Rig Veda 10.136.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 136, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.136
- Rishi
- Keśin Dārbhya
- Devata
- Vāta/Vāyu as cosmic life-power
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
वातस्याश्वो वायोः सखाथो देवेषितो मुनिः । उभौ समुद्रावा क्षेति यश्च पूर्व उतापरः ॥
vātásyā́śvo vāyóḥ sákhā́tho devéṣito muníḥ | ubháu samudrā́vā́ kṣeti yáś ca pū́rva utā́paraḥ ||
മുനി വാതത്തിന്റെ അശ്വമാണ്; വായുവിന്റെ സഖാവാണ്; ദേവന്മാർ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുന്നവനാണ്. അവൻ ഇരുസമുദ്രങ്ങളിലും വസിക്കുന്നു—മുമ്പിലുള്ളതിലും അപ്പുറത്തിലുള്ളതിലും—ആ രണ്ടു മഹത്ത്വങ്ങൾക്കിടയിൽ സഞ്ചരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്.
Word by Word
- वातस्य
- of the Wind (Vāta)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root वात (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वः
- the horseNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (subject)Root अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक अव्ययRoot वा (निपात)
- वायोः
- of VāyuNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सखा
- (as) a companion/friendNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (वेदिक रूप: सखा < सखि)Role कर्तृ (subject; apposition)Root सखि (प्रातिपदिक; इ-प्रातिपदिक)
- अथो
- and then/alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक अव्ययRoot अथो (निपात; अथ + उ)
- देवेषितः
- impelled/commissioned by the godsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle sense) प्रयोगRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifier of subject)Root देव-ईषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ईष्/ईश् ‘to impel, command’ से निष्पन्न; ‘देवेषित’ = देवैः ईषितः)
- मुनिः
- the sage (muni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (subject; in apposition)Root मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- उभौ
- bothPronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचनRole कर्म (object; with क्षेति)Root उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समुद्रौ
- the two seas/oceansNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; द्विवचन (वेदिक/काव्य में प्रथमा-द्वितीया द्विवचन रूप समान: -औ)Role कर्म (object; ‘both seas’)Root समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- unto/towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग; ‘towards/unto’Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- क्षेति
- dwells/abidesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रिया (predicate); कर्ता = मुनिः/सखाRoot √क्षि (क्षि/क्षे) ‘to dwell, abide’
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (relative subject)Root यद् (सर्वनाम)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- पूर्वः
- former/earlierAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (of यः)Root पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and/alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक अव्ययRoot उत (निपात)
- अपरः
- later/other (the latter)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (of यः)Root अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): वातस्य अश्वः वा वायोः सखा अथो देवेषितः मुनिः । उभौ समुद्रौ आ क्षेति यः च पूर्वः उत अपरः ॥ प्रमुख सन्धि: (1) वातस्य + अश्वः → वातस्याश्वः (स्वर-सन्धि: अ + अ = आ)
- (2) अथ + उ → अथो (उकार-आगम/निपात-समास)
- (3) यः + च → यश्च (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + च = श्च)
- (4) उत + अपरः → उतापरः (स्वर-सन्धि: अ + अ = आ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Muni is the steed of the Wind, the friend of Vāyu, impelled by the gods; he dwells in both oceans, the former and the latter.
Inner meaning
The Keśin-Muni is carried by vāta/vāyu—life-breath and cosmic prāṇa. ‘Aśva’ here is the vital force made a vehicle: the ascetic-seer rides the currents of prāṇa rather than being dragged by them. ‘Driven by the gods’ indicates higher powers direct his life-energy. The ‘two oceans’ are the two vastnesses: the ocean of manifested becoming (pūrva) and the ocean of the beyond (apara), or the subconscious depth and the superconscient height; the Muni abides in both, moving freely between worlds.
Universal truth
When life-force becomes a conscious vehicle, guided by higher intention, the human being can inhabit both the finite and the infinite without division.
Themes
Breath mysticism, Cosmic travel across worlds, Seer as vehicle of divine force
The seer
- Rishi
- Keśin Dārbhya
- Other hymns
- RV 10.136.1, RV 10.136.2, RV 10.136.3, RV 10.136.4, RV 10.136.6, RV 10.136.7
Family tradition
Keśin hymn tradition (RV 10.136) celebrating the inspired ascetic-seer moving in cosmic forces.
Significance
A rare Rigvedic portrait of the yogic-type seer: breath-born mobility, inner silence, and double citizenship in worlds—precursor to later muni/yati ideals, yet expressed in Vedic symbolic language.
The deity
- Devata
- Vāta/Vāyu (cosmic Life-Power) with the Muni as embodied channel
- Epithets
- Vāyu (life-breath), Vāta (wind-force)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind), Soma (ecstatic bliss), Rudra (wild force of transformation)
Cosmic role
Moves between worlds, carries offerings and inspirations, animates creation through prāṇa.
Inner power
Prāṇa as conscious force enabling expansion, travel in consciousness, and integration of planes.
In ritual
Where it is used
Not primarily a śrauta offering verse; belongs to visionary/mystic hymn context.
वात॒स्याश्वो॑ वा॒योः सखाथो॑ दे॒वेषि॑तो॒ मुनि॑: । उ॒भौ स॑मु॒द्रावा क्षे॑ति॒ यश्च॒ पूर्व॑ उ॒ताप॑रः ॥
वात॑स्य । अश्वः॑ । वा॒योः । सखा॑ । अथो॒ इति॑ । दे॒वऽइ॑षितः । मुनिः॑ । उ॒भौ । स॒मु॒द्रौ । आ । क्षे॒ति॒ । यः । च॒ । पूर्वः॑ । उ॒त । अप॑रः ॥
vātasy a | aśvaḥ | vāyoḥ | sakhā | atho iti | deva-iṣitaḥ | muniḥ | ubhau | samudrau | ā | kṣeti | yaḥ | ca | pūrvaḥ | uta | aparaḥ
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4 pādas of 11 syllables
Broad, striding, wind-like; strong forward movement with spacious pauses.
Expansive breath-feel; supports prāṇic widening and a sense of roaming vastness.
- muniḥ
- Literal: silent sage. Symbolic: one who has entered inner silence and widened consciousness
- vātasya aśvaḥ
- Literal: steed of the wind. Symbolic: vital energy mastered and used as a vehicle
- vāyoḥ sakhā
- Literal: friend of Vāyu. Symbolic: intimate harmony with prāṇa, not conflict with life
- deveṣitaḥ
- Literal: impelled by the gods. Symbolic: guided by higher powers/illumined faculties
- ubhau samudrau
- Literal: both oceans. Symbolic: two immensities: becoming & beyond; lower depth & higher vast
Primarily contemplative-symbolic; may be cited in later tradition for breath/life-force contemplations.
Recited in reflective settings; later used as inspiration for ascetic/prāṇa contemplations.
Breath-led meditation: chant while feeling prāṇa as the ‘steed’; use to stabilize a calm, wide awareness during walks or pranayama.
aśva: from √aś ‘to reach, to pervade quickly’ (traditional); symbolically the carrier-force of consciousness. devéṣita: from deva + √iṣ ‘to impel, set in motion’ → divinely driven inspiration. samudra: ‘gathering of waters’; often Vedic symbol for vast planes of being; ‘two oceans’ can encode the dual infinity (below/above) that the seer ranges.
Divine impulsion (devéṣita), Two infinities (upper/lower oceans), Abiding across planes (kṣeti)
‘Driven by the gods’ suggests alignment with ṛta rather than personal impulse.
The Muni’s dwelling in both oceans implies truth-consciousness that holds opposites without distortion.
Life-force as the carrier between planes; the seer as bridge-being.
Proto-yogic Vedic mysticism; resonates with later Upaniṣadic prāṇa doctrine.
Wind/breath = prāṇa currents; horse = vital energy harnessed; oceans = vast subconscious and vast superconscient (or becoming and beyond).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The inspired ascetic as the ‘steed of the Wind’ who ranges the ‘two oceans’: a mythic image of mediation between worlds—moving from the lower sea (subconscient/vital) to the farther sea (superconscient/luminous) under divine impulsion.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √iṣ ‘impel’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan iš- ‘to seek/drive’ in related semantic fields). √kṣi ‘dwell’ is cognate with PIE *tḱei-/*k̑ei- ‘to lie, settle’ in broad IE settlement semantics (comparisons are suggestive rather than one-to-one).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is both intimate (sakhā of Vāyu) and instrumental (aśva of Vāta): friendship plus embodiment. The gods ‘drive’ him—his movement is not personal whim but a divinely directed yoga of traversing planes.
Ride the breath: become the witness who guides prāṇa rather than being driven by it.
Anahata (vāyu-tattva) with expansion to Ajna (seer’s wideness)
Gentle ujjāyī or long exhale breathing (e.g., 4 in / 6 out) to feel wind-steed steadiness.
Wide, silent, mobile; ‘between worlds’ awareness.
Chant once per breath-cycle for 7–14 cycles; after chanting, sit in stillness and sense the two ‘oceans’ as depth and height, letting breath move freely through both.
Triṣṭubh chanting with clear udātta lifts on key nouns (muniḥ, samudrāv) and verbs (kṣeti); exact svara marks not provided.
Keep ‘vātasya aśvo’ crisp; let ‘ubhau samudrāv’ broaden with a slight lengthening.
vātasya: long ā, aśvo: śv cluster; ‘o’ long, vāyoḥ: diphthong-like ‘āyo’ smooth; visarga ḥ lightly, deveṣitaḥ: ṣ retroflex; ‘taḥ’ light, samudrāv: long āv at end
Airy, open-throated, flowing.
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