Rig Veda 1.113.18: Mandala 1, Sukta 113, Mantra 18
Sukta 1.113
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
या गोमतीरुषसः सर्ववीरा व्युच्छन्ति दाशुषे मर्त्याय । वायोरिव सूनृतानामुदर्के ता अश्वदा अश्नवत्सोमसुत्वा ॥
yā́ gómātīr uṣásaḥ sárvavīrā vyùcchanti dāśúṣe mártyāya | vā́yor iva sūnṛ́tānām udarké tā́ aśvadā́ aśnavat sómasutvā ||
Te Jutrzenki, które błyszczą, bogate w promienie i pełne sił duszy, dla śmiertelnika, który daje, jak szerokie wypowiedzi Vāyu w ich wzniosłym przypływie, niech przez wyciskanie Somy osiągnie je, te, które dają energie szybkiej mocy.
Word by Word
- याः
- who/which (fem. pl.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गोमतीः
- possessing cows, rich in cattleAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गोमत् (प्रातिपदिक; गो + मतुप्)
- उषसः
- the DawnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सर्ववीराः
- having all heroes/men, rich in sonsAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सर्ववीर (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + वीर)
- वि
- apart, forth (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- उच्छन्ति
- they shine forth / dawnVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot वस्/उष्? → उच्छ् (धातु: वस्/उष् ‘to shine, dawn’; RV present stem उच्छ-)
- दाशुषे
- to the worshipper/giverNoun (participle used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot दाश्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दाश् ‘to give, worship’)
- मर्त्याय
- to the mortalNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- वायोः
- of VāyuNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot इव (निपात)
- सूनृतानाम्
- of kind/true words, of gracious speechesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root सूनृता (प्रातिपदिक)
- उदर्के
- in the later/upper (stage), at the conclusion (lit. ‘in the udarka’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उदर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
- ताः
- those (fem. pl.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वदाः
- giving horsesAdjective/Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अश्वदा (प्रातिपदिक; अश्व + दा ‘giving’)
- अश्नवत्
- attained/obtainedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √अश् (to attain, obtain, reach)
- सोमसुत्वा
- the Soma-pressing (rite); by Soma-pressingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्/उपपद-भाव) अथवा अव्ययीभाव-प्रायRole Karma (object/means notion)Root सोमसुत्व (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + सुत्व ‘pressing/press-rite’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): गोम॑तीरु॒षस॒: → गोमतीः उषसः
- व्यु॒च्छन्ति॑ → वि + उच्छन्ति
- वा॒योरि॑व → वायोः इव
- सू॒नृता॑नामुद॒र्के → सूनृतानाम् उदर्के
- ता अ॑श्व॒दा → ताः अश्वदाः. Accent marks in the Saṃhitā text are not reproduced in the pada forms here
- analysis is morphological after sandhi-splitting
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Dawns, rich in cattle (wealth) and heroes (strength), shine forth for the mortal giver. Like Vāyu’s far-reaching truthful utterances rising upward, may the Soma-presser attain those Dawns that grant horses (swift powers).
Inner meaning
Uṣas is the recurring illumination of consciousness. The ‘gomatīḥ’ are not cattle but rays of knowledge that accompany awakening; ‘sarvavīrāḥ’ are the full set of soul-forces (courage, clarity, aspiration, endurance) that become active when the inner dawn breaks. The ‘dāśuṣe’ is the one who offers—who gives egoistic possession into the inner yajña. Vāyu’s ‘sūnṛtā’ are the wide, truthful inspirations of the life-breath moving upward (udarke), lifting prāṇa into a purer current. Through ‘somasutvā’—pressing out bliss/ānanda from experience by right intensity and discernment—the seeker ‘attains’ the dawn-states that bestow ‘aśva’ (effective vital energy) for swift, luminous action.
Universal truth
When aspiration gives itself sincerely, higher clarity arrives naturally; truthful breath and uplifted life-force support illumination; and inner joy (Soma) converts awakening into stable power of action.
Themes
Gifts to the sacrificer, Illumination and energy, Breath and inspired speech, Soma as inner extraction
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.113 (Uṣas hymn), RV 1.115 (Sūrya), RV 1.94 (Agni, associated Angirasa current)
Family tradition
Kutsa hymns often press toward Dawn/Indra movements: the recovery of light, the forward march of illumination, and the right use of force (vīrya) under divine guidance.
Significance
As an Āṅgirasa seer, Kutsa stands in the lineage of the ‘finders of light’—those who break open the hidden radiances and establish the inner sacrifice as a progressive dawning.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas (supported by Vāyu and Soma)
- Epithets
- gomatī (ray-abounding), sarvavīrā (full of soul-forces), vyucchantī (shining forth), aśvadā (giver of swift energies)
- Related deities
- Vāyu, Soma, Sūrya, Agni
Cosmic role
She opens the path from Night to Day, bringing order and visibility; she prepares the field for Sūrya and the gods’ workings.
Inner power
Awakening intelligence, discernment, hope, and the rhythm of renewal; she turns aspiration into clear perception and workable energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Uṣas-stotra/early morning recitation within Soma and dawn-related praises
या गोम॑तीरु॒षस॒: सर्व॑वीरा व्यु॒च्छन्ति॑ दा॒शुषे॒ मर्त्या॑य । वा॒योरि॑व सू॒नृता॑नामुद॒र्के ता अ॑श्व॒दा अ॑श्नवत्सोम॒सुत्वा॑ ॥
याः । गोऽम॑तीः । उ॒षसः॑ । सर्व॑ऽवीराः । वि॒ऽउ॒च्छन्ति॑ । दा॒शुषे॑ । मर्त्या॑य । वा॒योःऽइ॑व । सू॒नृता॑नाम् । उ॒त्ऽअ॒र्के । ताः । अ॒श्व॒ऽदाः । अ॒श्न॒व॒त् । सो॒म॒ऽसुत्वा॑ ॥
yāḥ | go--matīḥ | uṣasaḥ | sarva-vīrāḥ | vi-ucchanti | dāśuṣe | martyāya | vāyoḥ-iva | sūnṛtānām | ut-arke | tāḥ | aśva-dāḥ | aśnavat | soma-sutvā
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, expansive, suited to ascent and proclamation.
Builds an inner ‘rising’ sensation; supports alertness and luminous effort without strain.
- उषसः (uṣasaḥ)
- Literal: dawns. Symbolic: successive illuminations; awakenings of consciousness
- गोमतीः (gomatīḥ)
- Literal: rich in cows. Symbolic: rich in rays of light/knowledge (go = illumined perceptions)
- सर्ववीराः (sarvavīrāḥ)
- Literal: full of heroes. Symbolic: complete soul-forces/inner strengths activated by the dawn
- दाशुषे (dāśuṣe)
- Literal: to the giver. Symbolic: the practitioner offering ego and works into the inner sacrifice
- वायोः (vāyoḥ)
- Literal: of Vāyu (wind). Symbolic: life-breath/prāṇa as carrier of inspiration and upward movement
- सूनृतानाम् (sūnṛtānām)
- Literal: of truthful/good utterances. Symbolic: wide true inspirations; right speech of the inner being
- उदर्के (udarke)
- Literal: in the uplift/height. Symbolic: raised plane of consciousness; ascending prāṇa
- अश्वदाः (aśvadāḥ)
- Literal: horse-giving. Symbolic: granting swift vital energy and effective force of action
- सोमसुत्वा (somasutvā)
- Literal: by Soma-pressing. Symbolic: extracting bliss/ānanda by inner tapas and offering
Connects dawn with Soma discipline: the pressings are inner extractions of clarity/delight enabling the seeker to ‘attain’ the dawn-gifts (rays and energies).
At daybreak; especially in contexts invoking awakening, prosperity, and right energy for works.
Praise/invocation (stuti) with intention of receiving light (go) and force (aśva).
Morning practice: chant before meditation to invite clarity; pair with breath-awareness to ‘lift’ prāṇa and begin the day in right will.
go-matī ‘cow-possessing’ is read symbolically via go ‘ray/light/knowledge’ (√gav/ga ‘to shine, to go’ in Vedic semantic field). vīra ‘hero’ extends to ‘effective force’ of the soul. sūnṛtā ‘true utterance’ (su- + nṛta ‘truth, rightness’) links speech with ṛta. soma-sutvā: instrumental of action—pressing out soma (√su ‘press’) as extracting delight-essence.
go as rays/knowledge, sūnṛtā as truth-speaking aligned with ṛta, soma as delight-essence empowering ascent
Dawn is the visible sign of Ṛta’s renewal—order reasserting itself after obscurity.
sūnṛtā (true utterance) indicates truth-speaking as a power that widens and uplifts consciousness.
Daily re-creation of light from concealment; manifestation of knowledge-forces from the hidden.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: progressive revelation of higher consciousness through sacrifice.
dawn
Illumination supported by upward-moving prāṇa and stabilized by bliss that turns insight into effective action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The beneficent Dawns give ‘cows’ (rays) and ‘horses’ (energies) to the offering mortal; the mythic economy of gift and attainment: by Soma-pressing (inner extraction of delight/clarity), the seeker reaches the dawn-powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The Dawn plural uṣásaḥ remains the inherited Dawn figure (*h₂éwsōs). The horse-gift (aśva) again reflects PIE *h₁éḱwos. The verb √aś ‘attain’ has Indo-European parallels in desire/attainment semantics, supporting the formulaic ‘attain the boon’ structure common to IE hymnody.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The relationship is explicitly transactional yet inward: the dāśuṣ (giver) offers; Uṣas responds with rays and forces. Soma-sutvā indicates the rishi’s method—inner pressing/extraction—by which the devatā’s gifts become realizations rather than external possessions.
Invite the ‘inner dawn’: observe the first clear thought before mental proliferation; offer it upward as aspiration.
ājñā (clarity) with support from anāhata (uplift)
Gentle ujjāyī or slow nasal breathing; feel the inhale ‘udarke’ (upward lift).
Waking-to-luminous (prabodha), widening mind, quiet joy.
Chant, then sit: (1) offer the day’s intention (dāśuṣe), (2) widen breath and truth-sense (sūnṛtā), (3) feel a quiet delight (Soma) and let action-energy (aśva) arise without haste.
Vedic svara as per Śākala tradition (udātta/anudātta/svarita); preserve accents especially on uṣásaḥ, gómātīḥ, sūnṛ́tānām, sómasutvā.
Keep udātta as a clear lift; svarita as a gentle fall; avoid flattening compounds like somasutvā.
uṣasaḥ: retroflex ṣ, short a at end, gomatīr: lengthen ī, keep r as light tap, vyucchanti: articulate vyu- (not viu-), double ch sound, sūnṛtānām: ṛ is vocalic (ri-like), long ā maintained, aśvadā: ś is palatal; keep dā long
Bright, forward, slightly rising tone to mirror dawn’s ascent.
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