Rig Veda 4.13.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 13, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.13
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Skambha / Ṛta-supporting cosmic principle
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अनायतो अनिबद्धः कथायं न्यङ्ङुत्तानोऽव पद्यते न । कया याति स्वधया को ददर्श दिवः स्कम्भः समृतः पाति नाकम् ॥
anā́yato áni-baddhaḥ kathā́yáṃ nyàṅ-uttānó ’va padyate ná | kayā́ yāti svadháyā káḥ dadarśa diváḥ skambháḥ sám-ṛtaḥ pā́ti nā́kam ||
ಅನಾಯತ, ಅನಿಬದ್ಧ—ಇವನು ಹೇಗೆ ತಲೆಕೆಳಗಾಗಿಯೂ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಬೀಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ? ಯಾವ ಸ್ವಧಾ (ಸ್ವನಿಯಮ)ದಿಂದ ಇವನು ಚಲಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ—ಯಾರು ಇದನ್ನು ಕಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ? ದಿವಃ ಸ್ಕಂಭಃ (ಆಕಾಶಸ್ತಂಭ), ಋತದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಹತಗೊಂಡು, ನಾಕ (ಲೋಕ/ಆಕಾಶಗರ್ಭ)ವನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿ ಕಾಪಾಡುವವನು.
Word by Word
- अना॑यतः
- not going/striving; not directedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (used predicatively) अथवा अव्ययीभाववत् (Vedic usage)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ/विषय-विशेषण)Root अ-आयत (√यत् ‘to strive/extend’ with neg. a-) / prātipadika ‘अनायत’
- अनिबद्धः
- unbound; not fastenedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ/विषय-विशेषण)Root नि-बद्ध (√बन्ध् ‘to bind’ with neg. a-) / prātipadika ‘अनिबद्ध’
- कथा
- story; account; ‘how?’ (as a questioning notion)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of implied ‘is/exists’) / विषयRoot कथा / prātipadika
- अयम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (deictic: ‘this’)Root इदम् (sarvanāman stem)
- नि
- down; intoIndeclinableupasargaRole (verb-modifier)Root नि (upasarga)
- अङ्
- indeed/then (particle)IndeclinablenipātaRole (discourse particle)Root अङ् (Vedic particle; often intensifying/connecting)
- उत्तानः
- stretched out; lying extendedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of implied subject) / अवस्थाRoot उत्तान / prātipadika (ud-√तन् ‘to stretch out’)
- अव
- down; awayIndeclinableupasargaRole (verb-modifier)Root अव (upasarga)
- पद्यते
- steps/goes; falls (into)Verbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √पद् ‘to go/step; to fall into’
- न
- notIndeclinablenipāta (negation) / also ‘like’ in some contexts; here negationRole (sentence negator)Root न (particle)
- कया॑
- by what?; by which (means)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (instrument/means) अथवा हेतुRoot क (interrogative pronoun stem)
- याति
- goesVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √या ‘to go’
- स्वधया॒
- by its own power; by inherent ordinance (svadhā)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (means/power) / हेतुRoot स्वधा / prātipadika
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot क (interrogative pronoun)
- ददर्श
- has seen; sawVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √दृश् ‘to see’
- दिवः
- of heaven; of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root दिव् / द्यौ (prātipadika)
- स्कम्भः
- support; prop; pillarNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषयRoot स्कम्भ / prātipadika (from √स्कभ् ‘to prop/support’)
- समृतः
- well-compacted; firmly joinedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of स्कम्भः)Root समृत / prātipadika (saṃ-√ऋ ‘to fit/join/arrange’; ‘well-joined/compacted’)
- पाति
- protectsVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √पा ‘to protect’
- नाकम्
- heaven; celestial realmNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot नाक / prātipadika
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान (sandhi resolution): कथायं → कथा + अयम् (अ + अ = आ)
- न्यङ्ङुत्तानोऽव → नि + अङ् + उत्तानः + अव (अवग्रहः: उत्तानोऽव = उत्तानः + अव; ‘ny’ is ni- before vowel)
- अन्यत्र विशेष-सन्धिः न।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A wonder is posed: something is unled and unbound, seemingly inverted (headlong) yet it does not fall. By what inherent law does it move? Who has perceived the Pillar of heaven—compacted in Ṛta—that upholds the luminous vault (nāka)?
Inner meaning
The rishi points to the inner “axis” of consciousness: the stable support (skambha) that remains unmoved even when the surface mind feels inverted, falling, or unsupported. The seeker asks: what is the svadhā (inherent self-law) by which the soul’s order persists when outer supports are absent? The answer implied: the inner Truth-order (Ṛta/Satya) is the real foundation; when consciousness is joined to it, the ‘vault’ of higher mind is upheld and does not collapse into lower movements.
Universal truth
True stability is not external control but alignment with an inherent law of truth (svadhā rooted in Ṛta). When life feels “upside down,” the enduring axis is the inner truth-consciousness that silently sustains and orients experience.
Themes
Cosmogonic riddle, Axis mundi (Skambha), Stability without external bonds, Metaphysics of order
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda Mandala 4 (Vāmadeva-associated hymns), RV 10.7 (Skambha-related speculation in later Vedic reflection)
Family tradition
Māṇḍala 4 is predominantly Vāmadeva Gautama’s lineage; this hymn’s ascription is not explicit in the supplied data.
Significance
The ‘unknown seer’ voice functions as a contemplative interrogator: a rishi-mode that does not assert dogma but forces the mind beyond physical causality toward the secret support of Ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Skambha (Ṛta-supporting cosmic principle; implicit)
- Epithets
- divaḥ skambhaḥ (pillar of heaven), samṛtaḥ (compacted/firm in Ṛta), nāka-pāt (upholder of the luminous vault)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (Ṛta guardian), Sūrya (illumined order), Bṛhaspati (truth-word that establishes order)
Cosmic role
Axis that stabilizes the worlds; the hidden support that keeps the cosmic ‘heaven’ from collapsing into chaos.
Inner power
The immovable truth-support in the seeker—steady witness and law of harmony that prevents descent into confusion even amid upheaval.
In ritual
Where it is used
Used as a contemplative/vidyā-mantra within recitation cycles; thematically suited to rites emphasizing Ṛta and cosmic stability (general)
अना॑यतो॒ अनि॑बद्धः क॒थायं न्य॑ङ्ङुत्ता॒नोऽव॑ पद्यते॒ न । कया॑ याति स्व॒धया॒ को द॑दर्श दि॒वः स्क॒म्भः समृ॑तः पाति॒ नाक॑म् ॥
अना॑यतः । अनि॑ऽबद्धः । क॒था । अ॒यम् । न्य॑ङ् । उ॒त्ता॒नः । अव॑ । प॒द्य॒ते॒ । न । कया॑ । या॒ति॒ । स्व॒धया॑ । कः । द॒द॒र्श॒ । दि॒वः । स्क॒म्भः । सम्ऽऋ॑तः । पा॒ति॒ । नाक॑म् ॥
anāyataḥ | ani-baddhaḥ | kathā | ayam | nyaṅ | uttānaḥ | ava | padyate | na | kayā | yāti | svadhayā | kaḥ | dadarśa | divaḥ | skambhaḥ | sam-ṛtaḥ | pāti | nākam
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Interrogative, forward-driving cadence with a firm closure; suited to philosophical wonder and discovery.
Creates a sense of suspended inquiry resolving into inner steadiness; the rhythm ‘holds’ the mind like the skambha it names.
- अना॑यतः (anāyataḥ)
- Literal: unled, not driven. Symbolic: consciousness not compelled by outer forces; self-sustained poise
- अनि॑बद्धः (anibaddhaḥ)
- Literal: unbound, unattached. Symbolic: freedom from limiting knots of habit/ego; non-dependence
- न्य॑ङ् उत्ता॒नः (nyaṅ uttānaḥ)
- Literal: turned downward, inverted/headlong. Symbolic: states of inner reversal, crisis, descent into subconscient; loss of ordinary orientation
- स्व॒धया॑ (svadhayā)
- Literal: by its own law/nature. Symbolic: the soul’s intrinsic dharma; the secret governance of the Self
- दि॒वः स्क॒म्भः (divaḥ skambhaḥ)
- Literal: pillar/support of heaven. Symbolic: axis of higher consciousness; inner world-supporting truth
- ऋ॑त (ṛta)
- Literal: cosmic order, right rhythm. Symbolic: truth-law that harmonizes mind, life, and spirit
- नाक॑ (nāka)
- Literal: luminous vault/heaven. Symbolic: plane of illumined mind; the wide inner sky of clarity
Used as a contemplative/vidyā-mantra within recitation cycles; thematically suited to rites emphasizing Ṛta and cosmic stability (general)
As a contemplative recitation in dawn study (svādhyāya) or as a reflective verse within a wider rite invoking Ṛta and cosmic stability.
Recited to affirm the support of Ṛta before offerings/meditation; can accompany silent ‘centering’ before japa.
Use when feeling ungrounded: chant as an anchoring inquiry, then sit to sense the ‘inner pillar’ behind thoughts and emotions.
svadhā (sva- ‘own’ + √dhā ‘to place’) denotes an inherent law/power of self-arrangement; here it implies an immanent governance rather than external binding. skambha- ‘support/pillar’ is a key Vedic cosmological term (cf. later Skambha hymns) for the axis of ordered being. ṛta (from √ar/ṛ ‘fit, move in right way’) is the principle of right arrangement; sam-ṛtaḥ marks a state ‘fully fitted into ṛta’, hence stable and sustaining.
Ṛta (cosmic order), svadhā (self-law, intrinsic power), support of the luminous worlds (nāka)
Explicit: skambha is ‘samṛtaḥ’—made firm/compacted in Ṛta, thus stability comes from right order.
The verse implies a truth-perception (ko dadarśa) that alone knows the support; seeing Satya reveals the unfalling foundation.
Worlds are sustained not by mechanical bonds but by a truth-principle; ‘heaven’ is upheld by an inner law.
Proto-Vedāntic/Upaniṣadic cosmological speculation; also resonates with Aurobindo’s ‘planes of consciousness’ reading.
The ‘sky’ is the wide illumined mind; the ‘pillar’ is the vertical axis of truth in consciousness that keeps awareness from collapsing into lower nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The riddle of cosmic suspension: heaven stands and does not ‘fall’ though seemingly unfastened. The mythologem is the hidden support (Skambha) established in Ṛta, an unseen axis that sustains the luminous vault—psychologically, an inner vertical of truth-consciousness that prevents the being from collapsing into the downward pull of tamas.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- div- ‘sky’ continues PIE *dyew- ‘bright sky/day’ (cf. Lat. diēs, divus; Gk. Zeus). √pā ‘protect’ has IE parallels (protection/guard roots across branches). The interrogative construction (kathā… kayā… kaḥ…) is a typical archaic poetic strategy for framing metaphysical insight as a riddle, comparable to other IE tradition riddling hymns.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer does not command but inquires, adopting a posture of discovery: ‘who has seen?’ The Devata is the hidden law (svadhā) and support (skambha) that can only be ‘seen’ by inner vision. The reciprocity is epistemic and transformative: the rishi’s questing speech invites revelation of Ṛta’s stabilizing power within consciousness.
Sense the ‘inner pillar’ (skambha) as vertical stability from base to crown; rest attention in the witness that does not fall with thoughts.
sushumna (central channel) / sahasrāra-axis (conceptual)
Slow nāḍī-śodhana or simple equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) while contemplating ‘svadhā’—the natural law of the Self.
From mental turbulence to steady illumined poise (śānta, sākṣī-bhāva).
Chant once slowly as a question; pause after ‘na’; then chant again letting the body feel ‘upright within’ even if emotions feel inverted.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita as per Rigvedic recitation; emphasize interrogatives with clear udatta lift on key words (e.g., katha, kayā, kaḥ).
Keep the questioning contour through the first half; give weight to ‘skambhaḥ’ and a settled cadence on ‘pāti nākam’.
Maintain retroflex clarity in ‘skambhaḥ’ (skam-bhaḥ), not ‘skan’, Distinct ‘ṛ’ in ‘ṛta’ and ‘samṛtaḥ’ (not ‘rita’), In ‘nyaṅ’, nasal + palatal/velar closure: ‘nyang’ with crisp ending
Steady, resonant, inquiry-toned; end with grounded firmness.
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