Rig Veda 2.43.3: Mandala 2, Sukta 43, Mantra 3
Sukta 2.43
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Śakuni/Śakunta
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
आवदँस्त्वं शकुने भद्रमा वद तूष्णीमासीनः सुमतिं चिकिद्धि नः । यदुत्पतन्वदसि कर्करिर्यथा बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ॥
ā́vadaṃs tvaṃ śakune bhadrám ā́ vada tū́ṣṇīm āsī́naḥ sumatíṃ cikiddhi naḥ | yád utpátan vádasi karkarír yáthā bṛhád vadema vidáthe suvī́rāḥ ||
Wahai burung, bersuaralah—katakan kepada kami yang baik; bahkan ketika duduk dalam diam, bangkitkanlah pada kami pengertian yang benar. Apabila engkau melompat terbang lalu bersuara seperti karkarī, semoga kami mengucapkan Yang Maha-Luas dalam perhimpunan (vidatha) dan dipenuhi daya kepahlawanan.
Word by Word
- आवदन्
- they spoke / they utteredVerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, plural, parasmaipadaRole KartāRoot √वद् (वदति) + आ-
- त्वम्
- thou / youPronoun2nd person pronoun, nominative, singularRole KartāRoot युष्मद्
- शकुने
- O bird (omen-bird)Nounmasculine, vocative, singularRole SambodhanaRoot शकुनि-
- भद्रम्
- auspicious (word/thing)Adjective (used substantively)neuter, accusative, singularRole KarmaRoot भद्र-
- आ
- hither; forth (intensifier with √वद्)IndeclinableRoot आ (particle/preverb)
- वद
- speak!VerbImperative (लोट्), 2nd person, singular, parasmaipadaRole (injunction to) KartāRoot √वद् (वदति)
- तूष्णीम्
- silentlyIndeclinableindeclinable (adverb)Root तूष्णीम्
- आसीनः
- sittingParticiplemasculine, nominative, singularRole KartāRoot √आस् (आस्ते) → आसीन- (PPP/participle)
- सुमतिम्
- good thought; good counselNounfeminine, accusative, singularRole KarmaRoot सु- + मति-
- च
- andIndeclinableRoot च
- चिकिद्धि
- perceive! understand!VerbPerfect imperative (लोट् with perfect-stem), 2nd person, singular, parasmaipadaRole (injunction to) KartāRoot √चिद्/√चित् (Vedic: ‘to notice, perceive, understand’)
- नः
- for us; of usPronoun1st person pronoun, genitive/enclitic, pluralRole Sampradāna (beneficiary) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- यत्
- what (that which)Pronoun (relative)neuter, accusative, singularRole Karma (of वदसि)Root यद्
- उत्पतन्
- flying up; taking flightParticiplemasculine, nominative, singularRole Kartā (of वदसि)Root √पत् (पतति) + उद्- → utpat-; present participle
- वदसि
- you speakVerbPresent (लट्), 2nd person, singular, parasmaipadaRole KriyāRoot √वद् (वदति)
- कर्करिः
- (a bird called) karkariNounmasculine, nominative, singularRole Kartā (of implied ‘speaks’) / upamānaRoot कर्करि-
- यथा
- as; likeIndeclinableindeclinable (comparative particle)Root यथा
- बृहत्
- greatly; a great (utterance)Adjective (used adverbially/qualifying speech)neuter, accusative, singular (used as object/qualifier of ‘speak’)Role Karma/viśeṣaṇaRoot बृहत्-
- वदेम
- may we speakVerbOptative (विधिलिङ्), 1st person, plural, parasmaipadaRole KriyāRoot √वद् (वदति)
- विदथे
- in the assembly; at the rite/ceremonyNounneuter, locative, singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot विदथ-
- सुवीराः
- having good heroes; rich in brave sons/menAdjective (substantive)masculine, nominative, pluralRole Kartā (of वदेम)Root सु- + वीर-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: आवदँस्त्वम् → आवदन् + त्वम्
- भद्रमा वद → भद्रम् + आ + वद
- तूष्णीमासी॑नः → तूष्णीम् + आसीनः
- सुमतिं चि॑किद्धि → सुमतिम् + चिकिद्धि
- यदु॒त्पत॒न्वद॑सि → यत् + उत्पतन् + वदसि
- कर्क॒रिर्य॑था → कर्करिः + यथा
- बृ॒हद्व॑देम → बृहत् + वदेम
- (Accent marks retained in the source; analysis given on sandhi-resolved padas.)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet addresses a bird (śakuni/śakunta): “Speak auspiciously to us; even when you sit silent, awaken our good thought. When you spring up and cry like the karkarī, may we speak the Vast in the assembly and become rich in heroic powers.”
Inner meaning
In Aurobindonian psychology, the “bird” is a messenger of the higher Mind—an intuitive sign or inspirer that brings omens as movements of consciousness. Its “speech” is śruti-like inner hearing; its “silence” is the stillness in which right understanding (sumati) dawns. The sudden “springing up” is the uprush of inspiration; the karkarī-cry is the sharp, awakening note that breaks tamas. The prayer is for inspired utterance (bṛhat—Vast, the widened consciousness) in the vidatha (gathering of powers in us) and for suvīraḥ—strong, victorious energies of the soul and life-force aligned to truth.
Universal truth
True guidance comes not only through outer signs and words, but through inner silence that ripens discernment. When inspiration rises, speech should serve the Vast—truthful, widening, courage-giving—so that the community (outer or inner) is strengthened by illumined expression.
Themes
Inner-guidance, Silence-and-speech, Truth-utterance, Heroic-force
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional attribution for Gṛtsamada lineages is complex; commonly linked with Bhṛgu-stream)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.1, RV 2.3, RV 2.33, RV 2.43
Family tradition
Gṛtsamadas are renowned for hymns that blend outer rite with inner aspiration—seeking right inspiration (mati) and victorious force (vīrya).
Significance
Gṛtsamada frequently prays for the right formation of thought and speech—an inner discipline where inspiration is invited, purified, and made effective in the ‘assembly’ of life.
The deity
- Devata
- Śakuni/Śakunta (Bird as devatā-symbol)
- Epithets
- bhadram-vaktṛ (speaker of the auspicious), sumati-prabodhaka (awakener of right understanding)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (lord of mantra and right utterance), Uṣas (awakening illumination)
Cosmic role
A liminal messenger between regions—sky and earth—signifying the transmission of signs from the supraphysical to the human field.
Inner power
Intuitive discrimination and timely revelation; the power that converts silence into right insight and insight into true speech.
In ritual
Where it is used
Auspicious invocation for right understanding (sumati) and truthful utterance (bṛhat) in the vidatha; applicable as a preparatory or protective recitation before counsel/assembly/ritual decision.
आ॒वदँ॒स्त्वं श॑कुने भ॒द्रमा व॑द तू॒ष्णीमासी॑नः सुम॒तिं चि॑किद्धि नः । यदु॒त्पत॒न्वद॑सि कर्क॒रिर्य॑था बृ॒हद्व॑देम वि॒दथे॑ सु॒वीरा॑: ॥
आ॒ऽवद॑न् । त्वम् । स॒कु॒ने॒ । भ॒द्रम् । आ । व॒द॒ । तू॒ष्णीम् । आसी॑नः । सु॒ऽम॒तिम् । चि॒कि॒द्धि॒ । नः॒ । यत् । उ॒त्ऽपत॑न् । वद॑सि । क॒र्क॒रिः । य॒था॒ । बृ॒हत् । व॒दे॒म॒ । व् ॥
āvadan | tvam | sakune | bhadram | ā | vada | tūṣṇīm | āsīnaḥ | su-matim | cikiddhi | naḥ | yat | ut-patan | vadasi | karkariḥ | yathā | bṛhat | vadema | v
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh cadence; exact count depends on saṃhitā reading and sandhi)
Forward-driving, exhortative; suited to invocation and aspiration.
Builds alertness and uplift—moving from quiet receptivity (silence) to expansive proclamation (bṛhat).
- śakuni/śakunta
- Literal: bird, omen-bird. Symbolic: intuitive messenger; faculty that brings timely inner indications from higher mind
- bhadram
- Literal: good, auspicious. Symbolic: truth-bearing, beneficent impulse; śivam—what leads toward harmony
- tūṣṇīm āsīnaḥ
- Literal: sitting in silence. Symbolic: inner stillness where higher knowledge can impress itself
- sumati
- Literal: good thought, right understanding. Symbolic: right-mindedness; luminous discernment (buddhi turned to Truth)
- utpatan
- Literal: springing up, taking flight. Symbolic: sudden ascent/uprise of inspiration; opening of inner wings
- karkarī
- Literal: a bird with a harsh/clear call (traditional identification varies). Symbolic: piercing wake-up call of intuition that breaks inertia
- bṛhat
- Literal: the Vast, great. Symbolic: widened consciousness (Bṛhat/Bṛhatī principle); truth-speech from spaciousness
- vidatha
- Literal: assembly, session, distribution. Symbolic: inner gathering where powers are apportioned; collective field of sādhanā
- suvīraḥ
- Literal: having good heroes/strong sons. Symbolic: heroic soul-forces; courageous energies that conquer obscurity
Auspicious invocation for right understanding (sumati) and truthful utterance (bṛhat) in the vidatha; applicable as a preparatory or protective recitation before counsel/assembly/ritual decision.
As an auspicious invocation for right speech/omens before deliberation, journey, or communal rite; also adaptable as a pre-meditation opening.
Listening for auspicious signs; recitation to invite sumati and truthful, widening speech.
Use before important conversations/teachings: sit 1–2 minutes in silence on ‘tūṣṇīm āsīnaḥ’, then chant to align speech with the Vast.
cikiddhi: from √cit ‘to perceive, be conscious’; the request is for awakened discernment (mati) even in silence—indicating that true ‘speech’ includes silent illumination. ut-pat (ud- + √pat ‘to fly/fall’) expresses sudden ascent/activation. bṛhat again from √bṛh ‘widen’, the goal-state of expanded truth.
Sumati (right-mindedness), Inner silence as knowledge (tūṣṇīm ... cikiddhi), Bṛhat (Vast truth)
Prayer that speech in the vidatha conform to ṛta—truthful, harmonizing, and effective.
From silence to right understanding to true utterance—satya as accurate inner hearing and outer expression.
The Vast is ‘spoken’ into the human field: expansion of consciousness through mantra and inspiration.
Proto-Vedāntic widening (bṛhat) and yogic psychology of vāc emerging from inner stillness.
Bird/flight = ascent of consciousness; cry = awakening mantra-impulse; silence = receptive mind; assembly = integrated inner faculties.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- ‘Silent knowledge behind utterance’: the bird’s sign is efficacious not only as sound but as an awakening of sumati in silence; the mythic movement is from omen-sound to inner illumination, culminating in Bṛhat-speech in the assembly.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √cit ‘notice, perceive’ reflects an Indo-European emphasis on awakened cognition as prerequisite to effective speech/ritual. The alternation of silence (tūṣṇīm) and utterance (√vad) encodes the archaic poetics of ‘true speech’ arising from inner seeing.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks the Devata to convert external sign into internal faculty (sumati), so the human can reciprocally ‘speak the Vast’—a movement from receiving guidance to becoming an agent of truth-speech within the collective vidatha.
From silence (tūṣṇīm) to sumati (right discernment) to bṛhat-vāc (vast truth-speech).
Viśuddha (speech) supported by Ājñā (discernment)
Nādī-śodhana 6–12 rounds, then brief kumbhaka after inhale while holding inner silence.
Receptive stillness → intuitive spark → widened expressive clarity.
1) Sit silently, feel the ‘bird’ as a subtle presence above the brow. 2) Invite one clear guidance. 3) Speak/act only what increases wideness and courage in you and others.
Follow śākala tradition: udatta on marked syllables; anudatta as baseline; svarita as falling accent after udatta—consult pada + svara marks in a svara-annotated text for exact contour.
Keep the main lift on imperative verbs (ā vada, cikiddhi) and on bṛhat; let ‘tūṣṇīm āsīnaḥ’ be gently leveled (more anudatta feel).
āvadam̐s: keep nasalization (anusvāra with chandrabindu) light but clear, śakune: śa- (palatal ś), not sa-, tūṣṇīm: retroflex ṣṇ cluster—do not simplify to s-n, cikiddhi: double d-dh articulation, not ‘chikidhi’, utpatan: clear t + p junction, bṛhat: vocalic ṛ as a short ‘ri’ with retroflex coloring
Clear, attentive, slightly rising on invocatory segments; broaden tone on bṛhat.
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