Rig Veda 5.60.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 60, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.60
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Marutaḥ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
आ ये तस्थुः पृषतीषु श्रुतासु सुखेषु रुद्रा मरुतो रथेषु । वना चिदुग्रा जिहते नि वो भिया पृथिवी चिद्रेजते पर्वतश्चित् ॥
ā́ yé tasthúḥ pṛ́ṣatīṣu śrutā́su su-khéṣu rudrā́ marúto rátheṣu | vánā cid ugrā́ jihate ní vo bhiyā́ pṛthivī́ cid réjate párvataś cit ||
ருத்ரஜ மருதர்கள் தங்கள் புள்ளிப்புள்ளியான, தொலைதூரம் கேட்கும், இலகுவாகச் செல்லும் ரதங்களில் நின்றபோது—ஓ உக்ரர்களே, உங்கள் அச்சத்தால் காடுகளும் தலைவணங்குகின்றன; பூமியும் நடுங்குகிறது; மலைகளும் நடுங்குகின்றன.
Word by Word
- आ
- towards; hitherIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- ये
- who (those who)Pronounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- तस्थुः
- have stood; have taken their standVerbperfect (liṭ), 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot स्था (धातु)
- पृषतीषु
- on/among the speckled (mares)Nounfeminine locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पृषती (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रुतासु
- renowned; famedAdjectivefeminine locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot श्रुता (PPP of √श्रु)
- सुखेषु
- in comforts; in pleasant (places/conditions)Nounneuter locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
- रुद्राः
- the RudrasNounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथेषु
- on/in chariotsNounmasculine locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वना
- forests; woodsNounneuter nominative pluralRole KartāRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableemphatic particleRoot चित् (particle)
- उग्राः
- fierce; mightyAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जिहते
- (two) move apart/withdraw; are set in motionVerbpresent (laṭ), 3rd person dual, ātmanepadaRoot हā (धातु) with reduplication: जिह-
- नि
- down; away; backIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- वः
- of you; yourPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Root युष्मद् (sarvanāma)
- भिया
- by fear; through dreadNounfeminine instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot भि (→ भिया, instr. of भिया/भी)
- पृथिवी
- the EarthNounfeminine nominative singularRole KartāRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableemphatic particleRoot चित् (particle)
- रेजते
- trembles; quiversVerbpresent (laṭ), 3rd person singular, ātmanepadaRoot रेज् (धातु)
- पर्वतः
- the mountainNounmasculine nominative singularRole KartāRoot पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableemphatic particleRoot चित् (particle)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): आ | ये | तस्थुः | पृषतीषु | श्रुतासु | सुखेषु | रुद्राः | मरुतः | रथेषु || वना | चित् | उग्राः | जिहते | नि | वः | भिया | पृथिवी | चित् | रेजते | पर्वतः | चित् || Notable: (1) चिद् → चित् before vowel/voiced consonant in RV orthography
- (2) वना चित् उग्राः: particle चित् emphasizes the subject
- (3) पर्वतश्चित् in saṃhitā = पर्वतः + चित् (visarga before c- becomes ś in saṃhitā). Accents as in saṃhitā: त॒स्थुः, पृष॑तीषु, श्रु॒तासु॑, सु॒खेषु॑, रु॒द्रा, म॒रुतो॒, रथे॑षु, वना॑, जिहते॒, वो॑, पृ॑थि॒वी, रेजते॒, पर्व॑त- (accent not repeated on enclitic चित्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the Rudra-born Maruts stand upon their dappled, far-heard, easy-going chariots, even forests bow down from fear; even the earth trembles; even the mountain.
Inner meaning
When the Marut energies take their place in the moving instruments of the nature (the ‘chariots’ of embodied life), their vibration becomes ‘far-heard’—the inner sound of power that reaches across the being. Their action is ‘sukha’ (well-going): not merely violent, but effective and rightly carried. Under their intense pressure, the old formations of the vital and physical—forests (tangled growths of habit) and earth/mountain (the heavy base and fixed inertia)—are compelled to yield. Fear here is the instinctive recoil of inertia before transformation.
Universal truth
When higher force descends into the instruments of life, entrenched habits and inert structures cannot remain unchanged; the whole foundation shakes so a new order can be established.
Themes
Advent of the Maruts, Awe and transformation, Shaking of fixed nature
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.60.1, RV 5.60.3
Family tradition
Ātreya poetry often depicts the impact of divine energies on the lower nature using strong nature imagery (earth, mountain, forests).
Significance
Atri records the experiential fact that when the divine Force truly ‘stands’ in the instruments, the whole lower system reacts—first with tremor, then with yielding.
The deity
- Devata
- Marutaḥ
- Epithets
- Rudrāḥ (Rudra-born), ugrāḥ (fierce—explicit in verse), śrutāsu (far-heard—descriptive), sukheṣu (well-going—descriptive)
- Related deities
- Rudra, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Storm-host; shakers of earth and heaven; companions of Indra; bringers of rain and impetus.
Inner power
Transformative pressure that compels the tamasic base to move; energizes the instruments so they can carry higher action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut praise in śrauta contexts to invoke force, protection, and the breaking of obstacles.
आ ये त॒स्थुः पृष॑तीषु श्रु॒तासु॑ सु॒खेषु॑ रु॒द्रा म॒रुतो॒ रथे॑षु । वना॑ चिदुग्रा जिहते॒ नि वो॑ भि॒या पृ॑थि॒वी चि॑द्रेजते॒ पर्व॑तश्चित् ॥
आ । ये । त॒स्थुः । पृष॑तीषु । श्रु॒तासु॑ । सु॒ऽखेषु॑ । रु॒द्राः । म॒रुतः॑ । रथे॑षु । वना॑ । चि॒त् । उ॒ग्राः॒ । जि॒ह॒ते॒ । नि । वः॑ । भि॒या । पृ॒थि॒वी । चि॒त् । रे॒ज॒ते॒ । पर्व॑तः । चि॒त् ॥
ā | ye | tasthuḥ | pṛṣatīṣu | śrutāsu | su-kheṣu | rudrāḥ | marutaḥ | ratheṣu | vanā | cit | ugrāḥ | jihate | ni | vaḥ | bhiyā | pṛthivī | cit | rejate | parvataḥ | cit
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Hammering, emphatic cadence; repetition of ‘cid’ gives a pounding insistence.
Creates visceral sense of shaking and awe; drives energy downward into the body, confronting inertia.
- पृषतीषु (pṛṣatīṣu)
- Literal: dappled (mares/steeds). Symbolic: mixed but luminous energies; variegated dynamism of the life-force
- श्रुतासु (śrutāsu)
- Literal: far-heard. Symbolic: vibration/audible power of mantra-force felt through the being
- सुखेषु (sukheṣu)
- Literal: easy-going, well-going. Symbolic: rightly functioning instruments; smooth channeling of force
- रुद्राः (rudrāḥ)
- Literal: of Rudra / Rudra-like. Symbolic: purifying intensity; force that heals by breaking false formations
- रथेषु (ratheṣu)
- Literal: in chariots. Symbolic: embodied instruments—mind-life-body organized for action
- वना (vanā)
- Literal: forests. Symbolic: tangles of habitual vital movements, proliferating impulses
- भिया (bhiyā)
- Literal: by fear. Symbolic: inertia’s recoil before change; ego’s alarm at loss of control
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: physical consciousness, base stability that must be transformed
- पर्वत (parvata)
- Literal: mountain. Symbolic: fixed subconscient mass; hardened resistance
Marut-call describing their advent; used to intensify the rite’s dynamic pressure and to acknowledge their irresistible approach.
When seeking energizing support, especially alongside Indra/Rudra sequences.
Stotra of glorification; calling the Maruts to ‘stand’ in the rite and empower it.
Useful when one feels stuck: chant to mobilize energy and dislodge entrenched patterns (with grounding afterward).
pṛṣatī ‘dappled’ links to pṛśni; bhī ‘fear/awe’ is a basic IE root (PIE *bʰeyh₂- ‘fear’). su-kha literally ‘good axle-hole’ → ‘easy going’ (a vivid archaic compound), psychologized as ‘unobstructed movement’.
awe as transformative contact with the divine, removal of inertia (tamas) by force, unobstructed movement (su-kha)
‘Sukha’ suggests the divine force moves in the right channel—effective, not chaotic.
Truth-force exposes and destabilizes false stability in the lower nature.
Cosmic shaking precedes re-ordering; old forms yield to new manifestation.
Dynamic yoga of transformation: descent of force into instruments.
Forests = tangled habits; earth = physical base; mountain = fixed resistance; resounding chariots = energized instruments carrying divine force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The epiphany of the storm-host: their arrival makes the world bow and tremble. Inner sense: when the Rudra-powers enter, even deep-rooted formations (‘forest’, ‘mountain’) yield; the embodied foundation (earth) is shaken into new receptivity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bhī ‘fear’ is widely IE. The concrete compound su-kha (‘good axle-hole’) preserving chariot technology semantics is characteristically archaic Indo-European. The repeated cid (‘even’) is a rhetorical intensifier common in Vedic style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames fear not as negation but as sacred awe: recognition of a power that compels the lower nature to yield. By describing their ‘su-kha’ movement, he implicitly asks that their entry into him be unobstructed and effective.
Invite force into the instruments; allow the ‘shake’ of purification without panic; stabilize in witness consciousness.
Muladhara (shaking of base) integrated upward to Manipura (force)
Brisk energetic breathing for a short round (e.g., 20–30 kapalabhati strokes if suitable), then long slow exhale to settle; alternatively, strong chanting on one breath per pāda.
From inertia to awakened embodied power; purification through intensity.
Chant standing or seated upright; feel the mantra enter legs/pelvis (earth) and loosen rigidity; after chanting, sit quietly and let the system re-stabilize in a wider calm.
Keep strong udātta on key nouns (marutaḥ, ratheṣu, pṛthivī, parvataḥ) and verbs (rejate).
Emphasize the repeated ‘cid’ with a slight stress (without breaking svara); maintain a thunder-like steadiness.
pṛṣatīṣu: vocalic ṛ; ṣ retroflex; long ī, śrutāsu: ś initial, long ā, jihate: soft jh; do not harden to ‘jihateh’, rejate: clear j, short e
Full, resonant, slightly forceful; avoid shouting—let resonance carry the ‘roar’.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
