Rig Veda 5.87.7: Mandala 5, Sukta 87, Mantra 7
Sukta 5.87
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
ते रुद्रासः सुमखा अग्नयो यथा तुविद्युम्ना अवन्त्वेवयामरुत् । दीर्घं पृथु पप्रथे सद्म पार्थिवं येषामज्मेष्वा महः शर्धांस्यद्भुतैनसाम् ॥
te rudrā́saḥ su-mákhā agnáyo yáthā tuvi-dyumnā́ avantv evayā́marut | dī́rghaṃ pṛthú paprathé sádma pārthívam yeṣā́m ájmeṣv ā́ maháḥ śárdhāṃsy ádbhuta-enasām ||
Que esses Rudras, benfazejos no sacrifício, — como fogos de esplendor abundante — nos protejam, ó Maruts. Longa e larga é a morada terrestre que eles estenderam; em suas marchas movem-se as grandes hostes, de poder maravilhoso, a que não se pode lançar culpa.
Word by Word
- ते
- theyPronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रुद्रासः
- the Rudras (Maruts)Nounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमखाः
- of good rites / fair-faced (epithet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (रुद्रासः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot सु-मख (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्नयः
- the firesNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- यथा
- as, likeIndeclinableउपमान/प्रकार-अव्ययम्Root यथा
- तुविद्युम्नाः
- of abundant gloryAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (ते/रुद्रासः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot तुवि-द्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवन्तु
- may they help/protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root अव्
- एवयाम
- in our course/way (for our going)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (अध्याहृतं ‘नः/अस्मान्’ इत्यर्थे रक्षण-विषयः) अथवा क्रियाविशेषणवत्Role कर्मRoot एवयाम (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक-विशेषण)
- मरुत्
- O MarutNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः)Role सम्बोधनRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीर्घम्
- longAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (पृथु इत्यनेन सह; कर्म)Role कर्मRoot दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथु
- broad, wideAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (दीर्घम् इत्यस्य सहविशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot पृथु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पप्रथे
- has spread outVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/अनद्यतन-भूत), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root प्रथ्
- सद्म
- seat, abodeNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (अत्र कर्म/विषयत्वेन)Role कर्मRoot सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पार्थिवम्
- earthlyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (सद्म इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
- येषाम्
- of whomPronounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अज्मेषु
- in the courses/pathsNounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम् (वैदिके ‘अज्मन्’ = पथ/अध्वन्/क्षेत्र)Role अधिकरणRoot अज्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- forth, untoIndeclinable (Preverb)उपसर्गः (पप्रथे इत्यस्य सह)Root आ
- महः
- of greatness, of the great (power)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्धांसि
- hosts, troopsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot शर्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्भुतैनसाम्
- of wondrous might/energy (lit. of marvelous ‘enas’)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (शर्धांसि इत्यस्य सम्बन्ध/विशेषणभावः: ‘येषाम् … शर्धांसि’)Role सम्बन्धRoot अद्भुत-एनस् (प्रातिपदिक; समासः)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): ते | रुद्रासः | सुमखाः | अग्नयः | यथा | तुविद्युम्नाः | अवन्तु | एवयाम् | मरुत् || दीर्घम् | पृथु | पप्रथे | सद्म | पार्थिवम् | येषाम् | अज्मेषु | आ | महः | शर्धांसि | अद्भुत-एनसाम् || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) अवन्तु+एवयाम् → अवन्त्वेवयाम् (उ+ए → वे)
- (2) अज्मेषु+आ → अज्मेष्वा (उ+आ → वा)
- (3) शर्धांसि+अद्भुतैनसाम् → शर्धांस्यद्भुतैनसाम् (इ+अ → य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May those Rudras, of good sacrifice, like fires of abundant splendour, protect—O Maruts. Long and wide is the earthly home they spread out, in whose marches the great hosts move, of marvellous power and without fault.
Inner meaning
The Maruts are called Rudras—powers of intense purification and healing force. ‘Good sacrifice’ (sumakhāḥ) indicates that their action supports a right offering: the inner yajña of self-giving and transformation. Like splendid fires, they protect by illuminating and burning impurities. They ‘spread out’ the earthly home (pārthivaṃ sadma) long and wide: the physical-vital foundation becomes spacious and capable of holding higher forces without fracture. In their ‘marches’ (ajmeṣu), great host-formations of consciousness move—collective energies of transformation—marvellous and ‘without fault’ (adbhuta-enasām): not tainted by ego, but instruments of a higher perfection.
Universal truth
True spiritual force does not reject the earth-nature; it widens and refashions it into a fit home for the divine. Protection is not mere shielding—it is purification plus expansion, enabling the higher powers to act faultlessly through embodied life.
Themes
rudra-maruts, protection, widening-the-home
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (probable, Atri-family attribution for RV 5.87)
- Lineage
- Atri
- Other hymns
- RV 5.1-5.5 (Agni as builder of the home of the sacrifice, thematic), RV 5.60 (Marut/Rudra tones, thematic)
Family tradition
Atri hymns often reconcile heaven-force with earth-home: widening the ‘pārthiva sadma’ to hold the divine.
Significance
This verse is central for an integral reading: the goal is not escape from earth but the widening and divinization of the earthly vessel.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts (as Rudras)
- Epithets
- rudrāsaḥ (Rudra-powers), sumakhāḥ (good in sacrifice), tuvidyumnāḥ (abundant in splendour)
- Related deities
- Rudra, Agni, Indra
Cosmic role
As Rudra-aspects they purify and protect; as Maruts they drive the evolutionary storm and organize host-forces for Indra’s work.
Inner power
Purifying protection that expands the embodied base; the capacity to make the physical-vital nature a wide home for higher consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and auspicious Marut-Rudra invocation in Soma/Agni contexts; also suitable for rites seeking well-being and faultless completion
ते रु॒द्रास॒: सुम॑खा अ॒ग्नयो॑ यथा तुविद्यु॒म्ना अ॑वन्त्वेव॒याम॑रुत् । दी॒र्घं पृ॒थु प॑प्रथे॒ सद्म॒ पार्थि॑वं॒ येषा॒मज्मे॒ष्वा म॒हः शर्धां॒स्यद्भु॑तैनसाम् ॥
ते । रु॒द्रासः॑ । सुऽम॑खाः । अ॒ग्नयः॑ । य॒था॒ । तु॒वि॒ऽद्यु॒म्नाः । अ॒व॒न्तु॒ । ए॒व॒याम॑रुत् । दी॒र्घम् । पृ॒थु । प॒प्र॒थे॒ । सद्म॑ । पार्थि॑वम् । येषा॑म् । अज्मे॑षु । आ । म॒हः । शर्धां॑सि । अद्भु॑तऽएनसाम् ॥
te | rudrāsaḥ | su-makhāḥ | agnayaḥ | yathā | tuvi-dyumnāḥ | avantu | evayāmarut | dīrgham | pṛthu | paprathe | sadma | pārthivam | yeṣām | ajmeṣu | ā | mahaḥ | śardhāṃs i | adbhuta-enasām
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4 × ~11
Noble, processional cadence—fits ‘hosts’ and ‘marches’ imagery.
Elicits a sense of protected expansion and collective strength; stabilizes while uplifting.
- rudrāsaḥ
- Literal: Rudras. Symbolic: purifying, intense divine forces that remove suffering/obscurity and heal the being
- sumakhāḥ
- Literal: of good sacrifice. Symbolic: powers that support right offering and right inner ritual (self-giving)
- agnayo yathā tuvidyumnāḥ
- Literal: like fires of abundant splendour. Symbolic: luminous will-forces rich in inner light and effectiveness
- sadma pārthivam
- Literal: earthly home. Symbolic: body-life foundation; the ‘house’ of the soul in matter
- dīrgham pṛthu paprathe
- Literal: spread long and wide. Symbolic: expansion and stabilization of the physical-vital being to contain greater consciousness
- ajmeṣu
- Literal: in their marches. Symbolic: progressive stages/movements of sādhanā; dynamic campaigns of transformation
- śardhāṃsi
- Literal: hosts, multitudes. Symbolic: organized formations of divine energies within the being
- adbhuta-enasām
- Literal: of marvellous, faultless (sinless) power. Symbolic: actions not distorted by ego; wonder of a higher perfection at work
Protective and stabilizing: asks Maruts to guard and to widen the ‘earthly home’ (embodied field) for the sacrificer/community.
At moments emphasizing protection and successful, ‘faultless’ performance of the sacrifice
Praise-prayer for protection and for the rite to widen the ‘seat/home’ of the yajña
Chant as a ‘householder’ mantra: to widen the inner and outer home—body, family space, workplace—so higher values can act harmoniously.
(rudra) tied to roaring/fierce brilliance; Maruts as ‘Rudras’ emphasize terrible power that also protects/heals. dyumna ‘splendour’ from √dyut ‘shine’. / ‘broad’ resonates with expansion as safety/order. (sadma) ‘seat/home’: embodied field as a ‘dwelling’ to be widened by divine energies. enas ‘fault, sin, stain’: adbhuta-enasām suggests a marvellous purity—power not tainted by falsehood.
faultlessness/purity (enas), expansion of the embodied field (pṛthu sadma), protective terror (Rudra aspect)
Faultless hosts (adbhuta-enasām) suggest action aligned with ṛta—effective, harmonious, unwarped.
Truth manifests as a stable ‘home’ widened to receive it; satya becomes embodied order.
Earth made wide: a creation motif of building/spreading the world as a fit habitation for the gods.
Integral transformation: divinization of the physical (pārthiva sadma).
Fire = purifying will; earth/home = body-life base; marches/hosts = organized powers of consciousness; wide space = capacity and receptivity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Rudra-host that protects and widens the dwelling’: Maruts as Rudras, fire-like and splendid, protect and expand the ‘earthly home’. Psychologically, fierce divine energies purify and enlarge the embodied consciousness so it can house greater powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyut/dyumna ‘shine/splendour’ belongs to the IE light lexicon; the trope of ‘spreading out’ the dwelling parallels IE poetic themes of making space/order against constriction (semantic continuity).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not only for defense but for a transformed embodied field—‘long and wide’—so the divine host can move within it. The implied reciprocity: the sacrificer offers a ‘good rite’ (su-makha), and the gods grant protected expansion and faultless power.
Envision the body as an ‘earth-home’ being widened and purified by luminous forces; invite faultless action.
Mūlādhāra to Anāhata (stabilize the base, widen the heart-space)
Slow inhale imagining the ‘home’ expanding; exhale imagining fire-light purifying the walls/limits; then chant.
Protected wideness; embodied peace with active luminous support.
Chant 3 times slowly; then scan the body from feet to crown, affirming spaciousness and steadiness; offer one habitual reaction into the inner fire, asking the Rudra-forces to make action ‘without fault’ (ego-free).
Svara not provided; chant with dignified, processional triṣṭubh rhythm; maintain clarity on compounds (adbhutainasām).
Slight emphasis on protective verbs (avantu) and widening phrase (dīrgham pṛthu paprathe).
rudrāsaḥ: ru-drā-saḥ (long ā), tuvidyumnāḥ: tu-vi-dyum-nāḥ (dyum as ‘d-yum’), pārthivam: pār-thi-vam (clear th), adbhutainasām: ad-bhu-tai-na-sām (separate ad + bh)
Full, steady, slightly solemn; let the cadence feel like a protective procession.
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