Rig Veda 8.72.17: Mandala 8, Sukta 72, Mantra 17
Sukta 8.72
- Devata
- Mitra-Varuṇa
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
सोमस्य मित्रावरुणोदिता सूर आ ददे । तदातुरस्य भेषजम् ॥
sómasya mitrāvaruṇóditā sū́ra ā́ dade | tád ātúrasya bheṣajám ||
मित्र और वरुण ने सोम की ताकत दी है। यह सूर्य के साथ उठता है और सही ढंग से चलता है। जो भी बीम्मर है उसके लिए यह दवा बन जाता है।
Word by Word
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्रावरुणः
- Mitra-VaruṇaNoun (dual-deity name)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (agent/subject)Root मित्रावरुण (द्वन्द्व-समास प्रातिपदिक: मित्र + वरुण)
- उदिता
- risen, arisenAdjective/Participleभूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (मित्रावरुणः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot उद् + इ (धातु) → उदित (कृदन्त)
- सूरः
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (appositional subject)Root सूर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सूर्य/सूर’)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (ददे इत्यस्य)Role क्रियाविशेषण (directional/intensifying)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ददे
- has given / bestowsVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्शभूत; Vedic perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot दा (धातु: दा ‘to give’)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (अत्र कर्मरूपेण)Role कर्म (object)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आतुरस्य
- of the afflicted/sickAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the afflicted’)Root आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
- भेषजम्
- remedy, medicineNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (object; apposition to तत्)Root भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सोमस्य | मित्रावरुणः | उदिता | सूरः | आ | ददे | तत् | आतुरस्य | भेषजम् || 1) ‘मित्रावरु॒णोदि॑ता’ = ‘मित्रावरुणः’ + ‘उदिता’ : विसर्ग (ः) + उ- → ओ (ओ-आदेश), hence ‘-णो-’
- 2) ‘तदातुरस्य’ = ‘तत्’ + ‘आतुरस्य’ : त् + आ → दा (जश्त्व/संधि), hence ‘तदा-’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Mitra and Varuṇa, upholding the Sun’s risen ordinance, have granted of Soma; that becomes medicine for the afflicted.
Inner meaning
Mitra (harmonising light of relationship) and Varuṇa (vast truth-order, purity) receive/dispense Soma (bliss-essence). When the inner law of Sūrya (illumined truth) is upheld, Soma becomes a healing power for the distressed parts of the being—those strained by desire, fear, or obscurity.
Universal truth
Healing is fundamentally a restoration of truth and harmony. When the consciousness aligns with a higher order (ṛta) and vast sincerity, the nectar of joy naturally arises and cures inner affliction.
Themes
Soma-essence, Healing, Ṛta and divine law, Inner illumination
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.72.1-18 (context unit)
Family tradition
Likely within Kāṇva-associated collections where Mitra-Varuṇa and Soma themes intertwine; exact rishi not stable in common recensions.
Significance
A concise therapeutic mantra: it frames spiritual practice as healing through truth (Varuṇa), harmony (Mitra), illumination (Sūrya), and delight (Soma).
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra-Varuṇa (with Soma under Sūrya’s law)
- Epithets
- Ādityas, Ṛtasya gopā (guardians of ṛta—traditional), Satyadharma (truth-law—implicit)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Soma, Indra, Aryaman
Cosmic role
They maintain cosmic order—Mitra by concord and right relation, Varuṇa by vastness, oath, and purifying law; under their governance Soma’s powers are safely distributed.
Inner power
Ethical-spiritual alignment: sincerity, inner wideness, right relationship—conditions for Soma-bliss to become curative rather than intoxicating.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-related recitations; Mitra-Varuṇa invocations in śrauta contexts (general)
सोम॑स्य मित्रावरु॒णोदि॑ता॒ सूर॒ आ द॑दे । तदातु॑रस्य भेष॒जम् ॥
सोम॑स्य । मि॒त्रा॒व॒रु॒णा॒ । उत्ऽइ॑ता । सूरे॑ । आ । द॒दे॒ । तत् । आतु॑रस्य । भे॒ष॒जम् ॥
somasya | mitrāvaruṇā | ut-itā | sūre | ā | dade | tat | āturasya | bheṣajam
Anuṣṭubh-like (probable; 2 pādas here but likely part of anuṣṭubh stanzaic pattern)
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4×8 underlying; transmitted as two half-verses in this excerpt
Measured, juridical, ‘Āditya’ cadence—orderly and restorative.
Induces steadiness and trust; calms agitation by invoking law, harmony, and healing delight.
- सोमस्य (somasya)
- Literal: of Soma. Symbolic: essence of delight/bliss that sustains immortality-consciousness
- मित्रावरुणा (mitrāvaruṇā)
- Literal: Mitra and Varuṇa. Symbolic: harmony + vast truth/purity; relational balance + cosmic law in the psyche
- उदिता सूरे (uditā sūre)
- Literal: when the Sun has risen / in the risen Sun. Symbolic: state of awakened illumination where truth becomes evident
- आ ददे (ā dade)
- Literal: have given/granted. Symbolic: descent/communication of higher substance into the seeker
- आतुरस्य (āturasya)
- Literal: of the afflicted/distressed. Symbolic: the troubled vital/mental being under pressure of ignorance
- भेषजम् (bheṣajam)
- Literal: medicine, remedy. Symbolic: restorative force of truth-joy that reorders consciousness
Soma context likely (Soma-pavamāna/pressing milieu): used as a healing and harmonizing invocation, aligning the sacrificer with solar ṛta through Mitra-Varuṇa.
During Soma pressing/offering sequences or Āditya propitiation; also suitable for daily recitation for inner balance.
Recitation over Soma (outer) / over breath and awareness (inner).
Use as a mantra for emotional regulation, recovery from burnout, or restoring truthfulness and harmony in relationships.
(soma-) from √su 'to press/express': the pressed essence becomes symbolic of extracted delight and luminous vitality. (mitra-) from √mi 'to bind/measure': the harmonizing power that forms right relations; (varuṇa-) often linked with √vṛ 'to cover/encompass' indicating vast containment and law. (udita-) from ud-√i 'to go up, rise' (here 'risen' solar truth). (sū́ra/sūrya) from a root of shining (cf. √svar/√sur in tradition): illumination. (ātura-) from ā-√tur 'to be troubled/pressed, hasten' → distressed. (bheṣaja-) traditionally from √bhiṣ 'to heal' (bhíṣaj 'physician'): remedy that restores.
Ṛta (cosmic order upheld by Mitra-Varuṇa), Healing as restoration of inner harmony, Solar illumination as truth-consciousness
Mitra-Varuṇa are archetypal upholders of ṛta; healing is framed as re-entry into ṛta.
Varuṇa’s truth-demand: cure comes by sincerity and inner cleansing.
The risen Sun indicates manifestation through illumination; Soma is the delight inherent in that truth-manifestation.
Integral Vedantic-yogic (Āditya = truth-consciousness powers)
sunrise (udita sūre)
Sunrise = awakening of discernment; Soma = joy-essence; medicine = rebalancing of prana-mind through truth and harmony.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic action is the bestowal of Soma’s essence by the law-powers Mitra and Varuṇa in the context of the risen Sun: a transfer of solar-ṛta into the human sphere as 'medicine'. The outer image (a healing draught) is the inner act of restoring the soul’s order by the luminous delight.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Key items show inherited Indo-European patterns: udita (ud-√i) parallels the widespread IE 'go up/ascend' semantics; Mitra (contract/bond) aligns with Indo-Iranian Mitra- as covenantal order; Varuṇa as encompassing law resonates with the archaic IE theme of a sovereign deity of binding order. bheṣaja relates to a healer lexeme (bhíṣaj) with parallels in Indo-Iranian medical vocabulary.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker receives a boon rather than merely praising: Mitra-Varuṇa, as guardians of ṛta, 'grant' the Soma-essence in the solar domain, and the human beneficiary experiences it as inner cure. The reciprocity is implicit: alignment to ṛta (truthful offering/aspiration) is met by divine restoration (bheṣaja) of the afflicted consciousness.
Align with truth and harmony so that inner delight becomes healing.
Anāhata (Mitra—harmony) and Viśuddha (Varuṇa—truth/purification)
Coherent breathing 5–5 for 3–5 minutes; then mantra on a long exhale, feeling release of inner constriction.
Restorative, truthful, reconciled.
Before repetition, make a brief resolve of sincerity (Varuṇa) and goodwill (Mitra). Repeat 27 times, imagining a cool Soma-current descending in the risen inner sunlight, soothing the ‘ātura’ parts.
Rigvedic accents per pada; maintain clear udātta on marked syllables (॑), especially सोम॑स्य, वरु॒णोदि॑ता, भेष॒जम्.
Keep ‘mitrāvaruṇoditā’ as a continuous compound in flow; avoid breaking the cadence before ‘sūra’.
: articulate retroflex ṇ in varuṇa; keep ‘oditā’ (o-di-tā) clear, : long ū (sūra), : bhē-ṣa-jam with clear ṣ (retroflex sibilant)
Cool, soothing, prayerful; soften consonants without losing clarity.
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