Rig Veda 2.13.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.13
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सध्रीमा यन्ति परि बिभ्रतीः पयो विश्वप्स्न्याय प्र भरन्त भोजनम् । समानो अध्वा प्रवतामनुष्यदे यस्ताकृणोः प्रथमं सास्युक्थ्यः ॥
sadhrīmā yanti pari bibhratīḥ payo viśvapsnyāya pra bharanta bhojanam | samāno adhvā pra-vatām anu-syade yastākṛṇoḥ prathamaṃ sāsy ukthyaḥ ||
Em harmonia elas avançam, levando ao redor a essência do leite; para o Todo-nutridor trazem à frente o alimento do deleite. Um só é o caminho que seguem pelas encostas descendentes; tu, que primeiro as fizeste assim, és digno do hino.
Word by Word
- सध्रीमाः
- एकत्र/सम्यक् (चलने वाली)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot सध्रीमन् (प्रातिपदिक) < सध्रि- (सम्/सध्रि ‘एकत्र, सम्यक्’)
- यन्ति
- जाती हैंVerbलट् (वर्त्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot यम् (गत्यर्थ) / या (गत्यर्थ) → यान्ति (वेद. यन्ति)
- परि
- चारों ओर/परितःIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपपद/क्रियाविशेषणRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- बिभ्रतीः
- धारण करती हुईParticiple (Adjectival)वर्त्तमान कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (यन्ति के साथ)Root भृ (धारण) → बिभ्रत् (वर्त्तमान कृदन्त)
- पयः
- दूध/रसNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वप्स्न्याय
- विश्वव्यापिनी/सर्वत्र-प्रसिद्ध (के लिये)Adjective (used as dative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot विश्वप्स्न्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सर्वत्र-व्याप्त/सर्वत्र-प्रसिद्ध’)
- प्र
- आगे/प्रकर्षेणIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भरन्त
- वे लाते/वहन करते हैंVerbलट् (वर्त्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot भृ (धारण/वहन) → भरन्ति (वेद. 3pl; पदपाठे ‘भरन्त’)
- भोजनम्
- भोजन/आहारNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भोजन (प्रातिपदिक) < भुज्/भुज् (भोग) / भुज् (पालन) से नामधातु
- समानः
- एक ही/समानAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अगले वाक्य में)Root समान (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वा
- मार्ग/पथNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समानः का विशेष्य)Root अध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रवताम्
- ढलानों/प्रवाहों काNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot प्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक ‘ढलान/प्रवाह/अवनति’)
- अनुष्यदे
- अनुसरण करता/साथ बहता हैVerbलट् (वर्त्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role क्रियाRoot अनु + ष्यद्/स्यन्द् (गत्यर्थ/प्रवाह) (वेद. रूप)
- यः
- जोPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ताकृणोः
- तू करता/रचता हैVerbलट् (वर्त्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role क्रियाRoot कृ (करण) → ता-कृणोः (वेद. 2sg; ‘तत्’/‘ता’ उपसर्गीय/प्रत्ययात्मक बल)
- प्रथमम्
- प्रथम/सबसे पहलेAdjective (used adverbially/acc.)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म/क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- सास्युः
- वे हों/हो जाएँVerbवेदिक विशेष-रूप, तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot अस् (भू/सत्ता) → सास्युः (वेद. परोक्ष/आशीर्लिङ्/इच्छार्थक-प्रयोग; 3pl)
- उक्थ्याः
- उक्थ-सम्बन्धी स्तोता/उक्थ्य (स्तुति-योग्य)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (सास्युः के)Root उक्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक) < उक्थ (स्तुति/शस्त्र)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ से पद-विभाग: सध्रीमा यन्ति परि बिभ्रतीः पयः विश्वप्स्न्याय प्र भरन्त भोजनम् । समानो अध्वा प्रवताम् अनु-ष्यदे (संहिता: प्रवतामनुष्यदे) यः ता-कृणोः (संहिता: यस्ताकृणोः) प्रथमं सास्युः उक्थ्याः । ‘भरन्त’ पदपाठ-रूप है (संहिता में सामान्यतः ‘भरन्ति’)। ‘अनुष्यदे/ताकृणोः/सास्युः’ वैदिक-रूप हैं
- उच्चारण-स्वर (उदात्तादि) मूल पाठानुसार निहित।
The meaning
Outer meaning
In harmony they move, bearing the milk-essence around; for the all-nourishing they bring forward the food of delight. One is the path along the downward slopes they follow; you who first made them so—worthy are you of the hymn.
Inner meaning
The ‘they’ are the Waters/energies moving in concord (sadhrī)—a unified functioning of life-forces when governed by right order. They carry payas: essence-milk, the subtle nourishment of consciousness, and bring bhojana: enjoyment/food of delight for the all-nourishing power (viśvapsnya—he who pervades and feeds all; can point to Indra as universal sustainer in action, or to the all-nourishing divine principle supported by Indra). ‘One is the path’ suggests a single law of movement: energies must follow a determined channel (adhvā) even through descents (pravatām)—the downward slopes of manifestation into matter. The invoked power is praised as the original arranger: the one who set the energies into harmonious law so delight can be carried into embodied life.
Universal truth
When our energies move in harmony under a single guiding law, they can carry delight into the very descents of life; the divine intelligence that first ordered these movements can be consciously invoked to re-order us again.
Themes
harmonized movement, flow and nourishment, cosmic order in channels, hymn-worthiness
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.13.1, RV 2.12.14, RV 2.12.13
Family tradition
This family’s vision often links cosmic processes (waters, order, nourishment) to the efficacy of the sacrifice—read inwardly as harmonizing energies for realization.
Significance
The seer highlights a key yogic law: harmony of energies is not accidental—it is instituted by the divine and can be re-invoked when the being is scattered.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- ukthya (worthy of hymn), order-establisher (implied), all-nourishing supporter (via viśvapsnya association)
- Related deities
- Āpas (Waters), Soma, Varuṇa (ṛta/order), Agni
Cosmic role
Sets the energies into right movement and ensures their nourishment-bearing flow through the worlds, including the descent into embodied planes.
Inner power
Integrator and channel-maker: establishes a single path for scattered forces, enabling delight to circulate without leakage.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āpas/Soma-supportive recitation within Soma-sacrifice milieu (general); praise of the ordering power behind the flows
स॒ध्रीमा य॑न्ति॒ परि॒ बिभ्र॑ती॒: पयो॑ वि॒श्वप्स्न्या॑य॒ प्र भ॑रन्त॒ भोज॑नम् । स॒मा॒नो अध्वा॑ प्र॒वता॑मनु॒ष्यदे॒ यस्ताकृ॑णोः प्रथ॒मं सास्यु॒क्थ्य॑: ॥
स॒ध्री । ई॒म् । आ । य॒न्ति॒ । परि॑ । बिभ्र॑तीः । पयः॑ । वि॒श्वऽप्स्न्या॑य । प्र । भ॒र॒न्त॒ । भोज॑नम् । स॒मा॒नः । अध्वा॑ । प्र॒ऽवता॑म् । अ॒नु॒ऽस्यदे॑ । यः । ता । अकृ॑णोः । प्र॒थ॒मम् । सः । अ॒सि॒ । उ॒क्थ्यः॑ ॥
sadhrī | īm | ā | yanti | pari | bibhratīḥ | payaḥ | viśva-psnyāya | pra | bharanta | bhojanam | samānaḥ | adhvā | pra-vatām | anu-syade | yaḥ | tā | akṛṇoḥ | prathamam | saḥ | asi | ukthyaḥ
44
4 x ~11
Undulating and processional; repeated participles create a sense of continuous movement.
Helps the mind feel ‘one path’; induces coherence and a smooth downward settling of awareness into the body without loss of light.
- सध्री (sadhrī)
- Literal: together, in harmony. Symbolic: Integration of life-forces; coordinated functioning of parts of being
- अपः (implied) / बिभ्रतीः (bibhratīḥ)
- Literal: bearing. Symbolic: Sustaining and carrying subtle essence through the system
- पयः (payaḥ)
- Literal: milk, essence. Symbolic: Nourishing light/strength; subtle delight-essence
- विश्वप्स्न्य (viśvapsnya)
- Literal: all-nourishing/working in all forms. Symbolic: The universal sustainer; divine power that feeds all parts of being
- भोजन (bhojana)
- Literal: food, enjoyment. Symbolic: Delight offered to and received by the universal consciousness
- अध्वा (adhvā)
- Literal: path. Symbolic: One law/track of inner movement; disciplined channel
- प्रवत (pravat)
- Literal: downward slope. Symbolic: Descent into manifestation, into body and matter
- प्रथमं अकृणोः (prathamaṃ akṛṇoḥ)
- Literal: you first made. Symbolic: Original divine ordering of energies; archetypal law
- उक्थ्य (ukthya)
- Literal: worthy of hymn. Symbolic: That which deserves conscious invocation
Soma/flow imagery applicable in Soma rites; also as a contemplative mapping of harmonized energies moving in ordered channels
When affirming the harmonious movement of offerings/energies and their correct channeling
Recitation to sustain concord in the rite and the right flow of Soma/essence
Use when feeling scattered: chant to unify energies and establish a single disciplined routine (‘one path’) that carries delight into daily embodied tasks.
sadhrī ‘together’ emphasizes harmonized movement—image of coordinated energies. √syand ‘flow’ (anu-syade) is a classic water/flow root (PIE *srei/sreu- semantic field overlaps). pravat ‘slope’ suggests channels of descent—innerly the movement of powers into manifestation. viśvapsnya (if read as viśva-psnya) relates to nourishment/abundance; hence ‘all-nourishing’ as inner plenitude-provider.
harmonization (sadhrī), ordered pathways of manifestation (adhvan, pravat), nourishment as inner delight (bhojana)
‘One is the path’ is an explicit ṛta-image: a lawful channel guiding energies through descent.
Truth as coherence: when forces harmonize, the being becomes a truthful instrument rather than a divided one.
Ordering of flows at the origin; descent along slopes—how the subtle becomes embodied while still carrying essence.
Integral yoga resonance: descent is not a fall but a necessary movement when guided by right order and nourished by delight.
Currents of prāṇa and consciousness moving in unified channels, carrying subtle nourishment into the embodied layers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The coordinated flowing of life-essences: powers move in unison bearing milk/essence and bringing nourishment along a single ordained path. Innerly, it is the harmonization of energies that carry delight and sustain the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear’ reflects PIE *bher- (English bear). √yā ‘go’ is Indo-Iranian with IE motion-root correspondences. The preverb system (pra-, anu-, pari-) structures spatial-cosmic meaning in a way typical of early IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi credits the devata with establishing the first order of flows (‘who first made them so’). Praise thus recognizes the divine architect of harmonized movement and seeks to participate in that same ordered current.
Unify the life-forces into one path; feel delight circulating through the whole system, even in the descent into the body.
suṣumṇā as ‘one path’ (rather than a single chakra)
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) then chant once; afterwards breathe down the central channel on exhale, imagining ‘pravatām’ as a gentle descent of light.
Integrated, embodied calm; coherent flow.
Chant 12 times. Then do a brief body-scan from crown to feet, inviting all scattered energies to ‘move together’ and carry a quiet sweetness into the limbs. End by choosing one simple daily ‘path’ (adhvā)—a single practice you will not break for 7 days.
Keep accent fidelity; allow a slightly rocking intonation to mirror the waters’ movement while preserving udātta peaks.
Group phrases by movement: (1) sadhrīm ā yanti, (2) payo… pra bharanta, (3) samāno adhvā…, (4) yas tākṛṇoḥ… ukthyaḥ—each as a distinct wave.
sadhrīm: cluster ‘dhr’ clear, long ‘ī’, viśvapsnyāya: keep ‘śv’ and ‘psn’ clusters carefully; articulate slowly at first, pravatām: dental ‘t’, long ‘ā’, anuṣyade: keep retroflex ‘ṣ’ and glide ‘ya’ cleanly
Smooth, flowing, with steady volume; avoid percussive attack.
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