Rig Veda 10.98.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 98, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.98
- Rishi
- Devāpi Ārṣṭiṣeṇa
- Devata
- The divine messenger as mediating power—functionally Agni/inner Word-force
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
आ देवो दूतो अजिरश्चिकित्वान्त्वद्देवापे अभि मामगच्छत् । प्रतीचीनः प्रति मामा ववृत्स्व दधामि ते द्युमतीं वाचमासन् ॥
ā devó dūtó ajiráś cikitvā́n tvád devāpe abhí mām agacchat | pratīcīnáḥ práti mām ā vavṛtsva dádhāmi te dyumátīṃ vā́cam āsán ||
Biarlah utusan ilahi, yang tangkas dan arif, datang kepadaku daripada pihakmu, wahai Devāpi. Berpalinglah kembali ke arahku, menghadap aku; aku menegakkan untukmu sabda yang bercahaya, yang bersemayam di dalam—agar upacara batin dipimpin dengan benar.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- दे॒वः
- the godNounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot देव (prātipadika)
- दू॒तः
- messengerNounmasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to देवः)Root दूत (prātipadika)
- अ॑जि॒रः
- swiftAdjectivemasculine, nominative singular (agreeing with देवः/दूतः)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root अजिर (prātipadika)
- चि॑कि॒त्वान्
- wise, discerningAdjectivemasculine, nominative singular (agreeing with देवः/दूतः)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root चिकित्वस्/चिकित्वन् (prātipadika; from √चित्/√चेत् ‘to perceive, know’)
- त्वत्
- from youPronounablative singularRole ApādānaRoot त्वद् (pronoun-stem)
- दे॑वापे
- O DevāpiNoun (proper name/epithet)vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot देवापि (prātipadika; vocative of a proper name/epithet)
- अ॒भि
- towards, untoIndeclinableupasarga/prepositionRoot अभि (upasarga)
- माम्
- mePronounaccusative singularRole KarmaRoot अहम् (pronoun)
- अगच्छत्
- cameVerbimperfect (laṅ), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √गम् (गच्छति)
- प्र॒ती॒ची॒नः
- turned towards (me), facing this wayAdjectivemasculine, nominative singular (predicative/qualifying the addressed one)Role Kartā (qualifier in injunction)Root प्रतीचीन (prātipadika)
- प्रति
- towardsIndeclinableprepositionRoot प्रति (upasarga/indeclinable)
- माम्
- mePronounaccusative singularRole KarmaRoot अहम् (pronoun)
- आ
- hither, untoIndeclinableupasarga (with √वृत्)Root आ (upasarga)
- ववृत्स्व
- turn (yourself), direct (yourself)Verbimperative, 2nd person singular, middle (ātmanepada); Vedic formRoot √वृत् (वर्तते/वर्तयति; here ‘turn, direct oneself’)
- दधा॑मि
- I place, I bestowVerbpresent indicative, 1st person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √धा (दधाति)
- ते
- to youPronoundative singularRole SampradānaRoot त्वद् (pronoun)
- द्यु॒मतीम्
- bright, radiantAdjectivefeminine, accusative singular (agreeing with वाचम्)Role Karma (qualifier)Root द्युमत् (prātipadika)
- वाचम्
- speech, utteranceNounfeminine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वाच् (prātipadika)
- आ॒सन्
- they wereVerbimperfect (laṅ), 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot √अस् (to be)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: त्वद्देवापे → त्वत् + देवापे (final -d of त्वद् becomes -t before voiced d-; written as त्वत्)
- मामा → माम् + आ (anusvāra/म् before vowel; often written together in Saṃhitā)
- प्रति मामा → प्रति + माम् + आ (same)
- ववृत्स्व is a Vedic imperative middle 2sg of √वृत् with enclitic -स्व
The meaning
Outer meaning
May the divine messenger, swift and wise, come to me from you, O Devāpi. Turn back toward me; I set for you a radiant speech here.
Inner meaning
The ‘divine messenger’ is the mediating force between higher inspiration and the human instrument—Agni as inner envoy, or the awakened Word-force itself. Devāpi represents the higher call/authority in the hymn’s frame; the seeker asks that the messenger return facing him (pratīcīnaḥ), i.e., that the power turn inward and become directly present. The seer establishes dyumatī vāc—luminous speech seated within—so the inner sacrifice is guided by clarified expression and right direction.
Universal truth
Transformation requires a mediator: when the swift discerning force of inspiration turns inward and speech becomes luminous, guidance arrives and the path becomes practicable.
Themes
invocation of messenger, establishing luminous speech, inner orientation (pratīcīna), preparatory consecration
The seer
- Rishi
- Devāpi Ārṣṭiṣeṇa
- Lineage
- Ārṣṭiṣeṇa
- Other hymns
- RV 10.98.1-12
Family tradition
Narrative-hymn seer figure; the hymn dramatizes communication between human need and divine response via messenger/word.
Significance
Devāpi here is both character and seer-function: the call to restore connection. The mantra emphasizes the inward turn (pratīcīna) as the key to receiving divine message.
The deity
- Devata
- Deva-dūta (divine messenger; functionally Agni / Vāc-force)
- Epithets
- ajira (swift), cikitvān (discerning)
- Related deities
- Agni, Bṛhaspati, Sarasvatī/Vāc, Indra (as receiver of the message in many contexts)
Cosmic role
Carrier of offerings and messages; establishes contact between human speech and divine hearing; brings response from the higher planes.
Inner power
Awakened will and inspired word that translates higher intention into actionable guidance within the mind and nerves.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation for effective mediation/communication in a rite; summoning Agni as messenger; establishing vāc
आ दे॒वो दू॒तो अ॑जि॒रश्चि॑कि॒त्वान्त्वद्दे॑वापे अ॒भि माम॑गच्छत् । प्र॒ती॒ची॒नः प्रति॒ मामा व॑वृत्स्व॒ दधा॑मि ते द्यु॒मतीं॒ वाच॑मा॒सन् ॥
आ । दे॒वः । दू॒तः । अ॒जि॒रः । चि॒कि॒त्वान् । त्वत् । दे॒व॒ऽआ॒पे॒ । अ॒भि । माम् । अ॒ग॒च्छ॒त् । प्र॒ती॒ची॒नः । प्रति॑ । माम् । आ । व॒वृ॒त्स्व॒ । दधा॑मि । ते॒ । द्यु॒ऽमती॑म् । वाच॑म् । आ॒सन् ॥
ā | devaḥ | dūtaḥ | ajiraḥ | cikitvān | tvat | deva-āpe | abhi | mām | agacchat | pratīcīnaḥ | prati | mām | ā | vavṛtsva | dadhāmi | te | dyu-matīm | vācam | āsan
44
4 x ~11
Quickened opening (messenger imagery) followed by a stabilizing closure (establishing speech).
First half energizes and summons; second half settles into clarity and inner poise.
- देवो दूतः (devo dūtaḥ)
- Literal: divine messenger. Symbolic: inner mediator—Agni/Word-force carrying between higher and lower consciousness
- अजिरः (ajiraḥ)
- Literal: swift. Symbolic: rapid movement of insight and responsive will
- चिकित्वान् (cikitvān)
- Literal: discerning, intelligent. Symbolic: faculty of true discrimination (viveka-like) in action
- प्रतीचीनः (pratīcīnaḥ)
- Literal: turned toward the west/inward, facing back. Symbolic: inward-turning of consciousness; return from dispersion to the inner altar
- द्युमतीं वाचम् (dyumatīṃ vācam)
- Literal: luminous speech. Symbolic: mantric speech charged with light—thought-word aligned with truth
- आसन् (āsan)
- Literal: sitting, seated. Symbolic: speech established as a stable presence within (not fleeting talk)
Hotṛ/adhvaryu coordination motif: summoning the ‘messenger’ to carry offerings/intent; inwardly, establishing the right channel of inspired speech before invoking rain/boons
At points requiring ‘sending’ and ‘receiving’—inviting deities, beginning a formal recitation, or restoring connection after obstruction.
Call the messenger; turn the power inward; establish luminous speech.
Before important communication, teaching, chanting, or therapy: invoke inner clarity and the swift discerning guidance that ‘comes from the higher’.
dūta from √du ‘to go’ (agent of going) = that which carries between realms. ajira ‘swift’ (a- + jira, ‘aging/slow’ negated or ‘quick-moving’ tradition). cikitvān from reduplicated perfect participle of √cit ‘perceive/know’. dyu-mat ‘possessing dyu’ (dyu = sky/light; PIE *dyeu- ‘sky, shine’). vavṛtsva from √vṛt ‘turn, return’ (middle imperative), indicating inward reorientation.
Vāc (creative speech), niyama/alignment (turning back to the right orientation), mediation between planes (human ↔ divine)
Messenger restores right linkage in ṛta between planes (human/divine).
Dyumatī vāc is speech aligned with satya—truth that illuminates and acts.
Manifestation through Word: luminous speech ‘seated’ becomes a creative instrument.
Mantra-śakti psychology: vāc as power that mediates and forms experience.
twilight (pratīcīna ‘westward’ suggests turning at the edge; symbolically inward at transition)
Fire/light = awakened will and insight; twilight-turning = reversal from outward dispersion to inward concentration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic pattern is the sending/arrival of a divine envoy who bridges worlds. Inner reading: the awakening of a swift, knowing mediating force (Agni/Vāc-function) that reconnects the human field to the seer’s channel and to the gods.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu- in dyumátīṃ continues PIE *dyeu- ‘sky, daylight’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iuppiter via *dyeu-pəter). √cit ‘know’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan cit-) within a wider IE cognition lexicon.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acts as organizer of the inner rite: he requests the mediating power to come ‘from’ Devāpi and ‘turn toward’ him, then offers a stabilized luminous speech as the seat for divine action—an exchange of receptivity and formed expression.
Invite the inner messenger to bring guidance from the higher mind; establish luminous speech as quiet inner articulation rather than outer chatter.
vishuddha
Inhale imagining a swift flame rising; exhale softly with an inner ‘hum’ to seat vāc in the throat/heart axis.
Alert receptivity; inward-facing attention (pratyāhāra-like).
On ‘devo dūto’, feel a bright envoy descending into the heart; on ‘pratīcīnaḥ’, turn awareness inward; on ‘dyumatīṃ vācam’, let a clear phrase of guidance arise and rest silently within.
Follow RV tonal accents; keep the opening energetic while preserving precise udātta/svarita transitions on key words (dūta, ajira, cikitvān, pratīcīna).
Make a clear rhetorical turn at ‘pratīcīnaḥ’; slightly slow on ‘dyumatīṃ vācam’ to ‘seat’ the phrase.
(dūtaḥ): long ū; light visarga, (ajiraḥ): soft ‘j’, not ‘z’, (cikitvān): keep ‘tvān’ nasalized lightly at end, (pratīcīnaḥ): long ī; ‘cī’ palatal; visarga light, (dyumatīṃ): ‘dyu’ as ‘d-yu’ glide; long īṃ with nasalization
bright and focused at start, then steady and inward on the closing pāda.
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