Sukta 101
Sukta 7.101
Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha-gotra; traditional attribution for RV 7)
Parjanya (Rain/Thundering Power) conceived also as vṛṣabha (the Bull of fertilizing force)
Triṣṭubh
ପର୍ଜନ୍ୟଙ୍କୁ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ କରିଥିବା ଏହି ସୂକ୍ତରେ ଗର୍ଜନଶୀଳ ବର୍ଷା-ଶକ୍ତିକୁ vṛṣabha (ବୃଷଭ) ଭାବେ ସ୍ତୁତି କରାଯାଇଛି—ଯାହାର ବୀଜବାହୀ ଶକ୍ତି ଉଦ୍ଭିଦମାନଙ୍କୁ ଜୀବନ୍ତ କରେ, ସମଗ୍ର ଜଗତକୁ ମାଧୁର୍ୟରେ ପୂରଣ କରେ ଏବଂ ଉର୍ବରତା ସ୍ଥାପନ କରେ। ବସିଷ୍ଠ ବର୍ଷାକୁ ଜଳ ଓ ସାରତତ୍ତ୍ୱମାନଙ୍କର ବିଶ୍ୱବ୍ୟାପୀ ବଣ୍ଟନ ଭାବେ ଚିତ୍ରଣ କରନ୍ତି—ଗତି ଓ ରୂପରେ ତ୍ରିଗୁଣ—ଏବଂ ଶେଷରେ ପ୍ରାର୍ଥନା କରନ୍ତି ଯେ ଋତ (ସତ୍ୟ-ନିୟମ) ଓ ସ୍ୱସ୍ତି (ସମନ୍ୱିତ କୁଶଳ) ଉପାସକଙ୍କୁ ଦୀର୍ଘାୟୁ ପାଇଁ ରକ୍ଷା କରୁନ୍ତୁ।
Mantras
Mantra 1
तिस्रो वाचः प्र वद ज्योतिरग्रा या एतद्दुह्रे मधुदोघमूधः । स वत्सं कृण्वन्गर्भमोषधीनां सद्यो जातो वृषभो रोरवीति ॥
ଅଗ୍ରେ ଜ୍ୟୋତି ଥିବା ତ୍ରିବିଧ ବାଣୀକୁ ଉଚ୍ଚାର କର; ଏହିଠାରୁ ସେମାନେ ମଧୁ-ଦୋହନ କରୁଥିବା ଥନକୁ ଦୋହନ କରନ୍ତି। ସେ ବୃଷଭ, ନବଜାତ, ସତ୍ୱରେ ଔଷଧିମାନଙ୍କର ଗର୍ଭ-ରୂପ ବଛାକୁ ଗଢ଼ିଦେଇ ଗର୍ଜନ କରେ।
Mantra 2
यो वर्धन ओषधीनां यो अपां यो विश्वस्य जगतो देव ईशे । स त्रिधातु शरणं शर्म यंसत्त्रिवर्तु ज्योतिः स्वभिष्ट्यस्मे ॥
ଯେ ଔଷଧିମାନଙ୍କର ବର୍ଧକ, ଯେ ଅପାଂ (ଜଳମାନଙ୍କର) ଅଧିପତି, ଯେ ଦେବ ରୂପେ ସମସ୍ତ ଜଗତକୁ ଶାସନ କରନ୍ତି—ସେ ଆମକୁ ତ୍ରିଧାତୁ-ଆଧାରିତ ଶରଣ ଓ ଶର୍ମ (କଲ୍ୟାଣ) ଦିଅନ୍ତୁ; ଏବଂ ଆମ ଭିତରେ ତ୍ରିବର୍ତୁ ଜ୍ୟୋତି—ସୁପ୍ରାପ୍ତି—ସ୍ଥାପନ କରନ୍ତୁ।
Mantra 3
स्तरीरु त्वद्भवति सूत उ त्वद्यथावशं तन्वं चक्र एषः । पितुः पयः प्रति गृभ्णाति माता तेन पिता वर्धते तेन पुत्रः ॥
ବିସ୍ତୃତ (ଜଗତ) ତୁମଠାରୁ ହିଁ ହୁଏ; ତୁମଠାରୁ ହିଁ ପ୍ରସବ ଘଟେ; ତୁମ ଇଚ୍ଛାନୁସାରେ ଏହି ଜଣେ ଦେହକୁ ଗଢ଼ିଲା। ମାତା ପିତାଙ୍କର ପୟଃ (ଦୁଧ) ଗ୍ରହଣ କରେ; ତାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ପିତା ବଢ଼େ, ତାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ପୁତ୍ର ବଢ଼େ।
Mantra 4
यस्मिन्विश्वानि भुवनानि तस्थुस्तिस्रो द्यावस्त्रेधा सस्रुरापः । त्रयः कोशास उपसेचनासो मध्वः श्चोतन्त्यभितो विरप्शम् ॥
ଯସ୍ମିନ୍ ସମସ୍ତ ଭୁବନ ଦୃଢ଼ଭାବେ ସ୍ଥିତ; ତିନି ଦ୍ୟାବ (ଆକାଶ) ଓ ଆପଃ (ଜଳ) ତ୍ରିଧା ରୀତିରେ ପ୍ରବାହିତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି। ଉପସେଚନ ପାଇଁ ତିନି କୋଶ (ପାତ୍ର) ମଧୁ (ମାଧୁର୍ୟ) ଝରାଉଛନ୍ତି—ବିରପ୍ଶ (ବିଶାଳ-ରୂପ) ଉପରେ ସମସ୍ତ ଦିଗରେ।
Mantra 5
इदं वचः पर्जन्याय स्वराजे हृदो अस्त्वन्तरं तज्जुजोषत् । मयोभुवो वृष्टयः सन्त्वस्मे सुपिप्पला ओषधीर्देवगोपाः ॥
ଏହି ବଚନ ପର୍ଜନ୍ୟଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ—ସ୍ୱରାଜ (ସ୍ୱୟଂ-ରାଜା)ଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ; ଏହା ହୃଦୟର ଭିତରେ ରହୁ—ସେ ଏହାକୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରୁନ୍ତୁ। ଆମ ପାଇଁ ମୟୋଭୁବଃ (ଆନନ୍ଦଦାୟକ) ବୃଷ୍ଟି ହେଉ; ଦେବଗୋପାଃ (ଦେବମାନଙ୍କ ରକ୍ଷାରେ) ଓଷଧିମାନେ ସୁପିପ୍ପଲା (ସୁଫଳିତ) ହେଉନ୍ତୁ।
Mantra 6
स रेतोधा वृषभः शश्वतीनां तस्मिन्नात्मा जगतस्तस्थुषश्च । तन्म ऋतं पातु शतशारदाय यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
ସେ ରେତୋଧା (ବୀଜ-ଧାରକ), ଶାଶ୍ୱତୀମାନଙ୍କର ବୃଷଭ (ବୃଷଭ) ଅଟନ୍ତି; ଚଳମାନ ଓ ସ୍ଥାବର—ସମସ୍ତ ଜଗତର ଆତ୍ମା ତାଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ନିହିତ। ସେଇ ଋତ ମୋତେ ଶତଶାରଦାୟ (ଶତ ଶରଦ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ) ରକ୍ଷା କରୁ; ଏବଂ ଆପଣମାନେ ଆମକୁ ସଦା ସ୍ୱସ୍ତିଭିଃ (ମଙ୍ଗଳମୟ ଆଶୀର୍ବାଦରେ) ରକ୍ଷା କରନ୍ତୁ।
Inside Sukta 101
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A summons to utter the luminous ‘threefold Word’ and behold the honey-yielding udder of abundance, introducing Parjanya as the newly-born roaring Bull of fertility.
- Development
The hymn expands Parjanya from meteorological force to cosmic bearer: worlds are set in him; heavens and waters move in triple courses; vessels of sweetness pour around the broad-form.
- Climax
Parjanya is declared retodhā (seed-holder), the Bull of the eternities, in whom the self of all moving and still beings abides—rain as universal life-principle under Ṛta.
- Where it settles
The poet turns the vision into prayer: may Ṛta guard for a hundred autumns, and may protective harmonies (svasti) continually shelter the worshippers.
The deity: Parjanya
- In the VedaParjanya is the thunderer and rain-bringer who roars, releases the waters, and makes the earth fruitful; he is praised as a bull whose fertilizing seed becomes the embryo of herbs and crops.
- Cosmic functionTo gather, contain, and pour down the celestial waters, renewing the cycles of growth, food, and life; to mediate between heaven’s reservoirs and earth’s fertility through thunder, rain, and seasonal order.
- Inner significanceThe awakening power that ‘waters’ the inner field—reviving vitality, clarity, and generative intention; the disciplined release of stored energies in accord with Ṛta, producing sweetness (madhu) as mature outcome.
The seer
- VasiṣṭhaVasiṣṭha-gotra · Foremost seer of the Seventh Maṇḍala, celebrated for hymns of Ṛta, royal prosperity, and the spiritual authority of the Vasiṣṭhas; later tradition remembers him as a paradigmatic brahmarṣi and counselor of kings.
Famous verses
tisro vācaḥ… jyotiragrāḥ
यस्मिन्विश्वानि भुवनानि तस्थुस्तिस्रो द्यावस्त्रेधा सस्रुरापः । त्रयः कोशास उपसेचनासो मध्वः श्चोतन्त्यभितो विरप्शम् ॥tan ma ṛtam pātu śataśāradāya
Attributes of the deity
- Rain and thunder (roaring, cloud-bearing power)
- Fertility and seed-bearing potency (retodhā, vṛṣabha)
- Distributor of waters/essences in ordered channels
- Source of madhu (sweetness, nourishment)
- Cosmic support in which worlds are set firm
- Protector through Ṛta and svasti
Also by this seer
- Rigveda Maṇḍala 7 (many hymns traditionally attributed to Vasiṣṭha and his lineage)
- Hymns to Varuṇa and Ṛta emphasizing moral-cosmic order (notably within RV 7)
- Later Vedic-Itihāsa tradition associates Vasiṣṭha with the Vasiṣṭha-dharma and Vasiṣṭha-smṛti corpus (attributional)
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the altar and kindle Agni; establish a calm, ordered space (ṛta-oriented intention).
- Recite the hymn in Triṣṭubh cadence, invoking Parjanya as the bull who releases waters and quickens plants.
- Contemplate the ‘triple’ imagery (threefold word/heavens/waters) as ordered distribution rather than mere storm.
- Offer oblations while requesting madhu (sweet nourishment) for fields, cattle, and people.
- Conclude with a protective prayer for long life and continuous svasti (well-being) for the household/community.
Offerings
- Ghṛta (ghee) oblations into Agni
- Soma (where applicable in Śrauta context)
- Payas (milk) and/or anna (grain) as symbolic gifts of fertility
- Ājya and water libations (as complements to rain-invocation)
Frequently Asked Questions
Parjanya is the Vedic power of thunder and rain. Here he is praised as a bull whose seed-bearing force makes plants grow and brings sweetness and nourishment to the world.
The sukta uses “threefold” language to show ordered distribution—speech, heavens, and waters moving in structured channels. It suggests rain is not random, but follows Ṛta, a cosmic rule of harmony.
It is recited to seek timely rain, fertility, and prosperity, and to restore balance when conditions feel dry or disordered. The closing prayer asks for long life and continual well-being (svasti) under Ṛta.
Ask anything about Sukta 101 of the Rig Veda
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