Rig Veda 1.136.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 136, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.136
- Rishi
- Gautama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa with Aryaman as protector of the follower of vrata
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh/Jagatī mixture
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
यो मित्राय वरुणायाविधज्जनोऽनर्वाणं तं परि पातो अंहसो दाश्वांसं मर्तमंहसः । तमर्यमाभि रक्षत्यृजूयन्तमनु व्रतम् । उक्थैर्य एनोः परिभूषति व्रतं स्तोमैराभूषति व्रतम् ॥
yó mitrā́ya váruṇāyā́vidhaj jáno ’narvā́ṇaṃ táṃ pári pāto áṃhasaḥ dāśvā́ṃsaṃ mártam áṃhasaḥ | tám aryamā́bhí rakṣaty ṛjūyántam ánu vrátam | ukthaíryá enóḥ paribhū́ṣati vrátam stómair ābhū́ṣati vrátam ||
Śmiertelnik, który służy Micie i Warunie z niepodzieloną wolą, chrońcie go ze wszystkich stron przed zawężającym złem, dającego, człowieka, przed złem. Arjaman chroni tego, kto idzie prosto, podążając za prawem istnienia. Ten, kto przyozdabia prawo natchnioną mową, kto upiększa prawo hymnami, jest chroniony.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्राय
- to MitraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणाय
- to VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- अविधत्
- has apportioned / has assigned (service/offerings)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √धा (विधा/वि-धा)
- जनः
- the man, worshipperNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनर्वाणम्
- unfailing, unwearied (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अनर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक; न-र्वाण ‘not failing/unslackening’)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around; completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पातः
- protect (thou)Verbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √पा (पा ‘to protect’)
- अंहसः
- from distress/sinNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot अंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दाश्वांसम्
- the giving one; the generous worshipperParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (परिपूर्ण-कर्तरि कृदन्तः)Role KarmaRoot दाश्वांस् (कृदन्त; √दा ‘to give’)
- मर्तम्
- mortalNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- अंहसः
- from distress/sinNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot अंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्यमा
- AryamanNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अर्यमा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards; overIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- रक्षति
- protectsVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √रक्ष्
- ऋजूयन्तम्
- the straight-going (one)Participleपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (वर्तमान कृदन्तः)Role KarmaRoot ऋजूयन्त् (कृदन्त; √ऋजु/ऋज् ‘to go straight’, denom./intensive sense ‘going straight’)
- अनु
- according to; followingIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- व्रतम्
- vow; ordinance; sacred lawNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थैः
- with hymns/recitationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot उक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एनॊः
- of sin/offenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (वैदिक रूप: एनॊः = एनसः)Role SambandhaRoot एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around; completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भूषति
- adorns; makes splendidVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √भूष्
- व्रतम्
- the ordinance/vowNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोमैः
- with praises; with stomasNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आभूषति
- adorns; embellishesVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √भूष् (आ-भूष्)
- व्रतम्
- the ordinance/vowNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved/normalized padapāṭha-style splits: वरुणायाविधत् → वरुणाय + अविधत्
- जनोऽनर्वाणम् → जनः + अनर्वाणम्
- पातो अंहसो → पातः + अंहसः
- दाश्वांसं मर्तम् → दाश्वांसम् + मर्तम्
- रक्षत्यृजूयन्तम् → रक्षति + ऋजूयन्तम्
- अर्यमाभि → अर्यमा + अभि
- रक्षत्यृजूयन्तमनु → रक्षति + ऋजूयन्तम् + अनु
- उक्थैर्य → उक्थैः + यः
- एनोः (वैदिक) treated as षष्ठी एकवचन of एनस्
- परिभूषति kept as परि + भूषति (upasarga + verb)
- स्तोमैरा-भूषति → स्तोमैः + आभूषति
The meaning
Outer meaning
The mortal who serves Mitra and Varuṇa with an undivided will—protect him from wrong; Aryaman guards the straight-goer who follows the law (vrata). He who adorns the law with inspired speech and hymns is safeguarded.
Inner meaning
Undivided will (anarvāṇa) is integral aspiration—no inner betrayal by desire or doubt. Such a seeker asks to be protected from aṃhas: constricting error, guilt, and false movement that narrows consciousness. Aryaman, the power of noble effort and right companionship, protects the one who moves straight (ṛjūyantam) by following vrata: the soul-law and discipline of truth. Uktha and stoma are not mere praise; they are inspired speech-forms that ‘beautify’ the inner rule—meaning the mind’s expression becomes aligned, luminous, and supportive of the sādhanā.
Universal truth
Integrity of will invites protection: when we commit wholly to truth and maintain a straight discipline, the forces of harmony, purity, and noble striving shield the journey. Right speech and remembrance strengthen the law within.
Themes
protection, ethical discipline, Ṛta-vrata, mantric efficacy
The seer
Significance
The seer emphasizes the ethical-psychological foundation of yoga: sincerity, straightness, and disciplined observance (vrata) as prerequisites for the descent of Āditya protection.
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa with Aryaman as protector
- Epithets
- yātayaj-janaḥ (set-right the peoples, from the hymn context), rakṣati (protector, of Aryaman)
- Related deities
- Aditi, Bhaga, Savitar
Cosmic role
Mitra–Varuṇa uphold harmony and truth-law; Aryaman safeguards the Arya-path—noble ascent and right social/inner bonds.
Inner power
Protection from narrowing wrong; strengthening of integrity, straight movement, and faithful discipline.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective invocation for the sacrificer/offerer aligned with Mitra–Varuṇa’s law
यो मि॒त्राय॒ वरु॑णा॒यावि॑ध॒ज्जनो॑ऽन॒र्वाणं॒ तं परि॑ पातो॒ अंह॑सो दा॒श्वांसं॒ मर्त॒मंह॑सः । तम॑र्य॒माभि र॑क्षत्यृजू॒यन्त॒मनु॑ व्र॒तम् । उ॒क्थैर्य ए॑नोः परि॒भूष॑ति व्र॒तं स्तोमै॑रा॒भूष॑ति व्र॒तम् ॥
यः । मि॒त्राय॑ । वरु॑णाय । अवि॑धत् । जनः॑ । अ॒न॒र्वाण॑म् । तम् । परि॑ । पा॒तः॒ । अंह॑सः । दा॒श्वांस॑म् । मर्त॑म् । अंह॑सः । तम् । अ॒र्य॒मा । अ॒भि । र॒क्ष॒ति॒ । ऋ॒जु॒ऽयन्त॑म् । अनु॑ । व्र॒तम् । उ॒क्थैः । यः । ए॒नोः॒ । प॒रि॒ऽभूष॑ति । व्र॒तम् । स्तोमैः॑ । आ॒ऽभूष॑ति । व्र॒तम् ॥
yaḥ | mitrāya | varuṇāya | avidhat | janaḥ | anarvāṇam | tam | pari | pātaḥ | aṃhasaḥ | dāśvāṃsam | martam | aṃhasaḥ | tam | aryamā | abhi | rakṣati | ṛju-yantam | anu | vratam | ukthaiḥ | yaḥ | enoḥ | pari-bhūṣati | vratam | stomaiḥ | ābhūṣati | vrtam
44
4 × ~11
Firm, protective cadence; strong syntactic turns suited to ‘guard/protect’ petitions.
Creates resolve and moral strength; evokes a feeling of being ‘held’ by law and protection.
- अविधत् (avidhat)
- Literal: serves, worships, performs. Symbolic: conscious practice; offering of attention and will
- अनर्वाण (anarvāṇa)
- Literal: not wavering, not divided. Symbolic: integral aspiration; sincerity without inner split
- अंहस् (aṃhas)
- Literal: sin, distress, narrowness. Symbolic: constricting wrong movement; obscuration and guilt-patterns
- दाश्वांस (dāśvāṃs)
- Literal: the giver/offerer. Symbolic: one who offers energies to the Divine; practitioner
- ऋजु-यन्तम् (ṛju-yantam)
- Literal: going straight. Symbolic: direct movement toward truth; non-crooked psychology
- व्रतम् (vratam)
- Literal: vow, law, observance. Symbolic: inner rule of being; discipline aligned with soul-truth
- उक्थ (uktha)
- Literal: solemn/inspired utterance. Symbolic: mantric thought-speech that clarifies and uplifts
- स्तोम (stoma)
- Literal: hymn of praise. Symbolic: rhythmic affirmation stabilizing the inner law
- आर्यमन् (aryaman)
- Literal: Aryaman. Symbolic: noble force; protector of the straight path and right relations
Protective/prayer verse for the sacrificer: recitable for safeguarding the yajamāna/offerer from aṃhas during Soma and allied rites.
When seeking safeguarding of the rite and the sacrificer; also suitable in expiatory/rectifying contexts
Recitation as rakṣā (protection) alongside offerings; affirmation of vrata
Use when recommitting to a discipline (meditation, truthfulness, sobriety): recite to reinforce sincerity and ask protection from relapse into narrowing patterns.
√vidh ‘to arrange, apportion, perform’ (cf. vidhā- ‘ordinance’). aṃhas-: ‘narrowness, trouble’ possibly from √aṃh ‘to press, constrict’ (semantic: anxiety/anguish). √pā ‘protect’ (PIE *peh₂- ‘protect, pasture’). vrata- from √vṛ ‘choose, will; restrain’ → ‘chosen law, rule, vow’; in RV often ‘divine ordinance’ and ‘right self-discipline’.
Vrata as inner law aligned to ṛta, Aṃhas as constriction/falsehood opposed to wideness (Aditi), Straightness (ṛju) as ethical-psychological alignment
Protection is not arbitrary; it follows alignment with ṛta through vrata and straight movement.
Truth as integrity: speech (uktha/stoma) must ornament and support the inner law, not contradict it.
The human becomes an ‘Arya’ (noble) by consenting to the cosmic law; then the guardianship of the truth-powers becomes active.
Dharma/ṛta-oriented integral psychology: sincerity + discipline enables higher protection and progress.
Straight path = coherent aspiration; enclosure = protective field of truth; narrowing wrong = contraction of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘guardian kings’ mythologem: Mitra–Varuṇa (and Aryaman) protect the aligned worshipper from aṃhas. Innerly, the myth becomes a psychology of protection: when the will is ‘anarvāṇa’ (non-lapsing) and follows vrata, the law-powers repel constriction and restore wideness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ṛjú ‘straight’ reflects the widespread Indo-European moral metaphor of straightness = rightness. The opposition aṃhas (narrowing) vs. Aditi/wideness parallels an inherited spatial ethics: constriction/pressure as wrong, openness as truth.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is framed as fidelity to vrata: the human ‘adorning’ of the law by uktha/stoma (speech-act) is not ornament but a formative act that strengthens alignment; the devatā responds with protection. The rishi thus teaches that mantra and conduct together invoke divine guardianship.
Sincerity (undivided will) and straightness (ṛju) as the core of practice; let mantra-speech align the mind with the inner law.
Maṇipūra (will/resolve) and Viśuddha (truthful speech)
Brisk-then-settle: 3 cleansing breaths, then slow exhale while mentally affirming ‘anarvāṇa’ (undivided).
Upright, resolute, protected; reduced inner conflict.
Write one clear vrata for the next 24 hours (a truthful, doable discipline). Chant once, then sit 5 minutes watching for any inner ‘crookedness’—gently straighten without self-blame, returning to the vow.
Observe Vedic accents as marked; keep the protective imperatives (‘pari pātaḥ’) crisp; maintain svarita falls without melodramatic pitch.
Stress clarity on ‘anarvāṇam’ (undivided) and ‘ṛjūyantam’ (straight-going). Keep ‘vratam’ repeated—each time slightly more settled.
aṃ-ha-so: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘h’ is light, pa-to: dental ‘t’, ṛ-jū-yan-tam: vocalic ‘ṛ’ and long ‘ū’, pa-ri-bhū-ṣa-ti: retroflex ‘ṣ’, long ‘ū’
firm, protective, slightly more forceful than Soma verses; end each pāda with steadiness.
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.
