Rig Veda 5.86.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 86, Mantra 3

Sukta 5.86

Rishi

Atri

Devata

Indra-Agni

Chandas

Gāyatrī

Rasa

Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

तयोरिदमवच्छवस्तिग्मा दिद्युन्मघोनोः । प्रति द्रुणा गभस्त्योर्गवां वृत्रघ्न एषते ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 5.86.3

Transliteration

táyor íd ámavac chávas tigmā́ didyún maghónoḥ | práti druṇā́ gabhástyor gávāṃ vṛtrághn éṣate ||

Translation

Desses dois é, de fato, esta força plena de poder; agudo cintila o clarão dos generosos. Para o cercado de madeira, em suas mãos, ela se impele: a potência que abate Vṛtra se retesa rumo às vacas — aos raios do conhecimento retidos na fortaleza escura — para que a luz seja conquistada.

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Word by Word

तयोः

of those two / in those twoPronoun · पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) · Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → तयोः

इदम्

thisPronoun · नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object) / विषय · Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अवच्छवः

the (downward/covering) radiance; the dimming/overshadowing glowNoun (abstract/collective) · नपुंसक (वेदिक-प्रयोग), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object) / विषय · Root अवच्छवस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव- + छवस् ‘प्रकाश/तेजस्’)

तिग्मा

sharp, keenAdjective · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of दिद्युत्) · Root तिग्म (प्रातिपदिक)

दिद्युत्

lightning, flashNoun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्ता (subject) · Root दिद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक; from √द्युत् ‘to shine’)

मघोनोः

of the two bountiful onesNoun/Adjective (epithet) · पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) · Root मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bountiful, generous’) → मघोनोः

प्रति

towards, againstIndeclinable · अव्ययRole दिशा/सम्बन्ध (preverb/adverbial) · Root प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

द्रुणा

with/through a wooden (thing); with woodNoun · नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (instrument/means) · Root द्रु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wood, tree’) → द्रुण (instrumental form)

गभस्त्योः

in/with the two hands (or: in the two rays)Noun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचनRole अधिकारण/सम्बन्ध (locative/genitive relation) · Root गभस्ति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hand/forearm; ray’) → गभस्त्योः

गवाम्

of the cowsNoun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) · Root गो (प्रातिपदिक) → गवाम्

वृत्रघ्नः

the Vṛtra-slayerNoun/Adjective (epithet) · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्ता (subject) · Root वृत्रघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र + घ्न ‘slayer’)

एषते

moves/strives/presses forwardVerb · लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया · Root √इष् (वेदिक: ‘to set in motion, to strive/seek’) → एषते

Sandhi Notes

• Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): तयोः इदम् अवच्छवः तिग्मा दिद्युत् मघोनोः । प्रति द्रुणा गभस्त्योः गवाम् वृत्रघ्नः एषते ॥ Key points: (1) तयो॒रिदम् = तयोः + इदम् (visarga before vowel → r). (2) अव॒च्छव॑स्ति॒ग्मा = अवच्छवः + तिग्मा (visarga before voiceless dental t → s). (3) दि॒द्युन्म॒घोनो॑: = दिद्युत् + मघोनोः (final -t before m assimilates to -n in saṃhitā: दिद्युत् → दिद्युन्). (4) द्रुणा गभस्त्योर्गवाम् = द्रुणा + गभस्त्योः + गवाम्
• गभस्त्योः + गवाम् shows visarga before g → r (…गभस्त्योर्गवाम्). Accents retained as in saṃhitā
• pada forms given without accent marks

The meaning

Outer meaning

Of those two (Indra and Agni) is this mighty force; sharp is the flashing light of the bounteous ones. Toward the wooden enclosure, in their hands, the Vṛtra-slaying power presses, striving for the cows.

Inner meaning

The mantra describes the concentrated assault of illumined mind and divine will upon the ‘druṇa’—the wooden enclosure, symbol of a closed holding structure in the subconscient where the ‘cows’ (go = rays of knowledge) are penned by darkness. The pair’s didyut (flash) is the sudden illumination; their śavas (might) is the irresistible force of tapas and decision. ‘In their hands’ (gabhastyoḥ) indicates operative power—light and will becoming instruments. The vṛtraghna impulse strains toward the hidden light: the yogic effort to recover lost knowledge, release intuition, and restore luminous consciousness from the dark hold of Vṛtra (the coverer).

Universal truth

When illumination and will become practical instruments, they can break the enclosures of ignorance and recover the inner light that was always present but confined.

Themes

Vṛtra-slaying, release of the cows, light vs. darkness, force and illumination combined

The seer

Rishi

Atri (Ātreya)

Lineage

Ātreya

Other hymns

RV 5.86.1-2 (setup: support and invocation), RV 1.32 (Indra’s Vṛtra-slaying), RV 1.62-64 (cows as rays; release motif in Angiras tradition)

Family tradition

Atri’s Indrāgnī vision often compresses the Vṛtra-myth into psychological imagery: obstruction, enclosure, and the recovery of light (go).

Significance

The rishi points to a concrete inner work: not vague aspiration but a directed pressure on the subconscient ‘pen’ to liberate intuition and knowledge.

The deity

Devata

Indra-Agni

Epithets

maghonā (bounteous), vṛtraghnā (Vṛtra-slaying), tigmā didyut (sharp-flashing, descriptive)

Related deities

Bṛhaspati (breaker of the cave, lord of the Word), Sarasvatī (flow of inspiration), Uṣas (dawn of illumination)

Cosmic role

Breakers of the cover: they pierce darkness and open the holds that imprison light; they bestow the cows (rays) and the victorious force.

Inner power

Instrumental union of insight (flash) and transformative will (fire-force) that actively breaks subconscious enclosures.

In ritual

Where it is used

Indrāgnī praise within Śrauta offerings; Vṛtra-slaying motif supports rites seeking victory, rain/boon symbolism, and release of ‘cows’ (wealth/light).

Accents and Padapatha

Chandas Analysis

Key Symbols

Ritual Application

Etymology

Philosophical Concepts

Vedic Cosmology

Natural Symbolism

Academic Analysis

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes