Rig Veda 10.77.7: Mandala 10, Sukta 77, Mantra 7
Sukta 10.77
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
य उदृचि यज्ञे अध्वरेष्ठा मरुद्भ्यो न मानुषो ददाशत् । रेवत्स वयो दधते सुवीरं स देवानामपि गोपीथे अस्तु ॥
yá udṛ́ci yajñé adhvareṣṭhā́ marúd-bhyo ná mā́nuṣo dadā́śat | revát sá váyo dadhate su-vī́raṃ sá devā́nām ápi go-pīthé astu ||
Ktokolwiek, stojąc prosto w ofierze, w najprzedniejszym obrzędzie, daje Marutom jako prawdziwy człowiek, ten zyskuje obfite pełne dobro i dzielną siłę herosów; niech będzie pod opiekuńczą osłoną bogów.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उदृचि
- in the hymn/verse (in the ṛc)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उद् + ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक/नाम)
- यज्ञे
- in the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वरेष्ठाः
- most devoted to the rite / best at the adhvaraAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अध्वर + इष्ठ (superlative prātipadika)
- मरुद्भ्यः
- to the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like / asIndeclinableअव्ययRoot न (निपात)
- मानुषः
- a man / the human (worshipper)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- ददाशत्
- gave / bestowedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा, एकवचनRoot दा (धातु)
- रेवत्सः
- wealthy, splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot रेवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वयः
- vigor / vital powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधते
- they place / they bestowVerbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRoot धा (धातु)
- सुवीरम्
- having good heroes / rich in brave sonsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सु + वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपि
- also / indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अपि (निपात)
- गोपीथे
- in the protection / guardianshipNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot गोपीथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let him beVerbलोट् (imperative/benedictive use), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा, एकवचनRoot अस् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): य उ॒दृचि॑ → यः + उदृचि
- य॒ज्ञे अ॑ध्वरे॒ष्ठा → यज्ञे + अध्वरेष्ठाः
- म॒रुद्भ्यो॒ न → मरुद्भ्यः + न
- मानु॑षो॒ ददा॑शत् → मानुषः + ददाशत्
- रे॒वत्स वयो॑ → रेवत्सः + वयः
- सु॒वीरं॒ स → सुवीरम् + सः
- दे॒वाना॒मपि॑ → देवानाम् + अपि
- गोपी॒थे अ॑स्तु → गोपीथे + अस्तु. Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are retained in citation but not re-applied to each separated pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whoever, standing upright in the sacrifice, in the foremost rite, gives to the Maruts as a true human—he gains rich plenitude and good hero-force; may he be in the protecting shelter of the gods.
Inner meaning
To ‘stand upright’ (udṛci) is to take an inner posture of sincerity and aspiration in the yajña of self-offering. Giving to the Maruts means offering one’s energies—breath, impulses, courage—to be purified and made luminous. The fruit is revat (richness of being) and suvīra (noble hero-force): a strong, beautiful capacity to act from truth rather than desire. ‘Shelter of the gods’ (gopītha) is the state where the higher powers guard the sadhaka from relapse into lower habit.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires upright sincerity and conscious offering of one’s energies; the result is inner prosperity, courageous action, and a protected field of growth.
Themes
Offering to Maruts, Reward: abundance and hero-force, Divine protection, Ethos of the true human participant
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.77
Significance
The seer frames the Marut relation as ethical-spiritual discipline: uprightness, offering, and the resultant protection—core motifs of inner yajña.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts (with collective Devas as protectors)
- Epithets
- marudbhyaḥ (to the Maruts), devānām gopītha (the gods’ shelter)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Varuṇa/Ādityas (as guardians of r̥ta)
Cosmic role
Maruts empower and protect the sacrificial progress; the Devas collectively uphold r̥ta and guard the path.
Inner power
Transforming life-energy into courageous, illumined action; establishing a protected inner atmosphere.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dāna/praise to Maruts within Śrauta contexts; generalized ‘whoever offers’ phala-śruti style
य उ॒दृचि॑ य॒ज्ञे अ॑ध्वरे॒ष्ठा म॒रुद्भ्यो॒ न मानु॑षो॒ ददा॑शत् । रे॒वत्स वयो॑ दधते सु॒वीरं॒ स दे॒वाना॒मपि॑ गोपी॒थे अ॑स्तु ॥
यः । उ॒त्ऽऋचि॑ । य॒ज्ञे । अ॒ध्व॒रे॒ऽस्थाः । म॒रुत्ऽभ्यः॑ । न । मानु॑षः । ददा॑शत् । रे॒वत् । सः । वयः॑ । द॒ध॒ते॒ । सु॒ऽवीर॑म् । सः । दे॒वाना॑म् । अपि॑ । गो॒ऽपी॒थे । अ॒स्तु॒ ॥
yaḥ | ut-ṛci | yajñe | adhvare--sthāḥ | marut-bhyaḥ | na | mānuṣaḥ | dadāśat | revat | saḥ | vayaḥ | dadhate | su-vīram | saḥ | devānām | api | go--pīthe | astu
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4×11 (approx.), with strong moral-assertive cadence
Steady and declarative; supports a ‘vow-like’ tone.
Stabilizes resolve; strengthens upright posture and diaphragm support.
- उदृचि (udṛci)
- Literal: upright, standing up. Symbolic: inner straightness; alignment of will, mind, and heart
- यज्ञे (yajñe)
- Literal: in the sacrifice. Symbolic: the inner work of self-offering and transformation
- अध्वरेष्ठाः (adhvareṣṭhā)
- Literal: in the foremost rite. Symbolic: in the most effective, undivided practice (adhvara = unobstructed)
- ददाशत् (dadāśat)
- Literal: gives, offers. Symbolic: consecration of energies to higher guidance
- रेवत् (revat)
- Literal: rich, splendid. Symbolic: plenitude of consciousness; abundance of right force
- सुवीरम् (suvīram)
- Literal: good heroes/hero-force. Symbolic: noble courage and mastery in action
- गोपीथे (gopīthe)
- Literal: in the protecting shelter. Symbolic: guardianship by higher powers; inner safety and guidance
Dāna/stuti reciprocity: offering to Maruts yields protection and increase; suitable for Marut-sūkta recitation in communal rites seeking protection and strength.
At points emphasizing offering and its fruits (phala) and protection (rakṣa)
Recitation while making offering/oblation or mental dedication
Use as a sankalpa mantra before meditation: ‘I stand upright in my practice; I offer my energies for transformation.’
ud-ṛc: ud- ‘up’ + √ṛc/ṛj? (here interpreted per padapāṭha ut-ṛci) indicating ‘upright/raised’; linked to the stance of aspiration and raised utterance. adhvara: ‘rite’ also ‘journey’ (a-dhvara ‘not crooked’ per traditional etymology), suggesting straight movement of rita. gopītha: go ‘cow/ray’ + pītha ‘protection, shelter’ (from √pā ‘protect’), thus ‘protected enclosure of light’ in inner sense. su-vīra: su + vīra ‘hero’ (PIE *wiHrós ‘man’).
Reciprocity of sacrifice (gift and grace), Adhvara as straight path of Rita, Gopītha as protection of light/knowledge
Adhvara as ‘unbroken’ rite mirrors r̥ta as unbroken right order.
‘True human’ (mānuṣo) implies authenticity aligned with truth, not pretense.
Human participation in divine work: offering enables new formation of force (suvīra).
Karmayoga-like principle in Vedic form: consecrated action yields inner transformation.
Uprightness = spinal alignment and moral straightness; shelter = protected inner space where growth is safe.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The law of exchange between human offering and divine protection: mythically gifts to the Maruts bring prosperity and shelter; psychologically the upright aspirant who stands firmly in the work receives increased life-force (vayas), heroic energy (su-vīra), and entry into the gods’ protective ‘cow-pen’—the guarded field of light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vīra ‘hero’ is a robust Indo-European term for man/warrior; gopītha preserves the archaic pastoral-protection idiom (cow-pen) found across IE societies, elevated in Vedic to a symbol of safeguarded illumination.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi articulates a clear reciprocity: the human who offers rightly (dadāśat) becomes ‘revat’ and receives ‘su-vīra’; the gods respond not only with gifts but with inclusion in their gopītha—ongoing guardianship of the seeker’s light and path.
Upright sincerity: sit with straight spine; offer breath and impulses to the higher Will; feel protection around the heart-mind field.
Suṣumṇā alignment; Anāhata (protection)
Slow inhale up the spine, exhale with the mantra as ‘offering’; brief pause after exhale to feel ‘gopītha’.
Collected, sincere, protected aspiration.
Before chanting, correct posture (udṛci). While chanting, inwardly ‘give’ one concrete habit/impulse to be transformed. After chanting, remain silent and sense the guarding presence.
Rigvedic accents per śākhā; keep a gentle rise on key relative pronoun ‘yaḥ’ and on phala terms ‘revat’ ‘suvīram’ (udātta prominence).
Maintain clear caesura after first pāda; let the blessing ‘sa devānām…’ settle with calmer pitch.
: articulate ud-ṛ-ci with vocalic ṛ, : cluster dhv, and ṣṭhā as retroflex ṣṭh, : pronounce -dbhyo with voiced cluster, : long ī, aspirate th
Steady, upright, benevolent; less martial than earlier verses.
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