Rig Veda 8.18.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 18, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.18
- Devata
- Aditi
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Karuna (compassion)
देवेभिर्देव्यदितेऽरिष्टभर्मन्ना गहि । स्मत्सूरिभिः पुरुप्रिये सुशर्मभिः ॥
devébhiḥ devi adite áriṣṭa-bharman nā́ gahi | smát sūrí-bhiḥ puru-priye suśárma-bhiḥ ||
देवी अदिति, तुम हमारे पास आओ और देवताओं को साथ लाओ। तुम सुरक्षा करती हो जहाँ कोई टूटना नहीं होता। तुम बहुत प्यारी हो और अच्छी शांति देती हो। रिशि और बड़े लोग भी तुम्हारे साथ हों।
Word by Word
- दे॒वेभिः
- with/by the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot देव-
- देवि
- O goddessNoun (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot देवी-
- अदिते
- O AditiNoun (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अदिति-
- अरिष्टभर्मन्
- O bearer of uninjured/secure support (epithet)Adjective (vocative epithet)(विशेषण-प्रयोगः) पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अरिष्ट-भर्मन्
- आ
- hither, towardsPreverb/Particleउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ
- गहि
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot गम्
- स्मत्
- from usPronoun(अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-एकवचन (वैदिक-प्रयोगे ‘स्मत्’ = ‘अस्मत्’); ‘from us/than us’Role ApādānaRoot अस्मद्
- सूरिभिः
- with the patrons/benefactorsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सूरि-
- पुरुप्रिये
- O much-beloved / dear to manyAdjective (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot पुरु-प्रिय-
- सुशर्मभिः
- with good protections/sheltersNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सु-शर्मन्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: दे॒वेभिः | देवि अदिते अरिष्टभर्मन् | आ गहि | स्मत् सूरिभिः | पुरुप्रिये | सुशर्मभिः || 1) देव्यदि॒ते = देवि + अदिते (इ + अ → य; ‘देवि’ का इकार ‘य्’ होकर संधि)
- 2) अदितेऽरिष्टभर्मन् = अदिते + अरिष्टभर्मन् (ए + अ → एऽ; अवग्रह)
- 3) स्मत्सू॒रिभिः = स्मत् + सूरिभिः (त् + स → त्स्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O goddess Aditi, bearer of unbroken safety, come here with the gods; with our seers and many beloved ones, with protections of good peace.
Inner meaning
Aditi is the infinite Mother-consciousness, the undivided wideness that holds and releases the soul from limitation. ‘Ariṣṭa-bharman’ (bearer of unbroken safety) signifies her power to keep the inner sacrifice intact against fracture by fear, falsehood, or hostile forces. The call ‘ā gahi’ is an invitation for the Infinite to descend into the field of our sūri (illumined will/wise powers) so that ‘suśarma’—true peace—becomes a living protection.
Universal truth
When the consciousness widens into the Infinite (Aditi), fragmentation diminishes; protection arises naturally as wholeness, and peace becomes a force, not merely a feeling.
Themes
Aditi-invocation, protection and wholeness, descent of divine powers
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.18.1, Rig Veda 8.18.2, Rig Veda 8.18.3, Rig Veda 8.18.5
Significance
The seer shifts from invoking solar governors to invoking their source-field—Aditi, the infinite wideness—suggesting that the surest protection is expansion beyond limitation.
The deity
- Devata
- Aditi
- Epithets
- devī (goddess), ariṣṭa-bharman (bearer of unbroken safety), puru-priyā (many-beloved)
- Related deities
- Ādityas, Dyaus-Pṛthivī (as cosmic expanse motifs), Uṣas (as opening light within wideness)
Cosmic role
Infinite Mother of the Ādityas; the boundless expanse that supports cosmic order and births the truth-powers.
Inner power
Widening and integrative force: releases from constriction, heals division, establishes a comprehensive peace.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and auspicious invocation for wholeness (ariṣṭa) and shelter (śárman); usable where ritual seeks freedom from harm and establishment of a guarded inner/outer space.
दे॒वेभि॑र्देव्यदि॒तेऽरि॑ष्टभर्म॒न्ना ग॑हि । स्मत्सू॒रिभि॑: पुरुप्रिये सु॒शर्म॑भिः ॥
दे॒वेभिः॑ । दे॒वि॒ । अ॒दि॒ते॒ । अरि॑ष्टऽभर्मन् । आ । ग॒हि॒ । स्मत् । सू॒रिऽभिः॑ । पु॒रु॒ऽप्रि॒ये॒ । सु॒शर्म॑ऽभिः ॥
devebhiḥ | devi | adite | ariṣta-bharman | ā | gahi | smat | sūri-bhiḥ | puru-priye | suśarma-bhiḥ
Not securely identifiable; imperative invocation suggests brisk call followed by descriptive apposition.
Invocatory and welcoming; first half calls descent, second half gathers supports (sūri, suśarma).
Produces a felt widening and safety; good for grounding after intense practice or emotional turbulence.
- अदिते (adite)
- Literal: Aditi. Symbolic: the Infinite, indivisible consciousness; universal Mother
- अरिष्टभर्मन् (ariṣṭa-bharman)
- Literal: bearing the uninjured/unbroken. Symbolic: power that keeps the being intact; immunity from inner fracture
- देवेभिः (devebhiḥ)
- Literal: with the gods. Symbolic: with the supporting divine powers (Ādityas and allies)
- सूरिभिः (sūribhiḥ)
- Literal: with seers/nobles. Symbolic: illumined faculties in us—wise will, clear intelligence
- पुरुप्रिये (puru-priye)
- Literal: many-beloved. Symbolic: the Infinite is loved by many parts of the being when it is felt
- सुशर्मभिः (suśarmabhiḥ)
- Literal: with good shelters/peace-protections. Symbolic: active peace that guards and stabilizes consciousness
Protective and auspicious invocation for wholeness (ariṣṭa) and shelter (śárman); usable where ritual seeks freedom from harm and establishment of a guarded inner/outer space.
Use when feeling constricted, anxious, or fragmented; as an invocation of ‘unbroken safety’ before sleep or before entering challenging environments.
Aditi (a- ‘not’ + diti ‘binding/division’) indicates ‘unboundedness’; ariṣṭa ‘unharmed’ is a key protective epithet. √gam ‘to go’ in imperative gahi marks invocation as descent. su-śarma combines su ‘good’ + śarman ‘shelter/peace’.
Aditi as infinity/undividedness, ariṣṭa as integrity (unbroken being)
Aditi is the field in which ṛta can be held without rupture; she supports the gods who enforce it.
Truth as wholeness: the unbroken (ariṣṭa) continuity of consciousness.
The Infinite as womb of the solar powers; descent of the gods into the human sacrifice.
Vedic infinity-doctrine leading toward Upaniṣadic Brahman as boundless being-consciousness.
open sky time (day or clear dawn)
Expansion of awareness like an open sky; thoughts become clouds passing without threatening the inner integrity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The descent of Aditi ‘with the gods’ as a host of protections: the mother of infinity arrives bearing intactness (ariṣṭa), establishing a guarded field for the work of ascent.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘go/come’ reflects PIE *gʷem- ‘to go/come’ (cf. Greek baínō is different; more relevant: Latin venīre is also different, but the PIE root is well-attested). The protective lexicon (ariṣṭa, śarman) reflects an Indo-European poetic concern with ‘unharmed wholeness’ under divine guardianship.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- It is invitational and collaborative: the human community of insight (sūrí-bhiḥ) calls Aditi to join their work; the boon is not only external safety but a stable inner shelter enabling right action and knowledge.
Rest in ‘open sky’ awareness; invoke Aditi as the infinite container in which all movements are safely held.
sahasrara
soft, continuous breathing with attention on the crown and the space above the head; exhale as ‘releasing into vastness’
Wideness (bṛhat) and safety; non-constricted witnessing.
Chant, then visualize a boundless dome of light above and around you; let each worry rise and dissolve into that wideness; conclude with a quiet offering of gratitude.
Śākha-specific svara not provided; chant with a clear imperative lift on ‘ā gahi’.
Divide: devebhir | devy adite | ariṣṭabharman | ā gahi || smat | sūribhiḥ | purupriye | suśarmabhiḥ; keep ‘ariṣṭa-bharman’ as one unit.
adite: short e at end (not ‘adi-ti’ separated), ariṣṭa: ṣ retroflex; ṭ retroflex, bharman: bh aspirated; r clear tap, ā gahi: long ā; gahi with soft h, sūribhiḥ: long ū; final ḥ audible but light
Maternal, soothing, expansive; slightly louder on the invitation, softer on the protection phrase.
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