Rig Veda 8.101.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 101, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.101
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
न यः सम्पृच्छे न पुनर्हवीतवे न संवादाय रमते । तस्मान्नो अद्य समृतेरुरुष्यतं बाहुभ्यां न उरुष्यतम् ॥
ná yáḥ sampṛ́cche ná púnar havītáve ná saṃvādā́ya rámate | tásmān no adyá sámṛter uruṣyatam bāhúbhyāṃ na uruṣyatam ||
जो आदमी किसी से बात नहीं करता, दोबारा बुलाने पर भी नहीं आता, सच्चाई में खुशी नहीं पाता, ऐसे आदमी से आज हमें बचा लो। अपनी ताकत वाले हाथों से हमारी रक्षा करो, हमारी रक्षा करो।
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation)Root न
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (य-प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRoot सम्
- पृच्छे
- I ask / I inquireVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम् (वेदिक-प्रयोगः)Role KartāRoot √पृच्छ् (पृच्छति)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- पुनः
- againIndeclinableक्रियाविशेषणम्Root पुनः
- हवीतवे
- to invoke, to call (for)Verb (infinitive)तुमुन्/तवे-प्रत्ययान्तः (वेदिक-इन्फिनिटिव्), दातिवाचकःRole Sampradāna (purpose)Root √ह्वा (ह्वयति) / √हू (जुहोति) → हवीतव (infinitive-stem)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- सं
- togetherIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRoot सम्
- वादाय
- for conversation, for speakingNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role Sampradāna (purpose)Root वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
- रमते
- he delights / he takes pleasureVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्Role KartāRoot √रम् (रमते)
- तस्मात्
- from that (therefore)Pronounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot तद् (स-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role Sampradāna (beneficiary/possessor)Root अस्मद्
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययम्Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root अद्य
- समृतेः
- from the encounter/strifeNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot समृति (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+√ऋ/√अर्? ‘meeting/encounter’, ‘conflict/press’ in Vedic usage)
- उरुष्यतम्
- protect (you two)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्Role Kartā (imperative addressed to two)Root √उरुष्य् (उरुष्यति ‘to protect, to save’)
- बाहुभ्याम्
- with (your) two armsNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, द्विवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- usPronounद्वितीया (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अस्मद्
- उरुष्यतम्
- protect (you two)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्Role Kartā (imperative addressed to two)Root √उरुष्य्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: न | यः | सम् | पृच्छे | न | पुनः | हवीतवे | न | सं | वादाय | रमते | तस्मात् | नः | अद्य | समृतेः | उरुष्यतम् | बाहुभ्याम् | नः | उरुष्यतम् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) सम्पृच्छे = सम् + पृच्छे (उपसर्ग-संयोगः; म् + प् → म्प्)
- (2) पुनर्हवीतवे = पुनः + हवीतवे (विसर्ग-लोपः/र्-आदेशः: ḥ + h → r h)
- (3) संवा॒दाय = सं + वादाय (म् + व् → ंव्; अनुस्वारः)
- (4) तस्मा॑न्नो = तस्मात् + नः (त् + न → न्न्; परसवर्ण/व्यञ्जन-सन्धिः)
- (5) समृतेरुरुष्यतम् = समृतेः + उरुष्यतम् (विसर्गः + उ → र्: ḥ/ः → र्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
One who neither consults nor returns to call again, who does not delight in concord—save us today from that false union; protect us with your arms, protect us.
Inner meaning
The verse rejects a consciousness that refuses inner consultation (sampṛcch-) and refuses to renew the call to the higher powers (punar havītave). It is the egoic will that won’t dialogue with truth (na saṃvādāya ramate). Such a nature falls into samṛti—false joining, a confused mixture: wrong associations, misleading agreements, counterfeit harmonies that bind the soul. Mitra–Varuṇa are invoked to rescue: Mitra restores true accord; Varuṇa cuts false bonds and rebinds the being to ṛta. Their ‘arms’ are the protecting forces of spiritual power that separate truth from falsehood within the mind and vital.
Universal truth
Discord and false agreement both derail life; only truth-based harmony protects. Salvation is the discernment that refuses counterfeit unions and returns again to sincere invocation.
Themes
Protection, Right relation and concord, Avoidance of false union, Ethical-psychological discernment
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.101 (protective Āditya appeal)
Significance
This is a classic Vedic psychological petition: rescue from inner falsehood and wrong synthesis; it aligns with the Aurobindonian theme of separating the mixed lower nature into truth-ordered parts.
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa
- Epithets
- uruṣyant (protecting, widening saviours—implied by uruṣyatam)
- Related deities
- Aryaman (right fellowship), Agni (inner priest who discriminates)
Cosmic role
Guardians against disorder: Mitra ensures true concord; Varuṇa prevents and corrects false bonds and breaches of ṛta.
Inner power
Discernment and protection: ability to detect false inner agreements and restore truthful alignment; strengthening the will to re-invoke and re-align.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective appeal within Āditya hymns; used to avert faults in rite and restore right concord among officiants.
न यः स॒म्पृच्छे॒ न पुन॒र्हवी॑तवे॒ न सं॑वा॒दाय॒ रम॑ते । तस्मा॑न्नो अ॒द्य समृ॑तेरुरुष्यतं बा॒हुभ्यां॑ न उरुष्यतम् ॥
न । यः । स॒म्ऽपृच्छे॑ । न । पुनः॑ । हवी॑तवे । न । स॒म्ऽवा॒दाय॑ । रम॑ते । तस्मा॑त् । नः॒ । अ॒द्य । सम्ऽऋ॑तेः । उ॒रु॒ष्य॒त॒म् । बा॒हुऽभ्या॑म् । नः॒ । उ॒रु॒ष्य॒त॒म् ॥
na | yaḥ | sam-pṛcche | na | punaḥ | havītave | na | sam-vādāya | ramate | tasmāt | naḥ | adya | sam-ṛteḥ | uruṣyatam | bāhu-bhyām | naḥ | uruṣyatam
Triṣṭubh (probable; verse structure suggests 4 × ~11 though presented as 2 lines)
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4 × ~11 (probable)
Corrective and petitionary; repeated uruṣyatam gives a protective refrain-like emphasis.
Creates urgency and sincerity; repetition imprints a feeling of being held and safeguarded.
- सम्पृच्छे (sampṛcche)
- Literal: to consult, inquire together. Symbolic: Inner questioning and sincere dialogue with truth and the higher guidance
- पुनर्हवीतवे (punar havītave)
- Literal: to call again. Symbolic: Persevering aspiration; returning to the Divine when one falls away
- संवादाय (saṃvādāya)
- Literal: for concord, true agreement. Symbolic: Right inner alignment of parts of the being; truthful consent
- समृतेः (samṛteḥ)
- Literal: from false joining/false agreement (confused union). Symbolic: Wrong synthesis—mixing truth with desire, light with ignorance; counterfeit harmony
- उरुष्यतम् (uruṣyatam)
- Literal: protect, save. Symbolic: Widening protection: a vast safeguarding influence of the Ādityas
- बाहुभ्याम् (bāhubhyām)
- Literal: with (your) two arms. Symbolic: Twin powers of harmony and law acting as effective protection
Apotropaic/protective usage within hymn-sequences: a plea to avert harmful alliances, errors of speech, or ritual/psychological mis-connection.
When seeking expiation/protection from errors, discord, or inauspicious mixtures during a rite.
Recitation as a protective prayer; may accompany mental ‘re-alignment’ before continuing offerings.
Use when caught in confusing relationships/commitments or internal conflict: chant to reject false compromise and return to truth-based harmony.
sampṛcch-: sam- + √prach ‘ask’ → mutual consultation/inner discernment. havītave: infinitive of √hū ‘to call/invoke’—renewal of aspiration. saṃvādá: sam- + √vad ‘speak’ → concord, true inner dialogue. sam-ṛti: sam- + √ṛ ‘go, fit, rise’ (and by proximity to ṛta/ṛ) suggests ‘a coming-together’; here marked as perilous/false entanglement, i.e., a joining not aligned with ṛta. uruṣy-: from √ur ‘wide’ → to rescue by making wide space, freeing from constriction.
Ṛta vs. an-ṛta (truth-order vs. disorder), right speech/accord (saṃvāda), protection as widening (uruṣy-)
Samṛti represents deviation from ṛta; Mitra–Varuṇa restore ṛta through protection and right agreement.
True saṃvāda (concord) is satya-consent among parts of the being.
Right synthesis (true joining) is a creative principle; false mixture leads to disorder.
Vedic ethics as psychology: sin/error as misalignment of consciousness rather than mere social fault.
Protective force-field of truth and harmony surrounding the seeker; separation from ‘mixed’ vibrations and false ties.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is not a battle scene but the peril of ‘false conjunction’—an inner demon of misrelation: refusing counsel, refusing renewed invocation, refusing concord. Salvation comes through the gods’ ‘arms’ widening the constricted path back to ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The cluster √vad ‘speak’ (PIE *wedh-/*wad- ‘speak’) and √ram ‘rest/joy’ (PIE *rem- ‘rest, be calm/pleased’) shows an Indo-European linkage between speech, agreement, and settled joy. The semantic of √ur ‘wide’ (PIE *wer- ‘wide, broad’) supports ‘protection’ as ‘making space’—a common archaic metaphor.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks the gods to intervene where human discernment and mutuality fail. Mitra–Varuṇa, as powers of accord and law, are invoked to restore right joining (true sam-ṛti aligned with ṛta) by an act of protective widening.
Detect and dissolve ‘false joining’—inner compromises where desire masquerades as truth; invoke protection to restore sincere alignment.
anāhata (true accord)
Slow exhale-lengthening (1:2) while repeating uruṣyatam; feel the heart settling into truthful agreement.
Sincere, purified, protected; capacity to say ‘no’ to falsehood without agitation.
Ask inwardly: ‘Where am I refusing consultation with truth?’ Then call again (punar-havītave) and feel Mitra–Varuṇa’s arms separating confusion into clear, harmonious order.
Notated svara unavailable; emphasize the repeated imperative uruṣyatam with a steady lift and firm cadence.
Keep clear pauses: na yaḥ sampṛcche | na punar havītave | ... | tasmān no adya | ... uruṣyatam || repeat bāhubhyāṃ na uruṣyatam with identical cadence.
sampṛcche: conjunct pṛcch—keep ‘cch’ doubled, punar: flap ‘r’ lightly, saṃvādāya: nasal ‘ṃ’ before v, uruṣyatam: ‘ṣy’ cluster clean; do not insert extra vowel
Supplicatory, warm, steady; soften on negatives (na …) and firm on protection verbs.
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