Rig Veda 6.47.3: Mandala 6, Sukta 47, Mantra 3
Sukta 6.47
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Soma-empowered Indra / Soma as immediate agent
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अयं मे पीत उदियर्ति वाचमयं मनीषामुशतीमजीगः । अयं षळुर्वीरमिमीत धीरो न याभ्यो भुवनं कच्चनारे ॥
ayáṃ me pītá úd iyarti vā́cam ayáṃ manīṣā́m uśatī́m ajīgaḥ | ayáṃ ṣáḷ urvī́r amimīta dhī́ro ná yā́bhyo bhúvanaṃ kác canā́re ||
ഇത് ഞാൻ പാനം ചെയ്തപ്പോൾ എന്റെ വാക്കിനെ ഉയർത്തുന്നു; ആഗ്രഹഭരിതമായ മനീഷയെ ഉണർത്തുന്നു. ഇത്—ധീരനായ ദൃഢദർശി-ശക്തി—ആറ് വിശാല വ്യാപ്തികളെ അളന്നു നിശ്ചയിച്ചു; അതിനപ്പുറം യാതൊരു ലോകവും ഒരിക്കലും വേറിട്ടുനിൽക്കുകയില്ല.
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मे
- to/for me; myPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पीतः
- having been drunk; drunkParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP)Role KartāRoot पा (धातु) → पीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- उद्
- up, forthPreverbअव्ययम्Root उद् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ईयर्ति
- sets in motion; impels; raisesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot ईर्/ईरय् (धातु; Vedic: īrte/īrayati)
- वाचम्
- speechNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वाच् (प्रातिपदिक) स्त्री
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मनीषाम्
- thought; insight; inspired intelligenceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक) स्त्री
- उशतीम्
- desiring; eager; wished-forAdjective (Participle)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot उशत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; pres. ptc. of वश्/उश् ‘to desire’) → उशती
- अजीगः
- he has sung/intoned; he has set (it) in chantVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot गै/गा (धातु ‘to sing/chant’) with reduplication; Vedic aorist
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- षळुः
- six; sixfoldNumeral (with particle)(प्रयोगतः) प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘six-fold/six’ (Vedic form)Role KartāRoot षळ् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + उः (Vedic enclitic particle/ending used with numerals)
- वीरम्
- hero; manNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वीर (प्रातिपदिक) पुं
- अमिमीत
- has measured out; has apportionedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot मा (धातु ‘to measure’) with reduplication
- धीरः
- the wise one; steadfastAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot धीर (प्रातिपदिक) पुं
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्Root न (अव्यय)
- याभ्यः
- from whom/whichPronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनम्
- world; being; existenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) नपुं
- कच्चन
- at all; in any wayIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root क + चन (अव्यय-समुच्चय; emphatic/indefinite)
- आरे
- far awayIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot आरे (अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): अयम् | मे | पीतः | उद् | ईयर्ति | वाचम् | अयम् | मनीषाम् | उशतीम् | अजीगः | अयम् | षळुः | वीरम् | अमिमीत | धीरः | न | याभ्यः | भुवनम् | कच्चन | आरे । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) उदि॑यर्ति → उद् + ईयर्ति (द् + ई → दी/दीर्घ-सन्धि; संहितायां ‘उदि॑यर्ति’)
- (2) मनी॒षामु॑श॒तीम् → मनीषाम् + उशतीम् (म् + उ → मु)
- (3) कच्च॒नारे → कच्चन + आरे (न + आ → नारे)
The meaning
Outer meaning
This, when drunk by me, lifts up my speech; this awakens the desiring thought. This, the steadfast seer, measured out the six wide spaces, beyond which no world exists.
Inner meaning
Soma (ayam) as Ananda directly acts in the sadhaka: it raises vāc—speech as inspired expression—and awakens manīṣā—intuitive, truth-seeking thought that desires the good (uśatīm). The ‘dhīra’ (steadfast seer-force) measures the ‘six wide spaces’ (ṣaḻ urvīḥ): a symbolic mapping of the consciousness-worlds or the broad fields of experience opened by illumination—wideness as a sign of spiritual truth. Beyond these measured widenesses, no separate world stands: realization brings an integral unity where division loses its absolute status.
Universal truth
Inner delight clarifies expression and awakens higher intelligence; as consciousness widens, life is re-measured in a larger unity where old boundaries no longer define reality.
Themes
inspiration, awakening of thought, cosmic ordering, Soma as illuminant
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.47.1, RV 6.47.2, RV 6.61 (Sarasvatī themes in Mandala 6 milieu)
Family tradition
Seer-poets where Soma is both sacrament and inner illumination; emphasis on vāc and dhī (inspired thought).
Significance
Bharadvāja links Soma to the awakening of inspired speech and intuitive mind, and to the widening of consciousness—hallmarks of inner realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (immediate agent) / Indra (supported)
- Epithets
- Madhumat (honeyed), Pavamāna (purifying, in broader Soma tradition), Indu (bright drop)
- Related deities
- Indra, Sarasvatī (vāc), Agni
Cosmic role
Nectar of immortality that purifies, illumines, and widens; strengthens the gods and the seer.
Inner power
Ananda that lifts speech into mantra, awakens intuitive intelligence, and opens vastness of consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma praise within Soma-yajña; also a seer’s self-testimony in the stotra sequence
अ॒यं मे॑ पी॒त उदि॑यर्ति॒ वाच॑म॒यं म॑नी॒षामु॑श॒तीम॑जीगः । अ॒यं षळु॒र्वीर॑मिमीत॒ धीरो॒ न याभ्यो॒ भुव॑नं॒ कच्च॒नारे ॥
अ॒यम् । मे॒ । पी॒तः । उत् । इ॒य॒र्ति॒ । वाच॑म् । अ॒यम् । म॒नी॒षाम् । उ॒श॒तीम् । अ॒जी॒ग॒रिति॑ । अ॒यम् । षट् । उ॒र्वीः । अ॒मि॒मी॒त॒ । धीरः॑ । न । याभ्यः॑ । भुव॑नम् । कत् । च॒न । आ॒रे ॥
ayam | me | pītaḥ | ut | iyarti | vācam | ayam | manīṣām | uśatīm | ajīgaḥ | ayam | ṣaṭ | urvīḥ | amimīta | dhīraḥ | na | yābhyaḥ | bhuvanam | kat | cana | āre
44
4 × 11 syllables
Rising, expansive; the third pāda opens into wideness imagery.
Felt uplift in voice and mind; supports expansion meditation and mantra-siddhi (steadier inspired utterance).
- वाच् (vāc)
- Literal: speech. Symbolic: Inspired Word; expressive power of truth-consciousness
- मनीषा (manīṣā)
- Literal: thought, intelligence. Symbolic: Intuitive discernment; higher mentality seeking truth
- उशती (uśatī)
- Literal: desiring, yearning. Symbolic: Aspiration that loves the good and true
- धीर (dhīra)
- Literal: steadfast/wise one. Symbolic: Seer-force in the being; stable intuitive consciousness
- षट् उर्वीः (ṣaṭ urvīḥ)
- Literal: six wide spaces/earths. Symbolic: Widened planes or fields of consciousness opened by realization
- अमिमीता (amimīta)
- Literal: measured out. Symbolic: Established a new inner order/scale; structured wideness
- भुवनम् (bhuvanam)
- Literal: world. Symbolic: A domain of experience/consciousness; a plane of being
Soma rite: describes effects of Soma on the priest/seer—rise of inspired speech and thought—thus suited to recitation by the officiant to invoke poetic and cognitive illumination.
During Soma offerings/pressings; when affirming Soma’s effects on the priest-seer (hotṛ).
Recitation after tasting/offerings; in modern use, chant before japa, teaching, or truthful communication.
For writers/speakers/teachers: chant to align speech with inner truth; for meditators: as a wideness-opening practice.
√īr (īrayati) ‘raise, impel’ explains ud iyarti ‘lifts up’. vāc (speech) is not mere words but inspired vibration. √mā ‘measure’ is central to Vedic cosmogony: ordering of extension by a conscious power (dhīra). The ‘six urvīs’ is a cosmological formula; psychologically, it can denote ordered fields of consciousness opened by Soma’s illumination.
vāc as revelation, dhī (seer-intelligence) as world-ordering power, measurement/ordering (mā) as aspect of ṛta
‘Measured out’ indicates ṛta as right proportion and ordered wideness in consciousness.
Vāc uplifted becomes bearer of satya; manīṣā awakened becomes truth-seeing.
Worlds are measured by the seer-force; consciousness creates domains through luminous order.
Upaniṣadic-leaning Vedic mysticism: vāc/dhī as powers of consciousness; wideness as realization of unity.
Nectar of delight lifts expression and intuition, and opens vast inner spaces until separative worlds lose their hold.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as awakener of Vāc and Dhī: the elixir does not only empower battle but opens inspired speech and the measuring/ordering intelligence that establishes worlds. Mythically it is the ‘drink of power’ that makes the seer utter truth; psychologically it is the ascent of expressive and cognitive faculties into a wider ordered consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāc (speech) is cognate with PIE *wekʷ- ‘to speak’ (Lat vox, etc.). √mā ‘measure’ corresponds to PIE *meh₁- ‘measure’ (cf. Greek métron). These inherited roots are deployed in a distinctively Vedic cosmogonic-poetic syntax (worlds ‘measured out’ by seer-intelligence).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi testifies to direct inner effect: Soma, once received, becomes a divine worker inside the human—raising vāc and energizing manīṣā. The devatā is experienced as immanent power transforming the poet into a channel of ordered truth.
Let Ananda lift speech and awaken intuitive thought; meditate on widening into the ‘six spaces’ as expanding consciousness-fields.
viśuddha (vāc) + ājñā (manīṣā) + sahasrāra (vastness)
Slow coherent breathing (5-5) while chanting; after each round, sit in silence feeling expansion around head and chest.
Inspired clarity moving into vast, quiet unity.
Chant softly, then observe: (1) speech-energy rising (throat), (2) intuitive thought brightening (brow), (3) wideness spreading (all-around). Do not force images—let ‘measurement’ be felt as natural settling into a larger scale of being.
Keep clear accents on vācam, manīṣām, dhīraḥ; sustain long vowels in pīta, uśatīm, urvīḥ.
Let the first two pādas rise (uplift), the third broaden (wideness), and the fourth settle into quiet finality (unity).
ud iyarti: separate ud + iyarti cleanly, manīṣām: long ī, retroflex ṣ, uśatīm: ś not s; long ī, ṣaḻ: retroflex ṣ and cerebral ḻ (as transmitted); articulate carefully without adding a vowel
Warm, resonant, contemplative; allow space between pādas.
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