Rig Veda 2.23.11: Mandala 2, Sukta 23, Mantra 11
Sukta 2.23
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati / Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अनानुदो वृषभो जग्मिराहवं निष्टप्ता शत्रुं पृतनासु सासहिः । असि सत्य ऋणया ब्रह्मणस्पत उग्रस्य चिद्दमिता वीळुहर्षिणः ॥
anānudó vṛ́ṣabho jagmí rāhávaṃ níṣṭaptā śátruṃ pṛ́tanāsu sāsahíḥ | ási satyá ṛṇayā́ brahmaṇaspata ugrásya cid damitā́ vīḷuhárṣiṇaḥ ||
ఓ బ్రహ్మణస్పతీ! నీవు అణగని వృషభుడు; ఆహ్వానమొచ్చినపుడు యుద్ధానికి ముందుకు సాగువాడు; సమరాలలో శత్రువును దహించి, పోరాటాలలో జయించువాడు. నీవు సత్యస్వరూపుడు; ‘ఋణయా’—ఋతమార్గాన్ని అనుసరించువారిలో ప్రేరకుడు; ఉగ్రబలాన్నికూడా దమింపజేయువాడు; వీరులను ఉల్లసింపజేసే ఉద్ధీపక శక్తివి!
Word by Word
- अ॒ना॒नु॒दः
- not-to-be-repelled; irresistibleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम् (used adjectivally)Role Kartā (qualifier of वृृषभः) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot अ-नानुद् (नानुद् < √नुद् ‘to push, drive’ with negation अ-)
- वृष॒भः
- the bull (strong one)Nounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- जग्मिः
- having come; having gone forthVerb (participial) / Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्; perfect-participial sense ‘having gone/come’Role Kartā (co-referential with वृृषभः) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot √गम् ‘to go’ (perfect/old perfect participial form)
- आहवम्
- the battle; the challengeNounपुंलिङ्गः द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot आहव (आ-√ह्वा/√हू ‘to call’ → ‘challenge, battle-call’)
- निष्टप्ताः
- scorching; burning downAdjective (past passive participle)पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Vedic: -आः used for nom. sg. m. in some contexts) / or nom. pl. m. by form; here agreeing with implied subject ‘he’Role Kartā (qualifier) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot नि-√तप् ‘to heat, scorch’
- शत्रुम्
- the enemyNounपुंलिङ्गः द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृतनासु
- in battlesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पृतना (प्रातिपदिक)
- सासहिः
- conquering; overpoweringAdjective (agentive verbal form)पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (qualifier) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot √सह् ‘to overcome, conquer’ (intensive/perfect-like reduplicated form)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (present) मध्यमपुरुषः एकवचनम्Role (Copula) links subject and predicateRoot √अस् ‘to be’
- सत्यः
- true; truthfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Predicate (viśeṣaṇa of त्वम्/ब्रह्मणस्पते) / Kartā-complementRoot सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋणया
- one who exacts/settles debts; requiting (obligations)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम् (as predicate adjective)Role Predicate qualifierRoot ऋणय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘debt/obligation’ → ‘having debts/owing’; Vedic epithet)
- ब्रह्मणस्पते
- O Lord of prayer (Bṛhaspati)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role Sambodhana (address)Root ब्रह्मणस्-पति (compound prātipadika)
- उग्रस्य
- of the fierce oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitive relation)Root उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- even; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (Particle) emphasis/limitationRoot चित् (avyaya particle)
- दमिता
- tamer; subduerNoun/Adjective (agent noun)पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (predicate noun) / ViśeṣyaRoot √दम् ‘to tame, subdue’
- वीळुहर्षिणः
- of the strong-exulting one / of him who makes the strong rejoiceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः षष्ठी एकवचनम् (dependent genitive with दमिता)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot वीळु-हर्षिन् (compound prātipadika; ‘strong/firm’ + ‘exulting/rousing’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved minimally: वृ॑ष॒भो जग्मि॑राह॒वम् → वृषभः जग्मिः आहवम् (visarga + j; vowel coalescence). Other words largely already in pada-form
- accents retained as in Saṃhitā. Note: निष्टप्ताः shows Vedic morphological/orthographic variation
- interpreted here as agreeing with the singular subject as an epithet (Ppp. from नि-√तप्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Brahmaṇaspati is praised as an unyielding bull who advances to the call of battle, burns the enemy in conflicts, is true, moves with the righteous, tames even the violent, and makes the strong exult.
Inner meaning
Brahmaṇaspati (the Master of the creative Word) is the steadfast power of inspired discernment that enters the inner battle (āhava) when the soul calls. He “burns” the adversary by tapas—consuming falsehood, inertia, and hostile impulses—and establishes the seeker in satya and ṛta. Even the ‘ugra’ (violent vital force) is not rejected but disciplined and yoked; the strong energies (vīḻu) begin to rejoice when they serve the higher Word rather than ego.
Universal truth
When the guiding Truth-Word leads the struggle, resistance is purified by inner heat; raw force becomes disciplined power, and the seeker’s energies exult in right action.
Themes
Inner victory, Protection, Truth-force (brahman), Subduing hostile powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.23 (Bṛhaspati hymn cluster), Rig Veda 2.24, Rig Veda 2.1–2.7 (Gṛtsamada corpus, prominent Agni/Indra themes)
Family tradition
Bhṛgu-line seers noted for mantra-power, tapas, and the efficacy of the Word (brahman) as a force of realization.
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s vision frequently turns battle-imagery into inner conquest: the Word and Will are invoked to break coverings and establish luminous order (ṛta) in the human instrument.
The deity
- Devata
- Brahmaṇaspati / Bṛhaspati
- Epithets
- brahmaṇaspati (Lord of the Word), vṛṣabha (bull of power), satyá (the true), damitā (tamer), ugra-śamana (subduer of the fierce)
- Related deities
- Agni (will and priesthood), Indra (illumined mind), Sarasvatī (inspired flow of speech), Varuṇa/Mitra (ṛta, harmony)
Cosmic role
Priest of the gods and guardian of ṛta through the organizing power of mantra; opener of the ways, breaker of obstructions, establisher of harmony between thought, speech, and act.
Inner power
Illuminative discernment (dhī) and mantra-śakti that burns falsehood and aligns the vital and mental energies to the soul’s truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocations to Bṛhaspati in soma and other śrauta rites for protection, victory, and right utterance.
अ॒ना॒नु॒दो वृ॑ष॒भो जग्मि॑राह॒वं निष्ट॑प्ता॒ शत्रुं॒ पृत॑नासु सास॒हिः । असि॑ स॒त्य ऋ॑ण॒या ब्र॑ह्मणस्पत उ॒ग्रस्य॑ चिद्दमि॒ता वी॑ळुह॒र्षिण॑: ॥
अ॒न॒नु॒ऽदः । वृ॒ष॒भः । जग्मिः॑ । आ॒ऽह॒वम् । निःऽत॑प्ता । शत्रु॑म् । पृत॑नासु । स॒स॒हिः । असि॑ । स॒त्यः । ऋ॒ण॒ऽयाः । ब्र॒ह्म॒णः॒ । प॒ते॒ । उ॒ग्रस्य॑ । चि॒त् । द॒मि॒ता । वी॒ळु॒ऽह॒र्षिणः॑ ॥
ananu-daḥ | vṛṣabhaḥ | jagmiḥ | āhavam | niḥ-taptā | śatrum | pṛtanāsu | sasahiḥ | asi | satyaḥ | ṛṇa-yāḥ | brahmaṇaḥ | pate | ugrasya | cit | damitā | vīḷu-harṣiṇaḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, martial cadence with emphatic breaks suited to ‘āhava’ (inner battle) and decisive action.
Builds courage and clarity; the rhythm feels like ordered steps in conflict—steadying the will while intensifying inner heat (tapas).
- ब्रह्मणस्पति (brahmaṇaspati)
- Literal: lord/master of brahman (prayer, sacred utterance). Symbolic: master of the inspired Word; power that orders consciousness by truth-vision
- वृषभ (vṛṣabha)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: steadfast strength; sure-force of spiritual will
- आहव (āhava)
- Literal: battle, contest, call to combat. Symbolic: inner conflict where light confronts obscurity
- निष्टप्ता (niṣṭaptā)
- Literal: burning down, scorching. Symbolic: tapas that purifies and dissolves hostile formations
- शत्रु (śatru)
- Literal: enemy. Symbolic: inner adversary: doubt, falsehood, inertia, egoistic impulse
- पृतना (pṛtanā)
- Literal: battle, clash. Symbolic: repeated psychological confrontations in sādhanā
- सत्य (satya)
- Literal: truth. Symbolic: truth-consciousness; alignment of speech, will, and being
- ऋणया (ṛṇayā)
- Literal: moving/going in the right course; (connected with ṛṇa/ṛṇáyā). Symbolic: one who impels along ṛta; the right-going movement of consciousness
- उग्र (ugra)
- Literal: fierce, violent. Symbolic: untamed vital energy or aggressive force to be mastered
- दमिता (damitā)
- Literal: tamer, subduer. Symbolic: discipline that converts force into controlled power
- वीळुहर्षिण (vīḻuharṣiṇaḥ)
- Literal: making the strong rejoice/exult. Symbolic: uplifting robust energies when they serve the soul’s truth
Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati praise used in śrauta contexts for brahman-power: strengthening the Hotṛ’s formulation and for victory-protection in contests (general application; specific viniyoga varies by śākhā).
At moments requiring protection from hostile forces, affirmation of truth, and strengthening of brahman (mantric efficacy).
Recitation/śastra praising Bṛhaspati; offering with intent to remove obstacles and subdue adversaries.
Use before difficult conversations or decisions: chant to align speech with truth, tame reactive anger, and enter challenges with steady will.
Key roots: √tap ‘to heat, burn’ → - ‘one who burns down’ (tapas as purifying intensity); √sah ‘to overpower’ → ‘victorious, prevailing’; √dam ‘to tame, subdue’ → ‘discipliner’; vṛṣabha ‘bull’ from vṛṣ- ‘to rain/overflow’ (symbol of abundant force). satyá from sat ‘being’ (truth as real-being). ā-hava from √hū ‘to call’ (summons, also battle-invocation).
Satya (Truth), Ṛta (Right Order), Tapas (purifying intensity), inner battle between light and obstruction
Bṛhaspati is invoked as the right-going mover who keeps the seeker aligned with ṛta amid conflict.
Satya here is not mere factuality but truth-force that makes action straight and effective.
The Word as a formative cosmic power: by right utterance and inner heat, disorder is reshaped into order.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindonian): mantra as consciousness-force; later resonant with Mīmāṃsā emphasis on mantra-śakti and Upaniṣadic emphasis on truth-consciousness.
Heat = concentrated aspiration; bull = stable spiritual force; battle = inner purification where hostile impulses are transformed into obedient energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the divine priest-power (Brahmaṇaspati) as victorious champion: he answers the battle-call, burns the enemy, and disciplines even ‘ugra’ (raw violent force). This is the archetype of Truth/Word conquering obstruction (dasyu/śatru) in the human field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tap ‘heat’ (PIE *tep- ‘warm’) appears in niṣṭaptā; √sah ‘overcome’ aligns with Indo-Iranian *sah- (cf. Avestan sah- ‘to be able/prevail’); √dam ‘tame’ continues PIE *demh₂- ‘tame’ (cf. Greek damázō). The verse stacks agent nouns (niṣṭaptā, sasahiḥ, damitā) to foreground function-as-power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer addresses Brahmaṇaspati as the inner ally who converts mantra (brahman) into effective victory: the human offers recognition and alignment (naming him satya, disciplinarian), and the deity reciprocates by purifying hostile impulses and uplifting steadfast energies (vīḷu-harṣiṇaḥ).
Invoke the ‘inner Guru of the Word’ to align thought-speech-action; visualize scorching clarity dissolving resistance.
viśuddha (speech/truth) and ājñā (illumination/discernment)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana for 6–12 rounds, then chant on long exhalations to steady the will.
Vigilant, courageous, truth-aligned (sattva with dynamic force).
Before chanting, set the intention: ‘Let my speech be satya and my force be disciplined.’ During the mantra, feel heat rising in the chest/throat, then spreading as calm mastery.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita as per Rigvedic accentuation; key lifts often on vocatives like brahmaṇaspate and force-words (ugrasya, satya).
Keep udātta crisp and slightly raised; let svarita glide down; avoid flattening the cadence—Triṣṭubh needs clear pāda breaks.
anānudo: sustain long ā; retroflex ḍ in -nudo if applicable by recitational tradition, vṛṣabho: ṛ is vocalic; ṣ retroflex, āhavaṃ: long ā; nasalized ṃ at end, niṣṭaptā: ṣṭ cluster clean; avoid inserting a vowel, bṛhaspate/brahmaṇaspate: bṛ with vocalic ṛ; aspirate th in -spati not present—keep ‘sp’ cluster clear, vīḻuharṣiṇaḥ: careful with ḻ/ḷ rendering per your śākhā; keep harṣ- with retroflex ṣ
Firm, resonant, ‘commanding’ yet controlled; end each pāda with grounded closure.
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