Rig Veda 1.184.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 184, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.184
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अस्मे ऊ षु वृषणा मादयेथामुत्पणीँर्हतमूर्म्या मदन्ता । श्रुतं मे अच्छोक्तिभिर्मतीनामेष्टा नरा निचेतारा च कर्णैः ॥
asmé ū ṣú vṛṣaṇā mādayethām ut-paṇī́ṃr hatam ū́rmyā mádantā | śrutáṃ me ácchoktibhir matīnā́m eṣṭā́ narā ní-cetārā ca kárṇaiḥ ||
ഞങ്ങളിലേ തന്നെ, ഹേ വൃഷണന്മാരേ (ബലവാന്മാരേ), ആനന്ദിക്കുവിൻ; സംഭരിക്കുന്നവരെ പ്രഹരിച്ച്, ഊർമി (ബലത്തിന്റെ തരംഗം)യോടെ മദിപ്പിൻ. എന്റെ മതികളിലെ സുവചന ഓക്തികളെ കേൾക്കുവിൻ—ഹേ രണ്ടു നരന്മാരേ (വീരന്മാരേ), ഏഷ്ടാ (ആഗ്രഹഫലം നിവർത്തിക്കുന്നവരേ), സത്യമായി ശ്രദ്ധിക്കുന്ന ചെവികളാൽ അതിനെ വിവേചിക്കുവിൻ.
Word by Word
- अस्मे
- in/for usPronounसप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (Vedic enclitic form = अस्मे for अस्मिन्)Role अधिकारणRoot अस्मद्
- ऊ
- indeedIndeclinable (particle)emphatic/enclitic particleRoot ऊ
- षु
- just, surelyIndeclinable (particle)enclitic particle (strengthening/urgency)Root षु
- वृषणा
- the two bulls (i.e., the two Aśvins)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) / वृषणा (dual stem)
- मादयेथाम्
- may you two rejoice / be exhilaratedVerbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot मद् (मादयति) धातु
- उत्
- up, outPreverb/IndeclinableupasargaRoot उत्
- पणीन्
- the Paṇis (niggardly demons/hoarders)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot पणि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हतम्
- smite/strike (them)Verb (finite; injunctive/aoristic imperative sense)लुङ्/आorist-injunctive type form used imperatively; मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन (addressed to the two); परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot हन् धातु
- ऊर्म्या
- with a wave/surgeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदन्ता
- rejoicing, exhilarated (you two)Verb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा/सम्बोधन, द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot मद् धातु
- श्रुतम्
- hear (you two)Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot श्रु धातु
- मे
- myPronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- अच्छ
- towardsIndeclinable (directional)preposition/adverbRoot अच्छ
- उक्तिभिः
- with utterances/hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मतीनाम्
- of thoughts/intentionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- एष्टा
- the chooser/seeker (bestower)Noun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इष् धातु (इष्टृ/एष्टृ ‘seeker/chooser’)
- नरा
- O two men (Aśvins)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- निचेतारा
- the two who take notice / the two observersNoun (agent, dual)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot नि + चित् धातु; चेतृ (agent) → चेतार
- च
- andIndeclinable (conjunction)coordinative particleRoot च
- कर्णैः
- with (your) earsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (principal): (1) मादयेथा॒मुत् → मादयेथाम् + उत् (final -म् before vowel; pada break restores). (2) उत्प॒णीँर्ह॑तम् → उत् + पणीन् + हतम् (ut + paṇīn; and -न् + ह- gives written -ँर्ह- in saṃhitā: पणीन् + हतम्). (3) श्रु॒तं मे॒ अच्छो॑क्तिभिः → श्रुतम् + मे + अच्छ + उक्तिभिः (accha + ukti- shows saṃhitā spelling अच्छोक्ति-). (4) नरा॒ निचे॑तारा → नरा + निचेतारा (simple juxtaposition). Accent marks in the prompt are saṃhitā accents
- pada forms given without explicit accent marking
The meaning
Outer meaning
O strong ones, delight in us; strike down the Paṇis and rejoice, gladdened by the wave. Hear my well-spoken thoughts; O two heroes, fulfillers of the seeking, discern with attentive ears.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the Aśvins to ‘take delight in us’—to establish their harmonizing, healing presence in the embodied nature. Paṇis are not merely hostile traders but inner hoarders: powers of possessive desire and miserliness that withhold the wealth of light and joy. The Aśvins are urged to strike these hoarders and to rejoice with ūrmyā—an upsurging wave of force (pranic-psychic surge) that cleanses stagnation. The rishi offers acchokti—clear, straight speech of the mind’s formations (matīnāṃ)—and asks the twins, as eṣṭā (fulfillers of the seeking), to truly hear and discern (nicetārā) with perceptive inner listening.
Universal truth
Progress demands both descent of delight and active removal of the inner hoarder; when higher help meets clear aspiration, discernment awakens and the withheld energies of growth are released.
Themes
anti-Paṇi, inner-hearing, mantric-clarity, force-and-delight
The seer
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Lineage
- Agastya (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.184.1, RV 1.184.3, RV 1.184.4
Family tradition
Agastya’s voice is pragmatic: invoke help, remove inner obstacles, and insist on clear speech and true hearing.
Significance
He frames the path as both delight and battle: divine joy must be installed, and the hoarding resistance must be struck down.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- vṛṣaṇā (strong ones), narā (heroes/men), eṣṭā (fulfillers of seeking), nicetārā (discerners)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of coverers), Agni (carrier of clear speech), Soma (delight that replaces hoarding)
Cosmic role
Healers and rescuers who also act as liberators of withheld wealth; they restore right circulation of energies.
Inner power
Purifying surge + subtle discernment: they break grasping patterns and awaken true listening to inspired thought.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise in early rite; thematically linked to removing obstacles and securing offerings
अ॒स्मे ऊ॒ षु वृ॑षणा मादयेथा॒मुत्प॒णीँर्ह॑तमू॒र्म्या मद॑न्ता । श्रु॒तं मे॒ अच्छो॑क्तिभिर्मती॒नामेष्टा॑ नरा॒ निचे॑तारा च॒ कर्णै॑: ॥
अ॒स्मे इति॑ । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । सु । वृ॒ष॒णा॒ । मा॒द॒ये॒था॒म् । उत् प॒णीन् । ह॒त॒म् । ऊ॒र्म्या । मद॑न्ता । श्रु॒तम् । मे॒ । अच्छो॑क्तिऽभिः । म॒ती॒नाम् । एष्टा॑ । न॒रा॒ । निऽचे॑तारा । च॒ । कर्णैः॑ ॥
asme iti | oṃ iti | su | vṛṣaṇā | mādayethām | ut paṇīn | hatam | ūrmyā | madantā | śrutam | me | acchokti-bhiḥ | matīnām | eṣṭā | narā | ni-cetārā | ca | karṇaiḥ
48
4×12 (likely)
Energetic and martial, with a cleansing ‘surge’ feel in the middle movement.
Stimulates courage and purgative momentum; supports attentive inward listening at the end.
- vṛṣaṇā
- Literal: strong/bull-like ones. Symbolic: powers of effective force and protection in the journey
- mādayethām
- Literal: take delight, rejoice. Symbolic: establish divine delight as a sustaining vibration in the seeker
- paṇi
- Literal: hoarder, miser. Symbolic: inner grasping that withholds light/joy; the obstructing vital ego
- ūrmi
- Literal: wave. Symbolic: upsurge of life-force and psychic energy that purifies and propels
- acchokti
- Literal: well-spoken, clear utterance. Symbolic: straight mantric speech aligned with truth and aspiration
- matī
- Literal: thought-form, inspired intelligence. Symbolic: formations of consciousness offered in the sacrifice
- eṣṭā
- Literal: one who fulfills the seeking. Symbolic: power that completes aspiration by effective response
- nicetārā
- Literal: discerners, those who notice. Symbolic: awakening of subtle inner hearing and discrimination (viveka-like)
Invocatory praise seeking the Aśvins’ energizing presence and removal of obstructive/hoarding forces; adaptable to soma context as ‘mad’ language suggests exhilaration
Dawn/early morning; moments needing protection and release of ‘wealth’
Recitation with intent of obstacle-removal and strengthening of inspired speech
Use when stuck in compulsive craving or miserliness (time, love, generosity). Chant to invoke cleansing surge and discernment.
: ‘strong, virile’ from √vṛṣ ‘to rain/sprinkle; be powerful’ → force-bearing. √mad ‘rejoice, be exhilarated’ links to soma-joy but psychologically to widening delight in force. Paṇi: ‘bargainer/hoarder’ (symbolic adversary in cow/light myths). √han ‘strike’ is the archetypal overcoming verb. ‘wave’ suggests surging vital energy. : ni-√cit ‘notice, perceive’ → inward discernment.
overcoming the hoarder principle (Paṇi) as inner obstruction to abundance of light, śruti as inner hearing and receptivity, right speech (acchokti) as effective mantra-force
Paṇi represents anti-ṛta (withholding); the Aśvins restore flow and harmony.
Clear utterance and true hearing are satya’s instruments in the human field.
Release of hidden wealth (light/joy) from obstructing powers.
Integral-psychological reading: inner enemies are patterns; divine powers act as transformative forces.
dawn context (hymn sequence)
Wave = pranic-psychic upsurge; bull-strength = steady effective force; striking Paṇi = breaking grasping contraction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The striking down of the Paṇis (hoarders) who withhold wealth/light—an allied myth-pattern to the ‘cows in the cave’ theme. Here it is internalized: the Aśvins are asked to break the withholding tendency so the wave of force (ūrmi) can rise and delight can widen.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The formulaic imperative √han ‘smite’ and the epithet vṛṣaṇā (strength/rain-power) echo an old IE diction where divine powers overcome obstructers and release abundance (often figured as rain/light/cattle).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers ‘clear utterances’ shaped by matí (thought-power) and asks for a responsive divine cognition: the Aśvins should ‘hear’ with discerning faculties (ni-cetārā). The exchange is epistemic and dynamic—right speech invites right divine action.
Break hoarding contraction; invite a cleansing upsurge and cultivate subtle listening to inner guidance.
maṇipūra (will/force to strike obstruction) and ājñā (discernment)
Kapalabhāti (gentle, 30–60 strokes) to evoke ‘ūrmi’ surge, followed by quiet nāḍī-śodhana for inner hearing.
From contracted grasping to energized clarity and receptive discernment.
Name the ‘Paṇi’ habit (withholding, fear of loss). Chant, then sit and listen inwardly for the next right action; commit to one concrete act of generosity or release.
Observe accents (e.g., ऊ॒, वृ॑षणा, मादयेथा॒म्, प॒णीँर्ह॑तम, मद॑न्ता, श्रु॒तं, अच्छो॑क्तिभिः).
Make the ‘hatam’ phrase firm and clipped; soften and refine tone on ‘śrutam me’ to shift into listening.
paṇīm̐r: keep nasalization light; do not add extra vowel, ūrmyā: long ū; ‘rmy’ cluster articulated smoothly, acchoktibhiḥ: double ‘cch’ clear; aspirate ‘kh’ in ‘kthi’ cluster carefully, nicetārā: ‘ce’ clean; long ā sustained
Energetic, purifying, then quieter and keen at the close.
5
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
