Rig Veda 8.7.6: Mandala 8, Sukta 7, Mantra 6
Sukta 8.7
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
युष्माँ उ नक्तमूतये युष्मान्दिवा हवामहे । युष्मान्प्रयत्यध्वरे ॥
yuṣmā́m̐ u naktám ūtáye yuṣmā́n divā́ havāmahe | yuṣmā́n pra-yáty adhvaré ||
हम तुम्हे रात को बुलाते हैं, हम तुम्हे दिन में बुलाते हैं। यज्ञ के काम में जब आगे बढ़ना होता है, तब भी तुम्हारा नाम लेते हैं। हर वक्त तुम्हारी ज़रूरत होती है।
Word by Word
- युष्मान्
- you (pl.), as the object (you all)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-लिङ्ग), द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed, verilyIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय), अर्थ-प्रबलक/अनुनासिकRoot उ (निपात)
- नक्तम्
- by night, at nightIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल-अधिकरण)Root नक्तम् (अव्यय/कालवाचक) < नक्त (रात्रि)
- ऊतये
- for help, for aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot ऊति- (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक) < √अव्/√ऊ (रक्षण/सहाय) (वैदिक)
- युष्मान्
- you (pl.), as the objectPronounपुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-लिङ्ग), द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवा
- by day, in the daytimeIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल-अधिकरण)Root दिवा (अव्यय/कालवाचक) < दिवस्/द्यौ (दिन)
- हवामहे
- we invoke/callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम पुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √ह्वा (ह्वयति) ‘to call, invoke’
- युष्मान्
- you (pl.), as the objectPronounपुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-लिङ्ग), द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रयति
- at the setting-forth (of the rite), at the advanceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरण (अवसर/स्थिति)Root प्रयति- (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक) < प्र-√या ‘to go forth’ (यज्ञ-प्रवृत्ति/प्रस्थान) (वैदिक)
- अध्वरे
- in the sacrifice, in the riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरण (स्थान/विषय)Root अध्वर- (पुं. प्रातिपदिक) ‘sacrifice, rite’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक संधि-निरसन): यु॒ष्माँ उ॒ नक्त॑मू॒तये॑ → युष्मान् + उ + नक्तम् + ऊतये (नक्तम् + ऊतये = नक्तमूतये, अकार+ऊकार संधि)
- यु॒ष्मान्दिवा॑ → युष्मान् + दिवा (न् + द् संयोग)
- यु॒ष्मान्प्र॑य॒त्य॑ध्व॒रे → युष्मान् + प्रयति + अध्वरे (न् + प् संयोग; प्रयति + अध्वरे में संधि नहीं, पद-सीमा पर य-स्वराघात/संहिता-पाठ में संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We call you at night for help; we call you by day; we call you in the forward-moving course of the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The Marut powers are invoked in all states of consciousness: in ‘night’ (inconscience, obscurity, inner difficulty), in ‘day’ (clarity, active awareness), and in the ‘advancing adhvara’ (the progressive inner yajña). The seeker asks that the dynamic helpers guard and guide the journey continuously, not only in luminous moments but also through hidden passages.
Universal truth
Spiritual practice must be continuous—through darkness and light. The same divine forces that intensify illumination also protect during obscurity and sustain steady progress.
Themes
invocation, protection, integral practice (night/day)
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.7.5, Rig Veda 8.7.7, Rig Veda 8.7.8, Rig Veda 8.7.9
Family tradition
Book 8’s Marut hymns often reflect a pragmatic, experiential spirituality—invocation of forces for protection and progress.
Significance
The seer emphasizes uninterrupted reliance on divine powers—an early formulation of ‘integral’ practice across all inner conditions.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- protectors (ūtaye), companions of Indra, storm-helpers
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Guardians and energizers of the mid-world (antarikṣa), sustaining movement, protection, and victory of the gods.
Inner power
Protective dynamism: they defend the aspirant during inner ‘night’ and amplify right action during ‘day’.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective invocation to Maruts within shrauta sequences; also suitable as a general call during transitions of the rite (evening/morning presses)
यु॒ष्माँ उ॒ नक्त॑मू॒तये॑ यु॒ष्मान्दिवा॑ हवामहे । यु॒ष्मान्प्र॑य॒त्य॑ध्व॒रे ॥
यु॒ष्मान् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । नक्त॑म् । ऊ॒तये॑ । यु॒ष्मान् । दिवा॑ । ह॒वा॒म॒हे॒ । यु॒ष्मान् । प्र॒ऽय॒ति । अ॒ध्व॒रे ॥
yuṣmān | oṃ iti | naktam | ūtaye | yuṣmān | divā | havāmahe | yuṣmān | pra-yati | adhvare
44
4 × ~11 (with a strong anaphora: yuṣmān… yuṣmān… yuṣmān…)
Repetitive invocation creates a drumbeat of continuity—night/day/advance.
Instills steadiness and a sense of being accompanied; builds protective confidence across changing inner states.
- naktam
- Literal: night. Symbolic: periods of obscurity, tamas, subconscious pressure, inner trial
- divā
- Literal: day. Symbolic: clarity, awakened awareness, discernment, illumined activity
- ūtaye
- Literal: for help, protection. Symbolic: divine guardianship; strengthening support of higher energies
- adhvara
- Literal: sacrifice (lit. ‘non-injuring’ rite). Symbolic: the inner yajña: self-offering without violence to the being; progressive transformation
- pra-yati
- Literal: forward-going, advancing movement. Symbolic: the ascent-current; progressive unfolding of consciousness
General Marut-invocation applicable across the Soma day: night-preparations, daytime pressing, and the ‘forward movement’ of the rite.
At times of uncertainty or transition—night/day markers; when the rite ‘moves forward’ to the next act
Repeated calling (havāmahe) to establish presence and guardianship
Use as an all-day protective refrain: morning (day), evening (night), and before/within any focused practice session (adhvara).
: ūti- ‘help, protection’ from √av/√ū ‘to aid’ (Vedic). : √hū ‘call, invoke’ (middle). : traditionally ‘sacrifice’, often explained as a- + dhvara ‘unbroken/non-injurious’; functionally the ritual path; psychologically the ordered inner work. /divā: night/day as alternating states of consciousness.
continuity of divine aid across states of consciousness, adhvara as inner path of r̥ta
Implied: calling the powers that maintain right movement through alternating conditions.
Truth is not only a noon-clarity; it must hold in night as well.
Cosmic alternation (night/day) as a field for progressive evolution via sacrifice.
Integral/psychological Veda: day-night as consciousness-states in the human journey.
Night and day explicitly
Night/day map to subconscious/illumined mind; ‘advancing sacrifice’ is the steady ascent through both.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ever-available helper-host: the Maruts are invoked across temporal and ritual phases—night, day, and the sacrifice’s forward advance—signaling a mythic guardianship that spans all transitions.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hū ‘call’ corresponds to PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear’ only loosely by function (invocation seeks hearing), but the clearer IE link is √hū as a distinct Indo-Iranian calling verb; √av ‘help’ is comparable to IE assistance/protection semantic fields though direct cognation is debated. The day/night binary is a pervasive IE poetic structure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A sustained dependence: the rishi positions the Maruts as constant allies in all inner conditions—obscure (night), lucid (day), and transformative (the moving sacrifice)—establishing a continuous reciprocity of invocation and protection.
Invoke protective dynamism in both clarity and obscurity; cultivate continuity of aspiration.
Muladhara (safety/ground) and Manipura (force to proceed)
Night/day practice: inhale ‘yuṣmān’, exhale ‘havāmahe’; keep equal length; repeat 12–27 cycles.
Steady recollection (smṛti) with protective presence
Chant at three ‘gates’: before sleep (night), upon waking (day), and before meditation/work (advancing adhvara). Feel the Marut host as a ring of luminous wind around the body-mind.
Notated svaras not provided; keep the repeated ‘yuṣmān’ slightly lifted (udatta-like) to preserve the anaphoric power.
Three clear calls: yuṣmā́n… yuṣmā́n… yuṣmā́n…; articulate pra-yáti as two parts (pra + yati).
yuṣmān: retroflex ṣ, naktam: clear ‘kt’ cluster, ūtaye: long ū, adhvare: dh voiced aspirate; ‘v’ as soft labiodental
Soothing but firm; protective invocation rather than aggressive.
27
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
