Rig Veda 1.70.9: Mandala 1, Sukta 70, Mantra 9
Sukta 1.70
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Devata
- Agni with support of Viśve Devāḥ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
गोषु प्रशस्तिं वनेषु धिषे भरन्त विश्वे बलिं स्वर्णः ॥
góṣu práśastiṃ váneṣu dhiṣe bháranta víśve balíṃ svàrṇaḥ
Di dalam Sinar-sinar mereka membawa pujian yang tepat; di kedalaman rimba mereka meneguhkannya dalam fikiran—mereka yang memikul bagi kita bali (persembahan) yang menuntun ke alam bercahaya.
Word by Word
- गोषु
- among/in the cows (cattle)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रशस्तिम्
- praise, renownNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot प्र-शंस् (धातु) → प्रशस्ति (स्त्री) (कृदन्त/भाववाचक)
- वनेषु
- in the woods/forestsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक)
- धिषे
- thou placest/arrangest (thou bestowest)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु) (वेदिक: धिष्/धि- ‘स्थापयति/धत्ते, puts, places; also ‘bestows’)
- भरन्त
- they bear/bringVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचन (वेदिक रूप: भरन्त = भरन्ति)Role क्रियाRoot भृ (धातु)
- विश्वे
- all (the gods/men), all of themAdjective (substantivized) / Pronoun-likeपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- बलिम्
- offering, tributeNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वर्णः
- the golden/bright one (epithet)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बोधन/विशेषण-रूपेण) अथवा कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) (वेदिक: ‘स्वर्ण’ = ‘स्वर्’/‘स्वर्ग’/‘दीप्ति’ से सम्बद्ध ‘bright, golden’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): गोषु | प्रशस्तिम् | वनेषु | धिषे | भरन्त | विश्वे | बलिम् | स्वर्णः । 1) ‘भरन्त’ वैदिक-प्रयोगः: लट् 3pl ‘भरन्ति’ का संक्षिप्त/प्राचीन रूप। 2) ‘धिषे’ वैदिक रूप—धातु ‘धा/धिष्’ से आत्मनेपद वर्तमान मध्यम-एकवचन
- अर्थ ‘स्थापयसि/दधासि’। 3) उच्चारण-चिह्न (॒, ॑) मूलपाठ के स्वर-चिह्न हैं
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the cows (rays) they bring the praise; in the woods they hold it in thought—these all bring for us the offering toward svàr.
Inner meaning
The ‘cows’ (goṣu) are the rays of knowledge: in illuminations the powers of the being bring right praise (praśasti)—true recognition of the Divine. ‘Forests’ (vaneṣu) are the dense inner regions where clarity is not immediate; there, the same praise is held in dhiṣī—concentrated thought, steady intention. The Viśve Devāḥ (all the gods/powers) carry the bali (offering): the consecrated energy of our life, leading to svàr (luminous consciousness). Thus praise is not only spontaneous in light; it is also preserved as will and remembrance in the obscure parts until it can ascend.
Universal truth
True aspiration must function both in moments of insight and in the dense inner thickets of life; sustained remembrance and offering convert obscurity into a path toward illumination.
Themes
recovery of rays in obscurity, collective divine powers, offering leading to light
The seer
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (traditional attribution for Parāśara lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.65, Rig Veda 1.66, Rig Veda 1.67, Rig Veda 1.68, Rig Veda 1.69, Rig Veda 1.70
Family tradition
This verse reflects the Parāśara style: mapping outer images (cows, forest, offering) to inner operations of knowledge, concentration, and ascent to svàr.
Significance
Shows an integral psychology: the same devotion must be active in illumination (rays) and in obscurity (forest-depths), with the collective divine powers assisting the ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (supported by Viśve Devāḥ)
- Epithets
- Jātavedas (knower of births, implied by Agni’s omniscience), Viśvadeva-sahita (with all gods, implied)
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Indra, Sarasvatī, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Agni receives and transmits the offering; Viśve Devāḥ represent the coordinated cosmic functions that uphold the sacrifice and open svàr.
Inner power
Agni as the central flame; Viśve Devāḥ as harmonized faculties (illumination, force, delight, discernment) that carry aspiration through all layers.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Agni/Viśve Devāḥ praise; could be used in offerings invoking the All-Gods for harmony and success of the rite.
गोषु॒ प्रश॑स्तिं॒ वने॑षु धिषे॒ भर॑न्त॒ विश्वे॑ ब॒लिं स्व॑र्णः ॥
गोषु॑ । प्रऽश॑स्तिम् । वने॑षु । धिषे॑ । भर॑न्त । विश्वे॑ । ब॒लिम् । स्वः॑ । नः॒ ॥
goṣu | pra-śastim | vaneṣu | dhiṣe | bharanta | viśve | balim | svaḥ | naḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Alternating imagery (goṣu/vaneṣu) creates a pendulum rhythm—light and dense—then resolves in svàr.
Helps the mind hold aspiration steady through changing inner terrains; ends with an upward, releasing feel toward svàr.
- गोषु (goṣu)
- Literal: among cows. Symbolic: in the rays of light/knowledge; illuminations recovered from the hidden
- प्रशस्तिम् (praśastim)
- Literal: praise, right acclaim. Symbolic: true recognition/affirmation that aligns the being with higher truth
- वनेषु (vaneṣu)
- Literal: in forests, woods. Symbolic: inner thickets: subconscious/vital complexity where clarity is veiled
- धिषे (dhiṣe)
- Literal: in thought/understanding (dhi). Symbolic: concentrated intelligence; steady holding-power of the mind
- विश्वे (viśve)
- Literal: all. Symbolic: the totality of divine powers/faculties cooperating in the yoga
- बलिम् (balim)
- Literal: offering, tribute. Symbolic: consecrated energy of life, surrender of gains and movements to the Divine
- स्वः (svaḥ)
- Literal: luminous world. Symbolic: illumined consciousness; the goal-plane of clarity
Collective invocation: supporting offerings and praises in the rite; psychologically, gathering dispersed energies (bali) toward svar.
When seeking integrality—support of all powers—especially at transitions in a rite or practice.
Offering (bali) and praise (praśasti) to align all faculties; invoking collective support.
For times when practice feels split: use to unify ‘bright insights’ and ‘messy emotions’ into one offering toward clarity.
go ‘cow’ also ‘ray’ (from √gā/√gam semantic field of movement/going; Vedic go as luminous herds). pra-√śaṃs ‘praise’ = articulate affirmation. vana ‘wood’ symbolizes the obscure growth where light is concealed. √bhṛ ‘bear’ (PIE *bher-). bali ‘offering’ from √bal/√barh? (Vedic bali as tribute/offering; here inner oblation). svaḥ/ svar = luminous plane.
knowledge as light (go), inner offering (bali) as surrender, movement toward svar
Right praise and right offering are acts of Ṛta: harmonizing the parts with the whole.
Truth appears as right recognition (praśasti) and as faithful holding (dhi) in obscurity.
Emergence of light (rays/cows) from hiddenness; ascent to svàr through coordinated divine action.
Integral-Vedic: the many powers (viśve) cooperate to transform the being as a whole.
Cows = rays of knowledge; forest = subconscious/vital complexity; offering = surrender of energy; sun/svàr = illumined consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘finding and sustaining of the rays (cows)’ even in the forest-thickets: a recovery of hidden light/knowledge from obscurity, carried by the collective powers as an offering that conducts the seeker to svar.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear’ is PIE *bher- (Greek phérein, Latin ferre). The semantic extension of go ‘cow’ to ‘ray’ is a Vedic poetic development, but the pastoral lexeme itself is pan-IE (cf. Germanic *kū- ‘cow’ though not cognate to go; rather a shared cultural register where cattle imagery encodes wealth/light).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer relies on the totality of divine powers to carry praise and offering through both luminous and obscure regions of the being; the gods reciprocate by bearing the oblation that opens the path to svar (illumined consciousness).
Hold praise/aspiration both in clarity (rays) and in inner thickets (forest), offering all to the central fire.
vishuddha (mantra/praise)
japa on exhale; silent ‘holding in dhi’ on inhale (retain the sense of praise in the mind)
From scattered seeking to integrated aspiration supported by multiple faculties.
When insight comes, articulate a simple praise (one sentence). When obscurity comes, do not force emotion—hold the same praise as a quiet intention in the mind (dhi). Offer both states as bali to Agni; visualize ascent to a clear inner sky (svàr).
Tri-svara; keep goṣu and vaneṣu clearly articulated as parallel anchors; end with svaḥ naḥ as a gentle uplift.
Slight pause after goṣu praśastim; another after vaneṣu dhiṣe; then flow through bharanta viśve balim.
goṣu: long o; ṣ retroflex, praśastim: ś (palatal) distinct from ṣ, vaneṣu: e long; ṣ retroflex, dhiṣe: dh aspirated; i long-ish per Vedic quantity, baliṃ: final ṃ as anusvāra, light nasal
bright in first phrase (rays), deeper/contained in ‘forest’ phrase, then uplifting toward svàr.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
