Rig Veda 6.74.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 74, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.74
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Soma-Rudra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Shanta (peace)
सोमारुद्रा वि वृहतं विषूचीममीवा या नो गयमाविवेश । आरे बाधेथां निॠतिं पराचैरस्मे भद्रा सौश्रवसानि सन्तु ॥
somā́rudrā ví vṛhataṃ viṣū́cīm amī́vā yā́ no gáyam āviveśá | āré bādhethāṃ níṛtiṃ parācáiḥ asmè bhadrā́ sauśravasā́ni santu ||
O Somo i Rudro, zerwijcie i odrzućcie chorobę, która uderza z wielu stron, która wniknęła w nasze istnienie. Odpędźcie daleko moc rozpadu, Nirṛti, ścieżkami skierowanymi na zewnątrz; w nas niech będą pomyślne, sławne siły i wypełnienia.
Word by Word
- सोमा
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन/कर्तृ (देवताद्वय-आह्वान)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक) < √सु (सवने) / सोम- (देवता/रस)
- रुद्रा
- O RudraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन/कर्तृ (देवताद्वय-आह्वान)Root रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, asunder, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वृहतम्
- (you two) drive away / push awayVerb (imperative) / Adjectival stem used with verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आज्ञा) — कर्तृ: सोमा-रुद्राRoot √वृह् (वर्धने) → वृहत् (कृदन्त/विशेषण)
- विषूचीम्
- the straying/wayward (disease/evil)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot विषूची (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विकृत-दिशा/विपथगामिनी’)
- अमीवाम्
- the sickness, diseaseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विषूचीम् के विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन)Root अमीवा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘रोग/व्याधि’)
- या
- which (she/that)Pronoun (relative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अविवेश क्रिया का)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (possessive)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- गयम्
- household, dwellingNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म/अधिकरण (अविवेश ‘entered’ का लक्ष्य)Root गय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘गृह/आवास/जीवन-क्षेत्र’)
- आ
- into, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अविवेश
- has enteredVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया — कर्तृ: या (अमीवा)Root √विश् (प्रवेशने) + अवि- (वेदिक परफेक्ट/आओरिस्ट रूप)
- आरे
- far awayIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot आरे (अव्यय)
- बाधेथाम्
- (you two) repel, drive offVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (आज्ञा) — कर्तृ: सोमा-रुद्राRoot √बाध् (पीडने/निवारणे)
- निॠतिम्
- Nirṛti (destruction/misfortune)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot निॠति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विनाश/दुर्दैव/राक्षसी-शक्ति’)
- पराचैः
- away, backwards, far offIndeclinable (adverbial instrumental plural form)अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषण (रूप: तृतीया-बहुवचनवत्)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot पराच् (अव्यय/तद्धित-प्रयोग; ‘पश्चात्/दूरम्’)
- अस्मे
- for us / in usPronounसप्तमी (वेदिक रूप), एकवचनRole अधिकरण (locative: ‘among/for us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- भद्रा
- auspicious, благоприятныеAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रयोग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (सन्तु के)Root भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सौश्रवसानि
- good fame, fair renownNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (सन्तु के)Root सु-श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सुयशस्/सुकीर्ति’), तद्धित/समास → सौश्रवस (नपुंसक)
- सन्तु
- let there be / may they beVerbलोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आशीः/विधि)Root √अस् (भुवि) → सन्तु
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): सोमा रुद्रा | वि वृहतम् | विषूचीम् अमीवाम् | या नः गयम् आ अविवेश | आरे बाधेथाम् | निॠतिम् पराचैः | अस्मे भद्रा सौश्रवसानि सन्तु || 1) ‘सोमा॑रुद्रा॒’ = ‘सोमा रुद्रा’ (सम्बोधन-द्विवचन; संहितायां संयोग)
- 2) ‘विषू॑ची॒ममी॑वा’ = ‘विषूचीम् अमीवाम्’ (म् + अ → म्-अ संधि; लेखन-संयोग)
- 3) ‘नो॒ गय॑मावि॒वेश॑’ = ‘नः गयम् आ अविवेश’ (नः + गयम्; आ + अविवेश)
- 4) ‘परा॒चैर॒स्मे’ = ‘पराचैः अस्मे’ (ः + अ → र्-प्रवेश/विसर्ग-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Soma and Rudra to tear away disease that attacks from many sides and has entered the vital being; to drive away Nirṛti (dissolution) far; to grant auspicious, renowned strengths.
Inner meaning
The ‘disease from many sides’ is the dispersive, invading vibration—confusion, anxiety, compulsions—that enters the gāya/gaya (vital life-force). Soma-Rudra are asked to extract it at the root, not merely palliate it. Nirṛti is the principle of decomposition and despair that pulls consciousness outward and downward; ‘by outward paths’ means expelling it back to its own field, refusing inner consent. The result sought is bhadrā sauśravasāni—beautiful, well-heard (well-resonant) powers: inner faculties that carry a true vibration and right renown in the worlds of the being.
Universal truth
Healing is restoration of vibration: when delight and purifying force work together, invasive disorder is uprooted and the being regains auspicious strength and right resonance.
Themes
expulsion of illness, banishment of nirṛti, restoration of auspicious force, protective dual deities
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Lineage
- Bārhaspatya
- Other hymns
- RV 6.47, RV 6.50, RV 6.52
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns frequently battle inner obstruction by calling powers of clarity, protection, and right force.
Significance
The seer’s psychology is practical: remove invasion (amīvā), expel dissolution (nirṛti), then establish auspicious strengths as stable attainments.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma-Rudra
- Epithets
- healers (bheṣajau), expellers of amīvā, drivers away of nirṛti
- Related deities
- Aśvins (physicians), Agni (purifier), Indra (slayer of cover)
Cosmic role
Guardians of life against decay: Soma renews, Rudra cuts out corruption and protects the boundary of order.
Inner power
Soma restores sweetness and cohesion in prāṇa; Rudra performs decisive extraction of the hostile knot.
In ritual
Where it is used
Healing and averting evil influences; protective recitation in soma contexts and general śānti rites.
सोमा॑रुद्रा॒ वि वृ॑हतं॒ विषू॑ची॒ममी॑वा॒ या नो॒ गय॑मावि॒वेश॑ । आ॒रे बा॑धेथां॒ निॠ॑तिं परा॒चैर॒स्मे भ॒द्रा सौ॑श्रव॒सानि॑ सन्तु ॥
सोमा॑रुद्रा । वि । वृ॒ह॒त॒म् । विषू॑चीम् । अमी॑वा । या । नः॒ । गय॑म् । आ॒ऽवि॒वेश॑ । आ॒रे । बा॒धे॒था॒म् । निःऽऋ॑तिम् । प॒रा॒चैः । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । भ॒द्रा । सौ॒श्र॒व॒सानि॑ । स॒न्तु॒ ॥
somārudrā | vi | vṛhatam | viṣūcīm | amīvā | yā | naḥ | gayam | āviveśa | āre | bādhethām | niḥ-ṛtim | parācaiḥ | asme iti | bhadrā | sauśravasāni | santu
44
4 × ~11
Energetic and surgical; verbs like vi vṛhatam and bādhethām strike strongly.
Creates a sense of clearing and exorcism; ends with a constructive blessing of strength.
- विषूची (viṣūcīm)
- Literal: spreading in various directions. Symbolic: Multi-directional disturbance; scattered energies
- अमीवा (amīvā)
- Literal: disease, affliction. Symbolic: Invasive false vibration—fear, craving, confusion
- गयम् (gayam)
- Literal: life, vital being. Symbolic: Prāṇic field; the seat of vitality and desire
- निॠति (nirṛti)
- Literal: dissolution, destruction. Symbolic: Downward pull of despair, entropy, self-undoing
- परा॒चैः (parācaiḥ)
- Literal: away, outward paths. Symbolic: Expulsion of the hostile movement; non-identification
- भद्रा (bhadrā)
- Literal: auspicious, good. Symbolic: Harmonized energies aligned with ṛta
- सौश्रवसानि (sauśravasāni)
- Literal: of good fame/hearing. Symbolic: Right resonance; faculties that ‘sound true’ in consciousness
Apotropaic/healing recitation within Soma-related rites and general remedial invocations; suited to expulsion of amīvā and nirṛti.
When illness, inauspiciousness, or fear of decline is ritually addressed.
Recitation with offerings; symbolic ‘casting out’ gesture or sprinkling (later practice) may accompany.
Use when feeling scattered or invaded by anxiety: chant to ‘tear away’ dispersion and re-center vitality.
- from √vṛh ‘to tear, uproot’. (amīvā) is a common RV term for illness/affliction. - (nir-ṛti) is ‘absence of ṛta / falling away from order’, personified as a devouring negation. (gaya) relates to life-force/living (cf. √gai/√gāy ‘to enliven/sing’—semantic proximity in Vedic usage).
Ṛta vs. Nirṛti (order vs. dissolution), inner purification as restoration of harmony
Disease is a deviation from ṛta; Soma-Rudra restore right functioning.
Sauśravasāni as ‘true-sounding’ powers—inner speech and force aligned with truth.
Maintenance of created order against entropy (nirṛti).
Integral yogic psychology: hostile vibrations are expelled; higher harmony is installed.
Expelling dispersive forces from the prāṇic field; restoring coherent life-energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic pattern is the ‘expulsion of the hostile power’—disease and Nirṛti are treated as invading agencies entering the gayam (vital being). Soma-Rudra act as divine exorcists: they uproot (vi vṛhatam) and drive away (bādhethām) the negation, restoring auspicious fame/force (bhadrā sauśravasāni).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The expulsive verb bādhethām relates to √bādh ‘press away, repel’ (PIE *bheudh-/ *bhedh-? comparisons are tentative; clearer is the inherited pattern of prefixal directionality: vi-, ā-, parā-). The semantic opposition ṛta vs. nir-ṛti is built morphologically via privative nir-, a productive archaic strategy also seen across IE languages.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the human being as a field entered by forces (āviveśa). The Devatās are requested to act therapeutically: remove the invading disorder and re-establish auspicious resonance and strength within the worshipper-community (asmè… santu).
Identify the ‘multi-directional’ leakage of energy; invoke decisive purification and soothing restoration.
Maṇipūra (vital power) with support to Anāhata (healing coherence).
Kapalabhati-light or sharp exhale pulses (if suitable) for ‘vi vṛhatam’, followed by slow cooling breaths for Soma.
From combative clarity to settled strength.
Name the invading pattern, feel it in prāṇa, then on each repetition imagine it being pulled out and sent outward; end by resting in bhadra (auspicious) vibration.
Tri-svara; emphasize the verb cluster vi vṛhatam with clear udātta rises where marked.
Keep ‘vi vṛhatam’ crisp; ‘āre bādhethām’ as a firm command; soften on ‘bhadrā’.
‘viṣūcīm’: retroflex ṣ; long ū, ‘amīvā’: long ī; avoid nasalizing too much, ‘nirṛtim’: roll lightly into ṛ, ‘sauśravasāni’: au + śra; keep śra conjunct clear
Focused, cutting, then gently bright on the final pāda.
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