Rig Veda 3.7.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 7, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.7
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni, with strong cow/horse imagery
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
दिवक्षसो धेनवो वृष्णो अश्वा देवीरा तस्थौ मधुमद्वहन्तीः । ऋतस्य त्वा सदसि क्षेमयन्तं पर्येका चरति वर्तनिं गौः ॥
divákṣaso dhenávo vṛ́ṣṇo áśvā devī́r ā́ tasthau mádhumad váhantīḥ | ṛtásya tvā sádasi kṣémayantam páry ékā carati vartaníṃ gáuḥ ||
வானுலகத்தின் தெய்வீக பசுக்கள், காளையின் குதிரைகள்—தேவியராய்—தேன் போன்ற இனிமையைச் சுமந்து தயாராய் நிற்கின்றன. Ṛta-வின் சபையில் நீ க்ஷேமம் அளிப்பவன், அமைதி தருபவன்; உன்னைச் சுற்றி ஒரே பசு தன் பாதையில் (வர்தனின்) செல்கிறது—உண்மைப் பாதையைத் தொடரும் ஞானக் கதிர்போல் வட்டமிடுகிறது.
Word by Word
- दिवः
- of heaven, of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौ-), षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ-)
- क्षसः
- of the expanse/space (of the sky)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot क्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- धेनवः
- cows, milch-cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृष्णः
- of the bull (the strong one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वाः
- horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवीः
- divineAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (विशेषणम्: धेनवः/…)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग)
- तस्थौ
- has stood / took positionVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot स्था (धातु)
- मधुमत्
- sweetly, with honey/sweetnessAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्म/क्रियाविशेषणRoot मधु + मतुप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वहन्तीः
- bearing, carryingParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (धेनवः/देवीः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वह् (धातु) → वर्तमान कृदन्त
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order/rite)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सदसि
- in the seat/assembly (sacrificial session)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot सदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षेमयन्तम्
- bringing welfare, making secureParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (त्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root क्षेमय् (नामधातु/धातु) → वर्तमान कृदन्त
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्गवत्)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- एका
- one, singleAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (गौः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root एक (प्रातिपदिक)
- चरति
- moves, goesVerbलट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot चर् (धातु)
- वर्तनिम्
- path, track, courseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वर्तनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- गौः
- the cow (also: ray/light in Vedic usage)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: दिवः क्षसः | धेनवः वृष्णः अश्वाः | देवीः आ तस्थौ | मधुमत् वहन्तीः | ऋतस्य त्वा सदसि क्षेमयन्तम् | परि एका चरति वर्तनिम् गौः || 1) दिवक्षसो = दिवः + क्षसः (विसर्गलोपः/संयोगः)
- 2) देवीरा = देवीः + आ (विसर्गस्य रकारादेशः ‘ः’→‘र्’ स्वरारम्भे)
- 3) मधुमद्वहन्तीः = मधुमत् + वहन्तीः (त् + व → द्व्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Heavenly milk-cows and the stallion’s horses stand ready bearing sweetness; in the seat of ṛta you are the maker of peace, and the one Cow circles along her track around you.
Inner meaning
The ‘dhenavaḥ’ (cows) are streams of nourishment from the luminous mind—rays of knowledge that yield ‘milk’ (substance of insight). The ‘aśvāḥ’ (horses) are vital energies of action, made divine when yoked to Agni’s will. They ‘carry sweetness’ (madhumat) = soma-like delight and harmonious force. Agni stands in the ‘sadas’ of ṛta—the ordered truth-plane in the being—making kṣema (safety, peace, settled wideness). The ‘one Cow’ moving on the ‘vartanī’ is the single integrative Ray/Knowledge (go) that continually circumambulates the flame, i.e., knowledge repeatedly returns to the psychic fire for purification and right direction.
Universal truth
When knowledge and energy are offered to the inner truth-order, they become sweet and beneficent; then a stable peace arises, and insight naturally revolves around the central will-to-truth, keeping life on its true course.
Themes
nourishment and delight in the rite, Agni established in Ṛta, cow as ray moving on ordained path
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.7.1, RV 3.7.3, RV 3.7.4, RV 3.7.5
Family tradition
Mantras of the third maṇḍala often coordinate Agni with ṛta and the luminous herds (rays), reflecting a disciplined yoga of truth-speech and right force.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s seership is marked by the conversion of power (kṣatra) into light (brahman): energies (aśva) and knowledges (go) become divine by being stationed in ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- kṣemayantam (maker of peace), ṛtasya sadasi (seated in ṛta), vṛṣan (bull/stallion power—implied through vṛṣṇo)
- Related deities
- Soma (sweetness/bliss), Indra (illumination that releases the herds), Sūrya (true course/track)
Cosmic role
Guardian of ṛta in the human domain; receives the offerings of knowledge and force and returns them as sweetness and harmony.
Inner power
Central flame that converts raw vitality into right action and converts mental light into living peace.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within Soma sacrifice; also applicable in kindling rites where sweetness/madhu is invoked
दिवक्ष॑सो धे॒नवो॒ वृष्णो॒ अश्वा॑ दे॒वीरा त॑स्थौ॒ मधु॑म॒द्वह॑न्तीः । ऋ॒तस्य॑ त्वा॒ सद॑सि क्षेम॒यन्तं॒ पर्येका॑ चरति वर्त॒निं गौः ॥
दि॒वक्ष॑सः । धे॒नवः॑ । वृष्णः॑ । अश्वाः॑ । दे॒वीः । आ । त॒स्थौ॒ । मधु॑ऽमत् । वह॑न्तीः । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । त्वा॒ । सद॑सि । क्षे॒म॒ऽयन्त॑म् । परि॑ । एका॑ । च॒र॒ति॒ । व॒र्त॒निम् । गौः ॥
divakṣasaḥ | dhenavaḥ | vṛṣṇaḥ | aśvāḥ | devīḥ | ā | tasthau | madhu-mat | vahantīḥ | ṛtasya | tvā | sadasi | kṣema-yantam | pari | ekā | carati | vartanim | gauḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables
Firm, processional movement—appropriate to ‘standing ready’ and ‘circling’ imagery.
Stabilizes attention; evokes a calm orbiting around a central point, helping the mind ‘return’ to the flame.
- धेनवः (dhenavaḥ)
- Literal: milk-cows. Symbolic: luminous streams of knowledge/nourishment from higher mind
- अश्वाः (aśvāḥ)
- Literal: horses. Symbolic: vital energies and powers of action
- मधुमत् (madhumat)
- Literal: honeyed/sweet. Symbolic: soma-delight; sweetness of harmonized consciousness
- ऋतस्य सदसि (ṛtasya sadasi)
- Literal: in the seat of ṛta. Symbolic: in the truth-order plane within; the settled poise where right action is born
- क्षेमयन्तम् (kṣemayantam)
- Literal: making safety/peace. Symbolic: establishing inner security, harmony, fearless stability
- एका गौः (ekā gauḥ)
- Literal: the one Cow. Symbolic: the single ray/knowledge-force that guides and circles the central flame
Stabilizing Agni in the ṛta-sadas: ensuring kṣema (secure rightness) and invoking nourishing/sweet streams (madhu) in the rite.
When establishing Agni in the rite and invoking orderly prosperity (kṣema)
Offerings with recitation; mental ‘placing’ of energies in ṛta
Chant to calm agitation and bring energies into a safe, orderly rhythm before work or study.
dhenu from √dhā/√dhen? ‘to flow, nourish’ (milk imagery). madhu ‘honey/sweetness’ as delight-essence. kṣema from √kṣi ‘to dwell safely, rest’ → peace/security. vartanī from √vṛt ‘to turn, roll’ → path/track (what turns/recurs). gauḥ ‘cow/ray’—Vedic polyvalence: nourishment + illumination.
Ṛta-seat (sadas) as truth-foundation, kṣema (peace/safety) as fruit of right order, cyclic movement as law (vṛt)
Explicit: Agni is in the seat of ṛta, the regulator of right movement (vartanī).
True course is maintained by the ‘one Cow’—integrative knowledge returning to truth.
Order arises when knowledge and force carry sweetness into the center; harmony is a creative outcome of ṛta.
Integral psychology of the Veda: transformation of mind/vital by centering in truth-conscious will.
Cows=illumined knowledges; horses=energies; honey=soma-delight; track=path of ṛta; circling=constant recollection around the psychic fire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Cow that moves on the track’ and the ‘divine cows/horses bearing sweetness’. Inner meaning: around the established fire-will in the ṛta-seat, the ray of knowledge circulates in its true course, while nourishing energies bring madhu (delight-essence). The result is kṣema—secure harmony of being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva < PIE *h₁éḱwos; √vṛt (turn) relates to PIE *wert- ‘turn’ (cf. Latin vertere, English ward/convert). These inherited motion-metaphors underwrite the verse’s image of lawful circulation (vartanī).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi establishes Agni as the agent of kṣema in the ṛta-sadas, implying trust in Agni’s governance of the inner movement. The imagery of surrounding cow/path indicates that once Agni is rightly seated, knowledge and delight naturally orbit and sustain the sacrifice.
Place mind (cows/knowledge) and vital (horses/energy) around the inner flame; cultivate kṣema—unshakable inner safety.
Maṇipūra (will-fire) stabilized by Anāhata (peace)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for steadiness; on exhale feel energies ‘stand ready’ and become sweet.
Collected, orderly, quietly joyful (soma-like sweetness without excitement).
Chant once, then visualize a small flame at the navel/heart; let thoughts orbit it like a single ray, returning whenever they wander; end with a felt sense of protection (kṣema).
Chant with Vedic accents per marked text; keep ‘ṛtasya tvā sadasi’ clearly articulated with proper pitch contours.
Sustain the cadence through compound clusters; let ‘madhumad vahantīḥ’ flow smoothly to evoke sweetness.
ṛta-: clear vocalic ṛ (not ‘ri’), kṣema-: pronounce kṣ as a conjunct (k+ṣ), vartanīṃ: long īṃ with nasalization, gauḥ: diphthong au, final ḥ lightly released
Soft but luminous; rounded tone to convey madhu (sweetness).
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