Rig Veda 8.67.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 67, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.67
- Devata
- Ādityas
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तेषां हि चित्रमुक्थ्यं वरूथमस्ति दाशुषे । आदित्यानामरंकृते ॥
teṣā́ṃ hí citrám ukthyàṃ varū́tham ásti dāśúṣe | ādityā́nām araṃ-kṛ́te ||
அவர்களுக்கே ஒளிமிக்க, உக்த்ய (பாடத்தக்க) காவல் உண்டு—யதாவிதமாக அர்ப்பணிக்கும் தாசுஷ் (தானம் செய்பவன்) க்காக; செயலில் துடிப்பும், தம் ஒழுங்கமைக்கும் வல்லமையில் நிறைவும் கொண்ட ஆதித்யர்களுடையது அது.
Word by Word
- तेषाम्
- of themPronounषष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (पुं./नपुं.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- चित्रम्
- bright, wondrousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of उक्थ्यम्/वरूथम्)Root चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थ्यम्
- praiseworthy, to be hymnedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of वरूथम्)Root उक्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक; उक्थ ‘hymn/praise’ से)
- वरूथम्
- protection, shelterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (अस्ति का विषय)Root वरूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- isVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot अस् (धातु)
- दाशुषे
- for the giver (worshipper)Noun (participle used substantively)चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (पुं.)Role सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root दाश्वस्/दाशुष् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा/√दाश् ‘to give, to worship’ से; RV में ‘दाता/यजमान’)
- आदित्यानाम्
- of the ĀdityasNounषष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (पुं.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरंकृते
- when made ready / being sufficient / duly preparedAdjective/Participle (used predicatively)सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नपुं.)Role अधिकरण (locative of condition/state: ‘when/being made ready/sufficient’)Root अरंकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अरम् + √कृ ‘to make/prepare/suffice’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: तेषाम् | हि | चित्रम् | उक्थ्यम् | वरूथम् | अस्ति | दाशुषे | आदित्यानाम् | अरंकृते || 1) तेषां॒ हि → तेषाम् + हि (अनुस्वार/म् + ह्; संधि में परिवर्तन नहीं, केवल पद-सीमा)। 2) चित्रमु॒क्थ्यं → चित्रम् + उक्थ्यम् (म् + उ → म् उ; लेखन में ‘चित्रमु-’)। 3) वरूथ॒मस्ति॑ → वरूथम् + अस्ति (म् + अ → म् अ; लेखन में ‘वरूथमस्ति’)। 4) आ॒दि॒त्याना॑मरं॒कृते॑ → आदित्यानाम् + अरंकृते (म् + अ → म् अ; लेखन में ‘आदित्यानामरंकृते’)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Ādityas have a bright, praiseworthy protection and shelter for the giver who offers; they are ready to act and sufficient in their ordering.
Inner meaning
When the seeker is ‘dāśuṣ’—one who offers (self-giving, right contribution)—the Ādityas respond with a protection that is ‘citra’ (luminous, many-faceted) and ‘ukthya’ (answering the word/hymn): truth-powers actively shape circumstances and inner movements. ‘Araṃkṛte’ indicates these powers are competent and ready—order is not passive; it intervenes to uphold the sacrifice of transformation.
Universal truth
Sincere offering and right participation invite an answering protection from the principles of truth and harmony; lawful order becomes an active shelter for growth.
Themes
Protection/shelter, Efficacy of hymn, Ethical offering, Āditya guardianship
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.67 (Āditya hymn)
Significance
Establishes a reciprocity: the seeker’s offering evokes an answering shelter from the law-powers; inner dharma becomes a living protection.
The deity
- Devata
- Ādityas
- Epithets
- citra-varūtha (bright-sheltered—interpretive), ukthya (hymn-responding), araṃkṛt (ready and sufficient)
- Related deities
- Aditi, Savitar, Agni
Cosmic role
Maintain the luminous architecture of law; protect the sacrificer through right arrangement.
Inner power
Creates an ordered field where aspiration can act without being scattered; gives ethical strength and clear boundaries.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise of Ādityas to secure protection for the yajamāna (offerer)
तेषां॒ हि चि॒त्रमु॒क्थ्यं१॒॑ वरू॑थ॒मस्ति॑ दा॒शुषे॑ । आ॒दि॒त्याना॑मरं॒कृते॑ ॥
तेषा॑म् । हि । चि॒त्रम् । उ॒क्थ्य॑म् । वरू॑थम् । अस्ति॑ । दा॒शुषे॑ । आ॒दि॒त्याना॑म् । अ॒र॒म्ऽकृते॑ ॥
teṣām | hi | citram | ukthyam | varūtham | asti | dāśuṣe | ādityānām | aram-kṛte
Triṣṭubh (probable; the slightly longer, declarative praise often uses 11-syllable quarters)
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Declarative and protective; steady ‘shield-like’ cadence.
Instills trust in a higher order that responds; stabilizes the nervous system with a sense of shelter.
- citra
- Literal: bright, variegated. Symbolic: luminous protection with many modes of guidance
- ukthya
- Literal: to be hymned/speakable; answering the hymn. Symbolic: responsive truth—guidance that meets aspiration and right speech
- varūtha
- Literal: covering, shelter, protection. Symbolic: inner safe-space created by ṛta; a protective envelope of clarity
- dāśuṣe
- Literal: to the giver/offerer. Symbolic: one who practices offering—energy, ego, speech, action—into the inner sacrifice
- araṃkṛte
- Literal: made sufficient/ready, well-arranged. Symbolic: competent executive order; readiness of truth-powers to act effectively
Protective formula emphasizing efficacy of praise and offering; apt in rites of safeguarding and in contexts of seeking Varuṇa-Mitra protection for the sacrificer.
During protective invocations and concluding affirmations of right offering
Recitation acknowledging the deity’s shelter in response to giving
A mantra for those practicing seva/charity or disciplined sadhana—affirming that right offering draws protective order.
varūtha- ‘covering/protection’ resonates with Varuṇa’s name (though not identical): both suggest enveloping guardianship. ukthya- ties protection to right speech: the hymn (uktha) is not ornament but a key of access. dāśuṣ- frames the ethical-ritual psychology: giving aligns the human with ṛta. aram-kṛta- ‘made sufficient/ready’ conveys prompt efficacy of the Ādityas’ order.
Power of right speech (uktha), Reciprocity through offering (dāśuṣ), Sufficient order (aram)
Varūtha is ṛta as lived shelter—order that covers and guards.
‘Ukthya’ implies truth responds to true speech/aspiration.
Order as an active architecture that sustains evolution of consciousness.
Yajña-psychology: offering evokes descent/response of divine powers.
daylight/solar (implied)
A bright canopy of law over the aspirant—clarity and right arrangement shielding the growth-process.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The sovereign shelter of the Ādityas granted to the dāśuṣ (the giver): mythically, the law-powers protect the rightly aligned; psychologically, truthful speech and offering generate a field where protective order naturally manifests.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dā ‘give’ (in dāśuṣ-) reflects PIE *deh₃- ‘give’ (Greek didōmi, Latin dōnum). The archaic ‘gift ↔ protection’ reciprocity is a pan–Indo-European religious structure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asserts an operative link: uktha (rightly formed praise) and dāna (offering) evoke varūtha (shelter). The Ādityas are portrayed as ‘aram-kṛta’—immediately responsive when the human action is harmonized with ṛta.
Offer one inner movement (fear, anger, pride) into the fire of sincerity; feel a luminous ‘varūtha’ forming—an inner boundary of calm truth.
anāhata (protective heart-field)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for stability, then chant 9 times.
From vulnerability to protected openness.
After chanting, write one concrete ‘offering’ you will make today (time, attention, truthfulness). Observe how order and protection increase when giving is right.
Keep a dignified, even accenting; emphasize ‘citrám’ and ‘varūtham’ with clear udatta rise where applicable.
Let the first half-state the fact (their protection exists), second half specify for whom (dāśuṣe) and their readiness (araṃkṛte).
teṣāṃ: retroflex ‘ṣ’ clear, ukthyam: ‘kth’ cluster articulated, not simplified, varūtham: long ‘ū’ sustained, dāśuṣe: long ‘ā’, ‘ś’ palatal, araṃkṛte: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘k’ audible
protective, steady, resonant
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