Rig Veda 1.166.10: Mandala 1, Sukta 166, Mantra 10
Sukta 1.166
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
भूरीणि भद्रा नर्येषु बाहुषु वक्षस्सु रुक्मा रभसासो अञ्जयः । अंसेष्वेताः पविषु क्षुरा अधि वयो न पक्षान्व्यनु श्रियो धिरे ॥
bhūrīṇi bhadrā naryeṣu bāhuṣu vakṣaḥsu rukmā rabhasāso añjayaḥ | aṃseṣv etāḥ paviṣu kṣurā adhi vayo na pakṣān vy anu śriyo dhire ||
మీ వీర భుజాలపై అనేక మంగళకరమైన తేజస్సులు ఉన్నాయి; మీ వక్షస్థలాలపై స్వర్ణాభరణాలు, ఓ వేగవంతులారా. మీ భుజసంధులపై అంచుల మీద ఈ పదునైన ‘పవిష్’ (కత్తిరి-ధారల వంటి ఫలకాలు) నిలిపబడ్డాయి; పక్షులు తమ రెక్కలను విప్పినట్లుగా, శ్రియః/శోభలు మీ దేహమంతటా వ్యాపించి స్థితమయ్యాయి.
Word by Word
- भूरीणि
- many, abundantAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (अञ्जयः इत्यस्य)Root भूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- भद्रा
- auspicious, splendidAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (भूरीणि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- नर्येषु
- in manly (deeds/places), among heroic (things)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot नर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- बाहुषु
- on/at the armsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वक्षस्सु
- on/at the chestsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रुक्माः
- golden ornaments, gold platesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्म (अञ्जयः—‘they put/fastened’ इत्यत्र आरोप्य-वस्तु)Root रुक्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- रभसासः
- impetuous, vigorousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (एताः इत्यस्य/कर्तृ-सम्बन्धि विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (अञ्जयः इत्यस्य)Root रभस (प्रातिपदिक)
- अञ्जयः
- they anointed/adorned/fastenedVerbलुङ् (आorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot अञ्ज् (धातु)
- अंसेषु
- on the shouldersNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot अंस (प्रातिपदिक)
- एताः
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (धिरे इत्यस्य)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पविषु
- in/with the fellies (rim-parts), in the wheel-rimsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot पवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षुराः
- razors, sharp bladesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ/उपमान-वस्तु (उपमा: ‘क्षुराः’)Root क्षुर (प्रातिपदिक)
- अधि
- upon, onIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारण-प्रवर्तक (उपरि/अधिष्ठाने)Root अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वयः
- a birdNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole उपमान (न इत्यनेन)Root वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपमा-सूचकRoot न (अव्यय)
- पक्षान्
- wingsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (व्यनु…धिरे इत्यस्य)Root पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, widelyIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रिया-विशेषक (विस्तार/विभाग)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अनु
- along, afterIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रिया-विशेषक (अनुगमन/अनुक्रम)Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- श्रियो
- splendours, gloriesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (धिरे इत्यस्य) / अथवा कर्म (धिरे—‘they placed glories’)Root श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
- धिरे
- they have set/placed, they have putVerbलिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): भूरीणि | भद्रा | नर्येषु | बाहुषु | वक्षस्सु | रुक्माः | रभसासः | अञ्जयः || अंसेषु | एताः | पविषु | क्षुराः | अधि | वयः | न | पक्षान् | वि | अनु | श्रियः | धिरे । मुख्य सन्धयः: (1) वक्षस्सु = वक्षः + सु (विसर्गस्य स्-आदेशः). (2) श्रियो धिरे इति संहितायां ‘श्रियः’ रूपं पदपाठे
- संहितायां ओ/अः-परिवर्तनं वैदिकप्रयोगे दृश्यते. (3) व्यनु = वि + अनु (उपसर्ग-संयोग; पृथक् पदे वि | अनु)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Many auspicious splendours are on your heroic arms; on your chests golden adornments, O impetuous ones. On your shoulders are sharp blades upon the rims; like birds spreading wings, glories are arrayed along you.
Inner meaning
The Marut energies carry bhadrā śrī—beneficent powers—on ‘heroic arms’: capacities for effective action. The golden ornaments on the chest signify luminous heart-force: courage joined with nobility and joy. The sharp blades on the rims (paviṣu kṣurāḥ) are the keen edges of purification and discernment that cut away tamasic accretions. The bird-wing imagery indicates expansion: when these forces are rightly set, the being spreads into wider consciousness and freer movement, distributing ‘glories’ (śriyaḥ) through all parts of nature.
Universal truth
True power is beautiful and purifying: when force is illumined in the heart and sharpened by discernment, it expands our life into a wider, freer, more radiant action.
Themes
radiance and adornment, sharp discriminative force, aesthetic of power
The seer
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Lineage
- Agastya (Āgastya)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.166
Family tradition
Agastya’s hymns often ‘ornament’ the gods with psychological attributes—gold as light, weapons as discernment—showing his inner-ritual approach.
Significance
He reveals the aesthetic of power: divine energies are not crude force but radiant, ordered, and purifying—meant to expand consciousness like wings.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- rabhasāsaḥ (impetuous), añjayaḥ (adorned/bright)
- Related deities
- Indra, Rudra, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Embodied brilliance and speed in the mid-region; they accompany Indra’s victories and spread splendour.
Inner power
Rapid transformative energy that can purify and beautify the nature when yoked to light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut praise in śrauta recitations emphasizing splendour and strength; supportive of victory and auspiciousness rites.
भूरी॑णि भ॒द्रा नर्ये॑षु बा॒हुषु॒ वक्ष॑स्सु रु॒क्मा र॑भ॒सासो॑ अ॒ञ्जय॑: । अंसे॒ष्वेता॑: प॒विषु॑ क्षु॒रा अधि॒ वयो॒ न प॒क्षान्व्यनु॒ श्रियो॑ धिरे ॥
भूरी॑णि । भ॒द्रा । नर्ये॑षु । बा॒हुषु॑ । वक्षः॑ऽसु । रु॒क्माः । र॒भ॒सासः॑ । अ॒ञ्जयः॑ । अंसे॑षु । एताः॑ । प॒विषु॑ । क्षु॒राः । अधि॑ । वयः॑ । न । प॒क्षान् । वि । अनु॑ । श्रियः॑ । धि॒रे॒ ॥
bhūrīṇi | bhadrā | naryeṣu | bāhuṣu | vakṣaḥ-su | rukmāḥ | rabhasāsaḥ | añjayaḥ | aṃseṣu | etāḥ | paviṣu | kṣurāḥ | adhi | vayaḥ | na | pakṣān | vi | anu | śriyaḥ | dhire
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4 × ~11
Quick, flashing imagery; cadence alternates weight and lift like wings opening.
Invokes brightness and swift purification; energizes heart and will.
- नर्य (narya)
- Literal: heroic, manly. Symbolic: effective soul-force in action
- बाहु (bāhu)
- Literal: arm. Symbolic: capacity to act; executive power
- वक्षस् (vakṣas)
- Literal: chest. Symbolic: heart-center of courage and harmony
- रुक्म (rukma)
- Literal: gold ornament. Symbolic: luminous truth-force; solar radiance in the being
- रभस (rabhasa)
- Literal: impetuous, swift. Symbolic: rapid energy needing right direction
- पवि (pavi)
- Literal: rim, felly; also thunderbolt edge. Symbolic: boundary/edge of force; instrument of purification
- क्षुर (kṣura)
- Literal: razor. Symbolic: sharp discrimination; cutting away impurity
- श्रि (śrī)
- Literal: splendour, glory. Symbolic: harmonious abundance of the divine qualities
- वयः / पक्ष (vayaḥ / pakṣa)
- Literal: bird / wings. Symbolic: expansion into higher ranges; freedom of movement in consciousness
Descriptive praise (stuti) of Marut brilliance and weaponry; supports invocation of luminous strength and discriminative power in the sacrificer.
When invoking brilliance, success, and protective force for the sacrificer.
Stotra-style praise; mental offering of one’s energies to be ‘adorned’ by truth.
Use for confidence with humility—before public speaking or leadership tasks; visualize ‘gold on the chest’ as calm radiance rather than ego.
rukmá ‘gold ornament’ signifies shining radiance (root field of brightness). √añj ‘anoint/adorn’ indicates consecrated beauty—force made auspicious. kṣurá ‘razor’ denotes discriminative sharpness. śrī ‘splendour’ is both beauty and prosperity—innerly the luminous harmony that follows right force. √dhṛ ‘hold’ (PIE *dher-): stable placement of splendour—beauty as a law, not decoration.
śrī as luminous harmony, discernment (kṣura) as part of auspicious force, beauty as expression of ṛta
Śrī is Ṛta made visible—harmony expressed as beauty and success.
Gold (rukma) symbolizes the solar truth that must clothe force.
Purification (kṣura) enables expansion (wings) and distribution of glory through the being.
Integral psychology of transformation: force illumined becomes beauty and freedom.
Gold = solar illumination in the heart; razor = discriminative purification; wings = expansion into higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ornamented storm-host’ mythologem: divine warriors glitter with gold and bear razor-edges. Innerly, true power carries śrī (splendour) and kṣura (sharp discernment) together—beauty and precision as signs of ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold/place’ reflects PIE *dher- (English firm via semantic relatives; Greek thronos via ‘support’ field). The wheel/rim vocabulary (pavi) continues the chariot-complex prominent in IE heroic poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi does contemplative praise: by naming the Maruts’ śrī and sharpness, he seeks those qualities to be established in himself—strength that is also luminous, and cutting power that serves harmony rather than chaos.
Bring awareness to the heart-chest as a ‘golden field’; invite swift energies to become luminous and precise rather than restless.
anāhata (golden chest) with support from maṇipūra (heroic arms/action)
Inhale ‘gather splendour’ to chest (4–6 counts), exhale ‘release impurity’ (6–8 counts) imagining razor-like clarity cutting confusion.
Radiant courage with purified intention.
Chant slowly once, sensing gold-light in the chest; then 5–9 times moderately, imagining sharp clarity removing one habitual distortion; end with a felt widening like wings.
Tri-svara; keep brightness on words of splendour (bhadrā, rukmā) and crisp articulation on kṣurāḥ.
Do not blur retroflexes (ṣ, ṭ) in puṣ/ kṣur; maintain clean pāda breaks.
bhūrīṇi: long ū, retroflex ṇ, vakṣassu: kṣ cluster clear; gemination ss, rukmā: clear r, long ā, rabhasāso: keep bh aspiration, paviṣu: short i; v not w, kṣurā: kṣ cluster; long ā, śriyo: śr cluster clear
Luminous and firm; articulate consonants sharply on ‘blade’ imagery.
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