Rig Veda 2.24.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 24, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.24
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati / Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
यो नन्त्वान्यनमन्न्योजसोतादर्दर्मन्युना शम्बराणि वि । प्राच्यावयदच्युता ब्रह्मणस्पतिरा चाविशद्वसुमन्तं वि पर्वतम् ॥
yó nantvā́ny ánamann y ójasó tā́dardhar manyúnā śámbārāṇi ví | prá acyāvayat ácyutā bráhmaṇas pátir ā́ cā́viśad vásumantaṃ ví párvatam ||
தன் வலத்தால் எதிர்த்து நிற்கும் தடைகளைத் தாழ்த்தி, ‘மன்யு’வின் தீவிர ஆற்றலால் ஶம்பரனின் கோட்டைகளைச் சிதைத்தவன்—அந்த ப்ரஹ்மணஸ்பதி அசையாததையும் அசையச் செய்தான்; செல்வம் நிறைந்த மலையில் நுழைந்து அதைத் திறந்து விரித்தான்.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिपातः (निषेध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)Root न (निपात)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्यत्
- another (anything else)Adjective/Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमन्
- thought/esteemedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KartāRoot मन् (धातु; ‘to think/esteem’)
- न्योजसा
- by (his) mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot न्योजस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘might, force’)
- उत
- and/alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-निपातःRoot उत (निपात)
- आ
- unto; forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आ- ‘towards, unto’)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- दर्दर्
- split, burst openVerbलुङ्/लिट्-प्रायः वैदिक-रूपम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (अर्थः: ‘he split/cleft’)Role KartāRoot दृ (धातु; ‘to split, cleave’; Vedic intensive/iterative) / दर्दर् (Vedic finite form)
- मन्युना
- with wrath/ardorNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- शम्बराणि
- the Śambara (strongholds/works of Śambara)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शम्बर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘Śambara’, name of a demon/fortress-holder)
- वि
- asunderIndeclinableउपसर्गः (वि- ‘asunder, apart’)Root वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (प्र- ‘forth, forward’)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अच्युतात्
- from the immovable (place/one)Adjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुंसक-प्रायः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक; ‘unshaken, immovable’)
- प्राच्या॒वयत्
- drove forth/dislodgedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KartāRoot च्यु (धातु; ‘to move, fall, dislodge’) + प्र- (उपसर्ग)
- ब्रह्मणः
- of prayer/sacred formulationNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पतिः
- lordNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- into; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आ- ‘towards, into’)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-निपातःRoot च (निपात)
- अविशद्
- enteredVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KartāRoot विश् (धातु; ‘to enter’) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
- वसुमन्तम्
- the wealthy (one/place)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वसुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wealthy, rich in goods’)
- वि
- apart; throughIndeclinableउपसर्गःRoot वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- पर्वतम्
- mountainNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): यो नन्त्वा॒न्यन॑म॒न्न्योज॑सो॒ताद॑र्दर्म॒न्युना॒ शम्ब॑राणि॒ वि । प्राच्या॑वय॒दच्यु॑ता॒ ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पति॒रा चावि॑श॒द्वसु॑मन्तं॒ वि पर्व॑तम् ॥ → यः | न | त्वा | अन्यत् | अमन् | न्योजसा | उत | आ | दर्दर् | मन्युना | शम्बराणि | वि | प्र | अच्युतात् | प्राच्या॒वयत् | ब्रह्मणः | पतिः | आ | च | अविशद् | वसुमन्तम् | वि | पर्वतम् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) न + त्वा → न त्वा (सन्धि-न) (2) अन्यत् + अमन् → अन्यद् अमन् (पाठे ‘अन्यनमन्’ संहितारूपम्) (3) ब्रह्मणः + पतिः → ब्रह्मणस्पतिः (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि) (4) पतिः + आ → पतिरा (रुत्व) (5) च + अविशद् → चाविशद् (स्वर-सन्धि) (6) अविशद् + वसुमन्तम् → अविशद्वसुमन्तम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Brahmanaspati, using his strength, bowed down the things that should be humbled. With his wrath, he shattered the strongholds of the demon Shambara. He shook that which was unshakable, entered the mountain full of treasures, and split it open.
Inner meaning
The Lord of the Creative Word (Brahmanaspati), through the force of spiritual Ojas, subdues the egoistic resistances. With the ardor of divine will (Manyu), he shatters the psychological knots and defenses of the subconscient (Shambara). He moves the inertia of the physical consciousness (the unshakable) and penetrates the density of matter (the mountain) to reveal the hidden divine riches (Vasumantam) within.
Universal truth
The Divine Word (Mantra) possesses the dynamic force to shatter the inertia of the Inconscient, break the resistance of ignorance, and reveal the spiritual light hidden within matter.
Themes
obstruction-breaking, opening of the hidden treasure, light/knowledge recovered from concealment, divine Word as effective power
In ritual
Where it is used
General Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati śastra-stotra usage; suitable for rites seeking brahmanic power for ‘opening’ (vālabheda motif) and victorious advance; specific śrauta assignment varies by tradition.
यो नन्त्वा॒न्यन॑म॒न्न्योज॑सो॒ताद॑र्दर्म॒न्युना॒ शम्ब॑राणि॒ वि । प्राच्या॑वय॒दच्यु॑ता॒ ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पति॒रा चावि॑श॒द्वसु॑मन्तं॒ वि पर्व॑तम् ॥
यः । नन्त्वा॑नि । अन॑मत् । नि । ओज॑सा । उ॒त । अ॒द॒र्दः॒ । म॒न्युना॑ । शम्ब॑राणि । वि । प्र । अ॒च्य॒व॒य॒त् । अच्यु॑ता । ब्रह्म॑णः । पतिः॑ । आ । च॒ । अवि॑शत् । वसु॑ऽमन्तम् । वि । पर्व॑तम् ॥
yaḥ | nantvāni | anamat | ni | ojasā | uta | adardaḥ | manyunā | śambarāṇi | vi | pra | acyavayat | acyutā | brahmaṇaḥ | patiḥ | ā | ca | aviśat | vasu-mantam | v i | parvatam
General Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati śastra-stotra usage; suitable for rites seeking brahmanic power for ‘opening’ (vālabheda motif) and victorious advance; specific śrauta assignment varies by tradition.
Key roots: √nam ‘to bend, bow’ → ánamat ‘he made bend/submit’; √cyu ‘to move, slip, dislodge’ → acyāvayat (caus.) ‘he dislodged’; √viś ‘to enter’ → áviśat ‘entered’. ojas (from √vaj/√uj semantic field of strength) denotes concentrated force-power; manyu (often ‘wrath’) from a root of ‘impulsion/ardour’ is taken here as the flame of the conscious will that breaks inertia. śambara- (name of an obstructing Dasyu) functions mythically as ‘covering/concealment’; śambarāṇi ‘his strongholds’. parvata ‘mountain’ (from √pṛ/√parv ‘knot/joint, swelling mass’) becomes the emblem of compacted, hoarded riches in the subconscient.
Ṛta as right action-force that makes the unyielding yield, manyu as tapas-like ardour of the soul, release of ‘vasu’ (inner wealth) from concealment
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘fortress/obstruction breaking’ myth: Brahmaṇaspati, by ojas and manyu, breaks Śambara’s strongholds and opens the treasure-mountain. In the inner reading, this is the mantra-power (brahman) forcing the resistant formations of ignorance to yield, releasing the concealed riches (vasu) of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √nam ‘bend’ has wide Indo-European cognacy (cf. notions of ‘incline/bow’), used here causatively in sense (‘made bend down’). √weik/√wis-type ‘enter’ parallels PIE *weik- ‘settle/enter’ (Skt √viś). The semantic complex of ‘strength/force’ in ojas aligns with Indo-European poetic diction where ‘force’ terms regularly mark divine efficacy rather than mere physical power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer presents Brahmaṇaspati as the effective inner agent who accomplishes what the human cannot: making the ‘unshakable’ move and entering the sealed mountain. The implied reciprocity is: the rishi offers shaped speech (brahman/mantra) and aspiration; the responds by manifesting victorious force and opening the hidden plenitudes within the seeker.
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