Rig Veda 10.36.7: Mandala 10, Sukta 36, Mantra 7
Sukta 10.36
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
उप ह्वये सुहवं मारुतं गणं पावकमृष्वं सख्याय शम्भुवम् । रायस्पोषं सौश्रवसाय धीमहि तद्देवानामवो अद्या वृणीमहे ॥
úpa hvaye suhávaṃ mā́rutaṃ gaṇáṃ pā́vakam ṛ́ṣvaṃ sakhyā́ya śámbhuvam | rāyás póṣaṃ sauśravásāya dhīmahi tád devānām ávo adyā́ vṛṇīmahe ||
Wzywam zastęp Marutów, łatwy do wezwania, oczyszczający i wzniosły, dla braterstwa i błogości. Kierujemy myśl ku wzrostowi rāyas, ku rozwojowi wewnętrznego bogactwa, dla szerokiej i trwałej sławy. Tę opiekę bogów wybieramy dzisiaj.
Word by Word
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ह्वये
- I invoke, I callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kartā (अहं) / क्रियाRoot √ह्वे (ह्वा) ‘आह्वाने’
- सुहवम्
- easy to invoke, readily invokedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गणम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (गणम्) विशेषणRoot सु-हव (प्रातिपदिक: सुहव) < √ह्वे ‘आह्वाने’
- मारुतम्
- of the Maruts, Marut-host’sAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गणम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (गणम्) विशेषणRoot मारुत (प्रातिपदिक) < मरुत्
- गणम्
- troop, hostNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गण (प्रातिपदिक)
- पावकम्
- purifying, brightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गणम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (गणम्) विशेषणRoot पावक (प्रातिपदिक) < √पू ‘पवने/शोधने’
- ऋष्वम्
- lofty, exaltedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गणम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (गणम्) विशेषणRoot ऋष्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्याय
- for friendship, for companionshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Root सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- शम्भुवम्
- beneficent, bringing welfareAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गणम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (गणम्) विशेषणRoot शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक: शम्भु/शम्भुव) < शम् + भू
- रायः
- of wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of wealth’Root राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक: राय) ‘धन’
- पोषम्
- nourishment, prosperityNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (धीमहि इत्यस्य)Root पोष (प्रातिपदिक)
- सौश्रवसाय
- for good fame, for fair renownNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Root सौश्रवस (प्रातिपदिक) < सु-श्रवस्
- धीमहि
- we set/hold (in mind), we seek/aim atVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kartā (वयम्) / क्रियाRoot √धी ‘धारणे/चिन्तायाम्’ (वैदिक: ‘स्थापयामः/धारयामः’)
- तत्
- that (boon/help)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (वृणीमहे इत्यस्य)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of the gods’Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवः
- help, protection, favorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (वृणीमहे इत्यस्य)Root अवस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘सहायता/रक्षा’
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल)Root अद्य (अव्यय)
- वृणीमहे
- we choose, we seekVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kartā (वयम्) / क्रियाRoot √वृ (वृणीते) ‘वरणे’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): उप ह्वये | सुहवम् मारुतम् गणम् पावकम् ऋष्वम् सख्याय शम्भुवम् | रायः पोषम् सौश्रवसाय धीमहि | तत् देवानाम् अवः अद्य वृणीमहे || 1) तद्देवानामवो → तत् + देवानाम् + अवः (द् + द् संयोग; अवो = अवः पदान्त-विसर्ग-लोप/पदपाठ-रूप)
- 2) शम्भुवम्: वैदिक-रूप ‘शम्भुव’ (शम्+भू) विशेषण, गणम् इत्यस्य। 3) रायस्पोषम् → रायः + पोषम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध: ‘wealth’s nourishment’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speaker invokes the Marut host—easy to call, purifying and lofty—for comradeship and bliss. They set their thought on the increase of riches for wide and enduring good fame, choosing today the gods’ protection.
Inner meaning
The Maruts (storm-gods) are inner forces of dynamic life-energy and impulsion that accompany Indra; psychologically, they are the purified vital powers that can be made comrades (sakhyāya) rather than rebels. Called ‘pāvaka’ they cleanse the vital nature; ‘ṛṣva’ they uplift it beyond smallness. ‘Śambhuva’ indicates their capacity to become peace-giving when aligned with the soul’s aim. The seeker concentrates on ‘rāyas poṣa’—the growth of inner riches (clarity, strength, joy, capacity)—not mere outer gain; and ‘sauśravasāya’ becomes wide, enduring good repute in the sense of a stable luminous vibration that spreads (śravas) as the being’s truth-sound. The refrain chooses divine protection: the vital is brought under higher guardianship so energy serves awakening.
Universal truth
Energy becomes a blessing when purified and made a conscious ally; inner wealth grows through disciplined force aligned with truth, yielding a stable, beneficent influence.
Themes
purifying dynamism, growth of inner wealth, divine companionship, protective refrain
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.36.1-9
Significance
The seer-voice here is a practical yogin: not rejecting the vital (Maruts) but invoking it for purification, uplift, and comradeship—an integral transformation motif.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- pāvaka (purifying), ṛṣva (lofty), śambhuva (bliss-giving), suhava (easy to call)
- Related deities
- Indra, Rudra (their father in later framing), Agni, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Storm and movement powers that clear the atmosphere, assist Indra, and drive evolution through force and rhythm.
Inner power
Purified dynamism; courageous uplift; harmonized collective energies supporting aspiration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut invocation within protective refrain hymn
उप॑ ह्वये सु॒हवं॒ मारु॑तं ग॒णं पा॑व॒कमृ॒ष्वं स॒ख्याय॑ श॒म्भुव॑म् । रा॒यस्पोषं॑ सौश्रव॒साय॑ धीमहि॒ तद्दे॒वाना॒मवो॑ अ॒द्या वृ॑णीमहे ॥
उप॑ । ह्व॒ये॒ । सु॒ऽहव॑म् । मारु॑तम् । ग॒णम् । पा॒व॒कम् । ऋ॒ष्वम् । स॒ख्याय॑ । श॒म्ऽभुव॑म् । रा॒यः । पोष॑म् । सौ॒श्र॒व॒साय॑ । धी॒म॒हि॒ । तत् । दे॒वाना॑म् । अवः॑ । अ॒द्य । वृ॒णी॒म॒हे॒ ॥
upa | hvaye | su-havam | mārutam | gaṇam | pāvakam | ṛṣvam | sakhyāya | śam-bhuvam | rāyaḥ | poṣam | sauśravasāya | dhīmahi | tat | devānām | avaḥ | adya | vṛṇīmahe
44
4 × ~11 syllables (approx.)
Martial yet cleansing; group-march cadence.
Energizes and purifies; evokes collective strength and uplift.
- मारुत गण (māruta gaṇa)
- Literal: host of Maruts. Symbolic: collective life-forces/energies; dynamic impulses supporting illumination
- सুহवम् (suhavam)
- Literal: easy to invoke. Symbolic: readily accessible powers when aspiration is sincere
- पावकम् (pāvakam)
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: cleansing the vital nature of turbulence and desire
- ऋष्वम् (ṛṣvam)
- Literal: lofty, exalted. Symbolic: uplift of life-force to higher pitch
- सख्याय (sakhyāya)
- Literal: for friendship/comradeship. Symbolic: making energies cooperative with the soul’s aim
- शम्भुवम् (śambhuvam)
- Literal: bringing well-being/bliss. Symbolic: vital force transmuted into peace-giving joy
- रायः पोषम् (rāyaḥ poṣam)
- Literal: increase of riches. Symbolic: growth of inner powers, capacities, and luminous resources
- सौश्रवसाय (sauśravasāya)
- Literal: for good fame. Symbolic: enduring true vibration/reputation of the soul’s work; wide beneficence
Invocation for energizing and purifying support; suitable before strenuous ritual sequences or protective rites
In Indra-Marut contexts; also suitable when seeking vigor, cleansing, and collective harmony (community recitation).
Calling the Marut host, focusing intention on inner increase, concluding with protective choice.
For times of lethargy, scattered impulses, or group disharmony: chant to convert restless energy into cooperative force.
māruta: from marut ‘storm’; gaṇa ‘host’ (√gaṇ ‘count, assemble’). pāvaka: from √pū ‘purify’ (PIE *pewh₂- ‘cleanse’). śambhu: śam ‘peace’ + √bhū ‘become’ → ‘that which makes peace/becoming auspicious’. rāy: rayi ‘wealth’ from √rā ‘give’—inner: plenitude given by the gods. poṣa: √puṣ ‘thrive, prosper’.
sakhyā (divine comradeship as inner alliance), poṣa (growth of being), śam (peace/bliss) through dynamic force
Maruts regulate the ‘atmosphere’—the intermediate plane—so forces move according to Ṛta rather than chaos.
‘Sauśravasāya’ as true fame: truth-sound that spreads when life aligns with Satya.
Transformation of the mid-world (antarikṣa) forces as a condition for higher illumination.
Yoga of transformation of the vital (Aurobindo/Kashyap psychological reading).
Storm/wind = movements of prāṇa and desire; purification = prāṇic cleansing; uplift = raising life-energy toward higher aim.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Marut host as comrades’ myth: the storm-gods come as a collective ally bringing purification and bliss. Innerly, the dynamic life-forces, once harmonized, become friends of the seeker and increase rāyas (fullness) rather than scattering the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhū ‘be’ (śambhuvam) is PIE *bʰuH- (cf. English be). √pū ‘purify’ has IE cleansing semantics. The gaṇa ‘host’ reflects archaic collective-warband imagery common in IE traditions (divine troop/retinue).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi seeks not only protection but companionship: the Maruts are invoked ‘for sakhyā’. The exchange is transformative—human intention (dhīmahi) aligns with the Maruts’ purifying uplift, producing poṣa (growth) and stable well-being.
Bring the vital energies into purified comradeship with the soul’s intention.
Maṇipūra (vital force) refined and lifted toward Anāhata (harmonious comradeship).
Moderate bhastrikā (3 rounds of 20) or energizing deep breaths; then slow exhale while repeating ‘śambhuvam’.
Energized, cleansed, courageously uplifted.
Identify one restless impulse; offer it to the Marut host for purification. Feel energies gathering as allies around a single aspiration. Conclude by inwardly choosing divine protection so force remains guided.
Tri-svara per śākhā; keep energetic rise on ‘mārutaṃ gaṇam’ and soften into ‘śambhuvam’.
Pāda 1–2 energetic and crisp; pāda 3 contemplative on ‘rāyas poṣam’; strong refrain cadence at end.
mārutam: long ā., pāvakam: clear v, not b., ṛṣvam: syllabic ṛ; keep ṣ retroflex., śambhuvam: nasal m + bh cluster cleanly articulated.
Firm, rhythmic, slightly martial but controlled (purifying).
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