Rig Veda 8.79.6: Mandala 8, Sukta 79, Mantra 6
Sukta 8.79
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
विदद्यत्पूर्व्यं नष्टमुदीमृतायुमीरयत् । प्रेमायुस्तारीदतीर्णम् ॥
vídad yát pū́rvyaṃ náṣṭam úd īm ṛta-yúm ī́rayat | prém ā́yus tārīd átīrṇam ||
यदा स पूर्व्यं नष्टं विददाति, तदा ऋतायुमात्मानम् उदीरयति; आयुः प्रेति नयति, अनतीर्णं च तारेदति।
Word by Word
- विदत्
- he found / discoveredVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3rd person singularRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √विद् (विन्दति/वेद) अथवा √विद् (जानाति) — यहाँ ‘प्राप्त/खोज’ अर्थ
- यत्
- that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (विदत् का)Root यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्व्यम्
- ancient, formerAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (यत् के विशेषण)Role Karma (यत् का विशेषण)Root पूर्व्य- (पूर्व + य)
- नष्टम्
- lost, vanishedAdjective (PPP)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (यत् के विशेषण)Role Karma (यत् का विशेषण)Root नष्ट- (√नश् ‘नाश/विनाश/लुप्त होना’ का भूतकृदन्त)
- उत्
- up, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग (अगली क्रिया ‘ईरयत्’ के साथ)Root उत् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ईम्
- him/it (emphatic particle)Indeclinableअव्यय; ‘him/it’ पर बल देने वाला कणRole Karma-सूचक/अन्वय-समर्थकRoot ईम् (निपात/प्रोनॉमिनल कण; ‘इमम्’ से संबद्ध)
- ऋतायुम्
- the ṛta-living one; one whose life is in accord with cosmic orderNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (ईरयत् का)Root ऋतायु- (ऋत + आयु)
- ईरयत्
- he set in motion / roused / sent forthVerbलुङ् (अorist/इम्पर्फेक्ट-प्रकार), परस्मैपद, 3rd person singularRole Kriyā (द्वितीय क्रिया)Root √ईर्/√ईरय् (ईरयति ‘चलाना/उत्साहित करना/उठाना’)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग (अगले पद ‘एमायुः’ के साथ)Root प्र (उपसर्ग)
- एमायुः
- the goer/wayfarer; one who advancesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (तारीत् का)Root एमायु- (एमा + आयु; ‘मार्ग/गमन’ से संबद्ध)
- तारीत्
- he/it carried across; made (someone) crossVerbलुङ्, परस्मैपद, 3rd person singular (अर्थ: ‘पार कराया/पार हुआ’—संदर्भानुसार)Role KriyāRoot √तॄ (तरति ‘पार करना’) — causative/agentive aorist form
- अतीर्णम्
- (that which is) not yet crossed; uncrossedAdjective (PPP)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मरूपेण)Role Karma (तारीत् का)Root अतीर्ण- (अति + √तॄ का भूतकृदन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान: विदद्यत्पूर्व्यं → विदत् + यत् + पूर्व्यम्
- नष्टमुदीमृतायुमीरयत् → नष्टम् + उत् + ईम् + ऋतायुम् + ईरयत्
- प्रेमायुस्तारीदतीर्णम् → प्र + एमायुः + तारीत् + अतीर्णम्. (उत् + ईम् में संधि से ‘उदीम्’; ऋतायुम् + ईरयत् में स्वर-संधि से ‘…मी॑रयत्’; तारीत् + अतीर्णम् में ‘तारी॒दती॑र्णम्’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
When Soma finds what was lost from long ago, he lifts up the truth-moving soul; he leads forward the life and helps it cross what was not crossed.
Inner meaning
Soma recovers the ancient lost truth (pūrvyam naṣṭam): the forgotten inner knowledge and joy of the soul. He uplifts the ‘ṛtāyu’—the being that moves by r̥ta (truth-law)—and then advances the life-force (āyuḥ) so it can cross beyond prior limits (atīrṇam). In Aurobindo’s sense, this is the rediscovery of the hidden divine possibility and the crossing of the obstructing boundary in consciousness.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is a recovery of an eternal but forgotten truth; when it is found, life is lifted and enabled to pass beyond former impossibilities.
Themes
recovery of lost truth, truth-going movement, crossing beyond, life-force uplifted
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.79.1, Rig Veda 8.79.2, Rig Veda 8.79.3, Rig Veda 8.79.4, Rig Veda 8.79.5
Significance
The rishi presents Soma as rediscoverer of the ‘lost ancient’—a central Vedic theme of recovering hidden light/cows, here rendered as recovered truth and a crossing beyond limits.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma
- Epithets
- ṛtāyu (as the truth-moving principle he awakens), tāritṛ (ferrier, implied by tārīt)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (as finder of hidden truth/flow), Indra (breaker of limits), Agni (finder/knower of paths)
Cosmic role
Restorer of the ancient order and essence; the ferrier across perilous passages; awakener of truth-life.
Inner power
Ananda that reveals the lost truth and empowers the being to transcend former boundaries.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma rite praising Soma as restorer and leader to fulfillment
वि॒दद्यत्पू॒र्व्यं न॒ष्टमुदी॑मृता॒युमी॑रयत् । प्रेमायु॑स्तारी॒दती॑र्णम् ॥
वि॒दत् । यत् । पू॒र्व्यम् । न॒ष्टम् । उत् । ई॒म् । ऋ॒त॒ऽयुम् । ई॒र॒य॒त् । प्र । ई॒म् । आयुः॑ । ता॒री॒त् । अती॑र्णम् ॥
vidat | yat | pūrvyam | naṣṭam | ut | īm | ṛta-yum | īrayat | pra | īm | āyuḥ | tārīt | atīrṇam
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4x8 tendency
Discovery → uplift → forward-leading → crossing; a narrative rhythm
Gives a sense of retrieval and breakthrough; supports perseverance through thresholds.
- vidad
- Literal: he finds. Symbolic: revelation/recovery through inner discovery
- pūrvyam
- Literal: ancient, of old. Symbolic: primordial truth of the soul; original divine knowledge
- naṣṭam
- Literal: lost. Symbolic: forgotten inner light/joy obscured by ignorance
- ut īm
- Literal: up him/it. Symbolic: uplift of consciousness from lower to higher level
- ṛtāyum
- Literal: one who lives/moves by r̥ta. Symbolic: truth-guided soul-being; aligned will
- īrayat
- Literal: he sets in motion, lifts, impels. Symbolic: awakening and energizing the truth-movement
- āyuḥ
- Literal: life, vital power. Symbolic: life-force to be transformed and led forward
- tārīt
- Literal: caused to cross, ferried over. Symbolic: guidance across an inner ocean/threshold
- atīrṇam
- Literal: uncrossed. Symbolic: previously impassable boundary—ignorance, fear, inertia, limitation
Soma praised as restorer of the lost and as ferrier across obstacles; suitable for rites/prayers seeking recovery, guidance, and passage beyond limitation.
Invoked when seeking recovery (of insight, strength) and successful ‘crossing’ of obstacles in the rite
Praise accompanying offering; symbolic ‘crossing’ to the gods through Soma
Mantra for reclaiming lost aspiration, recovering from setbacks, and crossing psychological thresholds (fear, inertia, grief).
ऋतयु (ṛta-yu) ‘truth-going’ from ṛta (cosmic order) + √yā ‘go’ → the being aligned to truth-movement. √tṛ ‘cross’ (tārīt, atīrṇam) is a key Vedic inner-journey verb: crossing beyond limitation/ignorance. √vid ‘know/find’ indicates recovery of lost knowledge/power ‘from of old’ (pūrvyam).
Rita (truth-order) as path, recovery of the primordial (pūrvyam), crossing beyond limitation (√tṛ)
ṛtāyu is explicitly r̥ta-aligned: Soma restores right law as lived movement.
Finding the ‘lost’ is recovery of Satya hidden by ignorance.
Evolutionary recovery: the ancient truth re-emerges and leads life beyond its previous frontier.
Vedic-Integral: descent of truth into life (āyuḥ) and transcendence of limits (crossing).
night to early dawn (moon-guided crossing)
The ‘crossing’ is passage over inner waters of the subconscient; uplift is ascent from tamas to truth; discovery is recollection of the soul’s original knowledge.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Recovery-and-crossing: Soma finds the ancient lost thing (often light/knowledge in Vedic myth) and then ferries life across the uncrossed boundary. Psychologically, delight restores the forgotten truth-nature and enables the passage beyond entrenched limits.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid ‘know’ reflects PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (cf. Latin vidēre, English wit). √yā ‘go’ reflects PIE *h₁ey- ‘go’ (broadly). √tṛ ‘cross’ is Indo-Iranian prominent; compare Avestan tar- ‘cross/overcome’, aligning with PIE *terh₁- ‘cross over, overcome’ (cf. English ‘through’ often linked to *terh₁- in some analyses).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi depicts Soma as both revealer (finder of the lost) and leader (impeller of the ṛta-yu), indicating that the devotee’s progress depends on a divine awakening of truth-movement and a guided crossing into a larger life.
Recover the ‘lost ancient’—the soul’s remembered truth—and let Soma carry the life across the next threshold.
Ajna (recovery of inner truth) to Vishuddha (expression of truth) and down into Svadhisthana (waters/crossing)
Gentle ujjayi with extended exhale, visualizing a steady ferrying across inner waters
Recollective clarity leading to confident transition
Recall a time of authentic inner truth (pūrvyam); during japa, let it reappear as felt sense; then choose one concrete next step (pra…āyuḥ) and end with a silent ‘crossing’ visualization.
Unspecified; chant with uplift on ‘ud’ and forward drive on ‘pra’.
Mark the sequence: vidad… naṣṭam | ud… īrayat || pra… āyuḥ | tārīd atīrṇam.
vidad: crisp dental d, pūrvyam: long ū; cluster rvy, naṣṭam: retroflex ṣṭ, ṛtāyum: vocalic ṛ; long ā, īrayat: long ī; clear ry, tārīt: long ā; retroflex ṭ at end, atīrṇam: long ī; retroflex ṇ
Steady, luminous, slightly rising through the verse to convey crossing.
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