Rig Veda 5.5.7: Mandala 5, Sukta 5, Mantra 7
Sukta 5.5
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Daivyā Hotārā
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
वातस्य पत्मन्नीळिता दैव्या होतारा मनुषः । इमं नो यज्ञमा गतम् ॥
vā́tasya pátmann īḷitā́ daivyā́ hotārā mánuṣaḥ | imáṃ no yajñám ā́ gatam ||
ഹേ ദൈവ്യ ഹോതാക്കളേ, വായുവിന്റെ പഥത്തിൽ സ്തുതിക്കപ്പെടുന്നവരും മനുഷ്യനുവേണ്ടി യജ്ഞസേവ ചെയ്യുന്നവരുമായ നിങ്ങള്—ഈ ഞങ്ങളുടെ യജ്ഞത്തിലേക്ക് വരിക.
Word by Word
- वातस्य
- of the Wind (Vāta)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root वात (प्रातिपदिक; √वा ‘to blow’ से) अथवा ‘वात’ (wind)
- पत्मन्
- in/along the rushing course (flight)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot पत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘flight/winged course, rushing movement’)
- ईळिता
- praised / invokedParticiple (Adjective) / Kṛdantaस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन (होतारौ के साथ सामञ्जस्य)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ-पद का विशेषण)Root √ईळ्/ईड् (to praise, invoke) → ईळित (PPP) स्त्री. रूप
- दैव्या
- divineAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन (होतारौ के साथ)Role विशेषणRoot दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक; देव-सम्बन्धी)
- होतारा
- the two Hotṛ-priests / invokersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to sacrifice/offer’ से)
- मनुषः
- of Manu (of mankind)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot मनु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘Manu’, आदिपुरुष) अथवा ‘मनुष्य’ से सम्बन्ध
- इमम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- our / to usPronoun (enclitic)षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic ‘our/to us’; यहाँ ‘our’ अधिक स्वाभाविक)Role सम्बन्ध (possessor) / सम्प्रदान (if taken as ‘to us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice, riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; √यज् ‘to worship/sacrifice’ से)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्ग (गम् के साथ)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गतम्
- come (hither)Participle used verbally (imperatival sense)(सामान्यतः) नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; अर्थतः द्विवचन कर्तृ (होतारौ) के लिए ‘आ गतम्’ = ‘आ गच्छतम्’ (वैदिक संक्षेप)Role क्रिया (आह्वान)Root √गम् (to go) → गत (PPP); वैदिक प्रयोग में आज्ञार्थ/आह्वानात्मक ‘come!’ के रूप में
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: वातस्य | पत्मन् | ईळिता | दैव्या | होतारा | मनुषः | इमम् | नः | यज्ञम् | आ | गतम् । 1) ‘पत्मन्नीळिता’ = ‘पत्मन् + ईळिता’ : अन्त्य ‘न्’ + आरम्भ ‘ई’ पर संहितायां ‘न्नी’ (नकार द्वित्व) । 2) ‘यज्ञमा गतम्’ = ‘यज्ञम् + आ + गतम्’ : ‘यज्ञम्’ के ‘म्’ के बाद ‘आ’ आने पर संधि से ‘यज्ञमा’ (m + ā) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The verse invites the divine Hotars, praised along the path of the Wind, serving humanity, to come to the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The “Daivyā Hotārā” are the divine invoking powers within—forces that call, name, and establish the gods (higher consciousness) in the human field. “Wind’s path” suggests the subtle prāṇic current and movement of inspiration. The mantra asks these inner priests to enter our yajña (the disciplined offering of works, breath, and thought) so that aspiration becomes effective invocation, not mere wish.
Universal truth
Transformation requires mediating faculties: inner discernment and aspiration that can ‘invite’ higher states into daily life. When our life-breath aligns with a higher movement, invocation becomes a real passage.
Themes
invocation, priestly powers, breath-path symbolism, descent to the sacrifice
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 1.1 (Agni as Hotar), RV 3.2 (Agni/Hotar imagery), RV 9.96 (inspiration and movement themes)
Family tradition
Atri hymns often emphasize correct invocation and the working of ṛta through inner and outer rite; here the focus is on the invoking function itself.
Significance
The seer highlights that the ‘priesthood’ is primarily an inner competence: the ability to call the divine through aligned breath and intention.
The deity
- Devata
- Daivyā Hotārā (Divine Hotars)
- Epithets
- īḷitā (praised), manuṣaḥ (serving the human)
- Related deities
- Agni (archetypal Hotar), Bṛhaspati (lord of mantra), Vāyu (wind/prāṇa current)
Cosmic role
Mediators between gods and humans; they carry the call and establish the rite, ensuring the sacrifice reaches its intended powers.
Inner power
Mantric invocation, aspiration, and discriminative intelligence that opens channels for descent of higher consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
General āvāhana within soma/yajña settings; also fits agnihotra-style invocation of officiating powers.
वात॑स्य॒ पत्म॑न्नीळि॒ता दैव्या॒ होता॑रा॒ मनु॑षः । इ॒मं नो॑ य॒ज्ञमा ग॑तम् ॥
वात॑स्य । पत्म॑न् । ई॒ळि॒ता । दैव्या॑ । होता॑रा । मनु॑षः । इ॒मम् । नः॒ । य॒ज्ञम् । आ । ग॒त॒म् ॥
vātasya | patman | īḷitā | daivyā | hotārā | manuṣaḥ | imam | naḥ | yajñam | ā | gatam
Likely Triṣṭubh (approx.; common in this section)
44
4 × ~11 (approx.)
Invocatory and directive; a ‘calling’ rhythm with clear imperative closure (ā gatam).
Energizes aspiration and clarifies intention; feels like opening a channel and summoning presence.
- वातस्य (vātasya)
- Literal: of the wind. Symbolic: prāṇa; subtle movement of inspiration and life-energy
- पत्मन् (patman)
- Literal: path/track/course. Symbolic: the channel or current along which consciousness moves (nāḍī-like sense)
- ईळिता (īḷitā)
- Literal: praised, invoked. Symbolic: made active by aspiration and mantra
- दैव्या होतारा (daivyā hotārā)
- Literal: divine Hotars (invoking priests). Symbolic: inner faculties that call down and establish higher powers—mantric will and luminous discernment
- मनुषः (manuṣaḥ)
- Literal: of man / for the human. Symbolic: working in the human instrument; the evolutionary field
- यज्ञम् (yajñam)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: inner offering of ego-movements into the divine work
- आ गतम् (ā gatam)
- Literal: come here. Symbolic: descent/entry of higher force into present awareness
Aprī sequence: summoning the officiating/divine invoking agencies to establish correct calling and offering; inner sense: awakening the faculties that can invoke higher powers effectively
At the start of a rite when inviting deities/priests; psychologically, at the start of meditation to ‘call in’ higher faculties.
Invitation of the invoking powers; establishing the yajña-field.
Before work or study: a brief recitation to align breath (vāta) and call the ‘inner hotar’—clear attention and right speech.
vā́ta from √vā ‘to blow’—wind/breath as movement of prāṇa and inspiration. patman ‘path/course’ from √pat/√path ‘to go, fly, fall’ (semantic: track of movement). hotṛ from √hu ‘to pour/sacrifice/invoke’—the invoker-priest; dual hotārā indicates a paired function. īḷitā from √īḷ ‘to praise, invoke’ (archaic Vedic verb).
invocation as effective speech-act (īḷ), descent of powers into the human field, ordered rite (yajña) as inner discipline
The Hotar function is ṛta in action—right calling, right placing of forces.
True speech and true intention (satya-vāc) make invocation effective.
Manifestation through vibration and movement—wind/path as the carrier of the call.
Mantra-śakti oriented Vedic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap): speech and breath as instruments of descent.
Wind = prāṇa and inspiration; path = inner channel; hotars = faculties that translate aspiration into effective offering.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic action is the ‘arrival of the divine priests’—powers that mediate between human and god. The wind-path suggests a subtle channel by which invocation travels and by which the assisting powers descend.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vā ‘blow’ continues PIE *weh₁- ‘to blow’ (cf. English wind via Germanic developments). hotṛ from √hu (pour/invoke) reflects the IE linkage between offering and calling—speech and libation as homologous acts.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi praises (īḷitā) and commands approach (ā gatam): human aspiration activates the mediating agencies. In return, the divine Hotars ensure the call is rightly formed and the sacrifice becomes a true point of communion.
Invite the ‘inner priests’: attention (manas), discernment (buddhi), and aspiration (icchā) to conduct the practice.
Viśuddha (vāc/mantra) and Anāhata (invocation as sincerity).
Gentle ujjāyī or 1:1 breathing (e.g., 6-6) to feel vāta’s smooth path; then chant on exhale.
From scattered prāṇa to collected, purposeful invocation (saṅkalpa).
Chant once, pause to feel breath-current; chant again as an invitation for higher guidance to ‘enter’ the session and conduct it.
Vedic accents indicated in text (e.g., vā́tasya, pátmann); exact svara requires śākhā-based notation; keep udātta lifted and svarita as a glide.
Emphasize imperatives and arrivals: ‘ā gátam’ with clear final dental ‘t’.
: long ā; dental t, : cluster ‘tm’ clean, no extra vowel, : retroflex ḷ; long ī at start, : long ā in -rā, : ‘yajñam’ with palatal ñ (ny) sound
Clear, summoning, slightly firm; avoid heaviness.
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