Rig Veda 1.39.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 39, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.39
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स्थिरा वः सन्त्वायुधा पराणुदे वीळू उत प्रतिष्कभे । युष्माकमस्तु तविषी पनीयसी मा मर्त्यस्य मायिनः ॥
sthirā́ vaḥ sántv ā́yudhā parāṇúde vīḷū́ utá pratiṣká bhe | yuṣmā́kam astu táviṣī panī́yasī mā́ mártyasya māyínaḥ ||
உங்கள் ஆயுதங்கள் உறுதியாக இருக்கட்டும்—பின்னே தள்ளுவதற்கும், கடினமான தாக்குபவரைத் தடுத்து நிறுத்துவதற்கும். உங்கள் தவிஷீ (வலிமை-சக்தி) எங்களுடையதாகட்டும்—மிக விரும்பத்தக்கதாக—மாயைமிகு மனத்தையுடைய எந்த மானிடனும் எங்களை வெல்லாதபடி.
Word by Word
- स्थिराः
- firm, steadfastAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (वः इति सर्वनामस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (वः सह) / विधेय-विशेषणम्Root स्थिर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- of you (your)Pronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of you’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्तु
- let (them) beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role विधेय-क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- आयुधा
- weaponsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (सन्तु इत्यस्य) / विषयःRoot आयुध- (प्रातिपदिक)
- परा
- away, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (अनुदे इत्यस्य सह)Role क्रियाविशेषण (direction/intensity)Root परा (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अनुदे
- drive/push away!Verbलोट् परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (वेदिक-रूपम्)Role विधेय-क्रियाRoot नुद् (धातु) + अनु- (उपसर्ग)
- वीळु
- obstacle, hindrance (hostile resistance)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role Karma (अनुदे इत्यस्य)Root वीळु- (प्रातिपदिक; वेदिक)
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-निपातःRole समुच्चय (connector)Root उत (अव्यय)
- प्रतिष्कभे
- brace/prop (it) against!, support!Verbलोट् आत्मनेपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (वेदिक)Role विधेय-क्रियाRoot स्कभ्/स्तभ् (धातु; ‘to prop, support’) + प्रति- (उपसर्ग)
- युष्माकम्
- of you (belonging to you)Pronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let there beVerbलोट् परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role विधेय-क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- तविषी
- strength, mightNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (अस्तु इत्यस्य)Root तविषी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पनीयसी
- more admirable/excellentAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; तविषी इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (तुलनात्मक/प्रशस्त्यर्थक-रूपम्)Role विधेय-विशेषणम्Root पनीयस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘admirable, excellent’)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधः (prohibitive particle)Role निषेध (क्रियायाः)Root मा (निषेध-अव्यय)
- मर्त्यस्य
- of a mortalNounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root मर्त्य- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधः (पुनरुक्त्या बलवत्तरः)Role निषेधRoot मा (निषेध-अव्यय)
- मायिनः
- of the crafty/deceitful oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (मर्त्यस्य इत्यस्य विशेषण/अपपद-सम्बन्धः)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root मायिन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: स्थिराः वः सन्तु आयुधा | परा अनुदे वीळु उत प्रतिष्कभे | युष्माकम् अस्तु तविषी पनीयसी | मा मर्त्यस्य मा मायिनः || 1) वः सन्तु: एन्क्लिटिक-सर्वनाम ‘वः’ + लोट् ‘सन्तु’। 2) परा अनुदे: ‘परा’ उपसर्गभावेन ‘अनुदे’ (अनु-नुद्) सह
- संहितायां ‘परा॒णुदे॑’ इति दीर्घ/स्वर-समायोजनम्। 3) उत प्रतिष्कभे: ‘उत’ निपातः + ‘प्रतिष्कभे’ (प्रति-स्कभ्/स्तभ्) लोट्-आत्मनेपद-रूपम्। 4) मा ... मा ...: निषेधक ‘मा’ द्विवारं—बलवत्तर-प्रतिषेधः
- अन्त्ययोः षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः (मर्त्यस्य, मायिनः)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
May your weapons be firm to drive back and hold in check the hard assailant. Let your strength be ours, most desirable, so no mortal of deceptive mind prevails over us.
Inner meaning
‘Weapons’ are the powers of discernment, courage, and concentrated will that the Maruts bring into the vital nature. They must be stable (sthirā) so the aspirant can repel (parāṇude) and restrain (pratiṣkabhe) the resistant forces—especially the ‘mortal deceiver’ (māyin), the ego-mind that distorts truth and turns energy toward desire, fear, or falsehood. The prayer is for the Marut-strength to become our own: purified prāṇa as a shield and instrument.
Universal truth
Protection in inner life comes from stable, luminous strength; deception is overcome not by repression but by a higher, desirable power made native to us.
Themes
protection, repulsion of hostile forces, inner battle against deception
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.39.1, RV 1.39.3, RV 1.39.4
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns frequently convert battle imagery into inner discipline: firmness, protection, and right use of power.
Significance
Kaṇva’s prayer shows the yogic need for both force and restraint—dynamic energy that is also steady and protective.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- protective host, holders-in-check (implied by pratiṣkabhe), fierce allies
- Related deities
- Rudra, Indra
Cosmic role
Guardians of the mid-region; they repel hostile powers and stabilize the cosmic movement supporting rain and victory.
Inner power
Protective prāṇa: steadfast energetic sheath that repels intrusion and maintains inner poise.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective invocation within śrauta recitation sequences; general apotropaic (warding) intent.
स्थि॒रा व॑: स॒न्त्वायु॑धा परा॒णुदे॑ वी॒ळू उ॒त प्र॑ति॒ष्कभे॑ । यु॒ष्माक॑मस्तु॒ तवि॑षी॒ पनी॑यसी॒ मा मर्त्य॑स्य मा॒यिन॑: ॥
स्थि॒रा । वः॒ । स॒न्तु॒ । आयु॑धा । प॒रा॒ऽनुदे॑ । वी॒ळु । उ॒त । प्र॒ति॒ऽस्कभे॑ । यु॒ष्माक॑म् । अ॒स्तु॒ । तवि॑षी । पनी॑यसी । मा । मर्त्य॑स्य । मा॒यिनः॑ ॥
sthirā | vaḥ | santu | āyudhā | parānude | vīḷu | uta | prati-skabhe | yuṣmākam | astu | taviṣī | panīyasī | mā | martyasya | māyinaḥ
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4 × ~11; imperative blessings with strong caesurae
Firm, bracing, defensive rhythm—like a shield-wall.
Builds steadiness and protective confidence; helps ‘seal’ the aura/attention.
- आयुधा (āyudhā)
- Literal: weapons. Symbolic: inner instruments of force: will, discrimination, courage
- स्थिरा (sthirā)
- Literal: firm, steady. Symbolic: stability of force; non-reactive strength
- परा॒नुदे (parāṇude)
- Literal: to drive away. Symbolic: expulsion of hostile suggestions, inertia, fear
- प्रतिष्कभे (pratiṣkabhe)
- Literal: to prop against, hold back. Symbolic: containment of impulses; mastery over reactions
- तविषी (taviṣī)
- Literal: strength, might. Symbolic: divine vital power under right order
- मायिनः (māyinaḥ)
- Literal: of the deceiver, illusionist. Symbolic: ego-mind’s falsifying constructions; hostile formation
Protective petition (rakṣā) within Marut stotra contexts; securing the yajamāna against hostile forces and against error/deception during the rite.
When seeking protection for the sacrificer and steadiness of rite against obstacles.
Prayer for protective power and repulsion of hostile forces.
Chant before meditation to stabilize attention; use as a ‘psychic armour’ when exposed to stressful environments.
āyudha ‘weapon’ from ā-√yudh ‘to fight’ (instrumental noun); in inner reading: faculties that cut through confusion. √nud ‘push’ gives parānude: expulsion of hostile impulses. prati-√skabh ‘to prop, brace’ indicates establishing a boundary/containment. māyín from māyā (√mā ‘measure, form’; māyā as formative power that becomes deception when used by the ignorant); thus ‘mortal māyín’ = egoic, misleading formation in consciousness.
māyā as deceptive formation in the mortal mind, sthiratā (steadiness) as prerequisite for ṛta, protective force as divine assistance
Stability (sthirā) supports Ṛta by preventing chaotic dispersion of force.
Truth requires protection from māyā-like distortion at the mental-vital level.
Yoga-psychological reading: hostile formations as inner ‘mortal’ tendencies opposed to evolution.
Lightning = decisive discernment; wind-pressure = capacity to resist and contain impulses.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine weapons that repel and restrain’ motif: storm-gods as protectors who both drive away and hold in check hostile powers. Psychologically, the Maruts supply stable instruments of force and discernment to prevent the triumph of the ‘mortal deceiver’ (egoic illusion).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The semantic opposition divine strength vs. mortal deception is a common Indo-European poetics of polarity. The root √nud ‘push’ has broad IE parallels in the idea of thrusting/repelling (though direct cognate sets vary by reconstruction), reinforcing inherited martial diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests not merely external safety but an interior equipment: firm ‘weapons’ and desirable strength as an indwelling support. The Maruts are asked to become the operative guardians of consciousness against māyā-driven mortal tendencies.
Stabilize inner force; repel deceptive thoughts and impulses.
Maṇipūra (protective will)
Exhale-lengthening (e.g., 4 in / 8 out) while feeling ‘driving away’ on exhale; brief pause after exhale to sense containment (pratiṣkabhe).
Steady, defended, luminous vigilance.
Visualize firm weapons as steady faculties (viveka, courage, sincerity). On ‘mā martyasya māyinaḥ’, renounce egoic narratives; return to a simple truth-sense in the body.
Observe udatta/anudatta/svarita as marked; keep ‘sthirā’ with a grounded tone, not rushed.
Emphasize firmness by clean consonants and even tempo; slight pause at |.
sthirā: ‘sth’ cluster clear; long ā, āyudhā: long ā; ‘dh’ aspirated, parāṇude: long ā; retroflex ṇ, pratiṣkabhe: ‘ṣk’ cluster careful; ‘bh’ aspirated, taviṣī: retroflex ṣ; long ī, māyinaḥ: long ā; ‘y’ clear; visarga light
Firm, protective, low-to-mid register; steady volume.
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