Rig Veda 7.83.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 83, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.83
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra–Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Bhayankara and Vira (heroism)
सं भूम्या अन्ता ध्वसिरा अदृक्षतेन्द्रावरुणा दिवि घोष आरुहत् । अस्थुर्जनानामुप मामरातयोऽर्वागवसा हवनश्रुता गतम् ॥
sáṃ bhū́myā antā́ dhvasirā́ adṛkṣaténdrāvaruṇā diví ghóṣa ā́ruhat | ásthur jánānām úpa mā́m arātayo 'rvā́g ávasā havana-śrutā́ gátam ||
ज़मीन के किनारे हिलने लगे जैसे सब एक हो गया हो। इंद्र और वरुण, तुम्हारी आवाज़ आसमान तक पहुँच गई। लोगों में से दुश्मन लोग मेरे खिलाफ उठ खड़े हुए। तुम लोग जल्दी आओ और मदद करो, तुम जो पुकार सुनते हो। हमें अंदर से ठीक करके बना दो।
Word by Word
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भूम्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्ताः
- the ends/bordersNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (with ध्वसिरे)Root अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- ध्वसिरे
- have collapsed/crumbledVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श भूत); 3 पुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot ध्वस् (धातु; ‘to crumble, fall, be shattered’)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अदृक्षत
- appeared, were seenVerbअलुङ्/लुङ् (अorist); 3 पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot दृश् (धातु; ‘to see, appear’)
- इन्द्रावरुणा
- Indra and VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (with अदृक्षत/आरुहत्/गतम्)Root इन्द्र-वरुण (द्वन्द्व-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवि
- in heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot द्यु/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव् ‘heaven’)
- घोषः
- a roar, clamourNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (with आरुहत्)Root घोष (प्रातिपदिक)
- आरुहत्
- rose up, mountedVerbइम्पर्फेक्ट् (लङ्); 3 पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot रुह् (धातु; ‘to rise, mount’) + आ-
- अस्थुः
- stood (firm), took their standVerbपरफेक्ट् (लिट्); 3 पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot स्था (धातु; ‘to stand’)
- जनानाम्
- of the peoplesNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- मा
- mePronounद्वितीया; एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role कर्म (with उप)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अमरा॑तयः
- hostilities, hostile forcesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (with अस्थुः)Root अमरा॑ति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hostility, enmity’)
- अर्वाक्
- hither, towards hereIndeclinableदिशानिर्देशक अव्ययRoot अर्वाक् (अव्यय/दिशावाचक)
- अवसा
- with help/protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘help, protection’)
- हवनश्रुता
- hearers of the invocationAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचन (इन्द्रावरुणयोः विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot हवन-श्रुत (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-प्रातिपदिक; ‘hearing the call/invocation’)
- गतम्
- come; having come (as an invocation)Verbक्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (आह्वानार्थं ‘come!’ इति प्रयोगः)Role क्रियाविशेष/आह्वान (imperatival sense)Root गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त; भूतकृत्/क्त)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): सं भूम्याः अन्ताः ध्वसिरे आ अदृक्षत इन्द्रावरुणा दिवि घोषः आरुहत् । अस्थुः जनानाम् उप मा अमरातयः अर्वाक् अवसा हवनश्रुता गतम् ॥ प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) भूम्या॒ अन्ताः = भूम्याः + अन्ताः (आः + अ → आ)
- (2) अदृक्ष॒तेन्द्रा॑वरुणा = अदृक्षत + इन्द्रावरुणा (त् + इ → ते)
- (3) मामरा॑तयः = मा + अमरातयः (आ + अ → आ)
- (4) हवनश्रु॒ता ग॑तम् = हवनश्रुता + गतम् (सन्धि-रहित)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ends of the earth appear to shake; the roar rises to heaven. Hostile forces among men rise against the speaker; he calls Indra–Varuṇa, who hear invocation, to come near with help.
Inner meaning
When the foundation (bhūmi) of the being shakes—values, nerves, body-sense, social ground—an inner ‘roar’ (ghoṣa) of conflict rises even to the higher mind. The ‘hostiles’ (arātayaḥ) are non-giving forces: doubts, depressions, jealousies, inner saboteurs arising from the collective/outer nature (janānām). The rishi asks Indra–Varuṇa to come ‘near’ (arvāk) with avas (saving power): illumination plus truth-order re-establish the inner ground.
Universal truth
Crisis reveals hidden hostilities; protection comes when higher clarity and truth descend close to the disturbed foundation and reorganize it from within.
Themes
protection in upheaval, responding gods, overcoming hostility, stabilizing the earth of being
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa line)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.86 (confession to Varuṇa), RV 7.88 (Varuṇa’s vastness and release), RV 7.32 (Indra’s help; Vasiṣṭha-associated themes)
Family tradition
A tradition of mantric truth and ethical-spiritual order; strong emphasis on Varuṇa’s rectifying vastness allied to Indra’s victorious light.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s voice is personal and experiential: he names the inner assault and turns it into a yogic prayer for descent of protection and truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra–Varuṇa
- Epithets
- havanaśrutā (hearers of invocation), vasū (wealth-lords, implicit in the hymn context)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Agni, Sarasvatī (supporting flow of inspiration)
Cosmic role
They govern both force and law: Indra masters the dynamic energies; Varuṇa stabilizes the cosmic/psychic order so the ‘earth’ of the being does not fracture.
Inner power
Indra gives courageous clarity amid upheaval; Varuṇa gives containment, purification, and re-establishment of right boundaries.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and victory-oriented recitation in conflict; general śrauta praise of Indra–Varuṇa
सं भूम्या॒ अन्ता॑ ध्वसि॒रा अ॑दृक्ष॒तेन्द्रा॑वरुणा दि॒वि घोष॒ आरु॑हत् । अस्थु॒र्जना॑ना॒मुप॒ मामरा॑तयो॒ऽर्वागव॑सा हवनश्रु॒ता ग॑तम् ॥
सम् । भूम्याः॑ । अन्ताः॑ । ध्व॒सि॒राः । अ॒दृ॒क्ष॒त॒ । इन्द्रा॑वरुणा । दि॒वि । घोषः॑ । आ । अ॒रु॒ह॒त् । अस्थुः॑ । जना॑नाम् । उप॑ । माम् । अरा॑तयः । अ॒र्वाक् । अव॑सा । ह॒व॒न॒ऽश्रु॒ता॒ । आ । ग॒त॒म् ॥
sam | bhūmyāḥ | antāḥ | dhvasirāḥ | adṛkṣata | indrāvaruṇā | divi | ghoṣaḥ | ā | aruhat | asthuḥ | janānām | upa | mām | arātayaḥ | arvāk | avasā | havana-śrutā | ā | gatam
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Wave-like surge (fits ‘roar rising’) followed by a grounding cadence in the appeal
Moves the listener from shaken agitation to a felt nearness of protective presence.
- भूम्याः अन्ताः (bhūmyā antāḥ)
- Literal: ends/bounds of the earth. Symbolic: limits of embodied consciousness; the whole field of the physical-vital base
- ध्वसिराः (dhvasirāḥ)
- Literal: shaking, quivering. Symbolic: instability of the lower nature under pressure
- घोषः (ghoṣaḥ)
- Literal: roar, cry. Symbolic: surge of inner turbulence; uprising of energies
- दिवि (divi)
- Literal: in heaven. Symbolic: in the higher mind/illumined plane
- अरा॑तयः (arātayaḥ)
- Literal: non-givers, hostile ones. Symbolic: forces that withhold energy/faith; inner negations
- हवनश्रुता (havanaśrutā)
- Literal: hearers of the call. Symbolic: powers responsive to sincere aspiration
- अवसा (avasā)
- Literal: help, protection. Symbolic: saving grace/power that restores balance
Apotropaic/protective usage: invoked when ‘noise’ and hostility rise; suited for recitation seeking immediate aid (havana-śrutā).
At moments requiring protection (rakṣā) and removal of hostility; contextually in soma rites
Invocation (āhvāna) for avas (aid) and śravaṇa (being-heard)
For social hostility, inner insecurity, or ‘groundlessness’: chant to re-center and call down steadying truth.
ghóṣa from √ghuṣ ‘sound, cry’. √ruh ‘rise’ (PIE *rewh₁- ‘to roar/rush/rise’ debated; but Vedic shows archaic motion semantics). arāti ‘non-giving/hostility’ (rāti ‘gift’ from √rā ‘give’), psychological: refusal of the flow of right force. havana- from √hu ‘call, invoke’; śruta from √śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’, cf. Greek klýō).
hostility as ‘non-giving’ (arāti), invocation and response (havana-śruta), restoration of foundation (bhūmi as embodied base)
Shaking of ‘earth’ indicates disturbance of ṛta in the lower field; the gods restore order.
The help is effective when the call is truthful—alignment of speech and aspiration.
Re-stabilization of the ‘earth’ principle—support of manifestation under stress.
Integral yoga reading: ascent of disturbance to awareness, then descent of higher protection.
Earth = body and habitual consciousness; roar = uprising of vital energies; heaven = illumined mind witnessing and transforming the disturbance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cosmic trembling and the rising roar enact the archetype of ‘world-shaking crisis’ that calls the gods to descend. The adversaries are framed as arātayaḥ (‘non-givers’), making the conflict about restoring the right flow of power and gift rather than mere violence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- śruta ‘heard’ from √śru corresponds to PIE *ḱleu- (Greek kléos ‘fame’ originally ‘that which is heard’). √gam ‘come’ (gátam) corresponds to PIE *gʷem- (Latin veniō, English ‘come’ via Germanic cognates).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks personally (‘against me’) and invokes the gods as immediately responsive (‘hearers of the call’). The exchange is intimate and urgent: the human offers the call (havana), the gods offer avas (saving help) that re-stabilizes the shaken field.
Restoring the ‘earth’ of the being—somatic steadiness and ethical clarity under attack
mūlādhāra (ground)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; inhale ‘Indra’, exhale ‘Varuṇa’ for 12 cycles, then silent witnessing
From threatened, reactive consciousness to grounded equanimity with alert strength
Feel the feet and base; acknowledge the ‘arātayaḥ’ without debate; call the powers ‘arvāk’—nearer than thought—until the body and mind re-enter a stable rhythm.
Standard Ṛgvedic svara; emphasize the upward movement on ‘घोषः आ अरुहत्’ and the beckoning on ‘अर्वाग् … आ गतम्’.
Keep pāda breaks clear; let the third pāda tighten (hostiles rising), and the fourth open (invitation to help).
(dhvasirāḥ): articulate ‘dhv’ cluster, (adṛkṣata): retroflex ṛ; kṣ crisp, (havanaśrutā): śru clear, long ā at end, (arvāg): long ā; final g lightly released
Grounded and resonant; avoid haste—let steadiness be the medicine
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