Rig Veda 7.90.7: Mandala 7, Sukta 90, Mantra 7
Sukta 7.90
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra–Vāyu
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अर्वन्तो न श्रवसो भिक्षमाणा इन्द्रवायू सुष्टुतिभिर्वसिष्ठाः । वाजयन्तः स्ववसे हुवेम यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
árvanto ná śrávaso bhíkṣamāṇā indrāvāyū suṣṭutíbhir vásiṣṭhāḥ | vājáyantaḥ svávase huvema yūyám pāta svastíbhiḥ sádā naḥ ||
ດັ່ງດັ່ງມ້າທີ່ຊອກຫາຊື່ສຽງ, ພວກເຮົາຊາວວາສິສຖະ ອະທິຖານຫາທ່ານ, ອິນທຣະ-ວາຢູ, ດ້ວຍບົດສະເດັດທີ່ສ້າງຂຶ້ນຢ່າງງາມ. ນຳເອົາຄວາມສົມບູນແຫ່ງພະລັງມາເພື່ອການເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນຂອງຕົນເອງ, ພວກເຮົາຮຽກຫາທ່ານ, ຈົ່ງປົກປ້ອງພວກເຮົາສະເໝີໄປດ້ວຍພະລັງແຫ່ງຄວາມສຸກຜາສຸກ.
Word by Word
- अर्वन्तः
- the steeds (horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अर्वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक) < अश्व-सम्बद्ध
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा/सादृश्यार्थक निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- श्रवसः
- of fame, of renownNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भिक्षमाणाः
- begging, seekingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; वर्तमानकालिक; आत्मनेपद-भावRole KartāRoot भिक्ष् (धातु) → भिक्षमाण (शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- इन्द्रवायू
- O Indra and VāyuNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; द्विवचनRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र-वायु (समास; देवताद्वन्द्व)
- सुष्टुतिभिः
- with good praisesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सु-स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग+स्तुति)
- वसिष्ठाः
- the Vasiṣṭhas (Vasiṣṭha’s clan/poets)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वसिष्ठ (ऋषिनाम प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजयन्तः
- seeking to win prizes / making (us) winParticipleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; वर्तमानकालिक; परस्मैपद-भावRole KartāRoot वाजय् (धातु; denom./caus. sense ‘to make win/bring prize’) → वाजयन्त् (शतृ-वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- स्ववसे
- for (our) own benefitNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot स्ववस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘one’s own good/benefit, self-aid’)
- हुवेम
- let us invoke / we would callVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आज्ञार्थे वैदिक-प्रयोगः); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot हू (धातु)
- यूयम्
- you (two/you all)Pronounप्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- पात
- protect!Verbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot पा (धातु ‘to protect’)
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with well-being, with blessingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सदा (अव्यय)
- नः
- us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अर्वन्तः | न | श्रवसः | भिक्षमाणाः | इन्द्रवायू | सुष्टुतिभिः | वसिष्ठाः || वाजयन्तः | स्ववसे | हुवेम | यूयम् | पात | स्वस्तिभिः | सदा | नः || 1) इन्द्रवा॒यू = इन्द्र-वायू (देवताद्वन्द्व, सम्बोधन-द्विवचन). 2) सु॑ष्टु॒तिभि॒र्वसि॑ष्ठाः: विसर्ग-सन्धि (…भिः + व… → …भिर्व…). 3) हुवेम: वैदिक लोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगः ‘हू’ धातोः (आह्वानार्थे) ‘let us invoke’. 4) नः एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम
- अर्थतः ‘अस्मान्/अस्मभ्यं’ (contextually dative ‘for us’ with पात)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like chargers begging for fame, we Vasiṣṭhas pray to you, Indra–Vāyu, with good hymns. Seeking the prize for our own increase, we call you; protect us always with well-being.
Inner meaning
The human striver is compared to a racing horse: the vital nature seeks ‘śravas’—recognition, but inwardly this becomes the soul’s demand for the true ‘name’ and accomplished being. The Vasiṣṭhas offer well-shaped speech (suṣṭuti) as a means of yoking the gods. They seek vāja—not mere spoils, but plenitude of force and capacity for growth (svavase: for one’s own becoming). The culmination is a request for constant protection by svasti—harmonizing powers of well-being that keep the journey safe and rightly directed.
Universal truth
Aspiration must be refined: the drive for achievement becomes a call for true growth; right speech and sincere invocation align forces, and well-being is the protective harmony that sustains progress.
Themes
Benediction, Invocation, Protection, Plenitude of force (vāja), Seer-lineage voice
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.90.5, RV 7.90.6, RV 7.91.1, RV 7.91.2
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭhas are famed for mantra-craft (speech as power) and for establishing harmony and protection through alignment with ṛta.
Significance
The rishi speaks as a lineage (‘we Vasiṣṭhas’): sadhana is communal across time, sustained by perfected speech and a continuous call for svasti.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra–Vāyu
- Epithets
- pātam (protect!)—as invoked, svasti-dā (implied bestowers of well-being)
- Related deities
- Aśvins (protective journey), Agni (leader of sacrifice)
Cosmic role
They grant force (vāja), victory, and safe passage; they guard the movement of sacrifice and the seeker’s progress.
Inner power
Illumined discernment plus regulated prāṇa creates a protected field where aspiration can grow without derailment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Concluding or supportive verse in an Indra–Vāyu hymn sequence; prayer for protection and success
अर्व॑न्तो॒ न श्रव॑सो॒ भिक्ष॑माणा इन्द्रवा॒यू सु॑ष्टु॒तिभि॒र्वसि॑ष्ठाः । वा॒ज॒यन्त॒: स्वव॑से हुवेम यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
अर्व॑न्तः । न । श्रव॑सः । भिक्ष॑माणाः । इ॒न्द्र॒वा॒यू इति॑ । सु॒स्तु॒तिऽभिः॑ । वसि॑ष्ठाः । वा॒ज॒ऽयन्तः॑ । सु । अव॑से । हु॒वे॒म॒ । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
arvantaḥ | na | śravasaḥ | bhikṣamāṇāḥ | indravāyū iti | sustuti-bhiḥ | vasiṣṭhāḥ | vāja-yantaḥ | su | avase | huvema | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
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4 × ~11
Invocatory and exhortative; strong openings and a settling protective close.
Energizes aspiration, then resolves into a feeling of guardedness and auspicious steadiness.
- अर्वन्तः (arvantaḥ)
- Literal: chargers, steeds. Symbolic: vital energies in pursuit; the striving force in the seeker
- श्रवसः (śravaso)
- Literal: fame, glory. Symbolic: true name/realization; the soul’s fulfilled expression
- सुस्तुतिभिः (suṣṭutibhiḥ)
- Literal: with well-hymned praises. Symbolic: rightly formed mantra/thought that shapes consciousness
- वाजयन्तः (vājayantaḥ)
- Literal: bringing/pressing for vāja. Symbolic: seeking plenitude of force, victorious capacity
- स्ववसे (svavase)
- Literal: for one’s own help/increase. Symbolic: for the soul’s self-becoming, inner growth
- स्वस्तिभिः (svastibhiḥ)
- Literal: with well-beings. Symbolic: harmonizing protections—balanced energies, auspicious guidance
Concluding appeal/blessing in a Soma hymn: invitation plus request for ongoing protection (svasti) for the sacrificer and lineage
Toward the end of invocations to seal the rite with svasti and sustained aid.
Recitation as a protective benediction following praise.
Daily protection practice before travel/work; also after meditation to ‘seal’ the state with steadiness.
śrávas ‘fame/renown’ from √śru ‘hear’—in RV, ‘that which is heard’ becomes inspired renown; inwardly, the vibration of truth that spreads. vājá from √vaj/√vṛj semantic field of strength and plenitude—interpreted as ‘fullness of force’ rather than only ‘prize/food’. svastí (su-asti ‘good-being’) is a key RV benediction term; √pā ‘protect’ frames the reciprocal pact: hymn-offering for divine guardianship.
svasti (good-being) as right-ordered state, vāja as plenitude of force, reciprocity of praise and protection
Svasti functions as ṛta’s protective harmony in life-movement.
True śravas (glory) is satya-made—authentic being rather than egoic fame.
Growth (svavase) as progressive manifestation of higher force in the embodied nature.
Bhakti-as-mantra-power within an integral framework: invocation shapes consciousness and calls down protection.
Horse = vital drive; protection = harmonization of energies preventing dispersion and error.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The concluding ‘contract’ mythologem: the seer-lineage offers well-made praise and calls the gods; the gods are asked to reciprocate with continual protection and svasti. The horse-image frames aspiration as a forward-driving force seeking śrávas (the heard truth/renown).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- svastí (su-asti) parallels IE formations of ‘good-being’ (cf. Gk. εὖ ἔστι ‘it is well’). √pā ‘protect’ is an old IE root (cf. Lat. pāstor ‘shepherd’ in semantic neighborhood). The optative huvema preserves archaic Indo-European modal style for ritual invitation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Explicit reciprocity: the Vasiṣṭhas approach as striving forces with crafted speech (suṣṭuti), seeking vāja (inner force) and avas (help). Indra–Vāyu are asked to maintain an enduring guardianship expressed as svasti—stable right-being in the human journey.
Transform ambition into aspiration; invoke protection for steady practice.
Maṇipūra (drive) harmonized by Anāhata (svasti as balance)
4-6 breathing (inhale 4, exhale 6) to calm the ‘charger’ energy into steady force.
Aspiring, then protected equanimity.
Chant once with full vigor (vira), then repeat softly, letting ‘svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ’ settle as a protective field around the body and mind.
Mixed Vedic accents; keep a clear lift on indravāyū and on svastibhiḥ.
Let each pāda end cleanly; emphasize the closing blessing ‘sadā naḥ’ without rushing.
: bhik-ṣa- with clear kṣ, : suṣ-ṭu-ti- with retroflex ṭ, : vā-ja-yan-taḥ (j soft), visarga at end, : sva-sti-bhiḥ with crisp st
Invocatory at first, then softer and protective on the last pāda.
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