Rig Veda 1.166.8: Mandala 1, Sukta 166, Mantra 8
Sukta 1.166
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
शतभुजिभिस्तमभिह्रुतेरघात्पूर्भी रक्षता मरुतो यमावत । जनं यमुग्रास्तवसो विरप्शिनः पाथना शंसात्तनयस्य पुष्टिषु ॥
śatabhuji-bhis tam abhi-hruter aghāt pūḥ-bhī rakṣata maruto yam āvat | janaṃ yam ugrās tavaso vi-rapśinaḥ pāthanā śaṃsāt tanayasya puṣṭiṣu ||
百の腕をもって、害の突進から彼を守れ、マルット（Maruts）よ――汝らが恵む者を。強く大いなる力をもち、働きは遠くまで及ぶ汝らが導くその人を、讃歌の力によって守れ。子の繁栄（puṣṭi）と成長の栄えのうちに。
Word by Word
- शतभुजिभिः
- with hundred-armed (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot शत-भुजि (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष) < शत ‘hundred’ + भुजि/भुज ‘arm’
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- अभि
- towards, againstIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role उपपद-सम्बन्ध (दिशा/अभिमुखता)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ह्रुतेः
- of the assault/attackNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root ह्रुति (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘आक्रमण/प्रहार/हिंसा’)
- अघात्
- from evil, from harmNounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम्Role अपादानRoot अघ (नपुं./पुं. प्रातिपदिक; ‘अघ/पाप/अनिष्ट’)
- पूर्भिः
- with strongholds/fortressesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot पूर् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘किला/दुर्ग/आश्रय’)
- रक्षत
- protect!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) मध्यमपुरुषः बहुवचनम् परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot रक्ष् (धातु)
- मरुतः
- O MarutsNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन बहुवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot मरुत् (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- आवत
- helped, favoredVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत) प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम् परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot अव् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- जनम्
- the people, the clanNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot जन (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- उग्राः
- fierce (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot उग्र (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- तवसः
- of strength, of mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root तवस् (नपुं. प्रातिपदिक; ‘बल’)
- विरप्शिनः
- wide-reaching, far-workingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot विरप्शिन् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘विस्तीर्ण/प्रबल-रश्मि/व्याप्त-हस्त’—RV-विशेष)
- पाथनाः
- path-makers, leaders on the pathNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पाथना (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘मार्ग/पथ-प्रदान/नेतृत्व’)
- शंसात्
- from/through praiseNounपुं/नपुं पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (अर्थे: ‘from praise/at the praising’)Role अपादानRoot शंस् (धातु) → शंस (पुं./नपुं. ‘स्तुति/प्रशंसा’) / शंसा (स्त्री.)
- तनयस्य
- of the offspring/sonNounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root तनय (पुं. प्रातिपदिक; ‘पुत्र/सन्तान’)
- पुष्टिषु
- in prosperities, in nourishmentsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot पुष्टि (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘पोषण/समृद्धि’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): शतभुजिभिः तम् अभि ह्रुतेः अघात् पूर्भिः रक्षत मरुतः यम् आवत । जनम् यम् उग्राः तवसः विरप्शिनः पाथनाः शंसात् तनयस्य पुष्टिषु ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) -भिः तम् → -भिःतम् (विसर्ग-लोप/संयोग) (2) तम् अभि → तमभि (अनुस्वार-सन्धि) (3) अभि ह्रुतेः → अभिह्रुतेः (स्वर-सन्धि/संयोग) (4) ह्रुतेः अघात् → ह्रुतेरघात् (विसर्ग-रेफ) (5) अघात् पूर्भिः → अघात्पूर्भिः (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि) (6) मरुतः यम् → मरुतो यम् (विसर्ग-ओ) (7) यम् आवत → यमावत (अनुस्वार-लोप/संयोग) (8) शंसात् तनयस्य → शंसात्तनयस्य (त्+त् संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Maruts, with your hundred arms protect from the rush of harm the one you favor. Guard the man whom you, strong and mighty, far-reaching in action, lead—by the power of praise—in the prosperings of his child and his growth.
Inner meaning
The ‘hundred arms’ are the many-sided capacities of the divine life-forces to intervene in the seeker’s nature. They shield the sādhaka from abhihruti—sudden assaults of disorder, doubt, and hostile impulses. The one they ‘lead along’ is the evolving person guided by higher energies. Protection is not only external; it is established through śaṃsā (right praise/true affirmation): the mantric alignment that secures puṣṭi—healthy increase of the soul’s ‘offspring’ (new formations of light, works, and qualities) and steady growth of the being.
Universal truth
When life-energy is consecrated and aligned by truthful speech and aspiration, it becomes a protective power that turns dangers into disciplined growth and fruitful creation.
Themes
protection from harm, guidance on the path, progeny and growth (inner/outer)
The seer
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Lineage
- Agastya (Āgastya)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.166, Rig Veda 1.167, Rig Veda 1.168
Family tradition
Agastya’s line is associated with mastery over forces that can otherwise become excessive; he turns them into guardians of the path.
Significance
The seer frames protection as an inner law: right praise (true alignment) converts raw power into a safeguarding harmony that supports growth and creative fruitfulness.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- śatabhujibhiḥ (hundred-armed), ugrāḥ (intense), tavasaḥ (mighty), virapśinaḥ (far-reaching)
- Related deities
- Indra, Rudra, Agni
Cosmic role
Guardians and catalysts of movement; they defend the sacrificer and help Indra’s victory against obstruction.
Inner power
Protective dynamism: energetic discernment, quick response, and prāṇic strength that prevent collapse under sudden attacks of inertia or negativity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective invocations within Indra-Marut praise; used in Soma and allied śrauta settings for safety and success.
श॒तभु॑जिभि॒स्तम॒भिह्रु॑तेर॒घात्पू॒र्भी र॑क्षता मरुतो॒ यमाव॑त । जनं॒ यमु॑ग्रास्तवसो विरप्शिनः पा॒थना॒ शंसा॒त्तन॑यस्य पु॒ष्टिषु॑ ॥
श॒तभु॑जिऽभिः । तम् । अ॒भिऽह्रु॑तेः । अ॒घात् । पूः॒ऽभिः । र॒क्ष॒त॒ । म॒रु॒तः॒ । यम् । आव॑त । जन॑म् । यम् । उ॒ग्राः॒ । त॒व॒सः॒ । वि॒ऽर॒प्शि॒नः॒ । पा॒थन॑ । शंसा॑त् । तन॑यस्य । पु॒ष्टिषु॑ ॥
śatabhuji-bhiḥ | tam | abhi-hruteḥ | aghāt | pūḥ-bhiḥ | rakṣata | marutaḥ | yam | āvata | janam | yam | ugrāḥ | tavasaḥ | vi-rapśinaḥ | pāthana | śaṃsāt | tanayasya | puṣṭiṣu
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4 × ~11
Urgent and protective—strong beats suit the theme of warding off onrush.
Creates a felt ‘shield’ of rhythm; steadies nerves and reinforces confidence.
- शतभुजि (śatabhují)
- Literal: hundred-armed. Symbolic: multiform capacities of divine force; many channels of protection
- अभिह्रुति (abhihrúti)
- Literal: onslaught, rush, attack. Symbolic: sudden surge of adverse impulses/resistance
- अघ (agha)
- Literal: harm, evil. Symbolic: disorder, falsehood, depression, hostile formations
- पूर् (pūr)
- Literal: fort, stronghold. Symbolic: inner defenses; stable formations of consciousness
- उग्र / तवस (ugrá / távas)
- Literal: fierce, strong. Symbolic: intense tapas-force needed for victory
- विरप्शिन् (virapśín)
- Literal: far-reaching in work. Symbolic: force that acts through many layers of the being
- शंसा (śaṃsā)
- Literal: praise, proclamation. Symbolic: mantric affirmation aligning with truth
- तनय (tanaya)
- Literal: child, offspring. Symbolic: new birth of qualities/works from the soul
- पुष्टि (puṣṭi)
- Literal: nourishment, thriving. Symbolic: increase of consciousness-force and right enjoyment
Protective prayer (rakṣa) within sacrificial setting; seeks safeguarding of the sacrificer’s lineage and inner ‘new birth’ (tanaya) through the efficacy of praise (śaṃs).
At moments invoking protection for the yajamāna and continuity of lineage/prosperity.
Recitation as rakṣā-oriented praise; mental offering requesting guarding force.
Chant before travel, important decisions, or during periods of psychological ‘attack’ (anxiety, negativity), holding the intention of protected growth.
śatabhuji ‘hundred-armed’ expresses multiplicity of divine capacities rather than literal anatomy. aghá ‘harm’ is both outer misfortune and inner wrong movement. √rakṣ ‘protect’ frames Maruts as guardians, not merely destroyers. tanáya ‘offspring’ from √tan ‘stretch, extend’/beget sense: innerly the ‘extended’ new being. puṣṭi from √puṣ: growth, thriving—psychological increase of the new formation.
divine protection (rakṣ, av), praise as effective speech-act (śaṃs), growth/progeny as spiritual becoming (tanaya, puṣṭi)
Protection is the maintenance of Ṛta against disruptive surges (abhihruti).
True praise is an act of Satya that calls corresponding force.
Growth/offspring (tanaya) as ongoing creation; puṣṭi as the nourishment of evolving forms.
Integral-Vedic psychology: forces of life become guardians when yoked to truth and aspiration.
Storm = intense prāṇa; fort = stable inner formation; path = progressive movement of consciousness; offspring = new inner births.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘many-armed protectors’ mythologem: the storm-host becomes a fortress against hostile incursion. Innerly, the Maruts guard the practitioner from disruptive forces and ensure the flourishing of the ‘child’—the newly born consciousness-force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √av ‘help/protect’ continues the archaic Indo-Iranian protective vocabulary (Avestan av-). The use of numerical hyperbole (‘hundred-armed’) is a common IE poetic intensifier for divine capacity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks for sustained guardianship, not momentary aid: the Maruts are requested to ‘lead along’ (pāthana) the favoured one. The bond is maintained by śaṃs (praise), understood as alignment of speech and intention with the gods’ force.
Invoke a protective field of prāṇa around the heart and spine; feel ‘many arms’ as multiple supports (breath, posture, attention, mantra).
anāhata (protection/faith) with support from maṇipūra (strength)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for steadiness, then extend exhale (4-4-6) to calm onrush.
Protected dynamism—calm strength under pressure.
On each repetition, visualize adverse surges dissolving at the boundary of awareness; end by offering gratitude and affirming growth (puṣṭi) in one concrete life-area.
Tri-svara with clear udātta on invocatory vocatives (maruto) and key protection verbs (rakṣata).
Keep consonant clusters crisp in abhih्रुतेः; avoid dragging vowels in fast passages.
śatabhujibhiḥ: keep ‘śata’ clear; bhuj- with soft j, abhihruteḥ: pronounce hru with rolled/clear r, pūrbhī: long ū and long ī, virapśinaḥ: cluster pś, do not simplify to ‘psh’ overly, puṣṭiṣu: retroflex ṣṭ, short i in -ṣu
Protective and steady, slightly lower register; firm articulation.
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