Rig Veda 1.167.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 167, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.167
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आस्थापयन्त युवतिं युवानः शुभे निमिश्लां विदथेषु पज्राम् । अर्को यद्वो मरुतो हविष्मान्गायद्गाथं सुतसोमो दुवस्यन् ॥
ā́sthāpayanta yuvatíṃ yúvānaḥ śubhé nímiślām vidáthēṣu pajrā́m | arkó yád vo maruto havíṣmān gā́yad gā́thaṃ sutá-somo duvasyán ||
Młodzi ustawili młodą dziewicę - jasną, szybką - wewnątrz zgromadzeń. Gdy hymn, niosący ofiarę, śpiewa dla was, o Marutowie, gdy wyciśnięty Soma intonuje pieśń w służbie, wtedy moce są trwale w nas zainstalowane.
Word by Word
- आस्था॑पयन्त
- they set up / they establishedVerbलङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3rd person pluralRole (क्रिया) मुख्य क्रियापदRoot स्था (√स्था) + आ- (upasarga); causative stem स्थापय-
- युव॒तिम्
- a young woman (maiden)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युवति- (prātipadika)
- युवा॑नः
- the young men (youthful ones)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot युवन्- (prātipadika)
- शु॒भे
- in/for splendor; in beautyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot शुभ- (prātipadika)
- निमि॑श्लाम्
- glancing/brightly-flashing (maiden)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (युवतिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot निमिश्ला- (prātipadika; Vedic epithet)
- वि॒दथे॑षु
- in the assemblies/ritesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot विदथ- (prātipadika)
- प॒ज्राम्
- strong, firm, vigorousAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (युवतिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पज्र- (prātipadika)
- अ॒र्कः
- a hymn/song of praiseNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अर्क- (prātipadika)
- यत्
- when / that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (अत्र: ‘when/that which’)Role (सम्बन्ध/उपपद)Root यद्- (relative pronoun)
- वः
- of you / for youPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (हित/प्राप्ति) / सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद्- (2nd person pronoun)
- मरुतः
- O MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole Sampradāna (addressed) / Kartā (in sense)Root मरुत्- (prātipadika)
- ह॒विष्मान्
- possessing oblation; with offeringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (अर्कः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot हविष्मन्त्- (prātipadika)
- गाय॑त्
- singsVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3rd person singularRole (क्रिया) सहायक/अनुक्रम क्रियाRoot गै (√गै) / गा (√गा) ‘to sing’
- गा॒थम्
- a song/chantNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गाथा- (prātipadika)
- सु॒तसो॑मः
- (he) with Soma pressed; the Soma-presserNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सुतसोम- (prātipadika; bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa compound)
- दुव॒स्यन्
- serving, honoringVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपद-भाव, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (सुतसोमः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot दुवस्य (denom. from दुवस्/दुवस्य- ‘service, worship’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आस्था॑पयन्त | युव॒तिम् | युवा॑नः | शु॒भे | निमि॑श्लाम् | वि॒दथे॑षु | प॒ज्राम् || अ॒र्कः | यत् | वः | मरुतः | ह॒विष्मान् | गाय॑त् | गा॒थम् | सु॒तसो॑मः | दुव॒स्यन् । 1) ‘ह॒विष्मा॒न्-गाय॑त्’ इत्यत्र संहितायां नकार-गकारयोः संयोगः (…मान्गा…)। 2) ‘अर्को यद्वो’ = ‘अर्कः यत् वः’ (विसर्ग-लोपः/ओ-आदेशः संहितायाम्)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The young ones set up the young maiden—bright and swift—in the gatherings. When the hymn with offering sings for you, O Maruts, when the pressed Soma chants in service, then the powers are established.
Inner meaning
The ‘young ones’ (Maruts as fresh energies) establish the ‘young maiden’—a radiant, swift inner power (often read as Uṣas-like illumination or a Shakti of auspicious movement) within the vidatha (inner gatherings: moments of concentrated practice). This is the installation of a luminous faculty in the system. The arká (hymn) carrying offering is the conscious formulation of aspiration; ‘pressed Soma’ is the distilled bliss/nectar of experience that begins to sing within. When aspiration (arká) and delight (Soma) join in service (duvasyan) to the dynamic powers, the inner Shakti becomes firmly seated and operative.
Universal truth
Illumination becomes stable when energy, aspiration, and delight collaborate; then a new, youthful power is installed in the personality and acts swiftly for the good.
Themes
establishment, Soma-chant, ritual-to-inner-realization
The seer
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Lineage
- Agastya (Āgastya)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.167 (hymn), RV 1.189 (Agastya’s fire-related invocations)
Family tradition
Agastya’s Marut hymns frequently show a yogic technology: establishing inner powers through mantra (arká) and Soma (delight).
Significance
The seer presents spiritual progress as ‘installation’—a stable seating of illumination/Shakti in the inner assemblies, supported by aspiration and bliss.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts (with Arká and Soma as cooperating powers)
- Epithets
- yuvāna (youthful), pajrā (strong/swift, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Uṣas (by imagery of the young maiden/brightness)
Cosmic role
Maruts energize the rite; Arká voices praise; Soma supplies ecstatic power; together they establish divine functioning in the sacrificer.
Inner power
Dynamic energies that can seat a new luminous Shakti in the being; supported by inspired mantra and bliss.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña setting with Marut praise; arká and sutasoma indicate Soma-pressing and chant context.
आस्था॑पयन्त युव॒तिं युवा॑नः शु॒भे निमि॑श्लां वि॒दथे॑षु प॒ज्राम् । अ॒र्को यद्वो॑ मरुतो ह॒विष्मा॒न्गाय॑द्गा॒थं सु॒तसो॑मो दुव॒स्यन् ॥
आ । अ॒स्था॒प॒य॒न्त॒ । यु॒व॒तिम् । युवा॑नः । शु॒भे । निऽमि॑श्लाम् । वि॒दथे॑षु । प॒ज्राम् । अ॒र्कः । यत् । वः॒ । म॒रु॒तः॒ । ह॒विष्मा॑न् । गाय॑त् । गा॒थम् । सु॒तऽसो॑मः । दु॒व॒स्यन् ॥
ā | asthāpayanta | yuvatim | yuvānaḥ | śubhe | ni-miślām | vidatheṣu | pajrām | arkaḥ | yat | vaḥ | marutaḥ | haviṣmān | gāyat | gātham | suta-somaḥ | duvasyan
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4 × ~11
Ritual-installation cadence: firm openings, celebratory lift in the Soma/arká clauses.
Stabilizing and heartening; supports the feeling of ‘seating’ a new capacity within.
- युवानः (yuvānaḥ)
- Literal: young ones. Symbolic: fresh dynamic energies; renewed prāṇa-forces
- युवतिम् (yuvatim)
- Literal: young maiden. Symbolic: newly awakened Shakti/illumination-force; auspicious swift power
- आस्थापयन्त (āsthāpayanta)
- Literal: they set up, establish. Symbolic: installation/stabilization of a faculty in consciousness
- शुभे (śubhe)
- Literal: for brightness/beauty, auspiciousness. Symbolic: toward luminous rightness; sattwic clarity
- निमिश्लाम् (nimiślāṃ)
- Literal: quick, flashing (lit. winking). Symbolic: swift intuitive movement; rapid response of awakened force
- विदथेṣu (vidatheṣu)
- Literal: in the assemblies/sessions. Symbolic: inner gatherings of practice; concentrated moments of yajña/meditation
- पज्राम् (pajrām)
- Literal: strong, firm, swift (nuance). Symbolic: stable vigor; effective capacity for action
- अर्कः (arkaḥ)
- Literal: hymn, chant, ray. Symbolic: mantric formulation; ray of inspired will
- हविष्मान् (haviṣmān)
- Literal: bearing offering. Symbolic: aspiration carrying self-giving; consecrated intention
- सुतसोमः (sutasomaḥ)
- Literal: pressed Soma. Symbolic: distilled bliss/ānanda extracted by practice
- दुवस्यन् (duvasyan)
- Literal: serving, worshipping. Symbolic: ego-surrendered collaboration with the divine powers
Soma-pressing setting: hymn and pressed Soma 'sing' to establish the Marut-power in the ritual assembly and in the sacrificer.
During Soma pressing/chanting sequences where Maruts are invoked and praised with offerings.
Stotra/śastra with offering; symbolic ‘installation’ of divine powers in the sacrificer and altar-space.
Use at the start of group meditation/satsang to ‘set up’ a collective field; also before chanting practice to stabilize voice and intention.
: causative of √ 'stand' (PIE *steh2-), 'to cause to stand'—installing a power in the being. /yuvan: from √ 'young' semantic; indicates ever-renewed energies. : from √ 'shine/praise', hymn as luminous formulation. from √/ 'serve, honour'. (suta): expressed essence; psychologically the pressed delight (ānanda) that can sing within the rite.
installation of power in the being (√sthā causative), Soma as delight-essence supporting revelation, collective vidatha as field of manifestation
The ‘installation’ in vidatha reflects establishing ṛta (right functioning) in the inner order.
Arká as ray/hymn expresses truth in formulated vibration.
Manifestation through seating of Shakti; delight (Soma) as sustaining sap of evolution.
Integral yoga: Soma = ānanda; mantra as formative consciousness; Maruts as transformative energies.
Young maiden = dawnlike illumination/Shakti; Soma = nectar of bliss; gatherings = inner sessions where faculties are organized.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the installation of a youthful maiden-power by the youthful gods in the ritual gatherings, synchronized with hymn and Soma-chant. Psychologically, it describes how, through mantra (arka) and expressed delight (suta-soma), a fresh luminous formation is established in the embodied field, enabling swift and joined functioning of the energies.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The causative of √sthā (PIE *steh2-) is a clear inherited verbal core. The verse’s ritual performatives (when X sings, when Soma chants) use temporal framing typical of IE liturgical poetics: efficacy arises at the precise conjunction of speech-act and offering.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi mediates via ritual speech: the arká and the suta-soma act as bridges that allow the Maruts to 'set up' the needed power. The reciprocity is technical: correct service (duvasyan) and right chant (gātha) enable divine establishment (āsthāpayanta) within the human vessel.
Stabilize a new luminous capacity; unite energy (Maruts), aspiration (arká), and bliss (Soma).
Anāhata (devotional service/duvasyan) and Viśuddha (chant/arká)
Moderate chanting on exhale; brief pause after each pāda to ‘seat’ the felt sense in the heart.
Bright-hearted devotion with steady embodiment.
Begin with a few minutes of stillness; chant the verse, then feel a ‘young maiden’ of light settling in the chest/upper spine; let joy (Soma) rise without excitement—steady and serviceful.
Observe Vedic accents; keep the chant flowing, with a gentle lift on ‘arko’ and ‘sutasomo’.
Phrase as two movements: (1) installation in vidatha, (2) hymn and Soma singing; land softly on ‘duvasyan’.
(āsthāpayanta): cluster sthā clear; long ā, (nimiślāṃ): retroflex ṣl cluster carefully; long āṃ nasalization, (arko): roll r lightly; short o, (sutasomo): keep ‘su-ta’ distinct; long ō in somo, (duvasyan): ‘du-va-syan’ three beats; y glide
Devotional, bright, steady; avoid force—aim for ‘installed’ stability.
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