Rig Veda 10.13.1: Mandala 10, Sukta 13, Mantra 1
Sukta 10.13
- Devata
- Broadly addressed to a paired divine power
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
युजे वां ब्रह्म पूर्व्यं नमोभिर्वि श्लोक एतु पथ्येव सूरेः । शृण्वन्तु विश्वे अमृतस्य पुत्रा आ ये धामानि दिव्यानि तस्थुः ॥
yujé vāṃ bráhma pū́rvyaṃ namóbhir ví ślóka etu pathyéva sūrḗḥ | śṛṇvántu víśve amṛ́tasya putrā́ ā́ yé dhā́māni divyā́ni tasthúḥ ||
Впрягаю для вас двоих древнее Брахман-слово с поклонениями; да выйдет ясный гимн, как путеводная стезя вдохновенного риши. Да услышат все сыны бессмертия — те, что стоят в небесных обителях.
Word by Word
- युजे
- for the helper/ally (for the yoke-mate)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचन (दत्तिव्) — ‘युज्’ = सहायक/युग्मकर्ता/सारथि (विशेषतः अश्विनौ के ‘युज’)Role सम्प्रदान (यस्यार्थे)Root युज् (धातु, ‘योजने’) / युज्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- of you two / you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया द्विवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप ‘वाम्’) — ‘of you two’/‘you two’ (context decides)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation to युजे) / सम्भाव्य कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्म
- sacred formulation, hymn, prayerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (युजे… ब्रह्म) / विधेयRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्व्यम्
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्म’ का विशेषणRole विशेषण (कर्म/विधेय का)Root पूर्व्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘पूर्व’ से)
- नमोभिः
- with salutations, with reverenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करण (instrumental: ‘with/through salutations’)Root नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- forth, widely, distinctlyIndeclinableउपसर्ग; ‘विस्तार/विशेष’ अर्थेRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- श्लोकः
- hymn-verse, chantNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (एतु का कर्ता)Root श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- एतु
- let it go forth / may it proceedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सदृश प्रयोग); प्रथम पुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot इ (धातु, ‘गत्यर्थे’)
- पथ्ये
- on the path / path-wiseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (अधिकरण) — ‘on the path/fit for the path’Role अधिकरणRoot पथ्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘पथ’ से)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थ निपातRoot इव (निपात)
- सूरेः
- of the patron/poet (sūri)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the patron/poet’)Root सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- शृण्वन्तु
- let (them) hearVerbलोट्; प्रथम पुरुष बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot श्रु (धातु, ‘श्रवणे’)
- विश्वे
- allAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; (अमृतस्य पुत्राः) का विशेषणRole विशेषण (कर्तृ का)Root विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृतस्य
- of immortality / of the immortalNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of immortality / of the immortal one’)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुत्राः
- sons (offspring)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (शृण्वन्तु का कर्ता)Root पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग; ‘आगमन/समन्तात्’Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative)Role कर्तृ (तस्थुः का)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धामानि
- abodes, stations, ordinancesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्म (तस्थुः के साथ: ‘धामानि तस्थुः’ = ‘धामों में स्थित हैं’—अधिकरणार्थक प्रयोग) / सम्भाव्य अधिकरणRoot धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिव्यानि
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन; ‘धामानि’ का विशेषणRole विशेषणRoot दिव्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘दिव्’ से)
- तस्थुः
- have stood, are stationedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट); प्रथम पुरुष बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot स्था (धातु, ‘स्थितौ’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) नमोभिः + वि → नमोभिर्वि (visarga/र्-आदेश). (2) पथ्ये + इव → पथ्येव (ए/इ सन्धि). (3) आ + ये → आ ये (no coalescence in pada reading). Accent marks are retained from the Saṃhitā text
- pada analysis is based on resolved padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
I yoke for you two the ancient sacred Word with reverence; let the clear chant go forth like the path of the inspired seer. Let all the children of immortality hear—those who stand in the divine abodes.
Inner meaning
The rishi ‘yokes’ (yuje) the primordial mantra-consciousness (brahma pūrvyaṃ) to a paired divine power, meaning: he harnesses speech and devotion so that the Word becomes a vehicle of ascent. The ‘clear chant’ (śloka) is not mere poetry but luminous utterance that opens a path ‘like that of the sūri’—the illumined seer. The ‘children of immortality’ (amṛtasya putrāḥ) are the higher powers within and above—luminous faculties and divine presences established in their own planes (divyāni dhāmāni). The mantra is a call for these powers to listen and consent, so the seeker’s upward journey is supported by a response from the higher worlds.
Universal truth
True speech aligned with reverence becomes a path. When aspiration is voiced from depth, higher possibilities awaken and collaborate; the human journey is assisted by powers already established in greater consciousness.
Themes
Invocation of all gods, Mantra-path, Brahman (word-force), Divine hearing
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.13.2, Rig Veda 10.13.3, Rig Veda 10.13.4, Rig Veda 10.13.5
Significance
A mantra about mantra: the seer yokes the eternal Word into a path. This is central to the Aurobindonian view of Veda as psychological yoga through inspired speech.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ as ‘amṛtasya putrāḥ’
- Epithets
- Viśve Devāḥ (all gods), Amṛtasya putrāḥ (children of immortality)
- Related deities
- Agni (as Word-carrier), Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (lord of brahman/word)
Cosmic role
The paired deities represent a complementary power (often such pairs are Heaven-Earth, Mitra-Varuṇa, Indra-Agni, etc.). The collective gods are invoked as witnesses and collaborators from their luminous stations.
Inner power
Paired power: integration of two complementary forces in sadhana (e.g., light and force, wideness and law). Viśve Devāḥ: totality of illumined faculties responding to the mantra.
In ritual
Where it is used
Opening yoking-formula: suitable as an introductory verse in a liturgical sequence, ‘yoking’ brahman (mantric force) to the gods and calling the Viśve Devāḥ to hear.
यु॒जे वां॒ ब्रह्म॑ पू॒र्व्यं नमो॑भि॒र्वि श्लोक॑ एतु प॒थ्ये॑व सू॒रेः । शृ॒ण्वन्तु॒ विश्वे॑ अ॒मृत॑स्य पु॒त्रा आ ये धामा॑नि दि॒व्यानि॑ त॒स्थुः ॥
यु॒जे । वा॒म् । ब्रह्म॑ । पू॒र्व्यम् । नमः॑ऽभिः । वि । श्लोकः॑ । ए॒तु॒ । प॒थ्या॑ऽइव । सू॒रेः । शृ॒ण्वन्तु॑ । विश्वे॑ । अ॒मृत॑स्य । पु॒त्राः । आ । ये । धामा॑नि । दि॒व्यानि॑ । त॒स्थुः ॥
yuje | vām | brahma | pūrvyam | namaḥ-bhiḥ | vi | ślokaḥ | etu | pathyāiva | sūreḥ | śṛṇvantu | viśve | amṛtasya | putrāḥ | ā | ye | dhāmāni | divyāni | tasthuḥ
44
4 × ~11
Processional and proclamatory; suited to ‘sending forth’ the chant.
Gives a sense of opening a road; increases confidence in mantra as a vehicle of ascent.
- ब्रह्म पूर्व्य (brahma pūrvya)
- Literal: ancient sacred word/prayer. Symbolic: primordial mantra-force; eternal vibration of truth
- युजे (yuje)
- Literal: I yoke, harness. Symbolic: disciplining and linking speech, will, and higher power into one movement
- नमोभिः (namobhiḥ)
- Literal: with acts of reverence. Symbolic: self-offering, humility that opens receptivity
- श्लोक (śloka)
- Literal: chant, hymn-utterance. Symbolic: luminous expression that clarifies and leads consciousness
- पथ्या इव सूरेः (pathyā iva sūreḥ)
- Literal: like the path of the seer. Symbolic: mantra as a guided inner roadway of illumination
- अमृतस्य पुत्राः (amṛtasya putrāḥ)
- Literal: sons/children of immortality. Symbolic: divine powers/faculties born of the deathless consciousness
- दिव्यानि धामानि (divyāni dhāmāni)
- Literal: divine abodes. Symbolic: planes of higher consciousness where these powers are established
Opening yoking-formula: suitable as an introductory verse in a liturgical sequence, ‘yoking’ brahman (mantric force) to the gods and calling the Viśve Devāḥ to hear.
Use as a ‘beginning mantra’ before any recitation session: yoking reverence and speech; also suitable before study/teaching to invoke clarity and higher consent.
(bráhma) from √bṛh ‘to expand, make great’; in RV the expansive word-power that builds the inner world. (ślóka) from √śru/ślōk- tradition of ‘famed utterance’; a voiced formulation that travels. (dhā́man) from √dhā ‘place, set’; ‘abode/station’.
brahman as word-power, immortality (amṛta), divine stations (dhāman), mantra as path (pathyā)
The ‘path’ motif implies r̥ta as a way laid down by the seer’s illumination.
Śloka as truth-utterance; hearing by the immortals implies alignment with satya.
Word as creative and connective principle between worlds.
Mantra-vidyā orientation; bridges to Upaniṣadic Brahman-as-Word (śabda) intuitions.
Path = progressive inner movement; divine abodes = stable higher states; yoking = harnessing energies into one direction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘yoking of brahman’ mythologem: the seer harnesses the ancient word-power like a vehicle, sending forth śloka as a path so the immortal powers in their divine stations may hear and participate.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (yoke) is PIE *yeug-. √bṛh ‘expand’ expresses an IE theme of greatness/expansion (cf. Germanic *berg- ‘high’ is not direct, but the semantic axis ‘great/strong’ is archaic). dhāman from √dhā ‘set’ parallels PIE *dheh₁- ‘put, place’ (cf. Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer offers not objects but brahman—the shaping word-force—through reverence (namas). The gods respond by hearing; the exchange is the opening of a shared ‘path’ where mantra becomes the vehicle of ascent and descent.
Begin with reverence; feel the mantra as a ‘yoked’ current rising along a path toward luminous inner stations; invite the higher faculties to attend.
vishuddha
ujjāyī (soft) to steady voice and mantra-current
inspired clarity and upward orientation
Chant once, then sit quietly imagining your words traveling upward like a clear road; listen inwardly for a response as widened peace or a new clarity in thought.
Keep a clear, ‘sent forth’ contour: gentle rise through first pāda, brighter lift on ‘vi śloka etu’, stable cadence on final invocation to ‘amṛtasya putrāḥ’.
Do not rush ‘brahma pūrvyaṃ’; give it weight. Let ‘vi śloka etu’ flow forward like a path.
‘yuje’ with soft j (not dz), ‘namobhir’ keep bh voiced aspirate, ‘śṛṇvantu’ retroflex ṇ, ‘dhāmāni’ long ā
clear, resonant, slightly elevated as an opening invocation
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