Rig Veda 1.186.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 186, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.186
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ, with Mitra-Aryaman-Varuṇa prominent
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ नो विश्व आस्क्रा गमन्तु देवा मित्रो अर्यमा वरुणः सजोषाः । भुवन्यथा नो विश्वे वृधासः करन्त्सुषाहा विथुरं न शवः ॥
ā́ no víśva ā́skrā gamantu devā́ mitró aryamā́ váruṇaḥ sajóṣāḥ | bhúvan yáthā no víśve vṛdhā́sáḥ káran suṣáhā vithuráṃ ná śávaḥ ||
എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും വേഗത്തിൽ ഞങ്ങളിലേക്കു വരട്ടെ—മിത്രൻ, അര്യമൻ, വരുണൻ ഒരുമിച്ച്, ഏകമനസ്സോടെ—അങ്ങനെ എല്ലാ വൃധാസ (വളർത്തുന്ന ദൈവശക്തികൾ) ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് സുഷാഹാ (ദൃഢ സഹിഷ്ണുത)യായിത്തീരട്ടെ; നമ്മുടെ ബലം അചഞ്ചലമാക്കട്ടെ—വിഥുരം (ചിതറുന്നതു) അല്ലാതെ.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towards (us)Indeclinableupasarga/particle; no inflectionRoot आ (upasarga) / ā (avyaya)
- नः
- to/for us; ourPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (recipient/beneficiary)Root अस्मद्
- विश्वे
- all (of them)Adjective (substantivized)masculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot विश्व (sarvanāman-adj.)
- आस्क्राः
- the swift/active ones (epithet)Noun/Adjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to देवाः)Root आस्क्र (prātipadika; Vedic epithet)
- गमन्तु
- let (them) comeVerbimperative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada (Vedic injunctive/imperative usage)Root गम्
- देवाः
- the godsNounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot देव
- मित्रः
- MitraProper nounmasculine nominative singularRole Kartā (member of list)Root मित्र
- अर्यमा
- AryamanProper nounmasculine nominative singular (Vedic nom. अर्यमा < अर्यमन्)Role Kartā (member of list)Root अर्यमन्
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaProper nounmasculine nominative singularRole Kartā (member of list)Root वरुण
- सजोषाः
- in concord; together in goodwillAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (agreeing with देवाः/विश्वे)Root सजोष (sa- + joṣa ‘delight, companionship’; Vedic adj.)
- भुवन्
- being; becomingVerb (participle)present active participle, nominative singular masculine/neuter (Vedic usage; agreeing with implied ‘this/that’)Root भू
- यथा
- so that; asIndeclinablecomparative/conj.; no inflectionRoot यथा (avyaya)
- नः
- for usPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary)Root अस्मद्
- विश्वे
- all (you)Adjective (substantivized)masculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot विश्व (sarvanāman-adj.)
- वृधासः
- strengtheners; increasers (of prosperity)Noun/Adjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to विश्वे)Root वृध (prātipadika from √वृध ‘grow/strengthen’; Vedic noun/adj.)
- करन्तु
- let (them) make; let (them) doVerbimperative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot कृ
- सुषाहाः
- well-conquering; victoriousAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (agreeing with देवाः/विश्वे)Root सु-षाह (su- + √सह ‘to overcome’; adj.)
- विथुरम्
- wide-spreading; far-reachingAdjectiveneuter accusative singularRole Karma (object of करन्तु)Root विथुर (adj.)
- न
- like; asIndeclinableparticle of comparison; no inflectionRoot न (avyaya)
- शवः
- might; strength; powerNounneuter accusative singular (Vedic: acc. = nom. form in -as)Role Karma (in apposition to विथुरम्)Root शवस्
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved: आ नो॒ → आ + नः
- विश्व॒ आस्क्रा॑ → विश्वे + आस्क्राः (nom.pl.)
- गमन्तु दे॒वा → गमन्तु + देवाः
- मि॒त्रो अ॑र्य॒मा → मित्रः + अर्यमा
- वरु॑णः स॒जोषा॑: → वरुणः + सजोषाः
- भुव॒न्यथा॑ → भुवन् + यथा
- नो॒ विश्वे॑ → नः + विश्वे
- वृ॒धास॒: कर॑न्तु → वृधासः + करन्तु
- कर॑न्त्सु॒षाहा॑ → करन्तु + सुषाहाः
- विथु॒रं न → विथुरम् + न. Accent marks are retained from the saṃhitā text but do not change the lexical segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
May all the gods come swiftly to us—Mitra, Aryaman, Varuṇa in one accord—so that all the increasers may make us powers of firm endurance, making our force unshaken, not scattered.
Inner meaning
The call is for a coordinated descent of divine faculties. Mitra (harmony and right relation), Aryaman (noble law, right aspiration and social-soul order), and Varuṇa (vastness, truth-law, purity) come ‘sajoṣāḥ’—in one enjoyment/accord: psychologically, the inner powers must act together, not as conflicting impulses. ‘Viśve vṛdhāsaḥ’ are all increasers: the forces that enlarge consciousness and capacity. The fruit sought is ‘suṣāhā’—good endurance, the ability to bear and transform pressure without collapse; and ‘śavaḥ’ (force) that is ‘vithuraṃ na’—not scattered, not trembling/dispersed. This is a central yogic need: gather the life-force and mind-force into a unified, steady power under the governance of truth and harmony.
Universal truth
When harmony, noble law, and truth-wideness act together, our energy becomes steady and enduring. Spiritual strength is not intensity alone but collected force that does not disperse under stress.
Themes
Integral invocation, Stability of force, Concord of divine powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Anonymous/uncertain (RV 1.186).
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.186.1
Significance
A seer of integral invocation: not one power alone but a harmonized totality (Viśve Devāḥ) is required to make the seeker’s force steady and unshakable.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ with Mitra–Aryaman–Varuṇa prominent
- Epithets
- āskrāḥ (swift), sajoṣāḥ (in accord), vṛdhāsaḥ (increasers)
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Savitṛ, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Collective divine order: Mitra maintains harmony, Aryaman upholds noble law and right membership, Varuṇa guards Ṛta through vastness and purity; together they increase and stabilize life.
Inner power
Harmonized faculties producing collected force: concord in relations (Mitra), right aspiration and ethical-noble ordering (Aryaman), truth-wideness and purification (Varuṇa).
In ritual
Where it is used
General Viśve Devāḥ invocation; suitable for protection and strengthening portions of rites.
आ नो॒ विश्व॒ आस्क्रा॑ गमन्तु दे॒वा मि॒त्रो अ॑र्य॒मा वरु॑णः स॒जोषा॑: । भुव॒न्यथा॑ नो॒ विश्वे॑ वृ॒धास॒: कर॑न्त्सु॒षाहा॑ विथु॒रं न शव॑: ॥
आ । नः॒ । विश्वे॑ । आस्क्राः॑ । ग॒म॒न्तु॒ । दे॒वाः । मि॒त्रः । अ॒र्य॒मा । वरु॑णः । स॒ऽजोषाः॑ । भुव॑न् । यथा॑ । नः॒ । विश्वे॑ । वृ॒धासः॑ । कर॑न् । सु॒ऽसहा॑ । वि॒थु॒रम् । न । शवः॑ ॥
ā | naḥ | viśve | āskrāḥ | gamantu | devāḥ | mitraḥ | aryamā | varuṇaḥ | sa-joṣāḥ | bhuvan | yathā | naḥ | viśve | vṛdhāsaḥ | karan | su-sahā | vithuram | na | śavaḥ
44
4 padas of ~11 syllables (approx.).
Quick opening (invitation) followed by a firm, stabilizing close (endurance/steadiness).
Gathers scattered energies; evokes a disciplined, unified strength.
- विश्वे देवाः (viśve devāḥ)
- Literal: all the gods. Symbolic: the full set of divine faculties needed for integral transformation
- आस्क्राः (āskrāḥ)
- Literal: swift-stepping, rushing. Symbolic: rapid descent/quickened awakening of higher powers
- सजोṣाः (sajoṣāḥ)
- Literal: together in accord, with one enjoyment. Symbolic: harmonized action of inner powers; no inner civil war
- मित्र (mitra)
- Literal: friend; deity of harmony. Symbolic: power of concord, right relation, luminous friendliness
- अर्यमा (aryamā)
- Literal: Aryaman. Symbolic: noble law, right aspiration, the ‘Aryan’ ordering force
- वरुण (varuṇa)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast truth-law, purity, containment of the infinite
- वृधासः (vṛdhāsaḥ)
- Literal: increasers. Symbolic: powers that enlarge consciousness and capacity
- सुṣाहा (suṣāhā)
- Literal: well-enduring. Symbolic: spiritual endurance; capacity to bear tapas without distortion
- शवः (śavaḥ)
- Literal: force, strength. Symbolic: collected life-force and will-force for the work
- विथुरम् (vithuram)
- Literal: shaken, scattered, trembling. Symbolic: dispersion of energy; nervous/vital scattering that breaks concentration
Collective invocation for strengthening and harmonising powers; suitable for communal sections of soma/śrauta recitations where ‘all gods’ are invited to support the sacrificer’s stability.
When seeking collective support of deities—before demanding ritual actions or transitions; also as a community invocation.
Āvāhana of Viśve Devāḥ; prayer for increase and steadiness of śavaḥ.
Use before challenging tasks or during anxiety: chant to call harmony–nobility–truth, then sit and feel energy collect in the center rather than scatter.
mitra/aryaman/varuṇa are Āditya powers of harmony, right relation, and vast law. vṛdhā́s from √vṛdh ‘increase’. suṣáhā from su- + √sah ‘to endure, overcome’ (PIE *segh- ‘hold out’). vithurá ‘shaken’ from vi-√thur (to tremble/scatter); contrasts with stable śávaḥ ‘force’ (Vedic śavas ‘strength, vigour’).
Harmony (Mitra), Right social/cosmic order (Aryaman), Vast law and truth (Varuṇa), Endurance (sah) vs dispersion (vithura)
Varuṇa’s truth-law and Mitra’s harmony together form the stable field of Ṛta; Aryaman shapes right belonging to that law.
Collected force is a sign of satya in action—truth that holds together, not disperses.
Sustaining the world through coordinated cosmic powers; stability against chaos/scattering.
Integral approach: multiple godheads as psychological powers harmonized for steadiness and endurance.
Swift coming = sudden uplift of consciousness; endurance = capacity to hold tapas; unshaken force = collected prāṇa and will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The convergence of the ‘All-Gods’ as a united host of increasers who stabilise the seeker’s śavas (force) against vithura (dispersion): a mythic image of integral divine cooperation producing unshakable endurance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow/increase’ is IE-wide (cf. English worth via different development; but Indo-Iranian vṛdh is inherited). √sah ‘endure’ reflects an archaic endurance root (often compared with PIE *segh-). The triad Mitra/Varuṇa reflects Indo-Iranian religious structures with possible cognate functions in Iranian tradition.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls for a collective descent of powers, not for outer conquest but for inner coherence: the gods are asked to make the human force ‘not vithura’—not scattered—so the being can endure and grow under ṛta-like harmony.
Call the three regulating powers—harmony, noble law, truth-wideness—to unify the being; gather scattered energy into steady śavaḥ.
Maṇipūra (force/śavaḥ) stabilized by Anāhata (Mitra harmony) and Ājñā (Varuṇa truth-clarity)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for 8 cycles to reduce scattering; chant once, then feel a steady central flame of force.
Collected strength; integrated will; calm courage.
When scattered: name inwardly ‘Mitra’ (harmonize), ‘Aryaman’ (choose the noble law), ‘Varuṇa’ (widen and purify). Then act from the steady center, not from dispersed impulses.
Keep the opening ‘ā no viśva āskrā’ brisk with clear udātta; maintain even svara through the list ‘mitro aryamā varuṇaḥ’; land firmly on ‘suṣāhā… śavaḥ’.
Avoid sing-song on the deity list; treat it as one united call (sajoṣāḥ). Emphasize ‘suṣāhā’ and ‘na śavaḥ’ to seal steadiness.
: long ā; skra conjunct clear, ṣ: jo long o; ṣ retroflex, : final o from sandhi; keep mitra dental t, : ry conjunct, : retroflex ṇ; final ḥ light, : vṛ with vocalic ṛ; dh aspirated, : th aspirated; short u, : ś palatal; v soft
Bright, commanding, and unifying; end with grounded firmness.
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