Rig Veda 10.68.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 68, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.68
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati / Angiras-tradition
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
साध्वर्या अतिथिनीरिषिरा स्पार्हाः सुवर्णा अनवद्यरूपाः । बृहस्पतिः पर्वतेभ्यो वितूर्या निर्गा ऊपे यवमिव स्थिविभ्यः ॥
sādhv-aryā́ atithínīr iṣirā́ spārhā́ḥ suvarṇā́ anavadyá-rūpāḥ | bṛ́haspátiḥ párvatebhyo vitū́rya nírgā ūpe yávam iva sthivíbhyāḥ ||
Yang mulia—tetamu perjalanan—pantas dan diidamkan, keemasan, berwajah tanpa cela: Bṛhaspati, membelah gunung-gunung, mengeluarkan lembu-lembu; seperti bijirin ditampi, terlerai daripada sekamnya.
Word by Word
- साध्व॒र्याः
- the well-performing (women/ones)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot साध्वरी (प्रातिपदिक; साधु + वरि/वर्या-)
- अतिथिनीः
- guest-women / hostessesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अतिथिनी (प्रातिपदिक; अतिथि- + -नी)
- इषिराः
- swift, vigorousAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot इषिर (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्पार्हाः
- desirable, lovelyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot स्पार्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवर्णाः
- golden, of good colorAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनवद्यरूपाः
- of blameless formAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अनवद्यरूप (प्रातिपदिक; अनवद्य + रूप)
- बृहस्पतिः
- BṛhaspatiNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- पर्वतेभ्यः
- from the mountainsNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी बहुवचनRole ApādānaRoot पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
- वितूर्या
- having crossed over / breaking throughVerbal adjective (gerundive/absolutive-like kṛdanta used adverbially)अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (अव्ययवत्), अर्थः ‘अतिक्रम्य/विलङ्घ्य’Role KaraṇaRoot वि + तॄ (धातु; तॄ = तरणे/अतिक्रमे) → वितूर्य (कृदन्त)
- निर्गाः
- the cows (out-going/released)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot निर् + गा (धातु; गा = गत्यर्थे) → निर्ग (कृदन्त/नाम)
- ऊपे
- has approached / came nearVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot उप + इ (धातु; इ = गत्यर्थे) → उपे (लिट्/परस्मैपद; वैदिक रूप)
- यवम्
- barleyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole Upamāna (for comparison)Root यव (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableअव्ययRole Sambandha (upamā-vācaka)Root इव
- स्थिविभ्यः
- from the thick/solid (masses), from the clodsNounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वैदिक), पञ्चमी बहुवचनRole ApādānaRoot स्थिवि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्थिवि’ = स्थूल/घन/स्थूलकण-सम्बद्ध)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्य): साध्वर्याः | अतिथिनीः | इषिराः | स्पार्हाः | सुवर्णाः | अनवद्यरूपाः || बृहस्पतिः | पर्वतेभ्यः | वितूर्या | निर्गाः | ऊपे | यवम् | इव | स्थिविभ्यः || प्रमुख-सन्धि: (1) अनवद्य + रूपाः → अनवद्यरूपाः (समास/सन्धि). (2) निर्गाः: निर्-उपसर्ग + गा-सम्बद्ध नाम/कृदन्त
- पदपाठे ‘निः गाः’ प्रकारोऽपि सम्भवः. (3) वितूर्या: वि-उपसर्ग + तॄ-धातोः कृदन्त-रूपम्, पदपाठे ‘वि तूर्या’ इति विभज्यते.
- केवलं पदसन्धि-सम्बन्धः
The meaning
Outer meaning
The noble, swift, desirable golden ones—faultless in form—Brihaspati, cleaving the mountains, brought the cows out, as grain is winnowed free from husks.
Inner meaning
The ‘noble ones’ are the illumining powers and inspirations that come as ‘guests’ to the journey—arrivals of grace in the sadhana: swift, desirable, golden, flawless. Bṛhaspati cleaves the mountains: he breaks the hard formations of ignorance and the fixed subconscient blocks. From that cleavage he brings out the cows—rays of knowledge long held in the cave. The comparison to winnowing grain from husk shows discrimination: true knowledge is separated from inert coverings, mixed motives, and obscuring forms. This is the decisive act of revelation: extraction of pure light from dense concealment.
Universal truth
Progress depends on a discriminating revelation that separates essence from covering. When the hard formations break, the hidden lights emerge, and what nourishes the soul is freed from what merely encloses it.
Themes
Vala myth (cows hidden in rock), illumination recovered, Brihaspati as opener, purification metaphor
The seer
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati (Angiras-tradition)
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 10.68.1-3, RV 4.50.4-6 (opening and release motifs), RV 2.24 (Bṛhaspati as opener of the cave theme)
Family tradition
Central Angiras mythos: Bṛhaspati/Angiras open the cave and release the cows (lights).
Significance
Encodes the inner method: through the Truth-Word, the seeker breaks fixed obscurity and recovers pure illuminations, discriminating essence from covering.
The deity
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Epithets
- Parvata-bhid (mountain-splitter, functional epithet), Go-vid (finder of the cows/lights, implied), Brahmaṇaspati (allied aspect of the Word)
- Related deities
- Indra (often executes the force), Sarasvatī (flow of inspiration), Agni (leader of inner sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Opener of hidden truth; liberator of light; establisher of right discernment in creation.
Inner power
Mantric revelation that pierces dense formations and separates truth from obscurity—discriminative illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Bṛhaspati/Angiras release-of-cows motif used in priestly contexts for success of mantra and for illumination; also prosperity symbolism (grain).
सा॒ध्व॒र्या अ॑ति॒थिनी॑रिषि॒रा स्पा॒र्हाः सु॒वर्णा॑ अनव॒द्यरू॑पाः । बृह॒स्पति॒: पर्व॑तेभ्यो वि॒तूर्या॒ निर्गा ऊ॑पे॒ यव॑मिव स्थि॒विभ्य॑: ॥
सा॒धु॒ऽअ॒र्याः । अ॒ति॒थिनीः॑ । इ॒षि॒राः । स्पा॒र्हाः । सु॒ऽवर्णाः॑ । अ॒न॒व॒द्यऽरू॑पाः । बृह॒स्पतिः॑ । पर्व॑तेभ्यः । वि॒ऽतूर्य॑ । निः । गाः । ऊ॒पे॒ । यव॑म्ऽइव । स्थि॒विऽभ्यः॑ ॥
sādhu-aryāḥ | atithinīḥ | iṣirāḥ | spārhāḥ | su-varṇāḥ | anavadya-rūpāḥ | bṛhaspatiḥ | parvatebhyaḥ | vi-tūrya | niḥ | gāḥ | ūpe | yavam-iva | sthivi-bhyaḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Bright and cutting in the middle (vitūrya), expansive in the descriptive opening; concluding simile gives a clean resolution.
Combines aspiration (toward golden guests) with a felt inner ‘cleaving’ and then relief/clarity as light emerges.
- अतिथिनीः (atithinīḥ)
- Literal: guests. Symbolic: arrivals of inspiration/grace visiting the seeker
- इषिराः (iṣirāḥ)
- Literal: swift, impetuous. Symbolic: quick-moving illuminations and effective energies
- सुवर्णाः (suvarṇāḥ)
- Literal: golden. Symbolic: luminous truths of higher consciousness
- अनवद्यरूपाः (anavadyarūpāḥ)
- Literal: faultless in form. Symbolic: pure formations of truth, not distorted by ego or ignorance
- पर्वतेभ्यः (parvatebhyaḥ)
- Literal: from the mountains. Symbolic: from hard fixed obstructions; dense formations of the subconscient
- वितूर्य (vitūrya)
- Literal: cleaving, splitting asunder. Symbolic: revelatory breakthrough; mantra-force that opens the closed
- गाः (gāḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge recovered
- यवम् (yavam)
- Literal: barley/grain. Symbolic: nourishing truth-substance, essence for growth
- स्थिविभ्यः (sthivibhyaḥ)
- Literal: from the husks/chaff (thick coverings). Symbolic: from inert coverings—tamasic sheaths, obscuring habits
Core Vala-cow recovery imagery: recited to invoke the breakthrough of concealed light/wealth; supports rites of illumination and ‘opening’ (bheda) through brahman.
During hymns emphasizing discovery of hidden wealth/light; in rites seeking clarity, prosperity, and right discrimination.
Recite with an offering of grains (yava) symbolically appropriate; mentally offer the ‘husks’ (coverings) to be removed.
Use for insight and discernment: separating what is essential from distractions; helpful during study, therapy, or major life transitions.
parvata ‘mountain’ symbolizes hard obstruction. gāḥ as rays/knowledges recovered from concealment is central to Vala myth. yáva ‘grain’ from √yu ‘to join’? (traditional: cereal term), here the ‘essence’ separated from coverings. sthivi ‘husk’ indicates outer sheath; inner reading: ignorance-covering. vitūrya indicates decisive breakthrough.
separation of essence from covering, recovery of hidden light, breakthrough of fixed formations
Winnowing is ṛta in action: the cosmos separates and orders; the inner being must do the same.
Anavadyarūpāḥ: truth-forms without distortion—illumination that is clean and exact.
Hidden light within matter/obscurity released by the Word; nourishment (grain) freed for growth—creation as progressive unveiling.
Aurobindonian symbolism of evolution: consciousness emerges from inconscience by the action of the Word and illumination.
dawn-like (implied by ‘golden’ and arrival imagery)
harvest (implied by winnowing grain)
Mountains = rigid formations; cows = rays of knowledge; grain = essence that nourishes growth; husks = inert coverings; golden guests = arriving illuminations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Brihaspati cleaves the mountains and brings out the cows: the Vala myth in explicit form. Innerly, the ‘mountain’ is the hardened subconscient/ignorance-formation; the ‘cows’ are rays of knowledge. The grain-from-husk simile states the psychological method: extract luminous essence from inert coverings.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘cow as light’ metaphor is pan-Indo-European poetic (cf. Greek βοῦς in some dawn/light contexts is rarer, but the ‘herd of the sun’ motif is widespread). The root √tṝ/√tūr ‘cross/overcome’ has IE parallels (PIE *terh₂ ‘cross over’; cf. Latin trans, English through).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi celebrates the devatā’s quintessential function—opening concealment—so that the same action may occur in the sacrificer’s being. Praise is not reportage; it is a call for repetition of the archetypal breakthrough as an inner event.
Discriminative illumination: identify the ‘husk’ (habit/false belief) and the ‘grain’ (truth/essence) in a situation; invoke Bṛhaspati to separate them.
Ajna (discernment) with support from Viśuddha (true formulation) and Muladhara (mountain of inertia to be transformed).
Slow meditative: inhale ‘golden guests’ (light entering), exhale ‘cleave the mountain’ (release tension); pause after exhale to feel cows/lights emerging.
Clear, luminous, purified; quiet joy after breakthrough.
Chant softly; visualize a mountain in the chest/belly region; on ‘vitūrya’ see it split; then see golden rays (cows) stream out; end by offering the ‘husks’ into a fire of clarity.
Triṣṭubh; emphasize descriptive adjectives in pāda 1, then sharpen articulation at ‘vitūrya’; resolve gently on the winnowing simile (yavam iva).
Let pāda 1 be luminous and expansive; pāda 2–3 more forceful; pāda 4 clear and settling, as if ‘separating’ sounds cleanly.
sādhvaryā: keep dhv cluster clear, atithinīḥ: long īḥ ending, suvarṇā: retroflex ṇ, anavadyarūpāḥ: articulate -vady- cleanly, vitūrya: long ū; avoid turning into ‘vituriya’, sthivibhyaḥ: cluster sth-; keep visarga at end audible
bright and precise; a ‘cut’ on vitūrya, then warm release on gāḥ ūpe.
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