Rig Veda 6.68.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 68, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.68
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja — traditional for RV 6.68
- Devata
- Indra-Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ता हि श्रेष्ठा देवताता तुजा शूराणां शविष्ठा ता हि भूतम् । मघोनां मंहिष्ठा तुविशुष्म ऋतेन वृत्रतुरा सर्वसेना ॥
tā́ hí śréṣṭhā deva-tā́tā tujā́ śūrā́ṇāṃ śáviṣṭhā tā́ hí bhūtám | maghónāṃ máṃhiṣṭhā tuvi-śúṣma ṛténa vṛtra-túrā sárva-senā ||
Keduanya sungguh yang paling utama sebagai orang-tua ilahi; tangkas, paling perkasa di antara daya-daya para pahlawan. Keduanya yang paling meluaskan bagi para pemberi (maghavan), berdaya dorong luas; oleh Ṛta (Kebenaran-Kosmis) mereka pembunuh Vṛtra, pemilik segenap bala-kekuatan.
Word by Word
- ताः
- those (fem.), theyPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableअव्ययRoot हि (निपात)
- श्रेष्ठाः
- best, most excellentAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण) / विधेय-विशेषणRoot श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superl. of श्रेयस्/श्री)
- देवताता
- divinity, divine natureNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बोधन/विधेय-नाम) संदर्भेRoot देवताता (प्रातिपदिक; देवता + -ता abstract/collective)
- तुजा
- impelling, forcefulAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root तुज (प्रातिपदिक; ‘impelling/pressing’, from √तुज् ‘to urge/strike’)
- शूराणाम्
- of heroesNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- शविष्ठाः
- strongestAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root शविष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superl. of शवीयस्/शवस् ‘strong’)
- ताः
- those (fem.), theyPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot हि (निपात)
- भूतम्
- become; existent; a beingAdjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (विधेय-रूपे)Role विधेय (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे) / कर्म (यदि ‘भूतम्’ कर्मवत्) संदर्भेRoot भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भू ‘to be’ → भूत ‘become/being’)
- मघोनाम्
- of the bountiful (patrons)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bountiful, generous’)
- मंहिष्ठा
- most bountifulAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root मंहिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superl. of मंह/मंहस् ‘bounty, generosity’)
- तुविशुष्म
- of great mightAdjective(पुं/नपुं) प्रातिपदिक; यहाँ स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणवत् (वेदे लिङ्ग-व्यत्यय सम्भव)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root तुवि-शुष्म (प्रातिपदिक; तुवि ‘much’ + शुष्म ‘might’)
- ऋतेन
- by ṛta (cosmic order/truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रतुरा
- overcoming Vṛtra; Vṛtra-slayingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root वृत्र-तुर (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र ‘obstacle/dragon’ + तुर ‘overcoming’, from √तॄ/√तुर् ‘to overcome’)
- सर्वसेना
- having all armies; with all forcesAdjective/Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root सर्व-सेना (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व ‘all’ + सेना ‘army’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): ताः हि | श्रेष्ठाः | देवताता | तुजा | शूराणाम् | शविष्ठाः | ताः हि | भूतम् | मघोनाम् | मंहिष्ठाः | तुविशुष्म | ऋतेन | वृत्रतुराः | सर्वसेनाः । 1) ता हि → ताः हि (अः/आः + ह्- आरम्भे विसर्ग-स्थापन)
- 2) श्रेष्ठा देवताता → श्रेष्ठाः देवताता (पादान्ते विसर्ग)
- 3) शविष्ठा ता → शविष्ठाः ताः
- 4) वृत्रतुरा सर्वसेना → वृत्रतुराः सर्वसेनाः
- (उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न मूलपाठानुसार; पदपाठे प्रायः विसर्ग स्पष्टः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
These two (Indra and Varuṇa) are the best as divine parents—swift and most forceful among heroes; greatest benefactors of the generous, of vast power; by ṛta they are slayers of Vṛtra, possessing all hosts.
Inner meaning
Indra-Varuṇa together represent the paired powers needed for integral conquest: Indra as illumined force of the divine Mind, Varuṇa as vastness, law, and purity that holds the right order. As ‘divine parents’ they generate in the seeker both power and rightness. Their swiftness and strength are the soul’s capacity to act decisively; their ‘widening’ is the expansion of consciousness for the magnanimous (maghonām). By ṛta they slay Vṛtra—the inner Coverer that constricts and blocks the flow—because illumination (Indra) must be governed by truth-law and vast calm (Varuṇa) to be effective. ‘All-hosted’ means they command the full range of inner forces when aligned with truth.
Universal truth
True mastery is a harmony of power and law: force guided by truth and wideness breaks obstruction without creating disorder.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying (inner obstruction), Dual deity synthesis, Power governed by Truth, Plenitude for the giver
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Lineage
- Bārhaspatya
- Other hymns
- RV 6.1, RV 6.17, RV 6.45, RV 6.68, RV 6.75
Family tradition
Bharadvāja lineage emphasizes disciplined invocation of divine powers for clarity, right action, and victory over obstruction; strong links with Bṛhaspati/inner word and ordering intelligence.
Significance
Bharadvāja often unites force and law: the conquering power (Indra) is made effective and safe by the vast right order (Varuṇa), yielding an integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra-Varuṇa
- Epithets
- Śreṣṭhā (best), Devātātā (divine parents), Tujā (swift), Śaviṣṭhā (most powerful), Vṛtraturā (slayers of the coverer), Sarvasenā (all-hosted)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Indra: releases the waters/light by overcoming Vṛtra; Varuṇa: upholds ṛta, cosmic law and vastness, especially through the waters and moral order. Together they secure both victory and harmony.
Inner power
Indra gives luminous decisive force; Varuṇa gives vast calm, purity, and right measure—together enabling a truthful conquest of inner resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dual deity praise in Soma sacrifices and allied śrauta rites for protection, victory, and establishment of ṛta.
ता हि श्रेष्ठा॑ दे॒वता॑ता तु॒जा शूरा॑णां॒ शवि॑ष्ठा॒ ता हि भू॒तम् । म॒घोनां॒ मंहि॑ष्ठा तुवि॒शुष्म॑ ऋ॒तेन॑ वृत्र॒तुरा॒ सर्व॑सेना ॥
ता । हि । श्रेष्ठा॑ । दे॒वऽता॑ता । तु॒जा । शूरा॑णाम् । शवि॑ष्ठा । ता । हि । भू॒तम् । म॒घोना॑म् । मंहि॑ष्ठा । तु॒वि॒ऽशुष्मा॑ । ऋ॒तेन॑ । वृ॒त्र॒ऽतुरा॑ । सर्व॑ऽसेना ॥
tā | hi | śreṣṭhā | deva-tātā | tujā | śūrāṇām | śaviṣṭhā | tā | hi | bhūtam | maghonām | maṃhiṣṭhā | tuvi-śuṣmā | ṛtena | vṛtra-turā | sarva-senā
44
4×11 syllables (approx.)
Noble, declarative, ‘kingly’ cadence; balances speed (tujā) with steadiness (Varuṇa).
Creates confidence with ethical steadiness—energy rises but is contained in a wide calm.
- इन्द्र (Indra)
- Literal: Vedic king of gods. Symbolic: divine Mind/illumined force that breaks ignorance
- वरुण (Varuṇa)
- Literal: lord of cosmic order, waters. Symbolic: vastness, purity, truth-law, inner wideness and restraint
- देवताता (devatātā)
- Literal: divine parentage. Symbolic: generative powers that beget the divine nature in us
- तूजा/शविष्ठ (tujā/śaviṣṭha)
- Literal: swift/most strong. Symbolic: decisive spiritual force and effective will
- मंहिष्ठ (maṃhiṣṭha)
- Literal: most bountiful, most widening. Symbolic: greatest expanders of consciousness and capacity
- ऋतेन (ṛtena)
- Literal: by the Truth/Right. Symbolic: action governed by truth-law, not ego impulse
- वृत्रतुर (vṛtraturā)
- Literal: slayers of Vṛtra. Symbolic: destroyers of the inner Coverer/obstruction
- सर्वसेन (sarvasenā)
- Literal: having all armies. Symbolic: command of all inner faculties/forces when unified
Dual-invocation in Soma rites to combine Indra’s conquering force with Varuṇa’s ṛta-governance; used to secure victory over obstruction with ethical-cosmic alignment.
When invoking combined powers for overcoming obstruction while maintaining right order; also for social/cosmic harmony themes.
Recitation in stotra/śastra; offerings to secure both force and law.
For leadership, disciplined effort, and moral clarity—chant before difficult decisions to unite power with conscience and wideness.
devatātā: deva + tātā ‘fatherhood/parenthood’ (tāta) indicating generative guardianship. tujā from √tuj ‘to push/impel’ (inner urgency toward realization). śuṣma denotes ‘vehemence, vital force’ (often Indraic). vṛtra (from √vṛ ‘to cover/obstruct’) + tura (overpowering) → those who break coverings by ṛta, i.e., truth-force dissolving ignorance.
Ṛta (truth-order as operative power), Vṛtra (obstruction/covering of consciousness), Magha/maṃh (increase and plenitude)
Central: the slaying of Vṛtra is explicitly ‘by ṛta’—truth-law is the instrument of victory.
Truth as effective power, not mere concept; victory comes from alignment, not aggression.
Vṛtra-slaying as re-creation: opening blocked rivers/lights so the world-order can expand.
Dharma/ṛta-centered Vedic integralism: power must serve truth and wideness.
A disciplined surge of illumined will within a wide, pure consciousness that breaks constriction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Vṛtra-slaying mythologem reframed through ṛta: Indra-Varuṇa together overcome the ‘covering’ (vṛtra) not by brute force alone but ‘by ṛta’. Innerly, it is the conquest of ignorance/obstruction through a force that is both powerful (Indra) and lawfully luminous (Varuṇa).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vṛtra from √vṛ ‘cover’ corresponds to IE notions of covering/veiling (PIE *wel- family in broader semantic space), while √tṛ/√tur ‘overcome/cross’ resonates with IE crossing/victory verbs. The superlatives (śreṣṭhā, śaviṣṭhā, maṃhiṣṭhā) show archaic intensification strategies typical of early Indo-European praise-poetry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi approaches the pair as ‘divine parents’—not distant rulers but formative powers who generate and guard the seeker’s right becoming. He praises their combined function: to increase the generous (maghonām) and to remove obstruction through ṛta, implying a reciprocal economy where right offering aligns one with their truth-governed might.
Unite decisive inner force with vast ethical clarity; invoke ‘truthful power’.
Ajna (illumined command) with Sahasrara/upper mind wideness; grounding through Manipura disciplined will.
Alternate nostril breathing (nāḍī-śodhana) 6–6 to balance force (Indra) and restraint/wideness (Varuṇa).
Wide, quiet authority; action arises from truth rather than reactivity.
Chant slowly 3 or 9 times; contemplate one obstruction (Vṛtra) as a constriction; feel Indra’s light strike it while Varuṇa’s vastness dissolves its grip; conclude with a vow of ṛta in speech and action.
Rigvedic accenting; keep clear rise on ṛténa and vṛtraturā́ where indicated by the text tradition.
Maintain dignity—do not rush; emphasize the duality ‘tā…tā’ and the instrumental ṛténa as the pivot of meaning.
devatātā: long ā; keep retroflex ṭ in -tātā, tuvíśuṣma: v is labiodental; ś is palatal, vṛtra: vocalic ṛ; cluster tr clean, sarvasenā: long ā at end
Deep, steady, authoritative; sustained vowels to evoke wideness.
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