Sukta 89
Sukta 7.89
Vasiṣṭha (traditional for RV 7.89)
Anuṣṭubh (short refrain-like verse)
Ten krótki hymn to pilna prośba Wasiṣṭhy do Varuṇy o miłosierdzie, uwolnienie od grzechu (enas) i ochronę przed "domem z gliny" (śmiercią). Wyznaje on ludzki błąd, błędnie ukierunkowaną wolę i nieumyślne naruszenie prawa boskiego (dharma), i wielokrotnie prosi suwerennego, czystego Varuṇę, by "był łaskawy".
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
मो षु वरुण मृन्मयं गृहं राजन्नहं गमम् । मृळा सुक्षत्र मृळय ॥
Nie pozwól mi, o Waruno, królu, wejść do domu z gliny. Bądź łaskawy, o ty o dobrej władzy, bądź łaskawy.
Mantra 2
यदेमि प्रस्फुरन्निव दृतिर्न ध्मातो अद्रिवः । मृळा सुक्षत्र मृळय ॥
Gdy idę drżąc, jak wstrząsa się skórzany miech gdy jest nadmuchany, o mocny, bądź łaskawy, o ty o dobrej władzy, bądź łaskawy.
Mantra 3
क्रत्वः समह दीनता प्रतीपं जगमा शुचे । मृळा सुक्षत्र मृळय ॥
Przez naszą własną błędna wolę osiągnęliśmy nędzną słabość, idąc przeciw właściwemu kursowi, o Czysty. Bądź łaskawy, o ty o dobrej władzy, bądź łaskawy.
Mantra 4
अपां मध्ये तस्थिवांसं तृष्णाविदज्जरितारम् । मृळा सुक्षत्र मृळय ॥
Stojąc pośród wód, pragnienie znalazło śpiewaka. Bądź łaskawy, o ty o dobrej władzy, bądź łaskawy.
Mantra 5
यत्किं चेदं वरुण दैव्ये जनेऽभिद्रोहं मनुष्याश्चरामसि । अचित्ती यत्तव धर्मा युयोपिम मा नस्तस्मादेनसो देव रीरिषः ॥
Cokolwiek w tym boskim rodzie, o Waruno, my ludzie możemy praktykować jako wrogą zdradę, jeśli przez nieświadomość naruszyliśmy twoje prawo, nie karz nas, o Boże, za ten grzech; uwolnij nas od niego.
Inside Sukta 89
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A direct, fear-tinged plea to Varuṇa: “Let me not go to the house of clay,” immediately followed by the refrain asking for grace.
- Development
The hymn turns inward, admitting that human will and error have gone against the right course, producing weakness and distress; the refrain reinforces dependence on Varuṇa’s benevolence.
- Climax
A frank confession that humans may commit betrayal even among the ‘divine race,’ and that Varuṇa’s dharma may be violated through ‘unseeing’ (acittī); the prayer asks that sin be loosened rather than punished.
- Where it settles
The hymn ends by seeking non-injury and release from enas—Varuṇa’s mercy re-establishes safety, moral order, and life.
The deity: Varuṇa
- In the VedaHe is praised as pure (śuci), sovereign, and a guardian of law and moral order.
- Cosmic functionMaintainer of cosmic and moral order (ṛta), overseeing truth, oaths, social contracts, and the right course of action; he restrains disorder and restores harmony through judgment and grace.
- Inner significanceThe awakened conscience and the inner law that perceives deviation, prompting confession, humility, and re-alignment; also the liberating power of remorse and forgiveness that loosens inner bonds of guilt and fear.
The seer
- VasiṣṭhaVasiṣṭha gotra (one of the chief seer-families of the Rig Veda; principal rishi of Mandala 7) · Foremost among the Rigvedic family seers, celebrated for hymns on ṛta/dharma and for intimate, penitential prayers to Varuṇa expressing moral accountability and the hope of forgiveness.
Famous verses
mṛḻā sukṣatra mṛḻaya
mṛḻā sukṣatra mṛḻaya
यत्किं चेदं वरुण दैव्ये जनेऽभिद्रोहं मनुष्याश्चरामसि । अचित्ती यत्तव धर्मा युयोपिम मा नस्तस्मादेनसो देव रीरिषः ॥Attributes of the deity
- Rājan (sovereign king)
- Guardian of ṛta/dharma
- All-knowing witness of deeds
- Binder and releaser (noose imagery; removal of enas)
- Purity (śuci) and moral clarity
- Mercy toward the contrite
Also by this seer
- Rig Veda Mandala 7 (many hymns attributed to the Vasiṣṭhas)
- Notable Varuṇa hymns emphasizing sin, confession, and release (e.g., RV 7.86–7.88)
- Later Vedic and Itihāsa traditions remember Vasiṣṭha as a paradigmatic brahmarṣi and royal purohita
The rite, step by step
- Prepare a clean space and kindle/approach the sacred fire (if available) or a water-vessel as Varuṇa is also associated with cosmic waters and moral purification.
- Sankalpa: acknowledge faults (known and unknown) and seek restoration to ṛta/dharma.
- Recite the sukta with emphasis on the refrain-like plea for grace (mṛḻā… mṛḻaya), maintaining a tone of humility and truthfulness.
- Silent confession: name specific breaches (speech, oath, betrayal, negligence) and ask for loosening of enas.
- Conclude with a short prayer for right-mindedness (sumati), renewed self-control, and protection for the household/community.
Offerings
- Ghee (ājya) into fire (when performed as a homa)
- Water libation (arghya/ācamana as symbolic purification)
- Simple oblations such as barley or sesame (regional practice-dependent)
- Truthful vow/commitment (satya-saṅkalpa) as a non-material offering
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a confession and a plea: the singer admits human mistakes and asks Varuṇa to be gracious, remove sin (enas), and protect him from death.
It is a poetic way to speak of death and burial—the fragile human body returning to earth. The hymn asks Varuṇa to avert that fate and grant protection.
The repetition works like a refrain: it intensifies the request for mercy. It portrays Varuṇa as a strong ruler (sukṣatra) whose true power is shown in forgiveness and release.
Ask anything about Sukta 89 of the Rig Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
