Rig Veda 2.23.16: Mandala 2, Sukta 23, Mantra 16
Sukta 2.23
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मा नः स्तेनेभ्यो ये अभि द्रुहस्पदे निरामिणो रिपवोऽन्नेषु जागृधुः । आ देवानामोहते वि व्रयो हृदि बृहस्पते न परः साम्नो विदुः ॥
mā́ naḥ stenébhyo yé abhí druháspade nirāmíṇo ripávo ánneṣu jāgṛdhúḥ | ā́ devā́nām óhate ví vrayó hṛdí bṛ́haspate ná paráḥ sāmno viduḥ ||
మమ్మల్ని ఆ స్తేన (దొంగలు) చేరనీయకు; మా పద (ఆధారం)పై ద్రోహం చేయు యోచన కలవారు, అన్నములపై ఆకలితో కాచుకొను నిరామిణ (చికిత్సలేని) రిపువులు. ఓ బృహస్పతే! నీవు దేవుల రక్షక ఆవరణాన్ని నేస్తావు; హృదయంలోని వ్రయ (బంధనం/ఆవరణం)ను విప్పుతావు—సామన్ గీతంలోని గూఢ సమన్వయాలను నీకన్నా మిన్నగా ఎవరూ ఎరుగరు.
Word by Word
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध) / mā́
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? बहुवचन (enclitic gen./dat. ‘of us/to us’; here genitive)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary/affected)Root अस्मद्
- स्तेनेभ्यः
- from thievesNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी बहुवचनRole ApādānaRoot स्तेन
- ये
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद्
- अभि
- against, towardIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)उपसर्ग/उपपदRoot अभि
- द्रुहः
- of hostility / of treacheryNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Vedic: ‘द्रुहः’ = gen. sg.)Role Adhikaraṇa (in relation to ‘place of’)Root द्रुह् (प्रातिपदिक: द्रुह्/द्रुह-)
- पदे
- in the place/footingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पद
- निः
- out, awayIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot निः
- आमिणः
- injurers, afflictersNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Vedic form; ‘harmers/afflicters’)Role Kartā (apposition to ‘रिपवः’)Root आमिन् (प्रातिपदिक) / √मि? (Vedic denom.)
- रिपवः
- enemiesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot रिपु
- अन्नेषु
- in/among foodsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्न
- जागृधुः
- have been awake / lie in waitVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, ३ पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √जागृ (जागर्ति)
- आ
- toward, hitherIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot आ
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root देव
- ओहते
- brings/impels (hither) / wards (for)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपद, ३ पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √वह् (with preverb: आ-उह/ओह; Vedic ‘to bring/drive/ward off’)
- वि
- apart, asunderIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot वि
- व्रयः
- a defence / enclosureNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot व्रय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘enclosure/defence, rampart’)
- हृदि
- in the heartNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot हृद्
- बृहस्पते
- O BṛhaspatiNoun (deity, vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन एकवचनRoot बृहस्पति
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध/तुलनार्थक अव्यय (here: negation)Root न
- परः
- the farther one / anyone beyondAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (of ‘विदुः’)Root पर
- साम्नः
- of the chant / of the sāmanNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Vedic: ‘साम्नः’)Role SambandhaRoot सामन्
- विदुः
- have known / knowVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, ३ पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √विद् (to know)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved padapāṭha-style splits: न॑:→नः
- स्ते॒नेभ्यो॒→स्तेनेभ्यः
- ये अ॒भि→ये + अभि
- द्रु॒हस्प॒दे→द्रुहः + पदे (gen.sg + loc.sg; Vedic gen. ‘-अः’)
- नि॑रा॒मिणो॑→निः + आमिणः
- रिपवोऽन्ने॑षु→रिपवः + अन्नेषु
- दे॒वाना॒मोह॑ते→देवानाम् + ओहते
- वि व्रयो॑→वि + व्रयः
- हृ॒दि बृह॑स्पते→हृदि + बृहस्पते
- न प॒रः→न + परः
- साम्नो॑→साम्नः. Accent marks retained in source but not encoded per-word here beyond the given pada forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer that treacherous thieves and hostile foes who hunger for our food not reach us; Bṛhaspati is invoked as the divine protector who weaves a safeguarding cover and opens the inner enclosures
Inner meaning
The “thieves” are forces of distortion—desire, doubt, hostile suggestions—that try to steal the soul’s footing (pada) and drain the inner sustenance (anna) meant for growth. Bṛhaspati, the power of the illumined Word, forms a protective sheath around the seeker’s consciousness and breaks open the closed places in the heart, releasing concealed harmonies of mantric knowledge. The verse asks for psychic immunity and for the opening of the heart’s sealed chambers so the true mantra-vibration can govern the life-movement.
Universal truth
Progress requires both protection from inner sabotage and a positive opening to higher guidance. When the illumined intelligence (the Word-power) becomes active, it both guards the journey and reveals the hidden order within the heart, aligning life with truth through right vibration.
Themes
Protection from theft/treachery, Guarding sustenance, Opening inner enclosures, Mantric harmony
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.23, Rig Veda 2.24
Family tradition
Bhṛgu-line seers noted for mantra-craft and priestly illumination; in Maṇḍala 2 Gṛtsamada’s hymns strongly develop Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati as the power of inspired speech that breaks obstructions.
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s vision emphasizes the Word as a living force: it protects, opens the heart, and establishes right movement (ṛta) by removing inner treachery and sealing the being in a luminous order.
The deity
- Devata
- Bṛhaspati
- Epithets
- Brahmaṇaspati (closely allied form), Kavi (seer-poet, implied by mastery of sāmans), Protector/Weaver of divine cover (ohate), Opener of enclosures (vi vrayaḥ)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Sarasvatī, Tvaṣṭṛ
Cosmic role
Lord of sacred speech and priestly power; guardian of the gods’ work; breaker of closed formations that withhold light and abundance.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence expressing itself as mantra—discerning, protecting, and opening the psychic heart so higher truth can descend and govern.
In ritual
Where it is used
Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati stotras within Soma-yajña or allied śrauta recitations; also protective invocations in priestly contexts.
मा न॑: स्ते॒नेभ्यो॒ ये अ॒भि द्रु॒हस्प॒दे नि॑रा॒मिणो॑ रि॒पवोऽन्ने॑षु जागृ॒धुः । आ दे॒वाना॒मोह॑ते॒ वि व्रयो॑ हृ॒दि बृह॑स्पते॒ न प॒रः साम्नो॑ विदुः ॥
मा । नः॒ । स्ते॒नेभ्यः॑ । ये । अ॒भि । द्रु॒हः । प॒दे । नि॒रा॒मिणः॑ । रि॒पवः॑ । अन्ने॑षु । ज॒गृ॒धुः । आ । दे॒वाना॑म् । ओह॑ते । वि । व्रयः॑ । हृ॒दि । बृह॑स्पते । न । प॒रः । साम्नः॑ । वि॒दुः॒ ॥
mā | naḥ | stenebhyaḥ | ye | abhi | druhaḥ | pade | nirāmiṇaḥ | ripavaḥ | anneṣu | jagṛdhuḥ | ā | devānām | ohate | vi | vrayaḥ | hṛdi | bṛhaspate | na | paraḥ | sāmnaḥ | viduḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Firm, forward-driving, with room for emphatic turns (ideal for protection + opening motifs).
Builds a sense of guarded strength and decisive inner clearing; the cadence supports rejection of hostile impulses and invocation of heart-opening force.
- स्तेनेभ्यः (stenebhyaḥ)
- Literal: thieves. Symbolic: forces that steal clarity/energy—desire, falsehood, hostile impulses
- द्रुहः (druhaḥ)
- Literal: treachery. Symbolic: inner betrayal of truth; crooked will, deceit of ego
- पदे (pade)
- Literal: footing, step. Symbolic: stable inner station; sure basis of sādhanā
- निरामिणः (nirāmiṇaḥ)
- Literal: unhealing, not curing. Symbolic: habits/resistances that do not amend; chronic obscurity
- रिपवः (ripavaḥ)
- Literal: enemies. Symbolic: adverse movements in mind/vital
- अन्नेषु (anneṣu)
- Literal: in foods. Symbolic: in the inner nourishment—joy, strength, prāṇa, insight
- ओहते (ohate)
- Literal: he weaves/covers. Symbolic: forms a protective envelope of right thought and mantra-force
- व्रयः (vrayaḥ)
- Literal: enclosures, pens. Symbolic: closed formations in the heart/mind that imprison light
- हृदि (hṛdi)
- Literal: in the heart. Symbolic: the psychic center where truth can be felt
- साम्नः (sāmnaḥ)
- Literal: of the chant, sāman. Symbolic: secret harmonies of mantra; inner music of truth
Protection of the sacrifice and its ‘anna’ (offerings/sustenance); safeguarding the sāman/chant-power and inner coherence of the rite.
During praise/śastra sequences invoking priestly power and protection; adaptable as a protective prayer before undertakings.
Recitation to invoke safeguarding and the opening of hidden ‘pens’ (symbolically: release of boons/insights).
Use as a mantra for psychic protection and heart-opening before meditation, study, or public speaking; set an intention to refuse inner sabotage and invite right speech.
stena ‘thief’ (stealing light/energy); druh ‘to harm/betray’ (druhaḥ). anna ‘food’ as life-sustaining substance. √vah/√vay? in vrayaḥ (interpreted as ‘enclosure/partition’; Vedic lexeme indicating barred space). sāman from √sā/śam ‘to make harmonious/soothe’ (chant as harmonizing power).
Heart (hṛd) as seat of inner rhythm, Sāman as harmonizing truth-speech, Theft as loss of light/energy
Bṛhaspati’s protection is the guarding of ṛta against druḥ (treachery) that derails right movement.
True harmony of the sāman is known by Bṛhaspati—speech aligned with truth becomes effective power.
Opening of inner enclosures mirrors the Vedic creation motif: light and waters released from confinement.
Proto-Vedāntic/Mantra-brahman emphasis (Word as creative and revelatory power).
The ‘cover’ is a sheath of luminous discernment; ‘enclosures’ are knots in the heart-consciousness; ‘food’ is the subtle energy of joy and strength needed for growth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘theft of sustenance/light’ by hostile powers and the divine counteraction: Bṛhaspati as weaver of divine protection and opener of inner enclosures, safeguarding the mantric harmony (sāman).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The semantic field of theft/treachery (stena, druh) parallels IE social-ethical vocabulary; ‘heart’ hṛd continues PIE *ḱḗr(d)- (cf. Latin cor). The verse juxtaposes external threat (thieves) with internal locus (hṛdi), a common IE poetic mapping.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts the stability of both rite and inner being to Bṛhaspati: he is asked to prevent predatory forces from feeding on the seeker’s ‘anna’ and to maintain the hidden knowledge of sāman within the heart.
Invoke the illumined Word as a protective intelligence; contemplate the heart-cave opening to reveal inner harmonies.
Anāhata (heart)
Nādi-śodhana or slow 1:2 breathing to stabilize and ‘seal’ the field before recitation.
Protected inwardness leading to receptive, luminous listening (śravaṇa within).
Begin with a brief inner refusal of ‘thieves’ (intrusive thoughts). Chant slowly, then sit in silence at the heart, sensing an opening and a subtle ‘music’ of right thought.
Triṣṭubh with Vedic svara: udatta peaks typically on key verbs/nouns; anudatta/svarita follow sandhi rules (requires śākhā-specific notation for exact markings).
Emphasize the prohibitive/guarding movement in the first hemistich; give clear lift to invocative ‘bṛhaspate’ and to opening verbs (vi…).
Keep retroflex ḍh in ‘viḍuḥ’ distinct from dental, ‘bṛhaspate’ with syllabic ṛ (bṛ-) not ‘bri-’, ‘druhaḥ’ with clear aspirate h, Avoid swallowing visarga in ‘ripa(vo) ’nneṣu’—maintain sandhi clarity
Firm, protective, then widening and resonant on the heart-opening phrases.
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