Rig Veda 8.7.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 7, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.7
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
नि यद्यामाय वो गिरिर्नि सिन्धवो विधर्मणे । महे शुष्माय येमिरे ॥
ní yádyāmā́ya vo girír ní síndhavo ví-dharmaṇe | mahé śúṣmāya yemiré ||
Gdy na waszą dalszą drogę góra i rzeki ustawiły się w uporządkowanym miejscu, ku szerokiemu prawu (właściwego ułożenia), wtedy poddają się waszej wielkiej sile napędu.
Word by Word
- नि
- down; forth; into (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- यत्
- which; when/thatPronounneuter nominative/accusative singularRole Karma (object of implied/understood verb; correlates with following clause)Root यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- यामाय
- for the course/going; for the march (yāma)Nounmasculine dative singularRole Sampradāna (purpose/recipient)Root याम (prātipadika)
- वः
- of you; yourPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (possessor/related-to)Root युष्मद् (pronoun)
- गिरिः
- mountainNounmasculine nominative singularRole Kartā (subject)Root गिरि (prātipadika)
- नि
- down; forthIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- सिन्धवः
- rivers; streamsNounmasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (subject; coordinated with गिरिः)Root सिन्धु (prātipadika)
- विधर्मणे
- for the ordinance/arrangement; for due orderNounneuter dative singularRole Sampradāna (purpose/for the sake of)Root विधर्मन् (prātipadika)
- महे
- for the greatAdjectivemasculine/neuter dative singular (Vedic form of महते)Role Sampradāna (purpose; agrees with शुष्माय)Root महत् (prātipadika)
- शुष्माय
- for (his) might; for vigorNounmasculine dative singularRole Sampradāna (purpose)Root शुष्म (prātipadika)
- येमिरे
- they have restrained/held in; they have checkedVerbperfect (Vedic), 3rd person plural, ĀtmanepadaRole Kriyā (finite verb); governs the clauseRoot यम् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolution: (1) यद्यामा॑य → यत् + यामाय (t + y → dy). (2) गि॒रिर्नि → गिरिः + नि (visarga before n becomes r: ḥ + n → r n). (3) सिन्ध॑वो॒ विध॑र्मणे → सिन्धवः + विधर्मणे (ḥ before v becomes o: ḥ + v → o v). Accent marks are retained on the original text
- pada forms given are unaccented lexical forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the Maruts advance, even the mountain and the rivers take their places in an ordered disposition, moving toward a vast law/arrangement; thus they yield to the Maruts’ mighty impulsion.
Inner meaning
In the inner sacrifice, the Maruts are the dynamic soul-forces (pranic-mental energies) that compel the fixed resistances (giri, ‘mountain’) and the flowing life-currents (sindhavaḥ, ‘rivers’) to submit to a higher ordering (vi-dharmaṇe). When these powers move in the right rhythm of the journey (yāma), the whole nature—stable and mobile—rearranges itself according to ṛta, and the seeker’s being yields to a greater divine impulsion (mahe śuṣmāya).
Universal truth
Transformation requires both the rigid structures of habit and the restless streams of desire to be re-placed into a higher law. When the inner energies align with truth-order, resistance and dispersion become instruments of a greater Force.
Themes
order through force, discipline of energies, cosmic law in manifestation
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.7.1, Rig Veda 8.7.2, Rig Veda 8.7.3, Rig Veda 8.7.4, Rig Veda 8.7.6, Rig Veda 8.7.7, Rig Veda 8.7.8, Rig Veda 8.7.9
Family tradition
Likely Kāṇva tradition (Book 8 contains many Kāṇva hymns); the voice is that of a seer invoking Marut-force for inner and outer ordering.
Significance
The anonymity itself suits the Marut-theme: an impersonal, collective surge of forces arranging the being for the soul’s onward march; the rishi stands as a channel for the host rather than an individualized signature.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- storm-host, ṛbhukṣaṇaḥ (strong shapers/skillful powers), citrāḥ (many-colored, variegated), aruṇa-psavaḥ (ruddy-bright, luminous in impulse)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sūrya, Uṣas, Parjanya
Cosmic role
They are the dynamic powers of the atmosphere that accompany Indra, break obstructions, and establish the path for the solar illumination.
Inner power
The collective life-energies and action-forces that, when purified, become divine allies—organizing, impelling, and harmonizing the instruments of nature toward ṛta.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut-invocation within Soma/Yajña sequences as auxiliary powers supporting Indra’s victory and the rite’s progression
नि यद्यामा॑य वो गि॒रिर्नि सिन्ध॑वो॒ विध॑र्मणे । म॒हे शुष्मा॑य येमि॒रे ॥
नि । यत् । यामा॑य । वः॒ । गि॒रिः । नि । सिन्ध॑वः । विऽध॑र्मणे । म॒हे । शुष्मा॑य । ये॒मि॒रे ॥
ni | yat | yāmāya | vaḥ | giriḥ | ni | sindhavaḥ | vi-dharmaṇe | mahe | śuṣmāya | yemire
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Driving, forward-pressing cadence suitable for ‘yāma’ (march) and ‘śuṣma’ (impetus).
Energizes and ‘sets in motion’ the inner forces; supports re-ordering of scattered energies into a single forward current.
- yāma
- Literal: course, journey, ordered movement, a ‘stage’ of motion. Symbolic: the progressive inner march of sadhana; disciplined movement of consciousness
- giriḥ
- Literal: mountain. Symbolic: fixed formations in nature: hardened habit, subconscious inertia, established limitation
- sindhavaḥ
- Literal: rivers, streams. Symbolic: life-currents: desires, emotions, pranic flows, dynamic movements of the being
- vi-dharmaṇe
- Literal: to the wide/varied law, ordered placing, right arrangement. Symbolic: alignment to ṛta: right law of truth-order in the consciousness
- śuṣma
- Literal: impetus, force, vehemence. Symbolic: divine dynamism in the vital-mental; energy that breaks and reorders resistance
- ni
- Literal: down, into place. Symbolic: settling into right station; placing movements under governance of the soul’s law
Marut-stotra context: invokes their regulated advance and their power to impose right arrangement upon both the fixed and the flowing parts of existence.
During offerings/hymn-recitation to Maruts, especially when invoking force, protection, and right movement of the rite
Stotra/śastra praise to invite and align the Marut host; strengthen the ‘advance’ of the sacrifice
Use as a mantra of inner re-organization: before work, practice, or difficult transitions—invoke the ‘right placing’ of thoughts, habits, and energies.
: yāma- (dat.), from √yā ‘go’—regulated advance. : vi- + dharmaṇa- (dat.) from √dhṛ ‘to hold, sustain’ → ‘that which upholds’; with vi- suggests ‘distributed/extended ordering’ (a many-sided law). : śuṣma- ‘impetuous force, vigor’, possibly from √śvas/√śuṣ ‘to be strong/active’ in Vedic semantics. : from √yam ‘to restrain, hold, control’ (perfect/middle-type Vedic form), implying self-contained ordering rather than mere external blockage.
R̥ta as ‘vi-dharmaṇa’ (ordered distribution of law), integration of stability (giri) and flow (sindhu)
Explicit: ‘vidharmaṇe’ indicates movements settling into the wide right law/order.
Truth becomes effective when nature’s fixed and flowing parts consent to it (yield themselves).
Cosmos as ordered placement of powers; evolution as progressive re-arrangement toward a vaster law.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent by organizing life and mind under the soul’s truth-order.
Mountain = rigid formations; rivers = vital streams; Marut-force = organizing impetus that makes both serve the soul’s onward journey.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cosmic submission to the storm-host: mountains and rivers ‘place themselves’ for the Maruts’ march—nature’s stable and mobile powers align to the greater ordering law under divine impetus.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold’ (dharma-) reflects PIE *dʰer- ‘to hold, support’ (cf. Greek thronos ‘seat’ in semantic neighborhood; Armenian ‘dar’ etc. via support/holding notions). √yam ‘restrain’ has IE parallels in control/bridle semantics (cf. Latin iugum ‘yoke’ is from *yeug-, not *yem-, but the Vedic semantic field often converges in ‘yoking/containing’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi reads the Maruts not as chaotic storm but as executors of a higher ‘vi-dharmaṇa’; by praising their capacity to make both mountain and river conform, he seeks the same ordering in the inner life—stability and flow governed by r̥ta.
Align the ‘fixed’ and ‘flowing’ parts of nature to a higher law—invite the Marut host to reorder habits and emotions into a single ascent-current.
Manipura (will/force) and Anahata (harmonization of currents)
Rhythmic breath (sama-vṛtti): 4-4-4-4 or 6-6-6-6 while feeling energies ‘take their stations’
Dynamic concentration (tapas with order)
Before japa, briefly name your ‘mountain’ (one rigid habit) and your ‘rivers’ (one restless stream). Chant, then sit 2–3 minutes sensing both settle into a wider right arrangement (ṛta) and offer the movement to the Divine Will.
Notated svaras not provided; chant with Vedic-style raised udatta on emphasized roots (yāmā́ya, síndhavaḥ, máhe, śúṣmāya) and gentle fall on following syllables.
Keep clear stress on long vowels: yā-mā-ya, śu-ṣmā-ya; avoid flattening ‘vi-dharmaṇe’—articulate vi-dhar-ma-ṇe.
giriḥ: final ḥ as light aspiration, sindhavaḥ: ‘dh’ voiced aspirate, not ‘d’, vi-dharmaṇe: retroflex ṇ in -ṇe, yemire: ‘ye-mi-re’ with crisp dental ‘t/d’ region not used—keep ‘m’ nasal clear
Resonant, forward-moving, slightly forceful but controlled (invoking ordered power).
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