Rig Veda 7.86.7: Mandala 7, Sukta 86, Mantra 7
Sukta 7.86
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Varuṇa, with broader ‘deva arya’ ethical divine agency
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Karuna (compassion)
अरं दासो न मीळ्हुषे कराण्यहं देवाय भूर्णयेऽनागाः । अचेतयदचितो देवो अर्यो गृत्सं राये कवितरो जुनाति ॥
áraṃ dā́so ná mīḷhúṣe karāṇy aháṃ devā́ya bhū́rṇaye 'nā́gāḥ | ácetayad acíto devó aryó gṛ́tsaṃ rā́ye kavítaro junāti ||
मैं दास बन के भगवान के काम में लग जाऊँ, जो सबको देता है। मैं कोई पाप नहीं किया, इसलिए मैं उसकी सेवा कर सकता हूँ। वो भगवान जो बड़ा है, वो इंसान को जागा देता है जो कुछ नहीं जानता। जो रिशि सच्चाई देख सकता है, वो इंसान को आगे बढ़ा देता है।
Word by Word
- अरम्
- duly, fittingly, sufficientlyIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Root अरम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √ऋ (गत्यर्थ) से निष्पन्न अव्यय
- दासः
- a servantNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot दास (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययRoot न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- मीळ्हुषे
- to the bountiful one (giver)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मीळ्हु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘उदार/दानशील’)
- कराणि
- may I do / I would doVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रायः वैदिक प्रयोग), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √कृ (करणे)
- अहम्
- IPronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाय
- for/to the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूर्णये
- to the impetuous/whirling oneNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot भूर्णि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वेगवान्/प्रचण्ड/परिभ्रमणशील’—देव-विशेषण)
- अनागाः
- sinless, guiltlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: -आः = -अस्/विसर्गान्त विशेषण का प्रथमा एकवचन)Role Kartā (अहम् का विशेषण)Root अनागस् (प्रातिपदिक; a- + आगस् ‘sin’)
- अचेतयत्
- he made (them) notice / he awakenedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; कारण (causative)Role KartāRoot √चित् (चेतने) caus. √चेतय्
- अचितः
- the unknowing, the heedlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अचित (प्रातिपदिक; a- + चित ‘aware’)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्यः
- the noble one / the lordNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (देवः का विशेषण)Root अर्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आर्य/स्वामी/हितैषी’)
- गृत्सम्
- the zealous/skillful oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गृत्स (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कुशल/चतुर/उत्साही’)
- राये
- for wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (वैदिक दातिव: राये)Role SampradānaRoot राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धन, संपत्ति’)
- कवितरः
- more of a seer / the better poetAdjective (comparative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (जुनाति का कर्ता; देवः का विशेषण)Root कवितर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अधिक-कवि/श्रेष्ठ-कवि’)
- जुनाति
- impels, urges, sets (him) onVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √जु (प्रेरणे/सेवने; ‘to impel, set in motion’)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान: भूर्णयेऽनागाः = भूर्णये + अनागाः (ए + अ → एऽ).
- ‘कराण्यहम्’ को पद-विभाग से कराणि + अहम् लिया गया (य्-आगम/संहिता-लक्षण)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speaker prays to be fit and capable, like a servant to a generous patron, to serve the divine Power who moves all; the noble god awakens the ignorant and impels the inspired seeker toward wealth.
Inner meaning
Vasiṣṭha seeks inner fitness (adhikāra) to serve Varuṇa’s vast, revolving Law (bhūrṇi)—the cosmic-psychological governance that turns the life-movements toward right order. The ‘unknowing’ parts of the being (acitaḥ) are awakened by the Arya-deva (the divine leading power of the upward life), and the ‘more-seeing poet’ (kavitaraḥ—intuitive discernment) drives the aspiring will (gṛtsaṃ) toward rāyaḥ: plenitude of consciousness, not material gain.
Universal truth
Progress depends on consenting service to the higher Law within; when the soul offers itself without self-accusation and aligns with Truth, the divine intelligence awakens our obscurer layers and turns aspiration into fullness.
Themes
Transformation, Service, Awakening, Spiritual wealth (rayi)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi)
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.86, RV 7.87, RV 7.88, RV 7.89
Family tradition
Saptarṣi tradition; priest-seer line intimately linked with Varuṇa-Mitra dharma and inner truth of ṛta.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s Varuṇa hymns are classic confessional-psychological prayers: the soul turns from error and limitation to the vast Law, seeking purification, right discernment, and inner release into wideness.
The deity
- Devata
- Varuṇa (with ‘deva arya’ as ethical-divine agency)
- Epithets
- Arya (noble leader), Pracetā (luminous knower, implied), Svadhāvan (self-lawed, in the hymn cluster)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Aryaman, Aditi, Indra (as illumination that breaks cover)
Cosmic role
Guardian of ṛta: upholder of cosmic order, moral law, and the right movement of worlds and waters; binder of falsehood, releaser into truth.
Inner power
The vast, शांत (calm) but inexorable power of conscience and truth-perception that awakens the ignorant nature and turns it toward plenitude.
In ritual
Where it is used
Transition from confession to aspiration: readiness for service and awakened action; suitable as reaffirmation after expiation.
अरं॑ दा॒सो न मी॒ळ्हुषे॑ कराण्य॒हं दे॒वाय॒ भूर्ण॒येऽना॑गाः । अचे॑तयद॒चितो॑ दे॒वो अ॒र्यो गृत्सं॑ रा॒ये क॒वित॑रो जुनाति ॥
अर॑म् । दा॒सः । न । मी॒ळ्हुषे॑ । क॒रा॒णि॒ । अ॒हम् । दे॒वाय॑ । भूर्ण॑ये । अना॑गाः । अचे॑तयत् । अ॒चितः॑ । दे॒वः । अ॒र्यः । गृत्स॑म् । रा॒ये । क॒विऽत॑रः । जु॒ना॒ति॒ ॥
aram | dāsaḥ | na | mīḷhuṣe | karāṇi | aham | devāya | bhūrṇaye | anāgāḥ | acetayat | acitaḥ | devaḥ | aryaḥ | gṛtsam | rāye | kavi-taraḥ | junāti
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, weighty cadence suited to ethical resolve and inner turning.
Creates a firm, upright movement in the listener—supporting confession, self-offering, and a decisive push toward inner wideness.
- dāsaḥ
- Literal: servant. Symbolic: the consenting ego-nature offering itself to the Divine as instrument
- mīḻhuṣ
- Literal: generous giver. Symbolic: the Divine as bestower of inner riches (light, wideness, joy)
- anāgāḥ
- Literal: without guilt, sinless. Symbolic: state of inner sincerity and self-justification dropped; openness to purification
- bhūrṇi
- Literal: whirling, turning. Symbolic: the vast, revolving action of ṛta (cosmic order) moving all life-forces
- acetayat
- Literal: he made (them) conscious. Symbolic: awakening of subconscious/ignorant parts by divine touch
- acitaḥ
- Literal: unknowing. Symbolic: obscure nature, mechanical habit-mind
- arya
- Literal: noble, Aryan. Symbolic: the upward-leading divine power that makes the being ‘noble’ (truth-aligned)
- kavitaraḥ
- Literal: more a seer-poet. Symbolic: heightened intuition/illumined mind guiding aspiration
- gṛtsa
- Literal: eager, ardent (also ‘skilled’). Symbolic: the seeker’s concentrated will to attain truth and plenitude
- rāya
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: spiritual riches: light, power, joy, wideness, harmony
Transition from confession to aspiration: readiness for service and awakened action; suitable as reaffirmation after expiation.
As part of Varuṇa/Mitra-Varuṇa praises in Soma and other śrauta contexts; also as a personal prayer for purification and right order.
Recitation during stotra/śastra sequences or as anukramaṇī-guided praise; inwardly as a vow of alignment to ṛta.
Use as a daily ‘inner ethical reset’: recite before meditation to drop guilt, affirm sincerity, and invite awakening of obscure parts.
ácetayat (causative of √cit) is pivotal: awakening replaces ignorance (acítaḥ). rā́yi is read as plenitude/fullness (not mere wealth), consistent with √rā ‘to bestow’ and RV usage of rayi as luminous prosperity. junāti from √ju ‘yoke/impel’ marks the divine as inner trainer who harnesses the seeker toward fullness.
awakening (cit) overcoming ignorance, arya as ethical nobility, rayi as fullness of being
Varuṇa’s bhūrṇi is the turning action of ṛta that converts disorder into right movement.
Truth as an active power that ‘makes conscious’ what is unconscious.
Not ex nihilo creation but ordering: the divine law shapes movement and directs energies toward fullness.
Proto-Vedāntic and yogic psychology as read by Sri Aurobindo: ascent from ignorance to truth-consciousness through surrender to ṛta.
The ‘turning’ is the conversion of life-currents by the inner Law; ‘wealth’ is the gathered light-force and joy in the being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘awakening of the unknowing by the noble god’ mythologem: divine agency turns ignorance into consciousness (acetayat acitaḥ) and yokes the eager seeker toward rayi (plenitude). It is the inner reversal from bondage to empowered service.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √cit ‘perceive’ (PIE *ḱei̯t-/ *ḱei̯d- ‘notice, perceive’ in Indo-Iranian trajectories) appears in a causative (acetayat), a productive inherited device for ‘make X perceive’. √ju ‘yoke/impel’ resonates with IE yoking imagery central to poetic diction (discipline, harnessing powers).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi shifts from fear of punishment to willing service: ‘let me do fitly’ (araṃ…karāṇi). The devatā is experienced as educator and awakener, converting confession into forward movement toward rayi—fullness granted through inner yoking.
Offer the will to the inner Law: ‘Make me fit to serve the turning divine order; awaken what is unknowing in me.’
Anahata (heart—hṛd/inner sincerity) and Ajna (illumined discernment—kavitaraḥ).
Slow coherent breathing (equal inhale/exhale) while feeling the ‘turning’ of energies upward and outward into wideness.
Quiet ethical clarity leading to luminous aspiration.
1) Begin with self-forgiveness (anāgāḥ) as sincerity, not denial. 2) Place aspiration in the heart. 3) Invite Varuṇa’s awakening into obscure habits. 4) End by contemplating rāya as fullness of being.
Triṣṭubh with Vedic udatta/anudatta/svarita accents as in Śākala tradition; preserve pitch on accented syllables (udātta) and glide on svarita.
Keep clear rise on words like ‘devāya’, ‘acetayat’, ‘kavitaraḥ’; avoid flattening the cadence at pāda ends.
Maintain retroflex ḻ in mīḻhuṣe (not dental l)., bhūrṇaye: clear bh- and long ū; ṇ retroflex., acetayat: pronounce ‘c’ as ‘ch’ lightly (ca), not ‘s’., gṛtsaṃ: vocalic ṛ as short ‘ri’ without inserting extra vowel.
steady, inward, penitent-to-calm; not dramatic
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