Rig Veda 3.39.7: Mandala 3, Sukta 39, Mantra 7
Sukta 3.39
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ज्योतिर्वृणीत तमसो विजानन्नारे स्याम दुरितादभीके । इमा गिरः सोमपाः सोमवृद्ध जुषस्वेन्द्र पुरुतमस्य कारोः ॥
jyótir vṛṇīta támaso vi-jānán nā́re syāma duritā́d abhī́ke | imā́ giraḥ soma-pāḥ soma-vṛddha juṣásvendra puru-támasya kāróḥ ||
ତମସ୍ରୁ ପୃଥକ୍ ଚିହ୍ନି ଜ୍ୟୋତିକୁ ଆମେ ବରଣ କରିବା; ଦୁରିତ ନିକଟେ ଚାପି ଆସିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଆମେ ତାହାରୁ ଦୂରେ ରହିବା। ହେ ସୋମପା, ହେ ସୋମବୃଦ୍ଧ, ପୁରୁତମ କର୍ମ କରୁଥିବା ଏହି କାରୁଙ୍କ ଇମା ଗିରଃ—ଏହି ସ୍ତୁତିବାଣୀକୁ—ହେ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର, ତୁମେ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନତାରେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କର।
Word by Word
- ज्योतिः
- lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (वृणीत) / (वैकल्पिक) कर्म-विशेष्यRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृणीत
- choosesVerbलट् (वेदे: वर्तमानार्थे), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वृ (वृणोति ‘choose’)
- तमसः
- from darknessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विजानन्
- knowing, discerningVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (वृणीत-कर्तुः)Root √ज्ञा (वि + √ज्ञा ‘discern/know’)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न (निपात)
- आरे
- far awayIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (भावार्थे: ‘दूरे’)Root आरे (अव्यय)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √अस् (भू/अस् ‘to be’)
- दुरितात्
- from distress/sinNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot दुरित (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभीके
- in nearness, close at handNoun/Adjective (used adverbially)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अभीक (प्रातिपदिक)
- इमाः
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्म (जुषस्व)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (जुषस्व) / (वैकल्पिक) कर्तृ (इमाः गिरः) सहRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमपाः
- O Soma-drinkerNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोमपा (सोम + पा ‘drinker’) (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमवृद्ध
- O Soma-increased/strengthenedAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोमवृद्ध (सोम + वृद्ध) (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषस्व
- enjoy/acceptVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √जुष् (जुषते ‘take pleasure in/accept’)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुतमस्य
- of the most abundant/manyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (कारोः) / (वैकल्पिक) विशेषण-सम्बन्धRoot पुरुतम (पुरु + तम) (प्रातिपदिक)
- कारोः
- of the singer/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (इमाः गिरः … कारोः)Root कारु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: ज्योतिः + वृणीत (visarga before v)
- तमसो + विजानन् → तमसः विजानन् (o→aḥ before voiced consonant, Vedic)
- न + आरे → नारे
- स्याम + दुरितात् → स्याम् दुरितात् (anusvāra/halant before d)
- दुरितात् + अभीके → दुरितादभीके (t→d before vowel)
- इमा + गिरः → इमाः गिरः (āḥ before g)
- जुषस्व + इन्द्र → जुषस्वेन्द्र (a+i→e)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The singer chooses the Light, distinguishing it from Darkness, and prays to be kept far from distress even when it comes close; he asks Indra, Soma-drinker and Soma-increased, to accept these hymns from the doer of many works.
Inner meaning
The seeker makes a decisive inner selection (vṛṇīta) for jyotis—clarity, vision, awakened consciousness—by discriminating it from tamas (inertia, obscurity, subconscient confusion). Even if inner difficulty presses near (abhīke), the aspiration is to stand in a widened, protected consciousness. The mantra then turns to Indra as the illumined Mind-force strengthened by Soma (ānanda): accept these inspired utterances (giraḥ) arising from sustained inner works (purutamasya kāroḥ)—many-stranded tapas, repeated effort, multifold practice.
Universal truth
Progress depends on conscious choice and discernment: selecting light over obscurity, and repeatedly offering one’s speech, will, and works to the higher Intelligence strengthened by bliss. When the inner light is chosen, suffering may approach but need not possess the consciousness.
Themes
choice of light, protection prayer, Soma-Indra reciprocity, inner discrimination
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika (traditional for Viśvāmitra)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.39, RV 3.40, RV 3.26, RV 3.29
Family tradition
Gāthin/Viśvāmitra lineage of mantric will and kṣatriya-tapas transforming into brahmarṣi vision; hymns often stress conquest of darkness by Indra and the dawning of right knowledge.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s signature is the power of will (kratu/tapas) that compels illumination—an archetype of the aspirant who turns struggle into revelation and establishes the inner sacrifice.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Somapāḥ (Soma-drinker), Somavṛddha (Soma-increased), Maghavān (bountiful), Vṛṣabha (bull-power, in adjacent verses)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous Mind and victorious force who breaks the coverings and releases the treasures (light, wideness, joy).
Inner power
The awakened, discerning intelligence with heroic energy that accepts the seeker’s mantric offering and establishes protection and wideness against inner distress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise within Soma-yajña sequences (general Indra stotra usage)
ज्योति॑र्वृणीत॒ तम॑सो विजा॒नन्ना॒रे स्या॑म दुरि॒ताद॒भीके॑ । इ॒मा गिर॑: सोमपाः सोमवृद्ध जु॒षस्वे॑न्द्र पुरु॒तम॑स्य का॒रोः ॥
ज्योतिः॑ । वृ॒णी॒त॒ । तम॑सः । वि॒ऽजा॒नन् । आ॒रे । स्य॒म॒ । दुः॒ऽइ॒तात् । अ॒भीके॑ । इ॒माः । गिरः॑ । सो॒म॒ऽपाः॒ । सो॒म॒ऽवृ॒द्ध॒ । जु॒षस्व॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । पु॒रु॒ऽतम॑स्य । का॒रोः ॥
jyotiḥ | vṛṇīta | tamasaḥ | vi-jānan | āre | syama | duḥ-itāt | abhīke | imāḥ | giraḥ | soma-pāḥ | soma-vṛddha | juṣasva | indra | puru-tamasya | kāroḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, heroic cadence with room for reflective discrimination (vijānán) and decisive resolve (vṛṇīta).
Builds will and clarity; the listener feels a firm inner choice and an expanding protection even amid pressure.
- jyótiḥ
- Literal: light, radiance. Symbolic: illumined consciousness; clarity of seeing; spiritual knowledge
- támas
- Literal: darkness. Symbolic: ignorance, inertia, subconscient cover (avidyā/tamas)
- vijānán
- Literal: discerning, distinguishing. Symbolic: viveka—inner discrimination separating truth from confusion
- duritá
- Literal: distress, misfortune, sin. Symbolic: inner suffering, wrong movement, hostile pressure in sādhanā
- abhīké
- Literal: near, close at hand. Symbolic: when difficulty presses upon the surface nature
- gíraḥ
- Literal: utterances, songs. Symbolic: inspired speech (vāk) offered as inner oblation
- somapāḥ
- Literal: Soma-drinker. Symbolic: the illumined power that receives and enjoys ānanda
- somavṛddha
- Literal: increased by Soma. Symbolic: mind-force intensified by delight, faith, and luminous ecstasy
- purutamasya kāroḥ
- Literal: of the doer of many works. Symbolic: the practitioner whose tapas is manifold—repeated offerings, many-sided effort
Prayer for protection and right discrimination within Soma rite; the mantra aligns with choosing jyotis over tamas and asking Indra to accept the hymns.
During Soma pressing/offerings and Indra invocations; also suitable in daily recitation for protection and clarity.
Recitation/chant as stotra while offering Soma or symbolic oblation; inviting Indra to accept inspired speech.
Use as a discrimination-and-protection mantra before meditation or during periods of psychological heaviness: ‘choose the light, distinguish from darkness’.
vi-jānán (vi-√jñā) emphasizes discriminative knowledge—key psychological act separating light from darkness. durita: ‘hard-going’ (dus- + ita ‘gone’), hence wrong movement/difficulty; not merely external misfortune. √juṣ indicates savoring/acceptance: the deity ‘tastes’ the offering as inner reciprocity.
viveka-like discrimination (vi-jñāna), deliverance from durita, Soma as delight-force increasing divine power
Choosing jyotis over tamas aligns the seeker with Ṛta—right seeing and right movement.
Light is the form of Satya in consciousness: truth seen and lived.
Release of light from darkness—an inner cosmogony repeated in the human being.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap line): ascent from tamas to jyotis through offering (yajña) and divine aid.
Dawn-edge (symbolically: transition from night to illumination)
Light/dawn = awakening knowledge; darkness/night = subconscient inertia; Soma = delight that empowers the illumined mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The decisive choice of Light over Darkness—an inner reenactment of Indra’s cosmic victory. The mythologem is ethical-psychological: discernment (vi-jānán) as the weapon that keeps distress at a distance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jñā ‘know’ corresponds to PIE *ǵneh₃- ‘to know’ (cf. Greek gignōskō). The vi- prefix adds ‘separative/analytic’ force, mirroring a cognitive operation foundational to Indo-European poetic thought: knowing as distinguishing.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi offers utterance (giraḥ) and seeks a lived result: protection through illumination. Indra is Soma-strengthened and thus capable of responding; the exchange is delight-force and praise → divine acceptance → human safety through light.
Viveka: consciously choose the luminous state; offer speech and effort to the illumined Mind (Indra).
Ājñā (discernment, inner seeing)
Nadi-śodhana or 4-4-6 breathing to stabilize clarity under pressure.
From tamasic clouding to sattvic luminosity and widened protection.
Repeat slowly; on ‘jyotir vṛṇīta’ feel a deliberate turning to light; on ‘tamaso vijānann’ practice discrimination; on ‘juṣasva’ inwardly offer your words, works, and aspiration to the higher Intelligence.
Vedic svara required: follow śākha-specific notation; key udatta peaks typically on mantra-driving words (e.g., jyótiḥ, índra) with anudatta supports and svarita transitions.
Keep the udatta syllable crisp and slightly raised; do not stress by volume—by pitch. Maintain sandhi: tamaso-vijānann (link smoothly).
jyótiḥ: ‘jyo’ as ‘dyo’ glide; final ḥ lightly aspirated, vṛṇīta: retroflex ṇ; long ī, duritād: clear dental d; long ā, abhīke: long ī; kh not present—‘ke’ clean, juṣasva: ṣ as retroflex ‘sh’
steady, bright, resolute; not harsh—heroic clarity.
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.
