Rig Veda 2.5.6: Mandala 2, Sukta 5, Mantra 6
Sukta 2.5
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यदी मातुरुप स्वसा घृतं भरन्त्यस्थित । तासामध्वर्युरागतौ यवो वृष्टीव मोदते ॥
yádī mātúr úpa svásā ghṛtáṃ bháranty ásthita | tāsā́m adhvaryúr ā́gatau yávo vṛṣṭī́va modate ||
Apabila sang saudari mendekati Sang Ibu sambil membawa ghee (ghṛta), ia pun mengambil tempatnya. Dan pada kedatangan mereka, Adhvaryu bersukacita seperti jelai oleh hujan—demikian tenaga persembahan digembirakan oleh turunnya aliran yang menyuburkan.
Word by Word
- यदी
- if/whenIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/शर्त-निर्देशक अव्यय (यदा/यदि-प्रयोगः); वैदिक रूप: यदीRoot यदि
- मातुः
- of (the) motherNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of the mother’Root मातृ
- उप
- near, atIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot उप
- स्वसा
- (the) sisterNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (वैदिक/छान्दस रूप: स्वसा < स्वसा́र्/स्वसृ)Role कर्तृRoot स्वसृ
- घृतम्
- ghee, clarified butterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot घृत
- भरन्ति
- they bring/bearVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (भरति)
- अस्थित
- standing by, presentIndeclinableअव्यय (वैदिक प्रयोग; ‘standing/being present, at hand’—स्थाधातोः भाव/स्थित्यर्थक)Role अधिकारण (स्थित्यर्थे) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot अस्थित
- तासाम्
- of thosePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of those (women)’Root तद्
- अध्वर्युः
- the Adhvaryu priestNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अध्वर्यु
- आगतौ
- upon arrival, when (he) has comeParticiple (verbal adjective)भूतकृत् (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट/अधिकारण) — ‘on (his) arrival/when he has come’Role अधिकारण (काल/अवस्था)Root आ-√गम् (आगच्छति) / आगत (कृदन्त)
- यवः
- barleyNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यव
- वृष्टि-इव
- like rainNoun + Indeclinableवृष्टि (स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन) + इव (उपमानवाचक अव्यय)Role उपमान (simile adjunct)Root वृष्टि + इव
- मोदते
- rejoices, is gladVerbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √मुद् (मोदते)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यदी | मातुः | उप | स्वसा | घृतम् | भरन्ति | अस्थित | तासाम् | अध्वर्युः | आगतौ | यवः | वृष्टि-इव | मोदते । सन्धि/रूप-टिप्पणी: (1) ‘यदी’ छान्दस ‘यदि’। (2) ‘मातुरुप’ = मातुः + उप (विसर्गलोपः, उकारादौ संयोगः)। (3) ‘भरन्त्यस्थि(त)’ = भरन्ति + अस्थित (इकारलोप/यकारादेशः—छान्दस संधि; पाठभेदे ‘अस्थित’ अव्ययम्)। (4) ‘तासामध्वर्युरागतौ’ = तासाम् + अध्वर्युः + आगतौ (म् + अ → म्-अ; विसर्गः यकारादौ ‘र्’—अध्वर्युः + आगतौ → अध्वर्युरागतौ)। (5) ‘वृष्टीव’ = वृष्टि + इव (इ + इ → ई; दीर्घसन्धिः)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the sister approaches the Mother bringing ghee, she takes her place; at their coming the Adhvaryu rejoices like barley in the rain.
Inner meaning
The ‘Mother’ is the foundational matrix—Earth as substance, or more inwardly the original conscious ground (prakṛti as field of offering). The ‘sister’ is a complementary power that approaches bearing ghṛta—clarified richness, the luminous essence of mind/heart. When this offering-essence arrives and ‘stands’ (asthita), the Adhvaryu—the active executor of the rite, symbol of the will-in-action—rejoices: the working nature becomes glad and fertile like barley receiving rain. Psychologically, when the luminous sap (ghṛta) descends into the embodied field, the whole system flowers; action becomes nourished, not strained.
Universal truth
When clarity and warmth of intention (inner ‘ghee’) is brought into the embodied base, action becomes naturally fruitful and joyful, like crops revived by rain.
Themes
offering of essence, fertility/growth metaphor, ritual action as inner will (Adhvaryu), joy of right descent
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.4, Rig Veda 2.5
Family tradition
Bhṛgu seers often encode subtle ‘offerings’ (ghṛta, soma) as inner substances that feed Agni and transform the embodied field.
Significance
Here the rishi highlights the indispensability of embodied stabilization: inner clarities must ‘take their station’ in the Mother-field for action (Adhvaryu) to become joyful and effective.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- ghṛtapṛṣṭha (ghee-backed), hotṛ, śuci
- Related deities
- Pṛthivī (Mother/Earth), Āpaḥ (waters/rain), Soma (bliss-essence)
Cosmic role
Receives ghṛta offerings; conveys nourishment upward and brings descending increase to the field.
Inner power
Transforms clarified understanding and devotion into effective force; makes the system fertile and glad.
In ritual
Where it is used
Ghee-offering (ājya) sequences in Agni rites
यदी॑ मा॒तुरुप॒ स्वसा॑ घृ॒तं भर॒न्त्यस्थि॑त । तासा॑मध्व॒र्युराग॑तौ॒ यवो॑ वृ॒ष्टीव॑ मोदते ॥
यदि॑ । मा॒तुः । उप॑ । स्वसा॑ । घृ॒तम् । भर॑न्ती । अस्थि॑त । तासा॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒र्युः । आऽग॑तौ । यवः॑ । वृ॒ष्टीऽइ॑व । मो॒द॒ते॒ ॥
yadi | mātuḥ | upa | svasā | ghṛtam | bharantī | asthita | tāsām | adhvaryuḥ | āgatau | yavaḥ | vṛṣṭī-iva | modate
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3×8
Softly flowing with a concluding simile that ‘opens’ like rainfall.
Soothes and moistens the inner sense; encourages receptivity and embodied settling of insight.
- mātṛ
- Literal: mother. Symbolic: the foundational field of nature (body/earth-consciousness) that receives the offering
- svasā
- Literal: sister. Symbolic: a complementary power (insight/inspiration) allied to the field, bringing enrichment
- ghṛta
- Literal: ghee, clarified butter. Symbolic: clarified essence—luminous mental/heart substance; sweetness of understanding poured into the fire
- asthita
- Literal: stood, took station. Symbolic: stabilization of the offering-force in the system; embodiment of insight
- adhvaryu
- Literal: the officiating priest of action. Symbolic: executive will and precise action-faculty in the inner sacrifice
- yavaḥ
- Literal: barley. Symbolic: the growth-capacity of the being; receptivity that turns nourishment into increase
- vṛṣṭi
- Literal: rain. Symbolic: descent of grace, knowledge, or ananda that fructifies the nature
Ghee offering (ājyabhāga/ājya) imagery; highlights Adhvaryu’s role in executing offerings—psychologically the will rejoicing when essence (ghṛta) is brought to the source.
At moments of offering ghṛta and affirming fruitful reception by the rite’s active powers.
Pouring ghee; coordinating priestly action; blessing of increase.
As a mantra for integrating insight into daily life—chant after meditation to ‘seal’ clarity into the body and actions.
ghṛtá from √ghṛ ‘to sprinkle/anoint’ > clarified butter; symbolically the clarified essence of delight/illumination. √bhṛ ‘bear’ (PIE *bʰer-; cf. English bear, Latin ferō). √sthā (PIE *steh₂-; cf. Latin stō). vṛṣṭí ‘rain’ from √vṛṣ ‘rain, pour’; yáva ‘barley’ emblem of growth; modate from √mud ‘rejoice’ indicates the inner gladness when nourishing essence descends.
descent of nourishment/grace, integration of allied powers (sister/mother), delight (ānanda-tone via ghṛta/modate)
Right action (Adhvaryu) rejoices when offerings arrive in right order and measure.
Clarity (ghṛta) as truth-substance that can be stabilized (asthita).
Fertility through descent: rain → barley; grace/clarity → growth of nature.
Vedic integralism: ascent supported by descent and integration into embodiment.
evening or early morning offerings (not explicit)
monsoon (implied by rain simile)
Rain = descending force; barley = capacity for growth; ghee = clarified intelligence/devotion entering embodiment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The descent of rain that makes barley rejoice is mapped to the descent of ghṛta (clarified essence) into the sacrificial matrix: a fertility mythologem transposed into inner psychology—grace/essence arrives, the executive will (Adhvaryu) rejoices, and growth becomes possible.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear’ is PIE *bʰer- (English bear, Latin ferō). √sthā is PIE *steh₂- (stand). The shared IE agricultural metaphor (grain + rain) is a common poetic inheritance, here interiorized.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi describes the correct arrival of offering-essence (ghṛta) as the condition for joy and growth in the ritual actor (Adhvaryu). The devata’s presence is implied as the power that receives, clarifies, and turns this descent into increase.
Receive descending clarity into the body; feel the ‘ghee’ of understanding warming the heart and steadying action.
svadhisthana
slow_meditative
Receptive, integrating, gently joyful.
After invoking Agni, imagine a stream of warm golden ghṛta descending to the navel/pelvis and stabilizing; then act from that settled warmth rather than from restless effort.
Standard accenting; keep ‘ghṛtam’ crisp; allow the simile cadence to soften on ‘vṛṣṭīva’.
Do not rush through vocalic ṛ in ghṛta/vṛṣṭi; maintain even pitch with a gentle swell at the simile.
ghṛtam: ghṛ-tam (vocalic ṛ; voiced aspirate gh), mātuḥ: mā-tuḥ (long ā), adhvaryuḥ: adh-va-ryuḥ (clear dh; ry cluster), vṛṣṭīva: vṛṣ-ṭī-va (retroflex ṭ; long ī), modate: mo-da-te (soft d)
Warm, flowing, nurturing tone.
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