Rig Veda 2.23.9: Mandala 2, Sukta 23, Mantra 9
Sukta 2.23
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वया वयं सुवृधा ब्रह्मणस्पते स्पार्हा वसु मनुष्या ददीमहि । या नो दूरे तळितो या अरातयोऽभि सन्ति जम्भया ता अनप्नसः ॥
tváyā vayáṃ su-vṛ́dhā brahmaṇas-pate spā́rhā vásu manuṣyā́ dadīmahi | yā́ no dūré táḷito yā́ arā́tayo 'bhí sánti jambháyā tā́ anapnásaḥ ||
ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മണസ്പതേ, സുവൃദ്ധനേ, നിന്നോടൊപ്പം ഞങ്ങൾ മനുഷ്യർക്കു സ്പാർഹ വസു—ആഗ്രഹിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന സമ്പത്തുകൾ—ലഭിക്കട്ടെ. ദൂരെയുള്ള ആക്രമകരെയും, ഞങ്ങളിലേക്കു അമർന്നു വരുന്ന വൈരങ്ങളെയും ജംഭയ—ചവിട്ടിത്തകർക്കുക; അവ ശക്തിഹീനവും അനപ്നസ (ഫലരഹിത)വുമായിത്തീരട്ടെ.
Word by Word
- त्वया
- by you / with youPronounत्रितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (पुं/स्त्री/नपुं सर्वत्र)Role KaraṇaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवृधा
- well-strengthened / well-aidedAdjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (वयम्-विशेषण)Role KartāRoot सु-वृध (प्रातिपदिक; वृध् ‘to grow/increase’)
- ब्रह्मणस्पते
- O Lord of prayer (Bṛhaspati)Noun (vocative)सम्बोधन, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole (Sambodhana)Root ब्रह्मणस्-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्पार्हा
- desirableAdjectiveद्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वसु-विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot स्पृह्/स्पृहणीय (प्रातिपदिक ‘desirable’)
- वसु
- goods / richesNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole KarmaRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनुष्याः
- men / mortalsNounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole KartāRoot मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- ददीमहि
- we give / we would bestowVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (Kriyā)Root दा (धातु ‘to give’)
- या
- which (those who)Pronoun (relative)प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (अरा॑तयः इत्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण)Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन-रूप (एन्क्लिटिक) — अत्र षष्ठी ‘of us/our’Role (Genitive relation)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दूरे
- far awayAdverbial (locative form)सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- तळितः
- lightnings / flashesNounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (वैदिक रूप; ‘तडितः’ इत्यर्थे)Role KartāRoot तळित्/तडित् (प्रातिपदिक ‘lightning; flashing’)
- या
- which (those who)Pronoun (relative)प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (अरा॑तयः इत्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण)Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अरा॑तयः
- hostile ones / enemiesNounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole KartāRoot अरा॑ति (प्रातिपदिक ‘harm; hostile intent’ → ‘hostile ones’)
- अभि
- towards / againstIndeclinableअव्ययRole (Directional/Preverbal)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सन्ति
- areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (Kriyā)Root अस् (धातु ‘to be’)
- जम्भय
- crush!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (Kriyā)Root जम्भ् (धातु ‘to crush, to smash’)
- तान्
- those (them)Pronounद्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अनप्नसः
- ineffective / unaccomplishingAdjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (तान् इत्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण/विधेय-विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (predicative) / (Qualifier)Root अन-अप्नस् (प्रातिपदिक; अप्नस् ‘work, attainment, success’ → ‘without success/without effective work’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वया | वयम् | सुवृधा | ब्रह्मणस्पते | स्पार्हा | वसु | मनुष्याः | ददीमहि || या | नः | दूरे | तळितः | या | अरा॑तयः | अभि | सन्ति | जम्भय | तान् | अनप्नसः || 1) ‘अरा॑तयो॒ऽभि’ = अरा॑तयः + अभि (विसर्गस्य ‘ओ’/अवग्रह-प्रयोगः)
- 2) ‘ता अ॑नप्नसः’ = तान् + अनप्नसः (पदपाठे ‘ता’ इति रूपं दृश्यते; संहितायां तान् इत्यर्थः, कर्मपदम्)
- 3) ‘तळितः’ वैदिक-रूपः, सामान्यतः ‘तडितः’ इत्यर्थे
The meaning
Outer meaning
With Brahmaṇaspati, the well-increasing lord, the worshippers seek desirable human riches. They ask him to crush distant assailants and nearby hostilities so they become powerless and ineffective.
Inner meaning
Brahmaṇaspati is the lord of the formative Word (brahman) that increases (suvṛdhā) the being. ‘Human riches’ (manuṣyā vasu) are not mere possessions but fullnesses of embodied life—capacities, harmonies, and supports needed for the sādhana. ‘Distant assailants’ are latent subconscious tendencies that strike from afar; ‘hostilities pressing upon us’ are immediate adverse forces—fear, doubt, agitation. The mantra asks the Word-power to ‘crush’ (jambhayā) these so they become anapnasaḥ—without effective outcome, unable to accomplish their aim.
Universal truth
Right speech and right thought, aligned with a higher Word, increase life’s true resources and render both latent and active negativity powerless.
Themes
Increase, Inner wealth, Protection, Victory over hostility
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (Angiras current)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.23.1-10
Family tradition
A poetic-ritual current where brahman is not only hymn but an effective power that increases and protects the being.
Significance
The seer links prosperity with the growth of consciousness: ‘vasu’ becomes the substance of a larger life under the lordship of the Word.
The deity
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati (aspect of Bṛhaspati)
- Epithets
- suvṛdhā (well-increasing), pati (lord)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati, Sarasvatī (vāc), Agni (will carrying the word)
Cosmic role
Lord of brahman as creative ordering power; increaser of the human field so it can host the gods.
Inner power
Mantric intelligence that builds capacities and breaks resistances both latent and immediate.
In ritual
Where it is used
Brahmaṇaspati invocations for increase (vṛddhi) and protection in Soma rites; also for success of prayer/mantra.
त्वया॑ व॒यं सु॒वृधा॑ ब्रह्मणस्पते स्पा॒र्हा वसु॑ मनु॒ष्या द॑दीमहि । या नो॑ दू॒रे त॒ळितो॒ या अरा॑तयो॒ऽभि सन्ति॑ ज॒म्भया॒ ता अ॑न॒प्नस॑: ॥
त्वया॑ । व॒यम् । सु॒ऽवृधा॑ । ब्र॒ह्म॒णः॒ । प॒ते॒ । स्पा॒र्हा । वसु॑ । म॒नु॒ष्या॑ । आ । द॒दी॒म॒हि॒ । याः । नः॒ । दू॒रे । त॒ळितः॑ । याः । अरा॑तयः । अ॒भि । सन्ति॑ । ज॒म्भय॑ । ताः । अ॒न॒प्नसः॑ ॥
tvayā | vayam | su-vṛdhā | brahmaṇaḥ | pate | spārhā | vasu | manuṣyā | ā | dadīmahi | yāḥ | naḥ | dūre | taḷitaḥ | yāḥ | arātayaḥ | abhi | santi | jambhaya | tāḥ | anapnasaḥ
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4×11
Expansive first half (increase and gain), forceful second half (crushing).
Encourages growth-mood and confidence; then releases pent-up resistance through a decisive cadence.
- ब्रह्मणस्पते (brahmaṇas pate)
- Literal: lord of brahman (prayer/word). Symbolic: master of inspired formulation; creative intelligence shaping consciousness
- सुवृधा (suvṛdhā)
- Literal: well-increasing. Symbolic: that which expands the being and its capacities in right order
- स्पार्हा वसु (spārhā vasu)
- Literal: desirable riches. Symbolic: inner supports and fullnesses (strength, clarity, joy, harmony)
- मनुष्या (manuṣyā)
- Literal: human. Symbolic: embodied instruments and life-capacities fit for divine work
- तळितः (taḻitaḥ)
- Literal: assailants/strikers (far-off). Symbolic: remote/subconscious attacks; old formations resurfacing
- अरा॑तयः (arātayaḥ)
- Literal: hostilities. Symbolic: adverse wills and resistances in mind-life
- जम्भय (jambhaya)
- Literal: crush, smash with jaws. Symbolic: decisive breaking of resistance by truth-force
Prayer for increase (vṛddhi) and for desirable ‘vasu’ understood as inner abundance; combined with protection against distant and near hostilities.
When seeking increase of ‘vasu’ (supports) and removal of hostile influences on the sacrificer.
Recitation accompanying offerings; mentally ‘gaining’ inner resources and ‘crushing’ resistances.
Use for strengthening study, speech, teaching, and inner capacity-building; recite when old patterns attack from ‘afar’ (unexpected resurfacing).
vṛdh from PIE *werdʰ- ‘grow’ (cf. English ‘worth’ is different; but Germanic *werþ- not same; still IE growth roots are old). apnas ‘work/attainment’ relates to √ap ‘to reach/obtain’ in Vedic semantic network. jambh ‘crush’ is expressive; anapnas shows productive privative morphology a- + noun.
Increase/growth (vṛddhi) of being, Rayi/vasu as fullness (not mere material wealth), Neutralization of hostile forces
Increase (vṛddhi) is orderly expansion under ṛta; hostility is disorder to be rendered ineffective.
Truth-word makes hostile formations ‘without accomplishment’—they cannot realize their false aim.
The Word as increaser: creation as expansion of capacities through right formulation.
Mantra-śakti / vāc-centric cosmology; aligns with Aurobindo’s ‘Word creates the worlds’ reading.
‘Riches’ = substance of consciousness; ‘distant’ = subconscious latency; ‘pressing upon’ = immediate mental/vital pressure.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The acquisition of ‘vasu’ through alliance with the Word-lord, and the crushing of hostile forces so they become ‘anapnas’ (fruitless). It is the mythic economy of yajña: divine support yields inner riches; obstruction is rendered infertile.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow’ reflects an old IE growth root (*werdʰ-), widespread in Indo-European verbal systems. The privative a- in anapnas is the inherited IE negation prefix (*n̥-/a-), showing continuity of morphological negation strategies.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi frames attainment as collaborative: ‘with you’ (tvayā) we gain the desirable vasu. The deity is the multiplier (su-vṛdhā) of human realization, while also the enforcer who disables hostility.
Build inner ‘vasu’: choose one quality (clarity, courage, steadiness) and invoke Brahmaṇaspati to increase it; then crush a specific resistance.
viśuddha (word) and maṇipūra (force to crush resistance)
Kapalabhāti light (30 strokes) to energize, then slow chanting to stabilize increase.
From scarcity/weakness to fullness and capable action.
After chanting, write one truthful ‘brahman’ sentence (a clear affirmation aligned with your highest aim). Hold it as a seed-mantra through the day; notice hostile thoughts becoming ‘anapnasaḥ’ (ineffective).
Keep udātta prominence on brahmaṇas pate and jambhaya; maintain steady svarita transitions at pāda ends.
First two pādas uplift and widen; last two pādas tighten and strike—make the ‘crush’ audible by firmer consonants.
brahmaṇas pate: retroflex ṇ; clear separation brah-ma-ṇas., spārhā: long ā; aspirate ‘ph’ lightly., taḻito: articulate as ‘ta-li-to’ per tradition; avoid over-retroflexing., anapnasaḥ: keep ‘pn’ cluster clear: a-nap-na-saḥ.
Expansive but controlled; firm on ‘jambhaya’.
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