Rig Veda 2.23.10: Mandala 2, Sukta 23, Mantra 10
Sukta 2.23
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
त्वया वयमुत्तमं धीमहे वयो बृहस्पते पप्रिणा सस्निना युजा । मा नो दुःशंसो अभिदिप्सुरीशत प्र सुशंसा मतिभिस्तारिषीमहि ॥
tváyā vayám uttamáṃ dhīmahe váyo bṛ́haspate pápriṇā sásninā yujā́ | mā́ no duḥ-śáṃso abhi-dípsur īśata prá su-śáṃsā matí-bhis tāriṣīmahi ||
ഹേ ബൃഹസ്പതേ, നിന്നോടൊപ്പം ഞങ്ങൾ ഉത്തമ വയഃ—പ്രാണശക്തിയുടെ പരിപൂർണ്ണത—ധരിക്കുന്നു; ഒഴുകിപ്പൊങ്ങുന്നതും ജയശാലിയുമായതോടു യുക്തരായി. ഞങ്ങളെ മുറിപ്പെടുത്താൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന ദുഃശംസൻ (ദുർവക്താവ്) ഞങ്ങളിലേയ്ക്ക് അധിപത്യം നേടാതിരിക്കട്ടെ; പകരം, സുഷംസ മതി കളാൽ ഞങ്ങൾ കടന്നു ലക്ഷ്യത്തിലെത്തട്ടെ.
Word by Word
- त्वया
- by you / with youPronounतृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (पुं/स्त्री/नपुं—सर्वनाम)Role KaraṇaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्तमम्
- the highest / bestAdjectiveद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कर्मपद—‘उत्तमम्’ = ‘श्रेष्ठम्’)Role KarmaRoot उत्तम (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘उद्+तम’)
- धीमहे
- we hold/establish (in mind); we seek/attainVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot धा (धातु; वेदिक प्रयोग ‘धीमहि/धीमहे’ = ‘धारयेम/धीयामहे’)
- वयः
- vital strength; vigor; life-powerNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (वेदे ‘वयः’ रूपम्)Role KarmaRoot वयस् (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहस्पते
- O BṛhaspatiNoun (Vocative)सम्बोधन, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole SampradānaRoot बृहस्पति (पुं-प्रातिपदिक)
- पप्रिणा
- as a fulfiller; as one who fillsAdjectiveतृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक (यहाँ ‘त्वया’ के साथ करण-भाव: ‘पूरक-रूपेण’)Role KaraṇaRoot पप्रि (विशेषण/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पॄ ‘पूरणे’ से ‘पूरयिता/पूरक’ अर्थ)
- सस्निना
- with purifying/cleansing (power)Adjectiveतृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सस्नि (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; √स्ना/स्नि ‘स्नान/शुद्धि/प्रवाह’ से, वेदिक ‘सस्नि’ = ‘शुद्ध/प्रवाहित/प्रेरक’ प्रकार)
- युजा
- as a yoker/ally; in unionAdjectiveतृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot युज् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √युज् ‘योजने’ से ‘युज्/युजा’ = ‘योजक/सहचर/युक्त’)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेध (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध-अव्यय)
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ = ‘our/to us’)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दुःशंसः
- the evil-tongued; slandererNoun/Adjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole KartāRoot दुःशंस (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘दुः’+‘शंस’)
- अभिदिप्सुः
- desiring to injure; seeking to attackAdjective (agentive)प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (दुःशंसः का विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot अभि-दीप्सु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; desiderative from √दभ्/√दिप्? वेदिक ‘दीप्सु’ = ‘to harm/attack’ इच्छार्थक ‘-सुः’)
- ईशत
- may he rule over / overpowerVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot ईश् (धातु ‘ऐश्वर्ये/शासने’)
- प्र
- forth; forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सुशंसाः
- good praisers; those of good praiseNoun/Adjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (स्तुत्याः/शुभ-प्रशंसकाः)Role KartāRoot सुशंस (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘सु’+‘शंस’)
- मतिभिः
- with thoughts; with hymnic intentionsNounतृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole KaraṇaRoot मति (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक)
- तारिषीमहि
- may we cross over; may we overcomeVerbआशीर्लिङ्/विधिलिङ् (वेदिक इच्छार्थ), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; causative nuance not required hereRoot तॄ (धातु ‘तरणे’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): त्वया | वयम् | उत्तमम् | धीमहे | वयः | बृहस्पते | पप्रिणा | सस्निना | युजा || मा | नः | दुःशंसः | अभिदिप्सुः | ईशत || प्र | सुशंसाः | मतिभिः | तारिषीमहि || प्रमुख सन्धि: (1) वयम्+उत्तमम् → वयमुत्तमम् (अनुस्वार/मकार संयोग)
- (2) धीमहे+वयः → धीमहे वयः (पद-सीमा पर विसर्ग/स्वर-सन्धि नहीं)
- (3) बृहस्पते+पप्रिणा → बृहस्पते पप्रिणा (पद-सीमा)
- (4) मा+नः → मा नो (ओ-स्वर दीर्घ/गुण-प्रभाव, पदपाठ में ‘मा नः’)
- (5) प्र+सुशंसाः → प्र सुशंसाः (उपसर्ग पृथक्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With Bṛhaspati the worshippers hold the highest ‘vayo’ (vital fullness), yoked with the overflowing and victorious. They pray that the ill-speaker seeking to harm not gain mastery; by well-affirming thoughts they wish to cross beyond.
Inner meaning
Bṛhaspati grants the ‘uttamaṃ vayo’—the highest life-force and plenitude, a vital energy purified and yoked (yujā) to abundance (papriṇā, overflowing) and victory (sasninā, conquering). The ‘ill-speaker’ (duḥśaṃsa) is the inner voice of defeat, false formulation, and self-wounding suggestion that tries to dominate (īśata) the nature. The antidote is ‘suśaṃsā matayaḥ’—thoughts that affirm truth, speak well, and form the right mantra within; by these the seeker ‘crosses beyond’ (tāriṣīmahi) the limiting condition.
Universal truth
Life-energy reaches its highest form when yoked to truth and victory; negative inner speech must not be allowed to rule. Right affirmation and right thought enable crossing beyond limitation.
Themes
Attainment, Right affirmation, Protection from hostile speech, Plenitude of force
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (Angiras current)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.23.6-9
Family tradition
A tradition where the Word governs life-energy: right formulation yokes prāṇa to victory and abundance.
Significance
This verse crystallizes the psychological method: refuse the ‘ill-speaker’ within and establish ‘well-affirming thoughts’ as the bridge beyond limitation.
The deity
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Epithets
- giver/holder of uttama vayo (implicit), victory-linked (sasninā), abundance-linked (papriṇā)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory), Agni (yoking will), Soma (overflowing bliss, implicit in abundance)
Cosmic role
Bestower of victorious fullness; lord of the Word who harnesses life-force to divine success.
Inner power
Power to transmute vital energy into disciplined, overflowing, conquering force; grants mastery over negative inner speech.
In ritual
Where it is used
Bṛhaspati stotra for success, victory, and protection of the sacrificer’s aim; supports overcoming hostile speech and rivals.
त्वया॑ व॒यमु॑त्त॒मं धी॑महे॒ वयो॒ बृह॑स्पते॒ पप्रि॑णा॒ सस्नि॑ना यु॒जा । मा नो॑ दु॒:शंसो॑ अभिदि॒प्सुरी॑शत॒ प्र सु॒शंसा॑ म॒तिभि॑स्तारिषीमहि ॥
त्वया॑ । व॒यम् । उ॒त्ऽत॒मम् । धी॒म॒हे॒ । वयः॑ । बृह॑स्पते । पप्रि॑णा । सस्नि॑ना । यु॒जा । मा । नः॒ । दुः॒ऽशंसः॑ । अ॒भि॒ऽदि॒प्सुः । ई॒श॒त॒ । प्र । सु॒ऽशंसाः॑ । म॒तिऽभिः॑ । ता॒रि॒षी॒म॒हि॒ ॥
tvayā | vayam | ut-tamam | dhīmahe | vayaḥ | bṛhaspate | papriṇā | sasninā | yujā | mā | naḥ | duḥ-śaṃsaḥ | abhi-dipsuḥ | īśata | pra | su-śaṃsāḥ | mati-bhiḥ | tāriṣīmahi
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4×11
Strong ‘holding’ cadence in first half; cautionary check in third pāda; triumphant crossing cadence in the last.
Energizes and uplifts; then purifies speech-energy; ends with a felt sense of ‘crossing over’.
- उत्तमं वयः (uttamaṃ vayaḥ)
- Literal: highest vigor/life. Symbolic: supreme vital plenitude supporting spiritual realization
- पप्रिणा (papriṇā)
- Literal: overflowing, filling. Symbolic: abundant force; fullness of prāṇa and being
- सस्निना (sasninā)
- Literal: victorious, conquering. Symbolic: force of triumph over resistance
- युजा (yujā)
- Literal: yoked, joined. Symbolic: disciplined harnessing of energy to the divine aim
- दुःशंसः (duḥśaṃsaḥ)
- Literal: ill-speaker. Symbolic: negative inner speech; false mantra; self-sabotaging formulation
- अभिदिप्सुः (abhidipsuḥ)
- Literal: seeking to injure. Symbolic: impulse to wound the aspiration—doubt, cynicism, resentment
- सुशंसा मतयः (suśaṃsā matayaḥ)
- Literal: well-praising/affirming thoughts. Symbolic: truth-affirmations; right formations of mind that carry one across
Concluding aspiration: establishes highest strength (vayaḥ) and asks protection from harmful speech; supports successful ‘crossing’ (tṛ) to the goal of the rite and inner realization.
When seeking ‘vayo’ (strength) and safeguarding the rite from harmful speech; near moments of concluding success or transition.
Recitation to secure strength and victory; to negate ill-omens/ill-speech; to affirm successful passage.
Use before demanding work, exams, teaching, or any inner ‘crossing’ (habit change). Especially effective as a practice of replacing negative self-talk with truth-affirmation.
√yuj ‘yoke’ continues PIE *yeug- (cf. Latin iugum, English yoke). duḥ- (PIE *dus-) + śaṃsa (from √śaṃs ‘praise/recite’, PIE *ḱens-? ‘announce’ debated) frames speech as power. √tṛ ‘cross’ continues PIE *terh₁- (cf. Latin trans, English through via Germanic from *ter- ‘cross/pass’ in semantic field). √pṛ ‘fill’ expresses plenitude (papriṇā).
Plenitude (pūrṇa/filling: √pṛ), Right speech vs harmful speech (su-śaṃsa vs duḥ-śaṃsa), Crossing beyond limitation (√tṛ)
Yoking (yujā) is tapas aligned to ṛta; it organizes life-force into right movement.
Suśaṃsā (right affirmation) is satya-vāc; duḥśaṃsa is falsehood that must not ‘rule’.
Crossing beyond as evolutionary passage—consciousness exceeds its prior limit by right word and force.
Yoga of the Word (mantra) and vital transformation; consonant with Aurobindo’s life-affirming spiritual evolution.
Yoke = disciplined integration; overflow = abundant prāṇa; victory = conquest of inner resistance; crossing = passage over ignorance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘crossing’ (tṛ) to the farther shore through right speech and plenitude: the mythologem of passage beyond obstruction, where harmful utterance (duḥśaṃsa) is an adversary force, and true affirmation (suśaṃsa) is the boat/means.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (PIE *yeug-) and √tṛ (PIE *terh₁-) are strong IE continuities, showing archaic inherited diction for ‘yoking’ powers and ‘crossing’ beyond. The dus-/su- evaluative prefixes are also inherited morphological strategies for ethical valuation in speech-acts.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi seeks a stable possession of ‘uttama vayaḥ’ through union (yujā) with Bṛhaspati’s plenitude, while guarding the field of consciousness from hostile speech that would seize mastery. The deity empowers the r̥ṣi’s suśaṃsā (right affirmations), enabling the final ‘crossing’ to fulfillment.
Transform inner speech: establish suśaṃsā (truth-affirming thoughts) and refuse duḥśaṃsa (self-harming narratives).
maṇipūra (victorious force) and viśuddha (speech purification)
Ujjāyī light: inhale 5, exhale 7; chant one pāda per exhale, feeling ‘yoking’ on inhale and ‘crossing’ on exhale.
From conflicted vitality to unified, victorious life-force supporting ascent.
After chanting, speak (aloud or inwardly) one concise suśaṃsā: a truthful, calm affirmation of your chosen aim. Repeat it whenever duḥśaṃsa arises; treat it as the living ‘bridge’ (tāraṇa) across the old limitation.
Keep clear udātta on bṛhaspate and on key contrasts duḥśaṃso / suśaṃsā; let the last pāda rise toward a concluding cadence of ‘crossing’.
Mark the pivot at ‘mā no duḥśaṃso…’ with a slight pause before it; end with a confident forward flow on ‘pra suśaṃsā… tāriṣīmahi’.
uttamaṃ dhīmahe: aspirate dh; keep long ī., bṛhaspate: retroflex ṣ; short final e., abhidipsuḥ: articulate ‘dips’ cluster clearly (a-bhi-dip-suḥ)., tāriṣīmahi: long ā and ī; retroflex ṣ; keep final ‘hi’ light.
Bright, victorious, forward-moving; avoid harshness—let ‘suśaṃsā’ sound benevolent and confident.
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