Rig Veda 7.34.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 34, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.34
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Āpaḥ supporting the heroic powers in the Vṛtra-struggle
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
आपश्चिदस्मै पिन्वन्त पृथ्वीर्वृत्रेषु शूरा मंसन्त उग्राः ॥
ā́paś cid asmai pínvanta pṛthvī́r vṛtréṣu śū́rā maṃsanta ugrā́ḥ
Bahkan Air pun mengembangkan asas yang luas baginya; dalam pertempuran melawan para Penutup (Vṛtra) para wira yang garang menjadi yakin—menolak maju kuasa-kuasa yang meluaskan kewujudan.
Word by Word
- आपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot आप् (प्रातिपदिक ‘आप्’ > ‘आपः’)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्यय (emphatic/‘even’)Root चित् (निपात)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पिन्वन्त
- they cause to swell/they strengthenVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot पिव्/पि (धातु; ‘पिन्व्’ causative/denominative stem in Vedic usage)
- पृथ्वीः
- the earths/broad landsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रेषु
- in the Vṛtras / in the obstructers (battles against Vṛtra-like foes)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (RV usage also masc.); सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शूराः
- heroesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- मंसन्त
- they strive/they are eager (they purpose)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot मंस् (धातु; Vedic ‘to think/aim/strive’, also ‘to be eager’)
- उग्राः
- fierce, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (विशेषणम् ‘शूराः’)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण) / सम्बन्धRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आपः चित् अस्मै पिन्वन्त पृथ्वीः वृत्रेषु शूराः मंसन्त उग्राः। 1) आप॑श्चिद् = आपः + चित् (विसर्ग-लोपः, ‘श्’ आगमः: ḥ + c → śc). 2) अस्मै॒ पिन्व॑न्त: संधि-विशेषः न
- पदसीमा मात्र। 3) पृ॒थ्वीर्वृ॒त्रेषु = पृथ्वीः + वृत्रेषु (विसर्गः ‘ः’ → ‘र्’ before voiced consonant ‘व्’; RV sandhi: ḥ + v → rv)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Even the Waters swell the broad earths/foundations for him; in battles with the Vṛtras the fierce heroes grow confident.
Inner meaning
The Waters (aligned consciousness-energies) nourish and expand the ‘wide foundations’ (pṛthvīḥ: broadened bases of being) for the seeker or the divine worker. In the struggle against Vṛtra (the Coverer: obstruction, inertia, subconscient resistance), the heroic powers (śūrāḥ) become bold and forceful (ugrāḥ). This is the psychology of transformation: when the inner currents are purified and strengthened, the very ground of nature widens, enabling victories over the coverers.
Universal truth
Inner growth requires both nourishment (flow of energies) and courageous confrontation with resistance. When the foundations widen, confidence and strength arise naturally for the battle of progress.
Themes
vṛtra-struggle, inner heroism, waters empowering wideness, force-and-knowledge integration
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18 (battle/victory atmosphere in Maṇḍala 7), RV 7.34.2 (waters listening and flowing), RV 7.87–7.89 (Varuṇa’s law and purification)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s vision frequently integrates order (ṛta) with victorious action—truth not only contemplated but enforced against obstruction.
Significance
The Vasiṣṭha path is establishment in truth plus the strength to pierce coverers—wide foundations and heroic will together.
The deity
- Devata
- Āpaḥ (Waters) with Indra-field implied (Vṛtra struggle)
- Epithets
- pūyantīḥ (purifying, implied), pṛthvī-vardhanīḥ (foundation-widening, interpretive epithet)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra), Agni (inner force that leads), Soma (strength and delight for Indra/heroic will), Varuṇa (order of waters)
Cosmic role
Waters nourish the worlds and support expansion; in the Indra-mythic field they accompany the release of streams after Vṛtra is broken.
Inner power
They become supportive currents that widen the being and feed the heroic will in spiritual battle.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma/Indra-associated victory symbolism; waters as supportive/purifying forces in rite.
आप॑श्चिदस्मै॒ पिन्व॑न्त पृ॒थ्वीर्वृ॒त्रेषु॒ शूरा॒ मंस॑न्त उ॒ग्राः ॥
आपः॑ । चि॒त् । अ॒स्मै॒ । पिन्व॑न्त । पृ॒थ्वीः । वृ॒त्रेषु॑ । शूराः॑ । मंस॑न्ते । उ॒ग्राः ॥
āpaḥ | cit | asmai | pinvanta | pṛthvīḥ | vṛtreṣu | śūrāḥ | maṃsante | ugrāḥ
44
4 × ~11 (this is one pāda excerpted; full verse confirms)
Martial and expansive; strong consonants in vṛtreṣu śūrā…ugrāḥ.
Energizes will; evokes a sense of widening ground and readiness for inner conquest.
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: purified life-force and consciousness-currents that nourish transformation
- पिन्वन्त (pinvanta)
- Literal: swell, invigorate. Symbolic: increase, energize, make abundant
- पृथ्वीः (pṛthvīḥ)
- Literal: broad earths/foundations. Symbolic: widened base of the being; stable expanded nature
- वृत्रेषु (vṛtreṣu)
- Literal: among the Vṛtras/coverers. Symbolic: in encounters with resistance, obscurity, inertia
- शूराः (śūrāḥ)
- Literal: heroes. Symbolic: inner faculties of will and courage; warrior-powers of the soul
- उग्राः (ugrāḥ)
- Literal: fierce, forceful. Symbolic: intense tapas-energy needed to break obstruction
- मंसन्ते (maṃsante)
- Literal: become confident/think strongly. Symbolic: gain assured will; steadfast inner conviction
Recitation supportive of victory/overcoming obstruction within soma/heroic frames; also compatible with water-invocations where ‘swelling’ signifies increase of inspired force.
In contexts of invoking strength, victory over obstacles, and the release/flow of energies; also linked with Indra narratives in recitation.
Invocation during offerings for strength; symbolic ‘release of waters’ as successful rite outcome.
A mantra for overcoming inertia, addiction patterns, fear, or chronic discouragement—invoking both nourishment and heroism.
√/ ‘to swell, make thrive’ underlies pinvanta (3pl inj./impf-like form used as vivid present). vṛtra- from √vṛ ‘to cover, obstruct’ → ‘the Coverer’. maṃsante from √man ‘to think, be minded, intend’ (middle voice: an inward resolve/assent). pṛthvī- from pṛthu ‘broad’ (wideness as a key Vedic value: expansion of being).
expansion (pṛthvī as wideness of being), overcoming obstruction (Vṛtra as covering ignorance), increase/plenitude (pinv-)
Waters swell foundations when aligned with ṛta; then the battle against coverers becomes winnable.
Confidence (maṃsante) arises from truth-contact, not egoic bravado.
Widening of the earth-foundation as a condition for higher manifestation; release of blocked energies.
Transformational yoga: purification (waters) + tapas (ugra heroes) to break subconscient cover.
rainy season/storm (implied)
Waters = prāṇa/emotional currents purified; Earth = stable nervous-physical base; Vṛtra = blockage; Heroes = will-forces; Storm = catalytic tapas.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Vṛtra-conflict mythologem reframed: the Waters themselves ‘swell’ the widenesses, enabling the heroic powers to take heart in confrontations with the Coverers. Innerly, once the conscious currents are intensified, the being widens and the soul’s warrior-forces become assured against constriction and ignorance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vṛtra- (coverer) reflects an inherited ‘cover/close’ semantic field from PIE *wer- ‘to cover’ (broadly attested). √man (maṃsante) continues PIE *men- ‘think’ (cf. Greek menos ‘spirit’, Latin mens). The poetic pairing of ‘waters’ with ‘battle against obstruction’ is a characteristic Indo-Iranian formulaic linkage (Avestan also uses watery imagery with truth/ordering powers).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents the Waters as active collaborators in the human-divine struggle: they do not merely cleanse but magnify the field (pṛthvīḥ) in which the heroic energies operate. The devatā’s gift is increase (pinv-) that translates into courage and inner assent (maṃsante) in the decisive confrontation with obstruction.
Feel inner waters strengthening the base; then confront one specific ‘coverer’ (habit/obscurity) with steady heroic will.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (waters) grounding into Mūlādhāra (earth foundation) and rising to Maṇipūra (heroic will)
Bhastrikā light (3 rounds of 20) or Kapālabhāti gentle (3×30) to awaken ugra energy; follow with slow breathing to stabilize widened base.
Forceful clarity; courageous engagement without agitation.
First nourish: sleep, breath, purity (āpaḥ). Then act: one decisive step against resistance daily (śūrāḥ maṃsante).
Keep a stronger udatta emphasis on vṛtreṣu and śūrāḥ for the battle pivot; let the cadence broaden on pṛthvīḥ (requires accent text for exact).
Articulate the contrast: āpaḥ…pinvanta (nourish) | vṛtreṣu…ugrāḥ (battle-force).
: ‘nv’ cluster clean, : long ‘īḥ’ sustained; aspirate ‘th’, : vocalic ‘ṛ’ clear; retroflex ‘ṭr’ in vṛtra, : nasal ‘ṃ’ lightly; ‘nt’ crisp, : hard ‘gr’ cluster, long ‘āḥ’
Strong, grounded, slightly percussive consonants.
7
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
