Rig Veda 5.45.9: Mandala 5, Sukta 45, Mantra 9
Sukta 5.45
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Sūrya
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
आ सूर्यो यातु सप्ताश्वः क्षेत्रं यदस्योर्विया दीर्घयाथे । रघुः श्येनः पतयदन्धो अच्छा युवा कविर्दीदयद्गोषु गच्छन् ॥
ā́ sū́ryo yātu saptā́śvaḥ kṣétram yád asyorviyā́ dīrghayā́the | raghúḥ śyénáḥ patayad ándho ácchā yúvā kavír dī́dayad góṣu gácchan ||
Niech przybędzie Sūrya, siedmiokonny, na pole, które jest jego szerokim królestwem i długą ścieżką. Szybki sokół leci do somowego uniesienia; młody wieszcz lśni, idąc wśród Promieni.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात; गत्यर्थे ‘towards, hither’Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- सूर्यः
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- यातु
- let (him) go/comeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRoot या (गत्यर्थ धातु)
- सप्ताश्वः
- having seven horsesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (सप्त अश्वा यस्य)Role Kartā (सूर्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सप्ताश्व (समास: सप्त + अश्व)
- क्षेत्रम्
- field; domainNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्धक/यत्-सम्बन्धRole Karma (क्षेत्रम् इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्धः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of him/itsPronounपुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी एकवचनRole (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उर्विया
- with broadness; widelyNoun (instrumental of manner) / Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole Karaṇa (प्रकारेण/विस्तारेण)Root उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीर्घयाथे
- by a long course/roadNoun (compound) / Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘दीर्घा या आथा/याथा’)Role Karaṇa (मार्गेण/पथेना)Root दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + याथ (प्रातिपदिक ‘path, course’)
- रघुः
- swiftAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (श्येनस्य विशेषणम्)Root रघु (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्येनः
- falcon; hawkNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
- पतयत्
- flewVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत) परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; (वेदिक) ‘पतयत्’ = ‘अपतत्/पतितवान्’Root पत् (गत्यर्थ/पतने धातु)
- अन्धः
- Soma-juice; draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अच्छा
- towards; untoIndeclinableगत्यर्थे अव्ययम्; ‘towards, unto’Root अच्छा (अव्यय)
- युवा
- youngAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (वेदिक रूप ‘युवा’)Role Kartā (कवेर् विशेषणम्)Root युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कविः
- seer; sageNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीदयत्
- shone; flashedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत) परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-धातुरूप (intensive/iterative nuance)Root दीद्/दी (दीप्तौ धातु; वेदिक पुनरुक्त-आदेश)
- गोषु
- among the cows; in the cattleNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- गच्छन्
- going; movingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ) परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कविः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role Kartā (अनुषङ्गेण)Root गम् (गत्यर्थ धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): सप्ताश्वः (समास; no external sandhi). यदस्योर्विया → यत् + अस्य + उर्विया (द् + अ → द; final -त् becomes -द् before vowel; ‘यद्’ surface). दीर्घयाथे is a compound (दीर्घ + याथ) in instr. sg. पतयदन्धो → पतयत् + अन्धः (final -त् before vowel; written -द- by sandhi). कविर्दीदयद्गोषु → कविः + दीदयत् + गोषु (visarga before voiced consonant gives r: कविः + दी- → कविर्; final -त् before g gives -द्ग-). Accent marks in the citation are not re-applied here
- analysis is on resolved padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let Sūrya, with seven horses, come to his field—his wide realm and long course. The swift falcon flies to the Soma; the young seer shines as he goes among the cows (rays).
Inner meaning
Sūrya is the supramental/illumined Sun—clarity of consciousness that traverses a vast inner field (kṣetra) and a long path (dīrghayātha) of ascent and descent. The seven horses are the complete energies of action and perception (sevenfold force) that carry the solar consciousness through the being. The falcon (śyena) is the aspiring, upward-leaping will-mind that seizes Soma—ecstatic delight/immortalizing essence—from higher ranges and brings it to the human. The ‘young seer’ (yuvā kaviḥ) is the awakening intuitive intelligence, newly born in the seeker, shining as it moves among the rays of knowledge (goṣu).
Universal truth
When the inner Sun rises and its full energies are yoked, aspiration can bring down bliss; awakened intuition then moves within the field of knowledge and illumines life.
Themes
solar descent, Soma-seizure, seerhood and shining, wide field of consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 5.40 (Atri and Sūrya motifs, traditional association), Rig Veda 5.45.9, Rig Veda 5.45.10
Family tradition
Ātreya vision often links solar illumination with Soma and the seer’s awakening—uniting light (Sūrya) and delight (Soma) as twin necessities of realization.
Significance
Atri frames the path as solar: the inner Sun must arrive and traverse the whole field; aspiration (falcon) and intuition (kavi) become luminous instruments among the rays.
The deity
- Devata
- Sūrya (with Soma-falcon resonance)
- Epithets
- Saptāśva (seven-horsed), Dīrghayāthin (long-pathed, implied), Viśvacakṣas (all-seeing, implied)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Savitṛ, Mitra, Soma
Cosmic role
Illuminator of worlds; measures the course of manifestation; awakens sight and order in beings.
Inner power
Clarity, discernment, and truth-vision; the power that reveals the field of consciousness and energizes the journey.
In ritual
Where it is used
Solar praise within Soma/Indra-Aṅgiras thematic sequence
आ सूर्यो॑ यातु स॒प्ताश्व॒: क्षेत्रं॒ यद॑स्योर्वि॒या दी॑र्घया॒थे । र॒घुः श्ये॒नः प॑तय॒दन्धो॒ अच्छा॒ युवा॑ क॒विर्दी॑दय॒द्गोषु॒ गच्छ॑न् ॥
आ । सूर्यः॑ । या॒तु॒ । स॒प्तऽअ॑श्वः । क्षेत्र॑म् । यत् । अ॒स्य॒ । उ॒र्वि॒या । दी॒र्घ॒ऽया॒थे । र॒घुः । श्ये॒नः । प॒त॒य॒त् । अन्धः॑ । अच्छ॑ । युवा॑ । क॒विः । दी॒द॒य॒त् । गोषु॑ । गच्छ॑न् ॥
ā | sūryaḥ | yātu | sapta-aśvaḥ | kṣetram | yat | asya | urviyā | dīrgha-yāthe | raghuḥ | śyenaḥ | patayat | andhaḥ | accha | yuvā | kaviḥ | dīdayat | goṣu | gacchan
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4 × ~11; strong mid-line caesura typical of Triṣṭubh.
Swift and soaring; imagery of course and flight is mirrored by the meter’s forward thrust.
Energizes aspiration and brightens mind; good for dispelling dullness and invoking inner light.
- सूर्यः (sūryaḥ)
- Literal: the Sun. Symbolic: illumined consciousness; truth-light that governs the inner day
- सप्ताश्वः (saptāśvaḥ)
- Literal: seven-horsed. Symbolic: sevenfold energies—complete powers of perception/action carrying the light
- क्षेत्रम् (kṣetram)
- Literal: field. Symbolic: field of consciousness; the being as a domain to be illumined
- उर्विया (urviyā)
- Literal: wide. Symbolic: vastness of consciousness (bṛhat)
- दीर्घयाथे (dīrghayāthe)
- Literal: long course/path. Symbolic: extended journey of sādhanā across levels of being
- श्येनः (śyenaḥ)
- Literal: falcon. Symbolic: aspiring will-mind that brings Soma from above
- अन्धः (andhaḥ)
- Literal: Soma-juice (pressed draught). Symbolic: rapture/bliss-essence that intoxicates with immortality
- कविः (kaviḥ)
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: illumined intelligence; inspired intuition
- गोषु (goṣu)
- Literal: among cows. Symbolic: within rays/knowledges; among illuminations
Solar invocation within Soma-ritual frame; supports the bringing/attainment of Soma (andháḥ) and illumination of the field
Morning/daytime recitations; in contexts invoking Sūrya’s coming and Soma’s acquisition.
Invocation (ā…yātu) and visualization of solar arrival; supportive to offerings/recitation sequences.
Use at the start of the day or before study/decision-making to call in clarity and right movement of energies.
: seven (sapta) + aśva ‘horse’ (PIE *h₁eḱwos), the solar chariot as sevenfold energies/colours/planes. : ‘falcon’ used in Soma-myth (Soma brought by the falcon); psychologically the swift aspiring will. : soma-juice (also ‘dark’ in later Sanskrit, but RV andháḥ commonly ‘Soma’), from √ANDH?; here ‘nectar/delight’. : from √KU/√KAV ‘to see/poetize’, seer with vision.
sevenfold energies, illumination as movement, Soma as delight-essence
Implicit: Sūrya’s course is the archetype of ordered movement; his ‘field’ is ṛta-governed.
Solar light as satya-dṛṣṭi—truth-seeing that makes knowledge reliable.
Descent/ascent of light across the field; acquisition of Soma from higher planes.
Vedic integral psychology: illumination + delight + inspired intelligence as a triad of transformation.
morning to midday (solar coming)
Sun=illumined consciousness; horses=vital-mental energies; falcon=aspiration; Soma=bliss; cows=rays/knowledges in the mind-field.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The śyena-Soma mythologem: the falcon flies toward Soma (andháḥ). Coupled with Sūrya’s seven-horsed coming, it encodes the descent of illumination and the seizure of delight that empowers the work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva ‘horse’ continues PIE *h₁eḱwos (Lat. equus, Av. aspa). The chariot-horses imagery is a shared Indo-European poetic complex for solar motion and divine dynamism.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Invocation (ā…yātu) asks Sūrya to enter the ‘field’ of the seeker; the r̥ṣi simultaneously identifies with the ‘young kavi’ who shines while moving among rays—human consciousness becoming solar by participation.
Invite inner Sūrya to illumine the whole field; unite aspiration (śyena) with delight (Soma) and intuitive seeing (kavi).
Ājñā (solar clarity) and Anāhata (uplift/aspiration)
Brisk_energetic option: 12 rounds of bhastrikā-light (gentle), then normal breath with mantra; or simple 6–6 breathing if sensitive.
Bright, ascending, wide; a ‘sunlit’ awareness moving through the day’s field.
On ‘ā sūryo yātu’ visualize a sun above the brow; on ‘saptāśvaḥ’ feel seven currents aligning; on ‘śyenaḥ…andhaḥ’ offer aspiration upward and receive a descending sweetness; rest in steady seeing.
Observe udātta lifts on key invocatory words (ā, sū́ryo, saptā́śvaḥ where marked); keep the flight imagery by avoiding heavy pauses mid-pāda.
Slight caesura after ‘saptāśvaḥ’ and after ‘dīrghayāthe’ to let the ‘course’ be felt; keep ‘andho acchā’ as a quick glide.
‘saptāśvaḥ’: keep long ā., ‘kṣetraṃ’: clear kṣ cluster., ‘śyenaḥ’: palatal ś, not dental s., ‘dīdayat’: keep doubled ‘dī’ bright and long.
Bright, clear, slightly elevated pitch; end with a calm, steady sustain.
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