Rig Veda 7.79.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 79, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.79
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
देवंदेवं राधसे चोदयन्त्यस्मद्र्यक्सूनृता ईरयन्ती । व्युच्छन्ती नः सनये धियो धा यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
deváṃ-deváṃ rā́dhase codáyanty asmadryàk sūnṛ́tā ī́rayantī | vy-ucchántī naḥ sanáye dhíyo dhā yūyáṃ pāta svastí-bhiḥ sádā naḥ ||
उषा अंदर के भगवान को जगा रही है। वो हमारे पास सच्ची बातें ला रही है। वो फैल के उठ रही है और हमारे दिमाग को सही रास्ते पर लगा रही है। तुम हमेशा हमारी रक्षा करो और हमें शांति दो।
Word by Word
- देवम्
- the god (as object)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक) < दिव् ‘दीप्तौ’
- देवम्
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक) < दिव् ‘दीप्तौ’
- राधसे
- for bounty / for givingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot राधस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘दान/समृद्धि’
- चोदयन्ति
- they impel / urgeVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (क्रिया)Root चुद् ‘प्रेरणे’
- अस्मद्र्यक्
- towards usIndeclinable (compound) / Pronominal adverbअव्यय (दिशा/सम्बन्ध) ‘हमारी ओर’Role अधिकरण (दिशा/सम्बन्ध)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम) + र्यक् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘towards’)
- सूनृता
- true/auspicious utterances (or: truthful ones)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot सूनृता (प्रातिपदिक) ‘सत्य-वाणी/सु-वाणी’
- ईरयन्ती
- impelling / setting in motionVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-समकक्ष), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरिRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root ईर्/इर् ‘गतौ/प्रेरणे’ (Vedic: ‘set in motion, raise’)
- वि
- apart, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- उच्छन्ती
- dawning / shining forthVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरिRole कर्तृRoot उष् ‘दीप्तौ/प्रकाशे’ (Vedic: ‘dawn, shine forth’)
- नः
- of us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)Role सम्बन्ध/सम्प्रदान (प्रसङ्गानुसार)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सनये
- for winning / for gainNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सनि (प्रातिपदिक) < √सन् ‘प्राप्तौ’ (Vedic: ‘gain, winning’)
- धियः
- thoughts / insights / prayersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot धि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘धिया/बुद्धि/प्रार्थना’
- धा
- place / bestowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Vedic injunctive/imperative use) रूप ‘धा’Role क्रियाRoot धा ‘धारणे/स्थापने’
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- पात
- protectVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot पा ‘रक्षणे’
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with well-being / with blessingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘कल्याण/मङ्गल’
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल)Root सदा (अव्यय)
- नः
- usPronounद्वितीया/षष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक) — यहाँ कर्मरूपेण ‘us’Role कर्मRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): दे॒वंदे॑वं → देवम् देवम्
- चो॒दय॑न्त्यस्म॒द्र्य॑क् → चोदयन्ति अस्मद्र्यक्
- ई॒रय॑न्ती → ईरयन्ती (कृदन्त)
- व्यु॒च्छन्ती॑ → वि + उच्छन्ती
- स॒नये॒ → सनये
- स्व॒स्तिभि॒: → स्वस्तिभिः. ‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम—प्रथम ‘नः’ (to/for us or of us) प्रसङ्गानुसार, अन्तिम ‘नः’ स्पष्टतः कर्म ‘us’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Urging each god toward abundance, sending true inspirations toward us, the Dawn, wide-rising, sets our thoughts for gain; may you guard us always with your well-beings.
Inner meaning
Dawn awakens the ‘god within’—the divine element in every part of the being (devaṃ-devaṃ)—and urges it toward its fullness (rādhas). She sends sūnṛtāḥ: true, harmonious inspirations (right speech/thought) into our consciousness. As she rises widely, she establishes dhīyaḥ (higher thoughts, discernments) for sanaye—attainment and lasting acquisition. The closing prayer asks for svasti: harmonies of well-being, an integral protection that keeps the movement aligned and safe.
Universal truth
When awakening brings true inspiration and organizes thought toward steady attainment, life becomes protected by harmony rather than driven by confusion.
Themes
inspiration (dhī), truth-utterance, protection and well-being, inner awakening
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.76, RV 7.77, RV 7.78, RV 7.80
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s style often culminates in practical inner results: inspired speech (sūnṛtā), established dhī, and svasti as an integral harmony for the path.
Significance
The seer frames dawn as a daily yogic helper: it awakens inner deities (faculties), sets right inspirations, stabilizes thought for attainment, and protects with harmony.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- vyucchantī (wide-rising/brightening), sūnṛtā-īrayantī (sending true inspirations), dhī-dhātrī (setter of thoughts, implied)
- Related deities
- Savitṛ (impulsion), Agni (inner god awakened), Sūrya (truth-vision)
Cosmic role
She initiates the day’s movement and establishes auspicious order; she is a guardian of right beginnings.
Inner power
The power to awaken and coordinate inner faculties, transmit truthful inspirations, and establish stable higher thought leading to attainment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning blessing-prayer to establish right thought and invoke protection.
दे॒वंदे॑वं॒ राध॑से चो॒दय॑न्त्यस्म॒द्र्य॑क्सू॒नृता॑ ई॒रय॑न्ती । व्यु॒च्छन्ती॑ नः स॒नये॒ धियो॑ धा यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
दे॒वम्ऽदे॑वम् । राध॑से । चो॒दय॑न्ती । अ॒स्म॒द्र्य॑क् । सू॒नृताः॑ । ई॒रय॑न्ती । वि॒ऽउ॒च्छन्ती॑ । नः॒ । स॒नये॑ । धियः॑ । धाः॒ । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
devam-devam | rādhase | codayantī | asmadryak | sūnṛtāḥ | īrayantī | vi-ucchantī | naḥ | sanaye | dhiyaḥ | dhāḥ | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Directive and blessing-like; a concluding cadence suited to protection (svasti).
Stabilizes the mind after awakening; good as a closing verse to seal practice with harmony.
- देवं-देवम् (devaṃ-devam)
- Literal: each god, god after god. Symbolic: the divine principle in every faculty; inner powers to be awakened
- राधसे (rādhase)
- Literal: for plenitude. Symbolic: fullness of being; spiritual abundance
- चोदयन्ती (codayantī)
- Literal: impelling, urging. Symbolic: awakening the will toward growth
- सूनृताः (sūnṛtāḥ)
- Literal: true/harmonious utterances. Symbolic: truth-inspired intuitions; right speech and right thought
- धियः (dhīyaḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: higher intelligence; illumined discernment
- सनये (sanaye)
- Literal: for winning, attainment. Symbolic: stable acquisition of inner realization
- स्वस्तिभिः (svastibhiḥ)
- Literal: with well-beings. Symbolic: harmonious protections; integral auspiciousness
Morning invocation for right inspiration (dhī) and svasti; suitable for prātaḥ-savana recitations and general auspicious openings of rite.
End of dawn recitation; before beginning daily duties.
Recite as a ‘sealing’ mantra—set intention, then ask for svasti (harmonious protection).
Use as a daily ‘mental hygiene’ verse: invite true inspirations, set priorities (dhī), and close with a protective intention.
sūnṛ́tā-: su- ‘good’ + nṛtá-/nṛ ‘to lead/fit’ in Vedic usage ‘true/right utterance’; functions as truth-bearing speech. codáyantī from √cud ‘to impel’. dhí- (dhiyaḥ) from √dhī ‘to think/meditate; inspired thought’. svastí from su- ‘good’ + √as ‘to be’ → ‘good being/abiding’; protective harmony rather than mere luck.
Satya/Truth in speech (sūnṛtā), Ṛta as right movement (impulsion toward order), svasti as harmonious being
Right order is established when each inner ‘deva’ is awakened and urged to its proper function.
Sūnṛtā is satya in a harmonious, workable form—truth that can guide speech and action.
Daily re-establishment of inner cosmos: faculties awakened, thoughts set, harmony invoked.
Integral yoga orientation: awakening of multiple inner powers, guidance by truth-intuition, and protection by harmony.
dawn
Wide-rising = widening consciousness; true inspirations = intuitive truth; svasti = inner harmony that protects the path.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The daily re-creation mythologem: Dawn repeatedly ‘impels the god’—the divine principle in manifestation—toward fullness, and establishes inspired thought for attainment. The cosmic recurrence becomes an inner discipline: each dawning renews the possibility of right thought and right speech.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- svastí (su- + √as) parallels IE formations for ‘good being’ (cf. well-being formulas across IE ritual speech). The insistence on truth-speech (sūnṛtā) reflects inherited sacral poetics where correct utterance is efficacious.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests not objects but capacities: the placement of dhī (inspired intelligence) and the flow of sūnṛtā (truth-utterance). Dawn is approached as an educator and protector of consciousness, not merely a visible sunrise.
Invite ‘true inspirations’ before thinking: pause, receive, then act.
Ājñā (clear dhī) and Sahasrāra (descent of inspiration)
Simple coherence breathing ~5–6 breaths/min for 3 minutes after chanting to stabilize dhī.
Sattvic steadiness; receptive intuition guiding mind.
Chant once slowly; then (1) name one inner faculty to awaken (courage, clarity, kindness), (2) listen for one sūnṛtā impulse, (3) set one dhī (clear intention), (4) close with svasti—feel a calm protective field around the day.
RV svara; treat the final blessing pāda with steady, even tone to ‘seal’ the chant.
Emphasize devaṃ-dévaṃ, rā́dhase, codayántī, sūnṛ́tāḥ, dhíyaḥ dhā́, svastíbhíḥ sadā́ naḥ.
devaṃ-devaṃ: keep nasal ṃ audible before d., sūnṛtā: long ū; retroflex ṛ; long ā., svastibhiḥ: clear sv- cluster; light visarga at end if present in recitation tradition.
gentle, clear, blessing-like; slightly softer on the final pāda.
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