Rig Veda 3.33.10: Mandala 3, Sukta 33, Mantra 10
Sukta 3.33
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- The Rivers responding to the call
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
आ ते कारो शृणवामा वचांसि ययाथ दूरादनसा रथेन । नि ते नंसै पीप्यानेव योषा मर्यायेव कन्या शश्वचै ते ॥
ā́ te kā́ro śṛṇavāmā́ vacā́ṃsi yayā́tha dūrā́d anasā́ ráthena | ní te naṃsai pīpyānā́ iva yóṣā maryā́ya iva kanyā́ śaśvacái te ||
आ ते कारो शृणवामा वचांसि ययाथ दूरादनसा रथेन। नि ते नंसै पीप्यानेव योषा मर्यायेव कन्या शश्वचै ते॥
Word by Word
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinableupasarga/avyayaRoot आ (upasarga) / ā (avyaya)
- ते
- to youPronoundative singular (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (2nd person pronoun)
- कारो
- a call/cry; praise (invocation)Nounnominative singular masculineRole KartāRoot कार (prātipadika; from √कृ/√कर् ‘to do/make’ > ‘act, praise, call’)
- शृणवामा
- we two hear / let us two hearVerbpresent, 1st person dual, active (parasmaipada)Root √श्रु (śru) ‘to hear’
- वचांसि
- words, utterancesNounaccusative plural neuterRole KarmaRoot वचस् (prātipadika)
- ययाथ
- you have gone / you wentVerbperfect, 2nd person singular, active (parasmaipada)Root √या (yā) ‘to go’
- दूरात्
- from afarNoun (used adverbially)ablative singular neuterRole ApādānaRoot दूर (prātipadika)
- अनसा
- with a wagon/cartNouninstrumental singular neuterRole KaraṇaRoot अनस् (prātipadika) ‘cart, wagon’
- रथेन
- with a chariotNouninstrumental singular masculineRole KaraṇaRoot रथ (prātipadika)
- नि
- down, in, forth (intensifying)Indeclinablepreverb/particleRoot नि (upasarga/avyaya)
- ते
- to youPronoundative singular (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (2nd person pronoun)
- नंसै
- I bow / I do obeisanceVerbpresent, 1st person singular, middle (ātmanepada) (Vedic form)Root √नंस्/√नश् (Vedic) ‘to bow, to do reverence’
- पीप्यानेव
- like a thriving/teeming (woman)Participle + Indeclinableपीप्याना: nominative singular feminine (agreeing with योषा) + इव ‘like’Role Kartā (simile-apposition)Root पीप्यान (reduplicated present participle from √पा/√पि ‘to swell, be full; to thrive’ in Vedic usage) + इव
- योषा
- a young womanNounnominative singular feminineRole Kartā (simile)Root योषा (prātipadika) ‘young woman, wife’
- मर्यायेव
- like (to) a young manNoun + Indeclinableमर्याय: dative singular masculine + इव ‘like’Role Sampradāna (simile)Root मर्य (prātipadika) ‘young man, suitor’ + इव
- कन्या
- a maidenNounnominative singular feminineRole Kartā (simile)Root कन्या (prātipadika) ‘maiden, girl’
- शश्वचै
- always, andIndeclinablesandhi-form of शश्वत् + चRoot शश्वत् (avyaya ‘always, continually’) + च (enclitic)
- ते
- to youPronoundative singular (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (2nd person pronoun)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (major): वचांसि (vacāṃsi) is internal (vacāṃsi < vacāṃsi)
- दू॒रादन॑सा॒ रथे॑न → दूरात् + अनसा + रथेन (t-final before vowel)
- पीप्या॒नेव॒ → पीप्याना + इव (ā + i → e)
- मर्या॑येव → मर्याय + इव (ā + i → e)
- शश्व॒चै → शश्वत् + च (t + c → cch written as च in saṃhitā orthography here; Vedic sandhi gives -cai)
- Enclitic ते occurs thrice as dative ‘to you’
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet says they would hear the rivers’ answering cry and words, since they have come from far with cart and chariot. He asks the rivers to incline toward them like a fruitful woman in love, like a maiden toward her bridegroom—ever favorable.
Inner meaning
The seeker listens for the response of the inner energies: not only the human call to the powers, but the answering ‘kāra’—the resonance of consent. The rivers are asked to turn with affection and fullness (pīpyānā), meaning the life-force becomes richly supportive rather than resistant. The erotic imagery is symbolic of union: the individual nature inclines to the soul’s divine intention with glad self-giving, establishing a constant friendliness (‘śaśvacai te’).
Universal truth
Transformation is reciprocal: aspiration must be met by nature’s consenting response; when the energies turn toward the higher aim with love and fullness, the path becomes sustained rather than episodic.
Themes
reciprocity, invocation-of-consent, symbolic-eros, safe-crossing
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthin (Kauśika tradition, commonly associated with Viśvāmitra)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.33.1-13, RV 3.53 (Viśvāmitra hymns, traditional grouping)
Family tradition
Mantra as effective force; emphasis on making cosmic powers respond to the truth-call.
Significance
His yoga is of the Word and Will: the seer not only prays but expects an answering resonance from the powers—an experiential reciprocity.
The deity
- Devata
- Sindhu-powers (Rivers) as responsive goddesses
- Epithets
- pīpyānā (abounding), yoṣā (woman, life-bearing), kanyā (maiden)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (speech-river), Āpaḥ (waters), Indra (force that enables the journey)
Cosmic role
They are receptive and expressive forces—carrying messages (‘vacāṃsi’) and giving passage through their consent.
Inner power
Ananda-like friendliness in the life-stream; the power of nature to love the divine aim and become steadily cooperative.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invoking favorable waters and safe passage; also suitable in rites seeking ‘sumati’ (grace) from natural/cosmic powers.
आ ते॑ कारो शृणवामा॒ वचां॑सि य॒याथ॑ दू॒रादन॑सा॒ रथे॑न । नि ते॑ नंसै पीप्या॒नेव॒ योषा॒ मर्या॑येव क॒न्या॑ शश्व॒चै ते॑ ॥
आ । ते॒ । का॒रो॒ इति॑ । शृ॒ण॒वा॒म॒ । वचां॑सि । य॒याथ॑ । दू॒रात् । अन॑सा । रथे॑न । नि । ते॒ । नं॒सै॒ । पी॒प्या॒नाऽइ॑व । योषा॑ । मर्या॑यऽइव । क॒न्या॑ । श॒श्व॒चै । त॒ इति॑ ते ॥
ā | te | kāro iti | śṛṇavāma | vacāṃsi | yayātha | dūrāt | anasā | rathena | ni | te | naṃsai | pīpyānāiva | yoṣā | maryāya-iva | kanyā | śaśvacai | taitite
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Dialogic and lyrical; the cadence supports ‘call and response’.
Elicits a feeling of being answered by life itself; softens the will into intimate persuasion rather than command.
- कारः (kāraḥ)
- Literal: cry, call, response-sound. Symbolic: the answering vibration of the inner powers; confirmation of alignment
- वचांसि (vacāṃsi)
- Literal: words. Symbolic: articulate guidance from within; intelligible movements of the force
- पीप्यानाऽइव योषा (pīpyānā iva yoṣā)
- Literal: like a woman swelling with life. Symbolic: life-energy made abundant, fertile, and supportive of growth
- मर्यायऽइव कन्या (maryāya iva kanyā)
- Literal: like a maiden to a young man/bridegroom. Symbolic: nature’s joyful surrender to the soul’s lordly will/inner guide
- नि ते नंसै (ni te naṃsai)
- Literal: incline toward us. Symbolic: turning of forces toward the seeker; consent and closeness
- शश्वचै (śaśvacai)
- Literal: ever, always. Symbolic: stability of the gained harmony; not a temporary inspiration
Used to secure a favourable ‘turning’ of the waters/powers; also a model for invoking a consenting response (juṣ) in sacrificial speech.
At approach to waters; during travel; in offerings to Āpaḥ for harmony and support.
Recitation with libation or respectful gesture toward water; listening for auspicious signs (outer) and inner assent (inner).
Use when seeking ‘response’ from practice—before meditation, ask the life-force to turn toward you with steadiness and goodwill.
√śru ‘hear’ (reception of divine response). √nam ‘bend/lean’ gives naṃsai (requested yielding). √pyā ‘swell, increase’ in pīpyānā suggests abundance/fulfillment (inner: plenitude of life-force). maryá ‘young man’ relates to youthful vigor; kanyā ‘maiden’ symbolizes new receptivity. The erotic-simile is a standard Vedic device for intimate reciprocity between human aspiration and divine power.
ananda-like consent (delighted response), increase (pyā) as inner plenitude, harmonizing force and receptivity
The rivers’ steady inclination symbolizes energies flowing in right relation to the soul’s truth.
Vacāṃsi as truthful articulation—inner guidance becomes clear when aligned to satya.
Waters as carriers of formative life; fertility imagery echoes cosmic generativity.
Vedic symbolism of union (yoga as yuj) between seeker and powers; psychological reading aligned with Aurobindo.
The ‘answering cry’ is the felt resonance in praṇa and mind; the fertile woman/maiden imagery is the life-nature becoming fruitful and devoted to the inner guide.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘bridal yielding’ of the waters: rivers approached as feminine powers who consent to the seeker’s passage. Innerly, the life-energies are asked to lean towards the soul’s journey, not oppose it.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √nam (PIE *nem-) and √śru (PIE *ḱleu-) are core IE roots. The simile structure (‘iva … iva …’) is a shared Indo-European poetic strategy for mapping social/erotic relations onto cosmic processes.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks not mere permission but audible reciprocity (‘kāro … vacāṃsi’). The devatā is invited into intimacy and continuity (‘śaśvac’), indicating a stable alliance between human speech and the divine flow.
Listening for the inner ‘answer’—the felt yes of the energies to the soul’s intention.
anāhata (relational harmony) bridging svādhiṣṭhāna flow with higher aspiration.
Nādānusandhāna-style gentle attention to inner sound after a few slow breaths; repeat ‘ā te kāro’.
Receptive, relational awareness—aspiration met by consenting vibration.
After calling the higher aim, pause and listen; cultivate affectionate steadiness rather than strain; let the life-force ‘incline’ naturally toward the practice.
Triṣṭubh with clear udatta lifts on key nouns/verbs; keep svarita glides smooth (recension-dependent).
Emphasize ā te kāro; soften on pīpyānā iva yoṣā; keep śaśvacai te as a steady closing.
kāro: long ā, śṛṇavāmā: keep ṛ vowel light; avoid ‘ri’, naṃsai: nasal ‘ṃ’ before s, maryāyeva: yā long; do not over-separate eva
Warm, inviting, slightly lyrical.
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