Rig Veda 10.136.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 136, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.136
- Devata
- Munis / Vāta as supporting power
मुनयो वातरशनाः पिशङ्गा वसते मला । वातस्यानु ध्राजिं यन्ति यद्देवासो अविक्षत ॥
múnayo vā́ta-raśaṇāḥ piśáṅgā vasate málā | vā́tasyā́nu dhrā́jiṃ yanti yád devā́so ávikṣata ||
मुनी वायूलाच रशन (कटिबंध) करून, पिशङ्ग—तांबूस-दीप्तिमान—होऊन, मळ (धूळ) हाच वस्त्राप्रमाणे धारण करतात. ते वायूच्या ध्राजि (वेगवान धारा/झोत) मागोमाग जातात, जेव्हा देव त्यांना अविक्षत—दृष्टीत ग्रहण—करतात.
Word by Word
- मुनयः
- sages, silent asceticsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मुनि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वातरशनाः
- wind-girdled (having the wind as their girdle)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (मुनयः-विशेषण)Root वात- + रशनā- (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- पिशङ्गाः
- tawny, reddish-brownAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (मुनयः-विशेषण)Root पिशङ्ग- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसते
- they dwell / they wear (as clothing)Verbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot √वस् (वस् निवासे)
- मलाः
- soiled garments / ragsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्म (वसते)Root मल- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वातस्य
- of the windNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (अनु)Root वात- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after, alongIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (अनुगमनार्थे)Root अनु (अव्यय)
- ध्राजिम्
- course, rushing track (swift movement)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (यन्ति)Root ध्राजि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यन्ति
- they go, they followVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √या (या प्रापणे/गत्यर्थे)
- यत्
- when / thatIndeclinable (relative) / Pronounसम्बन्धसूचकं यत्; (अत्र अव्ययवत् ‘यदा/यत्’ = ‘when/that’)Role सम्बन्ध (उपवाक्य-प्रवर्तक)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवासः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अविक्षत)Root देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अविक्षत
- they beheld, they looked uponVerbलुङ् (अorist); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √विक्ष् (विक्ष् व्याप्तौ/दर्शने) + अव- (उपसर्ग)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: मुनयः | वातरशनाः | पिशङ्गाः | वसते | मलाः || वातस्य | अनु | ध्राजिम् | यन्ति | यत् | देवासः | अविक्षत || 1) ‘यद्देवासो’ = ‘यत् + देवासः’ (त् + द → द्द्)
- 2) ‘वातस्यानु’ = ‘वातस्य + अनु’ (स्वर-सन्धिः; अत्र पदसीमा पर ‘…स्य अनु’)
- 3) ‘ध्राजिं यन्ति’ में ‘ध्राजिम्’ का अनुस्वार/म् पदान्तः, परे य-कारे सामान्यतः ‘म्’ रूपेण लिख्यते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Munis (silent ascetics), girdled only by the wind, wear garments of tawny hue (or soil). They follow the rushing path of the wind, for the gods have looked upon them (or they have attained the vision of the gods).
Inner meaning
The spiritual aspirant (Muni) has liberated themselves from material bondage, supported only by the universal Life Force (Vata). Their physical nature (mala/garment) is transformed into a radiant, tawny glow (pishanga) through Tapas. They move in sync with the dynamic flow of the Divine Prana, having realized the divine powers (Devas) within their own consciousness.
Universal truth
True spiritual freedom requires transcending the limitations of the material sheath and aligning one's individual will with the cosmic Life Force, resulting in a radiant transformation of being.
Themes
muni yoga, wind as life-force, ecstatic movement, divine recognition
In ritual
Where it is used
Visionary-ascetic hymn; used for contemplative evocation of muni-state and prāṇic discipline rather than for standard Śrauta offerings.
मुन॑यो॒ वात॑रशनाः पि॒शङ्गा॑ वसते॒ मला॑ । वात॒स्यानु॒ ध्राजिं॑ यन्ति॒ यद्दे॒वासो॒ अवि॑क्षत ॥
मुन॑यः । वात॑ऽरशनाः । पि॒शङ्गाः॑ । व॒स॒ते॒ । मला॑ । वात॑स्य । अनु॑ । ध्राजि॑म् । यन्ति॑ । यत् । दे॒वासः॑ । अवि॑क्षत ॥
munayaḥ | vāta-raśaṇāḥ | piśaṅgāḥ | vasate | malā | vātasya | ana | dhrājim | yanti | yat | devāsaḥ | avikṣata
Visionary-ascetic hymn; used for contemplative evocation of muni-state and prāṇic discipline rather than for standard Śrauta offerings.
vāta ‘wind’ connects breath and cosmic movement; raśanā ‘girdle’ binds and disciplines—psychologically, prāṇa as yogic band. muni from √man ‘think’ indicates innerized cognition. dhrāji ‘rush’ expresses dynamic prāṇic current. mala ‘dust’ indicates earth-contact; inner reading: acceptance of bodily basis while moving in subtle wind-force.
prāṇa-discipline (vāta-raśanāḥ), divine vision/recognition (devāsaḥ avikṣata), tapas and renunciation (dust-garment)
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘wind-girdled seers’ mythologem: munis who move with the wind’s surge and are recognized by the gods. Inner sense: mastery of prāṇa (vāta) becomes the belt of discipline; following its dhrāji, the seeker enters a state where the devatās ‘behold’—i.e., the luminous powers awaken and participate.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāta as wind/breath belongs to a widespread Indo-European sacral meteorological lexicon; √yā ‘go’ (PIE *h₁ey- ‘go’) expresses the archetypal journey motif. The verse uses inherited poetic parallelism: identity (munis) + attribute (wind-girdled) + motion (they go) + divine acknowledgment.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi portrays a reciprocal attainment: when the muni aligns with vāta’s true movement, the devatās respond by ‘looking upon’ him—awakening higher faculties. The devatā is not bribed; it is invoked as an inevitable correspondence between inner discipline and divine manifestation.
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