Rig Veda Sukta 49
Mandala 7Sukta 494 Mantras

Sukta 49

Sukta 7.49

Rishi

Vasiṣṭha

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

Himne Triṣṭubh yang ringkas oleh Vasiṣṭha ini memuji Air-Air ilahi (Āpaḥ) sebagai kuasa purba yang menyucikan diri, mengalir dan bergerak merentasi dunia, serta memohon kepada mereka perlindungan segera dan kesejahteraan. Ia mengaitkan Air dengan daya penggerak Indra dan dengan pengawasan moral Varuṇa terhadap kebenaran dan kepalsuan, lalu menampilkan air sebagai penyuci jasmani sekaligus penjaga ṛta. Himne ini memuncak dengan menempatkan Varuṇa, Soma, semua dewa, dan Vaiśvānara Agni di dalam Air, menjadikannya matriks penopang bagi kehidupan kosmik dan ritual.

Recitation with translationRig Veda 7.49

In this hymn

Addressed to

  • ApasĀpaḥ (Waters)

    Āpaḥ are addressed as devīḥ, divine, living waters, “eldest in the ocean,” ever-moving, bright and purifying, sweet-dripping (madhuścutaḥ), and worthy of direct petition for protection.

Mantras

Mantra 1

समुद्रज्येष्ठाः सलिलस्य मध्यात्पुनाना यन्त्यनिविशमानाः । इन्द्रो या वज्री वृषभो रराद ता आपो देवीरिह मामवन्तु ॥

Yang tertua di lautan, dari tengah-tengah air, sambil menyucikan diri mereka bergerak, tanpa menetap pada tempat yang tetap. Air-Air yang dibuat Indra—pemegang vajra, Sang Banteng—bergemuruh itu: semoga Air-Air ilahi itu melindungi aku di sini.

Mantra 2

या आपो दिव्या उत वा स्रवन्ति खनित्रिमा उत वा याः स्वयंजाः । समुद्रार्था याः शुचयः पावकास्ता आपो देवीरिह मामवन्तु ॥

Sama ada air itu mengalir dari langit, atau ditimba dari perigi, atau lahir dengan sendirinya; sama ada ia bergerak menuju samudera—air-air yang terang, yang menyucikan, yang memurnikan itu—semoga para Dewi Air (Āpaḥ) melindungi aku di sini.

Mantra 3

यासां राजा वरुणो याति मध्ये सत्यानृते अवपश्यञ्जनानाम् । मधुश्चुतः शुचयो याः पावकास्ता आपो देवीरिह मामवन्तु ॥

Air-air yang di tengahnya Raja Varuṇa bergerak, memerhati di kalangan manusia yang benar dan yang tidak benar; air-air yang suci, menitis kemanisan, yang memurnikan dan terang itu—semoga para Dewi Air (Āpaḥ) melindungi aku di sini.

Mantra 4

यासु राजा वरुणो यासु सोमो विश्वे देवा यासूर्जं मदन्ति । वैश्वानरो यास्वग्निः प्रविष्टस्ता आपो देवीरिह मामवन्तु ॥

Semoga para Dewi Air (Āpaḥ)—yang di dalamnya Raja Varuṇa berdaulat, yang di dalamnya Soma mengalir, yang di dalamnya semua dewa bersukacita dalam pertambahan—semoga air-air itu, yang ke dalamnya Agni Vaiśvānara, Api sejagat, telah memasuki, melindungi aku di sini.

Inside Sukta 49

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    The hymn opens by hailing the Waters as primordial and ocean-born, ceaselessly moving and self-purifying, and immediately asks for their protection.

  2. Development

    It expands their power by linking them to Indra’s thunderous energizing force and to their bright, sweetness-bearing purity.

  3. Climax

    A moral-cosmic peak: Varuṇa moves within them, discerning truth and falsehood among humans—making the waters agents of ethical and spiritual cleansing.

  4. Where it settles

    The hymn resolves by portraying the Waters as the dwelling-place of Varuṇa, Soma, all the gods, and Vaiśvānara Agni, then reiterates the protective plea: may these divine waters guard me here.

The deity: Āpaḥ

  • In the VedaThey are portrayed as the medium in which Varuṇa moves as king and judge of truth and untruth, and as a locus where Soma and even Agni (Vaiśvānara) are present.
  • Cosmic functionThey sustain life, cleanse impurity, carry vitality through rivers and rains, and uphold ṛta by serving as Varuṇa’s domain of oversight; they also act as a universal matrix in which divine powers operate and through which offerings and blessings circulate.
  • Inner significanceWaters symbolize inner purification—clarity of mind and conscience—washing away fault and restoring alignment with truth (satya) and right order (ṛta). They also signify the flowing continuity of consciousness: moving, non-fixed, renewing, and capable of carrying delight (Soma) and inner fire (Agni) without being consumed.

The seer

  • VasiṣṭhaVasiṣṭha-gotra (traditionally of the Vasiṣṭhas; connected with the Tr̥tsu/Bharata royal line in RV 7) · Foremost seer of Maṇḍala 7, celebrated as a brahman-priestly authority who articulates ṛta, royal legitimacy, and the efficacy of mantra—especially in hymns to Varuṇa, Indra, and Agni.

Famous verses

tā āpo devīr iha mām avantu
Verse 7.49.1Establishes the hymn’s core image: waters as primordial, ever-moving purifiers, empowered by Indra, and ends with the central protective refrain.Read verse 7.49.1 →
satyānṛte avapaśyan
Verse 7.49.3Highlights Varuṇa’s presence in the waters as judge of truth and untruth, connecting physical purity with moral-spiritual order (ṛta).Read verse 7.49.3 →
यासु राजा वरुणो यासु सोमो विश्वे देवा यासूर्जं मदन्ति । वैश्वानरो यास्वग्निः प्रविष्टस्ता आपो देवीरिह मामवन्तु ॥
Verse 7.49.4Culminating synthesis: waters as the matrix containing Varuṇa, Soma, all gods, and Vaiśvānara Agni—uniting purification, delight, and inner fire in one support.Read verse 7.49.4 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Purifying (punānāḥ, pāvakāḥ)
  • Ever-moving, non-settling (aniviśamānāḥ)
  • Sweet, life-giving (madhuścutaḥ)
  • Connected with ṛta and moral discernment (Varuṇa amid them)
  • Cosmic matrix holding multiple deities (Varuṇa, Soma, Viśve Devāḥ, Agni Vaiśvānara)

Also by this seer

  • Primary authorship attribution for much of Rigveda Maṇḍala 7 (Vasiṣṭha family hymns)
  • Notable Varuṇa hymns in RV 7 emphasizing ṛta and moral order (e.g., RV 7.86–7.89)
  • Agni and Indra hymns in RV 7 associated with Tr̥tsu/Bharata successes and priestly leadership

The rite, step by step

  • Prepare clean water in a vessel (ideally from a flowing source; otherwise well-filtered).
  • Invoke Āpaḥ with calm attention; recite the sukta (RV 7.49) in sequence, optionally three times.
  • Perform ācamana (sipping) or prokṣaṇa (sprinkling) while repeating the refrain-like prayer “tā āpo devīr iha mām avantu” (may the divine waters protect me here).
  • Optionally offer a small libation back to the waters (or to the fire) with gratitude, maintaining silence briefly for inner settling.
  • Conclude with a short prayer for purity, truthfulness, and protection under ṛta (Varuṇa).

Offerings

  • Water itself (libation/sprinkling)
  • If in a fire-rite context: ghee (ājya) as a minimal offering, with sanctified water used for prokṣaṇa
  • Flowers or kusa grass may accompany as ancillary items (regional practice)

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a short hymn to the divine Waters (Āpaḥ), praising their power to purify and asking them to protect the worshipper. It also links the waters with Varuṇa’s moral order and with Soma and Agni.

Because Varuṇa is the guardian of ṛta (right order). The hymn says he moves within the waters, watching truth and falsehood, so water becomes a symbol of both physical cleansing and ethical clarity.

It is commonly suited to simple purification acts like sipping or sprinkling water before prayer or ritual. Reciting the hymn with clean water and the refrain asking protection is the basic, traditional application.

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