Rig Veda 5.43.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 43, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.43
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Vāyu
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अध्वर्यवश्चकृवांसो मधूनि प्र वायवे भरत चारु शुक्रम् । होतेव नः प्रथमः पाह्यस्य देव मध्वो ररिमा ते मदाय ॥
ádhvaryavaś cakṛvā́ṃso mádhūni prá vāyáve bharata cā́ru śukrám | hóteva naḥ prathamáḥ pāhy asyá deva mádhvo rárimā te mádāya ||
Wahai para Adhvaryu, setelah menyediakan persembahan-persembahan bermadu, bawalah ke hadapan Vāyu minuman yang indah dan bercahaya. Seperti Hotṛ yang pertama bagi kami, peliharalah ini, wahai dewa; madu itu telah kami anugerahkan kepadamu untuk kegembiraanmu.
Word by Word
- अध्वर्यवः
- the adhvaryu priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अध्वर्यु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- चकृवांसः
- having performed (the rite)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (कर्तरि भूतकृत्/परिपूर्ण कृदन्त)Role KartāRoot कृ (धातु) → चकृवांस्- (कृत्: परिपूर्ण/भूतकृत्, ‘having done’)
- मधूनि
- sweet drinks / meadsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot मधु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableप्रवृत्ति/प्रेषणार्थकRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वायवे
- to VāyuNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे दत्तिः)Role SampradānaRoot वायु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भरत
- carry/bring (you all)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot भृ (धातु)
- चारु
- lovely, pleasingAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (शुक्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot चारु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुक्रम्
- bright (draught/oblation)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शुक्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- होता
- the Hotṛ priestNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot होतृ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमानार्थकRoot इव (निपात)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक); बहुवचनRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- प्रथमः
- the first, foremostAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्रथम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पाहि
- protect!Verbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot पा (धातु ‘to protect’)
- अस्य
- of this (rite/act)Pronounषष्ठी; एकवचनRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- देव
- O godNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मध्वः
- from/of the mead (sweet drink)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot मधु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ररिमा
- I have given / I grantVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot रा (धातु ‘to give, grant’) → ररिम (परिपूर्ण/भूतकृत्-आधारित स्तेम) + -आ (वेदिक 1पु. एक. परस्मै)
- ते
- to youPronounचतुर्थी (एन्क्लिटिक); एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- मदाय
- for exhilaration / intoxicationNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मद- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: अध्व॑र्यवश्चकृ॒वांसो॒ → अध्वर्यवः + च + चकृवांसः
- प्र वा॒यवे॑ → प्र + वायवे
- भरत॒ चारु॑ शु॒क्रम् (no external sandhi; adjectives qualify शुक्रम्)
- होते॑व → होता + इव
- मध्वो॑ → मध्वः (मधु- षष्ठी एकवचन; visarga before r- often realized as o in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Adhvaryus, having prepared the honeyed offerings, bring to Vāyu the lovely bright draught. Like the first Hotṛ, protect this for us, O god; we have given you honey for your delight.
Inner meaning
Vāyu is the life-breath and the universal prāṇa that carries offerings upward and brings force downward. The ‘honeyed offerings’ are refined vital-mental energies made sweet by soma-like delight (madhu) and sincerity. To ‘bring forward’ the bright draught is to offer a purified, luminous life-force to the divine Prāṇa so it can be uplifted and universalized. Vāyu as ‘prathamaḥ hotā’ indicates that breath is the first priest: the earliest mediator in yoga and sacrifice. Protection means maintaining purity and right circulation of prāṇa so the offering is not disturbed by turbulence.
Universal truth
Breath is the first ritual: when prāṇa is purified and offered, consciousness brightens and delight increases; right breathing protects the inner work and makes it effective.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Vāyu invocation, Priestly action, Protection
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Ātreya (traditional)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.43.1, RV 5.43.2
Family tradition
Atri hymns frequently integrate ritual imagery with inner process: offering as self-giving, priesthood as functions of consciousness.
Significance
Atri’s insight here is yogic: breath (Vāyu) is central, and delight (madhu) is the sweetener that makes offering transformative rather than austere.
The deity
- Devata
- Vāyu
- Epithets
- prathamaḥ (first), deva, śukra (bright, by association here)
- Related deities
- Indra (often paired with Vāyu), Soma (draught), Agni (receiver/transformer)
Cosmic role
Universal wind/breath; mover of worlds; carrier of soma and offerings; companion of Indra in many hymns.
Inner power
Prāṇa-śakti: the regulating, uplifting life-force that can be purified into luminous energy supporting meditation and action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Vāyu offering, often connected with soma draughts and early invocations
अध्व॑र्यवश्चकृ॒वांसो॒ मधू॑नि॒ प्र वा॒यवे॑ भरत॒ चारु॑ शु॒क्रम् । होते॑व नः प्रथ॒मः पा॑ह्य॒स्य देव॒ मध्वो॑ ररि॒मा ते॒ मदा॑य ॥
अध्व॑र्यवः । च॒कृ॒ऽवांसः॑ । मधू॑नि । प्र । वा॒यवे॑ । भ॒र॒त॒ । चारु॑ । शु॒क्रम् । होता॑ऽइव । नः॒ । प्र॒थ॒मः । पा॒हि॒ । अ॒स्य । देव॑ । मध्वः॑ । र॒रि॒म । ते॒ । मदा॑य ॥
adhvaryavaḥ | cakṛ-vāṃsaḥ | madhūni | pra | vāyave | bharata | cāru | śukram | hotāiva | naḥ | prathamaḥ | pāhi | asya | deva | madhvaḥ | rarima | te | madāya
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
swift and airy; imperative verbs (bharata, pāhi) give directive energy
Quickens prāṇa, clarifies attention, and creates a sense of clean upward movement.
- अध्वर्यवः (adhvaryavaḥ)
- Literal: Adhvaryu priests. Symbolic: the will-aspect that arranges actions/steps of the inner sacrifice (discipline, method)
- मधूनि (madhūni)
- Literal: honeyed/sweet offerings. Symbolic: energies made sweet by delight and sincerity; refined vital substance
- वायवे (vāyave)
- Literal: to Vāyu. Symbolic: to the divine Life-Breath; carrier-force of offerings and inspirations
- चारु शुक्रम् (cāru śukram)
- Literal: lovely, bright (draught). Symbolic: pure luminous prāṇa/energy; clarified vital force
- होता इव प्रथमः (hotā iva prathamaḥ)
- Literal: like a first Hotṛ. Symbolic: breath as primary mediator; the first ‘priest’ in yoga who offers and invokes
- पाहि (pāhi)
- Literal: protect. Symbolic: guard the purity and right movement of prāṇa; prevent disturbance by lower impulses
- मध्वः (madhvaḥ)
- Literal: of honey. Symbolic: of bliss/delight offered to sustain divine joy in the system
- मदाय (madāya)
- Literal: for gladness/intoxication. Symbolic: for spiritual exhilaration—uplift of consciousness by delight
Direct Soma offering to Vāyu (Vāyavya graha context broadly): the Adhvaryu brings the soma; Vāyu is asked to protect the rite and accept the bright draught.
At soma pressing/offering sequences; invoking Vāyu to receive the bright draught
Presenting the clarified drink/oblation; asking Vāyu to protect the rite and accept the offering
Prāṇāyāma + mantra: use before breath practice or as an opening to meditation to purify and brighten life-force.
vāyú is wind/breath: innerly prāṇic life-force that carries offerings upward. śukrá ‘bright’ (from √śuc ‘shine, be pure’) indicates clarified delight. √pā ‘protect’ is a key Vedic verb for guarding the sacrifice/inner work. rárimā (perf.) from √rā ‘to give’ (semantic: bestow, grant) supports rāyí’s abundance field.
Prāṇa-like life-force (Vāyu), Protection of inner sacrifice, Mada as divine delight (not mere intoxication)
Right movement of breath mirrors ṛta; turbulence and irregularity are forms of anṛta in the vital.
Bright (śukra) prāṇa supports truthful perception; breath steadiness enables satya to be held.
The worlds are sustained by motion (vāyu); offering aligns individual breath with universal breath.
Yoga-oriented Vedic reading: breath as mediator between gross and subtle; delight as transformative catalyst.
Wind = prāṇa currents; bright draught = clarified energy; honey = bliss-tone that makes the vital pure and supple.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The offering of soma to Vāyu: the wind-god as first receiver who quickens the rite. Innerly, the life-breath receives the clarified delight and safeguards the process of transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘protect’ relates to PIE *peh₂- ‘protect, shepherd’ (cf. Lat. pāstor). √bhṛ ‘carry’ is PIE *bʰer- (cf. Eng. bear, Lat. ferō). √śuc ‘shine’ has IE purity/brightness parallels (cf. Lat. candor is different root, but the semantic field is common).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer coordinates human ritual action (Adhvaryu preparation) with divine acceptance: Vāyu is asked to become the protecting priestly presence (‘like the first Hotṛ’) so that the offering becomes effective as inner delight and force.
Offer the breath: purify prāṇa into ‘bright draught’ and let it carry aspiration upward.
Manipura (prāṇa-fire regulation) and Anahata (breath-heart coherence)
Nāḍī-śodhana (alternate nostril) followed by a few rounds of gentle kumbhaka; chant mentally on exhale to ‘offer’.
Prāṇic clarity leading to quiet joy (madāya as uplift, not agitation)
Before sitting, do 3 minutes breath-smoothing; chant once aloud, then silently feel the inhalation as receiving Vāyu and exhalation as offering ‘madhu’; keep the mind bright and simple.
Observe udātta on key imperatives; keep a slightly lifted tone on ‘vāyave’ and ‘pāhi’.
Let ‘cāru śukram’ be clearly articulated and slightly emphasized; brief pause after first half-line.
: ‘dhv’ cluster clean, ‘ry’ light, : retroflex ‘ṛ’, nasalization clear, : long ‘ā’, : ‘c’ as ‘ch’ (palatal), not ‘k’, : ‘śu’ palatal sibilant, ‘kr’ cluster crisp, : ‘dhv’ cluster, avoid inserting extra vowel
bright, airy, slightly forward; avoid heaviness
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