Rig Veda 1.86.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 86, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.86
- Rishi
- Gautama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Marutaḥ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
पूर्वीभिर्हि ददाशिम शरद्भिर्मरुतो वयम् । अवोभिश्चर्षणीनाम् ॥
pūrvī́bhir hí dadāśimá śarádbhīr maruto vayám | ávobhiś carṣaṇīnā́m ||
पूर्वीभिर्हि ददाशिम शरद्भिर्मरुतो वयम्। अवोभिश्चर्षणीनाम्॥
Word by Word
- पूर्वीभिः
- with the former/earlier (years)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करण (instrumental: ‘by/with’) / सहकारकRoot पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *per- ‘before, forward’
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/causal particle)Root हि (निपात)
- ददाशिम
- I have givenVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; वैदिक रूप: ददाशिम् = ‘I have given’Role क्रिया (कर्तृ: अहम् निहितः)Root दा (दाने) धातु; परस्मैपद
- शरद्भिः
- with years (autumns)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करण (instrumental: ‘with/through years’)Root शरद् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘autumn; year’
- मरुतः
- O MarutsNoun (deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounउत्तमपुरुष, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्ताRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अवोभिः
- with protections/aidsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (वैदिक प्रयोग), तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करण (instrumental: ‘with helps/protections’)Root अवस्/अवः (प्रातिपदिक) ‘help, protection, favor’
- चर्षणीनाम्
- of the peoples (of men)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of’)Root चर्षणी (प्रातिपदिक) ‘men, peoples’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: पूर्वीभिः हि ददाशिम शरद्भिः मरुतः वयम् । अवोभिः चर्षणीनाम् ॥ 1) पूर्वीभिर्हि = पूर्वीभिः + हि (विसर्ग-लोपः; ‘ः’ before ‘ह’ commonly drops in saṃhitā)
- 2) शरद्भिर्मरुतो = शरद्भिः + मरुतः (विसर्ग-लोपः before voiced consonant ‘म’)
- 3) अवोभिश्चर्षणी॒नाम् = अवोभिः + चर्षणीनाम् (विसर्ग-लोपः before ‘च’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Maruts, through many former seasons (years) we have long been devoted to the work; and by your protections you uphold the peoples.
Inner meaning
The seeker speaks of a sustained sādhanā across many cycles of inner time. The Maruts (dynamic storm-powers of Indra) are invoked as the forces that protect, organize, and uplift the human faculties (carṣaṇī) engaged in the inner yajña—steadying aspiration and keeping the movement of progress safe from lapses and dispersions.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth is cumulative: repeated seasons of sincere effort mature the nature, and higher forces support the striving parts when aspiration becomes continuous and consecrated.
Themes
perseverance, protection, collective-human-striving, yajna-as-inner-discipline
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama Rāhūgaṇa
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.84, Rig Veda 1.85, Rig Veda 1.86, Rig Veda 1.87
Family tradition
Gautamas—seer-family associated with luminous intelligence, right discernment, and the recovery of inner light (go/rays) through the gods’ help.
Significance
As a Gautama, the rishi’s vision emphasizes awakening of the illumined mind and the disciplined continuity of the inner offering; the Maruts are invoked to marshal the life-energies so the seeker’s long practice becomes effective and protected.
The deity
- Devata
- Marutaḥ
- Epithets
- satyaśavasaḥ (of true might), naraḥ (heroic powers), ṛbhukṣaḥ (skillful, formative—by implication of their fashioning power)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Soma, Rudra
Cosmic role
Storm and wind powers that accompany Indra, shattering obstruction and bringing the rains—forces of movement, purification, and impulsion in the world-order.
Inner power
Dynamic energies that clear tamas, intensify aspiration, and coordinate the vital forces to serve illumination rather than desire.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut/Indra-Marut praise in Soma-related sequences; recited as part of invoking supportive deities for successful offering.
पू॒र्वीभि॒र्हि द॑दाशि॒म श॒रद्भि॑र्मरुतो व॒यम् । अवो॑भिश्चर्षणी॒नाम् ॥
पू॒र्वीभिः॑ । हि । द॒दा॒शि॒म । श॒रत्ऽभिः॑ । म॒रु॒तः॒ । व॒यम् । अवः॑ऽभिः । च॒र्ष॒णी॒नाम् ॥
pūrvībhiḥ | hi | dadāśima | śarat-bhiḥ | marutaḥ | vayam | avaḥ-bhiḥ | carṣaṇīnām
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, martial and expansive; suited to invocation of force and protection.
Builds resolve and continuity; the cadence supports sustained aspiration and a sense of collective power gathering around the seeker.
- pūrvībhir
- Literal: with many former (times). Symbolic: accumulated past tapas; prior inner cycles that build capacity
- śaradbhiḥ
- Literal: with autumns/seasons/years. Symbolic: maturing periods of discipline; ripening of the being
- dadāśima
- Literal: we have given (offered). Symbolic: self-offering of the lower nature into the inner sacrifice
- marutaḥ
- Literal: the Maruts (storm-gods). Symbolic: impulsive yet harmonizing powers of the Life-Force serving illumination (Indra)
- avobhiḥ
- Literal: with helps/protections. Symbolic: guarding influences that prevent fall into obscurity and inertia
- carṣaṇīnām
- Literal: of the peoples/men. Symbolic: the active human faculties and energies that strive and organize life
Continuity-of-offering motif typical of Soma praise: emphasizes long-term yajña and the Maruts’ protective function for the sacrificer-community.
During hymnic recitation in Soma yajña contexts and allied invocations for protection and victorious progress.
Stotra/śastra-style praise and calling of protective help (avaḥ).
Use as a mantra of perseverance: recite when restarting practice, during long sādhanā phases, or when seeking steadiness and safeguarding of one’s efforts.
ददाशिम: √दा (to give), perfect ‘we have given/offered’. शरत्: śarad- ‘autumn; year/season’ (cyclical time of maturation). अवः: ava- ‘help, protection’ (saving support).
tapas as long ripening (years/seasons of practice), divine protection (avaḥ) sustaining human striving
The Maruts uphold the ordered striving of the human powers, keeping movement aligned with ṛta rather than chaotic impulse.
Protection is effective when it is satya-śavas—true force, not mere excitement.
Sustained cycles of becoming: repeated seasons of offering build a stable foundation for higher manifestation.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindo): gods as powers of consciousness acting in the human instrument.
Śarad (autumn) as the ripening season
Ripening of the being through repeated cycles; storm-winds as purifying movements that protect and uplift the striving faculties.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The enduring covenant across seasons: the human group maintains offerings over years, and the Maruts reciprocate with ‘avaḥ’—protective powers. Mythically, storm-gods guard the clan; inwardly, dynamic energies protect the aspirant through long cycles of transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √दा ‘give’ reflects PIE *deh₃- (‘give’), cf. Greek δίδωμι, Latin dōnum (gift). The seasonal term śarad- is Indo-Iranian in cultural semantics; the cyclic-time framing is a shared IE poetic feature (years as measures of ripening).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asserts sustained human contribution (‘we have given over many seasons’) to warrant the Maruts’ continued guardianship. The reciprocity is framed as fidelity over time: human endurance in yajña and divine endurance in protection.
Perseverance in the inner sacrifice: offer the day’s energies to the higher Will and invoke protective dynamism.
Manipura (will/energy coordination)
Moderate, even breathing with a slight emphasis on exhale to release inertia; pause briefly after exhale to feel protection and steadiness.
Collected, resolute, progressively widening.
Recall your ‘many seasons’ of effort without discouragement; then inwardly call the Marut-force to organize the life-energies into one direction of aspiration.
Use standard Vedic accenting by pada: mark udatta on accented syllables; maintain clear anudatta lows and crisp svarita falls on marked combinations (requires śākhā-specific notation not provided).
Chant by padapāṭha units: pūrvībhíḥ | hí | dadāśíma | śarad-bhíḥ | marútaḥ | vayám | avó-bhiḥ | carṣaṇīnā́m — keep ‘hi’ light; give weight to marútaḥ and avó-bhiḥ.
śarad-bhiḥ: keep retroflex ḍ? (here ‘śarad’ + bhiḥ) as clear dental ‘d’ in śarad; do not swallow the cluster, marutaḥ: short ‘a’ vowels, final visarga audible but soft before pause, carṣaṇīnām: ‘ṛ’ as vocalic r; ‘ṇ’ retroflex; long ī held
Firm, steady, slightly resonant (chest-supported) to evoke protection and endurance.
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.
