Rig Veda 8.72.12: Mandala 8, Sukta 72, Mantra 12
Sukta 8.72
- Devata
- Mahī / the Vast, within Indra-Soma hymn sequence
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
गाव उपावतावतं मही यज्ञस्य रप्सुदा । उभा कर्णा हिरण्यया ॥
gā́va úpāvatāvatáṃ mahī́ yajñásya rapsu-dā́ | ubhā́ kárṇā hiraṇyáyā ||
गाइयाँ, रोशनी की किरण, पास आती हैं। यह बड़ी शक्ति यज्ञ में खुशी देती है। उसके दोनों कान सोने के हैं। वो सच्ची पुकार सुन लेती है और स्वीकार करती है।
Word by Word
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- आवतावतम्
- the one possessing protection/help (protector)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot आवतावत (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आवतावत्’)
- मही
- the great (one); greatnessNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मही (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- रप्सुदा
- giver of ‘रप्सु’ (beauty/ornament/splendour)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समासान्त: ‘रप्सु’ + ‘दा’)Role कर्तृRoot रप्सु-दा (कृदन्त; दा √दा ‘to give’)
- उभा
- bothAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; द्विवचनRole विशेषणRoot उभ (प्रातिपदिक ‘उभ’/‘उभय’)
- कर्णा
- earsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; द्विवचनRole कर्मRoot कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिरण्यया
- goldenAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; द्विवचन (कर्णा इति विशेषणम्)Role विशेषणRoot हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: गावः | उप | आवतावतम् | मही | यज्ञस्य | रप्सुदा | उभा | कर्णा | हिरण्यया । 1) ‘गाव॒ उपा॑वताव॒तं’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘गावः + उप’ इति पदसन्धिः (विसर्गः पदान्ते; ऋग्वैदिक-पाठे पदविभागेन ‘गावः | उप’)। 2) ‘उपा॑वताव॒तं’ = ‘उप’ (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + ‘आवतावतम्’ (विशेष्यपदम्) — संहितालक्षणेन एकपदवत् उच्चारणम्। 3) ‘म॒ही य॒ज्ञस्य॑’ इत्यत्र सन्धिः न आवश्यकः (स्वर/पदविभागः मात्रम्)। 4) ‘र॒प्सुदा॑’ समास/कृदन्त-रूपम्: रप्सु + दा (√दा) ‘देने’ → ‘रप्सुदा’ (दातारः/दातृविशेषणम्)। 5) ‘उ॒भा कर्णा॑ हिर॒ण्यया॑’ — ‘हिरण्यया’ नपुंसक-द्विवचनं विशेषणम्, ‘कर्णा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The cows come near to the depth; the Vast (Mahī), giver of delight to the sacrifice, has both ears of gold.
Inner meaning
The illumining rays (gāvaḥ) approach the subconscient depth (avata) to draw up hidden energies into the yajña of self-offering. Mahī, the Vastness (the wideness of consciousness, often figured as Earth-Vast), is ‘rapsudā’—she gives rasa/rapas (delight, savor) to the sacrifice. Her ‘golden ears’ signify perfect receptive hearing: the vast consciousness receives the true call (śravaṇa) of aspiration and responds.
Universal truth
Illumination becomes effective when it descends into the depths; wideness of being is the condition that can truly hear, receive, and transform what rises from below.
Themes
Cows as rays of knowledge, Golden hearing/receptivity, Nourishing the inner sacrifice
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.72.11, Rig Veda 8.72.13
Family tradition
Kāṇva-style hymnic psychology: light (go) and wideness (mahī/uru) cooperate with Soma-pressing to conquer the coverer.
Significance
The seer-voice here is diagnostic: it identifies the needed movement—illumination must approach the depth, supported by wideness that can ‘hear’ and hold the descent.
The deity
- Devata
- Mahī (the Vast; Earth-as-vastness)
- Epithets
- Mahī (Vast), Rapsudā (giver of delight/sap), Hiraṇyakarṇā (golden-eared, as described)
- Related deities
- Pṛthivī, Aditi (infinite), Indra (illumination), Soma (delight)
Cosmic role
Foundation and wideness that supports the yajña; receiver of offerings; stabilizer of energies so light can work in the depths.
Inner power
Capacity for wideness, patience, and receptive intuition—hearing the soul’s call and holding transformation without collapse.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña context; also general praise of supportive cosmic powers in pressing sequence
गाव॒ उपा॑वताव॒तं म॒ही य॒ज्ञस्य॑ र॒प्सुदा॑ । उ॒भा कर्णा॑ हिर॒ण्यया॑ ॥
गावः॑ । उप॑ । अ॒व॒त॒ । अ॒व॒तम् । म॒ही इति॑ । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । र॒प्सुदा॑ । उ॒भा । कर्णा॑ । हि॒र॒ण्यया॑ ॥
gāvaḥ | upa | avata | avatam | mahī iti | yajñasya | rapsudā | ubhā | karṇā | hiraṇyayā
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Likely 4 padas; the mid-verse caesura supports a ‘coming near’ and ‘receiving’ movement.
Expansive, with a widening feel on mahī; concluding phrase hiraṇyayā lingers like a golden resonance.
Creates a sense of widening and deep listening; good for grounding illumination into subconscious layers.
- गावः (gāvaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledges; illuminations
- अवत (avata)
- Literal: depth, pit. Symbolic: subconscient; hidden layer needing illumination
- मही (mahī)
- Literal: the great/vast; Earth. Symbolic: wideness of consciousness; stable vast foundation for transformation
- यज्ञ (yajña)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: inner offering; self-giving of nature to the Divine
- रप्सुदा (rapsudā)
- Literal: giver of rapsu/rapas (delight/juice). Symbolic: power that supplies rasa—joyful sap—to spiritual practice
- हिरण्यया कर्णा (hiraṇyayā karṇā)
- Literal: golden ears. Symbolic: supramental receptivity; flawless intuitive hearing
Soma-sacrifice imagery: the ‘cows’ (streams/offerings/lights) approach the receptacle; inner: descent of rays into the depths so the sacrifice is nourished with delight.
When invoking supportive powers (Earth/Vastness) and the approach of ‘cows’ (lights) during offering
Recitation alongside libation/pressing; conceptual ‘bringing near’ of rays and stabilizing foundation
Use to cultivate wideness and receptivity before deep inner work/therapy-like introspection; ‘let the rays approach the depth’ safely.
go/gāvaḥ: beyond cattle, Vedic go frequently signifies ‘ray/light’ (from √gā/√gam semantic of movement and the established Vedic symbolism of ‘cows of light’). mahī: ‘the great/vast’ (expansive foundation). hiraṇya: ‘gold’ → solar luminosity, truth-substance. rapsu-dā: compound ‘giver of rapsu’; rapsu denotes a shining delight/beauty (contextually aligned with madhu and śrī).
illumination entering the subconscious, Vastness (mahī) as foundation for R̥ta, hearing as receptivity to the mantra/Word
Rita is served when the lights do not stay on the surface but lawfully enter and order the depths.
Golden ears symbolize satya-śravaṇa: hearing without distortion, receiving the true vibration.
Wideness as matrix that allows light to permeate and transform the lower strata.
Integral psychology: descent of light into subconscient supported by wideness (mahattva/uru).
Rays of knowledge descend into the subconscient; vastness provides grounding; gold indicates luminous, truth-bearing receptivity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cows’ approaching the depth: the classic recovery/approach of rays of light/knowledge to the hidden places, now coordinated with the Vast (Mahī) who nourishes the sacrifice with delight and possesses golden receptivity (ears).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- go- ‘cow’ is a prominent Indo-Iranian/IE cultural term; its Vedic semantic expansion to ‘ray/light’ is a poetic development. hiraṇya ‘gold’ reflects a widespread IE association of gold with solar brilliance. The compound rapsu-dā shows productive compounding typical of early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to the Vast receptive power to support the sacrifice by bringing near the rays (gāvaḥ). The ‘golden ears’ signify that the devatā listens to the right invocation and responds by sending delight/illumination into the depths of the practitioner.
Widen the field of awareness (mahī) and invite rays of clarity (gāvaḥ) to move gently into the ‘depth’ where habits and fears reside.
Muladhara (foundation) supporting Ajna (light/rays); integration through the central channel.
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale ‘widen’, on exhale ‘listen’—as if the Vast has golden ears.
Grounded openness; receptive intuition; safe descent into deeper layers.
Before confronting deep patterns, establish vastness: feel the body as steady earth, then allow insights to approach the difficult place without force.
Not fully determinable without accent notation; maintain Vedic pitch contours with clear udātta on key nouns (gāvaḥ, mahī).
Sustain mahī; articulate rapsudā distinctly; end with a bright lift on hiraṇyayā.
(gāvaḥ): long ā, visarga audible, (upāvatāvatam): keep long ā; avoid collapsing syllables, (mahī): long ī, (rapsudā): cluster ‘ps’ crisp, (hiraṇyayā): retroflex ṇ; ‘yā’ long
Broad, steady, ‘listening’ tone; avoid sharpness.
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