Rig Veda 4.57.3: Mandala 4, Sukta 57, Mantra 3
Sukta 4.57
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Kṣetrasya Pati
- Chandas
- Jagatī/Triṣṭubh possible
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Shringara (love)
मधुमतीरोषधीर्द्याव आपो मधुमन्नो भवत्वन्तरिक्षम् । क्षेत्रस्य पतिर्मधुमान्नो अस्त्वरिष्यन्तो अन्वेनं चरेम ॥
mádhumatīroṣádhīr dyā́va ā́po mádhumanno bhavatv antárikṣam | kṣétrasya pátir mádhumā́n no astv áriṣyanto ánv enaṃ carema ||
Melífluas sejam as plantas, melífluos o céu e as águas; melífluo seja para nós o espaço do meio, do sopro de vida. Melífluo seja para nós o Senhor do Campo; incólumes, seguindo-o, caminhemos no seu domínio ordenado.
Word by Word
- मधुमतीः
- honey-sweet, full of sweetnessAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (भवतु-क्रियायाः विशेषणम्)Root मधुमत् (प्रातिपदिक) < मधु
- ओषधीः
- plants, herbsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यावः
- the heavens (sky-worlds)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वैदिक-रूप)Role कर्तृRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- आपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमत्
- sweet, honeyedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (भवतु-क्रियायाः विशेषणम्)Root मधुमत् (प्रातिपदिक) < मधु
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान/हित (अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यं-अर्थे: ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- भवतु
- let it be / may it becomeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot भू (धातु)
- अन्तरिक्षम्
- the midspace, atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षेत्रस्य
- of the fieldNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पतिः
- lord, masterNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमान्
- honeyed, sweetAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अस्तु-क्रियायाः विशेषणम्)Root मधुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक) < मधु
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान/हित (अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यं-अर्थे: ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अस्तु
- let it beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- अरिष्यन्तः
- not harming, uninjuring (harmlessly)Participle (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमान-कर्तरि कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय)Role कर्तृ (चरेम-क्रियायाः)Root ऋष्/अरिष् (धातु; वैदिक ‘to injure, harm’) → अरिष्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after, alongIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपपद/क्रियाविशेषणRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- एनम्
- him/it (this one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम; वैदिक एन-प्रत्यय-रूप)
- चरेम
- may we move/walk, may we followVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot चर् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (संहितायाः): मधुमतीः ओषधीः द्यावः आपः मधुमत् नः भवतु अन्तरिक्षम् । क्षेत्रस्य पतिः मधुमान् नः अस्तु अरिष्यन्तः अनु एनम् चरेम ॥ 1) मधु॑मती॒रोष॑धीः = मधुमतीः + ओषधीः (विसर्ग/स्वर-सन्धिः; ईः + ओ → ई ओ)
- 2) द्याव॒ आपो॒ = द्यावः + आपः (विसर्ग-लोपः; ḥ + ā → ā)
- 3) मधु॑मन्नो = मधुमत् + नः (त् + न → न्न; ‘मधुमन्नः’)
- 4) भवत्व॒न्तरि॑क्षम् = भवतु + अन्तरिक्षम् (उ + अ → व्-अ; संहितायां ‘भवत्वन्तरिक्षम्’)
- 5) पति॒र्मधु॑मान्नो = पतिः + मधुमान् + नः (विसर्ग-लोपः; न् + न → न्न)
- 6) अस्त्वरि॑ष्यन्तो = अस्तु + अरिष्यन्तः (उ + अ → व्-अ; ‘अस्त्वरिष्यन्तः’)
- 7) अन्वे॑नं = अनु + एनम् (उ + ए → वे; ‘अन्वेनम्’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Honeyed be the plants, the heavens, the waters; honeyed be the mid-region. Honeyed be for us the Lord of the Field; unharmed, following him, may we move in his domain.
Inner meaning
The mantra universalizes the ‘madhu’ condition: all supports of life—growth-forces (oṣadhīḥ), higher mind (dyāvaḥ), life-waters (āpaḥ), and the vital mid-world (antarikṣa)—become sweetness, i.e., delight and harmony in the whole being. When the inner Guide (Kṣetrasya Pati) is ‘madhumān’ (full of sweetness), the seeker can move (carema) through life’s field without injury (ariṣyantaḥ): protected from distortions, conflicts, and the bruising of egoic struggle.
Universal truth
When consciousness is infused with delight and right relation, all layers of existence cooperate; then one can walk the world’s field safely, guided by the inner Master.
Themes
World-pervasion of sweetness, Ecological/cosmic harmony, Safe progress, Field as ordered domain
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.57.1-4
Family tradition
A vision of integrality: not one part, but all planes (mind, life, body) must be sweetened and harmonized for safe progress.
Significance
The seer’s spirituality seeks a pervasive ananda-condition (madhu) across the whole system, enabling steady movement in the world.
The deity
- Devata
- Kṣetrasya Pati (as Madhumān)
- Epithets
- Madhumān (honey-full)
- Related deities
- Soma (madhu/ananda), Aśvins (healing), Savitar (ordered movement)
Cosmic role
Unifies the supports of life—plants, waters, heaven, mid-region—into a coherent, fruitful field.
Inner power
The guide who makes the whole being ‘sweet’—harmonious, healed, and protected—so action can proceed without inner injury.
In ritual
Where it is used
Field/prosperity invocation extending blessing to cosmic supports (waters, plants, heaven).
मधु॑मती॒रोष॑धी॒र्द्याव॒ आपो॒ मधु॑मन्नो भवत्व॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । क्षेत्र॑स्य॒ पति॒र्मधु॑मान्नो अ॒स्त्वरि॑ष्यन्तो॒ अन्वे॑नं चरेम ॥
मधु॑ऽमतीः । ओष॑धीः । द्यावः॑ । आपः॑ । मधु॑ऽमत् । नः॒ । भ॒व॒तु॒ । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । क्षेत्र॑स्य । पतिः॑ । मधु॑ऽमान् । नः॒ । अ॒स्तु॒ । अरि॑ष्यन्तः॑ । अनु॑ । ए॒न॒म् । च॒रे॒म॒ ॥
madhu-matīḥ | oṣadhīḥ | dyāvaḥ | āpaḥ | madhu-mat | naḥ | bhavatu | antarikṣam | kṣetrasya | patiḥ | madhu-mān | naḥ | astu | ariṣyantaḥ | anu | enam | carema
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4 pādas × ~12 syllables (approx.; verify by strict scan)
Rolling, expansive, ‘all-encompassing’—matching the spread of madhu through all regions.
Creates a pervasive sweetness in feeling-tone; supports integrative meditation across body-breath-mind.
- ओषधीः (oṣadhīḥ)
- Literal: plants, herbs. Symbolic: growth-powers, healing tendencies, capacities that mature in nature
- द्यावः (dyāvaḥ)
- Literal: heavens. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous mentality
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: life-energies, flowing feelings, currents of consciousness
- अन्तरिक्षम् (antarikṣam)
- Literal: mid-region. Symbolic: vital plane—breath-life where forces mix and act
- मधु (madhu) / मधुमान् (madhumān)
- Literal: honey / honeyed. Symbolic: delight (ānanda), sweetness of harmony permeating experience
- अरिष्यन्तः (ariṣyantaḥ)
- Literal: unharmed. Symbolic: protected from inner injury—conflict, depression, violent reactions
- अनु एनम् चरेम (anu enaṃ carema)
- Literal: may we move following him. Symbolic: life lived in guidance—action as obedience to inner truth
Comprehensive blessing over the ecological triad (plants-waters-heavens) for fertility and safe cultivation; also an inner harmonization prayer for body-vital-mind
During sowing/irrigation; or as a blessing for safe travel/work in the ‘field’ of life.
Recitation to sanctify environment and ensure unharmed progress.
A protection-and-harmony mantra: chant before entering challenging environments or social situations, to move ‘unharmed’ in guidance.
oṣadhi traditionally ‘plant’ (possibly from √uṣ ‘to burn’ in sense of sap/efficacy, debated), functioning as healing/growth powers. āpaḥ ‘waters’ from PIE *h₂ep- (water). antarikṣa: ‘between’ region (antar) + kṣa (domain): the vital intermediate. ariṣyant- from a- + √riṣ ‘to hurt, injure’: unharmed—spiritual protection. √car ‘to move, conduct’: life as a path under divine guidance.
Madhu as rasa (delight-essence) pervading worlds, Protection (ariṣyant) on the path, Cosmic integration of the three worlds
‘Following him’ implies moving in the ordered domain of the Lord—ṛta as guidance in action.
Harmony across planes supports truthful living without inner contradiction.
Cosmos as a coordinated field sustained by waters, plants, and luminous mind—made sweet by divine presence.
Integral-Vedic: ananda-condition suffusing all planes, enabling safe, guided movement.
growing season (outer)
Plants = capacities for growth/healing; waters = vital flows; heaven = luminous mind; mid-region = breath-life interface; honeyed = ananda-harmony.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘madhu-pervasion’ mythologem: sweetness (madhu) is not mere taste but the pervasive rasa of fulfilled ṛta, saturating plants, waters, heaven, and the mid-world—so that the human journey in the field (outer and inner) proceeds unharmed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- āpaḥ ‘waters’ reflects PIE *h₂ep-; madhu again reflects *médʰu. The three-world schema (heaven/mid/earth) is an old Indo-European cosmological pattern expressed through stable lexical sets.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi seeks an environment—outer and inner—made ‘honeyed’ so that growth is joyous and safe. The Field-Lord becomes a guide: by following him (anu enam), the sacrificer’s conduct (car) aligns with ṛta and avoids harm.
Radiate ‘madhu’ through four layers: body (plants), mind (heaven), life-feeling (waters), breath-vital (mid-region). Then feel guided movement in daily action.
Anāhata (sweet harmony) with support to Viśuddha (flow)
4-part awareness with natural breathing: on each inhalation silently ‘madhu’, on exhalation spread it through one layer; cycle through the four layers for 12 breaths.
Integrated calm with soft joy; sense of guidance.
When agitation arises, return to ‘madhumān no astu’—invoke sweetness in the guide itself; then act only after the inner taste becomes calm and clear.
Rigvedic three-tone per śākhā; consult svara marks for exact accents.
Let ‘madhumat’ phrases be slightly more flowing; keep clear separation of dyāva/āpa/antarikṣa to preserve the layered blessing.
: long īḥ ending, : o-ṣa-dhīḥ with retroflex ṣ, : keep hiatus clear (dyāva āpaḥ), : retroflex ṣy cluster
gentle, spreading tone—like a blessing moving outward.
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