Rig Veda 1.113.14: Mandala 1, Sukta 113, Mantra 14
Sukta 1.113
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
व्यञ्जिभिर्दिव आतास्वद्यौदप कृष्णां निर्णिजं देव्यावः । प्रबोधयन्त्यरुणेभिरश्वैरोषा याति सुयुजा रथेन ॥
vy àñjíbhiḥ divá ātā́sv adyaut ápa kṛṣṇā́m nirṇíjaṃ devy ā́vaḥ | prabodháyanty aruṇébhiḥ aśváir óṣā yāti suyújā ráthena ||
ດ້ວຍເຄື່ອງປະດັບທີ່ສ່ອງແສງ, ນາງສ່ອງແສງອອກມາຈາກທີ່ຢູ່ອາໄສຂອງສະຫວັນ; ເທວີຜູ້ເປັນທິດຍິງໄດ້ຖິ້ມຜ້າຄຸມສີດໍາໄປ. ປຸກທຸກຄົນດ້ວຍມ້າສີແດງ, ອຸສາມາຮອດ, ຂີ່ລົດຫຼັກທີ່ຕິດຢ່າງສົມ.
Word by Word
- व्यञ्जिभिः
- with adornments/with ornaments (means)Nounपुं., तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot व्यञ्जि- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अलङ्कार/प्रकाशन-उपकरण’)
- दिवः
- from heaven/skyNounस्त्री., षष्ठी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot दिव्/द्यौ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- आतस्वत्
- straightway/just so, forthwithIndeclinableअव्यय (विधेयरूपेण)Root आ-तस्-वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित; ‘तस्मात् प्रकारात्’)
- द्यौत्
- shone forthVerbलुङ् (आorist), 3 एकवचन (परस्मै), injunctive/augmentless aoristRole KartāRoot द्युत् (धातु: द्युतँ ‘दीप्तौ’)
- अप
- away, offIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot अप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- कृष्णाम्
- the black (darkness)Adjectiveस्त्री., द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot कृष्ण- (प्रातिपदिक)
- निर्णिजम्
- covering/garment (veil)Nounस्त्री., द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot निर्णिज्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आवरण/वस्त्र/आच्छादन’)
- देव्यावः
- the divine help/protection (of the goddess)Nounनपुं./स्त्री. (वैदिक), प्रथमा, एकवचन (उषसः विशेषण/सम्बोधनार्थं)Role KartāRoot देव्यावस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘देवी-आवस्’ = दिव्य-रक्षा/सहायता)
- प्रबोधयन्ती
- awakening, rousingVerbवर्त्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्री., प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्र-√बुध् (धातु: बुधँ ‘अवबोधने’)
- अरुणेभिः
- with ruddy (ones)Adjectiveपुं., तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अरुण- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वैः
- with horsesNounपुं., तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषाः
- DawnNounस्त्री., प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot उषस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- याति
- goes, comesVerbलट्, 3 एकवचन, परस्मैRole KartāRoot √या (धातु: या ‘गत्यर्थे’)
- सुयुजा
- with well-yoked (team)Adjectiveस्त्री., तृतीया, एकवचन (साधनभावे) / अथवा अव्ययीभाववत् ‘well-yoked’Role KaraṇaRoot सु-युज् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सु’ + युज् ‘युक्त’)
- रथेन
- with a chariotNounपुं., तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot रथ- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): व्यञ्जिभिः | दिवः | आ | आतस्वत् | द्यौत् | अप | कृष्णाम् | निर्णिजम् | देव्यावः | प्रबोधयन्ती | अरुणेभिः | अश्वैः | उषाः | याति | सुयुजा | रथेन । 1) ‘दिवः आ’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग-सन्धिः: दिवः + आ → दिव आ (पदपाठे विसर्गः पृथक्)
- 2) ‘द्यौदप’ = द्यौत् + अप (त् + अ → द्/द्-प्रकृति; संहितायां द्यौदप)
- 3) ‘देव्या॑वः’ वैदिक-समास/प्रातिपदिक ‘देव्यावस्-’ (देवी-आवस्) इति ग्रहणम्
- 4) ‘अरुणेभिरश्वैः’ = अरुणेभिः + अश्वैः (विसर्गः परे स्वरघोषे लोप/रूपान्तर)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Adorned with radiance, she shines from the dwellings of heaven; the goddess has cast away the black covering. Awakening all with ruddy horses, Uṣas comes, well-yoked, on her chariot.
Inner meaning
Illumination descends (or emerges) from higher planes (‘heaven’s dwellings’) into the mind. The ‘black covering’ is the tamasic concealment that wraps perception. Uṣas throws it off, and her ‘ruddy horses’ are the awakened vital energies—purified and made dynamic—that carry the seeker forward. The ‘well-yoked chariot’ is the harmonized psycho-physical instrument under the guidance of the awakening Light.
Universal truth
When higher clarity touches life, it removes the obscuring inertia and mobilizes our energies in an ordered, purposeful movement.
Themes
Dawn as revealer, Light overcoming Darkness, Awakening of consciousness, Nature-image as psychological symbol
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.113, RV 1.112
Family tradition
Āṅgiras hymns frequently depict the recovery of Light through the removal of coverings and the release of dynamic forces; dawn imagery becomes a psychology of awakening.
Significance
Kutsa frames awakening as both revelation (casting off the black) and mobilization (yoking energies), a key step in integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- devī (goddess), prabodhayantī (awakener), aruṇāśvayuktā (with ruddy horses)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Aśvins
Cosmic role
She heralds the Sun, dispels night, and sets beings into motion for their works.
Inner power
The awakeness-force that removes tamas and yokes the vital to a higher direction.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn praise; recited in morning observances to invite clarity and right action.
व्य१॒॑ञ्जिभि॑र्दि॒व आता॑स्वद्यौ॒दप॑ कृ॒ष्णां नि॒र्णिजं॑ दे॒व्या॑वः । प्र॒बो॒धय॑न्त्यरु॒णेभि॒रश्वै॒रोषा या॑ति सु॒युजा॒ रथे॑न ॥
वि । अ॒ञ्जिऽभिः॑ । दि॒वः । आता॑सु । अ॒द्यौ॒त् । अप॑ । कृ॒ष्णाम् । निः॒ऽनिज॑म् । दे॒वी । आ॒व॒रित्या॑वः । प्र॒ऽबो॒धय॑न्ती । अ॒रु॒णेभिः॑ । अश्वैः॑ । आ । उ॒षाः । या॒ति॒ । सु॒ऽयुजा॑ । रथे॑न ॥
vi | añji-bhiḥ | divaḥ | ātāsu | adyaut | apa | kṛṣṇām | niḥ-nijam | devī | āvar ity āvaḥ | pra-bodhayantī | aruṇebhiḥ | aśvaiḥ | ā | uṣāḥ | yāti | su-yujā | rathena
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4 x ~11 syllables
Energetic and pictorial; strong mid-line stresses fit the ‘casting off’ and ‘awakening’ actions.
Invigorates; helps shift from heaviness to alertness, supporting prabodha (awakening).
- अञ्जिऽभिः (añjibhiḥ)
- Literal: adornments/ointments, radiant dress. Symbolic: Luminous qualities of consciousness; refined mental-vital textures
- दिवः आतासु (diva ātāsu)
- Literal: from the dwellings of heaven. Symbolic: From higher mind/plane of truth-light
- कृष्णां निर्णिजम् (kṛṣṇāṃ nirṇijam)
- Literal: black covering/garment. Symbolic: Ignorance, inertia, subconscious obscuration
- प्रबोधयन्ती (prabodhayantī)
- Literal: awakening. Symbolic: Rousing the being to awareness and right activity
- अरुणेभिः अश्वैः (aruṇebhir aśvaiḥ)
- Literal: ruddy horses. Symbolic: Purified life-forces/energies of action driven by illumination
- सुयुजा रथेन (suyujā rathena)
- Literal: with well-yoked chariot. Symbolic: Integrated instrument—mind, life, body aligned to the guiding Light
Morning recitation/invocation connected with the dawn-pressing and daily awakening rites; used as a stotra-like praise to establish the rite in clarity (prakāśa) and right movement (ṛta).
Pre-sunrise to sunrise; before starting work, study, or sādhanā.
Recitation with lamp/light offering; symbolic ‘casting off’ of darkness (opening windows, washing, orienting east).
Use as a ‘tamas-clearing’ mantra: chant when dullness, procrastination, or mental fog dominates.
Key roots and forms: (1) diváḥ < √div ‘shine, play’ → Heaven/Day as luminous consciousness. (2) ádyaut: aorist/ perfective of √dyut ‘shine’ indicating sudden manifestation. (3) prabodháyantī: pres. act. ptc. fem. sg. from pra-√budh ‘to awaken, to perceive’—dawn awakens both life and knowledge. (4) kṛṣṇā́m: acc. fem. sg. ‘black’—a standard Vedic sign for tamas/avidyā. (5) suyújā: instr./adv. sense ‘with well-yoked (powers)’ from su- + √yuj ‘yoke, join’—inner harmonisation. (6) aśvá-: beyond ‘horse’, often ‘force/energy’ (PIE *h₁éḱwos ‘horse’), used for divine dynamism.
R̥ta (right order as the regular advent of light), tamas vs. jyotis (ignorance vs. illumination), awakening of buddhi/perception (√budh)
Uṣas restores Ṛta by reestablishing the daily order of light and activity—inner and outer.
The light originates in ‘diva ātāsu’—truth has a higher source than surface mind.
Light re-creates the world each day by removing the primal covering; inwardly, it reconstitutes perception.
Integral/psychological Veda: darkness is a state of consciousness, not merely night.
dawn
Radiant qualities descend; obscuration drops; energies awaken and move in coordinated alignment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Dawn-goddess removes the black covering and awakens the world: the recurring mythic act of ‘unveiling’ (ā-√vṛ) where Light emerges from Night. Psychologically, it is the soul’s passage from subconscient inertia (kṛṣṇā nirṇij) to awakened seeing (pra-√budh), carried by harmonised life-energies (suyujā aśvaiḥ).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśvá- ‘horse’ continues PIE *h₁éḱwos (Lat. equus, OIr. ech, Av. aspa-). The dawn complex aligns with PIE *h₂éwsōs (Skt. uṣás-, Gk. Ēōs, Lat. Aurōra), preserving an inherited Indo-European poetic figure: Dawn arrives in a chariot with radiant steeds and drives away darkness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer does not merely describe dawn; he participates in her action by aligning speech and perception with her unveiling. Uṣas is invoked as an inner power that ‘awakens’ (prabodhayantī) the sacrificer’s faculties; the reciprocity is implicit: as the human being becomes receptive and ordered (su-yuj), the goddess can manifest more fully, displacing the obscuring cover.
Visualize the black covering dropping from the mind; feel the ‘ruddy horses’ as fresh prāṇa rising and moving forward under a single intention.
Maṇipūra (will/energy)
3 rounds: inhale 4, exhale 6; on exhale feel ‘apa kṛṣṇāṃ nirṇijam’—darkness leaving.
Alert, bright wakefulness; readiness for right action.
Chant standing or seated; after chanting, do one deliberate action immediately (study, japa, service) to ‘yoke the chariot’.
Maintain clear udātta rises on action-words: adyaud, apa, prabodhayantī, yāti; keep cadences even across triṣṭubh pādas.
Avoid dragging ‘kṛṣṇāṃ’; let ‘apa’ be crisp to embody removal.
(vy añjibhiḥ): separate vy + a-; do not swallow the vowel, (kṛṣṇām): retroflex ṣṇ cluster, (nirṇijam): clear ṇ; short i, (aruṇebhiḥ): retroflex ṇ
Bright, energizing, with firm articulation on consonant clusters.
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