Rig Veda 1.40.3: Mandala 1, Sukta 40, Mantra 3
Sukta 1.40
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्रैतु ब्रह्मणस्पतिः प्र देव्येतु सूनृता । अच्छा वीरं नर्यं पङ्क्तिराधसं देवा यज्ञं नयन्तु नः ॥
práitu bráhmaṇaspátiḥ prá devyétu sūnṛ́tā | ácchā vīráṃ náryaṃ paṅktí-rādhasam devā́ yajñáṃ nayantu naḥ ||
బ్రహ్మణస్పతి ముందుకు సాగుగాక; దివ్య సూనృతా—సత్యవాక్కు శక్తి—ముందుకు కదలుగాక. వీరుని, నర్య బలాన్ని, పంక్తిబద్ధ సమృద్ధిని లక్ష్యంగా—దేవులు మా యజ్ఞాన్ని నడిపించి, మా అంతరార్పణాన్ని సిద్ధికి చేర్చుగాక.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- एतु
- let (him/it) go/comeVerbloṭ (imperative), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot इ (धातु)
- ब्रह्मणस्पतिः
- Brahmaṇaspati (Lord of prayer/sacred formulation)Nounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot ब्रह्मन्-पति (प्रातिपदिक; tatpuruṣa)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- देवी
- the goddessNounfeminine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- एतु
- let (her) go/comeVerbloṭ (imperative), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot इ (धातु)
- सूनृता
- good speech, gracious utteranceNounfeminine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to देवी)Root सूनृता (प्रातिपदिक)
- अच्छा
- towardsIndeclinabledirectional adverbRoot अच्छा (प्रातिपदिक/avyaya; Vedic adverb)
- वीरम्
- hero, strong oneNounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- नर्यम्
- manly, heroicAdjectivemasculine, accusative singular (agreeing with वीरम्)Role Karma (qualifier)Root नर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- पङ्क्तिः
- row, line; (ritual) a troop/ordered bandNounfeminine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- आधसम्
- refreshment, sustenance; (ritual) offering/foodNounmasculine/neuter, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot आधस (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाः
- the godsNounmasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice, riteNounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableparticle of comparisonRoot न (avyaya)
- नयन्तु
- let them leadVerbloṭ (imperative), 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot नी (धातु)
- नः
- of us / for usPronoungenitive singular (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary/for us)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): प्रैतु → प्र + एतु
- ब्रह्मणस्पतिः is a compound (ब्रह्मणस् + पतिः) with internal sandhi
- देव्येतु → देवी + एतु
- ‘पङ्क्तिरा-’ in the saṃhitā reflects junction पङ्क्तिः + आधसम् (visarga before vowel, RV saṃhitā often shows r/assimilation)
- other junctions are straightforward (अच्छा + वीरम्, यज्ञम् + न). Accent marks in the given text are saṃhitā accents
- pada-forms here are given without explicit accent notation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let Brahmaṇaspati go forth; let the divine Sūnṛtā (true speech) go forth. Toward the hero, the manly strength and the ordered plenitude—may the Gods lead our sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The inner yajña advances when the power of inspired word (Brahmaṇaspati) and the goddess of true utterance (Sūnṛtā) move in front—speech purified into truth becomes a leader of consciousness. The ‘hero’ is the emerging divine warrior in the seeker (often Indra within), and ‘narya’ is the manly force: courageous capacity to bear and act. ‘Paṅkti-rādhasam’ suggests an ordered plenitude—powers arriving in right arrangement, not chaotic. The Gods ‘lead the sacrifice’ means the higher faculties take charge of the sadhana, guiding it to fulfillment beyond ego-management.
Universal truth
When truth in speech and thought leads, life becomes ordered power. The higher principles can then guide our effort into a harmonious fullness rather than scattered striving.
Themes
speech-as-power, guidance, harmonization
The seer
Significance
This verse expresses a key Aurobindonian theme: the ascent is led by truth-word (vāk) and guided by the gods (higher powers), culminating in ordered plenitude (not mere gain).
The deity
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati (with Devī Sūnṛtā and the Gods)
- Epithets
- devī (of Sūnṛtā), brahmaṇas pati (lord of brahman)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī, Agni, Indra, Maruts
Cosmic role
Opens the path by inspired formulation; Sūnṛtā establishes truth in expression; the Gods collectively uphold Ṛta and bring fulfillment.
Inner power
Right speech as executive truth-force: it arranges energies into harmony and calls down the needed powers for completion.
In ritual
Where it is used
Processional/leading verse within the hymn—calling the guiding powers to take the front of the rite.
प्रैतु॒ ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पति॒: प्र दे॒व्ये॑तु सू॒नृता॑ । अच्छा॑ वी॒रं नर्यं॑ प॒ङ्क्तिरा॑धसं दे॒वा य॒ज्ञं न॑यन्तु नः ॥
प्र । ए॒तु॒ । ब्रह्म॑णः । पतिः॑ । प्र । दे॒वी । ए॒तु॒ । सू॒नृता॑ । अच्छ॑ । वी॒रम् । नर्य॑म् । प॒ङ्क्तिऽरा॑धसम् । दे॒वाः । य॒ज्ञम् । न॒य॒न्तु॒ । नः॒ ॥
pra | etu | brahmaṇaḥ | patiḥ | pra | devī | etu | sūnṛtā | accha | vīram | naryam | paṅkti-rādhasam | devāḥ | yajñam | nayantu | naḥ
Likely Gāyatrī (hymn 1.40 often in compact meter)
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3×8 (probable)
Processional, stepwise; suited to ‘go forth’ and ‘lead’.
Gives a sense of guided movement and ordered expansion.
- प्र एतु (pra etu)
- Literal: let go forth, proceed. Symbolic: initiation of inner progression
- ब्रह्मणस्पतिः (brahmaṇaspatiḥ)
- Literal: lord of inspired word. Symbolic: mantric intelligence leading the sadhana
- देवी सूनृता (devī sūnṛtā)
- Literal: divine true speech. Symbolic: truth-utterance; speech aligned to inner reality
- वीरम् (vīram)
- Literal: hero. Symbolic: inner Indra/heroic soul-force
- नर्यम् (naryam)
- Literal: manly strength. Symbolic: courageous capacity for right action
- पङ्क्तिराधसम् (paṅktirādhasam)
- Literal: ordered (in rows) abundance. Symbolic: harmonized plenitude of powers and results
- देवाः यज्ञं नयन्तु (devāḥ yajñaṃ nayantu)
- Literal: may the gods lead the sacrifice. Symbolic: higher consciousness guiding practice and offering
Processional/forward-driving verse: used to ‘lead’ the yajña—metaphorically and ritually—by establishing right speech and effective ordering of energies.
Before or during the forward movement of offerings/recitations to ensure right speech and guidance.
Invocation for leadership of the yajña by mantra and truth-speech.
Use before important communication (teaching, counsel, difficult conversation) and before starting a project to establish right order and guidance.
sūnṛ́tā: su- ‘good’ + nṛtā (from √nṛt/√nṛ ‘to lead/guide’ debated; in Vedic usage ‘kindly/true speech’). nayantu from √nī ‘to lead’. paṅkti-rādhas: paṅkti ‘row, ordered set’ + rādhas ‘gift, bounty’ (√rādh ‘to succeed, prosper, accomplish’) → ‘ordered plenitude’; inner justification: rādhas as accomplished fullness, not mere material gift.
ṛta-aligned speech (sūnṛtā), guidance of yajña as inner path, ordered plenitude (paṅkti)
Paṅkti (ordered rows) is Ṛta made visible: right arrangement of powers and results.
Sūnṛtā embodies Satya in speech—truth that is also beneficent and effective.
Creation through Word and Order: the divine leads chaotic possibility into arranged plenitude.
Vedic doctrine of vāk as creative power; bridge toward Upaniṣadic satyam-vāk alignment.
Procession = sequential unfolding of sadhana; ordered rows = harmonization of inner parts; true speech = clear channel of manifestation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘leading forth’ of the Word-Lord and the goddess of true speech: a mythic procession where right utterance precedes and enables the successful journey of the sacrifice toward heroic accomplishment.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The verb √nī ‘to lead’ is a stable Indo-European action-verb motif in ritual-poetic language (guiding, conducting). Compound-building (paṅkti-rādhas) shows the dense epithet style of early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not for an isolated boon but for divine guidance of the whole yajña: Brahmaṇaspati and sūnṛtā are invoked as formative powers that arrange the seeker’s forces into right order and lead them toward fulfilment.
Establish truth-speech and let higher guidance lead the practice; cultivate inner order.
Viśuddha (truth-speech) and Sahasrāra (guidance from above)
Soft nāḍī-śodhana 6 rounds, then chant; feel the words ‘pra etu’ as initiating a clean inner current.
Guided openness; receptive clarity.
Before chanting, set an intention: ‘Let my speech be true and beneficent.’ During recitation, feel the mantra stepping forward in three stages; after, sit briefly and let decisions/actions arise from quiet guidance.
Keep the ‘pra’ openings bright with udatta; allow gentle svarita on the cadence to preserve processional feel.
Mark three forward steps: (1) praitu brahmaṇaspatiḥ (2) pra devy etu sūnṛtā (3) devā yajñaṃ nayantu naḥ.
prait(u): combine pra+etu smoothly, sūnṛtā: long ū; vocalic ṛ; long ā, acchā: double cch; aspirate lightly, paṅktirādhasam: nasal ṅ; keep compound clear
Even, guiding, luminous.
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