Rig Veda 10.121.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 121, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.121
- Rishi
- Hiraṇyagarbha / Prajāpati
- Devata
- Ka / Prajāpati
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
यस्येमे हिमवन्तो महित्वा यस्य समुद्रं रसया सहाहुः । यस्येमाः प्रदिशो यस्य बाहू कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥
yásyemé himávanto mahitvā́ yásya samudráṃ rasáyā sahā́huḥ | yásyemā́ḥ pradíśo yásya bāhū́ kásmai devā́ya havíṣā vidhema ||
Yang kebesaran-Nya ialah puncak-puncak bersalji ini; milik-Nya lautan bersama sari air yang mengalir; milik-Nya segala penjuru ini sebagai lengan-lengan-Nya: kepada Dewa manakah akan kita persembahkan havis (persembahan) daripada kehendak kita?
Word by Word
- यस्य
- of whom/whosePronounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमे
- thesePronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of implied ‘are/stand’)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed/forIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/causal particle)Root हि
- हिमवन्तः
- the हिमवन्त mountains (snowy mountains)Noun (mountain-name/adj. used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (with implied ‘are’)Root हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- महित्वा
- by (his) greatnessNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role करण (by/through greatness)Root महित्व (प्रातिपदिक; from महत्)
- यस्य
- of whom/whosePronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समुद्रम्
- the oceanNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (of ‘they call/declare’)Root समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- रसया
- with Rasā (the mythical stream/juice)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role करण (by/with the ‘Rasā’/sap-stream)Root रसा (प्रातिपदिक)
- सह
- together withIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (with)Root सह
- आहुः
- they have said/calledVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत) प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचनम् परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot अह् (धातु; ‘to say’)
- यस्य
- of whom/whosePronounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमाः
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (with implied ‘are’)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रदिशः
- the directions/quartersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (with implied ‘are’)Root प्रदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यस्य
- of whom/whosePronounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- बाहू
- (the two) armsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा द्विवचनम्Role कर्तृ/अधिकरण (predicative: ‘are (his) arms’)Root बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
- कस्मै
- to which (god)?Pronoun (interrogative)पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाय
- to the godNounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- हविषा
- with an oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role करण (by/with oblation)Root हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विधेम
- may we offer/perform (worship)Verbविधिलिङ् (optative) उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचनम् परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot धा (धातु) + वि-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: यस्ये॒मे → यस्य + इमे
- हि॒मव॑न्तो → हिमवन्तः (nom.pl.)
- महि॒त्वा (instr.sg. of महित्व)
- समु॒द्रं → समुद्रम्
- र॒सया॑ (instr.sg.)
- स॒हाहुः → सह + आहुः
- यस्ये॒माः → यस्य + इमाः
- प्र॒दिशो॒ → प्रदिशः
- बा॒हू (nom.du. बाहु)
- कस्मै दे॒वाय (both dat.sg.)
- ह॒विषा॑ (instr.sg.)
- विधेम (वि-धा, opt. 1pl). Accents as in Saṃhitā text are not repeated in pada forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whose greatness these Himalaya-like snow mountains are; whose is the ocean along with the flowing essence (rasa) of waters; whose are these directions as his arms. To which God shall we offer the oblation?
Inner meaning
The highest Presence contains and expresses itself as all magnitudes: the ‘snow-peaks’ are the silent heights of consciousness (still, pure, luminous); the ocean with rasa is the vast subconscient and the universal life-essence in movement; the directions as arms are the extensions of the Divine’s power reaching into every domain of experience. The seeker is invited to feel the Divine not as distant but as the very expanse and reach of one’s inner world.
Universal truth
The Absolute manifests as heights, depths, and the all-embracing reach of power. Spiritual realization is to perceive all ranges of existence—summit, abyss, and horizon—as the body of the One.
Themes
Cosmic body, Macrocosm as divine form, Spatial totality
The seer
- Rishi
- Hiraṇyagarbha / Prajāpati (traditional)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.121.1, Rig Veda 10.121.2, Rig Veda 10.121.3, Rig Veda 10.121.5
Family tradition
Cosmic body imagery typical of late Ṛgvedic speculation; prepares for later Purusha-like cosmic embodiment motifs.
Significance
The rishi expands the inner vision from origin and rule to total embodiment: the Divine as the very geography of consciousness—summits, oceans, and horizons.
The deity
- Devata
- Ka / Prajāpati (All-encompassing Vast)
- Epithets
- Mahān (Great, implied), Viśvabāhu (whose arms are all directions, implied), Samudrīya (lord of the oceanic vast, implied)
- Related deities
- Parvata (mountain symbolism), Apām Napāt / Waters (oceanic depth), Viṣṇu (three strides/directions as reach; thematic)
Cosmic role
Embodies cosmic magnitude: mountains, oceans, and directions; holds the spatial totality of the worlds.
Inner power
Gives access to higher peaks (silence), deeper oceans (subconscient), and wide reach (integral action).
In ritual
Where it is used
Part of the Hiraṇyagarbha hymn used in śrauta recitation; supports offerings seeking cosmic protection and completeness.
यस्ये॒मे हि॒मव॑न्तो महि॒त्वा यस्य॑ समु॒द्रं र॒सया॑ स॒हाहुः । यस्ये॒माः प्र॒दिशो॒ यस्य॑ बा॒हू कस्मै॑ दे॒वाय॑ ह॒विषा॑ विधेम ॥
यस्य॑ । इ॒मे । हि॒मऽव॑न्तः । म॒हि॒ऽत्वा । यस्य॑ । स॒मु॒द्रम् । र॒सया॑ । स॒ह । आ॒हुः॒ । यस्य॑ । इ॒माः । प्र॒ऽदिशः॑ । यस्य॑ । बा॒हू इति॑ । कस्मै॑ । दे॒वाय॑ । ह॒विषा॑ । वि॒धे॒म॒ ॥
yasya | ime | hima-vantaḥ | mahi-tvā | yasya | samudram | rasayā | saha | āhuḥ | yasya | imāḥ | pra-diśaḥ | yasya | bāhū iti | kasmai | devāya | haviṣā | vidhema
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Wide and pictorial; the second pāda flows like water with ‘samudraṃ rasayā’.
Creates inner spaciousness; imagery naturally leads to visualization meditation—ascending to peaks, descending to oceanic depth, expanding to all directions.
- हिमवन्तः (himavantaḥ)
- Literal: snowy mountains. Symbolic: high, still peaks of consciousness; purity and silent illumination
- समुद्रम् (samudram)
- Literal: ocean. Symbolic: vastness of the subconscient/universal life; depth of being
- रसया (rasayā)
- Literal: with rasa/juice/sap. Symbolic: essence-delight of life (ananda in life-current); sap of experience refined
- प्रदिशः (pradiśaḥ)
- Literal: directions/quarters. Symbolic: domains of consciousness; fields of action and knowledge
- बाहू (bāhū)
- Literal: arms. Symbolic: extensions of Divine power; capacity to embrace and act in all directions
Cosmic totality praise; can accompany offerings that universalize the sacrifice (viśvajit-type intent)
When invoking all-pervading guardianship and vastness; also in contemplative recitation at beginnings of journeys/undertakings.
Stuti with offering; mentally map the quarters and offer one’s actions in all directions to the One.
Use for ‘expansion practice’: before work/travel, recite while feeling protection and alignment in all directions; for anxiety, visualize the arms of the Divine holding the space.
rasa is ‘sap/essence’ (√ras ‘to taste/flow’), easily bearing psychological meaning: the essential delight/energy circulating through existence. pradíś ‘fore-directions’ indicates the ordered spatial spread; bāhu ‘arm’ is a common Vedic metaphor for power and capacity.
Mahattva (greatness), Totality and extension of being
Directions and cosmic features imply ordered space—ṛta as spatial and functional harmony.
The One is true vastness: heights and depths are expressions of a single Reality.
Cosmos as body of the One; spatial manifestation as divine embodiment.
Cosmic theism moving toward Purusha/Viśvarūpa conceptions; supports later Upaniṣadic ‘sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma’ intuition.
late winter/spring (suggested by snow imagery; symbolic)
Mountains = silent higher consciousness; ocean = deep life/subconscient with rasa (essential delight); directions = total field of experience embraced by divine power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The cosmic-body mythologem: mountains, ocean, and directions are presented as belonging to (or being limbs of) the One. Inner sense: stable heights, vast depths, and wide extensions of consciousness are expressions of the same divine Reality.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- samudra is a transparent compound ‘gathered waters’ (sam- + udra), comparable to inherited Indo-European compounding strategies. The mapping of spatial terms (diś) to body parts (bāhu) reflects an old Indo-European poetic device of macrocosm-microcosm analogy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi expands the field of worship: the deity is not local but all-containing. The offering becomes a consecration of one’s sense of space and extension—placing all directions of life under the One’s embrace.
Threefold expansion: (1) rise to ‘snow-peaks’—silent witness; (2) sink into ‘ocean’—calm depth; (3) expand to four directions—integral presence.
sahasrara (peak) + muladhara (depth) + anahata (expansion)
box-breath light (4-4-4-4) while visualizing four directions as arms; on holds, feel vast stillness like snow-peaks.
Spacious, panoramic awareness; reduced contraction and fear.
When overwhelmed, do not ‘fight’ the wave—become oceanic. When confused, ascend to the peak of silence. Then act from the center that reaches all directions.
Maintain clear svara contrasts across long relative constructions; ‘samudraṃ rasayā’ should flow smoothly without losing pitch integrity.
Give slight elongation to imagery words (himavantaḥ, samudram, pradiśaḥ) while keeping the refrain crisp and questioning.
himavantaḥ: aspirate h; short i; dental t; visarga ḥ, samudram: clear ‘dra’ cluster, rasayā: soft r; long ā at end, pradiśo: palatal ś; avoid ‘sh’ too harsh, bāhū: long ā and long ū; keep plural dual feel as per text
broad, spacious, slightly softer on imagery; firm on ‘kasmai devāya’.
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