression (satya). True knowledge is recovered from concealment and then becomes creative—bringing new beginnings into manifestation.
Themes
Recovery of hidden light, Seer tradition, Satya-mantra efficacy
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.76, RV 7.77, RV 7.78, RV 7.79, RV 7.80
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha family of seers; hymns often emphasize Ṛta, harmony, and luminous order.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision frequently presents awakening as lawful (ṛta-based) and communal in the inner being: multiple powers unite in divine delight to recover the hidden light and found a new dawn-state.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- ajanayan uṣāsam (Dawn brought to birth), gūḻha-jyotiḥ-anvavindan (she is linked with the recovered hidden light)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Aśvins, Indra, Varuṇa-Mitra (Ṛta guardians), Pitṛs
Cosmic role
She reveals the world by bringing light, order, and beginnings; she opens the path for the gods’ workings.
Inner power
The awakening force that makes concealed intuition visible and operative; she is the emergence of truth-consciousness after concealment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning praise of Uṣas; recitation at daybreak or in dawn-related sequences.
त इद्दे॒वानां॑ सध॒माद॑ आसन्नृ॒तावा॑नः क॒वय॑: पू॒र्व्यास॑: । गू॒ळ्हं ज्योति॑: पि॒तरो॒ अन्व॑विन्दन्त्स॒त्यम॑न्त्रा अजनयन्नु॒षास॑म् ॥
ते । इत् । दे॒वाना॑म् । स॒ध॒ऽमादः॑ । आ॒स॒न् । ऋ॒तऽवा॑नः । क॒वयः॑ । पू॒र्व्यासः॑ । गू॒ळ्हम् । ज्योतिः॑ । पि॒तरः॑ । अनु॑ । अ॒वि॒न्द॒न् । स॒त्यऽम॑न्त्राः । अ॒ज॒न॒य॒न् । उ॒षस॑म् ॥
te | it | devānām | sadha-mādaḥ | āsan | ṛta-vānaḥ | kavayaḥ | pūrvyāsaḥ | gūḷham | jyotiḥ | pitaraḥ | anu | avindan | satya-mantrāḥ | ajanayan | uṣasam
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Firm, forward-driving cadence suited to declaration and discovery.
Builds a sense of ascent and unveiling; each pāda lands like a step on the ‘track’ toward the hidden light, culminating in the birth of Dawn.
- सधमाद (sadhamāda)
- Literal: common enjoyment/feast. Symbolic: shared divine delight; a unified field of consciousness where powers harmonize
- ऋतावानः (ṛtāvānaḥ)
- Literal: possessing Ṛta. Symbolic: those established in right order; inner alignment that makes revelation possible
- कवयः (kavayaḥ)
- Literal: seers/poets. Symbolic: visionary faculties that translate intuition into mantra
- पूर्व्यासः (pūrvyāsaḥ)
- Literal: ancient/first. Symbolic: primordial realizations; earlier attainments in the lineage of consciousness
- गूळ्हं ज्योतिः (gūḻhaṃ jyotiḥ)
- Literal: hidden light. Symbolic: veiled intuition/gnosis concealed by ignorance or subconscient coverings
- पितरः (pitaraḥ)
- Literal: fathers/ancestors. Symbolic: forefathers as inner forerunners; established spiritual powers guiding evolution
- सत्यमन्त्राः (satyamantrāḥ)
- Literal: truth-mantras. Symbolic: speech as effective vibration of truth that brings about inner change
- उषासम् (uṣāsam)
- Literal: Dawn. Symbolic: spiritual awakening; the first opening of higher light in the mind
Invoked as ancestral-validation of the dawn-realisation: the Fathers’ precedent authorizes the sacrificer’s inner discovery of light.
At dawn; before/around Agnihotra or morning offerings (contextual, not exclusive).
Stotra/śastra-style praise; invoking awakening and right order.
Use as a morning intention: align with ṛta, speak truthfully, and invite inner dawn (clarity, hope, right action).
sadhamā́da: sadha- 'together' + māda 'exhilaration/rapture' (< √mad 'to rejoice') = shared divine delight; psychologically, a plane of unified luminous consciousness. anu-avindat: √vid 'to know/find' indicates discovery as both cognition and attainment. satya-mantra: satya (< sat 'being' from √as) + mantra (instrument of thought from √man) = thought-speech that carries the force of being; hence it 'begets' dawn as awakened truth.
Ṛta, Satya (truth-being), ancestral transmission (Pitṛs as pathfinders)
Explicit: ṛtāvānaḥ as the condition for finding the hidden light.
Explicit: satya-mantra as creative truth-power.
Revelation as a birth: Dawn is generated by truth-vibration and discovered light.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: evolution of consciousness through unveiling of hidden light.
dawn
Transition from obscurity to clarity: the subconscious concealment yields to intuitive-gnostic light when the being is ordered by ṛta and energized by true speech.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The archetype of the Fathers finding the hidden light (gūḷháṃ jyótiḥ) and generating Dawn by true speech: an initiation-myth where ancestral seers recover illumination from concealment and make it operative for the human lineage.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid 'to know/find' reflects the IE identity of knowing and seeing/finding (knowledge as discovery). √jan 'beget' is a classic IE root for generation (cf. Latin gignō), here applied to a cosmic phenomenon (Dawn) as a product of effective truth-speech—typical IE sacral poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions himself within a lineage: Dawn is not accidental but a realizable power generated through alignment with Ṛta and satya-mantra. The devatā responds to truth-aligned utterance; the rishi inherits and reenacts the Fathers’ method.
Unveiling the ‘hidden light’ by aligning thought, speech, and intention with ṛta (rightness).
Ājñā (brow)
Nadi-śodhana (gentle alternate nostril) for 6–12 rounds before chanting.
From tamasic concealment to sattvic clarity with a touch of intuitive opening.
Chant once slowly, then sit silently: feel a track of light rising through the mind; resolve to speak only what is true, timely, and luminous today (satya-mantra as practice).
Use Vedic three-tone contour (udātta rise, anudātta low, svarita fall) as per śākhā tradition; apply udātta on accented syllables of each pada; keep cadences stable at pāda ends.
Mark pāda breaks clearly; slightly lengthen long vowels at cadence words: pūrvyāsaḥ / jyotiḥ / avindan / uṣāsam.
(gūḻhaṃ): retroflex ḻ with tongue curled back; do not soften to ‘l’., (ṛtāvānaḥ): clear vocalic ṛ not ‘ri’., (anv avindan): keep sandhi separation audible: anv-a- (not ‘ann-’)., (satyamantrāḥ): nasal ‘ntr’ cluster crisp; avoid inserting extra vowel.
Clear, steady, luminous; avoid heaviness—aim for ‘revealing’ tone.
3
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