Rig Veda 4.53.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 53, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.53
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
दिवो धर्ता भुवनस्य प्रजापतिः पिशङ्गं द्रापिं प्रति मुञ्चते कविः । विचक्षणः प्रथयन्नापृणन्नुर्वजीजनत्सविता सुम्नमुक्थ्यम् ॥
divó dhartā́ bhúvanasya prajā́patiḥ piśáṅgaṃ drā́piṃ práti muñcate kavíḥ | vi-cakṣaṇáḥ pratháyann āpr̥ṇánn urv ájījanat savitā́ sumnám ukthyàm ||
Savitṛ, dzierżyciel nieba i pan stawania się, widzący uwalnia płaszcz barwy płowej przed sobą, otwiera wizję, poszerza i wypełnia przestrzenie, i daje narodzinom rozległość; rodzi godną hymnu błogość duszy.
Word by Word
- दिवः
- of heavenNounपुं/नपुं; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ ‘स्वर्ग’)
- धर्ता
- the supporterNoun (agent)पुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √धृ (धारणे) → कर्तृ-प्रत्यय -तृ (धर्तृ)
- भुवनस्य
- of the world/creaturesNounनपुं; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot भुवन (√भू ‘to be’ + -अन) प्रातिपदिक
- प्रजापतिः
- Prajāpati, lord of creaturesNoun (compound)पुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to धर्ता)Root प्रजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिशङ्गम्
- tawny, reddish-brownAdjectiveपुं; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पिशङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्रापिम्
- a cloak/coveringNounपुं; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot द्रापि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘cloak/covering, mantle’)
- प्रति
- towards, forthIndeclinable (preverb/adverb)अव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण; direction toward)Root प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- मुञ्चते
- releases, lets looseVerbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथम पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √मुच् (मोचने) + उपसर्ग प्रति (semantic)
- कविः
- the seerNounपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to प्रजापतिः)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विचक्षणः
- clear-sightedAdjectiveपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथयन्
- spreading, extendingVerbal participle (present active)पुं; प्रथमा एकवचन (कर्तरि)Role कर्तृ (सहायक-क्रिया/भाव)Root √प्रथ् (विस्तारे) → शतृ-प्रत्यय (प्रथयन्त्)
- आपृणन्
- filling upVerbal participle (present active, Vedic)पुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सहायक-क्रिया/भाव)Root √पॄ/पृण् (पूरणे) + आ- (उपसर्ग) → शतृ/शानच्-समकक्ष Vedic form (here: nom. sg. masc. participial)
- उर्व
- the wide (space), the broad expanseAdjective (used substantively)नपुं/पुं; द्वितीया एकवचन (Vedic form)Role कर्मRoot उरु (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic acc. sg. ‘उर्व’)
- अजीजनत्
- generated, producedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट/इम्पर्फेक्ट-like injunctive/aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथम पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √जन् (जनने) with reduplication (अ-जी-जन-)
- सविता
- Savitar (the impeller Sun-god)Nounपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुम्नम्
- favor, graceNounनपुं; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सुम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थ्यम्
- praiseworthy, to be celebrated in hymnsAdjectiveनपुं; द्वितीया एकवचन (agreeing with सुम्नम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot उक्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fit for/connected with hymn (uktha)’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic): दिवः | धर्ता | भुवनस्य | प्रजापतिः | पिशङ्गम् | द्रापिम् | प्रति | मुञ्चते | कविः || विचक्षणः | प्रथयन् | आपृणन् | उर्व | अजीजनत् | सविता | सुम्नम् | उक्थ्यम् । प्रमुख संधि/रूप-विशेष: (1) ‘उर्वजीजनत्’ इति संहितायां ‘उर्व’ + ‘अजीजनत्’ (स्वर-संधि/संहितालोप) । (2) ‘प्रथयन्नापृणन्’ = ‘प्रथयन्’ + ‘आपृणन्’ (न् + आ → न्ना) । (3) ‘धर्ता’ कर्तृकृदन्त (√धृ + -तृ) । (4) ‘आपृणन्’ Vedic present participial form from √पॄ/पृण् with आ- ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Savitṛ, holder of heaven and lord of creatures, the seer, releases the tawny mantle; he opens vision, widens and fills the spaces, brings vastness to birth, and engenders hymn-worthy felicity.
Inner meaning
Savitṛ sustains the higher consciousness (divo dhartā) and governs becoming (prajāpatiḥ). The ‘tawny mantle’ (piśaṅga drāpi) is the luminous covering that replaces obscurity—an unveiling of golden light before the inner sight. As kavi and vicakṣaṇa he activates discernment, widens the inner spaces, fills them with force, and births vastness (uru) in the being. The result is ‘sumnam ukthyam’: a soul-felicity that becomes expressible as mantra/hymn—joy that naturally turns into praise and right speech.
Universal truth
Illumination is not only seeing; it is a creative unveiling that widens and fills the inner worlds until vastness and joy are born, and truth becomes speakable.
Themes
Savitṛ as creator, Unveiling the cover, Widening consciousness, Grace (sumnam)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama (traditional for Mandala 4)
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.53.1, RV 4.53.3, RV 4.53.4
Family tradition
Solar hymns in this mandala often emphasize unveiling and widening—psychological creation in the inner worlds.
Significance
The seer frames Savitṛ as creator of inner vastness and giver of soul-felicity that becomes mantra-consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Epithets
- Divo dhartā, Prajāpatiḥ, Kaviḥ, Vicakṣaṇaḥ
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Agni
Cosmic role
He upholds heaven, generates becomings, and releases the golden light that makes worlds visible and active.
Inner power
Revelatory impulsion: unveiling, widening, filling, and birthing vast consciousness and joy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Solar/Savitṛ praise within śrauta recitations; support for consecratory beginnings
दि॒वो ध॒र्ता भुव॑नस्य प्र॒जाप॑तिः पि॒शङ्गं॑ द्रा॒पिं प्रति॑ मुञ्चते क॒विः । वि॒च॒क्ष॒णः प्र॒थय॑न्नापृ॒णन्नु॒र्वजी॑जनत्सवि॒ता सु॒म्नमु॒क्थ्य॑म् ॥
दि॒वः । ध॒र्ता । भुव॑नस्य । प्र॒जाऽप॑तिः । पि॒शङ्ग॑म् । द्रा॒पिम् । प्रति॑ । मु॒ञ्च॒ते॒ । क॒विः । वि॒ऽच॒क्ष॒णः । प्र॒थय॑न् । आ॒ऽपृ॒णन् । उ॒रु । अजी॑जनत् । स॒वि॒ता । सु॒म्नम् । उ॒क्थ्य॑म् ॥
divaḥ | dhartā | bhuvanasya | prajāpatiḥ | piśaṅgam | drāpim | prati | muñcate | kaviḥ | vi-cakṣaṇaḥ | prathayan | āpṛṇan | uru | ajījanat | savitā | sumnam | ukthyam
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4 x ~11
Creative surge with repeated participles (releasing, widening, filling), giving a sense of building manifestation.
Invokes an inner ‘unveiling’—listeners often feel the brow/upper head brighten and the breath widen.
- दिवो धर्ता (divo dhartā)
- Literal: holder of heaven. Symbolic: Support of higher mind/intuition in the seeker
- प्रजापति (prajāpati)
- Literal: lord of creatures. Symbolic: Master of becomings; organizer of inner formations
- पिशङ्ग द्रापि (piśaṅga drāpi)
- Literal: tawny mantle. Symbolic: Golden luminous covering; the light-body/veil of revelation replacing darkness
- कवि (kavi)
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: Illuminated consciousness that knows by vision
- विचक्षण (vicakṣaṇa)
- Literal: clear-sighted. Symbolic: Discriminating inner sight; awakened buddhi
- प्रथयन् (prathayan)
- Literal: widening. Symbolic: Expansion of consciousness (uru-bhāva)
- आपृणन् (āpṛṇan)
- Literal: filling. Symbolic: Infusion of force and fullness into mind-life spaces
- सुम्न (sumnam)
- Literal: grace, felicity. Symbolic: Ananda/benediction that stabilizes the transformation
- उक्थ्य (ukthya)
- Literal: worthy of hymn. Symbolic: Joy that becomes articulate truth-speech/mantra
Used to invoke Savitṛ’s creative ordering and the removal of coverings before recitation; aligns with rites emphasizing cosmic regulation (vrata) and awakening of vision.
At dawn or at initiatory moments in a rite (pravara/pravargya atmospheres, broadly)
Praise to establish luminous order and creative expansion before offerings
Use when starting a new phase (project, study, sadhana cycle): chant to ‘release the golden mantle’—replace inertia with luminous momentum.
dhartā: agent noun from √dhṛ 'hold, support'. prajā́pati: prajā 'progeny/manifestation' + pati 'lord'. muñcate: middle of √muc 'release'. vi-cakṣaṇa: vi- + √cakṣ 'see' → 'discerning, wide-seeing'. prathay-: causative/intensive from √prath 'spread, widen'. āpr̥ṇ-: from √pṛ 'fill' with ā-. ajījanat: causative/aorist from √jan 'be born, generate'.
creation as widening and filling, seer-vision (kavi, vi-cakṣaṇa), manifestation (prajā)
Widening/filling are acts of establishing ordered worlds in consciousness.
Vicakṣaṇa: truth-seeing that makes right speech (uktha) possible.
Unveiling + expansion + fullness → birth of vastness and joy.
Aurobindonian: creation as progressive manifestation in planes of consciousness.
dawn
Golden illumination descending in front of awareness, opening vision and generating a larger inner world.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The casting off of the veil and the ensuing creation: Savitṛ releases the golden covering and thereby opens vision, widens the worlds, and generates vastness and felicity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ 'hold' reflects PIE *dʰer- 'hold/support'. √muc 'release' parallels IE 'loosen/free' roots (cf. Latin mucro is unrelated; but the semantic field of release is common). √jan 'generate' continues PIE *ǵenh₁- 'beget' (cf. Lat. gignō, Eng. kin).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The hymn frames Savitṛ as the inner kavi: not merely an external sun but the power that removes veils in the mind and creates a wider field for the hymn itself—thus enabling the R̥ṣi’s speech and felicity.
Unveiling meditation: visualize a golden mantle drawn aside before the inner sight; allow consciousness to widen and fill with calm force.
Ajna and Sahasrara (opening vision and higher support)
Inhale imagining golden light descending in front of the forehead; exhale spreading it through chest and abdomen (widen/fill).
Revelatory clarity with creative fullness.
After chanting, sit with eyes half-closed; notice where ‘space’ feels tight; on each exhale, widen that region; end by offering a short spontaneous ‘uktha’ (a sentence of gratitude/truth).
Honor udātta on titles (dhartā, prajāpatiḥ, kaviḥ) and action-words (muñcate, prathayan, āpṛṇan, ajījanat).
Make ‘piśaṅgaṃ drāpim’ warm and rounded; increase brightness on ‘vicakṣaṇaḥ’.
prajāpatiḥ: long ā in jā, piśaṅgaṃ: nasal ṅ before g, drāpim: long ā, ajījanat: jī is long ī; keep dental t
Warm-golden timbre, steady projection.
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