Rig Veda 8.42.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 42, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.42
- Devata
- Varuṇa
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
एवा वन्दस्व वरुणं बृहन्तं नमस्या धीरममृतस्य गोपाम् । स नः शर्म त्रिवरूथं वि यंसत्पातं नो द्यावापृथिवी उपस्थे ॥
evā́ vandasva váruṇaṃ bṛhántam namasyā́ dhī́ram amṛ́tasya gopā́m | sá naḥ śárma tri-varū́thaṃ ví yaṃsat pā́taṃ no dyāvā-pṛthivī́ upásthe ||
इसलिए वरुण की पूजा करो, वो बड़ा है। उसको झुक के नमस्कार करो, वो अमृत का रक्षक है। वो हमें तीन तरह की सुरक्षा दे। आसमान और धरती की गोद में हमें बचाए।
Word by Word
- एवा
- thus, just soIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/confirmatory particle)Root एव (निपात) + आ (प्रगृह्य/उपपद) → एवा
- वन्दस्व
- worship/praise (you)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (कर्तृ-आदेशः) ‘त्वम्’Root √वन्द् (वन्दते ‘स्तुतौ/नमस्कारे’)
- वरुणम्
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहन्तम्
- the great, loftyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वरुणम् इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root बृहन्त् (विशेषण; ‘महान्’)
- नमस्या
- worthy of reverenceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वरुणम् इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root नमस्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √नम् + स्य = ‘नमस्य-’ ‘पूज्य/नमस्करणीय’)
- धीरम्
- wise, steadfastAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वरुणम् इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृतस्य
- of immortality / of the deathless (order)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोपाम्
- guardian, protectorNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वरुणम् इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root गोपा (प्रातिपदिक; गो + √पा ‘पालने’)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (context: ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- शर्म
- shelter, protection, comfortNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्रिवरूथम्
- threefold-guarded, with triple protectionAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (शर्म इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root त्रि-वरूथ (प्रातिपदिक; वरूथ ‘रक्षा/आवरण’)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यं॑सत्
- may he grant/extendVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ) / वैदिक-आशीर्लिङ्-सदृश प्रयोगः, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: सः = वरुणः)Root √यम् (यच्छति/यंस्ते ‘नियमे/प्रयच्छने’)
- पातम्
- may he protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: सः = वरुणः)Root √पा (पालने) / √पा (पाने) — here ‘protect’
- नः
- usPronounद्वितीया, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role कर्मRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- द्यावापृथिवी
- Heaven-and-EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्वः), प्रथमा, द्विवचन (युगलदेवते)Role कर्तृ (पातम् इत्यस्य सहायक-कर्तृ/आह्वान-कर्तृभावः)Root द्यावा-पृथिवी (द्वन्द्व-समास; द्यावन्/द्यौस् + पृथिवी)
- उपस्थे
- in the lap, in the bosomNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): एवा | वन्दस्व | वरुणम् | बृहन्तम् | नमस्या | धीरम् | अमृतस्य | गोपाम् | सः | नः | शर्म | त्रिवरूथम् | वि | यं॑सत् | पातम् | नः | द्यावापृथिवी | उपस्थे । विशेषाः: (1) ‘ए॒वा’ = एव + आ (वैदिक-प्रगृह्य/निपातवृद्धि; ‘एव’ का बलवर्धक रूप). (2) ‘द्यावापृथिवी’ द्वन्द्व-समासः, वैदिके प्रायः देवताद्वयस्य प्रथमा-द्विवचनम्. (3) ‘नः’ द्विवारम्—पूर्वं दातृ/सम्बन्धार्थे (‘for us’), उत्तरं कर्मरूपे (‘protect us’). (4) ‘यं॑सत्’ वैदिके आज्ञार्थ/प्रार्थनार्थ 3sg रूपेण (√यम्) ‘grant/extend’ अर्थे
- ‘वि’ उपसर्गेण ‘विस्तरेण/विशेषेण’ भावः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Adore Varuṇa the Vast; bow to the steadfast guardian of immortality. May he extend peace with triple protection and guard us in the lap of Heaven and Earth.
Inner meaning
The mantra turns from description to practice: worship (vandasva) and surrender (namasyā) to Varuṇa bṛhantam—the Vastness that frees from cramped ego. He is dhīraḥ—steadfast, composed intelligence—and gopā of amṛta: protector of the immortal consciousness (deathless awareness/bliss) within. ‘Triple protection’ (tri-varūtha) is an inner armor across the three planes—body, life, mind—so peace (śarma) can spread without breach. To be guarded in the ‘lap of Heaven-and-Earth’ is to live embraced by higher consciousness (dyauḥ) while securely grounded in embodied life (pṛthivī), both harmonized under ṛta.
Universal truth
Peace becomes stable when we entrust ourselves to a vast, law-bearing consciousness that protects the immortal core and establishes integrated protection across all levels of life.
Themes
Prayer-Protection, Immortality-Amrta, Vastness-Brihat, Rita-Guardianship
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.42.1 (Varuṇa’s world-order), RV 7.86 (prayer to Varuṇa for release and protection)
Significance
A direct sādhanā-mantra: it teaches the inner gesture of devotion to Vastness and the aspiration for integral protection and peace.
The deity
- Devata
- Varuṇa
- Epithets
- Bṛhant (the Vast), Dhīra (the steadfast), Amṛtasya gopā (guardian of immortality)
- Related deities
- Dyāvāpṛthivī (heaven-earth pair), Mitra (harmony), Aditi (infinite protection)
Cosmic role
Protector and regulator who shelters beings within the law of ṛta and preserves the immortal principle.
Inner power
Vast equanimity that grants peace; protective law that seals the being against disorder across all levels.
In ritual
Where it is used
Varuṇa-upāsanā/praise; protective prayer within śrauta recitations; adaptable to daily japa
ए॒वा व॑न्दस्व॒ वरु॑णं बृ॒हन्तं॑ नम॒स्या धीर॑म॒मृत॑स्य गो॒पाम् । स न॒: शर्म॑ त्रि॒वरू॑थं॒ वि यं॑सत्पा॒तं नो॑ द्यावापृथिवी उ॒पस्थे॑ ॥
ए॒व । व॒न्द॒स्व॒ । वरु॑णम् । बृ॒हन्त॑म् । न॒म॒स्य । धीर॑म् । अ॒मृत॑स्य । गो॒पाम् । सः । नः॒ । शर्म॑ । त्रि॒ऽवरू॑थम् । वि । यं॒स॒त् । प॒तम् । नः॒ । द्या॒वा॒पृ॒थि॒वी॒ इति॑ । उ॒पऽस्थे॑ ॥
eva | vandasva | varuṇam | bṛhantam | namasya | dhīram | amṛtasya | gopām | saḥ | naḥ | śarma | tri-varūtham | vi | yaṃsat | patam | naḥ | dyāvāpṛthivī iti | upa-sthe
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4 pādas
Devotional and sheltering; strong opening imperative, soft protective close.
Soothes and stabilizes; evokes a felt ‘covering’ of protection and a widening peace.
- बृहन्तम् (bṛhantam)
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: wideness of consciousness beyond ego-limits
- धीरम् (dhīram)
- Literal: steadfast, wise. Symbolic: calm, enduring discernment; steady soul-intelligence
- अमृतस्य गोपाम् (amṛtasya gopām)
- Literal: guardian of immortality. Symbolic: protector of deathless awareness/bliss in the being
- शर्म (śarma)
- Literal: peace, shelter. Symbolic: deep psychic peace and safe inner refuge
- त्रिवरूथम् (tri-varūtham)
- Literal: threefold protection/defense. Symbolic: integral protection of body-life-mind; triple armor of ṛta
- द्यावापृथिवी उपस्थे (dyāvāpṛthivī upasthe)
- Literal: in the lap of Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: held between higher consciousness and grounded embodiment in harmony
Protective prayer (śarma, varūtha) in Varuṇa context; suitable for appeasement, safeguarding, and restoration of right order.
Morning or evening for protection, truth-alignment, and inner peace; also during vows/ethical commitments
Namaskāra and recitation; offering water (arghya) can accompany as symbolic purification
Use as a daily protective invocation before travel, important speech, or meditation; set an intention of truthfulness (vrata) as the ‘price’ of protection.
bṛhat: from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ → vastness. gopā: go- ‘cows/rays’ + √pā ‘protect’ → protector; psychologically, protector of luminous herds (knowledges) leading to amṛta. śarma: ‘shelter/comfort’ (inner peace). varūtha: ‘covering, defense’ (from √vṛ ‘cover, protect’).
Amṛta (immortality) as deathless consciousness, Protection as alignment to ṛta
Protection is not arbitrary; it is the shelter given when one aligns with Varuṇa’s law.
Dhīra steadiness supports satya in speech and conduct, preserving inner amṛta.
Heaven-earth as sustaining poles; the being is held in their lap when harmonized.
Bhakti-inflected yoga within Vedic framework: devotion to Vastness as a means to stabilize immortality-consciousness.
evening or dawn suitable (protective invocation)
Heaven = higher peace; Earth = stable embodiment; triple protection = integrated resilience across body-life-mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Varuṇa as the ‘guardian of immortality’ who grants triple protection—an archetype of divine sheltering that preserves the aspirant’s movement toward amṛta against dispersive forces.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘protect’ has PIE *peh₂- ‘to protect, pasture’ (cf. Latin pāstor). dyāvā-pṛthivī as a dvandva compound reflects inherited Indo-European pairing of Sky/Earth as cosmic parents/supports.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi adopts the posture of surrender (namasyā) and requests not outer goods but an inner condition: śarma (peace) with tri-varūtha (multi-plane protection), indicating a reciprocal bond—obedience to ṛta answered by safeguarding grace.
Devotion to Vastness and ethical alignment; receive triple protection and rest in peace.
Anāhata (peace/shelter) supported by Ājñā (dhīra discernment)
Lengthen exhale to cultivate śarma; mentally repeat ‘śarma trivarūtham’ on exhale.
Sheltered equanimity; heart-centered calm under a wide sky of awareness.
Before chanting, make a simple inner bow (namas). After chanting, sit 2–3 minutes feeling ‘protected space’ around the body and ‘wide space’ above the head; renew one truth-vow for the day.
RV accentuation per śākhā; keep imperatives (‘vandasva’, ‘namasyā’) clear and slightly lifted; soften on ‘śarma’.
Crisp opening (invocation), then progressively gentler tone toward ‘upasthe’ to convey shelter.
: e-vā (long ā), : van-das-va (clear dental d), : na-mas-yā (syā cluster), : a-mṛ-ta-sya (vocalic ṛ), : tri-va-rū-tham (long ū; aspirate th), : u-pas-the (aspirate th)
Warm, protective, slightly softer than the preceding declarative verse.
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