Rig Veda 5.87.1: Mandala 5, Sukta 87, Mantra 1
Sukta 5.87
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्र वो महे मतयो यन्तु विष्णवे मरुत्वते गिरिजा एवयामरुत् । प्र शर्धाय प्रयज्यवे सुखादये तवसे भन्ददिष्टये धुनिव्रताय शवसे ॥
prá vo mahé matáyo yantu víṣṇave marútvate giri-jā́ evayā́marut | prá śárdhāya práyajyave sukhā́daye távase bhandád-iṣṭaye dhúni-vratāya śávase ||
Maju—biarlah daya-daya fikiranmu yang agung menuju kepada Wisnu, yang bersama para Marut; wahai Marut, yang lahir daripada kekuatan gunung. Maju kepada bala yang layak dipersembahkan, kepada daya yang mengurniakan kelapangan yang menggembirakan; kepada Yang Perkasa yang berkenan pada persembahan yang membawa bahagia; kepada kekuatan yang hukumnya ialah gelora menggelegar, kepada tenaga yang dahsyat.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- वः
- of you / yourPronoungenitive pluralRole Sampradāna (possessor/related-to)Root युष्मद्
- महे
- to the great (one)Adjectivedative singular (m.)Role SampradānaRoot महत्
- मतयः
- thoughts, hymns, inspirationsNounnominative plural (f.)Role KartāRoot मति-
- यन्तु
- let (them) goVerbimperative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot यम् (गत्यर्थः)
- विष्णवे
- to ViṣṇuNoun (deity)dative singular (m.)Role SampradānaRoot विष्णु-
- मरुत्वते
- to the Marut-possessing / accompanied by the MarutsAdjectivedative singular (m.)Role SampradānaRoot मरुत्वन्त्
- गिरिजाः
- mountain-born (ones)Noun/Adjectivenominative plural (m.)Role Kartā (apposition to मतयः)Root गिरिजा-
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableparticle of comparisonRoot इव
- अयामरुत्
- Ayāmarut (a Vedic epithet/name; ‘having/being Marut-like’)Noun/Adjectivenominative singular (m.)Role Adhikaraṇa/Viśeṣaṇa (epithet in apposition)Root अयामरुत् (prātipadika; Vedic epithet)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- शर्धाय
- to the troop, hostNoundative singular (n./m.; Vedic)Role SampradānaRoot शर्धा-
- प्रयज्यवे
- to the worship-worthyAdjective (verbal)dative singular (m.)Role SampradānaRoot प्र-यज्य- (from √यज्; ‘fit to be worshipped’)
- सुखादये
- to the giver of ease/comfortNoun/Adjectivedative singular (m.)Role SampradānaRoot सुखादि- (prātipadika)
- तवसे
- to the strong one / to strengthNoundative singular (n.)Role SampradānaRoot तवस्-
- भन्ददिष्टये
- for bestowing bounty/benefit (lit. ‘best gift/boon’)Noundative singular (f.)Role SampradānaRoot भन्ददिष्टि- (prātipadika; Vedic)
- धुनिव्रताय
- to him whose ordinance is roaring/shakingAdjectivedative singular (m.)Role SampradānaRoot धुनिव्रत-
- शवसे
- to might, to powerNoundative singular (n.)Role SampradānaRoot शवस्-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-style): प्र वो म॒हे म॒तयः यन्तु विष्णवे मरुत्वते गिरिजाः इव अयामरुत् । प्र शर्धाय प्रयज्यवे सुखादये तवसे भन्ददिष्टये धुनिव्रताय शवसे ॥ Key splits: गिरिजा ए॑व → गिरिजाः इव
- other items largely already pada-separated. Accents in the saṃhitā text are not re-marked in the resolved padas here
The meaning
Outer meaning
May great thoughts go forward to Vishnu who is with the Maruts; forward to the host fit for sacrifice, to the power giving ease, to the strong one who loves the blissful offering, to the thunder-law force, to mighty energy.
Inner meaning
The mantra propels ‘matayaḥ’—thought-forces/intentions—forward into the wide all-pervading consciousness of Viṣṇu, supported by the Maruts (storm-powers = dynamic life-forces that aid ascent). The Maruts, mountain-born (girijāḥ), are energies released from the firm foundation (giri = stable being) into active transformation. The prayer is for a collective forward surge: toward the rightly ordered host (śardha), toward the power that brings glad ease (sukhādáya)—the harmonized prāṇa in delight—toward the strength that enjoys the blissful offering (bhándadiṣṭi). ‘Dhunivratā’ suggests a law of thunderous vibration: disciplined force that shakes inertia. Overall: marshal dynamic energies to wideness (Viṣṇu) and effective might (śavas).
Universal truth
Progress demands aligned thought and collective energy: when dynamic forces are disciplined by a higher law and oriented to wideness, they bring joy, strength, and victorious movement.
Themes
maruts, vishnu-association, invocation, force-and-expansion
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 5.87 (Maruts), RV 5.54-5.58 (Mandala 5 Marut cycles—theme parallels)
Family tradition
Marut hymns often come from seers attuned to dynamic forces and collective action; the style is exhortative, propulsive, and strength-oriented.
Significance
The seer channels a ‘forward’ mantra-impulse: thought and force are mobilized toward wideness (Viṣṇu) and thunder-law discipline (dhuni-vrata).
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts (with Viṣṇu associated)
- Epithets
- girijāḥ (mountain-born), evayāmarut (O Maruts of the impelling course—traditional epithet), dhunivratā (whose law is thunderous surge—addressed to the power)
- Related deities
- Indra, Viṣṇu, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Maruts are the collective storm-powers that accompany Indra and help shatter obstructions; with Viṣṇu they support the cosmic expansion and the measuring-out of worlds.
Inner power
Dynamic prāṇic-mental energies that, when disciplined, break inertia and carry thought toward wideness and effective action; they turn aspiration into a powerful collective movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut-stotra/Marut invocation within Soma and Indra-associated sequences (general)
प्र वो॑ म॒हे म॒तयो॑ यन्तु॒ विष्ण॑वे म॒रुत्व॑ते गिरि॒जा ए॑व॒याम॑रुत् । प्र शर्धा॑य॒ प्रय॑ज्यवे सुखा॒दये॑ त॒वसे॑ भ॒न्ददि॑ष्टये॒ धुनि॑व्रताय॒ शव॑से ॥
प्र । वः॒ । म॒हे । म॒तयः॑ । य॒न्तु॒ । विष्ण॑वे । म॒रुत्व॑ते । गि॒रि॒ऽजाः । ए॒व॒याम॑रुत् । प्र । शर्धा॑य । प्रऽय॑ज्यवे । सु॒ऽखा॒दये॑ । त॒वसे॑ । भ॒न्दत्ऽइ॑ष्टये । धुनि॑ऽव्रताय । शव॑से ॥
pra | vaḥ | mahe | matayaḥ | yantu | viṣṇave | marutvate | giri-jāḥ | evayāmarut | pra | śardhāya | pra-yajyave | su-khādaye | tavase | bhandat-iṣṭaye | dhuni-vratāya | śavase
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Exhortative and surging; repeated ‘pra’ gives a forward-thrust rhythm.
Energizes and mobilizes; good for overcoming lethargy and initiating decisive movement.
- म॒तयः (matayaḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, intentions. Symbolic: thought-forces; formations of consciousness that can move and act
- प्र (pra)
- Literal: forward, forth. Symbolic: impulsion of ascent; conscious pushing beyond limits
- विष्णवे (viṣṇave)
- Literal: to Vishnu. Symbolic: all-pervading wideness; the stride that measures worlds (expansion of consciousness)
- मरुत्वते (marutvate)
- Literal: with the Maruts. Symbolic: wideness supported by dynamic life-forces
- गिरिजाः (girijāḥ)
- Literal: mountain-born. Symbolic: energies born from the stable foundation of being; force released from firm consciousness
- शर्धाय (śardhāya)
- Literal: to the host. Symbolic: organized collective powers in the being (harmonized energies)
- प्रयज्यवे (prayajyave)
- Literal: fit for sacrifice. Symbolic: energies ready to be offered and used for the divine work
- सुखादये (sukhādaye)
- Literal: giving glad ease. Symbolic: harmonized prāṇa producing inner ease and joy
- धुनिव्रताय (dhunivratāya)
- Literal: whose vow/law is the thunderous shaking. Symbolic: disciplined force that breaks inertia and tamas through vibration
- शवसे (śavase)
- Literal: to might/force. Symbolic: effective energy; capacity for victorious action
Marut invocation in Soma rites and in rites seeking force, protection, and victorious advance; also suited to moments calling for removal of obstruction and energizing the sacrifice.
When calling dynamic aids for the rite’s success, protection, and victorious movement.
Stuti/āhvāna: praising and urging the Marut host to advance and empower the sacrificer.
Use before exercise, disciplined work, or when stuck: invoke ‘pra’ (forward) to break inertia and align energies to a higher wideness.
(mati) from √man ‘think’ → matáyaḥ: in Vedic often ‘inspired thoughts’ as powers. (Viṣṇu) tied to √viṣ/√viś ‘to pervade’ (traditional) and the myth of ‘three strides’: psychologically the expanding all-pervading consciousness. (Marut) storm-gods: inner dynamic forces; girijā́ ‘mountain-born’ indicates origin in the ‘heights’ (parvata) of consciousness. (śardha) ‘host/troop’: collective energies. (dhuni) from √dhu ‘shake’ → roaring, shaking surge: thunder as vibration that breaks inertia/obstruction.
Brihat/Vast (Vishnu’s wideness), collective divine energies (śardha), dynamic tapas (shaking/rousing force)
dhunivratāya—force obeying a law; not chaotic energy but ṛta-driven power.
Thought-forces (matayaḥ) are to be oriented to the true wideness, not ego-expansion.
Expansion of worlds by the stride of consciousness (Viṣṇu) supported by dynamic powers (Maruts).
Vedic yoga of expansion (bṛhat) and dynamism (śakti-like Marut force) integrated through disciplined law (vrata).
Monsoon symbolism (storm powers)
Storm = vigorous prāṇa-shakti; mountain = stable base of being; thunder-law = vibrational discipline that breaks tamas; Vishnu = widening consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘storm-host yoked to Vishnu’s wideness’: the Maruts as a collective troop drive the inspired thoughts forward toward Vishnu’s expansive stride. Mythically, the storm-gods accompany the great cosmic step; psychologically, dynamic energies propel the mind into widened consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The fame/host/thunder diction fits inherited Indo-European hymn style: collective warrior-host (śardha) parallels IE *kóryos (war-band concept, though not a direct cognate). √man ‘think’ (mati) is PIE *men- (cf. Greek ménos ‘force of mind/ardor’, Latin mens).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers ‘matayaḥ’—formed inspired thoughts—as a vehicle, asking the Maruts to carry them forward into Vishnu’s wideness. The reciprocity is an inner yajña: the human gives shaped aspiration; the gods respond by energizing and widening the consciousness.
Send thought-forces forward into wideness; invoke disciplined dynamic energy to break inertia.
Anāhata (collective harmonized force) with Maṇipūra (drive) expanding into Ājñā (direction)
Kapalabhāti (gentle, 30–60 strokes) then steady breathing; chant on strong exhale emphasizing ‘pra’.
Dynamic wideness—energized, open, forward-moving awareness.
Before chanting, set a single intention (mati). With each ‘pra’, feel the intention move forward beyond habitual limits; end by resting in a wide, calm field (Viṣṇu) holding the Marut energy without agitation.
Triṣṭubh recitation with clear udātta lifts on repeated ‘pra’ openings; maintain consistent cadence across four pādas (exact svara needs marked text).
Give each ‘pra’ a clean onset; do not rush the compound marutvate/girijā; let dhunivratāya carry a vibrating emphasis.
Viṣṇave: keep ṣṇ cluster crisp (retroflex ṣ)., girijāḥ: soft j, long āḥ at end., dhuni-vratāya: articulate dh (aspirated), and keep vrata with dental t.
Bright, ringing, rallying tone; controlled intensity.
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