Rig Veda 2.23.12: Mandala 2, Sukta 23, Mantra 12
Sukta 2.23
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Bhayankara and Vira (heroism)
अदेवेन मनसा यो रिषण्यति शासामुग्रो मन्यमानो जिघांसति । बृहस्पते मा प्रणक्तस्य नो वधो नि कर्म मन्युं दुरेवस्य शर्धतः ॥
adévena mánasā yó riṣaṇyáti śāsā́m ugró mányamāno jíghāṃsati | bṛ́haspate mā́ práṇaktasya no vadhó ní karma manyúṃ durévasya śárdhataḥ ||
Quem, com mente sem deus, nos investe, feroz no seu mando, julgando-se poderoso e querendo ferir — ó Bṛhaspati, que o seu golpe não nos alcance; abate a ira da má vontade e a sua hoste inimiga.
Word by Word
- अदेवेन
- with an ungodly (impious)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (मनसा इति सह) — ‘अदेवेन (मनसा)’Role KaraṇaRoot अ-देव (प्रातिपदिक) < देव
- मनसा
- with mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रिषण्यति
- harmsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root रिष् (धातु) [Vedic: ‘to harm, injure’]
- शासाम्
- the commands/ordinancesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शास् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘शासन/शास्’ (Vedic: ‘command, ordinance, instruction’)
- उग्रः
- fierceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (यः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्यमानः
- thinking/imagining (himself)Participle (Adjective)वर्तमानकाले शानच् (आत्मनेपदीय), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मन् (धातु) → मन्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- जिघांसति
- seeks to killVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; देसिदेरटिव् (सन्नन्त) ‘to wish to slay’Role (क्रिया)Root हन् (धातु) (desiderative) → जिघांस्
- बृहस्पते
- O BṛhaspatiNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role Sampradāna (आह्वान/सम्बोधन)Root बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेध (prohibitive particle)Role (निषेध)Root मा (निषेध-अव्यय)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गः (प्र-)Role (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्र (उपसर्ग)
- णक्तस्य
- of the assailant/attackerParticiple/Nounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्ध)Root नश्/नक् (धातु; Vedic) → णक्त (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त-आधार) ‘one who has reached/attained; one who has attacked’ (context: hostile assailant)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (हित/सम्बन्ध)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वधः
- slaying, blow, killingNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वध (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, awayIndeclinableउपसर्गः (नि-)Role (क्रियाविशेषण)Root नि (उपसर्ग)
- कर्म
- deed, actNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नि + कर्म = ‘down/away (his) deed’)Role KarmaRoot कृ (धातु) → कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्युम्
- wrath, rageNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुरेवस्य
- of the evil-minded (one)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्ध)Root दुरेवस् (प्रातिपदिक) < दुर्- + एवस् (‘ill-intent/evil disposition’)
- शर्धतः
- from the hostile host / of the troopNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Vedic: also used as abl./gen. in sense ‘from the host’)Role Apādāna (sense: ‘from’) / सम्बन्धRoot शर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) ‘troop, host’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धिविग्रह): अदेवेन मनसा यः रिषण्यति शासाम् उग्रः मन्यमानः जिघांसति । बृहस्पते मा प्र णक्तस्य नः वधः नि कर्म मन्युम् दुरेवस्य शर्धतः ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) अदेवेन॒ मनसा॒ — तृतीया-द्वयम् ‘with impious mind’
- (2) शा॒सामु॒ग्रो → शासाम् + उग्रः (म् + उ → मु)
- (3) मा प्रण॒क्तस्य॑ → मा + प्र + णक्तस्य (उपसर्ग-संयोग)
- (4) व॒धो नि → वधः + नि (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- (5) नि क॑र्म → नि + कर्म (उपसर्ग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whoever with a godless mind attacks us, fierce and self-important, wishing to strike—O Bṛhaspati, let his blow not reach us; cast down the wrath and the hostile band of the ill-willed.
Inner meaning
The ‘adeva manas’ is consciousness cut off from the divine—egoic mentality that turns power into tyranny and aggression. The mantra asks the inner Word-Lord to prevent the impact of such forces: not merely outer enemies, but intrusive thoughts, hostile suggestions, and collective negativity (śardha) that try to wound the seeker. Bṛhaspati is invoked to ‘ni karma manyum’—to press down reactive anger and the organized swarm of ill-will—restoring calm sovereignty of the soul.
Universal truth
When mind divorces itself from the divine, it becomes violent and injurious; protection comes by calling the higher discernment that disarms hostility at its root—wrath and ill-will.
Themes
Protection from hostility, Subduing wrath, Ethics of intention, Inner purification
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.23.11–15 (immediate context), Rig Veda 2.24 (Bṛhaspati, obstacle-breaking)
Family tradition
Bhārgavas often invoke protective and purifying powers, using precise mantric speech to counter hostile influences.
Significance
Here the seer frames ‘enemy’ as a deformation of consciousness (adeva manas), anticipating the psychological reading: the battle is primarily within and around the seeker’s mind-field.
The deity
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Epithets
- Bṛhaspati (Lord of the Vast/Prayer), rakṣohā (slayer of darkness—functional epithet), manuṣya-rakṣitṛ (protector of the human seeker—functional)
- Related deities
- Indra (protector in battle), Agni (burning purifier), Varuṇa (guardian of ṛta)
Cosmic role
Protector of the right-minded; establishes the sovereignty of ṛta by neutralizing hostile powers that attack the sacrifice (inner or outer).
Inner power
Protective discernment: the ability to recognize and disarm hostile suggestions; the ‘immune system’ of consciousness through truth-word.
In ritual
Where it is used
Apotropaic (protective) recitation to avert harm from hostile persons/powers; used in śrauta contexts around safeguarding the yajña.
अदे॑वेन॒ मन॑सा॒ यो रि॑ष॒ण्यति॑ शा॒सामु॒ग्रो मन्य॑मानो॒ जिघां॑सति । बृह॑स्पते॒ मा प्रण॒क्तस्य॑ नो व॒धो नि क॑र्म म॒न्युं दु॒रेव॑स्य॒ शर्ध॑तः ॥
अदे॑वेव । मन॑सा । यः । रि॒ष॒ण्यति॑ । शा॒साम् । उ॒ग्रः । मय॑मानः । जिघां॑सति । बृह॑स्पते । मा । प्रण॑क् । तस्य॑ । नः॒ । व॒धः । नि । क॒र्म॒ । म॒न्युम् । दुः॒ऽएव॑स्य । शर्ध॑तः ॥
adeveva | manasā | yaḥ | riṣaṇyati | śāsām | ugraḥ | mayamānaḥ | jighāṃsati | bṛhaspate | mā | praṇak | tasya | naḥ | vadhaḥ | ni | karma | manyum | duḥ-evasya | śardhataḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Urgent and defensive; the meter carries a ‘warding’ cadence—naming the threat, then issuing a firm prohibition and downward-casting command.
Creates a protective boundary in the listener’s field; steadies nerves and reduces reactive anger.
- अदेवेन मनसा (adevena manasā)
- Literal: with a godless mind. Symbolic: egoic mentality without higher guidance; consciousness closed to the divine
- रिषण्यति (riṣaṇyati)
- Literal: assails, injures. Symbolic: hostile intrusion—thought-attacks, doubt, discouragement
- शासाम् उग्रः (śāsām ugraḥ)
- Literal: fierce in rule/command. Symbolic: tyrannical vital-mind that dominates the being
- मन्युम् (manyum)
- Literal: wrath, anger. Symbolic: reactive force that distorts will into violence
- दुरेवस्य (durevasya)
- Literal: of ill-will, bad intent. Symbolic: perverse intention; hostile formations
- शर्धतः (śardhataḥ)
- Literal: from the troop/band. Symbolic: collective pressure of negativity; massed impulses
- वधः (vadhaḥ)
- Literal: blow, strike, slaying. Symbolic: impact of hostile force—depression, fear, confusion
- नि कर्म (ni karma)
- Literal: cast down, press down. Symbolic: subdue at the root; put beneath the governing consciousness
Apotropaic/protective use: prayer to ward hostile intent and destructive speech/force; suitable in rites seeking protection of sacrifice and sacrificer.
When protection is sought against rakṣas/hostility, before or during contested situations.
Recitation with intent of warding; may accompany offerings to strengthen brahman and protection.
Use when facing harassment, toxic environments, or inner spirals of anger: chant to prevent ‘the blow’ from landing and to subdue reactive wrath.
√riṣ ‘to harm’ → riṣaṇyati; √śās ‘to command/punish’ → śāsām (coercive rule); √han ‘to strike/kill’ desiderative jighāṃsati; manyú ‘wrath’ from √man ‘to think’ in its heated/emotive turn (thought distorted into rage). durévas ‘ill-will’ (dus- ‘bad’ + evas ‘aim/intent’).
Adharma/anti-deva mentality vs deva-aligned mind, Manyu (wrath) as distortion of manas, Protection of ṛta-warded seeker
Hostility is anṛta pressing against the sacrificial order; Bṛhaspati restores ṛta by pressing down manyu and the hostile band.
Protection is not mere shielding; it is truth-discernment that makes hostile force ineffective.
Order is preserved by right speech and right mind; the cosmos is defended by the priest-power of consciousness.
Yoga-psychological interpretation: ‘adeva mind’ as lower nature; ‘ni karma’ as inner mastery.
A ‘blow’ = sudden impact of adverse thought-force; ‘band’ = repetitive collective patterns (saṃskāra swarms) attacking the aspirant.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The warding of the ‘asuric/adeva’ aggressor: the deity of brahman functions as protector who prevents the enemy’s ‘vadhá’ (stroke) from reaching the sacrificer and suppresses the collective hostile band.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Desiderative formation jighāṃsati from √han shows inherited Indo-European morphological strategies; √śās corresponds to Indo-Iranian governance lexicon; dus- ‘bad’ is a PIE privative/pejorative prefix (*dus-).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi identifies the psychological source of danger (adeva manas, manyu) and asks Bṛhaspati to enforce a protective non-contact: the deity is invoked as the inner law that blocks hostile impact and disbands the rage-driven collective.
Observe hostile thoughts without consent; invoke Bṛhaspati as discerning witness; let reactive anger sink downward and dissolve.
maṇipūra (manyu/force) regulated by ājñā (discernment)
Lengthen exhale (e.g., 4–6 inhale, 6–8 exhale) while chanting to down-regulate manyu.
Protected, vigilant, non-reactive clarity.
When you feel attacked (outer or inner), chant once slowly to name the pattern (‘adeva manas’), then chant again with emphasis on ‘mā praṇak’ and ‘ni karma manyum’ as a command to your own system.
Rigvedic accentuation with clear udātta on key verbs and vocative bṛhaspate; maintain the prohibitive ‘mā’ with crisp articulation.
Mark pāda breaks distinctly; slightly stress ‘mā praṇak’ and ‘ni karma’ as decisive commands.
adevena: keep e-vowel clear; avoid ‘adavena’, riṣaṇyati: retroflex ṣ; ṇ dental-retroflex distinction, jighāṃsati: nasalized āṃ; aspirate jh, bṛhaspate: vocalic ṛ; keep ‘sp’ cluster, durevasya: short u; v not w, śardhataḥ: ś palatal; final ḥ lightly released
Protective, steady, not aggressive; firmness without strain.
7
Ask anything about this verse
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.
