Rig Veda 8.27.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 27, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.27
- Devata
- Vasus / Viśve Devāḥ, with cosmological supports
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ पशुं गासि पृथिवीं वनस्पतीनुषासा नक्तमोषधीः । विश्वे च नो वसवो विश्ववेदसो धीनां भूत प्रावितारः ॥
ā́ paśúṃ gāsi pṛthivī́ṃ vánaspatīn uṣásā náktam óṣadhīḥ | víśve ca no vásavo viśvavedaso dhīnā́ṃ bhūta prāvitā́raḥ ||
来たれ、家畜と牛群へ、広き大地へ、樹木の主たちへ、暁と夜へ、薬草へ。さらに、われらのヴァスたちよ、全知の者たちよ——われらの霊感の思い（dhī）を守り、先導して助ける者となれ。
Word by Word
- आ
- towards; hitherIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- पशुम्
- cattle; beastNounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- गासि
- you go/comeVerbpresent indicative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot गा (धातु) ‘to go/come’
- पृथिवीम्
- the earthNounfeminine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- वनस्पतीन्
- lords of the forest; treesNounmasculine, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषासाः
- dawnsNounfeminine, nominative plural (Vedic form उषासः/उषासाः)Role KartāRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नक्तम्
- by night; at nightIndeclinableadverb (time)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot नक्तम् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
- ओषधीः
- herbs; medicinal plantsNounfeminine, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वे
- allAdjectivemasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableconjunctionRoot च (avyaya)
- नः
- of us; for usPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वसवः
- Vasus (a class of gods)Nounmasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्ववेदसः
- all-knowing; of universal knowledgeAdjectivemasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot विश्ववेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; bahuvrīhi/karmadhāraya compound)
- धीनाम्
- of thoughts; of insights/prayersNounfeminine, genitive pluralRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूत
- be; becomeVerbimperative, 2nd person plural, parasmaipada (Vedic injunctive/imperative usage)Root भू (धातु) ‘to be, become’
- प्रावितारः
- protectors; helpersNounmasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot प्रावितृ (प्रातिपदिक; agent noun from √अव ‘to protect’ with pra-)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): आ | पशुम् | गासि | पृथिवीम् | वनस्पतीन् | उषासाः | नक्तम् | ओषधीः | विश्वे | च | नः | वसवः | विश्ववेदसः | धीनाम् | भूत | प्रावितारः. Notable: उषासा नक्तम् shows juxtaposition (no internal sandhi)
- final -āḥ in उषासाः is a Vedic nominative plural variant of उषसः. Compound विश्व-वेदसः kept as one pada. प्रावितारः is pra- + āvitar- ‘protector’ (agent noun)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come to the living energies, to the wide earth, to the lords of growth, to Dawn and Night, to the healing herbs. And you all, O Vasus, all-knowing—be protectors and forward helpers of our inspired thoughts.
Inner meaning
The mantra gathers the supports of embodiment for the inner work. ‘Paśu’ is not merely cattle here but the living powers/energies in us that must be brought into the field of yoga. Pṛthivī is the wide foundation—stable substance-consciousness; vanaspatī are the growth-forces that build and mature inner formations; Uṣas and Nakta are illumination and the enveloping rest that integrates; oṣadhī are healing energies that restore harmony. The Vasus—powers of the ‘good’ and stable richness—are invoked as viśvavedasaḥ, universal knowers, to guard dhī (inspirations) and help them advance into realization, not be lost to confusion or relapse.
Universal truth
Transformation needs both ascent and support: stable grounding, growth, rhythmic alternation of light and rest, and continual healing integration—so inspirations are protected and carried forward.
Themes
Cosmic totality, Healing, Protection, Dawn-Night polarity
The seer
Significance
The seer’s method is integral: not only invoking ‘high’ gods but also the supports of embodied life (earth, growth, healing, day-night rhythm). This is a distinctly psychological completeness—ensuring the lower nature is included in transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Vasus / Viśve Devāḥ (collective)
- Epithets
- vasavaḥ, viśvavedasaḥ, prāvitāraḥ
- Related deities
- Ādityas, Maruts, Agni, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Vasus as sustaining deities of the elemental and stable riches; as a collective, they uphold the world-order and protect the sacrificer.
Inner power
Stabilization and protection of the sadhaka’s inspirations; harmonizing forces that keep progress continuous across alternating states (dawn/night).
In ritual
Where it is used
An all-encompassing invocation for protection of dhī: integrating earthly supports (pṛthivī, vanaspati, oṣadhi) with temporal rhythms (uṣas/nakta) and the Vasu powers as guardians of inspired work.
आ प॒शुं गा॑सि पृथि॒वीं वन॒स्पती॑नु॒षासा॒ नक्त॒मोष॑धीः । विश्वे॑ च नो वसवो विश्ववेदसो धी॒नां भू॑त प्रावि॒तार॑: ॥
आ । प॒शुम् । गा॒सि॒ । पृ॒थि॒वीम् । वन॒स्पती॑न् । उ॒षसा॑ । नक्त॑म् । ओष॑धीः । विश्वे॑ । च॒ । नः॒ । व॒स॒वः॒ । वि॒श्व॒ऽवे॒द॒सः॒ । धी॒नाम् । भू॒त॒ । प्र॒ऽअ॒वि॒तारः॑ ॥
ā | paśum | gāsi | pṛthivīm | vanaspatīn | uṣasā | naktam | oṣadhīḥ | viśve | ca | naḥ | vasavaḥ | viśva-vedasaḥ | dhīnām | bhūta | pra-avitāraḥ
2 padas with a catalog of supports, then a collective imperative blessing.
Enumerative and embracing; a ‘gathering’ rhythm that widens the field, then closes into protection.
Grounding and integrative; calms anxiety by invoking stable supports and protection for inner light.
- पशुम् (paśum)
- Literal: cattle, living creature. Symbolic: Vital living energies/powers to be gathered and guided
- पृथिवीम् (pṛthivīm)
- Literal: the earth. Symbolic: Wide foundation; stability and embodied receptivity
- वनस्पतीन् (vanaspatīn)
- Literal: lords of the forest/trees. Symbolic: Growth-forces; builders of inner maturity
- उषसा (uṣasā)
- Literal: Dawn. Symbolic: Illumination; awakening of consciousness
- नक्तम् (naktam)
- Literal: Night. Symbolic: Rest, assimilation, protective covering for inner work
- ओषधीः (oṣadhīḥ)
- Literal: healing herbs. Symbolic: Restorative energies; harmonizing forces in the nature
- वसवः (vasavaḥ)
- Literal: Vasus. Symbolic: Stable luminous powers; guardians of right possession and harmony
- विश्ववेदसः (viśvavedasaḥ)
- Literal: all-knowing. Symbolic: Powers that see the whole; integrative wisdom
- धीनाम् (dhīnām)
- Literal: of inspirations. Symbolic: Illumined thoughts seeking manifestation
- प्रावितारः (prāvitāraḥ)
- Literal: protectors, forward helpers. Symbolic: Guardians that prevent relapse and accelerate progress
An all-encompassing invocation for protection of dhī: integrating earthly supports (pṛthivī, vanaspati, oṣadhi) with temporal rhythms (uṣas/nakta) and the Vasu powers as guardians of inspired work.
Use when feeling ungrounded: chant to invoke stability (earth), growth (trees), illumination (dawn), integration (night), and healing (herbs), asking for protection of one’s inspirations.
pṛthivī from pṛthu ‘broad’ (IE breadth root). uṣas from √ ‘to shine/dawn’ (PIE *h₂ews-; cf. Lat aurora, Gk ēōs). nakta ‘night’ (PIE *nókʷts; cf. Lat nox). oṣadhi ‘herb’ (from √ ‘burn/shine’? traditional etymologies vary; Vedic usage: healing vegetation). vasu ‘good/wealth’ (PIE *wesu- ‘good’).
wideness (pṛthivī) as basis for consciousness, healing/restoration (oṣadhi), protection of inspiration (dhī → prāvitāraḥ)
Dawn and Night symbolize the lawful alternation of states; the Vasus protect continuity of the inner order across them.
Dhī must be safeguarded so truth is not lost in the vital-physical flux.
Formation through growth and healing: inner creation is organic, requiring nourishment and restoration.
Integral Vedic yoga: ascent supported by the transformation of the physical-vital base.
dawn and night (explicit)
Earth = stable base; trees = progressive growth; dawn = awakening light; night = assimilation; herbs = healing harmonization of the nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The integration of the whole cosmos as allies of the sacrifice: earth, plants, dawn/night, and the Vasus. Innerly, it maps the seeker’s ecology—foundation (earth), growth (trees), healing (herbs), cycles of illumination and obscurity (dawn/night)—all enlisted to guard and advance inspiration.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- uṣas (PIE *h₂ews-) and nakta (PIE *nókʷts) are classic IE poetic opposites. The collocation of cosmic strata (earth, plants, times) is an archaic catalog style found across IE hymnody.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not for external cattle alone but for safeguarded life-energy (paśu as vital powers) and protected inspiration. The Vasus are requested to become prāvitāraḥ of dhī—guardians who also lead forward, ensuring progress through both dawn and night states.
Ground and protect inspiration; integrate light with rest and healing.
Muladhara (earth/stability) with Ajna (dhī/illumination)
Slow belly breathing; on inhale ‘pṛthivīm’ (ground), on exhale ‘dhīnām prāvitāraḥ’ (protect inspiration).
Safe, integrated, quietly luminous.
Bring attention to the body as earth; invite a gentle ‘dawn’ in the mind; allow ‘night’ to soften strain; feel healing currents repairing friction; then offer your best insight (dhī) to be guarded and carried forward.
Maintain even recitation through the catalog; slight lift on invocatory openings (ā …) and on ‘viśve … vasavaḥ’. Exact svara requires a svara-pāṭha source.
Avoid rushing the list; articulate each support distinctly; let the final imperative ‘bhūta prāvitāraḥ’ land firmly.
ā paśum: long ā; ś pronounced palatal ‘sh’, pṛthivīm: retroflex ṛ; long īm, vanaspatīn: clear ‘sp’; long īn, uṣāsā: uṣā with retroflex ṣ; long ā, naktam: kt cluster crisp, oṣadhīḥ: retroflex ṣ; dh aspirated; final ḥ, viśvavedasaḥ: keep compound clear; d soft dental
Soothing, grounding, protective.
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