Rig Veda 1.40.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 40, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.40
- Devata
- The Gods
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तमिद्वोचेमा विदथेषु शम्भुवं मन्त्रं देवा अनेहसम् । इमां च वाचं प्रतिहर्यथा नरो विश्वेद्वामा वो अश्नवत् ॥
tám íd vocemā vidáthēṣu śambhúvaṃ mántraṃ devā anéhasam | imā́ṃ ca vā́caṃ prati-háryathā naro víśved vāmā́ vo aśnavat ||
हे देवाः, विदथेषु वयं तं शम्भुवं मन्त्रं अनेहसं वोचेम। हे नराः, इमां च वाचं प्रतिहर्यथ, यथा विश्वानि वामानि वः अश्नुवन्तु, अस्मान् च प्रत्यागच्छन्तु सिद्ध्यै।
Word by Word
- तम्
- him/thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed/justIndeclinableनिपातRoot इत् (निपात)
- वोचेम
- may we speakVerbलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot वच्
- विदथेषु
- in the assemblies/ritesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- शम्भुवम्
- beneficent, auspiciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्त्रम्
- hymn/formulaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाः
- O godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधन/सम्प्रदान (आह्वान-रूपेण)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनेहसम्
- unfailing, unharming (lit. not injuring)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root अनेहस् (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + नेहस्)
- इमाम्
- thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- वाचम्
- speech/utteranceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रतिहर्यथा
- accept/receive (back)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘प्रति-हर्’ = प्रत्याहरत/स्वीकुरुतRoot √हृ (हर्) + प्रति
- नरः
- O men/strong ones (heroes)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधन (देवानां विशेषण-रूपेण)Root नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वे
- allAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधन (देवाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot इत् (निपात)
- वाम
- of you two/for you twoPronounद्विवचन, षष्ठी (सम्बन्धे) / चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) — सन्दर्भानुसार ‘your (two)’Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्धRoot वाम (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; युष्मद्-द्विवचनस्य षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूपम्)
- वः
- your (pl.)Pronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अश्नवत्
- attained/reached/obtainedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot अश्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): तमिद्वोचेमा → तम् + इत् + वोचेम
- विश्वेद्वा॒मा → विश्वे + इत् + वाम
- (अन्यत्र) इमां च वाचं (च-समुच्चयः, विशेष-सन्धिः न)
- प्रति॒हर्यथा is taken as a single finite verb form from प्रति-√हृ (Vedic usage ‘to accept/receive’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We would speak that beneficent, unwearied mantra in the assemblies, O Gods. Accept and cherish this speech, O heroic ones, so that all desirable boons may come to you and be fulfilled for us.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks that the mantra be uttered in the ‘vidathas’—inner gatherings where faculties convene. The word is śambhuva (bringing wellbeing) and anehas (not tiring): true mantra renews rather than exhausts. The Gods addressed as naraḥ are the strong divine powers in us; when they ‘welcome and hold’ the speech, the energies of fulfilment (vāmāni) circulate—gifts are not random boons but realizations that return as accomplished states of consciousness.
Universal truth
When speech arises from goodwill and truth and is received by the higher nature, it becomes a self-renewing force that attracts and completes what is genuinely needed.
Themes
acceptance-of-hymn, beneficence, inner-felicity
The seer
- Rishi
- Traditionally within the Kaṇva collection for this hymn-group; specific seer-name not preserved in the provided source.
- Lineage
- Kaṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.40.1-8
Family tradition
Kaṇva hymns frequently emphasize effective speech (brahman/vāc) and the collective action of gods as inner powers.
Significance
The rishi stands as representative of the human collectivity: ‘we would utter’—a communal yoga of speech where aspiration is offered and the higher nature is asked to take it up.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ (the Gods collectively), addressed as naraḥ
- Epithets
- Viśve Devāḥ, Naraḥ (heroic ones)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Ādityas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Totality of divine powers that govern and perfect the worlds; collective executors of ṛta.
Inner power
Integrated action of multiple faculties—illumination, law, harmony, strength—responding to right speech and bringing fulfilment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Viśvedevas offerings in soma and other śrauta rites; also general saṃgava/assembly recitations in yajña settings.
तमिद्वो॑चेमा वि॒दथे॑षु श॒म्भुवं॒ मन्त्रं॑ देवा अने॒हस॑म् । इ॒मां च॒ वाचं॑ प्रति॒हर्य॑था नरो॒ विश्वेद्वा॒मा वो॑ अश्नवत् ॥
तम् । इत् । वो॒चे॒म॒ । वि॒दथे॑षु । श॒म्भुव॑म् । मन्त्र॑म् । दे॒वाः॒ । अ॒ने॒हस॑म् । इ॒माम् । च॒ । वाच॑म् । प्रति॒ऽहर्य॑थ । न॒रः॒ । विश्वा॑ । इत् । वा॒मा । वः॒ । अ॒श्न॒व॒त् ॥
tam | it | vocema | vidatheṣu | śambhuvam | mantram | devāḥ | anehasam | imām | ca | vācam | prati-haryatha | naraḥ | viśvā | it | vāmā | vaḥ | aśnavat
32
4 × 8 (probable)
Conversational yet firm; suited to collective prayer and assent.
Encourages a feeling of participation—like a call-and-response between human aspiration and divine reception.
- vidatheṣu
- Literal: in gatherings/assemblies. Symbolic: Inner councils of the being where thought, will, and aspiration meet the higher powers
- śambhuvam
- Literal: beneficent, auspicious. Symbolic: Speech that heals, harmonizes, and aligns life with truth
- anehasam
- Literal: unwearied, not slackened. Symbolic: Mantra-force that grows by use; a renewable current of consciousness
- vāc
- Literal: speech. Symbolic: Expressive power of consciousness; formulation that can carry śakti
- pratiharyathā
- Literal: receive back, welcome, cherish. Symbolic: The higher powers take up the mantra, protect it, and make it effective in life
- vāmā
- Literal: desirable goods/boons. Symbolic: True attainments—light, force, harmony, wideness, joy—returning as fulfilment
General acceptance formula: requesting the gods to receive the mantra and speech in the vidatha, ensuring the flow of boons through the rite.
When inviting collective deity-powers to accept the hymn and ensure successful completion of the rite.
Offering of vāc (speech) as oblation; requesting divine acceptance and return of fulfilment.
Use before group meditation/chanting circles to establish a benevolent, tireless field; also before important meetings to align collective speech with harmony and results.
śambhúva from śam ‘peace, well-being’ + bhū ‘to become’ → ‘bringing well-being’. prati-háryathā from prati + √hṛ ‘to take, receive’ with desiderative/causative nuance in Vedic usage ‘accept favorably’. aśnavat from √aś ‘to reach, attain’.
speech as offering, śam (well-being) as a spiritual state, reciprocity of offering and fulfilment
The request for acceptance implies speech must be consonant with ṛta for results to ‘return’ as fulfilment rather than mere gain.
Anehas mantra suggests truth that does not decay with repetition; satya renews.
Speech as an exchange between worlds: human utterance rises, divine fulfilment descends and completes.
Karma-yoga of speech (proto); mantra as reciprocal bridge between human and divine planes.
A circulation: aspiration rises like a current; fulfilment returns like rain to the field—sustaining inner growth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The offering of speech itself as a living oblation: the gods ‘receive’ the mantra, and through that reception the circuit of fulfilment is completed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The √hṛ ‘take’ and √aś ‘reach’ verbs encode the give-and-take movement common to Indo-European sacrifice poetics: offer → receive → attain.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s speech is not descriptive but operative; the gods are asked to take it into their action (prati-haryatha), so the desirable states (vāmā) can be realized in the human field.
Offer speech into silence; feel the ‘gathering’ of inner parts and invite the higher powers to unify them.
viśuddha (throat) and anāhata (heart)
Bhrāmarī (gentle humming) 5 rounds to sweeten speech, then chant with long exhale.
From scattered social mind to coherent collective will and benevolence.
Chant once as invocation, then sit 2 minutes sensing whether the mind becomes more harmonious and whether impulses to speak become kinder and more exact. Let ‘śambhuvam’ be a vow: speech that benefits.
Use Vedic accents as marked; maintain gentle lift on śámbhuvam and clear cadence on anehasam.
Do not rush the vocatives devāḥ, naroḥ; let them open the chest voice slightly.
vidatheṣu: ‘vi-da-the-ṣu’ with clear ṣ, śambhuvam: ‘śam-bhu-vam’ (bh voiced aspirate), anehasam: keep short a- at start; ‘a-ne-ha-sam’, viśved: pronounce as ‘viś-ved’ with dental d
Warm, inviting, slightly heart-led resonance.
3
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