Rig Veda 6.55.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 55, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.55
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja tradition
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
रथीतमं कपर्दिनमीशानं राधसो महः । रायः सखायमीमहे ॥
rathī́tamaṃ kapardínam ī́śānaṃ rā́dhaso maháḥ | rāyáḥ sákhāyam īmahe ||
Como amigo suplicamos o auriga supremo, portador do poder entrançado, senhor das dádivas imensas, companheiro da riqueza.
Word by Word
- रथीतमम्
- the best charioteer / most chariot-skilledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (विशेषण; कर्मपद) — तमप्-प्रत्ययेन अतिशयार्थःRole KarmaRoot रथिन् (प्रातिपदिक) < रथ
- कपर्दिनम्
- the one with braided hair / the matted-hairedNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषण; कर्मपद)Role KarmaRoot कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक) < कपर्द (जटा/केशगुच्छ)
- ईशानम्
- the ruling one, lordAdjective (present participial adjective used as epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषण; कर्मपद)Role KarmaRoot ईशान (प्रातिपदिक; √ईश् ‘to rule, be master’)
- राधसः
- of bounty / of giftsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (सम्बन्धः)Role (Genitive relation)Root राधस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bounty, gift, wealth’
- महः
- great (bounty) / of great abundanceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (राधसः इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्धः)Role (Genitive relation)Root महत्/महि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘great’ → महः (नपुंसक) ‘greatness, greatness/abundance’
- रायः
- of wealth / of richesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole (Genitive relation)Root राय्/राय (प्रातिपदिक) ‘wealth, riches’
- सखायम्
- a friendNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मपद)Role KarmaRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘friend’
- ईमहे
- we seek / we imploreVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (Kriyā)Root √यम् (आत्मनेपद) ‘to strive for, seek, ask’ (वैदिके: ई-आगम/प्रत्ययवृद्धिः) → यामहे/ईमहे
Sandhi Notes
- मन्त्रपाठः: रथीतमं कपर्दिनमीशानं राधसो महः । रायः सखायमीमहे ॥ सन्धि-विच्छेदः: कपर्दिनम् + ईशानम् → कपर्दिनमीशानम् (म् + ई → मी)
- सखायम् + ईमहे → सखायमीमहे (म् + ई → मी)
The meaning
Outer meaning
They seek as friend the best charioteer, kapardin (with braided hair), the lord of great gifts/plenitudes, companion of wealth.
Inner meaning
The ‘supreme charioteer’ is the inner governor who can master the forces (horses/energies) and steer the being. ‘Kapardin’ suggests a gathered, coiled power—concentrated force and ascetic mastery (often Rudra-like), psychologically the collected energy that does not leak outward. As friend (sakhā), this power is intimate, not coercive: it allies with the seeker to bring vast inner plenitudes (rādhas, rāyaḥ).
Universal truth
Mastery of life requires a concentrated inner power that can steer energies rightly; when befriended, it becomes a source of abundance and strength.
Themes
Divine friendship, Plenitude, Guidance, Wideness
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya tradition)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.55 (context needed for devatā certainty), RV 6.54 (Pūṣan guidance and protection)
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya—sees divine powers as allies and governors of inner movement; friendship (sakhya) with the deity is a recurrent psychological stance.
Significance
The rishi’s approach is relational and practical: spiritual forces are sought as companions who can direct and enrich the life-journey.
The deity
- Epithets
- rathītama, kapardin, īśāna, rādhaso mahaḥ, rāyaḥ sakhā
- Related deities
- Rudra (if kapardin), Agni (as leader), Pūṣan/Savitar (as guides), Indra (lord of force and plenitude)
Cosmic role
A ruling power who drives the cosmic and individual movement and bestows plenitudes; possibly a fierce-protective mastery aspect (Rudra-like) that also grants healing/wealth.
Inner power
Concentrated tapas and sovereign guidance; power to steer prāṇa and mind, prevent dispersion, and open vast inner resources.
In ritual
Where it is used
If Rudra: appeasement/protection-healing; if guiding solar power: leadership/progression. In either case, invocation for right governance and plenitude.
र॒थीत॑मं कप॒र्दिन॒मीशा॑नं॒ राध॑सो म॒हः । रा॒यः सखा॑यमीमहे ॥
र॒थिऽत॑मम् । क॒प॒र्दिन॑म् । ईशा॑नम् । राध॑सः । म॒हः । रा॒यः । सखा॑यम् । ई॒म॒हे॒ ॥
rathi-tamam | kapardinam | īśānam | rādhasaḥ | mahaḥ | rāyaḥ | sakhāyam | īmahe
44
4×11 (approx.)
Majestic and seeking; the line has a ‘selection’ rhythm—choosing the best governor.
Builds resolve to accept inner discipline and concentrated power; evokes strength and loyalty.
- रथीतमम् (rathītamam)
- Literal: best charioteer. Symbolic: Supreme inner governor of movement; mastery over energies and direction
- कपर्दिन् (kapardin)
- Literal: with braided hair/topknot. Symbolic: Collected, coiled power; concentrated tapas; mastery that gathers force inward
- ईशानम् (īśānam)
- Literal: lord, ruler. Symbolic: Sovereign control—inner authority over nature
- राधसः महः (rādhasaḥ mahaḥ)
- Literal: of great gifts/plenitudes. Symbolic: Vast inner attainments—strength, clarity, wideness, joy
- रायः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: Inner riches: light, power, harmony, right enjoyment
- सखायम् (sakhāyam)
- Literal: friend. Symbolic: A consenting alliance with the divine power, intimate guidance rather than fear
Praise-invocation to establish the deity as intimate helper (sakhā) and leader of the rite’s movement (rathītama).
When needing mastery over impulses, protection with strength, or sustained abundance of inner resources.
Recitation as seeking friendship (sakhya) with the deity; offerings depending on tradition (Rudra: protective appeasement; solar: ghee).
A mantra for leadership and self-mastery: ‘Let the best charioteer govern my day; let my energies be gathered and directed.’
kaparda- ‘braid, knot of hair’ (often an epithet of Rudra/Śiva-type figures, but also used more broadly as a sign of power). rādhas- ‘bounty, favor’ from √rādh ‘to succeed, accomplish, grant’. sakhā- ‘friend’ (PIE *sekw- ‘follow’ may underlie companionship semantics in Indo-Iranian; exact etymologies vary).
Mahaḥ (wideness), Rāyas/Rādhas as inner plenitude, Divine friendship (sakhya)
The best charioteer implies movement aligned to cosmic order; misdirected energies are brought under rule.
Inner sovereignty depends on truth-contact rather than egoic control.
Plenitude as a result of right governance—order yields abundance.
Integral yoga reading: tapas + guidance opens rādhas (divine plenitudes).
Chariot = embodied movement; topknot = gathered energies, conservation of force; lordship = inner central control.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The god as ‘best charioteer’ and ‘friend’: the mythic leader who drives the journey and grants vast bounty. Inwardly, it is the master-force that steers the energies and opens wideness (mahaḥ) while remaining an intimate companion.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ratha- ‘chariot’ is part of the shared Indo-European chariot lexicon (cf. Old Irish roth ‘wheel’ is related to *rot(h)o- ‘wheel’ rather than ratha directly; the broader vehicle vocabulary is IE). īśāna from √īś reflects inherited notions of possession/rule. rādhas/rāyas continue Indo-Iranian semantic development of ‘wealth’ into sacral plenitude.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The R̥ṣi seeks not a remote benefactor but a sakhā—an allied power. The deity’s leadership (rathītama) implies the human journey needs steering; the human offers aspiration (īmahe) and receives wideness and bounty.
Invoke the ‘best charioteer’ to take the reins of prāṇa; feel energies gather upward (kapardin) and become obedient to a calm inner ruler.
manipura
Bhramari (soft) or slow ujjayi to collect and stabilize energy before chanting.
Collected power with clear direction; reduced leakage into restlessness.
Chant 9 times, then sit upright and sense a ‘topknot’ of gathered force above the crown/upper head; let that collectedness govern speech and action for the next hour.
Without accent marks, keep even triṣṭubh; stress ‘rathītamam’ and ‘īśānam’; let ‘sakhāyam’ soften warmly.
Two peaks: (1) rathītamam (choice of guide), (2) īśānam rādhaso mahaḥ (sovereign plenitude).
rathītamam: long ī; dental t, kapardinam: clear pa-rdi; dental d, īśānam: long ī; ś palatal, rādhasaḥ: long ā; dh aspirated; final ḥ light, īmahe: long ī at start; e at end
Firm, dignified, slightly resonant in chest.
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