Rig Veda 1.136.7: Mandala 1, Sukta 136, Mantra 7
Sukta 1.136
- Rishi
- Gautama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Indra, Maruts, Agni, Mitra, Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh/Jagatī mixture
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ऊती देवानां वयमिन्द्रवन्तो मंसीमहि स्वयशसो मरुद्भिः । अग्निर्मित्रो वरुणः शर्म यंसन्तदश्याम मघवानो वयं च ॥
ūtī́ devā́nāṃ vayám índra-vanto maṃsī́mahi sváyaśaso marúdbhiḥ | agnír mitró váruṇaḥ śárma yaṃsan tád aśyāma maghávāno vayáṃ ca ||
My, podtrzymywani przez Indrę, z samolśniącymi Marutami, szukamy pomocy bogów. Niech Agni, Mitra, Waruna rozciągną na nas schroniący pokój; niech my, posiadający siłę ofiarną, osiągniemy to.
Word by Word
- ऊती
- help, aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (पदपाठे सामान्यतः प्रथमा)Role अधिकारण/साधनभाव (सहाय-आश्रयः; ‘in/with the help’)Root ऊति- (प्रातिपदिक; √अव्/√अव्? ‘to help, protect’ > ऊति ‘help, aid’)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root देव-
- वयम्
- wePronounउत्तमपुरुष; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद्
- इन्द्रवन्तः
- having Indra (as ally), Indra-aidedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्-विशेषणम्)Root इन्द्र-वन्त् (वन्त्-प्रत्यय ‘possessing’)
- मंसीमहि
- may we think/plan, may we purposeVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्राय (वेदिक optative/precative nuance); आत्मनेपद; उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √मन् (मन्यते/मन्महे; ‘to think, intend’) → मंसीमहि (वेदिक-रूप)
- स्वयशसः
- self-glorious, of own renownAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्-विशेषणम्)Root स्व-यशस्- (यशस् ‘glory, fame’)
- मरुद्भिः
- with the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole सह/करण (association/instrument)Root मरुत्-
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि-
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चित)Root मित्र-
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चित)Root वरुण-
- शर्म
- shelter, protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (कर्म)Role कर्मRoot शर्मन्- (नपुंसक; ‘shelter, comfort’)
- यंसन्
- may they grantVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/आशीर्लिङ्ग-प्राय); परस्मैपद; तृतीयपुरुष बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √यम् (यच्छति; ‘to give, grant, extend’)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (अश्याम्-इत्यस्य)Root तद्
- अश्याम
- may I/we attainVerbविधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष एकवचन (वेदे बहुवचनार्थेऽपि प्रयोगः सम्भवः)Role क्रियाRoot √अश् (अश्नुते/अश्नोति; ‘to attain, reach, obtain’)
- मघवानः
- bountiful ones (generous patrons/Indra-like)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्-विशेषणम्/सम्बोधन-प्राय)Root मघवन्- (इन्द्र-विशेषण; ‘bountiful, giver’)
- वयम्
- wePronounउत्तमपुरुष; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद्
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRole समुच्चयRoot च
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: ऊती देवानां वयमिन्द्रवन्तो मंसीमहि स्वयशसो मरुद्भिः । अग्निर्मित्रो वरुणः शर्म यंसन्तदश्याम मघवानो वयं च ॥ सन्धि-विच्छेदः: वयम् + इन्द्रवन्तः → वयमिन्द्रवन्तः (म् + इ = मि)
- यंसन् + तत् → यंसन्तत् (न् + त = न्त)
- तत् + अश्याम → तदश्याम (त् + अ = द्; जश्त्व)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Upheld by Indra, with the self-luminous Maruts, we seek the help of the gods. May Agni, Mitra, Varuṇa extend sheltering peace to us; may we, possessors of offering-force, attain that.
Inner meaning
Indra is the illumined mind-power that supports the seeker against inner obstruction; the Maruts are dynamic storm-forces of inspiration—energies that purify and make the consciousness self-luminous (svayaśasas). Together they awaken a strong aspiration for divine help (ūtī). Agni (divine will) establishes the right sacrifice; Mitra (harmony) and Varuṇa (purity/wideness) create śarma—an inner shelter of peace that is not inertia but a protected field for growth. ‘Maghavānaḥ’ indicates those rich in offering-force: the practitioner whose energies can be given upward and transformed.
Universal truth
When illumination and inspired energies support us, we can call effectively for higher help. Peace is not mere quiet; it is a protective shelter produced by disciplined will, harmony, and truth-purity—enabling steady progress.
Themes
collective invocation, shelter-peace, inner aspiration, divine aid
The seer
Significance
The seer closes with an integral request: supported by illumination (Indra) and inspired energies (Maruts), may the core triad—Agni, Mitra, Varuṇa—establish a stable shelter of peace for effective sādhanā.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra; Maruts; Agni; Mitra; Varuṇa
- Epithets
- indravantaḥ (Indra-supported), svayaśasaḥ (self-luminous), śarma (sheltering peace)
- Related deities
- Soma, Aryaman, Aditi
Cosmic role
Indra breaks inner obstruction and gives victorious light; Maruts energize and purify; Agni leads the sacrifice of transformation; Mitra and Varuṇa establish harmony and truth-law that become sheltering peace.
Inner power
A coordinated action: insight + inspired force + will + harmony/purity = protective peace and steady attainment.
In ritual
Where it is used
General prayer for divine aid and śarma (peace/protection)
ऊ॒ती दे॒वानां॑ व॒यमिन्द्र॑वन्तो मंसी॒महि॒ स्वय॑शसो म॒रुद्भि॑: । अ॒ग्निर्मि॒त्रो वरु॑ण॒: शर्म॑ यंस॒न्तद॑श्याम म॒घवा॑नो व॒यं च॑ ॥
ऊ॒ती । दे॒वाना॑म् । व॒यम् । इन्द्र॑ऽवन्तः । मं॒सी॒महि॑ । स्वऽय॑शसः । म॒रुत्ऽभिः॑ । अ॒ग्निः । मि॒त्रः । वरु॑णः । शर्म॑ । यंस॑न् । तत् । अ॒श्या॒म॒ । म॒घऽवा॑नः । व॒यम् । च॒ ॥
ūtī | devānām | viyam | indra-vantaḥ | maṃsīmahi | sva-yaśasaḥ | marut-bhiḥ | agniḥ | mitraḥ | varuṇaḥ | śarma | yaṃsan | tat | aśyāma | magha-vānaḥ | vayam | ca
44
4 × ~11
Invocatory and concluding; first half aspirational, second half settles into a calm granting of śarma.
Energizes the will to seek help, then calms into a felt shelter; good as a closing mantra after effort.
- ऊति (ūtī)
- Literal: help, protection. Symbolic: active divine support; grace that intervenes in the inner work
- इन्द्रवन्तः (indravantaḥ)
- Literal: having Indra. Symbolic: supported by illumined intelligence; strength of insight
- मरुत् (marut)
- Literal: storm-gods. Symbolic: dynamic life-energies of inspiration; purifying movements in the vital
- स्वयशस् (svayaśas)
- Literal: self-glorious, self-luminous. Symbolic: energies lit from within; inspired force not dependent on outer stimulus
- शर्म (śarma)
- Literal: shelter, comfort, peace. Symbolic: protected inner peace; safe field for transformation
- यंसन् (yaṃsan)
- Literal: may they extend/grant. Symbolic: descent/extension of peace into the being
- मघवानः (maghavānaḥ)
- Literal: bountiful/possessors of riches. Symbolic: those rich in offering-force and capacity; empowered practitioners
- अग्नि (agni)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will; leader of inner sacrifice
- मित्र, वरुण (mitra, varuṇa)
- Literal: deities. Symbolic: harmony and vast truth-purity
A concluding aspirational verse: seeking divine aid and śarma; appropriate as a closing prayer in a praise sequence.
At conclusion of praise; before undertaking work, travel, or a collective endeavor
Seeking ūtī (help) and invoking śarma as protective blessing
Use as a short pre-activity centering: invoke insight (Indra), inspired energy (Maruts), then ask for protected peace (Agni–Mitra–Varuṇa).
√man ‘to think’ (PIE *men-), central to Indo-European mental vocabulary. marút- linked to storm imagery; in RV also inner ‘impulsions’. śárman ‘shelter’ (cf. √śṛ ‘to protect’ debated; semantic: refuge).
Divine help (ūti) as grace supporting sādhanā, Śarma as stable peace/wideness after right action, Indra as empowering force for victory over obstruction
Śarma arises when life-force acts under ṛta rather than impulse; harmony and purity become a protective order.
Self-luminous energies (svayaśas) indicate truth-derived force rather than borrowed excitement.
The gods’ help is an active participation: forces of light and storm-energy shape the human field into a protected, progressive order.
Yoga of integral transformation: dynamic energies (Maruts) are not rejected but illumined and harmonized.
Monsoon/storm season motif (Maruts)
Storm = uprush of pranic inspiration; fire = will/concentration; shelter = stabilized peace-field around the consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘allied gods grant shelter’ mythologem: Indra with the Maruts empowers, while Agni–Mitra–Varuṇa bestow śarma. Innerly, dynamic forces (Maruts) and will-fire (Agni) are harmonized by law and concord (Mitra–Varuṇa) to produce a stable peace in the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- maṃsīmahi from √man continues the PIE *men- mental lexicon; the collocation of helper-gods and abstract nouns (ūti, śarma) shows an early IE style where mythic agents and psychological states are tightly interwoven in the same grammatical frame.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks as part of a collective ‘we’ (vayám), indicating communal and inner plurality; the devatās are invoked as cooperating powers. The human side offers magha (capacity/bounty/aspiration), and the divine side answers with ūti and śarma—support and settled peace.
Invoke a three-step support: illumined discernment (Indra), inspired pranic uplift (Maruts), and stabilizing peace (Agni–Mitra–Varuṇa).
Ājñā (Indra), Anāhata (Mitra/śarma), Maṇipūra (Agni/force)
3 energizing breaths (Maruts), then lengthen exhale to settle into śarma; finish with 1 minute silent witnessing.
Alert calm; energized yet sheltered awareness.
Before action, feel a clear idea (Indra) and clean energy (Maruts). Then kindle a steady will (Agni) and spread friendliness and wideness (Mitra–Varuṇa) as a protective atmosphere. Act from that field.
Keep the opening energetic but controlled; observe udatta on key words (ūtī, indravantaḥ, marudbhiḥ) and settle the pitch on ‘śarma’.
Slight pause after ‘marudbhiḥ’; let ‘śarma yaṃsan’ be softer and more sustained.
ūtī: long ‘ū’, indravantaḥ: ‘v’ light, not ‘b’, marudbhiḥ: aspirate ‘bh’, śarma: ‘ś’ palatal, not retroflex, yaṃsan: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘s’ lightly
begin bright and strong; end warm, sheltering, and quiet.
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