Rig Veda 5.78.8: Mandala 5, Sukta 78, Mantra 8
Sukta 5.78
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Ashvins
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यथा वातो यथा वनं यथा समुद्र एजति । एवा त्वं दशमास्य सहावेहि जरायुणा ॥
yáthā vā́to yáthā vánam yáthā samudrá éjati | evā́ tváṃ daśamāsya sahā́vehi jarā́yuṇā ||
यथा वातो वहति यथा वनं प्रचलति यथा समुद्र एजति । एव त्वं दशमास्य सहैवहि जरायुणा ॥
Word by Word
- यथा
- just asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थे अव्ययम् (yathā = ‘as/just as’)Root यथा (avyaya-prātipadika)
- वातः
- the windNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वात (prātipadika; from √वा ‘to blow’)
- यथा
- just asIndeclinableउपमानार्थे अव्ययम्Root यथा (avyaya-prātipadika)
- वनम्
- the forest / woodNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वन (prātipadika)
- यथा
- just asIndeclinableउपमानार्थे अव्ययम्Root यथा (avyaya-prātipadika)
- समुद्रः
- the oceanNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot समुद्र (prātipadika)
- एजति
- moves / tremblesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √एज् (एजँ) ‘to move, tremble’
- एव
- thus / just soIndeclinableनिश्चय/उपमान-प्रकारे अव्ययम् (emphatic ‘thus/just so’)Root एव (avyaya)
- त्वम्
- youPronounउत्तम-पुरुषार्थकः सर्वनामः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot युष्मद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- दशमास्य
- O ten-month (one) (i.e., full-term child)Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Root दश-मास्य (tatpuruṣa-bahuvrīhi adj.; दश ‘ten’ + मास ‘month’ + -य)
- सह
- together withIndeclinableसहयोगार्थे अव्ययम्; सामान्यतः तृतीया-सहRoot सह (avyaya/preposition-like)
- आ
- forth / towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (towards, forth)Root आ (upasarga)
- इहि
- come! / go forth!Verb (imperative)लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √इ (इण्) ‘to go’
- जरायुणा
- with the afterbirth / with the fetal membraneNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot जरायु (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved: समुद्र एजति → समुद्रः एजति (visarga before vowel)
- सहावेहि → सह + आ + इहि (saha + ā (upasarga) + ihi, imperative of √इ)
- Accent marks in the provided text are retained as Vedic udātta/svarita indicators but do not change pada segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
As the wind moves, as the forest sways, as the ocean heaves—so you too, O ten-month one, come down and forth together with the membrane.
Inner meaning
The mantra expands the field of movement: air, earth (forest), and waters (ocean) all participate—signifying total Nature consenting to emergence. The ‘ten-month one’ is the ripe new consciousness; ‘come down and forth’ suggests descent into embodied expression and outward manifestation. ‘With the jarāyu’ (membrane) indicates wholeness and protection: the birth should include the right envelopes, not a violent tearing—symbolically, the new realization should arrive with its supporting structure (right habits, right forms).
Universal truth
True manifestation is integral: when all levels of nature—breath, vitality, and deep subconscious waters—move in harmony, the new can emerge safely with its needed supports.
Themes
correspondence, safe-delivery, rhythm-of-nature, embodiment
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.78.7 (wind and lotus-pond parallel)
Family tradition
The Ātreya voice applies universal nature-movements as correspondences for inner and outer birth—an early integral vision of levels of Nature cooperating.
Significance
Atri’s gaze is cosmic: he invokes the agreement of air, earth, and sea—suggesting that liberation/birth requires consent across all planes of the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins (implicit)
- Epithets
- Dasrā, Nā́satyā
- Related deities
- Vāta/Vāyu, Varuṇa (ocean/depths), Uṣas
Cosmic role
Overseers of safe transitions and right emergence; they harmonise movements of prāṇa and nature for a protected birth.
Inner power
Coordinating force that aligns surface breath, organic life, and deep subconscious so emergence is safe and complete.
In ritual
Where it is used
Childbirth facilitation; ensuring complete and safe delivery (including afterbirth)
यथा॒ वातो॒ यथा॒ वनं॒ यथा॑ समु॒द्र एज॑ति । ए॒वा त्वं द॑शमास्य स॒हावे॑हि ज॒रायु॑णा ॥
यथा॑ । वातः॑ । यथा॑ । वन॑म् । यथा॑ । स॒मु॒द्रः । एज॑ति । ए॒व । त्वम् । द॒श॒ऽमा॒स्य॒ । स॒ह । अव॑ । इ॒हि॒ । ज॒रायु॑णा ॥
yathā | vātaḥ | yathā | vanam | yathā | samudraḥ | ejati | eva | tvam | daśa-māsya | saha | ava | ihi | jarāyuṇā
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4 x ~8; triple simile creates rolling momentum.
Wave-like, cumulative (wind → forest → ocean), then a direct imperative.
Induces a bodily sense of coordinated movement; supports relaxation and release.
- वातः (vātaḥ)
- Literal: wind. Symbolic: prāṇa; initiating movement
- वनम् (vanam)
- Literal: forest. Symbolic: the vital-physical life-system; organic complexity of habits and energies
- समुद्रः (samudraḥ)
- Literal: ocean. Symbolic: the deep subconscious/vast life-field; foundational energies
- एजति (ejati)
- Literal: heaves, moves. Symbolic: deep stirring preparing emergence
- दशमास्य (daśamāsya)
- Literal: full-term one. Symbolic: ripeness; readiness for manifestation
- सह अव इहि (saha ava ihi)
- Literal: come down together. Symbolic: descend into embodiment with completeness; not a partial or premature emergence
- जरायु (jarāyu)
- Literal: afterbirth/membrane. Symbolic: protective envelope; necessary supporting formation for the new state
Safe-delivery formula emphasizing natural rhythmic movement and complete emergence.
Near crowning/active labour; also when completion (placenta) is a concern in later tradition parallels.
Recitation with steady cadence, encouraging descent and emergence; may accompany soothing touch and breath pacing.
For ‘grounding’ a realization into life: bring insight ‘down’ into action with its supporting routines (jarāyu as structure).
samudrá 'gathering of waters' (sam- 'together' + udra 'water/flow' per traditional analysis) symbolizes vastness. jarā́yu is the fetal membrane/afterbirth term; in ritual speech, naming ensures wholeness and right completion of the process.
macrocosm-microcosm correspondence (nature’s movements mirrored in birth), R̥ta as right rhythm and timing, wholeness of manifestation (with jarāyu)
Ṛta as coordinated motion across elements/planes—birth is lawful when all cooperate.
Elements participate in manifestation; emergence from the waters into form.
Integral symbolism of planes: prāṇa (air), organic life (forest), subconscient (ocean) unified for embodiment.
Air = breath-force; forest = complex life-energies; ocean = deep subconscious—when all move together, emergence becomes inevitable and safe.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The world-rhythm assisting birth: cosmic movements (wind/forest/ocean) become archetypes that authorize and propel the child’s emergence. The mythic action is 'nature’s vast heaving' translated into a safe, complete coming-forth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Motion verb √ej recurs as a key operator; the triple anaphora yathā…yathā…yathā is an inherited Indo-European poetic device (parallelism) used to build incantatory force.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks with the authority of R̥ta, aligning the individual event with universal movement. The devatā (Ashvins) are the unseen physicians ensuring that the alignment results in safe and integral manifestation.
Coordinate three movements: breath (vāta), body-life (vana), depth (samudra). Invite a ripe inner change to descend into embodied life with support.
svādhiṣṭhāna with grounding into mūlādhāra
Three-phase breath awareness: inhale (wind), feel sway in torso (forest), exhale into pelvic depth (ocean); then a soft downward intention on ‘ava ihi’.
Integrated embodiment; calm surrender with momentum.
After chanting, sit quietly and let the body ‘decide’ the next right movement; journal one concrete supportive structure (jarāyu) to carry the new insight into daily life.
Even, rolling intonation through the three yathā clauses; a clear directive drop on ‘sahāvehi jarāyuṇā’.
Keep the three ‘yathā’ phrases balanced; slightly emphasize ‘samudraḥ ejati’ to evoke deep movement; deliver ‘ava ihi’ as a gentle downward gesture in voice.
samudra: clear d+r cluster., sahāvehi: long ā; articulate v clearly., jarāyuṇā: retroflex ṛ? (here ra), long ā, and ṇā retroflex nasal.
Warm, grounding, wave-like resonance.
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