Rig Veda 7.76.6: Mandala 7, Sukta 76, Mantra 6
Sukta 7.76
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shringara (love)
प्रति त्वा स्तोमैरीळते वसिष्ठा उषर्बुधः सुभगे तुष्टुवांसः । गवां नेत्री वाजपत्नी न उच्छोषः सुजाते प्रथमा जरस्व ॥
práti tvā stómair īḷate vásiṣṭhā uṣár-budhaḥ su-bhage tuṣṭuvā́ṃsaḥ | gavā́ṃ netrī́ vā́ja-patnī na ucchóṣaḥ sujāte prathamā́ jarasva ||
वशिष्ठ रिशि लोग सवेरे उठते हैं और तुम्हे स्तुति के गीत गाते हैं। तुम रोशनी का मार्ग दिखाने वाली हो और शक्ति की साथी हो। अच्छी तरह पैदा हुई सवेरा की देवी, हमारे लिए उठ और सबसे पहले दिख जा।
Word by Word
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinableअव्ययRoot प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोमैः
- with hymns/praisesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईळते
- praises, invokesVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot ईळ् (धातु; स्तुतौ/प्रार्थनायाम्)
- वसिष्ठाः
- the Vasiṣṭhas (Vasiṣṭha’s clan/poets)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषिनाम)
- उषर्बुधः
- awakening at dawn / dawn-awakeAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root उषर्बुध् (प्रातिपदिक; समासः: उषर्+बुध्)
- सुभगे
- O fortunate/auspicious oneNoun (vocative used as address) / Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुष्टुवांसः
- having praised / praisingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (परस्मैपदीय-परिपूर्णकृदन्तः; ‘having praised’)Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root स्तु (धातु) → तुष्टुवांस् (कृदन्त; परिपूर्ण-स्तुतिकर्तृ)
- गवाम्
- of the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- नेत्री
- leader, guideNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/Predicative (उषसः विशेषणम्)Root नी (धातु) → नेत्री (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; ‘leading’)
- वाजपत्नी
- mistress of prize/strength (bringer of booty)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/Predicative (उषसः विशेषणम्)Root वाज+पत्नी (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role Sampradāna/SambandhaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उच्छोषः
- dispeller (of dryness/darkness), one who drives awayNoun (abstract/agentive used as epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/Predicative (उषसः विशेषणम्)Root उत्+शुष् (धातु) → उच्छोष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘drying up/dispelling’)
- सुजाते
- O well-born oneAdjective (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot सु+जात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमा
- the firstAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/Predicative (उषसः विशेषणम्)Root प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरस्व
- O (one who brings) old age / O decay (as addressed); (traditional: ‘O aged one’)Noun (vocative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्बोधन, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Root जरस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘old age/decay’) → जरस्व (सम्बोधन)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolutions assumed: स्तोमै॑रीळते → स्तोमैः + ईळते (visarga before vowel, Vedic orthography often writes -ैर्-)
- उष॒र्बुध॑: → उषर् + बुधः (compound; pada as uṣarbudhaḥ)
- तुष्टु॒वांस॑: → तुष्टुवांसः (nom. pl. of perfect active participle from √स्तु)
- गवां॑ ने॒त्री → गवाम् + नेत्री (gen. pl. + nominative epithet)
- न उ॒च्छोष॑: → नः + उच्छोषः (enclitic gen. pl. + nominative)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Vasiṣṭhas, awakened with the Dawn, praise you with hymns, O fortunate one. Leader of the cows (rays), spouse of vāja (plenitude/force), rise for us, well-born Dawn—become manifest as the first.
Inner meaning
When the being becomes uṣar-budh (dawn-awakened), the soul-faculty offers stoma (uplifting formations of speech) to the awakening power. Uṣas leads the ‘cows’—the rays of knowledge—out of concealment, and as vājapatnī she joins illumination to effective force in life. The prayer ‘prathamā jarasva’ asks that the first movement of the day and of the sadhana be the Dawn-movement: clarity before action.
Universal truth
Let awakening lead. When illumination comes first, knowledge-rays are guided rightly and force becomes fruitful rather than impulsive.
Themes
Invocation, Guidance, Plenitude of force (vāja), First awakening
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.76.1-7, RV 7.77.1-6
Family tradition
A family of mantra-seers whose Uṣas hymns combine beauty with discipline of ṛta and luminous effectiveness.
Significance
The rishi presents dawn-awakening as a repeatable yogic condition: the clan (inner collectivity) becomes uṣar-budh and calls the Dawn to lead the rays and energize right action.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- Subhagā (fortunate/auspicious), Gavāṃ netrī (leader of rays), Vājapatnī (spouse of plenitude/force), Sujātā (well-born), Prathamā (the first)
- Related deities
- Agni (kindled by dawn), Aśvins (helpers of awakening), Sūrya (full illumination)
Cosmic role
She opens the day, releases light, and sets the right rhythm for all activities.
Inner power
Initiatory illumination that organizes knowledge-rays and couples clarity with effective energy (vāja).
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn praise (Uṣas-stuti) in morning recitations; supportive of kindling/starting rites.
प्रति॑ त्वा॒ स्तोमै॑रीळते॒ वसि॑ष्ठा उष॒र्बुध॑: सुभगे तुष्टु॒वांस॑: । गवां॑ ने॒त्री वाज॑पत्नी न उ॒च्छोष॑: सुजाते प्रथ॒मा ज॑रस्व ॥
प्रति॑ । त्वा॒ । स्तोमैः॑ । ई॒ळ॒ते॒ । वसि॑ष्ठाः । उ॒षः॒ऽबुधः॑ । सु॒ऽभ॒गे॒ । तु॒स्तु॒ऽवांसः॑ । गवा॑म् । ने॒त्री । वाज॑ऽपत्नी । नः॒ । उ॒च्छ॒ । उषः॑ । सु॒ऽजा॒ते॒ । प्र॒थ॒मा । ज॒र॒स्व॒ ॥
prati | tvā | stomaiḥ | īḷate | vasiṣṭhāḥ | uṣaḥ-budhaḥ | su-bhage | tustu-vāṃsaḥ | gavām | netrī | vāja-patnī | naḥ | uccha | uṣaḥ | su-jāte | prathamā | jarasva
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Invocatory and ascending; strong imperatives (prati, uccha) give lift.
Energizes the listener to rise; promotes a ‘first-light’ clarity and readiness for right work.
- उषर्बुधः (uṣarbudhaḥ)
- Literal: awakened by dawn. Symbolic: a consciousness that rises into clarity; the yogic morning-state
- स्तोम (stoma)
- Literal: hymn of praise. Symbolic: uplifted thought-forms; mantra as shaping power
- सुभगे (subhage)
- Literal: fortunate, beautiful. Symbolic: the gracious power that brings auspicious openings
- गवां नेत्री (gavāṃ netrī)
- Literal: leader of cows. Symbolic: guide of the rays of knowledge/illumination (go = light-rays)
- वाजपत्नी (vājapatnī)
- Literal: spouse of vāja. Symbolic: illumination wedded to plenitude of force; effective power in works
- उच्छ (uccha)
- Literal: rise up. Symbolic: emerge in consciousness; lift the lid of inertia
- प्रथमा (prathamā)
- Literal: first. Symbolic: priority of light; the initiating movement of sadhana
Direct dawn-invocation for awakening and increase of inner force (vāja) at the start of the sacrificial day.
At waking; before beginning study, work, or morning worship.
Recitation as āvāhana (invocation) of dawn-clarity; offering of stoma as inner oblation.
Morning practice mantra: chant on waking to establish clarity-first, then action; helpful for procrastination/inertia.
vāja: in RV a polyvalent term—'prize, strength, nourishment'; from a strength/fullness semantic (often linked with vigor and winning). Hence vā́ja-patnī as Dawn yoked to plenitude, bringing force for progress. go 'cow' frequently denotes 'ray of light/knowledge' (brightness and 'finding the cows' myth); netrī 'leader' (< √nī 'to lead') makes Dawn the guide of illuminations into the human field.
awakening (budh), increase/growth (jarasva), guidance of knowledge (netrī of go)
Implied: dawn sets the right rhythm for the day’s order.
Stoma as truthful formation—speech aligned to the dawn-state rather than confusion.
Daily re-creation: dawn as the first manifestation that makes further powers possible.
Integral yoga psychology: illumination must lead life-force; knowledge guides energy.
dawn
The first emergence of clarity in the mind; release of intuitive rays; coupling of insight with effective life-energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn as leader of the 'cows' (rays/knowledges) and bringer of vāja (forceful plenitude). The mythic action is the leading forth of light-wealth into the human domain at the first opening of the day.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- netrī from √nī 'lead' corresponds to widespread IE leadership/bringing verbs; the formulaic imperative 'uccha' (rise) parallels IE dawn-invocation patterns where the goddess is urged to 'come forth' as light.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Explicit reciprocity: the seer-family offers stoma (formed praise) and requests Dawn’s operative gift—guidance of illuminations (go) and strengthening plenitude (vāja). Praise is not flattery but a shaping of consciousness to receive her action.
Invite the ‘first light’ before engaging the day; let dawn-clarity lead thought and action.
Ājñā (with support from Maṇipūra for vāja/force)
Ujjāyī (soft) for 21 breaths, then chant once or thrice.
Alert sattva with gentle enthusiasm; readiness without haste.
Chant facing natural light if possible. After chanting, visualize rays (go) streaming from brow into the day’s tasks; choose one action to do immediately under that clarity (prathamā).
Tri-tone with lively udātta on invocatory openings (prati tvā…); allow a gentle svarita fall on pāda cadences.
Keep vocatives clear: subhage / uṣaḥ / sujāte; pause slightly before imperatives: naḥ uccha.
(īḻate): retroflex ḻ again; sustained ī., (uṣar-budhaḥ): articulate sandhi as compound; do not drop ‘r’., (netrī): dental ‘t’, long ī., (jarasva): ‘j’ soft, ‘sv’ cluster clean.
Bright, upward, but controlled; avoid strain on high notes.
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