Rig Veda 7.35.12: Mandala 7, Sukta 35, Mantra 12
Sukta 7.35
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Śānti through Satya-powers, Ribhus, Pitṛs
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
शं नः सत्यस्य पतयो भवन्तु शं नो अर्वन्तः शमु सन्तु गावः । शं न ऋभवः सुकृतः सुहस्ताः शं नो भवन्तु पितरो हवेषु ॥
śáṃ naḥ satyásya pátayo bhavantu śáṃ no árvantaḥ śám u santu gā́vaḥ | śáṃ na ṛ́bhavaḥ su-kṛ́taḥ su-hástāḥ śáṃ no bhavantu pítaro háveṣu ||
Sejahtera bagi kami: moga para penguasa Kebenaran (Satya) menjadi sejahtera; sejahtera bagi kami: moga kuda-kuda penarik menjadi sejahtera; moga sapi-sapi (sinar cahaya) menjadi sejahtera. Sejahtera bagi kami: moga para Ṛbhu, sempurna dalam kerja dan cekap tangan, menjadi sejahtera; sejahtera bagi kami: moga para Leluhur (Pitṛ) menjadi sejahtera dalam seruan pemujaan kami.
Word by Word
- शम्
- auspiciously; for welfareIndeclinableअव्यय (मङ्गल/कल्याणार्थे)Role (वाक्योपपद-प्रयोगः; आशीर्वादार्थक-उपपद)Root शम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) / √शम् (शमुँ) ‘शमने’ (निघण्टु-परम्परा)
- नः
- of us; for usPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (possessor: ‘for us/our’)Root अस्मद्
- सत्यस्य
- of truth; of the true (order)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive dependent on ‘पतयः’)Root सत्य-
- पतयः
- lords; mastersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of ‘भवन्तु’)Root पति-
- भवन्तु
- may they be; let them becomeVerbलोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √भू (भवति)
- शम्
- auspiciously; for welfareIndeclinableअव्ययRoot शम् (अव्यय)
- नः
- for usPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- अर्वन्तः
- horses; steedsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of ‘सन्तु’)Root अर्वन्त्-
- शम्
- auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot शम् (अव्यय)
- उ
- indeed; alsoIndeclinableनिपातः (उद्गार/अनुनासिक-प्रबलन; ‘indeed/also’)Root उ (निपात)
- सन्तु
- may they beVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √अस् (अस्ति)
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके बहुधा), प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of ‘सन्तु’)Root गो-
- शम्
- auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot शम् (अव्यय)
- नः
- for usPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- ऋभवः
- the Rbhus (divine artisans)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of ‘भवन्तु’ understood)Root ऋभु-
- सुकृतः
- well-doing; skillfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (ऋभवः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot सु-कृत- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
- सुहस्ताः
- good-handed; dexterousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (ऋभवः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot सु-हस्त-
- शम्
- auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot शम् (अव्यय)
- नः
- for usPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- भवन्तु
- may they beVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √भू
- पितरः
- the Fathers; ancestorsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of ‘भवन्तु’)Root पितृ-
- हवेषु
- in the calls/invocations; at the offeringsNounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वैदिक-प्रयोग), सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरण (locative: ‘in/at the invocations’)Root हव- (हविस्/हवः ‘invocation, call’ वैदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-विग्रह): शं नः सत्यस्य पतयः भवन्तु | शं नः अर्वन्तः शम् उ सन्तु गावः | शं नः ऋभवः सुकृतः सुहस्ताः | शं नः भवन्तु पितरः हवेषु || 1) ‘शं नो’ = शम् + नः (अनुस्वार/नकार-सन्धि; अव्यय ‘शम्’ + सर्वनाम-षष्ठी)
- 2) ‘शमु सन्तु’ = शम् + उ + सन्तु (निपात ‘उ’ पृथक्)
- 3) ‘नो अर्वन्तः’ = नः + अर्वन्तः (विसर्गाभावः; स्वर-सन्धिः नास्ति)
- 4) ‘ऋभवः सुकृतः’ इत्यत्र विशेषण-द्वयम् प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् ‘ऋभवः’ इत्यस्य सह समन्वयः
- 5) ‘हवेषु’ सप्तमी-बहुवचनम्, ‘भवन्तु’ क्रियायाः अधिकरणम्
The meaning
Outer meaning
Peace for us from the lords of Truth; peace from the steeds; peace from the cows; peace from the Ribhus, skilful workers; peace from the Fathers in our invocations.
Inner meaning
The ‘lords of Truth’ are powers that govern satya—truth-consciousness and its right manifestations. ‘Arvantaḥ’ (steeds) symbolize the vital energies and dynamic capacities for action that must become peaceful—disciplined, not restless. ‘Gāvaḥ’ (cows) are rays of light/knowledge; peace means an untroubled illumination, not scattered insights. The Ribhus represent the artisan powers in consciousness—those that perfect the instruments, refine the nature, and make the human fit for divine use. The Pitṛs are the forefathers—inner ancestral attainments and guiding formations from previous realizations; peace in invocations means the past supports, not binds, the present aspiration.
Universal truth
Peace is the harmonious cooperation of truth-powers, energies of action, lights of knowledge, powers of perfection in work, and the supportive wisdom of the past.
Themes
Truth-consciousness, Light-recovery (go as rays), Perfection/formation
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18 (truth and victory motifs), RV 4.33-4.37 (Ribhus, thematic cross-family), RV 10.15 (Pitṛs, thematic)
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha vision often joins satya (truth) with right action and perfected instrumentation—here expressed through truth-lords and the Ribhus.
Significance
This verse links peace to a complete yogic economy: truth-governance, disciplined energy, stable illumination, perfected inner craft, and right relation to the past.
The deity
- Devata
- Śānti through Satya-powers, Arvans, Gāvas, Ribhus, Pitṛs
- Epithets
- Satya-patayaḥ—masters of Truth, Ribhus—sukṛtaḥ, suhastāḥ
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (truth-law), Indra (illumination), Soma (delight), Agni (crafting will)
Cosmic role
Satya-powers uphold truth; steeds carry the movement; cows yield light; Ribhus perfect forms; Pitṛs preserve and transmit the gains of consciousness.
Inner power
Establishes peace as a perfected functioning: illumined knowledge (gāvaḥ) directs energy (arvantaḥ) under truth-governance (satya-patayaḥ), refined by skill (ṛbhavaḥ), supported by ancestral realization (pitaraḥ).
In ritual
Where it is used
Śānti recitation; also apt in rites invoking Pitṛs and in work/perfection contexts (artisan symbolism of Ribhus).
शं न॑: स॒त्यस्य॒ पत॑यो भवन्तु॒ शं नो॒ अर्व॑न्त॒: शमु॑ सन्तु॒ गाव॑: । शं न॑ ऋ॒भव॑: सु॒कृत॑: सु॒हस्ता॒: शं नो॑ भवन्तु पि॒तरो॒ हवे॑षु ॥
शम् । नः॒ । स॒त्यस्य॑ । पत॑यः । भ॒व॒न्तु॒ । शम् । नः॒ । अर्व॑न्तः । शम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । स॒न्तु॒ । गावः॑ । शम् । नः॒ । ऋ॒भवः॑ । सु॒ऽकृतः॑ । सु॒ऽहस्ताः॑ । शम् । नः॒ । भ॒व॒न्तु॒ । पि॒तरः॑ । हवे॑षु ॥
śam | naḥ | satyasya | patayaḥ | bhavantu | śam | naḥ | arvantaḥ | śam | oṃ iti | santu | gāvaḥ | śam | naḥ | ṛbhavaḥ | su-kṛtaḥ | su-hastāḥ | śam | naḥ | bhavantu | pitaraḥ | haveṣu
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables each
Balanced and practical; enumerative rhythm suits listing instruments of the path (truth, energy, light, craft, lineage).
Grounding and strengthening; it calms the life-force while affirming skill and continuity.
- सत्यस्य पतयः (satyasya patayaḥ)
- Literal: lords/masters of truth. Symbolic: governing powers of truth-consciousness; guardians of right seeing and right being
- अर्वन्तः (arvantaḥ)
- Literal: steeds. Symbolic: vital energies, dynamic drives, capacities for action
- गावः (gāvaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge; illuminations won from the darkness
- ऋभवः (ṛbhavaḥ)
- Literal: Ribhus, divine craftsmen. Symbolic: powers of perfection, skill, right formation of inner instruments
- सुकृतः (sukṛtaḥ)
- Literal: well-made, perfect in work. Symbolic: right action aligned with truth; perfected functioning
- सुहस्ताः (suhastāḥ)
- Literal: skilful-handed. Symbolic: effective conscious shaping—precision in sādhanā
- पितरः (pitaraḥ)
- Literal: Fathers/ancestors. Symbolic: ancestral powers, past realizations, inner guides from former attainments
- हवेṣu (haveṣu)
- Literal: in invocations/calls. Symbolic: in acts of aspiration; in prayerful turning of consciousness
Benediction for truth-governance, right energies (horses), illumination (cows), and ancestral support; suitable in rites involving Pitṛ offerings and in general auspicious openings.
During ancestral remembrance (pitṛ-kārya), before undertaking skilled work, or when seeking steadiness in action and clarity in knowledge.
Recitation with offerings to ancestors in traditional settings; inwardly, a consecration of work and lineage.
Before creative work or disciplined practice: invoke truth-governance, calm energy, steady insight, craftsmanship, and supportive memory/lineage.
satya from sat ‘being’ (√as) + -ya → truth as ‘that which is’. pati as ‘lord/protector’. arvant ‘steed’ connected to movement/going (etymology debated). go ‘cow’ also ‘ray’ in Vedic poetic diction; justified by recurrent RV imagery of cows as light released by dawn/Indra—semantic extension from ‘bright’/‘shining’ association. ṛbhú from √rabh/ṛbh ‘to work skillfully’ (artisan). √kṛ ‘do, make’ in su-kṛta. hasta ‘hand’ (PIE *ǵhesr- ‘hand’ cf. Latin herus?; standard cognate: Greek χείρ is different root; but ‘hand’ is ancient IE lexicon though exact mapping varies).
Satya (truth of being), Perfection of works (Ribhus as archetype of skill), Continuity of attainment (Pitṛs)
Ribhus exemplify ṛta in workmanship—right formation of the instruments of manifestation.
Truth is not abstract; it governs energies (horses) and illuminations (cows) so they become peaceful and effective.
Perfection of forms (Ribhus) and continuity of gains (Pitṛs) as a creative evolution of the human instrument.
Integral-psychological Veda: ‘cows’ as knowledge-rays, ‘horses’ as energies, Ribhus as formative powers.
Vital currents become steady mounts; illuminations gather as a calm herd of rays; perfected skill shapes the instrument; ancestral wisdom supports aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘recovery and establishment of Truth and Light’: ‘cows’ function as the mythic token of light/knowledge, while ‘steeds’ are the force that carries the seeker. The Ribhus represent the mythic artisans who perfect forms—symbolizing the yogic perfection of instruments. The Fathers secure continuity: the achieved past supports the present invocation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- satya (from ‘being’) shows the IE linkage between truth and existence (cf. Greek ἐτεός ‘true’ is different, but the metaphysics ‘truth = being’ is pervasive). The artisan-divine motif (Ribhus) parallels IE craft-divinities (e.g., Greek Hephaistos, Germanic smith motifs), though specific names differ; the poetic role is homologous.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi seeks governance by Satya’s ‘lords’—truth not as idea but as ruling power. He asks for right energies (arvantaḥ), right illuminations (gāvaḥ), perfected shaping capacities (ṛbhavaḥ), and the sanction of the ancestral line (pitaraḥ) within the very act of calling (háva).
Stabilize action and knowledge under truth: ‘Let my energies be calm, my insights steady, my workmanship perfect, my past supportive.’
Maṇipūra (energy and will) harmonized by Ājñā (truth-guided discernment).
Breath with gentle emphasis on exhale to pacify ‘horses’ (vital drives); brief inner repetition on inhale to gather ‘cows’ (light-rays).
Quiet power—śānta-vīrya; steady illumination guiding action.
After chanting, review one’s impulses (horses) and insights (cows): offer both to the ‘lords of truth’; then choose one concrete ‘sukṛta’ action as the day’s perfected work.
Observe udātta placement especially on ‘satyasya’ and deity-class names; keep refrain ‘śaṃ naḥ’ consistent and unhurried.
Give clear separation between ‘arvantaḥ’ and ‘gāvaḥ’—two distinct inner instruments (energy vs light).
satyasya: ‘ty’ conjunct crisp, patayo: dental ‘t’, short vowels, arvantaḥ: roll ‘r’; ‘v’ not ‘w’, gāvaḥ: long ‘ā’; ‘v’ soft; visarga light, ṛbhavaḥ: vocalic ‘ṛ’ (as in ‘ri’ with retroflex coloring), sukṛtaḥ: vocalic ‘ṛ’ again; aspirate ‘kh’ absent—keep ‘k’ plain, suhastāḥ: ‘h’ voiced; long ‘āḥ’, pitaraḥ: dental ‘t’; final visarga light/absent per form
Steady, firm, reassuring; slightly more strength on the ‘vira’ undertone without raising volume.
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