Rig Veda 4.51.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 51, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.51
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यूयं हि देवीॠतयुग्भिरश्वैः परिप्रयाथ भुवनानि सद्यः । प्रबोधयन्तीरुषसः ससन्तं द्विपाच्चतुष्पाच्चरथाय जीवम् ॥
yūyáṃ hí devīr ṛtá-yugbhir áśvaiḥ pari-prayā́tha bhúvanāni sadyáḥ | pra-bodháyantīr uṣasaḥ sásantaṃ dvipā́c cátuṣpāc caráthāya jīváṃ ||
കാരണം, ഹേ ദേവിമാരേ, ഋതയുക്തമായ അശ്വങ്ങളാൽ നിങ്ങൾ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ ലോകങ്ങളെ ചുറ്റി സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ ഉഷസ്സുകളേ, നിദ്രിക്കുന്നവനെ ഉണർത്തി, ദ്വിപാദവും ചതുഷ്പാദവും ആയ സർവ്വജീവനെയും അതിന്റെ യാത്രയ്ക്കായി (രഥയാത്രയ്ക്കായി) നിങ്ങൾ ചലിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
Word by Word
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपातRoot हि (निपात)
- देवीः
- goddesses (O divine ones)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (यूयम् के विशेषण/सम्बोधन-भाव)Root देवी (देव-प्रातिपदिक, स्त्री)
- ऋतयुग्भिः
- with truth-yoked (horses/teams)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot ऋत-युग् (समास: ऋत + युग् ‘योक्/युग्’)
- अश्वैः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, all aboutIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- प्रयाथ
- you go/drive forthVerbलट् (वेदे वर्तमानार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
- भुवनानि
- the worlds, beings/realmsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक; √भू से)
- सद्यः
- immediately, at onceIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल)Root सद्यः (अव्यय)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- बोधयन्तीः
- awakening, rousingParticipleवर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-समकक्ष), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (देवीः/उषसः का विशेषण)Root √बुध् (धातु) → बोधयति (णिच्-प्रयोग)
- उषसः
- the DawnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ससन्तम्
- the sleeping oneParticipleवर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (बोधयन्तीः का)Root √सस्/संस् (धातु; ‘सोना/श्वसना/गमन’ अर्थ-परम्परा; यहाँ ‘शयनस्थ’/‘निद्रित’ भाव)
- द्विपात्
- the two-footed (humans)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (जातिवाचक-एकवचन)Role कर्म (जीवम् का विशेषण)Root द्वि-पाद् (समास)
- चतुष्पात्
- the four-footed (animals)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (जातिवाचक-एकवचन)Role कर्म (जीवम् का विशेषण)Root चतुर्-पाद् (समास)
- चरथाय
- for moving about, for activityNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot चरथ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘चलन/गमन’)
- जीवम्
- the living (creature), lifeAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (बोधयन्तीः का)Root जीव (प्रातिपदिक; √जीव्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): यूयम् | हि | देवीः | ऋतयुग्भिः | अश्वैः | परि | प्रयाथ | भुवनानि | सद्यः || प्र | बोधयन्तीः | उषसः | ससन्तम् | द्विपात् | चतुष्पात् | चरथाय | जीवम् । 1) प्रबोधयन्तीः = प्र + बोधयन्तीः (उपसर्ग-संयोग)
- 2) परिप्रयाथ = परि + प्रयाथ (उपसर्ग ‘परि’ क्रियापद से संयुक्त)
- 3) द्विपाच्चतुष्पाच्चरथाय: संहिता-पाठ में ‘द्विपात् चतुष्पात् चरथाय’ के संयोग से च्-आगम/सन्धि द्वारा ‘द्विपाच्चतुष्पाच्चरथाय’ रूप। 4) ऋतयुग्भिरश्वैः: संहिता में ‘ऋतयुग्भिः अश्वैः’ का संयोग (विसर्ग/र्-सम्बन्धी संधि-प्रभाव)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O goddesses, you travel at once around the worlds with horses yoked to the Right. Awakening the sleeper, O Dawns, you set all life—two-footed and four-footed—moving on its journey.
Inner meaning
Uṣas moves through all planes (‘bhuvanāni’) swiftly: illumination can touch mind, life, and body together when yoked to ṛta. The ‘horses’ are forces of action/energy (aśvāḥ) harnessed to the Right—energies disciplined by truth and harmony, not driven by desire. The ‘sleeper’ is the soul-nature in inertia; dawn awakens it and sets the whole being in motion—human (two-footed: mental-vital) and animal (four-footed: physical-vital) parts—so life becomes a conscious journey rather than mechanical drift.
Universal truth
When energy is yoked to truth, awakening becomes integral: all parts of life move together toward a meaningful path.
Themes
Ṛta, awakening, cosmic traversal, life set in motion
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.6, RV 4.7, RV 4.26
Family tradition
The Gautama vision frequently integrates multiple planes—seeing the gods as powers that act ‘around the worlds’ (pary-).
Significance
Vāmadeva’s seer-speech emphasizes awakening (bodha) and right-yoked force—key to transforming life into yoga.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- devīḥ (goddesses), prabodhayantīḥ (awakeners)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Aśvins, Savitar, Agni
Cosmic role
She sets the whole creation into diurnal motion; initiates activity and perception across the worlds.
Inner power
Awakening force that harmonizes energies with ṛta; initiator of right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning praise at the opening of activity; compatible with prātaḥ-savana atmosphere and daily Agnihotra mindset.
यू॒यं हि दे॑वीॠत॒युग्भि॒रश्वै॑: परिप्रया॒थ भुव॑नानि स॒द्यः । प्र॒बो॒धय॑न्तीरुषसः स॒सन्तं॑ द्वि॒पाच्चतु॑ष्पाच्च॒रथा॑य जी॒वम् ॥
यू॒यम् । हि । दे॒वीः॒ । ऋ॒त॒युक्ऽभिः॑ । अश्वैः॑ । प॒रि॒ऽप्र॒या॒थ । भुव॑नानि । स॒द्यः । प्र॒ऽबो॒धय॑न्तीः । उ॒ष॒सः॒ । स॒सन्त॑म् । द्वि॒ऽपात् । चतुः॑ऽपात् । च॒रथा॑य । जी॒वम् ॥
yūyam | hi | devīḥ | ṛtayuk-bhiḥ | aśvaiḥ | pari-prayātha | bhuvanāni | sadyaḥ | pra-bodhayantīḥ | uṣasaḥ | sasantam | dvi-pāt | catuḥ-pāt | carathāya | jīvam
11
4×11; strong kinetic verbs (pariprayātha, prabodhayantīḥ) suit Triṣṭubh’s marching cadence.
Dynamic and expansive; conveys swift encompassing movement.
Stimulates prāṇa and resolve; supports a felt ‘mobilization’ of the day and the sādhaka’s energies.
- ṛtayugbhir aśvaiḥ (ऋतयुग्भिरश्वैः)
- Literal: horses yoked to ṛta. Symbolic: life-energies disciplined by truth/right order
- pariprayātha (परिप्रयाथ)
- Literal: you go around, encompass. Symbolic: illumination pervading all planes/parts of the being
- bhuvanāni (भुवनानि)
- Literal: worlds. Symbolic: levels of consciousness: physical, vital, mental, etc.
- prabodhayantīḥ (प्रबोधयन्तीः)
- Literal: awakening. Symbolic: bringing consciousness out of inertia into active awareness
- sasantaṃ (ससन्तम्)
- Literal: the sleeper. Symbolic: the inert/subconscient being awaiting the touch of light
- dvipāc/catuṣpāc (द्विपाच्/चतुष्पाच्)
- Literal: two-footed/four-footed. Symbolic: human faculties and animal/instinctive energies within the total nature
- carathāya (चरथाय)
- Literal: for the journey/movement. Symbolic: the evolutionary path; conscious progress
Morning invocation: Dawn as awakener and mover of all beings; supports the start of daily ritual activity and inner discipline.
At dawn or before commencing work/practice.
Recitation to align energies with ṛta and awaken the being; symbolic yoking of ‘horses’ (energies).
As a morning ‘activation mantra’ before exercise, work, or meditation—set intention: ‘my energies are yoked to truth’.
ṛta 'truth-order' (root √ar/ṛ 'fit, join, rise properly'); yuga from √yuj 'yoke' (PIE *yeug-); aśva 'horse' (PIE *h₁éḱwos); √budh (bodhayantīḥ) 'awaken' (PIE *bʰewdʰ-); caratha from √car 'move, wander' (PIE *kʷel-/*kers- movement field debated); bhuvana from √bhū 'become, world of becoming'.
Ṛta-yoked energies (right harnessing of forces), awakening (bodha) as spiritual arousal, movement/journey (caratha) as the soul’s progress
Explicit: energies are effective and safe when yoked to ṛta.
Awakening reveals the true direction of movement—action becomes truth-expressive.
Cosmos as rhythmic motion: dawn initiates the cycle; awakening is the engine of manifestation.
Integral yoga reading: harmonization of prāṇa with truth to transform life-action.
dawn
Prāṇic mobilization governed by inner law; rising from subconscious sleep to conscious movement across planes.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn as cosmic awakener and mover: yoked to Ṛta, she traverses the worlds and rouses sleeping life into its journey—an archetype of spiritual awakening and right dynamism.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva reflects PIE *h₁éḱwos (Latin equus). yuj/yuga reflects PIE *yeug- (Latin iugum). √budh reflects PIE *bʰewdʰ-. These inherited lexemes show the Indo-European poetic continuity in dawn-and-horse imagery.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi relies on Dawn as an inner yoginī-force: she harnesses energies to Ṛta and awakens the sleeper in the human being, initiating the day’s movement as a conscious pilgrimage.
Feel dawn-light descending through head→heart→navel, waking each layer; affirm ‘my prāṇa serves ṛta’.
maṇipūra (mobilized will/energy) regulated by ājñā (right direction).
Kapalabhāti (mild, 30–60 strokes) only if suitable; otherwise 10 deep diaphragmatic breaths with long exhale.
Alert, mobilized, aligned.
After chanting, do one minute of stillness, then begin a chosen work immediately—train the awakened force to move into right action.
Use the accent marks (॑) as udatta cues; keep compound ṛtayugbhir with clear ṛ (vocalic r).
Emphasize action-verbs: pariprayātha, prabodhayantīḥ; let cadence ‘move’ without rushing.
ṛta: vocalic ṛ, not ‘ri’, yugbhir: hard ‘gbh’ cluster—keep it compact, dvipāc/catuṣpāc: lengthen ā; final c is palatal stop, carathāya: roll the ‘r’ lightly, keep th aspirated
clear, bright, energizing; steady breath support.
3
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