Rig Veda 8.7.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 7, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.7
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Likely Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
उदीरयन्त वायुभिर्वाश्रासः पृश्निमातरः । धुक्षन्त पिप्युषीमिषम् ॥
udī́rayanta vāyúbhir vāśrā́saḥ pṛ́śni-mātaraḥ | dhúkṣanta pipyúṣīm íṣam ||
വായുക്കളോടൊപ്പം അവർ അതിനെ ഉയർത്തുന്നു—ഗർജ്ജിക്കുന്നവർ, പൃശ്നിമാതാവിന്റെ പുത്രന്മാർ; അവർ സമൃദ്ധമായ പോഷകമായ ജീവരസം ദോഹിക്കുന്നു.
Word by Word
- उदीरयन्त
- they raise/stir upVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद; 3rd person pluralRole (क्रिया) —Root उद्-ईरय् (caus. of √ईर्/√इर् ‘to set in motion, raise’)
- वायुभिः
- with the windsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot वायु (prātipadika)
- वाश्रासः
- the roaring onesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वाश्र (prātipadika; ‘roaring/lowing, bellowing’)
- पृश्निमातरः
- (those) whose mother is PṛśniNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वाश्रासः इत्यस्य विशेषण/सम्बन्धि) अथवा कर्तृRoot पृश्नि-मातर् (tatpuruṣa/bahuvrīhi compound: ‘having Pṛśni as mother’)
- धुक्षन्त
- they milk/produceVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद; 3rd person plural (Vedic ending -न्त)Role (क्रिया) —Root √धुक्ष्/√धुक्ष् (Vedic: ‘to milk, yield, produce’)
- पिप्युषीम्
- the abundant (one)Adjective (used substantively) / Participleस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पिप्युषी (from √प्याय्/√पि ‘to swell, be full, abound’; kṛdanta adjective ‘swelling, abundant’)
- इषम्
- nourishment/refreshmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (पिप्युषीम् इषम् = ‘abundant nourishment’)Root इष्/इषा (prātipadika; ‘refreshment, strength, nourishment’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उदीरयन्त | वायुभिः | वाश्रासः | पृश्निमातरः | धुक्षन्त | पिप्युषीम् | इषम् ।
- ‘पिप्युषीम् इषम्’ इति विशेषण-विशेष्यसम्बन्धः (द्वितीया एकवचन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
They raise it up with the winds—those roaring ones, sons of Pṛśni; they milk forth the abundant nourishment.
Inner meaning
The Maruts (roaring, vāśrāsaḥ), born of Pṛśni (the variegated matrix of Nature), lift the movement with the vāyus (winds/breaths): they elevate prāṇa itself into a higher functioning. Then they ‘milk’ (dhukṣanta) an overflowing iṣ (force-nourishment)—a steady, abundant energy drawn from the depths of life and offered upward for the soul’s progress. The image is of prāṇa transformed from restless wind into a conscious giver of plenitude.
Universal truth
When the life-breath is raised and aligned, it becomes a source of inexhaustible nourishment for growth; transformed energy ‘milks’ abundance from Nature for the spirit’s use.
Themes
Maruts and winds, Milking of abundance, Vital ascent, Nourishment (iṣ)
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage
- Lineage
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.7.1, RV 8.7.2, RV 8.7.4
Family tradition
Kaṇva Marut hymns frequently employ ‘milk’ and ‘raising’ imagery to describe conversion of raw life-energy into a supportive, abundant force for the inner sacrifice.
Significance
The seer maps a yogic process: uplift prāṇa (vāyu) → intensify and purify (Marut roar) → draw out plenitude (iṣ) for progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- Pṛśnimātaraḥ, Vāśrāsaḥ, Rudrasya sūnavaḥ (sons of Rudra, by common RV epithet)
- Related deities
- Vāyu, Indra, Rudra, Parjanya
Cosmic role
Energizers of the mid-world (antarikṣa), movers of winds and clouds, bringers of rain and impetus.
Inner power
Prāṇic transformation—turning scattered life-currents into a coherent upward force that yields abundance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut praise in Soma ritual atmosphere; calling rain/force and supportive energies
उदी॑रयन्त वा॒युभि॑र्वा॒श्रास॒: पृश्नि॑मातरः । धु॒क्षन्त॑ पि॒प्युषी॒मिष॑म् ॥
उत् । ई॒र॒य॒न्त॒ । वा॒युऽभिः॑ । वा॒श्रासः॑ । पृश्नि॑ऽमातरः । धु॒क्षन्त॑ । पि॒प्युषी॑म् । इष॑म् ॥
ut | īrayanta | vāyu-bhiḥ | vāśrāsaḥ | pṛśni-mātaraḥ | dhukṣanta | pipyuṣīm | iṣam
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (probable; verify with full saṃhitā text)
Surging and ‘breath-like’; strong lifts on ‘ud’ and fluidity around vāyu-bhiḥ.
Naturally entrains breathing; can induce a sense of prāṇa rising and then settling into a steady, nourishing flow.
- उद् ईरयन्त (ud īrayanta)
- Literal: they raise up, set in motion upward. Symbolic: uplift of prāṇa and energies to a higher poise
- वायुभिः (vāyubhiḥ)
- Literal: with winds. Symbolic: with breaths/life-currents; prāṇic forces
- वाश्रासः (vāśrāsaḥ)
- Literal: roaring ones. Symbolic: powerful dynamic energies; intense transformative impetus
- पृश्निमातरः (pṛśnimātaraḥ)
- Literal: having Pṛśni as mother. Symbolic: forces born from the mixed field of prakṛti, now purified and directed
- धुक्षन्त (dhukṣanta)
- Literal: they milk. Symbolic: they draw out essence; extract usable force from life-substance
- पिप्युषीम् (pipyuṣīm)
- Literal: abounding, swelling. Symbolic: plenitude; overflowing vitality turned into support
- इषम् (iṣam)
- Literal: nourishment. Symbolic: impelling force that sustains the yoga
Marut-stotra; energizing the vital currents (vāyu) and invoking abundance (iṣ) for the sacrifice
During Marut sequences to intensify the rite and ‘milk’ increase (iṣ/rayi)
Recitation to invoke Marut dynamism and abundance; symbolically ‘milking’ nourishment for the yajña
Breath-centered mantra for energizing without agitation—raising prāṇa then drawing calm abundance.
√īr ‘raise, set in motion’ (ud-īrayanta) conveys awakening/ascension of energies. vāyu (vāyú-) from √vā ‘to blow’ (PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘blow’). √duh ‘milk’ (dhukṣanta) is a central Vedic metaphor: extraction of nourishment/force from the cosmic cow; inwardly, drawing living energy and delight from the universal substance. pṛśni ‘dappled’ suggests variegated manifestation-prakṛti as maternal matrix.
Prāṇa-currents as instruments of ascent, Plenitude (pipyúṣī) as the sign of R̥ta-established flow
The winds become instruments of Ṛta when raised and ordered by Marut powers.
Abundance becomes stable when it is ‘milked’ by truth-aligned energy, not seized by desire.
From prakṛti’s mixed field (Pṛśni) arises purified dynamism that yields plenitude.
Integral-Vedic: transformation of life-force into conscious-force supporting ascent.
Wind = breath currents; storm-roar = awakened tapas; milking = extracting essence from experience; abundance = steady vital support.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Maruts ‘milking’ abundant nourishment: storm-powers draw forth iṣ like milk from the cosmic source, raised by winds. Inner sense: awakened life-breaths, disciplined by the higher host, extract and supply plenary energy for the growth of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāyu from √vā ‘blow’ reflects PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘blow’ (cf. Latin ventus ‘wind’ from related wind lexicon; Sanskrit vāta also). √duh ‘milk’ is an Indo-Iranian archaism with strong Vedic productivity; the ‘milking’ metaphor parallels broader IE pastoral poetics though the specific verbal root is most prominent in Indo-Iranian.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls the Maruts not only as external storm-gods but as inner regulators of vital force: they raise the currents (vāyubhiḥ) and ‘milk’ abundance into the being. The seer’s role is to name and align with this process so the vital becomes a servant of truth rather than turbulence.
Raise the breath-current upward; invite it to become nourishing, not restless.
Anāhata (breath field) with uplift toward Viśuddha (purified current)
Ujjāyī (soft) or lengthened exhale breathing; feel ‘ud īrayanta’ on inhale, ‘dhukṣanta’ on exhale (mentally).
Energized yet replenished; prāṇa becomes supportive.
Chant 3 times slowly, then sit and feel the breath as ‘milking’ calm strength from the body—no forcing; let fullness spread in the chest and spine.
RV accenting with clear lift on ‘ud’ and sustained flow through vāyu-bhiḥ; keep the line continuous to mirror wind-streams.
Let the first half be ‘ascending’; soften slightly on ‘dhukṣanta’ to evoke milking/flow rather than удар (impact).
: lengthen ī; avoid ‘udir’ flattening, : long ā; bh as aspirated, : śr cluster; keep long ā, : retroflex ṛ; nasal ṇ, : double p feel; long īm
Breath-led, resonant, flowing; keep a ‘wind-through-reeds’ continuity.
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