Rig Veda 10.68.1: Mandala 10, Sukta 68, Mantra 1
Sukta 10.68
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati / Angiras-tradition
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
उदप्रुतो न वयो रक्षमाणा वावदतो अभ्रियस्येव घोषाः । गिरिभ्रजो नोर्मयो मदन्तो बृहस्पतिमभ्यर्का अनावन् ॥
udaprúto na váyo rákṣamāṇā vāvádataḥ abhriyásyeva ghóṣāḥ | giribhrájo nórmayo mádanto bṛ́haspátim abhyàrká anāvan ||
Seperti burung-burung yang bangkit dari perairan, menjaga nafas-hidupnya sendiri, seruan-seruan itu bergema seperti suara awan. Seperti ombak yang berkilat di lereng gunung, bersukaria, madah-madah itu meluru menuju Brihaspati.
Word by Word
- उदप्रुतः
- rising up (like floating ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot उद-प्रुत (प्रु/प्लु- ‘to float, swim’ > प्रुत ‘floating, rising’)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableनिपातRoot न
- वयः
- birdsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वयस्
- रक्ष्यमाणाः
- being protected/guardedVerb-derived adjective (participle)वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्/यमान), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot रक्ष्
- वावदतः
- crying out, soundingVerb (participle)वर्तमानकाले परस्मैपदी कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वद् (वावद् = तीव्र/आवृत्त-प्रयोगः)
- अभ्रियस्य
- of the cloud (cloudy one)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot अभ्रिय
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot इव
- घोषाः
- sounds, clamoursNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot घोष
- गिरिभ्रजः
- mountain-flashes / mountain-bright onesNoun (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गिरि-भ्रज
- नः
- of us/ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- ऊर्मयः
- wavesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot ऊर्मि
- मदन्तः
- rejoicing, exultingVerb (participle)वर्तमानकाले परस्मैपदी कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मद्
- बृहस्पतिम्
- BṛhaspatiNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot बृहस्पति
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि
- अर्काः
- hymns, praisesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अर्क
- अनावन्
- praised/raised (their cry)Verbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट) इन्जङ्क्टिव/अग्म-रूप, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot नु/नव् (Vedic: ‘to praise, to shout/cry’; aorist injunctive)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): उदप्रुतः | न | वयः | रक्ष्यमाणाः | वावदतः | अभ्रियस्य | इव | घोषाः | गिरिभ्रजः | नः | ऊर्मयः | मदन्तः | बृहस्पतिम् | अभि | अर्काः | अनावन् । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) अभ्रियस्येव → अभ्रियस्य + इव (स्वर-सन्धि/यणादेशः न, केवलं संहितायां संयोगः)
- (2) नोर्मयः → नः + ऊर्मयः (विसर्गस्य ‘ओ’-आदेशः: नः + ऊ… → नो… )
- (3) अभ्यर्काः → अभि + अर्काः (इ + अ → य्: अभ्यर्काः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The hymns rise like birds from the waters, their cries like thundercloud sounds; like waves flashing on mountain slopes, exulting, they surge toward Brihaspati.
Inner meaning
The mantra describes the birth and ascent of inspired utterance. From the subconscient waters (udaprutaḥ) the life-breaths/energies (vayaḥ) rise guarded and gathered; the sound of awakening becomes like cloud-thunder—charged with rain of illumination. The hymns (arkāḥ) are waves of delight and force, flashing against the ‘mountain’ of obstruction and height, and they surge toward Bṛhaspati, lord of the Word—seeking the power that reveals, orders, and breaks open the cave. It is the psychology of mantra itself: sound becoming a vehicle of ascent and revelation.
Universal truth
True speech is not manufactured; it rises from depth when life-force is protected and purified. Inspired sound gathers power, becomes a wave of transformation, and moves toward the principle of Truth-Word that can reshape consciousness.
Themes
hymns as waves and rays, invocation of Brihaspati, awakening of speech-power
The seer
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati (Angiras-tradition)
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 10.68.1-3, RV 4.50, RV 2.23
Family tradition
Angiras poets: masters of the ‘arkāḥ’ that surge like waves to break the cave and bring out the hidden lights.
Significance
This verse is a self-description of the mantric process: the seer’s speech rising from depth, gathering force, and approaching the Truth-Word principle for effective revelation.
The deity
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Epithets
- Brahmaṇaspati (closely allied), Kavi (seer-poet, implied), Vācaspati (lord of speech, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sarasvatī (as speech/flow)
Cosmic role
Formative intelligence of the cosmos; the power that gives right name and law, opens the hidden, and leads the march of the sacrifice.
Inner power
Revelatory speech-force: discrimination, right formulation, and the capacity to pierce obstruction through the mantra.
In ritual
Where it is used
Recitation in Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati contexts—invoking effective speech, priestly power, and opening of the hidden (often connected with discovery motifs).
उ॒द॒प्रुतो॒ न वयो॒ रक्ष॑माणा॒ वाव॑दतो अ॒भ्रिय॑स्येव॒ घोषा॑: । गि॒रि॒भ्रजो॒ नोर्मयो॒ मद॑न्तो॒ बृह॒स्पति॑म॒भ्य१॒॑र्का अ॑नावन् ॥
उ॒द॒ऽप्रुतः॑ । न । वयः॑ । रक्ष॑माणाः । वाव॑दतः । अ॒भ्रिय॑स्यऽइव । घोषाः॑ । गि॒रि॒ऽभ्रजः॑ । न । ऊ॒र्मयः॑ । मद॑न्तः । बृहस्पति॑म् । अ॒भि । अ॒र्काः । अ॒ना॒व॒न् ॥
uda-prutaḥ | na | vayaḥ | rakṣamāṇāḥ | vāvadataḥ | abhriyasya-iva | ghoṣāḥ | giri-bhrajaḥ | na | ūrmayaḥ | madantaḥ | bṛhaspatim | abhi | arkāḥ | anāvan
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Rolling, wave-like propulsion with bright flashes—well-suited to the imagery of ūrmayaḥ (waves).
Induces uplift from depth to height; evokes a felt ‘surge’ of mantra-energy and inspired resonance.
- उदप्रुतः (udaprutaḥ)
- Literal: risen up from the waters. Symbolic: emergence of consciousness from subconscient depths
- वयः (vayaḥ)
- Literal: birds; also life-breath/vigor. Symbolic: vital energies and prāṇa-powers lifting upward
- रक्षमाणाः (rakṣamāṇāḥ)
- Literal: guarding. Symbolic: protecting the inner life-force from dispersion/attack
- अभ्रियस्येव घोषाः (abhriyasyeva ghoṣāḥ)
- Literal: sounds like those of the cloud. Symbolic: mantric resonance laden with ‘rain’ of illumination
- ऊर्मयः (ūrmayaḥ)
- Literal: waves. Symbolic: surges of inspired consciousness
- गिरिभ्रजः (giribhrajaḥ)
- Literal: flashing on mountains. Symbolic: illumination striking the fixed formations/obstructions
- अर्काः (arkāḥ)
- Literal: hymns, songs of praise. Symbolic: formed mantra-waves carrying revelation
- बृहस्पतिम् (bṛhaspatim)
- Literal: Bṛhaspati. Symbolic: lord of the Word; power of true formulation and opening
Opening of RV 10.68: a poetic ‘arousal’ of hymnic energies; used to initiate the Brihaspati-vala cycle—setting the sonic and luminous imagery of mantra that breaks concealment.
At moments emphasizing the potency of hymn and invocation; also in scholarly/priestly settings for strengthening mantra-śakti.
Chant as an offering of sound—treating the hymn itself as the oblation moving toward Bṛhaspati.
Before study, teaching, writing, or mantra-japa: invoke the rise of inspired speech from depth; use as a ‘voice-opening’ meditation.
udaprutá ‘springing up’ (ud- + √plu/√pru ‘leap/float’). √vad ‘speak/sound’ (PIE *wed- ‘speak’). bhraj ‘shine/flash’ (PIE *bʰreg- ‘shine, white’ proposed). ūrmi ‘wave’ (water-energy image). arka ‘ray/hymn’ bridges light and speech: hymn as luminous force.
emergence from subconscient (waters), mantra as luminous vibration (arka), māda as spiritual exhilaration
The waves of hymn move toward the principle that establishes ṛta through right naming and right law.
Inspired speech is ‘true’ when it carries the force of being, not mere sound.
Word as creative power; emergence from waters echoes cosmogonic motifs of consciousness arising from the undifferentiated.
Mantra-vidyā orientation; integral yoga emphasis on Vāc as a transformative force.
Waters = subconscient/causal depth; birds = rising prāṇas and thoughts; cloud-sound = charged mantra; waves = surging inspiration; mountain = fixed resistance and also ascent to higher mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The hymns themselves become the mythic agents—waves, birds, cloud-cries—rushing toward Brihaspati. This prefaces the Vala-opening myth: before the rock is split, the mantric forces gather and surge.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vad ‘speak’ corresponds to PIE *wed- (cf. Latin vates ‘seer’ is related in poetic register; English ‘word’ from *werdʰ- is different). The metaphorical identity of ‘ray’ and ‘hymn’ (arka) reflects an inherited IE poetics where speech is light (cf. Greek kleos ‘fame’ as ‘heard brightness’ in some poetic theories).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi does not merely address Brihaspati; he releases arka as a living surge. The devatā is approached by an intensification of sound and light within the practitioner, suggesting mantra is the bridge by which Brihaspati becomes present and operative.
Hear the mantra as a wave rising from the navel/depth to the throat and brow; let speech become luminous and true.
Viśuddha (speech) supported by Manipura (rise from waters) and Ajna (illumined formulation).
Slow ujjāyī or elongated exhale while chanting each pāda; feel ‘wave’ on exhale, ‘uplift’ on inhale.
Inspired, receptive, upward-moving.
Sit quietly; sense a deep inner ‘water’ of silence; chant and feel the sound emerge as birds rising; let the final pāda be an offering of your speech to Bṛhaspati for right expression and revelation.
Triṣṭubh with flowing contour; keep svarita transitions smooth to match wave imagery (exact accent mapping depends on śākhā).
Sustain a gentle rise through pāda 1–2; slightly brighten on imagery words (udaprutaḥ, ghoṣāḥ, ūrmayaḥ); settle into offering-tone on ‘bṛhaspatim’.
udaprutaḥ: articulate d-a clearly; avoid merging into ‘udprutaḥ’ too heavily, rakṣamāṇāḥ: retroflex ṣ; long āṇāḥ, abhriyasyeva: split as a-bhri-ya-sya-i-va, giribhrajaḥ: clear bhra cluster, anāvan: long ā in final word
sonorous, slightly rolling; let the sound ‘wave’ rather than strike.
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