Rig Veda 10.71.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 71, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.71
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati
- Devata
- Vāc
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Karuna (compassion)
उत त्वं सख्ये स्थिरपीतमाहुर्नैनं हिन्वन्त्यपि वाजिनेषु । अधेन्वा चरति माययैष वाचं शुश्रुवाँ अफलामपुष्पाम् ॥
utá tváṃ sakhyé sthirápītam āhur náinaṃ hinvanty ápi vā́jineṣu | adhénvā carati māyáyā eṣá vā́caṃ śuśruvā́ṃ aphálām ā́puṣpām ||
Dan engkau—teguh berdiri dalam persahabatan sejati, kata mereka—tiada siapa dapat menggerakkanmu, bahkan di kalangan yang perkasa. Tetapi yang ini berjalan dalam māyā (tipu-daya): dia telah mendengar Sabda, namun ia tidak berbuah, tidak berbunga.
Word by Word
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableनिपात (समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ)Root उत (निपात)
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद्
- सख्ये
- in friendshipNounनपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सख्य (सखि-भाव)
- स्थिर
- steadfastAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वाजिनेः विशेषणम्)Root स्थिर
- पीतम्
- drunk; imbibedParticiple (Adjective) / Kṛdantaनपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन (आहुः इति वाक्ये कर्मरूपेण/विशेषणरूपेण)Role KarmaRoot पा (पिबति) → पीत (कृदन्त)
- आहुः
- they have said; they callVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot अह् (ब्रू-अर्थे) / आह (परस्मै)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध-निपातRoot न (निषेध)
- एनम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot एतद् (एनद्-प्रयोगः)
- हिन्वन्ति
- they impel; they set in motionVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot हिन्व्
- अपि
- even; alsoIndeclinableसम्भावना/समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थRoot अपि (निपात)
- वाजिनेṣu
- among the prize-winners/strong ones (vājins)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वाजिन्
- अधेन्वा
- with a barren cow; by a non-milch cowNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अधेनु
- चरति
- he goes about; he wandersVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot चर्
- मायया
- by illusion; by artificeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot माया
- एष
- this (man)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot एतद्
- वाचम्
- speechNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वाच्
- शुश्रुवान्
- having heardParticiple (Perfect active) / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (एष इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot श्रु → शुश्रुवस् (परफेक्ट कृदन्त)
- अफलाम्
- fruitlessAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वाचम् इति विशेषणम्)Root अ-फल (नञ्-समास)
- अपुष्पाम्
- flowerlessAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वाचम् इति विशेषणम्)Root अ-पुष्प (नञ्-समास)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): उत त्वं सख्ये स्थिर पीतम् आहुः । न एनम् हिन्वन्ति अपि वाजिनेṣu । अधेन्वा चरति मायया एषः वाचम् शुश्रुवान् अफलाम् अपुष्पाम् ॥ Key sandhis: (1) त्वं सख्ये (no change)
- (2) स्थिरपीतमाहुः → स्थिर + पीतम् + आहुः (final -r + p- kept; m of पीतम् before vowel in आहुः drops in saṃhitā)
- (3) नैनम् → न + एनम् (a+i → ai)
- (4) हिन्वन्त्यपि → हिन्वन्ति + अपि (i + a → ya in saṃhitā)
- (5) एष वाचम् (no change; often written एषः before consonant, visarga may be unmarked in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You are said to be firmly established in friendship; no one can drive you on, even among the strong. But this person moves by illusion: he has heard the Word, yet it is fruitless, flowerless.
Inner meaning
True speech is founded on sakhya—right companionship with the truth and with those who live it (inner and outer). Such speech cannot be coerced by force, ambition, or mere ‘strength’ (vājinaḥ): revelation is not produced by pressure. The deluded hearer may collect words and doctrines, but because consciousness is mixed with māyā (self-deception, ego-aim), the Word does not blossom into realization (puṣpa) nor bear the fruit (phala) of transformed life.
Universal truth
Authentic knowledge is not manufactured by will-power or social force; it ripens through truthful relationship, integrity, and inner clarity. Hearing without assimilation yields no transformation.
Themes
false hearing, illusion vs realization, criteria of true mantra
The seer
- Rishi
- Bṛhaspati
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.71.4, Rig Veda 10.71.6, Rig Veda 10.71.7, Rig Veda 10.71.8
Family tradition
Lineage of the ‘lord of brahman’: guardianship of right utterance, right counsel, and the opening of hidden meaning.
Significance
The seer distinguishes between speech rooted in sakhya (truthful communion) and speech heard under māyā (mere verbalism).
The deity
- Devata
- Vāc
- Epithets
- Sakhī (implicit companion), Satya-vāc (truth-speech, implied)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati, Mitra (friendship), Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Maintains the bond between seer-community and ṛta; grants effective mantra only where there is harmony and sincerity.
Inner power
Power to make knowledge effective (kriyā-śakti of truth): turning hearing into blossoming insight and fruiting action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Didactic: warns against mere audition and rhetorical skill; emphasizes stability (sthira) as criterion for effective mantra.
उ॒त त्वं॑ स॒ख्ये स्थि॒रपी॑तमाहु॒र्नैनं॑ हिन्व॒न्त्यपि॒ वाजि॑नेषु । अधे॑न्वा चरति मा॒ययै॒ष वाचं॑ शुश्रु॒वाँ अ॑फ॒लाम॑पु॒ष्पाम् ॥
उ॒त । त्व॒म् । स॒ख्ये । स्थि॒रऽपी॑तम् । आहुः॑ । न । ए॒न॒म् । हि॒न्व॒न्ति॒ । अपि॑ । वाजि॑नेषु । अधे॑न्वा । च॒र॒ति॒ । मा॒यया॑ । ए॒षः । वाच॑म् । शु॒श्रु॒ऽवान् । अ॒फ॒लाम् । आ॒पु॒ष्पाम् ॥
uta | tvam | sakhye | sthira-pītam | āhuḥ | na | enam | hinvanti | api | vājineṣu | adhenvā | carati | māyayā | eṣaḥ | vācam | śuśru-vān | aphalām | āpuṣpām
44
4×11
Disciplined and admonitory; balanced contrasts between stability and delusion.
Encourages steadiness and ethical clarity; the rhythm supports self-examination about motives in speech and learning.
- sakhye
- Literal: in friendship/companionship. Symbolic: truthful alliance with the inner guide and with sādhaka-community; harmony with ṛta
- sthirapītam
- Literal: firmly fixed/established. Symbolic: stable foundation of speech in truth-consciousness
- vājineṣu
- Literal: among the strong/energetic. Symbolic: forces of ambition, vital power, intellectual prowess
- hinvanti
- Literal: drive on, impel. Symbolic: coercion, forcing realization by ego-effort
- māyayā
- Literal: by illusion. Symbolic: ego-misconstruction; surface mind substituting for inner truth
- aphalām apuṣpām
- Literal: fruitless, flowerless. Symbolic: no fruition in experience (phala) and no blossoming of insight/beauty (puṣpa)
Didactic: warns against mere audition and rhetorical skill; emphasizes stability (sthira) as criterion for effective mantra.
Instructional recitation in contexts emphasizing brahman/discipline of speech; suitable before study or teaching.
Recite, then observe silence to test whether ‘hearing’ is becoming ‘flowering’.
Use as a diagnostic mantra for practitioners: is my chanting bearing fruit (peace, clarity, truthfulness) or remaining merely verbal?
vājín- from vā́ja ‘strength, prize, plenitude’ (root sense: vigor/fullness); here indicates a field of forces where true steadiness is tested. māyā́ from √mā ‘measure, form’ → ‘formative power’; in this hymn, the negative sense ‘deceptive formation’ that imitates truth. aphála-/ā́puṣpa- are privatives: lack of fruition and lack of flowering—key psychological diagnostics.
māyā as deceptive formation, fruit/blossom as signs of realization, steadfastness in sakhya (right alliance)
Sakhya indicates alignment with ṛta; māyā indicates deviation that makes speech ineffective.
Satya-vāc is stable and cannot be ‘driven’ by ego; it acts by its own truth-force.
Manifestation through true word requires purity of channel; otherwise the word remains sterile.
Early psychology of knowledge-action (jñāna → kriyā) consonant with later Yoga/Vedānta.
Flower = opening of insight and beauty of understanding; fruit = mature realization expressed as transformed conduct and effective action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The contrast-myth of ‘true companion of Vāc’ vs. ‘illusion-driven hearer’: one is immovable and self-founded; the other carries a barren imitation of the Word—heard but not embodied—therefore fruitless.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The productivity metaphor (fruit/blossom) is cross-IE for realization/benefit. vā́ja as force/prize participates in an archaic heroic lexicon (contest and plenitude) found widely in IE poetics, here internalized as spiritual force.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Vāc as efficacious only when allied with steadfast inner friendship; otherwise māyā produces a simulacrum. Devatā’s gift is not ‘heard sound’ but transformative fruition in the being.
Examine motive and inner alignment before speaking/chanting: ‘Is my speech rooted in sakhya with truth?’
Viśuddha (purification of expression)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to stabilize; chant on exhale, then rest in quiet hearing.
Sattvic steadiness; reduction of rajasic forcing and tamasic dullness.
After chanting, write one concrete ‘fruit’ to embody today (truthful act, clarified intention). If none arises, simplify practice and deepen sincerity.
Maintain clear udātta on emphatic contrasts (sthirapītam / māyayā; aphalām / apuṣpām).
Mark the turn at ‘adhenvā carati’ with a slight pause; let the final pāda fall as a verdict—clean, not harsh.
‘sthirapītam’ articulate cluster sth- clearly., ‘vājineṣu’ long ā and retroflex ṣ., ‘māyayā’ keep both ā’s long., ‘apuṣpām’ pronounce ṣp cluster distinctly (not ‘aspam’).
Firm, ethical, instructional tone; avoid aggression—let clarity do the work.
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