Rig Veda 3.39.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 39, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.39
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Vasus
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
ज्योतिर्यज्ञाय रोदसी अनु ष्यादारे स्याम दुरितस्य भूरेः । भूरि चिद्धि तुजतो मर्त्यस्य सुपारासो वसवो बर्हणावत् ॥
jyótir yajñā́ya ródasī́ ánu ṣyād ā́re syāma duritásya bhū́reḥ | bhū́ri cid dhí tujátó mártyasya su-pārā́so vasavo barháṇāvat ||
Да последует Свет за жертвоприношением, и да сопутствуют ему Небо-и-Земля; да будем мы далеко от обильной беды. Ибо много, поистине, теснений на смертного, которого теснят; но вы, о Васу, — благие переправщики, несущие силу поднимать и расширять.
Word by Word
- ज्योतिः
- light, radianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञाय
- for the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (Heaven and Earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; द्विवचनRole KartāRoot रोदसी (प्रातिपदिक; द्विवचन-प्रयोगः)
- अनु
- along, following, in accordanceIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अनु
- स्य
- indeed, just (enclitic particle)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot स्य (एन्क्लिटिक/निपात; वैदिक)
- आदारे
- in/at the support, in the foundationNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot आ-दार (धातु) / आदार (कृदन्त-आधार)
- स्याम
- may I beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KartāRoot अस् (धातु)
- दुरितस्य
- of distress/sin, of misfortuneNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot दुरित (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूरेः
- of much, of abundant (evil)Adjective(सामान्यतः नपुंसक/पुं); षष्ठी; एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot भूरि (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक-रूप ‘भूरेः’)
- भूरि
- much, abundantAdjectiveअव्ययीभाववत्/विशेषण-प्रयोग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (नपुंसक-प्राय)Role KarmaRoot भूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (निपात)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot हि (निपात)
- तुजतः
- of the assailing/pressing (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot तुज् (धातु) → तुजत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
- मर्त्यस्य
- of the mortalNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुपारासः
- having good crossings; good deliverersAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सु-पार (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष)
- वसवः
- the Vasus (a class of gods)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- बर्हणावत्
- with uplift/strength; powerfullyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययवत्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग)Root बर्हणावत् (प्रातिपदिक; -वत्-प्रत्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: ज्योति॑र्य॒ज्ञाय॒ → पदपाठ: ज्योतिः | यज्ञाय (विसर्ग + य् = र्य्). अनु॑ ष्यादा॒रे → अनु | स्य | आदारे (ष्य = स्य; ‘आदारे’ सप्तमी). भूरे॑: = भूरेः (विसर्ग-रूप).
- चिद्/हि निपाताः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Light follow the sacrifice and Heaven-and-Earth attend it; may we be far from abundant distress. Many are the pressures on the attacked mortal; but you Vasus are good-crossers, bearing the power to widen and uplift.
Inner meaning
When the inner yajña (consecrated effort) is rightly kindled, jyotis naturally ‘follows’ it—illumination becomes its companion-result. Rodasī (Heaven and Earth) signify the two poles of consciousness: higher mind/sky and embodied nature/earth; both are asked to consent and cooperate. The mortal being under assault (tujataḥ martyasya) faces many pressures—habit, desire, fear, inertia—yet the Vasus (powers of harmony, wealth, stable right-being) carry the capacity to ferry the consciousness across (supārāsaḥ) and to widen/strengthen (barhaṇāvat) the inner field.
Universal truth
Illumination is not accidental; it follows sincere sacrifice. When higher and lower nature align, the many pressures on human life can be crossed by stable forces of harmony that widen the being.
Themes
light for sacrifice, Vasus support, expansion against pressure, protection from durita
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.39, RV 3.40, RV 3.33
Family tradition
A will-driven seer-line emphasizing yajña as inner battle and ascent; integrates cosmic pairs (Heaven-Earth) into psychological unity.
Significance
The seer frames spiritual progress as a coordinated movement of the whole being—higher and lower—so that light can become a constant companion of the path.
The deity
- Devata
- Vasus (with Indra in hymn-background)
- Epithets
- Supārāsaḥ (good-crossers), Barhaṇāvat (bearing widening power)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Aditi/Ādityas, Maruts, Rodasī (Dyāvā-Pṛthivī)
Cosmic role
Eight sustaining powers of cosmic order and abundance; they stabilize the worlds and support the sacrifice.
Inner power
Forces of harmony, right balance, and supportive energies that widen the consciousness and help it cross crises.
In ritual
Where it is used
General yajña invocations to supporting deities (Vasus/Dyāvā-Pṛthivī) within Soma and Agni rites
ज्योति॑र्य॒ज्ञाय॒ रोद॑सी॒ अनु॑ ष्यादा॒रे स्या॑म दुरि॒तस्य॒ भूरे॑: । भूरि॑ चि॒द्धि तु॑ज॒तो मर्त्य॑स्य सुपा॒रासो॑ वसवो ब॒र्हणा॑वत् ॥
ज्योतिः॑ । य॒ज्ञाय॑ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । अनु॑ । स्या॒त् । आ॒रे । स्या॒म॒ । दुः॒ऽइ॒तस्य॑ । भूरेः॑ । भूरि॑ । चि॒त् । हि । तु॒ज॒तः । मर्त्य॑स्य । सु॒ऽपा॒रासः॑ । व॒स॒वः॒ । ब॒र्हणा॑ऽवत् ॥
jyotiḥ | yajñāya | rodasī iti | anu | syāt | āre | syāma | duḥ-itasya | bhūreḥ | bhūri | cit | hi | tujataḥ | martyasya | su-pārāsaḥ | vasavaḥ | barhaṇāvat
44
4×11 syllables (approx.)
Expansive and processional; suitable for invoking broad cosmic cooperation (Heaven-Earth, Vasus).
Creates a sense of wideness and support; steadies the mind against ‘many pressures’.
- yajñá
- Literal: sacrifice, offering. Symbolic: inner consecration; self-giving of thought, life, and act to the Divine
- jyótiḥ
- Literal: light. Symbolic: illumination that arises as companion to right effort
- ródasī
- Literal: Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: higher consciousness and embodied nature brought into concord
- duritásya bhūréḥ
- Literal: of abundant distress. Symbolic: multiplicity of inner difficulties and wrong movements
- tújataḥ
- Literal: assailed, driven, pressed. Symbolic: nature under attack by impulses, fears, hostile suggestions
- supārāsaḥ
- Literal: good-crossers, good ferriers. Symbolic: powers that carry safely across the flood of difficulty
- vasávaḥ
- Literal: the Vasus. Symbolic: harmonizing divine powers of right-being, abundance, stability
- barhaṇāvat
- Literal: possessing uplift/widening power. Symbolic: the force that expands consciousness and raises it above pressure
Protective and harmonizing formula within yajña: invokes light and the supporting worlds; appeals to Vasus as sustaining powers aiding safe passage (pāra).
During sequences seeking protection and successful passage through ritual/inner obstacles.
Recitation to invite auspicious powers to ‘attend’ the sacrifice and remove durita.
Use when feeling overwhelmed: invoke ‘widening’ and ‘good-crossing’ forces; pair with a short offering (gratitude, intention-setting).
rodasī dual expresses the paired worlds; psychologically higher and lower planes needing harmony for yajña. √bṛh (barhaṇa) links to bṛhat ‘the Vast’: expansion as spiritual remedy to constriction. √tuj conveys assault/pressure—forces that disturb the sacrifice/inner order.
yajña as ordered inner action, bṛhat/vastness as liberation, crossing over (pāra) as spiritual transition
Rodasī ‘following’ the yajña indicates alignment of cosmic order with the human offering.
Jyotis as the sign of truth’s presence in the work.
The worlds cooperate to uphold the sacrifice—microcosm/macrocosm correspondence.
Integral Vedic yoga: harmonization of planes (higher/lower) for stable illumination.
Dawn-to-day (light ‘following’ sustained action)
Sky=opening above mind; Earth=grounded body-life; Light=knowledge; Storm/pressure=inner assaults.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The accompaniment of Light and the Two Worlds to the yajña, enabling a ‘crossing over’ beyond distress with the help of the Vasus. The mythologem is passage from constriction/assault to vastness and safety.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bṛh ‘grow, expand’ is cognate with PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise, high, lofty’ (bṛhat/vast). The inherited expansion-root underlies the Indo-European poetic idea that spiritual victory is widening/heightening of being.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi asks not for external rescue alone but for a supportive cosmic alignment: light, worlds, and Vasus’ expansive power. The devata relationship is sustaining and stabilizing—Vasus as guardians of abundance and firmness enabling the seeker to cross pressures.
Invite light to ‘follow’ your practice; harmonize above (sky-mind) and below (earth-body).
Anāhata (harmonizing support) and Sahasrāra/Ājñā (light above)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 to build steadiness; feel wideness on exhale.
From compressed, assailed surface to widened, supported equanimity.
Before japa, offer one clear intention (yajña). Visualize light trailing your breath. Feel Heaven-and-Earth within you consenting: calm above, stable below.
Maintain Vedic pitch accents per recension; keep ‘jyótiḥ’ and ‘ródasī’ clearly contoured with correct udatta/svarita.
Let pāda breaks be clean: (1) jyotir yajñāya… (2) āre syāma… (3) bhūri cid dhi… (4) supārāso… Avoid dragging sandhi across pāda end.
rodasī: clear long ī, anu ṣyāt: articulate ṣy cluster cleanly, bhūreḥ: long ū; final ḥ light, barhaṇāvat: retroflex ṇ; ‘barh’ as ‘barha’ with audible h
broad, even, supportive; emphasize wideness rather than force.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
