Rig Veda 6.71.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 71, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.71
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
देवस्य वयं सवितुः सवीमनि श्रेष्ठे स्याम वसुनश्च दावने । यो विश्वस्य द्विपदो यश्चतुष्पदो निवेशने प्रसवे चासि भूमनः ॥
devásya vayáṃ savitúḥ savī́mani śréṣṭhe syāma vásunaś ca dā́vane | yó víśvasya dvipádo yáś cátuṣpado nivéśane prasavé cā́si bhū́manaḥ ||
ຂໍໃຫ້ພວກເຮົາຢູ່ໃນການຊຸກຍູ້ທີ່ດີທີ່ສຸດຂອງພະເຈົ້າສະວິຕາ, ໃນການມອບຄວາມຮັ່ງມີຂອງພະອົງ. ເພາະພະອົງເປັນຜູ້ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ຜູ້ຄອບຄອງການຕັ້ງຖິ່ນຖານ ແລະ ການສົ່ງໄປຂອງທຸກສິ່ງທີ່ມີສອງຂາ ແລະ ສີ່ຂາ.
Word by Word
- देवस्य
- of the godNounMasculine, Genitive, SingularRole Sambandha (genitival relation)Root देव
- वयम्
- wePronoun1st person pronoun, Nominative, PluralRole KartāRoot अस्मद्
- सवितुः
- of SavitarNoun (deity name/title)Masculine, Genitive, SingularRole Sambandha (genitival relation)Root सवितृ
- सवीमनि
- in the impulsion/quickening (of Savitar)NounNeuter, Locative, SingularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सवीमन
- श्रेष्ठे
- in the best (state/place)Adjective (substantivized)Neuter, Locative, SingularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot श्रेष्ठ
- स्याम
- may we beVerbOptative (Vidhiliṅ), Active, 1st person, PluralRole (verbal predicate of Kartā वयम्)Root अस्
- वसुनः
- of wealth / of the goodNounNeuter, Genitive, Singular (Vedic: gen. sg. in -नः)Role Sambandha (genitival relation)Root वसु
- च
- andIndeclinableConjunctionRoot च
- दावने
- for giving / for bestowalNoun (action noun)Neuter, Dative, SingularRole Sampradāna / Prayojana (purpose)Root दावन
- यः
- whoRelative pronounMasculine, Nominative, SingularRole KartāRoot यद्
- विश्वस्य
- of allAdjective (used substantively)Neuter, Genitive, SingularRole Sambandha (genitival relation)Root विश्व
- द्विपदः
- of the two-footed (beings)Noun/AdjectiveMasculine, Genitive, Singular (collective: ‘of the two-footed’)Role Sambandha (genitival relation)Root द्विपद्
- यः
- and whoRelative pronounMasculine, Nominative, SingularRole Kartā (co-referential with previous यः)Root यद्
- चतुष्पदः
- of the four-footed (beings)Noun/AdjectiveMasculine, Genitive, Singular (collective: ‘of the four-footed’)Role Sambandha (genitival relation)Root चतुष्पद्
- निवेशने
- in the settling/abodeNounNeuter, Locative, SingularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot निवेशन
- प्रसवे
- in the impelling / in the bringing-forthNounMasculine, Locative, SingularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot प्रसव
- च
- andIndeclinableConjunctionRoot च
- असि
- you areVerbPresent Indicative, Active, 2nd person, SingularRole (verbal predicate of implied ‘त्वम्’ = Savitar)Root अस्
- भूमनः
- of greatness / of abundanceNoun (abstract)Masculine/Neuter (Vedic usage), Genitive, SingularRole Sambandha (genitival relation)Root भूमन्
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved as: देवस्य वयम् सवितुः सवीमनि श्रेष्ठे स्याम वसुनः च दावने । यः विश्वस्य द्विपदः यः चतुष्पदः निवेशने प्रसवे च असि भूमनः ॥ Key sandhi: (1) वसुनश्च → वसुनः + च (visarga before ca)
- (2) चासि → च + असि (a+a contraction in saṃhitā)
- Others are straightforward padapāṭha-style separations
The meaning
Outer meaning
A wish to be in Savitar’s best impulsion and receive his riches; Savitar presides over the settling and sending-forth of all beings, two-footed and four-footed.
Inner meaning
The seeker prays to live in the ‘śreṣṭha savīman’—the highest divine impulsion—so that life and works proceed from a luminous originating push rather than from desire or inertia. ‘Two-footed and four-footed’ symbolize the two main modes of our manifested nature: the mental/human (dvipad) and the vital-physical powers (catuṣpad). Savitṛ governs both ‘niveśana’ (settling, stabilizing) and ‘prasava’ (release, forward creation): he can both ground the being and propel it into new formation.
Universal truth
The same divine power must both stabilize and evolve us: true guidance gives rootedness without stagnation and movement without disorder.
Themes
Right impulsion, Governance of life-forms, Prosperity as divine gift, Vastness principle
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.71.1, RV 6.71.3, RV 6.71.4
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya emphasis on right impulsion and ordered expansion of consciousness.
Significance
This verse is a compact psychology of guidance: aspiration to the ‘best impulsion’ that governs both stability (niveśana) and evolution (prasava) across all parts of our nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ (Savitar)
- Epithets
- devasya (of the god), bhūman (the vast one), presider of niveśana and prasava
- Related deities
- Pūṣan, Bhaga, Aryaman, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Regulator of life’s rhythms: settling beings into their right place and impelling them into becoming.
Inner power
Master of right timing and right movement—he harmonizes our groundedness and our forward thrust.
In ritual
Where it is used
Savitṛ praises used in daily solar observances and in rites seeking right movement/prosperity; broadly compatible with pravargya/soma atmospheres (thematic).
दे॒वस्य॑ व॒यं स॑वि॒तुः सवी॑मनि॒ श्रेष्ठे॑ स्याम॒ वसु॑नश्च दा॒वने॑ । यो विश्व॑स्य द्वि॒पदो॒ यश्चतु॑ष्पदो नि॒वेश॑ने प्रस॒वे चासि॒ भूम॑नः ॥
दे॒वस्य॑ । व॒यम् । स॒वि॒तुः । सवी॑मनि । श्रेष्ठे॑ । स्या॒म॒ । वसु॑नः । च॒ । दा॒वने॑ । यः । विश्व॑स्य । द्वि॒ऽपदः॑ । यः । चतुः॑ऽपदः । नि॒ऽवेश॑ने । प्र॒ऽस॒वे । च॒ । असि॑ । भूम॑नः ॥
devasya | vayam | savituḥ | savīmani | śreṣṭhe | syāma | vasunaḥ | ca | dāvane | yaḥ | viśvasya | dvi-padaḥ | yaḥ | catuḥ-padaḥ | ni-veśane | pra-save | ca | asi | bhūmanaḥ
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4 pādas of 11 syllables
Balanced and declarative; a prayer (wish) followed by a defining statement of Savitṛ’s scope.
Centers the will; gives confident alignment with a higher guidance.
- सवीमनि (savīmani)
- Literal: in the impulsion/instigation. Symbolic: the divine initiating push that sets right movement in consciousness
- श्रेष्ठे (śreṣṭhe)
- Literal: best, highest. Symbolic: supreme guidance—impulsion from the highest light rather than lower nature
- वसुनः दावने (vasunaḥ dāvane)
- Literal: in the giving of riches. Symbolic: bestowal of inner wealth—clarity, joy, power, wideness
- द्विपदः (dvipadaḥ)
- Literal: two-footed beings. Symbolic: mental/human faculties; the reflective, discerning nature
- चतुष्पदः (catuṣpadaḥ)
- Literal: four-footed beings. Symbolic: vital-physical energies; instinctive and dynamic powers
- निवेशने (niveśane)
- Literal: in settling/dwelling. Symbolic: establishing peace, stability, right seat of consciousness
- प्रसवे (prasave)
- Literal: in sending forth, generation. Symbolic: creative release—progressive manifestation and right action
- भूमनः (bhūmanaḥ)
- Literal: vastness. Symbolic: the wide being of Savitṛ—limitless consciousness supporting growth
Savitṛ hymns used to secure right impulsion and prosperity; relevant to rites where ‘prasava’ (impulsion) is explicitly sought (Savitṛ as prasavitṛ).
At morning recitation or before journeys/undertakings; also as an auspicious invocation for orderly life and increase.
Japa/recitation; in śrauta, accompanying praises to Savitṛ before offerings.
A mantra for life-direction: chant before making decisions—invoke the ‘best impulsion’ and ask for both stability and forward movement.
savīman is Savitar’s special ‘impulsion’—the activating current of right movement. √dā ‘give’ grounds dā́vana: divine giving as an outflow of order. ni-√viś ‘settle’ and pra-√sū ‘send forth’ form a pair: establishment and dynamism, both governed by Savitar. dvipád/cátuṣpád are not only zoological categories; they can encode psychological typology: ‘two-footed’ (mind-centered agents) and ‘four-footed’ (vital-energetic supports) brought into right rhythm by the impeller.
prasava (divine impulsion), bhūman (vastness of consciousness), ordered establishment and emission (niveśana/prasava)
Savitṛ’s governance of settling and sending-forth is ṛta applied to becoming—order in rest and in motion.
Choosing the ‘best’ impulsion implies alignment to truth rather than preference.
Continuous creation: manifestation is repeatedly ‘sent forth’ and also ‘seated’ into forms.
Integral Vedic psychology: evolution by divine impulsion; harmony of stability and progress.
solar impulsion; settling (evening rest) and sending-forth (morning movement) as natural rhythms
dawn-to-day cycle (implied)
Daily solar rhythm becomes inner rhythm: rest in the Self (niveśana) and creative action from the Self (prasava).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Savitṛ as universal regulator who both settles beings into their right place and sends them forth in right movement. Innerly, it is the governance of our mental and vital powers—stabilizing them (niveśana) and energizing them (prasava)—so we can dwell in the ‘best impulsion’ and receive vasu (inner goods).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The opposition ni- (down/in) and pra- (forth) reflects inherited Indo-European preverb systems. √dā ‘give’ is PIE *deh₃- (cf. Greek didōmi, Latin dōnum). bhūman relates to √bhū ‘be, become’ (PIE *bʰuH-).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks participation in Savitar’s ‘best’ current (savīman), implying surrender to divine impulsion. In exchange, Savitar’s governance of all life becomes personal guidance and prosperity—riches as capacities for ordered living and inner growth.
Surrender personal will to the ‘best impulsion’ and feel guidance organizing both stillness and activity.
Heart (Anāhata) for surrender + Ājñā for guidance.
Inhale: ‘receive impulsion’; exhale: ‘release action’. Add a brief pause after exhale to feel ‘settling’.
Guided calm; poised will aligned to a higher movement.
Ask inwardly: ‘What is the śreṣṭha savīman now—rest or action?’ Follow the answer without haste; let both dvipad (thought) and catuṣpad (energy/body) obey the same light.
Triṣṭubh with steady mid-range; keep udatta prominence on key nouns (savitúḥ, śreṣṭhe, bhūmanaḥ).
Do not over-accent the enumerations; keep ‘yo… yaś…’ parallel and even. Slight pause after dāvane |.
savīmani: long ī, śreṣṭhe: retroflex ṣṭh cluster, clear aspiration, dvipado: light v, dental d, catuṣpado: retroflex ṣ, keep ‘pado’ clear, niveśane: ś as palatal, long e, prasave: short a, clear v
Even, composed, guiding tone (as if giving direction).
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