Rig Veda 7.63.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 63, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.63
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
विभ्राजमान उषसामुपस्थाद्रेभैरुदेत्यनुमद्यमानः । एष मे देवः सविता चच्छन्द यः समानं न प्रमिनाति धाम ॥
vibhrā́jamāna uṣásām upásthād rebháir úd ety anumádyamānaḥ | eṣá me deváḥ savitā́ cacchanda yáḥ samānáṃ ná praminā́ti dhā́ma ||
Lśniąc z łona Jutrzenek, wstaje wraz ze śpiewem wieszczów, radując się, gdy się posuwa. Ten bóg Sawitar przychylił się mojej aspiracji, on, który nie umniejsza stałej siedziby Światła, ustanowionego prawa wewnętrznego domu.
Word by Word
- वि॒भ्राज॑मानः
- shining forth, radiantAdjective (present participle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वि-√भ्राज् (भ्राज् दीप्तौ) / विभ्राजमान-
- उ॒षसा॑म्
- of the dawnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot उषस्-
- उ॒पस्था॑त्
- from the lap/seat (bosom)Noun (with ablative)पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot उपस्थ-
- रे॒भैः
- with the singers/poets (Rebhas)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot रेभ-
- उद्
- up, forthPreverbउपसर्गःRoot उद्-
- एति
- goes forth, risesVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KartāRoot √इ (इ गतौ)
- अनु
- after, alongPreverbउपसर्गःRoot अनु-
- म॒द्यमा॑नः
- rejoicing, gladdening (himself)Adjective (present participle, middle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √मद् (मद् हर्षे/मादे) / मद्यमान-
- ए॒षः
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot एषद्/एष- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मे
- for me / myPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्-
- दे॒वः
- godNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot देव-
- स॑वि॒ता
- Savitar (the Impeller)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सवितृ-
- च॑च्छन्द
- has pleased / may he delightVerb(वैदिकः) लिट्/लुङ्-प्रायः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KartāRoot √छन्द् (छन्द् प्रीणने/आह्लादने) / (Vedic perfect-like injunctive form)
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्- (यः) सर्वनाम
- स॑मा॒नम्
- the same (fixed)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot समान-
- न
- notParticleनिषेधःRoot न
- प्र
- forth, forwardPreverbउपसर्गःRoot प्र-
- मि॒नाति॒
- diminishes, harms, violatesVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KartāRoot √मि (मि हिंसायाम्/क्षये) / √मिन् (मिन् हिंसायाम्)
- धाम॑
- abode; ordinance; established orderNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot धामन्-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): विभ्राजमान उषसामुपस्थाद् → विभ्राजमानः + उषसाम् + उपस्थात् (visarga before vowel; final -d of उपस्थाद् is pada-final sandhi for -t)
- रेभैरुदेत्यनुमद्यमानः → रेभैः + उद् + एति + अनु + मद्यमानः (रेभैः + उद् → रेभैर्- by visarga→r before voiced; उद् + एति shows preverb + verb; एति often written with preceding -ty- in saṃhitā)
- एष मे देवः सविता चच्छन्द → एषः + मे + देवः + सविता + चच्छन्द (no further split)
- यः समानं न प्र॑मिनाति धाम → यः + समानम् + न + प्र + मिनाति + धाम (प्र is separable preverb with verb)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Savitṛ, shining, rises from the lap of the Dawns with the chants of the seers, rejoicing as he advances; he has assented to the poet’s aspiration and does not diminish the stable station (dhāma).
Inner meaning
The illumining Power (Savitṛ) emerges from repeated dawnings of consciousness (uṣasām upasthāt), accompanied by inspired utterance (rebhiḥ). As the seeker aligns aspiration with that higher impulsion, the divine Force “consents” (cacchanda) and preserves the steady inner poise—an established luminous dwelling (samānaṃ dhāma) that resists relapse into obscurity.
Universal truth
True progress is rhythmic: illumination arises in successive dawns; when aspiration harmonizes with the higher impulsion, a stable inner law and luminous station is maintained without diminution.
Themes
dawn-to-sun transition, divine-consent, stable-truth-abode
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 7.1, Rig Veda 7.2, Rig Veda 7.33, Rig Veda 7.64, Rig Veda 7.66
Family tradition
Saptaṛṣi; royal purohita tradition associated with harmonizing earthly order with ṛta through mantra and inner discipline.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s voice is characteristically ‘establishing’: he seeks stable ṛta in the being—wide spaces (varivas), right paths (supathā), and a fixed luminous station (dhāma) through the Ādityas and solar powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ (with Uṣas as contextual power)
- Epithets
- vibhrājamāna (shining forth), prasavitṛ (impeller), deva (luminous one)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman
Cosmic role
Solar impeller who awakens beings, sets the rhythms of day, and stimulates right movement in the worlds.
Inner power
The divine Will/Impulsion that initiates inner awakening, aligns aspiration, and maintains the continuity of illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning praise connected with Savitṛ/Sūrya; recitation in dawn sequences and solar invocations.
वि॒भ्राज॑मान उ॒षसा॑मु॒पस्था॑द्रे॒भैरुदे॑त्यनुम॒द्यमा॑नः । ए॒ष मे॑ दे॒वः स॑वि॒ता च॑च्छन्द॒ यः स॑मा॒नं न प्र॑मि॒नाति॒ धाम॑ ॥
वि॒ऽभ्राज॑मानः । उ॒षसा॑म् । उ॒पऽस्था॑त् । रे॒भैः । उत् । ए॒ति॒ । अ॒नु॒ऽम॒द्यमा॑नः । ए॒षः । मे॒ । दे॒वः । स॒वि॒ता । च॒च्छ॒न्द॒ । यः । स॒मा॒नम् । न । प्र॒ऽमि॒नाति॑ । धाम॑ ॥
vi-bhrājamānaḥ | uṣasām | upa-sthāt | rebhaiḥ | ut | eti | anu-madyamānaḥ | eṣaḥ | me | devaḥ | savitā | cacchanda | yaḥ | samānam | na | pra-mināti | dhāma
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, expansive; suited to ascent and proclamation.
Generates a sense of rising and steadying—supporting the feeling of an inner dawn becoming stable in the mind.
- सविता (savitā)
- Literal: Impeller, vivifier (solar deity). Symbolic: Divine impulsion that awakens and directs the mind toward truth
- उषसाम् उपस्थात् (uṣasām upasthāt)
- Literal: from the lap/bosom of the Dawns. Symbolic: from the nurturing field of recurring illuminations in consciousness
- रेभैः (rebhaiḥ)
- Literal: with the seers/singers’ chants. Symbolic: mantric inspiration and higher hearing that accompanies ascent
- चच्छन्द (cacchanda)
- Literal: approved/consented, was pleased. Symbolic: inner assent of the divine Power when aspiration is rightly tuned
- समानम् धाम (samānam dhāma)
- Literal: the same/constant station, abode. Symbolic: stable luminous poise; established inner home in the Light
- प्रमिनाति (pramināti)
- Literal: diminishes, injures, breaks down. Symbolic: loss of attained consciousness through relapse or dispersion
Dawn-Savitṛ recitation; can function as an inner 'pravargya-like' awakening formula—invoking consent of the impeller for right aspiration
At dawn or before sunrise; also when beginning undertakings.
Japa/recitation with offering of attention (inner oblation) or ghee in agnihotra contexts (outer).
Use at the start of the day to invoke right impulsion, protect the day’s inner poise, and prevent ‘diminution’ of clarity.
√bhrāj 'shine' (vibhrājamāna) expresses active radiance. √mad 'be glad, exhilarated' in anumadyamānaḥ supports a psychological 'delight of progress' rather than mere intoxication. √chand 'to please/consent' (cacchanda) marks a covenantal relation: the deity 'assents' to the seeker’s will. dhā́man- 'abode/station' (from √dhā 'to place, establish') justifies the inner sense of a stable founded consciousness; pra-mināti from √mī 'measure, mete' → 'to reduce/diminish' (hence 'does not diminish the constant station').
consent of the divine power (chandas), stability of dhāman (founded truth-state), ānanda/delight in progress (mad)
Savitṛ sustains rhythmic right movement; ‘not diminishing the constant dhāma’ signals continuity of ṛta in consciousness.
The stable dhāma is the truth-station the seeker must not lose.
Emergence of light from dawn—manifestation of order out of obscurity.
Vedāntic-psychological reading aligned with Sri Aurobindo’s ‘inner sacrifice’ and ascent of consciousness.
dawn
Dawn = first openings of higher light; Savitṛ = impulsion that turns the being toward truth and keeps the gained clarity stable.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The birth of the Sun from Dawn: light emerges from the dawn-field and is affirmed by inspired speech. Innerly, illumination rises out of preliminary awakenings and gains the deity’s ‘consent’—a stabilization of aspiration in a constant dhāman.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘abode/station’ concept (dhāman < √dhā) parallels an Indo-European tendency to express cosmic order as something ‘set/placed’ (PIE *dʰeh₁- 'put, set'). The semantic pairing of dawn/sun as successive unveilings is a shared Indo-European poetic structure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- It is explicitly reciprocal: the seer declares Savitṛ has ‘consented’ (cacchanda) to him. The rishi offers inspired speech (rebhaiḥ) and aspiration; the deity responds by maintaining the undiminished stable station (samānaṃ dhāma) in the seeker.
Invite the ‘impelling Light’ to rise from within the dawn-state and stabilize a constant inner station (dhāma).
ājñā (brow) and sahasrāra (crown)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow inhale (rise) / soft pause (consent) / long exhale (stabilize).
Dawn-like clarity: alert, luminous, steady.
At dawn, chant once slowly, then sit: feel an upward brightening from the heart to brow; inwardly offer aspiration and wait for ‘assent’—a quiet certainty that holds through the day.
Triṣṭubh recitation with Vedic udatta/anudatta/svarita as per śākhā; maintain clear udātta lifts on key verbs (ud eti, cacchanda).
Let ‘udéti’ carry a perceptible rise; keep ‘samānáṃ… dhā́ma’ steady and weighty to convey stability.
vibhrājamāna: keep ‘bh’ conjunct crisp; long ā in -māna, uṣasām: retroflex ṣ; long ā in -sām, upasthāt: aspirate th; lengthen ā, anumadyamānaḥ: articulate -dy-; long ā, pramināti: dental n; long ā
Bright, forward, and steady; avoid haste on the second hemistich.
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