Rig Veda 2.32.1: Mandala 2, Sukta 32, Mantra 1
Sukta 2.32
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Dyāvā-Pṛthivī
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अस्य मे द्यावापृथिवी ऋतायतो भूतमवित्री वचसः सिषासतः । ययोरायुः प्रतरं ते इदं पुर उपस्तुते वसूयुर्वां महो दधे ॥
asyá mé dyāvā-pṛthivī ṛtāyató bhūtám avitrī́ vácasaḥ sisāsatáḥ | yayór ā́yuḥ prá-taraṃ té idáṃ púra úpastute vasūyúrvāṃ mahó dadhé ||
Bagi ujaranku ini, moga Langit dan Bumi—yang bergerak menurut ṛta—menjadi pelindung, ingin meneguhkan sabda. Di hadapan keduanya, yang hayatnya lebih mendahului, aku letakkan pujian ini; mencari kelimpahan, pada kamu berdua aku temui keluasan yang agung.
Word by Word
- अस्य
- of this (man/poet); of himPronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्य
- मे
- to me; myPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (to me / of me)Root अहम् (सर्वनाम) → मे
- द्यावापृथिवी
- Heaven-and-Earth (the two)Noun (dual compound)स्त्रीलिङ्ग (समाहार), प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot द्यावा-पृथिवी (द्वन्द्व-समास; द्यौस् + पृथिवी)
- ऋताय॒तः
- of the one who strives for ṛta (cosmic order)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (qualifying genitive)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय) → ऋतायत्
- भूतम्
- become; having become; madeParticiple (past passive)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (with implied ‘made/placed’)Root भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त, क्त)
- अवित्री
- protectresses (two)Noun (agent)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to द्यावापृथिवी)Root अवि-तृ (प्रातिपदिक; from √अव ‘protect’ + तृ/तृन् agentive) → अवितृ
- वचसः
- of speech; of the hymnNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सिषासतः
- of the two who desire to teach/guideVerb-participleपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन (agreeing with ययोः)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive with ययोः)Root √शास् (to instruct/command) with desiderative सि-षास-; present participle
- ययोः
- of which two; of whom (two)Pronoun (relative)षष्ठी, द्विवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम) → ययोः
- आयुः
- life; lifetimeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of प्रतरम् as predicate/qualifier)Root आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रतरम्
- further; longer; more extendedAdjective/Adverb (comparative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with आयुः)Role विशेषणRoot प्रतर (comparative from प्र ‘forward’)
- ते
- of youPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot तद् (सर्वनाम) → ते
- इदम्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object of दधे)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- पुरः
- in front; beforeIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (locative sense: ‘in front’)Root पुरस् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) → पुरः
- उपस्तुते
- he praises; he worshipsVerbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद, 3rd person, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √स्तु (to praise) with उप-; middle present
- वसूयुः
- desiring wealthAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to implied ‘he’)Root वसु (wealth) + यु (desiderative/possessive adj. suffix) → वसूयु
- वाम्
- you twoPronounद्वितीया/षष्ठी, द्विवचन (enclitic)Role कर्म/सम्बन्ध (you two, as object/goal)Root युष्मद् (2nd pers. pronoun) → वाम्
- महो
- great (thing); greatnessNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Vedic: महो)Role कर्मRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक) → महः/महो (Vedic form)
- दधे
- he has placed; he has set (forth)Verbलिट् (perfect), आत्मनेपद, 3rd person, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √धा (to place/put) perfect middle
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: अस्य मे | द्यावापृथिवी | ऋतायतः | भूतम् | अवित्री | वचसः | सिषासतः || ययोः | आयुः | प्रतरम् | ते | इदम् | पुरः | उपस्तुते | वसूयुः | वाम् | महो | दधे । Notable: द्यावापृथिवी is a dvandva (dual deity pair)
- ऋताय॒तः is gen. sg. of the kṛdanta adjective ‘ṛtāyata-’
- सिषासतः is gen. du. participial form agreeing with ययोः
- महो is Vedic accusative singular of neuter महत्/महः used with दधे
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Heaven and Earth, moving in ṛta, protect and strengthen my utterance. Before them I place this praise; seeking riches, I find in you a great wideness.
Inner meaning
Dyāvā-Pṛthivī are the two foundational principles of consciousness: the luminous height (Heaven—mind/spirit) and the supporting breadth (Earth—embodied nature). When they move in ṛta, they become guardians of the word—protecting and increasing the mantric force. The seeker places aspiration ‘in front’ (puraḥ) of these two to align the whole being; then a ‘great wideness’ (maho) is discovered—expansion of consciousness where life (āyuḥ) can move forward (prataraṃ) without contraction.
Universal truth
When higher vision and grounded embodiment are harmonized in truth-order, speech becomes empowered and life advances into wideness. Protection is alignment.
Themes
Cosmic foundations, Protection of speech, Vastness and plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.27 (Ādityas as guardians of ṛta), RV 2.28 (Varuṇa and truth-order)
Family tradition
Bhārgava emphasis on establishing ṛta in the whole system—linking word, life-force, and cosmic supports.
Significance
The seer begins by securing the ‘field’ of practice: harmonize above and below so the mantra can act without distortion and the consciousness can widen.
The deity
- Devata
- Dyāvā-Pṛthivī
- Epithets
- ṛtāyataḥ (moving in ṛta), avitrī (protecting pair), mahat (great/wide—implied by maho)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (ṛta), Mitra (harmony), Savitṛ (impulsion of movement)
Cosmic role
Cosmic parents: the twofold foundation of manifestation—height and breadth—sustaining all growth and order.
Inner power
Union of aspiration (heavenward) and stability (earthward) that protects the word and enables expansive consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Foundational invocation to the cosmic bases for protection of speech and rite; common as stabilizing address at openings of sequences.
अ॒स्य मे॑ द्यावापृथिवी ऋताय॒तो भू॒तम॑वि॒त्री वच॑स॒: सिषा॑सतः । ययो॒रायु॑: प्रत॒रं ते इ॒दं पु॒र उप॑स्तुते वसू॒युर्वां॑ म॒हो द॑धे ॥
अ॒स्य । मे॒ । द्या॒वा॒पृ॒थि॒वी॒ इति॑ । ऋ॒त॒ऽय॒तः । भू॒तम् । अ॒वि॒त्री इति॑ । वच॑सः । सिसा॑सतः । ययोः॑ । आयुः॑ । प्र॒ऽत॒रम् । ते॒ इति॑ । इ॒दम् । पु॒रः । उप॑स्तुते॒ इत्युप॑ऽस्तुते । व॒सु॒ऽयुः । वा॒ । म॒हः । द॒धे॒ ॥
asya | me | dyāvāpṛthivī iti | ṛta-yataḥ | bhūtam | avitrī iti | vacasaḥ | sisāsataḥ | yayoḥ | āyuḥ | pra-taram | teiti | idam | puraḥ | upastuteity upa-stute | vasu-yuḥ | vā | mahaḥ | dadhe
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Steady, expansive phrasing; supports the sense of wideness and protection.
Grounds and opens simultaneously—calm stability with an upward spaciousness.
- द्यावापृथिवी (dyāvāpṛthivī)
- Literal: Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: higher mind/spirit and embodied nature; the two poles to be harmonized
- ऋतायतः (ṛtāyataḥ)
- Literal: moving in ṛta. Symbolic: functioning in right order; truth-guided movement
- अवित्री (avitrī)
- Literal: protectors. Symbolic: guardians of the sadhana; stabilizing supports of consciousness
- वचसः (vacasaḥ)
- Literal: of the word. Symbolic: mantra/utterance as force of realization
- सिषासत: (siṣāsataḥ)
- Literal: desiring to strengthen/teach. Symbolic: powers that increase the efficacy of speech and understanding
- आयुः (āyuḥ)
- Literal: life, lifespan. Symbolic: forward life-force and continuity of growth
- प्रतरम् (prataraṃ)
- Literal: more forward, farther ahead. Symbolic: progressive movement of the being toward fulfillment
- पुरः (puraḥ)
- Literal: in front, before. Symbolic: placing aspiration at the forefront—prioritizing alignment
- उपस्तुते (upastute)
- Literal: in praise. Symbolic: active remembrance/adoration that opens wideness
- वसूयुः (vasūyuḥ)
- Literal: desiring riches. Symbolic: seeking plenitudes of consciousness, not mere possessions
- महो (maho)
- Literal: greatness, wideness. Symbolic: vastness of consciousness; spacious being
Foundational invocation to the cosmic bases for protection of speech and rite; common as stabilizing address at openings of sequences.
Invocations to Dyāvā-Pṛthivī in offerings seeking stability, protection, and right order for the rite and the speaker’s word.
Opening praise to secure auspicious support and wideness before proceeding.
Use at the start of meditation to align ‘above and below’: feel the crown open (heaven) and the body grounded (earth), then speak intention once with clarity.
ṛta from √ṛ ‘to go, fit, rise’ → ‘that which is rightly gone/ordered’. dyau- (PIE *dyew- ‘sky, shine’) and pṛthivī from pṛthu ‘broad’ (PIE *pl̥th₂u- ‘broad’). sisāsataḥ from desiderative of √sā/√śās? here ‘to strengthen/bring to success’ (contextually: to make vāc effective).
Ṛta as governing order, vāc (speech) as power needing protection, mah (wideness) as spiritual vastness
Explicit: Heaven and Earth are invoked as moving in ṛta, thereby empowering and guarding the word.
True utterance (vac) is strengthened when rooted in cosmic order rather than ego.
The two poles (dyau/pṛthivī) are primal supports of manifestation; wideness is a mark of right creation.
Vedic integralism: realization requires harmonizing transcendent and immanent supports in one field of practice.
Sky = higher mind/spiritual openness; Earth = embodied stability; horizon/wideness = expansion of awareness beyond constriction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Heaven and Earth as the two sustaining parents/grounds who protect the word and the rite. The mythic action is the establishment of praise ‘in front’ of them so that life (āyuḥ) may advance in ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyau- continues PIE *dyew- (sky/daylight deity complex). The pairing Heaven–Earth is a widespread IE cosmogonic dyad. pṛthivī from ‘broad’ parallels IE breadth epithets for earth.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks that the cosmic bases become ‘avitrī’ of his vāc, so speech becomes an instrument of ṛta rather than personal impulse. The return gift is ‘mahaḥ’—a wideness of being that supports forward life.
Establishing the ‘two poles’—openness above, steadiness below—so mantra and intention become protected and effective.
Sahasrara (heaven openness) and Muladhara (earth stability) linked through a central axis
Slow diaphragmatic breathing: inhale feeling ‘dyau’ (open), exhale feeling ‘pṛthivī’ (ground).
Spacious equanimity; stable receptivity.
Recite once, then pause: sense the body as earth (support) and the mind as sky (clarity). Let the ‘word’ arise from the middle as a calm intention; stay with the felt wideness (maho) for a few minutes.
Triṣṭubh; keep the opening asya me… steady; emphasize ṛtāyataḥ with a clear rise and dignified fall.
Let dyāvāpṛthivī be pronounced as a single compound with smooth linkage; land maho with breadth (slightly elongated vowel).
dyāvā: long ā; avoid ‘dyava’, pṛthivī: clear ṛ and th (aspirated), ṛtāyataḥ: ṛta with crisp ṛ; y atah lightly, upastute: keep ‘st’ conjunct clean
Deep, even, spacious resonance; minimal force.
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