Rig Veda 1.42.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 42, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.42
- Devata
- Pūṣan
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
यो नः पूषन्नघो वृको दुःशेव आदिदेशति । अप स्म तं पथो जहि ॥
yó naḥ pūṣann aghó vṛ́ko duḥśéva ādídeśati | ápa smá táṁ pathó jahi ||
हे पूषन्, यो नः अघो वृको दुशेव आदिदेशति, तं स्म अप पथो जहि।
Word by Word
- यः
- who (that)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सापेक्ष-उपवाक्ये) / विशेषणम् ‘वृकः’ इत्यस्यRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक) — ‘अस्माकम्’Role सम्बन्धः (possessor/affected: ‘our’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पूषन्
- O PūṣanNoun (vocative deity-name)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनम् (addressed deity)Root पूषन् (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अघः
- evil, harmfulAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role विशेषणम् ‘वृकः’ इत्यस्यRoot अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृकः
- wolf (robber)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (दिदेशति इत्यस्य)Root वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुःशेवः
- ill-disposed, maliciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role विशेषणम् ‘वृकः’ इत्यस्यRoot दुः-शेव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दुः’ उपसर्ग + ‘शेव’)
- आ
- towards, uponIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः ‘दिदेशति’ इत्यस्यRole क्रियाविशेषणम् (direction/intensity)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दिदेशति
- points out / indicates / aimsVerbलट् (वर्तमानकालः), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √दिश् (दिशति ‘to point out/show/indicate’; here with reduplication)
- अप
- awayIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः ‘जहि’ इत्यस्यRole क्रियाविशेषणम् (away)Root अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्म
- indeed, justIndeclinable (particle)निपातः (emphasis/continuative)Role वाक्य-निपातःRoot स्म (निपात/अव्यय)
- तम्
- him / that onePronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Karma (जहि इत्यस्य)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पथः
- from the pathNounपुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (अपादानार्थे) — ‘पथः’ = ‘पथात्’ (वैदिक-रूपम्)Role Apādāna (source: ‘from the path’)Root पथ्/पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- जहि
- strike down / drive awayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थः), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रिया (आज्ञा)Root √हन् (हनति ‘to strike/kill’; imperative stem जहि)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-पदपाठानुसारम्): यः नः पूषन् अघः वृकः दुःशेवः आ दिदेशति । अप स्म तम् पथः जहि ॥ 1) ‘न॑:’ = नः (अस्मदः षष्ठी बहु.) एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्। 2) ‘दु॒:शेव॑’ → दुःशेवः (विसर्गः पदान्ते; संहितायां उच्चारण-चिह्नैः सह)। 3) ‘आ॒दिदे॑शति’ = आ + दिदेशति (उपसर्ग-संयोगः; संहितायां ‘आ’ उपसर्गः क्रियायाः पूर्वं संलग्नः)। 4) ‘अप॑ स्म’ = अप + स्म (निपात-संयोगः)। 5) ‘प॒थो’ = पथः (वैदिके पञ्चमी-एकवचनस्य ‘-ः’/‘-ो’ प्रकारः; अर्थतः ‘पथात्’)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet asks Pūṣan to strike away from the path the harmful wolf who points them toward ill-faring.
Inner meaning
On the inner journey, the ‘wolf’ (vṛka) is the predatory force in the vital/subconscient that misdirects—impulses, deceptive suggestions, false shortcuts, or hostile thoughts that ‘indicate’ (ādideśati) a wrong route. Pūṣan, the guiding intelligence, is invoked to remove this misleader from the path of sādhanā. This is the psychology of protection: not only opening the way, but rejecting the misleading impulse.
Universal truth
Progress requires both guidance and rejection. Harm often comes not as open attack but as misdirection; the remedy is a clear inner guide and decisive removal of the false lead.
Themes
Protection on the path, Defeating the predator, Discernment, Pūṣan guidance
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 6.54 (Pūṣan), RV 1.42
Family tradition
Protective path-hymns; inner reading aligns with Vedic battle against hostile forces as psychological purification.
Significance
A compact mantra of inner protection: identify misdirection and remove it through the guiding truth-force.
The deity
- Devata
- Pūṣan
- Epithets
- Path-guardian, Finder and protector, Remover of misleaders (implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of obstructors), Aśvins (rescuers), Savitar (impeller of right movement)
Cosmic role
Protector of travelers and right routes; repeller of dangers and thieves on the road.
Inner power
Discerning guidance that detects false indications and empowers decisive rejection.
In ritual
Where it is used
Travel protection; warding off dangers on the road.
यो न॑: पूषन्न॒घो वृको॑ दु॒:शेव॑ आ॒दिदे॑शति । अप॑ स्म॒ तं प॒थो ज॑हि ॥
यः । नः॒ । पू॒ष॒न् । अ॒घः । वृकः॑ । दुः॒शेव॑ । आ॒ऽदिदे॑शति । अप॑ । स्म॒ । तम् । प॒थः । ज॒हि॒ ॥
yaḥ | naḥ | pūṣan | aghaḥ | vṛkaḥ | duḥśeva | ādideśati | apa | sma | tam | pathaḥ | jahi
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables (approx.)
Direct, forceful imperative ending (‘jahi’) with a protective punch.
Builds decisive protective will; clears hesitation and strengthens discernment against misdirection.
- अघः (aghaḥ)
- Literal: harmful, evil. Symbolic: distortion-force that increases suffering and obscuration
- वृकः (vṛkaḥ)
- Literal: wolf. Symbolic: predatory vital/subconscient impulse; hostile force that devours clarity
- दुःशेव (duḥśeva)
- Literal: ill-faring, bad fortune/evil course. Symbolic: wrong movement of life-energy; deviation from ṛta
- आदिदेशति (ādideśati)
- Literal: points out, directs, indicates. Symbolic: subtle suggestion—misleading ‘guidance’ from desire/fear
- पथः (pathaḥ)
- Literal: from the path. Symbolic: from the line of inner progress and truth-direction
- जहि (jahi)
- Literal: strike, slay. Symbolic: decisive rejection; cutting off the misdirective impulse
Apotropaic path-protection: removing hostile beings and misleading influences from the traveler’s way; also inner practice for rejecting false guidance and predatory impulses.
Before departures; at thresholds; at moments of temptation or confusion (inner ‘crossroads’).
Apotropaic invocation—driving away harmful influence from the path.
Use when facing addictive urges, manipulative advice, or distracting media habits—anything that ‘points’ away from your chosen discipline.
vṛka ‘wolf’ is a vivid symbol of predation and misguidance on the path; ā-√diś marks the act of ‘showing’—here perverted into false indication. duḥ-śeva suggests ‘bad dwelling/comfort’, hence a wrong resting-place in consciousness. The imperative jahi (√han) is the decisive removal of the false guide.
false guidance vs right leading, removal of evil (agha) from the path, discernment in direction (diś)
The ‘path’ is the ṛta-line; the wolf is the anti-ṛta misdirector.
Satya as right indication; false indication as the wolf’s tactic.
Evolution proceeds by selection—rejecting false movements and affirming the true path.
Yogic psychology of hostile suggestions; integral discipline of rejection and aspiration.
Predatory desire/fear that misguides; the inner road of practice; discernment as true direction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘wolf on the path’ mythologem: a predatory force that misdirects the traveler is expelled by the guiding deity. Innerly, it is the devouring impulse or deceptive counsel that points consciousness toward duḥ-śeva (bad resting in lower nature).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vṛka ‘wolf’ continues PIE *wĺ̥kʷos (cf. Latin lupus with metathesis/phonological changes, Old English wulf). √diś ‘show’ is Indo-Iranian (Avestan daēsa- related ‘showing’), reflecting shared deictic semantics. √han ‘strike’ continues PIE *gʷhen-.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts Pūṣan with the sovereignty of direction: Pūṣan must negate the false pointer (ā-√diś) and keep the path pure. The exchange is protection for devotion—Pūṣan becomes the inner compass that rejects predatory misguidance.
Detect the ‘wolf’ suggestion: ‘This will be easier/pleasanter’—pause and return to the chosen path.
maṇipūra (will) / ājñā (discernment)
Sharp, controlled exhale (without strain) while mentally repeating ‘apa sma tam patho jahi’ to expel the misdirective impulse.
Alert, protected, decisive clarity.
Name the misdirection plainly, invoke the Guide, and make one concrete corrective step immediately (return to breath, posture, or chosen task).
Rigvedic accenting; emphasize the imperative ‘jahi’ with a clean udatta peak; exact accents depend on śākhā markings.
Keep the first pāda descriptive, then sharpen energy on ‘apa sma tam patho jahi’ as a decisive clearing.
vṛkaḥ: vocalic ṛ (ऋ) as brief ‘ri’ sound, not ‘ru’, duḥśeva: visarga ḥ before ś—light aspiration, ādideśati: long ā; retroflex? keep dental d clear; ś (श) at end, jahi: soft j, short a, clear h
Protective, firm, not angry; clarity over aggression.
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