Rig Veda 6.52.9: Mandala 6, Sukta 52, Mantra 9
Sukta 6.52
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja tradition
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ / ‘sons of immortality’
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like shorter cadence
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
उप नः सूनवो गिरः शृण्वन्त्वमृतस्य ये । सुमृळीका भवन्तु नः ॥
úpa naḥ sū́navo gíraḥ śṛṇvantu amṛ́tasya yé | su-mṛḷīkā́ bhavantu naḥ ||
अमृतस्य सूनवः उप नः आगत्य अस्माकं गिरः शृण्वन्तु; ते नः सुमृळीका—अतिप्रसन्नाः, भेषजदायिनः—भवन्तु।
Word by Word
- उप
- near, towards; (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (अव्यय)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- नः
- to us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी (gen./dat.), बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- सूनवः
- sons, offspringNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सूनु-
- गिरः
- songs, hymns, voicesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गिर्- (स्त्री.)
- शृण्वन्तु
- let (them) hearVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, तृतीया पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot श्रु (शृणोति)
- अमृतस्य
- of immortality / of the immortal (nectar)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot अमृत-
- ये
- who (those who)Pronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (यः/या/यत्)
- सुमृळीका
- very gracious, kindlyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (predicate adjective)Root सु- + मृळीक-
- भवन्तु
- let (them) beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, तृतीया पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot भू
- नः
- for usPronounचतुर्थी (dat.), बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): उप | नः | सूनवः | गिरः | शृण्वन्तु | अमृतस्य | ये | सुमृळीका | भवन्तु | नः । 1) 'गिरः शृण्वन्तु'—visarga before ś- is retained in Saṃhitā as 'गिर॑: शृ॒ण्वन्तु'. 2) 'शृण्वन्तु अमृतस्य'—no external sandhi across pāda boundary
- underlying forms unchanged. 3) 'सुमृळीका' = सु- (upasarga/preverb-like intensifier) + मृळीक- (grace, mercy) used adjectivally in nom. pl. fem. agreeing with an implied feminine plural subject (e.g., गिरः) or as predicate to 'ये'
The meaning
Outer meaning
May the sons of immortality hear our songs as they draw near; may they be gracious to us.
Inner meaning
The ‘sons of immortality’ are the divine powers born of the immortal consciousness (amṛta)—forces of light, joy, and truth that can respond to the human word (giraḥ). The seeker asks not only that they hear, but that they become ‘su-mṛḷīkāḥ’: actively gracious, healing, and kind—powers that remove inner hurt, friction, and resistance, and establish a benevolent order in the nature.
Universal truth
A sincere call to higher consciousness invites responsive help; true spiritual power expresses itself as healing grace, not harshness.
Themes
prayer for hearing, divine grace, immortality
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Lineage
- Bārhaspatya
- Other hymns
- RV 6.52 (context), RV 6.47 (protective invocations—theme)
Family tradition
Mantric emphasis: giraḥ as effective speech that calls down responsive powers; compassion and protection are central outcomes of right invocation.
Significance
Shows the Vedic ideal of divine action as grace: powers of immortality respond with healing kindness when rightly invoked.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ as ‘Sūnavaḥ amṛtasya’
- Epithets
- sūnavaḥ amṛtasya (sons of immortality), sumṛḷīkāḥ (gracious, healing)
- Related deities
- Aditi (wide mother of the gods—conceptual source of ‘sons’), Ādityas, Ashvins (healing aspect)
Cosmic role
Maintain immortality’s influence in the mortal world—protecting, healing, and harmonizing the human journey.
Inner power
Restorative grace: calming the nervous-vital nature, dissolving inner resistance, bringing supportive clarity and peace.
In ritual
Where it is used
Closing or supportive petition within Viśve Devāḥ invocation—seeking benevolence after calling the powers.
उप॑ नः सू॒नवो॒ गिर॑: शृ॒ण्वन्त्व॒मृत॑स्य॒ ये । सु॒मृ॒ळी॒का भ॑वन्तु नः ॥
उप॑ । नः॒ । सू॒नवः॑ । गिरः॑ । शृ॒ण्वन्तु॑ । अ॒मृत॑स्य । ये । सु॒ऽमृ॒ळी॒काः । भ॒व॒न्तु॒ । नः॒ ॥
upa | naḥ | sūnavaḥ | giraḥ | śṛṇvantu | amṛtasya | ye | su-mṛḷīkāḥ | bhavantu | naḥ
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2 lines of ~16 syllables
Softly petitionary, lull-like.
Invokes tenderness and protection; settles the heart into trust and receptivity.
- सू॒नवः (sūnavaḥ)
- Literal: sons. Symbolic: emanated powers/forces functioning as active helpers
- अ॒मृत॑स्य (amṛtasya)
- Literal: of immortality. Symbolic: of deathless consciousness; timeless truth and delight
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: utterances, songs. Symbolic: mantric speech; the soul’s articulated aspiration
- शृण्वन्तु (śṛṇvantu)
- Literal: may they hear. Symbolic: may higher powers become attentive and responsive
- उप (upa)
- Literal: near, towards. Symbolic: approach/descent into proximity of consciousness
- सु॒मृ॒ळी॒काः (sumṛḷīkāḥ)
- Literal: very gracious, kind. Symbolic: healing benevolence; soothing force that restores harmony
Benediction for favorable hearing and grace from the invoked deities during offering
After invitation/offerings, to request favorable response and protection.
Stuti and praśna (praise and request) for grace; sealing the rite with benevolence.
Use when seeking inner healing, reconciliation, or protection; also as a kindness-prayer before sleep.
amṛta (a- ‘not’ + mṛta ‘dead’, √mṛ ‘die’)—immortality; sūnu ‘son’ from √sū ‘beget’; gir from √gṛ/√gir ‘utter, sing’; mṛḷīka ‘grace, mercy, solace’ (semantic field of softening/relief).
amṛta (immortality), speech (gir) as formative power, grace/mercy (mṛḷīka) as divine response
Grace is not arbitrary; it is Ṛta’s benevolent correction—restoring right vibration.
Immortal powers respond to truthful speech (giraḥ aligned with satya).
Immortality’s forces entering mortality to heal and uplift.
Bhakti-tinged integral Vedic psychology: invocation and responsive grace as real forces.
Mantric sound = formative vibration; ‘near-coming’ = felt presence; ‘grace’ = soothing descent that repairs inner fragmentation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The divine ‘sons’ of immortality hearing the hymn and granting grace: the mythic scene is of a heavenly lineage responding to human speech. Innerly, higher faculties (emanations of amṛta) answer when speech becomes true invocation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- amṛta is a transparent Indo-Iranian formation (Avestan amərətat- ‘immortality’). √śru ‘hear’ continues PIE *ḱlew-. The kinship term sūnu (son) aligns with widespread IE genealogical metaphors for divine emanations.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks an inner contract: the gods must ‘hear’ (not merely receive offerings) and become ‘gracious’—i.e., translate invocation into benevolent action within the human field.
Receive healing grace from the ‘immortal powers’; let the heart feel heard.
anāhata
Lengthened exhale with soft mental repetition of ‘sumṛḷīkā bhavantu naḥ’.
Devotional receptivity; gentle trust.
When wounded or anxious: chant 9 times slowly, then rest attention in the heart; imagine benevolent presences listening and responding with a cooling, protective light.
Gentle preservation of udātta on key words (amṛtasya, sūnavaḥ) per tradition; keep overall soothing contour.
Avoid sharp stresses; let ‘sumṛḷīkā’ be elongated and tender at the cadence.
सूनवो: ‘sū-na-vo’—long ‘ū’, शृण्वन्तु: retroflex ‘ṇv’ cluster carefully, अमृतस्य: ‘a-mṛ-ta-sya’—clear vocalic ‘ṛ’, सुमृळीका: ‘su-mṛ-ḷī-kā’—retroflex ‘ḷ’ distinct from ‘l’
soft, warm, prayerful; slightly nasal resonance acceptable for tenderness.
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