Rig Veda 1.39.10: Mandala 1, Sukta 39, Mantra 10
Sukta 1.39
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Marut
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
असाम्योजो बिभृथा सुदानवोऽसामि धूतयः शवः । ऋषिद्विषे मरुतः परिमन्यव इषुं न सृजत द्विषम् ॥
asā́my ójo bibhṛthā su-dānávó ’sā́mi dhūtáyaḥ śávaḥ | ṛṣi-dvíṣe marutaḥ pari-manyávo iṣúṃ ná sṛ́jata dvísam ||
Ó Maruts, doadores generosos, vós sustentais uma força sem medida e um ímpeto sem medida. Contra o inimigo que odeia o ṛṣi, vós, girando em cólera, lançais o poder hostil como uma flecha — rechaçando o adversário da visão.
Word by Word
- असाम्योजः
- of unequalled might / unmatched in powerAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (विशेषणरूपेण)Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य) / कर्मविशेषणम्Root अ-सम्योजस् (प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसक) < सम्-युज्/योज् (योजन/संयोग) + -अस्
- बिभृथा
- you two bear / you two carryVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot भृ (धातु)
- सुदानवः
- O bountiful ones / generous giversNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सम्बोधनार्थे/कर्तृपद)Root सु-दानु (प्रातिपदिक; पुं.)
- असामि
- unequal(ly), unmatchedIndeclinable/Adjectival formअव्ययम् (अपरिवर्तनीयम्)Role विशेषणम् (धूतयः/शवः इत्यस्य) / क्रियाविशेषणम्Root अ-सामि (अव्यय/विशेषण; ‘असम’/‘असाम्य’ भाव)
- धूतयः
- the impellings / the rushings / the shakingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (बहुवचन कर्तृपद) / विशेष्यRoot धूति (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री.) < धू (धातु) ‘कम्पने/प्रेरणे’
- शवः
- strength, mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role विशेष्य (धूतयः इत्यस्य) / कर्मRoot शवस् (प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसक) ‘बल/तेज’
- ऋषिद्विषे
- to/for the ṛṣi-hater (enemy of seers)Noun/Adjective (compound epithet)पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम् (सम्प्रदान) / अथवा षष्ठी एकवचनम् (वैकल्पिक-वेदे)Role सम्प्रदान (यस्य प्रति) / लक्ष्यRoot ऋषि-द्विष् (समास; प्रातिपदिक) ‘ऋषीन् द्वेष्टि’
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक; पुं.)
- परिमन्यवः
- those with encompassing wrath / all-around furyNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (मरुतः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root परि-मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक; पुं.)
- इषुम्
- an arrowNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot इषु (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री.)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातःRole उपमान-सूचकRoot न (अव्यय)
- सृजत
- you release / you let flyVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot सृज् (धातु)
- द्विषम्
- the foe / the haterNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (लक्ष्यभूतः) / प्रतिकर्मRoot द्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; पुं.) ‘शत्रु’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): असाम्योजः | बिभृथा | सुदानवः | असामि | धूतयः | शवः || ऋषिद्विषे | मरुतः | परिमन्यवः | इषुम् | न | सृजत | द्विषम् || 1) सुदानवोऽसामि = सुदानवः + असामि (विसर्गस्य ‘ओ’ आदेशः, अवग्रहः). 2) धूतय॒: शव॑: = धूतयः + शवः (विसर्गः पदान्ते). 3) ऋषिद्विषे: समासः (ऋषि + द्विष्) दत्तः
- चतुर्थी एकवचन ‘-ए’ (सम्प्रदानार्थे) प्रायः. 4) इषुं न = इषुम् + न (अनुस्वार/म् संयोगः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Maruts, generous givers, possess immeasurable strength and impetuous force. Against the enemy who hates the seer, they move around in wrath and hurl hostility like an arrow, driving back the adversary.
Inner meaning
The Maruts are the dynamic life-powers that serve the Divine Mind’s battle for illumination. Their “immeasurable force” is the surge of prāṇic and nervous energy purified into divine impulsion. The ‘foe who hates the seer’ is the anti-intuitive resistance in the lower nature that attacks the inner seeing (ṛṣi-dṛṣṭi). When the Maruts ‘circle in wrath’ it is the concentrated, storm-like pressure of awakened energies that dislodges obstruction; the ‘arrow’ is a one-pointed force of will that pierces the coverer and expels hostile suggestions from the consciousness.
Universal truth
When inner aspiration awakens, higher energies descend as disciplined power. They protect the faculty of insight from forces of denial and inertia by applying focused, decisive pressure that breaks obstruction and restores the forward movement of the soul’s journey.
Themes
Maruts-as-protectors, battle-of-light-vs-obstruction, psychological-warrior-energy, seer-protection
The seer
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice here is characteristic of Marut poetry: a yogic witness of inner battle, calling the storm-powers to protect ṛṣi-consciousness (vision) against hostile denial.
The deity
- Devata
- Marut(s)
- Epithets
- sudānavaḥ (bounteous givers), dhūtayaḥ (the impetuous/whirling ones), asāmy-ojas (of immeasurable strength)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati, Soma, Rudra
Cosmic role
Companions of Indra who stir the atmosphere, break stagnation, and help release the waters/light by storm-force.
Inner power
Awakened vital energies that, when aligned to the divine intention, become instruments of purification, courage, and swift progress—guardians of the seer’s inner truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut/Indra-Marut offerings within Soma and general śrauta sequences; also used in invoking auxiliary deities to support the main sacrifice.
असा॒म्योजो॑ बिभृथा सुदान॒वोऽसा॑मि धूतय॒: शव॑: । ऋ॒षि॒द्विषे॑ मरुतः परिम॒न्यव॒ इषुं॒ न सृ॑जत॒ द्विष॑म् ॥
असा॒मि । ओजः॑ । बि॒भृ॒थ॒ । सु॒ऽदा॒न॒वः॒ । असा॑मि । धू॒त॒यः॒ । शवः॑ । ऋ॒षि॒ऽद्विषे॑ । म॒रु॒तः॒ । प॒रि॒ऽम॒न्यवे॑ । इषु॑म् । न । सृ॒ज॒त॒ । द्विष॑म् ॥
asāmi | ojaḥ | bibhṛtha | su-dānavaḥ | asāmi | dhūtayaḥ | śavaḥ | ṛṣi-dviṣe | marutaḥ | pari-manyave | iṣum | na | sṛjata | dviṣam
Likely Triṣṭubh (probable; common for Marut verses)
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Driving, martial, wave-like propulsion with emphatic stresses suited to ‘storm-force’.
Energizes and concentrates; helpful for invoking protective force and decisive inner cutting-through of resistance.
- असामि (asāmi)
- Literal: unmeasured, unequalled. Symbolic: limitless spiritual force not bound by ego-measure
- ओजः (ojaḥ)
- Literal: vigor, strength. Symbolic: concentrated soul-force; steady power of will
- शवः (śavaḥ)
- Literal: impetuous might, driving force. Symbolic: dynamic life-energy uplifted into divine impulsion
- मरुतः (marutaḥ)
- Literal: storm-gods. Symbolic: purifying, forceful life-powers aiding transformation
- ऋषिद्विषे (ṛṣidviṣe)
- Literal: to/against the hater of the seer. Symbolic: hostile tendency opposing intuition and inner guidance
- परिमन्यवे (parimanyave)
- Literal: circling in wrath. Symbolic: intense, vigilant pressure around obstruction
- इषुम् (iṣum)
- Literal: arrow. Symbolic: one-pointed will/force of direction
- द्विषम् (dviṣam)
- Literal: the hostile one/hostility. Symbolic: adverse formations, doubt, denial, inertia
Likely used in Marut/Indra-associated recitations within Soma contexts as an energizing and protective formula; specific Śrauta assignment varies by śākhā and prayoga.
During invitatory/praise portions (stotra/śastra context broadly) when calling dynamic powers for protection and victory over obstruction.
Recitation to invoke Marut-force to repel hostility and clear the path for the yajña.
Use as a protective invocation before meditation or demanding work: ‘May the higher energies drive back what hates the inner seeing.’
Key terms: (1) ójas from √vaj/√uj? (traditional: ‘vigor, strength’; semantic field: concentrated power). (2) śávaḥ from √śū/√śav ‘to impel, be strong’ → ‘driving might, rush of force’. (3) dhūtáyaḥ from √dhū ‘to shake’ → ‘shakers/impellers’, often of the Maruts. (4) sṛ́jata from √sṛj ‘to release, send forth’ (injunctive/imperative nuance in Vedic). (5) iṣú- ‘arrow’ (PIE *h₁eis- ‘to rush’ proposed in some etymologies; used as image of directed projection). (6) ṛṣi-dvíṣ- is a tatpuruṣa compound ‘seer-hater’; psychologically, the hostile force that resists revelation/vision.
ṛṣi (vision as a mode of truth-knowing), protection of revelation against obstruction, dynamic force as instrument of ṛta
Maruts enforce Ṛta by breaking inertia and restoring right movement in the inner ‘atmosphere’.
Protection of the seer’s vision (ṛṣi-dṛṣṭi) as a channel of Satya (truth-consciousness).
Release of blocked energies/light through force that pierces obstruction.
Proto-yogic psychology of the Veda (Aurobindonian): transformation of prāṇa into divine instrument.
Storm = concentrated purifying life-force; arrow = focused will; circling wrath = vigilant pressure of awakened energies around the knot of resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The storm-host (Maruts) as divine warriors who repel hostile forces: they ‘launch the foe like an arrow’—a compact battle-motif where the gods’ dynamic energies are weaponized against obstruction. In the inner sense, the mythic enemy is the resistance to ṛṣi-vision (ṛṣi-dviṣ), i.e., the anti-revelatory force that blocks the emergence of truth-consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The verse is built on inherited Indo-European poetics of force and weapon imagery: ‘strength/might’ lexemes (ójas, śávaḥ) pair with the projectile image (iṣú- ‘arrow’) and the verb of release √sṛj ‘send forth’. The storm-god complex (Maruts) aligns typologically with PIE storm-warrior bands (e.g., the ‘youthful’ martial companions of a chief thunderer), while the compound ṛṣi-dviṣ- shows productive compounding typical of early Indo-European poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer invokes the Maruts not merely for outer victory but for safeguarding the very capacity of vision: the gods’ ‘immeasurable force’ becomes a protective and purifying dynamism in the human vessel. The reciprocity is implicit: the hymn offers recognition and right speech, and in return the Maruts defend the ṛṣi-function (revelation) by breaking hostile formations and restoring free movement of inspired will.
Invoke protective, purifying force to defend inner intuition from doubt/negativity and to pierce inertia.
Manipura (will-fire) and Anahata (courage/expansive breath)
Brisk, steady ujjāyī-like breathing or 4-4-6 rhythm to build controlled force; end with a brief stillness for ‘aiming the arrow’.
Dynamic concentration (ekāgratā) with courageous clarity.
Identify the ‘ṛṣi-dviṣ’ within—self-doubt, cynicism, tamas. On each recitation, feel a ring of luminous force around the mind/heart; then ‘release the arrow’ as a single decisive intention.
Use Vedic svara as per śākhā tradition; generally maintain clear udatta peaks on accented syllables with controlled svarita falls (exact notation depends on recension).
Emphasize the force-words: asāmi, ojaḥ, śavaḥ, ṛṣidviṣe, iṣum; keep pāda breaks clean after ‘śavaḥ’ and at the danda.
ṛ in ṛṣi- is vocalic ‘ri’ (not ‘ru’), ṣ in ṛṣidviṣe is retroflex; keep it crisp, dhūtayaḥ: aspirate dh, and lengthen ū, iṣum: short i, retroflex ṣ, short u, dviṣam: cluster dv- clean; retroflex ṣ
Bright, forceful, steady—avoid shouting; aim for ‘charged’ clarity.
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