Rig Veda 5.83.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 83, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.83
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Parjanya
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्र वाता वान्ति पतयन्ति विद्युत उदोषधीर्जिहते पिन्वते स्वः । इरा विश्वस्मै भुवनाय जायते यत्पर्जन्यः पृथिवीं रेतसावति ॥
prá vātā́ vā́nti patáyanti vi-dyúta ud óṣadhī́r jíhate pínvate svàḥ | irā́ víśvasmai bhúvanāya jāyate yát párjanyaḥ pṛthivī́ṃ rétasā́vati ||
Ke depan hembusan-embusan angin mulai bergerak; kilat-kilat melompat dan berlari. Tumbuhan obat bangkit dan terjaga; langit dibuat mengembang oleh kelimpahannya. Daya pemelihara lahir bagi segenap keberadaan, ketika Parjanya menumpahkan benih penciptaannya ke atas Bumi.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- वाताः
- windsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वात (प्रातिपदिक)
- वान्ति
- blowVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRoot वा (धातु) ‘to blow’
- पतयन्ति
- dart, fly aboutVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; (वेदिक) गत्यर्थे ‘to dart about’Root पत् (धातु) ‘to fly, fall’
- विद्युतः
- lightningsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्
- up, outIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root उत् (upasarga)
- ओषधीः
- plants, herbsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- जिहते
- strike, smite (down)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot हन्/ह (धातु) ‘to strike, smite’ → (वेदिक) जिहते
- पिन्वते
- swell, quicken, make thriveVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot पिव्/पिन्व् (धातु) ‘to swell, set in motion, impel’
- स्वः
- the heaven, the light (of heaven)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदिक); द्वितीया/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot स्वर्/स्वः (प्रातिपदिक)
- इरा
- refreshment, nourishment (sap/food)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot इरा (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्मै
- for every, for allAdjective/Pronounपुं/नपुंसक; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot विश्व (सर्वनाम-विशेषण प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनाय
- for the world/creature, for (all) beingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
- जायते
- is born, arisesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot जन् (धातु) ‘to be born, arise’
- यत्
- when, that (insofar as)Indeclinable/Pronounसम्बन्धार्थे ‘when/that’Root यद् (सर्वनाम)
- पर्जन्यः
- Parjanya (rain-god), the rain-cloudNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot पर्जन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिवीम्
- the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- रेतसा
- with seed, with generative fluid (rain as seed)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवति
- waters, refreshes; favorsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot अव् (धातु) ‘to favor, help; to moisten/refresh (Vedic)’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): प्र | वाताः | वान्ति | पतयन्ति | विद्युतः | उत् | ओषधीः | जिहते | पिन्वते | स्वः || इरा | विश्वस्मै | भुवनाय | जायते | यत् | पर्जन्यः | पृथिवीम् | रेतसा | अवति । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) उदोषधीः = उत् + ओषधीः (उत् + ओ- → उदो-)
- (2) रेतसावति = रेतसा + अवति (आगम/स्वर-सन्धि: -आ + अ- → -आव-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Winds blow forward; lightning flashes and flies; herbs rise up; heaven swells. Nourishment is born for all beings when Parjanya pours his seed upon the earth.
Inner meaning
When the descending Power begins its work, the prāṇic currents (vāta) are set in right motion, illuminations (vidyut) leap through the mind, and the latent powers in the body-nature (oṣadhīḥ) awaken. ‘Heaven’ (svaḥ) swelling indicates expansion of the higher mind/illumined region in consciousness. From this union of above and below, a universal nourishment (irā) is generated—an inner fertility that supports all parts of the being.
Universal truth
True growth comes when higher illumination energizes the life-breath and awakens dormant capacities; then the whole field of existence is fed by a new, creative substance.
Themes
Nature-praise, Fertility and regeneration, Descent of creative power, Inner awakening (psychological reading)
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.83 (this hymn), RV 5.40 (Atri solar/illumination motifs, thematic), RV 5.54-5.56 (Marut hymns, allied storm-powers)
Family tradition
Ātreya tradition of Maṇḍala 5, noted for hymns that translate cosmic processes into powers of inner realization.
Significance
Atri’s vision frequently emphasizes illumination and right movement; here he maps the descent of force as an awakening of prāṇa, light, growth, and universal nourishment.
The deity
- Devata
- Parjanya
- Epithets
- retasāvat (seed-bearing), varṣakṛt (maker of rain), stanayitnu (thunderer)
- Related deities
- Maruts (winds and storm-energies), Indra (illumination and thunder-force), Sūrya (heavenly expansion; svaḥ as illumined realm)
Cosmic role
Fertilizer of earth through rain; initiator of seasonal and biological renewal.
Inner power
The creative descent that impregnates the physical nature with higher consciousness, producing healing growth and plenitude.
In ritual
Where it is used
Rain and fertility invocations; also suitable in rites for crops and communal well-being.
प्र वाता॒ वान्ति॑ प॒तय॑न्ति वि॒द्युत॒ उदोष॑धी॒र्जिह॑ते॒ पिन्व॑ते॒ स्व॑: । इरा॒ विश्व॑स्मै॒ भुव॑नाय जायते॒ यत्प॒र्जन्य॑: पृथि॒वीं रेत॒साव॑ति ॥
प्र । वाताः॑ । वान्ति॑ । प॒तय॑न्ति । वि॒ऽद्युतः॑ । उत् । ओष॑धीः । जिह॑ते । पिन्व॑ते । स्वः॑ । इरा॑ । विश्व॑स्मै । भुव॑नाय । जा॒य॒ते॒ । यत् । प॒र्जन्यः॑ । पृ॒थि॒वीम् । रेत॑सा । अव॑ति ॥
pra | vātāḥ | vānti | patayanti | vi-dyutaḥ | ut | oṣadhīḥ | jihate | pinvate | svaḥ | irā | viśvasmai | bhuvanāya | jāyate | yat | parjanyaḥ | pṛthivīm | retasā | avati
44
4 × ~11
Quickened, leaping rhythm matching winds and lightning; then a broadening in the final pāda (irā jāyate).
Energizes breath and attention; good for dispelling tamas and calling in illumination.
- vātāḥ
- Literal: winds. Symbolic: life-breath currents; movements of prāṇa that initiate change
- vidyutaḥ
- Literal: lightnings. Symbolic: flashes of intuition/illumination breaking through mental cloud
- oṣadhīḥ
- Literal: herbs/plants. Symbolic: healing and growth-powers in embodied nature; regenerative faculties
- svaḥ
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined consciousness expanding and becoming abundant
- irā
- Literal: refreshment, nourishment. Symbolic: substance of inner plenty—peace-force that feeds all parts of being
- retasā
- Literal: seed. Symbolic: creative essence/energy of manifestation; impregnating force of consciousness
- pṛthivīm
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: the physical being and stable foundation receptive to transformation
Rain-invocation and fertility context; recitation adaptable to seasonal rites and agricultural prosperity petitions within Soma and ancillary śrauta performances (general Parjanya-prayoga rather than a single fixed srauta niche).
Beginning of rains/monsoon, sowing time, or prayers for healing and increase.
Recitation with water offering or sprinkling; invoking Parjanya to ‘impregnate’ the field.
Use before creative work or healing practice: to awaken prāṇa, invite intuitive flashes, and support embodied renewal.
Key roots: √vā ‘blow’ (vātāḥ, vānti) indicates the first stirring of prāṇic movement; √pat ‘fly/fall’ (patayanti) conveys rapid, winged energies; vi-√dyut ‘flash forth, shine apart’ (vidyutaḥ) supports an inner sense of discriminating illuminations; √jih ‘to stir’ (jihate) marks awakening of latent powers (oṣadhīḥ); √pinv ‘to swell, make abundant’ (pinvate) gives the idea of plenitude rather than mere physical swelling; √bhū ‘to be/become’ (bhuvanāya) frames the universal becoming; retas ‘seed’ (from √ri ‘to flow’ in older semantic networks of ‘flowing essence’) functions as creative potency; √av ‘to favor/help’ (avati) indicates the descent is simultaneously aid and outpouring.
Ṛta (ordered descent: wind/lightning/rain producing lawful growth), Satyam-Ritam-Bṛhat (truth-order vastness implied by svar and universal bhuvana), Tapas (productive heat implied by swelling and germination)
The ordered sequence—wind, lightning, sprouting, swelling heaven, nourishment—presents ṛta as a process of manifestation.
The ‘seed’ is truth-force entering matter; satya becomes fruitful when received by pṛthivī (embodiment).
Hierarchical descent: from svaḥ (higher) into pṛthivī (lower) producing irā (nourishing substance).
Integral Vedic psychology (Aurobindo): descent of higher consciousness into life and body to generate transformation.
monsoon onset / seasonal renewal
Wind = prāṇa set free; lightning = intuition; herbs = healing capacities; heaven swelling = expansion of higher mind; seed on earth = higher force entering the body-consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The fertilizing descent of the Sky-power: Parjanya as the thunder-rain giver who releases ‘seed’ (retas) onto Earth, resulting in the arising of nourishment (irā) and the awakening of herbs. Mythically it is the storm’s creative act; psychologically it is the descent of a higher luminous force (svar) that fructifies the embodied field (pṛthivī) into capacities of growth and healing (oṣadhīḥ).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Several lexemes preserve archaic Indo-European nature-poetics: √vā ‘blow’ aligns with PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘to blow’ (cf. Lat. ventus ‘wind’ via related formations); √pat ‘fly/fall’ corresponds to PIE *pet- ‘to fly’ (cf. Gk. πέτομαι, Eng. ‘fetter’ is different; but *pet- is well-attested in flight semantics); dyut ‘shine’ relates to PIE *dyeu- ‘sky/daylight’ (network of ‘bright sky’ terms). The verse’s parataxis (short coordinated clauses) mirrors early IE hymn style: listing natural signs as a single ordered epiphany of the deity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer does not merely describe weather; he recognizes Parjanya as an intelligent power whose action establishes ṛta in the human and cosmic field. The reciprocity is implicit: by right speech that names the ordered sequence (wind → lightning → growth → nourishment), the rishi aligns consciousness with the deity’s operation, inviting the same ‘seed’ of power to descend into the earthly being and generate inner abundance (irā) for ‘all existence’ (viśvasmai bhuvanāya).
Coordinate breath (vāta), insight (vidyut), and embodied healing (oṣadhi) under a descending creative peace (irā).
anāhata (prāṇa flow), ājñā (lightning insight), sahasrāra (descent of seed-force)
Bhastrikā-light (gentle) or 6-6 coherent breathing; on inhale feel ‘svaḥ pinvate’ expanding above, on exhale feel ‘retasā’ descending into the belly/pelvis.
Awakened, luminous, fertile receptivity.
Chant once slowly, then sit 2 minutes: notice spontaneous inner ‘flashes’ and allow them to settle into the body as a calm nourishment (irā).
Follow Vedic accents as learned; keep a clear rise on opening ‘pra’, and crisp articulation of vidyutaḥ and oṣadhīḥ.
Let the first half be more energetic (vānti/patayanti), then broaden and soften on ‘irā … jāyate’.
vātā: long ā; keep dental t, vidyutaḥ: split vi-dyu-taḥ; ‘dyu’ as palatal cluster, oṣadhīḥ: ṣ retroflex; long īḥ with visarga, pinvate: clear nv cluster, retasā: retroflex ṭ? no—dental t; long ā at end
Bright, slightly uplifted; soften into a nourishing tone on the final pāda.
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