Rig Veda 7.62.6: Mandala 7, Sukta 62, Mantra 6
Sukta 7.62
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Mitra-Varuṇa-Aryaman
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
नू मित्रो वरुणो अर्यमा नस्त्मने तोकाय वरिवो दधन्तु । सुगा नो विश्वा सुपथानि सन्तु यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
nū́ mitró váruṇo aryámā nastmáne tokā́ya várivo dadhantu | sugā́ no víśvā supáthāni santu yūyáṃ pāta svastí-bhiḥ sádā naḥ ||
नूनं मित्रो वरुणोऽर्यमा नः आत्मने तोकाय च वरिवो दधन्तु। सुगा नो विश्वा सुपथानि सन्तु; यूयं स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः पात।
Word by Word
- नू
- now; indeedIndeclinableकाल/निपातः (emphatic/temporal particle) अव्ययम्Root नु (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) / नूनम्
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्यमा
- AryamanNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वेदे प्रथमा-एकवचनस्य रूपम्: अर्यमा < अर्यमा(न्))Role KartāRoot अर्यमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us; to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (enclitic) — ‘of us/for us’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्मने
- for (our) self; for ourselvesNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘self’)
- तोकाय
- for offspring; for childrenNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot तोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरिवः
- wide space; room; protection/favorNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वरिवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधन्तु
- let them bestow; may they grantVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root धा (धातु) ‘to place, bestow’
- सुगाः
- easy to go; auspiciousAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (विश्वाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) अथवा नपुंसक-प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (वेदे प्रयोगभेदः); अत्र ‘पथानि’ (नपुंसक) सापेक्षेण ‘सुगाः’ = ‘सुगानि’ इत्यर्थे वैदिक-रूपम्Role Kartā (with सन्तु) / Predicate adjectiveRoot सु-ग (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good-going, easy to go’)
- नः
- for us; ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (enclitic) — ‘for us/our’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वाः
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनस्य वैदिकं रूपम् (क्वचित् -आः); अत्र ‘सुपथानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role Kartā (with सन्तु) / ModifierRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुपथानि
- good pathsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (with सन्तु)Root सु-पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्तु
- let (them) beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root अस् (धातु) ‘to be’
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पात
- protect!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root पा (धातु) ‘to protect’
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with well-being; with blessingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableकालाव्ययम्Root सदा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- usPronounद्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (enclitic) — ‘us’Role KarmaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): नू | मित्रः | वरुणः | अर्यमा | नः | त्मने | तोकाय | वरिवः | दधन्तु || सुगाः | नः | विश्वाः | सुपथानि | सन्तु | यूयम् | पात | स्वस्तिभिः | सदा | नः || 1) ‘अर्य॒मा न॒स्त्मने॑’ = अर्यमा + नः + त्मने (नः enclitic; संहितायां नस्त्मने इति). 2) ‘सुगाः नो विश्वाः सुपथानि’ इत्यत्र ‘विश्वाः’ वैदिक-रूपेण नपुंसक-बहुवचनस्य विशेषणत्वेन ‘सुपथानि’ प्रति
- ‘सुगाः’ अपि वैदिक-प्रयोगे नपुंसक-बहुवचनार्थे (सुगानि) इव। 3) ‘स्व॒स्तिभि॒:’ = स्वस्ति + भिस् (तृतीया-बहुवचन). उच्चारण-स्वराः (उदात्त/स्वरित) पाठभेदानुसारं
- अत्र पदविश्लेषणं मुख्यतः रूप-व्युत्पत्त्याधारितम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A benediction: may Mitra, Varuṇa, and Aryaman grant us wide freedom for ourselves and our offspring; may our paths be easy and good; protect us always with well-being.
Inner meaning
‘Varivaḥ’ (wide room) is inner freedom—space in consciousness where the soul can breathe and act without constriction. ‘Self and offspring’ indicate both the present formation (tmán) and the future formations/energies that proceed from it (toka)—our works, habits, and spiritual progeny. ‘All goings easy’ means the movements of thought, life, and body become unobstructed when aligned with harmony (Mitra), truth-law (Varuṇa), and noble right exchange/solidarity (Aryaman). ‘Svastibhiḥ’ are not merely luck but stable states of well-being—balanced forces that keep the journey straight.
Universal truth
When truth, harmony, and noble reciprocity govern life, freedom becomes spacious (not chaotic), and the path becomes naturally traversable; well-being is the protective atmosphere of aligned living.
Themes
Benediction, Freedom-and-wideness, Right-path, Protection
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.60, RV 7.62, RV 7.63, RV 7.86
Family tradition
Aurobindonian reading aligns Vasiṣṭha with the ‘law of the path’: he repeatedly asks for supathā and varivaḥ—spacious freedom under ṛta.
Significance
His prayers aim at a stable, collective-friendly realization: not only personal illumination but a protected continuity (toka) of the achieved consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra–Varuṇa–Aryaman (Ādityas)
- Epithets
- guardians of ṛta, bestowers of varivaḥ, givers of svasti
- Related deities
- Aditi (source of the Ādityas), Sūrya/Savitṛ (their visible sign/eye)
Cosmic role
They maintain the solar-moral order: harmony (Mitra), vast law (Varuṇa), and noble social-spiritual reciprocity (Aryaman) that sustains right paths in the world.
Inner power
They establish spaciousness, straighten the will’s movement, and protect the practitioner with equilibrating forces of well-being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Svastivācana (auspicious benediction) with Āditya invocation; suitable at the close of a rite or before travel.
नू मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो अर्य॒मा न॒स्त्मने॑ तो॒काय॒ वरि॑वो दधन्तु । सु॒गा नो॒ विश्वा॑ सु॒पथा॑नि सन्तु यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
नु । मि॒त्रः । वरु॑णः । अ॒र्य॒मा । नः॒ । त्मने॑ । तो॒काय॑ । वरि॑वः । द॒ध॒न्तु॒ । सु॒ऽगा । नः॒ । विश्वा॑ । सु॒ऽपथा॑नि । स॒न्तु॒ । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
nu | mitraḥ | varuṇaḥ | aryamā | naḥ | tmane | tokāya | varivaḥ | dadhantu | su-gā | naḥ | viśvā | su-pathāni | santu | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
44
4 × ~11
Benedictive and even; a ‘walking’ rhythm suited to ‘paths’ imagery.
Instills grounded confidence; the repeated su- (su-gā, su-pathāni, svasti) creates a soothing, auspicious cadence.
- वरिवः (varivaḥ)
- Literal: wide space, room, freedom. Symbolic: Inner wideness; liberated field for the soul’s action
- त्मने (tmane)
- Literal: for the self. Symbolic: For the integrated person/soul-being
- तोकाय (tokāya)
- Literal: for offspring. Symbolic: Future formations: works, inner growth, next stages of consciousness
- सुगा (sugā)
- Literal: easy to go. Symbolic: Unblocked movement of inner and outer life
- सुपथानि (supathāni)
- Literal: good paths. Symbolic: Right methods and straight courses in sadhana
- स्वस्तिभिः (svastibhiḥ)
- Literal: with well-beings. Symbolic: Stable harmonies of force; protective equilibrium
- आर्यमा (aryamā)
- Literal: Aryaman. Symbolic: Noble law of right relation, mutuality, inner ‘Arya’ standard
Concluding benediction (svasti) and path-blessing; used as auspicious closure and protection prayer
End of morning recitation; before journeys, new undertakings, or transitions.
Benediction and protective sealing of the sacrifice; mental offering of right intention.
A daily ‘path mantra’: chant before leaving home or starting work to set a straight, harmonious, truthful trajectory.
varivas (from uru/vari ‘wide’ + noun formation: spaciousness/freedom); √dhā ‘place’ (PIE *dʰeh₁-); su-gā (su- + √gā/√gam sense ‘good going’: easy passage); su-patha (su- + patha ‘path’: right way). Psychological justification: freedom as inner wideness; offspring as continuity of consciousness; paths as movements of life and thought.
Varivas (inner wideness/freedom), Svasti (good-being) as stable harmony, Right paths (supatha) as ṛta-guided movement
Good paths arise from alignment with ṛta upheld by the Ādityas.
Truth becomes practical guidance—straightness in decisions and movement.
Continuity of creation through ‘toka’: what we generate inherits our alignment or misalignment.
Ethico-spiritual integralism: freedom is wideness within law, not license.
Morning/day (Āditya sphere)
Life becomes a traversable terrain when inner forces are harmonized; obstacles reduce as consciousness widens.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The granting of ‘wide space’ (varivas) and good paths by the Ādityas: sovereignty becomes protection and guidance. Innerly, it is the release from constriction into wideness of being, enabling right movement for the present self and the future continuity (toka) of the evolving soul.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘place/establish’ is PIE *dʰeh₁- (core IE verb). patha ‘path’ aligns with PIE *pent(h)- ‘path’ (cf. English path in Germanic is debated but the IE ‘path’ complex is strong: Greek póntos ‘sea-path’ is a classic parallel in semantic development). svasti uses asti from PIE *h₁es- ‘be’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks an enduring settlement of divine order in life: the gods ‘place’ freedom and right movement in the seeker’s being. The relationship is protective and developmental—Ādityas as governors of social/cosmic harmony become inner governors of the seeker’s paths.
Rest in ‘varivaḥ’: feel spacious freedom around thoughts; then intend ‘supatha’—one straight action aligned with truth and harmony.
Anahata (spaciousness) with Muladhara (safe path/grounding)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale feel wideness (varivaḥ), on exhale feel straight path (supatha).
Calm, protected, quietly purposeful.
Use as a closing mantra: after meditation, dedicate the day’s actions to be ‘easy goings’ and ‘good paths’ guarded by svasti.
Observe Rigvedic accents; keep the ‘su-’ syllables light and bright; sustain long vowels in svastibhiḥ.
Slight pause after ‘dadhantu’ and ‘santu’ to let the benediction land; keep final pāda protective and steady.
अ॒र्य॒मा (aryamā): clear ya glide, वरिवो (varivo): keep v soft; short i, सुपथानि (supathāni): aspirate th clearly, स्वस्तिभिः (svastibhiḥ): sv cluster clean; final ḥ audible but gentle
Warm, assuring, even; like a blessing spoken over the day.
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