Rig Veda 5.82.9: Mandala 5, Sukta 82, Mantra 9
Sukta 5.82
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
य इमा विश्वा जातान्याश्रावयति श्लोकेन । प्र च सुवाति सविता ॥
yá imā́ víśvā jātā́ny āśrāváyati ślókena | prá ca suvā́ti savitā́ ||
य इमा विश्वा जातान्याश्रावयति श्लोकेन, प्र च सुवाति सविता।
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमाः
- thesePronoun (demonstrative)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वाः
- allAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (इमाः इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- जातानि
- born; created beings/thingsParticiple/Adjective (past passive participle)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (समूह/सामान्य-भावे ‘things born/created’)Role KarmaRoot √जन् (जायते) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- आश्रावयति
- causes to be heard; proclaimsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role Kriyā (of the kartā ‘यः’)Root आ-√श्रु (श्रावयति; causative of √श्रु ‘to hear’)
- श्लोकेन
- with a hymn/verseNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth; forwardIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (verb-modifier)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (connector)Root च (निपात)
- सुवाति
- impels; sets in motionVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role Kriyā (of Savitṛ) / main predicateRoot √सू (सुवाति ‘to impel/bring forth’; with sense ‘to set in motion’)
- सविता
- Savitṛ (the Impeller, Sun-deity)Noun (deity-name)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यः | इमाः | विश्वाः | जातानि | आश्रावयति | श्लोकेन | प्र | च | सुवाति | सविता । विशेषम्: ‘जातानि’ नपुंसक-बहुवचनं (Ppp. √जन्) सामान्यतया ‘born things/beings’ इत्यर्थे
- ‘इमाः विश्वाः’ स्त्रीलिङ्ग-द्वितीया-बहुवचनं कर्मपदत्वेन, ‘जातानि’ तु अर्थतः तद्विषयकं समाहार/सामान्य-निर्देशरूपेण प्रयुक्तम् (वैदिक-प्रयोगेषु लिङ्ग-समन्वयः शिथिलः)। उपसर्गः: आ- (आश्रावयति), प्र- (प्र सुवाति) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Savitṛ makes all births and becomings heard through the inspired utterance and impels them forward into manifestation.
Inner meaning
The divine Impeller brings the latent possibilities of consciousness into audible/knowable form through śloka—illumined speech that reveals what is being born within. Then he drives these becomings forward (pra suvāti) into effective manifestation. Psychologically, this is the passage from inchoate inner formation to articulated insight and then to embodied realization.
Universal truth
True creation—whether spiritual, artistic, or ethical—moves from inner emergence to clear expression and then to effective manifestation under a higher impulsion.
Themes
Word and manifestation, cosmic impulsion, revelation as making-heard
The seer
- Rishi
- Within Maṇḍala 5 Savitṛ hymn tradition; specific rishi not securely identified in the supplied data for 5.82.9.
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 5.82.8, Rig Veda 5.82.5
Family tradition
Atri-associated mantric tradition emphasizing vāc as a power that reveals and effectuates becoming under solar impulsion.
Significance
The rishi highlights a key Vedic psychology: revelation (hearing/śruti) and manifestation (pravṛtti) are coordinated by a divine impulsion.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Epithets
- savitā (impeller), vāc-preraka (inspirer of speech, implied)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (vāc), Bṛhaspati (word/illumination), Agni (will that executes)
Cosmic role
Animator of becomings; awakener of vāc that makes creation intelligible and operative.
Inner power
Revelatory speech-power and executive force that turns insight into embodied action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Recitation in Savitṛ praise; thematically linked to mantra as creative power in yajña.
य इ॒मा विश्वा॑ जा॒तान्या॑श्रा॒वय॑ति॒ श्लोके॑न । प्र च॑ सु॒वाति॑ सवि॒ता ॥
यः । इ॒मा । विश्वा॑ । जा॒तानि॑ । आ॒ऽश्रा॒वय॑ति । श्लोके॑न । प्र । च॒ । सु॒वाति॑ । स॒वि॒ता ॥
yaḥ | imā | viśvā | jātāni | āśrāvayati | ślokena | pra | ca | suvāti | savitā
44
4 × ~11; strong caesura around ‘ślokena | pra ca’.
Revelatory then propulsive: first a ‘making-heard’ cadence, then a forward thrust (pra).
Supports articulation of insight and commitment to act; good for moving from meditation to right execution.
- jātāni
- Literal: births, things born. Symbolic: emerging states, realizations, formations in consciousness
- viśvā
- Literal: all. Symbolic: the totality of inner movements and possibilities
- āśrāvayati
- Literal: causes to be heard, proclaims. Symbolic: brings to conscious hearing—revelation, making the inner truth perceptible
- ślokena
- Literal: by a śloka, inspired word. Symbolic: mantric speech/vāc of illumination that carries truth-force
- pra suvāti
- Literal: impels forth/forward. Symbolic: pushes the becoming into manifestation—effective realization in life
- savitā
- Literal: Savitṛ. Symbolic: divine executive power of illumination and right movement
Supports the Vedic doctrine of Word (vāc/śloka) as revelatory manifestation; suitable for recitation where speech and inspiration are consecrated.
Before study/recitation, creative work, teaching, or when seeking clarity to express inner truth.
Chant as an offering of speech (vāc) to the divine; maintain purity of intention in utterance.
Use before journaling, speaking, or decision-making: ask that what is ‘being born’ within becomes clearly known and rightly manifested.
ā-śrāvayati: causative of √śru ‘to hear’ (PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear, be famed’), ‘to make heard, proclaim’. śloka: from √śru/√ślōk? (Vedic ślóka relates to ‘fame/celebrated utterance’; later ‘verse’), here ‘inspired proclamation’. jātāni: from √jan ‘be born’. suvāti: from √sū ‘impel’ with pra reinforcing forward manifestation.
revelatory Word (śloka) as manifestation, birth/becoming (jāta) as conscious formation, prasava as forward impulsion (pra su-)
‘Pra suvāti’ is ṛta in action: right-forwarding of becoming into ordered manifestation.
The inspired word makes satya ‘heard’—truth becomes conscious knowledge, not vague intuition.
Creation through word and impulsion: revelation → formation → manifestation.
Mantra-śakti view aligned with Aurobindo: the Word as force that brings inner truth into life.
dawn (inspiration and beginning of manifestation)
Hearing = inner receptivity; śloka = illumined expression; forward impulsion = translating insight into lived reality.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is creation/manifestation by impulsion and proclamation: Savitṛ makes becomings ‘heard’ through the inspired word and then drives them forward. Innerly, awareness is awakened by revelation (hearing) and then energized into right becoming (impulsion).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ is a classic PIE root (*ḱlew-) tied to fame and proclamation (cf. Greek klúō ‘hear’). The causative āśrāvayati shows inherited morphological productivity. √jan (birth) continues PIE *ǵenh₁-. The verse encodes an archaic poetics where ‘hearing’ and ‘fame/utterance’ are ontologically creative.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi recognizes the divine origin of inspired speech: the śloka is not merely human poetry but a channel by which Savitṛ reveals and advances becomings. The reciprocity is that the seer’s utterance participates in the god’s manifesting action.
Listen inwardly for what is ‘being born’ (jātāni) and let it become clear through truthful speech and right action.
viśuddha (speech/truth expression)
Bhrāmarī-like gentle humming after recitation to emphasize ‘āśrāvayati’ (making-heard), then silent resolve on ‘pra suvāti’.
Receptive inspiration moving into effective will.
After meditation, chant once, then speak/write one sentence of the clearest received truth; commit to one concrete action that embodies it.
Follow Saṃhitā accents; keep ‘āśrāvayati’ smooth and connected; give ‘pra’ a distinct forward stress without harshness.
Let the phrase ‘ślokena’ be slightly lifted (as an instrument of revelation), then energize ‘pra ca suvāti’ as the executive push.
āśrāvayati: long ā; ‘śrā’ cluster clear, ślokena: ‘ślo’ not ‘slo’; keep ‘e’ mid, jātāni: long ā, suvāti: long ā in vā; dental ‘t’
Resonant, articulate, mantra-like clarity; avoid rushing.
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