Rig Veda 7.87.1: Mandala 7, Sukta 87, Mantra 1

Sukta 7.87

Rishi: Vasiṣṭha (traditional for RV 7.87)

Devata: Varuṇa

Chandas: Triṣṭubh

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

रदत्पथो वरुणः सूर्याय प्रार्णांसि समुद्रिया नदीनाम् । सर्गो न सृष्टो अर्वतीॠतायञ्चकार महीरवनीरहभ्यः ॥

Sanskrit recitationRig Veda 7.87.1

Transliteration

rádat pátho váruṇaḥ sū́ryāya prá ā́rṇāṃsi samudríyā nadī́nām | sárgo ná sṛṣṭó árvātīr ṛtā-yáñ cakā́ra mahī́r avanī́r áha-bhyaḥ ||

Translation

Varuṇa has hewn out the paths for the Sun; he has set forth the flood-currents of the rivers that run to the ocean. Like a release once loosed, he made the streaming waters move in the line of ṛta; he fashioned the great fields of earth for the days—so life may proceed in ordered wideness.

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Word by Word

• रदत्: he cleft / he opened
• रदत्: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रद् (दन्त्य-धातु) / रद (to split, cleave; Vedic)

• पथः: paths, ways
• पथः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथ (प्रातिपदिक)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

• सूर्याय: for the Sun
• सूर्याय: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्र: forth, forward
• प्र: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग)

• अर्णांसि: flood-waters, waves
• अर्णांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wave, flood, waters’)

• समुद्रियाः: of the sea / oceanic
• समुद्रियाः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्रिय (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक from समुद्र)

• नदीनाम्: of the rivers
• नदीनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्गः: a surge / outflow
• सर्गः: Kartā (of the simile-clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; ‘flow, outpouring, discharge’)

• न: like
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• सृष्टः: released, let loose
• सृष्टः: — (qualifies सर्गः)
• Type: Participle (verbal adjective)
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → सृष्ट (PPP)

• अर्वती: Arvatī (a river/stream)
• अर्वती: Kartā (of the following verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्वती (प्रातिपदिक; name/epithet of a river/stream; ‘swift/abounding in horses’ in later usage)

• ऋताय: for Ṛta (cosmic order), for truth/order
• ऋताय: Sampradāna / प्रयोजन
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)

• चकार: has made / fashioned
• चकार: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)

• महीः: great, vast
• महीः: Karma (with अवनीः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक; ‘great, vast’)

• अवनीः: channels, beds (of waters)
• अवनीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘river-bed/stream; earth; channel’—here ‘channels/river-beds’)

• अहभ्यः: from the days / than the days
• अहभ्यः: Apādāna (source) / Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘day’) → अह (Vedic stem) + भ्यस्