Rig Veda 1.113.20: Mandala 1, Sukta 113, Mantra 20
Sukta 1.113
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यच्चित्रमप्न उषसो वहन्तीजानाय शशमानाय भद्रम् । तन्नो मित्रो वरुणो मामहन्तामदितिः सिन्धुः पृथिवी उत द्यौः ॥
yác citrám ápna uṣáso váhantījānā́ya śaśamānā́ya bhadrám | tán no mitró váruṇo māmahantām áditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ||
Cokolwiek cudownego spełnienia Jutrzenki przynoszą jako dobro dla czciciela, który się stara, niech to Mitra i Varuṇa pomnożą dla nas; oraz Aditi, i Rzeka płynącego bytu, i Ziemia, i Niebo.
Word by Word
- यत्
- which/that (what)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (यच्चित्रम्… = ‘that which…’) / सम्बन्ध-निर्देशकRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / यद्-शब्द
- चित्रम्
- wondrous, brightAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (यत्…चित्रम् = ‘the wondrous (thing)’)Root चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अप्नः
- work, deed, achievementNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (वेदिक रूप: अप्नः)Role Karma (चित्रम् अप्नः = ‘wondrous work/deed’)Root अप्नस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषसः
- of Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive): ‘of Dawn’Root उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वहन्ती
- carrying, bringingParticipleवर्तमानकालिक शतृ-प्रत्यय, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (उषसः … वहन्ती = ‘Dawn carrying/bringing’)Root वह् (धातु) → वहन्ती (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)
- जानाय
- for the people / for the manNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (recipient): ‘for the people/man’Root जन (धातु) → जान (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘जान’ = जनित/जन्मना-सम्बद्ध) अथवा ‘जन’ (समूह) से; वेदिक ‘जान’ = ‘जन/मनुष्य’
- शशमानाय
- for the striving/active (worshipper)Participle (used as noun/adjective)दत्तिव (चतुर्थी), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (जानाय के विशेषणरूपेण)Role Sampradāna (with जानाय): ‘for the striving/zealous (worshipper)’Root शम् (धातु) → शशमान (वेदिक वर्तमान कृदन्त; reduplicated/intensive-type present stem)
- भद्रम्
- good, auspicious (boon)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (what is brought): ‘good (boon)’Root भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (of मामहन्ताम्): ‘that (boon)’Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (to/for us) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- मित्रः
- MitraNoun (deity)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of मामहन्ताम्): ‘Mitra’Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNoun (deity)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (co-agent with मित्रः): ‘Varuṇa’Root वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- मामहन्ताम्
- may they favor (us), may they magnifyVerbलोट्/आशीर्लिङ्-सदृश वेदिक प्रयोग, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (आज्ञार्थ/प्रार्थनार्थ)Role Kriyā (main verb): ‘may they favor/honor’Root मह् (धातु ‘to honor, to magnify’) → मा- + महन्ताम् (वेदिक: desiderative/precative-like injunctive/imperative usage in 3rd pl.)
- अदितिः
- AditiNoun (deity)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (additional subject of मामहन्ताम्)Root अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सिन्धुः
- Sindhu (river/ocean)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (additional subject of मामहन्ताम्)Root सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिवी
- EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (additional subject of मामहन्ताम्)Root पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चय (coordination)Root उत (निपात)
- द्यौः
- Heaven, SkyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वेदे प्रायः), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (additional subject of मामहन्ताम्)Root द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक) / द्यौस्
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: यच्चि॒त्रमप्न॑ उ॒षसो॒ वह॑न्ती-जा॒नाय॑ शशमा॒नाय॑ भ॒द्रम् । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहन्ता॒मदि॑ति॒: सिन्धु॑: पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥ पद-विच्छेद (मुख्य): यत् + चित्रम् + अप्नः + उषसः + वहन्ती + जानाय + शशमानाय + भद्रम् | तत् + नः + मित्रः + वरुणः + मामहन्ताम् + अदितिः + सिन्धुः + पृथिवी + उत + द्यौः । विशेष: (1) यत् + चित्रम् → यच्चित्रम् (त् + च् = च्च्). (2) तत् + नः → तन्नः (त् + न् = न्न्). (3) मामहन्ताम्: वेदिक प्रार्थनार्थ तिङन्त-रूप
- ‘मा-’ उपसर्ग सहित ‘मह्’ धातु से ‘सम्मान/अनुग्रह’ अर्थ में।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whatever wondrous fulfilment the Dawns bring as good to the worshipper who strives—may Mitra and Varuṇa magnify that for us; and Aditi, and Sindhu, and Earth, and Heaven.
Inner meaning
The Dawns carry ‘citra apnaḥ’—varied, luminous fulfillments: not random gifts but precise completions of inner growth. They come to the ‘ījānāya’ (one who worships/presses forward in sacrifice) and ‘śaśamānāya’ (one who labors, strives, disciplines). Mitra and Varuṇa are invoked to ‘māmahantām’—to enlarge and confirm the gain: Mitra as harmony and right relation, Varuṇa as vast law and soul-truth that releases from inner crookedness. Aditi seals it with infinity and wholeness; Sindhu is the flowing river of being (stream of consciousness) that must run clear and strong; Pṛthivī and Dyauḥ are the stable foundation and the high mind—earth and heaven within—so the dawn-gain becomes embodied and established from below to above.
Universal truth
Illumination becomes lasting only when confirmed by harmony, truth-law, wideness, a purified flow of being, and integration of the higher and lower nature.
Themes
Benediction and integration, Cosmic support for inner gains, From illumination to stable fulfillment, Harmony and law (Mitra-Varuṇa)
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.113, RV 1.115
Family tradition
The hymn culminates by calling confirmers of ṛta (Mitra-Varuṇa) and integrators (Aditi, Earth-Heaven), typical of Āṅgirasa completeness: light must become law, wideness, and embodiment.
Significance
The seer moves from the event of dawn to the stabilization of its fruits—showing a mature psychology of realization and integration.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas (with confirmers Mitra-Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Pṛthivī, Dyauḥ)
- Epithets
- vahantī (bearing/carrying), bhadram (bringing the good)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Pṛthivī, Dyauḥ
Cosmic role
Uṣas brings the gifts of manifestation; Mitra-Varuṇa uphold order; Aditi ensures unbroken wholeness; Earth-Heaven provide the total field.
Inner power
Illumination that becomes organized truth (Varuṇa), harmonious relation (Mitra), widened freedom (Aditi), purified flow (Sindhu), and integrated embodiment (Earth-Heaven).
In ritual
Where it is used
Concluding or confirmatory verse in dawn praise; also suitable as an anuvākyā-style affirmation of gains
यच्चि॒त्रमप्न॑ उ॒षसो॒ वह॑न्तीजा॒नाय॑ शशमा॒नाय॑ भ॒द्रम् । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहन्ता॒मदि॑ति॒: सिन्धु॑: पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥
यत् । चि॒त्रम् । अप्नः॑ । उ॒षसः॑ । वह॑न्ति । ई॒जा॒नाय॑ । श॒श॒मा॒नाय॑ । भ॒द्रम् । तत् । नः॒ । मि॒त्रः । वरु॑णः । म॒म॒ह॒न्ता॒म् । अदि॑तिः । सिन्धुः॑ । पृ॒थि॒वी । उ॒त । द्यौः ॥
yat | citram | apnaḥ | uṣasaḥ | vahanti | ījānāya | śaśamānāya | bhadram | tat | naḥ | mitraḥ | varuṇaḥ | mamahantām | aditiḥ | sindhuḥ | pṛthivī | uta | dyauḥ
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Balanced and concluding; a ‘sealing’ cadence with multiple invocations.
Stabilizes the mind after uplift; gives a sense of confirmation and completeness.
- चित्रम् (citram)
- Literal: wondrous, varied. Symbolic: many-sided luminous workings of consciousness
- अप्नः (apnaḥ)
- Literal: attainment/fulfilment. Symbolic: accomplished inner realization; effective completion
- ईजानाय (ījānāya)
- Literal: to the worshipper/sacrificer. Symbolic: one who offers and aspires consistently
- शशमानाय (śaśamānāya)
- Literal: to the striving one. Symbolic: disciplined practitioner applying tapas
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, luminous friendship, right relation
- वरुणः (varuṇaḥ)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast truth-law, soul-discipline, release from inner falsehood
- अदितिः (aditiḥ)
- Literal: Aditi (unbound). Symbolic: infinite consciousness, wholeness
- सिन्धुः (sindhuḥ)
- Literal: river/ocean. Symbolic: flowing being; current of consciousness
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: foundation, embodied stability
- द्यौः (dyauḥ)
- Literal: heaven/sky. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous expanse
Concluding benediction: whatever dawn-realizations arise, the cosmic upholders (Mitra-Varuṇa etc.) are asked to widen and stabilize them across all planes (heaven/earth/flow).
End of morning Uṣas recitation; when seeking integration of insights into life.
Prārthanā for magnification/confirmation of the dawn’s ‘apnaḥ’.
After meditation: chant to ‘ground’ realizations—asking harmony, truth-discipline, wideness, and embodied stability.
ápnas (apnaḥ) denotes ‘effective attainment/realized work’ rather than mere ‘labour’: the fruit of right action. māmahantām: optative/jussive from √mah ‘increase, magnify’. Mitra/Varuṇa represent complementary aspects of ṛta: concord and sovereign law. síndhu- ‘river’ (flowing mass) is extended symbolically to a stream of consciousness/plenitude.
ṛta upheld by Mitra-Varuṇa, Aditi as infinite support, apnas as realized accomplishment, integration of planes (Dyauḥ–Pṛthivī)
Mitra-Varuṇa magnify the dawn-gain by aligning it with ṛta.
Varuṇa’s enlargement implies purification and truth-conformity of the being.
From illumination (Uṣas) to ordered manifestation across the whole vertical range (Earth-Heaven).
Integral synthesis: realization must be universalized (Aditi) and embodied (Pṛthivī) while kept true (Varuṇa) and harmonious (Mitra).
dawn
A clear flow of consciousness (Sindhu) linking foundation (earth-body) and higher mind (heaven), so dawn-illumination becomes lived truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A sealing of dawn’s gifts by the cosmic governors: dawn brings wondrous realizations; Mitra-Varuṇa and the great supports (Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, Heaven) ‘magnify’ and stabilize them—mythically, the gains of light are ratified by ṛta’s guardians across the whole cosmos.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The Heaven–Earth dyad (dyauḥ–pṛthivī) is a classic Indo-European cosmological pairing (cf. *Dyēus ph₂tḗr). The legal/sovereign aspect of Varuṇa resonates with broader IE themes of cosmic order, while Mitra parallels Indo-Iranian treaty/bond concepts (Av. Miθra).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames his inner attainments (apnas) as needing cosmic confirmation. Dawn initiates the gain; Mitra-Varuṇa and the foundational powers are invoked to enlarge it in the human vessel and ensure it remains aligned with ṛta—turning momentary illumination into established good (bhadram).
Integration: let insight descend into breath, heart, and body; watch the ‘river’ of awareness become smooth and truthful.
mūlādhāra (grounding) + ājñā (clarity) axis
Lengthened exhale to settle (e.g., inhale 4, exhale 6–8) while sensing a downward grounding and upward openness.
Quietly luminous, integrated, ethically aligned.
After inner dawn experiences, invoke Mitra (harmonize relationships), Varuṇa (correct falsehood), Aditi (widen beyond fear), Sindhu (keep flow clear), Earth-Heaven (embody without losing height).
Maintain accent contrasts on citrám, ápnāḥ, uṣásaḥ, mítraḥ, váruṇaḥ, áditiḥ, síndhuḥ.
Let the list of confirmers (Mitra-Varuṇa-Aditi-Sindhu-Pṛthivī-Dyauḥ) be chanted with steady, even emphasis—like sealing stamps.
yac citram: keep c as ‘ch’ (palatal), not ‘s’, uṣaso: ṣ retroflex, o long, śaśamānāya: ś palatal; maintain long ā, māmahantām: nasalize lightly, keep aspirate th, pṛthivī: vocalic ṛ; vī long
Even, grounding, prayerful.
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