Rig Veda 1.39.9: Mandala 1, Sukta 39, Mantra 9
Sukta 1.39
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
असामि हि प्रयज्यवः कण्वं दद प्रचेतसः । असामिभिर्मरुत आ न ऊतिभिर्गन्ता वृष्टिं न विद्युतः ॥
asā́mi hí prayajyaváḥ káṇvaṃ dadá pracétasaḥ | asā́mibhir maruta ā́ na ūtíbhiḥ gántā vṛ́ṣṭiṃ ná vidyútaḥ ||
ನೀವು ಅಶ್ರಾಂತರು, ಹೇ ಯಜ್ಞಪ್ರಿಯರೇ, ಹೇ ಪ್ರಚೇತಸಃ (ಪ್ರಬುದ್ಧರೇ) ಮರುತರೇ—ನೀವು ಕಣ್ವನಿಗೆ ದಾನಮಾಡಿದ್ದೀರಿ. ಹೇ ಮರುತರೇ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅಶ್ರಾಂತ ಊತಿಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಬನ್ನಿರಿ—ಮಳೆಯಂತೆ, ಮತ್ತು ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ತಿನ ಮುಕ್ತ ಪ್ರಕಾಶದಂತೆ.
Word by Word
- असामि
- I amVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kartā (अहं)Root अस् (धातु) / अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्मि
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- प्रयज्यवः
- (you) eager/ready to worship, worshipfulNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (सम्बोधन/वर्णन: ‘who are forward in worship’)Root प्र-यज्य (प्रातिपदिक; यज्-धातु से) + वस्/वन् (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-प्रत्यय) → प्रयज्यवन्
- कण्वम्
- Kanva (the seer)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot कण्व (ऋषि-नाम, प्रातिपदिक)
- दद
- give!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: दद् = ‘देहि’)Role Kriyā (आज्ञा); कर्म-प्रवर्तकRoot दा (धातु) → दद्
- प्रचेतसः
- the wise, the discerningNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (मरुतः—विशेषण)Root प्र-चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- असामिभिः
- with us, by usPronounत्रिलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया, बहुवचनRole Karaṇa/सहकारक (सह: ‘with us/through us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्माभिः (वैदिक: असामिभिः)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (आगमन-क्रिया के)Root मरुत् (देवता-नाम, प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)Role Sampradāna (to us) / सम्बन्ध (our) — सन्दर्भानुसार ‘to us’Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतिभिः
- with helps, with protectionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ऊति (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- गन्ता
- will come / come!Verbपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-रूपेण ‘will come/let (him) come’ (मरुत-गण के लिए सामूहिक एकवचन)Role Kriyā (आगमन)Root गम् (धातु) → गन्तृ (कृदन्त) / गन्ता (वैदिक भविष्यत्/आशीर्लिङ्गीय प्रयोग)
- वृष्टिम्
- rainNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (उपमा-प्रयोग में)Root वृष्टि (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot न (उपमा-निपात)
- विद्युतः
- lightningNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिक: -उत् स्तेम्; रूप ‘विद्युतः’)Role Kartā (उपमा: ‘lightning’ as comparator)Root विद्युत् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान (मुख्य): असामि = अस्मि (वैदिक दीर्घ/स्वर-परिवर्तन सहित)
- प्रयज्यवः (सम्बोधन/प्रथमा बहु.) + कण्वम् (द्वि. एक.) + दद् (लोट् ‘देहि’)
- असामिभिः = अस्माभिः (वैदिक रूप)
- मरुत आ = मरुतः + आ (विसर्ग-लोप)
- ऊतिभिः + गन्ता (पद-सीमा)
- वृष्टिं न = वृष्टिम् + न
- विद्युतः (स्त्री. प्रथमा एक. वैदिक रूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You are indeed unwearied, eager worshippers, clear-minded; you have given to Kaṇva. With your unwearied helps, Maruts, come to us like rain, like lightning.
Inner meaning
The Maruts are tireless powers of conscious force (asāmi: not slackening). They are ‘prayajyavaḥ’—those who delight in the offering, i.e., energies that respond when the inner sacrifice is sincere; and ‘pracetasaḥ’—luminous intelligence within force. They ‘gave to Kaṇva’: the seer received their effective help—energy, inspiration, protection. Now the seeker asks that same unwearied aid to descend like rain (nourishing wideness) and like lightning (sudden illumination and release).
Universal truth
When aspiration is steady, the higher powers respond tirelessly—bringing both gradual nourishment and sudden flashes of insight.
Themes
boon-bestowal, rain-and-light symbolism, unceasing help
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.39, RV 1.47
Family tradition
Kāṇva seers emphasize reciprocal relation: the gods respond to offering; help is experiential (‘you gave to Kaṇva’).
Significance
This verse seals the hymn with trust: the same force that shakes obstacles also nourishes and enlightens—tirelessly—when invoked by conscious aspiration.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- asāmi (unwearied), prayajyavaḥ (delighting in offering), pracetasaḥ (luminous/aware)
- Related deities
- Parjanya (rain), Indra (lightning/illumination), Rudra
Cosmic role
Bring rain and lightning; support Indra; protect and enrich the worlds through dynamic circulation of energies.
Inner power
Inexhaustible energetic support that both nourishes (rain) and illumines (lightning), sustaining the seeker’s progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Concluding praise/request in Marut hymns within Soma-related śrauta rites; rain/boon imagery suits prosperity intentions.
असा॑मि॒ हि प्र॑यज्यव॒: कण्वं॑ द॒द प्र॑चेतसः । असा॑मिभिर्मरुत॒ आ न॑ ऊ॒तिभि॒र्गन्ता॑ वृ॒ष्टिं न वि॒द्युत॑: ॥
असा॑मि । हि । प्र॒ऽय॒ज्य॒वः॒ । कण्व॑म् । द॒द । प्र॒ऽचे॒त॒सः॒ । असा॑मिऽभिः । म॒रु॒तः॒ । आ । नः॒ । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । गन्त॑ । वृ॒ष्टिम् । न । वि॒ऽद्युतः॑ ॥
asāmi | hi | pra-yajyavaḥ | kaṇvam | dṛ | pra-cetasaḥ | asāmi-bhiḥ | marutaḥ | ā | naḥ | ūti-bhiḥ | ganta | vṛṣṭim | na | vi-dyutaḥ
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4 x ~11; closing similes (rain/lightning) give a resonant cadence.
Assured and beneficent; less violent than earlier verses, ending in a generous descent.
Invokes steady confidence and receptivity; balances force with grace.
- असामि (asāmi)
- Literal: unwearied, unceasing. Symbolic: inexhaustible divine energy; persistence of the higher force
- प्रयज्यवः (prayajyavaḥ)
- Literal: eager to worship/offer. Symbolic: forces that collaborate with the inner sacrifice; responsiveness to aspiration
- प्रचेतसः (pracetasaḥ)
- Literal: clear-minded, conscious. Symbolic: luminous intelligence within dynamic energy
- ऊतिभिः (ūtibhiḥ)
- Literal: helps. Symbolic: interventions of grace-force; supports in difficulty
- वृष्टिम् (vṛṣṭim)
- Literal: rain. Symbolic: nourishing descent; widening peace/strength feeding the being
- विद्युतः (vidyutaḥ)
- Literal: lightning. Symbolic: sudden illumination; decisive release and breakthrough
Concluding appeal for beneficence: rain/illumination imagery commonly maps to prosperity and to the rite’s success; psychologically, to descent of force and light into the being.
As a closing appeal for gifts and protection; also in contexts seeking rain/fertility/prosperity.
Recitation to invite descent of boons; mental offering of gratitude and renewed call.
Use after intense inner work: invite nourishing integration (rain) and clarifying insight (lightning).
asāmi ‘unwearied’ (a- + sāmi) indicates uninterrupted action; supports reading of Maruts as constant energetic helpers. prayajyavaḥ from pra-√yaj: those who advance the sacrifice—inner sense: forces that push the offering upward. pracetas ‘forward consciousness’ (pra + cetas) aligns with awakening intelligence. vṛṣṭi ‘rain’ becomes descent of plenitude; vidyut ‘lightning’ becomes sudden illumination—both are inner gifts, not merely weather.
pracetas (forward consciousness), unceasing divine aid (asāmi), descent of plenitude (vṛṣṭi) and illumination (vidyut)
Rain/lightning express ṛta’s circulation—energies descending appropriately to sustain life and order.
Pracetasaḥ indicates consciousness in force: true power is aware, not blind.
Sustenance and illumination of the worlds; descent that nourishes and reveals.
Integral yoga reading: force and consciousness united; descent of peace/strength and flashes of insight.
monsoon (suggestive)
Rain = steady descent of strength/peace; lightning = sudden revelation; unwearied winds = continuous supportive prāṇa.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘bestowing storm’ mythologem: Maruts come as rain and lightning—simultaneously nourishment and illumination. Inner sense: their tireless helps descend as refreshing plenitude and sudden flashes of insight, continuing the boon once ‘given to Kaṇva’.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The pairing rain/lightning is a pan-Indo-European storm complex. pracetas (expanded consciousness) and the epithet stacking are characteristic of early IE praise-poetry: naming powers by functions to evoke them.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi claims a precedent of gift (‘you gave to Kaṇva’) and requests its renewal for the present community. The relationship is sustained by shared yajña-movement (prayajyavaḥ): the gods are invoked as collaborators in the upward offering and the downward descent of grace (ūti) as rain and light.
Receive two modes of help: steady nourishment (rain) and sudden insight (lightning).
sahasrāra (descent of higher influence) with grounding to mūlādhāra (integration)
Cooling, receptive breathing: inhale gently imagining rain-like descent; occasional single strong exhale imagining lightning-like clearing; repeat 12 cycles.
Receptive wideness with alert clarity.
After offering effort, rest; invite the Maruts’ unwearied supports. Feel a soft descent through the whole being, and allow brief flashes of insight without chasing them.
Keep a calm, even anudātta base; lift udātta on asāmi/pracetasaḥ; let the final similes (vṛṣṭim… vidyutaḥ) ring clearly.
Two clear invocations: ‘asāmi hi…’ (affirmation) then ‘asāmibhir maruta ā…’ (request). Slight pause before ‘vṛṣṭiṃ na vidyutaḥ’.
prayajyavaḥ: articulate yj cluster (yaj) smoothly, pracetasaḥ: ‘ce’ as ‘che’ (palatal c) not ‘se’, maruta ā: keep long ā distinct, vidyutaḥ: dyu as palatalized (d+y) with clear u
Warm, luminous, and steady; end with a bright lift on ‘vidyutaḥ’.
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