Rig Veda 8.27.17: Mandala 8, Sukta 27, Mantra 17
Sukta 8.27
- Devata
- Aryaman–Mitra–Varuṇa
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ऋते स विन्दते युधः सुगेभिर्यात्यध्वनः । अर्यमा मित्रो वरुणः सरातयो यं त्रायन्ते सजोषसः ॥
ṛté sá vindate yudháḥ su-gébhiḥ yā́ty ádhvanaḥ | aryamā́ mitró váruṇaḥ sa-rā́tayo yáṃ trā́yante sa-jóṣasaḥ ||
Przez Prawdę odnajduje bitwy i ich zwycięstwo; dobrymi drogami kroczy ścieżką. Arjaman, Mitra i Waruno, zjednoczeni w swym dawaniu, chronią w jednomyślności tego, którego wybierają strzec.
Word by Word
- ऋते
- in accordance with ṛta (cosmic order/true law)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (ऋते = ऋते ‘ऋते/ऋते’ = ‘ऋते’ ‘ऋत में/ऋत के अनुसार’)Role अधिकारणRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक) / ऋ (धातु: ‘ऋ-गत्यर्थे’ से निष्पन्न ‘ऋत’ ‘सत्य/ऋत’)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विन्दते
- finds/obtainsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot विद् (धातु: ‘विद्/विन्द्’—प्राप्तौ ‘to find/obtain’)
- युधः
- battles/fightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (युध्), द्वितीया बहुवचन (वेदिक रूप: युधः = युधः < युधः/युधाः; अर्थतः ‘युद्धानि’)Role कर्मRoot युध् (प्रातिपदिक: युध्/युध्- ‘fight, battle’; RV में ‘युधः’ = ‘युद्धानि/युधः’)
- सुगेभिः
- by good ways/with good meansNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (सुगे), तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot सु-ग (प्रातिपदिक: सु + ग ‘good-going’ → ‘सुगा’ ‘good paths/means’)
- याति
- goesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु: ‘या-गत्यर्थे’)
- अध्वनः
- of the path/journeyNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्यमा
- AryamanNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (वेदिक: अर्यमा < अर्यमा/अर्यमाḥ नहीं; नामरूप)Role कर्तृ (समुच्चित)Root अर्यमन् (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
- मित्रः
- MitraNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चित)Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चित)Root वरुण (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
- सरातयः
- the helpers/companions (benefactors)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चित)Root सराति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सह-राति/सराति’ = ‘साथ देने/उदार दाता/सहायक’—वेदिक विशेषण/नाम)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्रायन्ते
- protectVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot त्रा (धातु: ‘त्रा-रक्षणे’)
- सजोषसः
- in harmony/with one accordAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (कर्तृ-विशेषण)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot स-जोṣस् (अव्ययीभाव/समास; ‘सह’ + ‘जोṣस्’ ‘with liking/with favor, in concord’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): ऋते | सः | विन्दते | युधः | सुगेभिः | याति | अध्वनः || अर्यमा | मित्रः | वरुणः | सरातयः | यम् | त्रायन्ते | सजोषसः । मुख्य सन्धियाँ: (1) सुगेभिर् + याति → सुगेभिर्याति (र् + य)
- (2) याति + अध्वनः → यात्यध्वनः (इ + अ → य)
- (3) वरुणः + सरातयः → वरुणः सरातयः (विसर्ग-सन्धि: अः + स → अः स, पदपाठ में पृथक्)
- (4) त्रायन्ते + सजोषसः → त्रायन्ते सजोषसः (पदपाठ में पृथक्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
By ṛta he finds the battles and their success; by good paths he travels. Aryaman, Mitra, and Varuṇa, united in giving, protect together the one whom they choose to guard.
Inner meaning
When the being stands in ṛta (truth-order), inner conflicts (yudhaḥ) become intelligible and winnable—one discovers the right engagement and the victory. ‘Good goings’ (su-gebhiḥ) are right movements of thought, life-force, and action along the path of yoga (adhvan). The triple Āditya-power—Aryaman (noble aspiration and right companionship), Mitra (harmony), Varuṇa (purity and vast law)—acts in one consent to protect the chosen seeker (the soul consenting to the divine choice).
Universal truth
Truth is not only a principle of knowledge; it is a practical guidance-force that reveals the right battle, the right path, and the right protection through unified inner powers.
Themes
ṛta and victory, safe journey, Āditya protection, inner battle
The seer
Significance
A concise ‘formula’ of the Vedic yoga: ṛta → right battle and right path → unified Āditya-protection. It reads as a practical siddhānta for inner warfare.
The deity
- Devata
- Aryaman–Mitra–Varuṇa (Ādityas)
- Epithets
- sarātayaḥ (united bestowers), sajoṣasaḥ (in one consent)
- Related deities
- Bhaga, Aṃśa, Sūrya
Cosmic role
They govern noble order: Aryaman the lord of right fellowship and aspiration, Mitra of harmony and luminous contracts, Varuṇa of vast law and purification; together they maintain ṛta in human and cosmic life.
Inner power
Aryaman: uplift to nobility, right relations in the psychic being. Mitra: reconciliation of parts, glad clarity. Varuṇa: deep cleansing, widening, and truth-compulsion.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and success-in-striving invocation to Ādityas; suitable in rites seeking safe travel and victory
ऋ॒ते स वि॑न्दते यु॒धः सु॒गेभि॑र्या॒त्यध्व॑नः । अ॒र्य॒मा मि॒त्रो वरु॑ण॒: सरा॑तयो॒ यं त्राय॑न्ते स॒जोष॑सः ॥
ऋ॒ते । सः । वि॒न्द॒ते॒ । यु॒धः । सु॒ऽगेभिः॑ । या॒ति॒ । अध्व॑नः । अ॒र्य॒मा । मि॒त्रः । वरु॑णः॒ । सऽरा॑तयः । यम् । त्राय॑न्ते । स॒ऽजोष॑सः ॥
ṛte | saḥ | vindate | yudhaḥ | su-gebhiḥ | yāti | adhvanaḥ | aryamā | mitraḥ | varuṇaḥ | sa-rātayaḥ | yam | trāyante | sa-joṣasaḥ
44
4×~11 (approx.)
Martial yet ordered; ‘yudhaḥ’ is held inside the calm frame of ṛta
Helps convert agitation into disciplined effort; supports ‘right combat’ without hatred.
- ऋते (ṛte)
- Literal: by truth/right order. Symbolic: alignment with the deeper law of consciousness
- युधः (yudhaḥ)
- Literal: battles. Symbolic: inner struggles against ignorance, desire, inertia, hostile formations
- सुगेभिः (su-gebhiḥ)
- Literal: with good goings. Symbolic: right movements/steps; auspicious progressions of practice
- अध्वनः (adhvanaḥ)
- Literal: of the path. Symbolic: the yoga-path; evolutionary journey of consciousness
- सरातयः (sarātayaḥ)
- Literal: united in giving, joint bestowers. Symbolic: coordinated action of multiple divine powers in the seeker
- सजोषसः (sajoṣasaḥ)
- Literal: in one accord, together. Symbolic: integrated protection—no inner contradiction among truth-powers
Protective invocation for safe passage and victory; suitable for travel-rites, oath/ethical affirmations, and moments of contest (outer or inner).
Before contests, debates, journeys, or when confronting inner/outer obstacles
Recitation as a protective calling; mental alignment to ṛta before action
Use during challenging periods: chant to clarify ‘what is the real battle’ and to move by ‘good goings’ rather than impulsive reaction.
ṛta from √ṛ ‘fit, move rightly’ (and the semantic field of ‘ordered truth’). adhvan ‘path’ becomes the archetype of the soul’s journey. √trā ‘protect’ (cf. Avestan tra-). su-ga ‘good-going’ foregrounds the Vedic metaphor: right movement of consciousness is itself protection and success.
ṛta as enabling victory, right movement (su-ga) as spiritual method, divine protection (trā)
Central: ṛta is the means of victory and right movement.
Truth as operative guidance; not merely factuality but right seeing/doing.
Aurobindonian psychology: battles as inner conflicts; gods as powers coordinating the ascent.
The ‘path’ is the progressive unfolding of consciousness; ‘battles’ are confrontations with obscurity; ‘good goings’ are right steps—ethical, mental, vital—kept in harmony by the Ādityas.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘battle on the path’ where ṛta is the decisive power: alignment with cosmic order yields victory in conflicts and grants the ‘good-going’ means to traverse the journey. The Ādityas act as guardians of the traveler-soul.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam in su-gebhiḥ reflects PIE *gʷem- ‘to go/come’ (cf. Greek baínō is different, but Germanic ‘come’ is related). √trā aligns with Indo-Iranian protective vocabulary. Mitra/Aryaman preserve Indo-Iranian social-religious lexemes of contract and noble fellowship.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet articulates a law of reciprocity: the human adheres to ṛta (ṛte), and the Ādityas respond with coordinated guardianship (sajōṣasaḥ trāyante). The relationship is not bargaining but alignment—truth-order draws protection as its natural consequence.
‘By ṛta I know my true battle and walk the right path’
ājñā (right seeing)
box-breath 4-4-4-4 while mentally repeating ṛte… sugebhiḥ… adhvanaḥ… trāyante
alert, guided, ethically aligned determination
Identify one recurring inner ‘battle’ (habit, fear, distraction). Ask: what is the ṛta-move here? Chant once, then sit and let the three powers act: widen (Varuṇa), harmonise (Mitra), ennoble and commit (Aryaman).
Svara not given; keep a clear rise on ‘ṛte’ and a steady cadence through ‘yudhaḥ… adhvanaḥ’; soften into assurance on ‘trāyante sajoṣasaḥ’.
Emphasise: ṛté sá vindate yudháḥ … su-gébhiḥ yā́ti ádhvanaḥ … yáṃ trā́yante …
ṛte: vocalic ṛ, not ‘ri’., sugebhiḥ: keep ‘bh’ aspirated., sajoṣasaḥ: keep ‘ṣ’ retroflex.
focused, steady, slightly martial
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