Rig Veda 10.57.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 57, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.57
- Devata
- Yajña as a divine connective power
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यो यज्ञस्य प्रसाधनस्तन्तुर्देवेष्वाततः । तमाहुतं नशीमहि ॥
yó yajñásya prasā́dhanas tántur devéṣv ā́tataḥ | tám ā́hutam naśīmahi ||
Benang yajña yang menjadi penyempurna sejatinya, yang terbentang di antara para dewa—kepada yang telah dipersembahkan dengan baik itu semoga kami mencapainya dan memilikinya.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सम्बन्ध-उपवाक्ये) / विशेष्यःRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘of the sacrifice’Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) < √यज्
- प्रसाधनः
- the accomplisher/arranger (equipment)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विशेषण (यः इत्यस्य) — ‘the accomplisher/arranger’Root प्रसाधन (प्रातिपदिक) < प्र-√साध् + ल्युट् (करण/साधनार्थ) अथवा ‘प्रसाधन’ = ‘सज्जीकरण/साधन’
- तन्तुः
- the thread, warp (line)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (यः इत्यस्य) — appositionRoot तन्तु (प्रातिपदिक) < √तन् (तान/विस्तार)
- देवेषु
- among the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरण (locative) — ‘among/in the gods’Root देव (प्रातिपदिक) < √दिव्
- आततः
- stretched out, extendedParticiple (adjectival) / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (कर्मणि/भावे क्तः) — ‘stretched/extended’Role विशेषण (तन्तुः इत्यस्य) / कर्मणि-भावःRoot आ-√तन् (तान/विस्तार) + क्त (भूतकृदन्त) → ‘आतत’
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (नशीमहि इत्यस्य) — ‘him’Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आहुतम्
- invoked; offered (as oblation)Past passive participle / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म-विशेषण (तम् इत्यस्य) — ‘as invoked/offered’Root आ-√हु (ह्वान/आह्वान/हवन) + क्त → ‘आहुत’
- नशीमहि
- we attain; we would reachVerbलट् (वेदे प्रायः विधिलिङर्थेऽपि), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रिया (मुख्यवाक्ये) — ‘we attain/seek to reach’Root √नश् (प्राप्/अश्नुते/नश् ‘to reach, attain’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यः | यज्ञस्य | प्रसाधनः | तन्तुः | देवेषु | आततः || तम् | आहुतम् | नशीमहि || 1) देवेष्वाततः = देवेषु + आततः (उकारस्य ‘उ’ + ‘आ’ → ‘वा’/‘व्’ आगमः: -षु + आ- → -ष्वा-). 2) तमाहुतं = तम् + आहुतम् (म् + आ → मा). उच्चारण-चिह्नाः (॒/॑) ऋग्वैदिक-स्वर-चिह्नाः
- पदच्छेदे स्वर-चिह्नाः सामान्यतः न दर्शिताः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The thread of the sacrifice—its true accomplishing—stretched among the gods: may we attain that which is well offered.
Inner meaning
Yajña succeeds by a ‘thread’ (tantu): an unbroken continuity of aspiration, offering, and divine response across the inner powers (deveṣu). When the offering is rightly placed (āhuta), the seeker ‘reaches’ (naśīmahi) a possession—stable realization, not a passing experience. The mantra points to the connective principle linking human effort with divine forces: the subtle continuity that makes transformation possible.
Universal truth
Success in any spiritual work depends on continuity: a sustained connecting current between the finite and the higher powers; right offering yields real attainment.
Themes
Yajña-continuity, Bandhu/connection, Attainment, Inner coherence
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.57.1
Significance
A concise teaching-mantra: it defines the secret of yajña as continuity (tantu) and right offering (āhuti) leading to attainment.
The deity
- Devata
- Yajña as a divine connective power (thread among the gods)
- Epithets
- prasādhana (accomplisher), tantu (thread), deveṣu-ātata (stretched among the gods)
- Related deities
- Agni (carrier of offering), Bṛhaspati (word-power), Soma (essence offered), Indra (attainment through force)
Cosmic role
Connects planes: human offering to divine reception; maintains the cosmic exchange that sustains order.
Inner power
The integrative current in the seeker that links thought, will, and feeling to higher inspiration—making practice effective.
In ritual
Where it is used
General yajña context (āhuti and accomplishment)
यो य॒ज्ञस्य॑ प्र॒साध॑न॒स्तन्तु॑र्दे॒वेष्वात॑तः । तमाहु॑तं नशीमहि ॥
यः । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । प्र॒ऽसाध॑नः । तन्तुः॑ । दे॒वेषु॑ । आऽत॑तः । तम् । आऽहु॑तम् । न॒शी॒म॒हि॒ ॥
yaḥ | yajñasya | pra-sādhanaḥ | tantuḥ | deveṣu | ātataḥ | tam | āhutam | naśīmahi
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4×8 syllables (probable)
Even, mantra-like, suitable for repetition and memorization.
Stabilizes attention; encourages a feeling of continuity and ‘linking’ through the breath.
- प्रसाधनः (prasādhanaḥ)
- Literal: accomplishing, bringing to completion. Symbolic: that which perfects the inner work—effective method and sincerity
- तन्तुः (tantuḥ)
- Literal: thread. Symbolic: unbroken continuity of yoga/ṛta; linking current
- देवेषु (deveṣu)
- Literal: among the gods. Symbolic: within the illumined powers of consciousness (inner devas)
- आततः (ātataḥ)
- Literal: stretched out. Symbolic: extended across all parts of being; sustained without break
- आहुतम् (āhutam)
- Literal: offered into the fire; well-offered. Symbolic: rightly given movement—purified intention/energy placed in the divine
- नशीमहि (naśīmahi)
- Literal: may we reach/attain/possess. Symbolic: settled attainment; embodiment of realization
Recitation emphasizing ritual continuity: the 'tantu' as the unbroken sequence of offerings and right intention binding the rite to the devas; applicable across Soma and fire rites as a coherence-formula.
At moments emphasizing successful completion/connection of the rite; also suitable as a concluding or sealing verse.
Affirmation of the connecting principle and prayer for attainment of the well-offered result.
As a meditation ‘seal’: after practice, affirm continuity—carry the thread into the day; dedicate the fruits as āhuti.
prasādhana- from pra- + √sādh 'to accomplish, make succeed' (sādhana 'means of realization'); tántu- 'thread' from √tan 'to stretch' (PIE *ten- 'stretch' cf. Lat tendere, Eng. tend); ā-tatá- (ppp) from ā- + √tan 'stretched forth'. ā-huta- from ā- + √hu 'to pour/offer/invoke' (Vedic 'offer into fire'). naś- from √naś 'to reach, attain' (also 'perish' in other contexts; here 'attain' is standard ritual usage).
bandhu (linking principle between human act and divine plane), continuity of consciousness (tantu), success of sacrifice (siddhi via sādhana)
The ‘thread’ is ṛta’s continuity ensuring right relation between planes.
Right offering aligns with satya—truth in intention—making attainment stable.
Weaving of worlds through exchange; the cosmos held by a connecting cord.
Yoga of works and mantra: continuity and right offering as means to realization.
A subtle ‘sutra’ of awareness running through all activities; offerings as purified movements rising through the inner fire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'thread' (tantu) mythologem: a spanning link that binds human offering to the divine world. Rather than a single combat myth, the central action is the weaving/extension of yajña as a connective continuum among the devas, enabling attainment.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tan 'stretch' is a clear IE inheritance (PIE *ten-). The metaphor of stretching a thread to connect realms is widespread in IE poetics (e.g., 'weaving' fate/speech), here specialized to yajña as the stretched continuum between human and divine.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi/sacrificers seek not merely a boon but the very connective mechanism of divine commerce: by aligning with the yajña’s 'tantu' (its inner coherence), they can 'reach' (naś-) the offered power already carried into the gods (āhuta).
Unbroken continuity (tantu) of remembrance and offering.
Suṣumṇā thread imagery; Ājñā for linking intelligence
Japa on exhale; feel a ‘thread’ from navel/heart to brow; pause briefly after each repetition to sense the link ‘among the gods’.
Collected, continuous, quietly uplifted.
Choose one simple daily ‘āhuti’ (a repeated act done with consecration). Keep it unbroken for 21 days—this builds the tantu that ‘accomplishes’ the inner yajña.
Vedic accents per śākhā; keep lift on tantuḥ, deveṣu, ātataḥ, āhutam.
Chant in four equal quarters (if anuṣṭubh); let ‘tam āhutam’ be slightly emphasized as the ‘right offering’.
(yajñasya): palatal ñ, not ‘gn’, (prasādhanaḥ): long ā, (tantuḥ): dental t; u short; visarga soft, (ātataḥ): long ā; t’s crisp
Soft, continuous, thread-like legato; minimal breaks between words.
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