Rig Veda 7.59.7: Mandala 7, Sukta 59, Mantra 7
Sukta 7.59
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
सस्वश्चिद्धि तन्वः शुम्भमाना आ हंसासो नीलपृष्ठा अपप्तन् । विश्वं शर्धो अभितो मा नि षेद नरो न रण्वाः सवने मदन्तः ॥
sasváś cid dhí tanváḥ śúmbhamānā ā́ haṃsā́so nī́la-pṛṣṭhā apaptan | víśvaṃ śárdho abhíto mā́ ní ṣeda náro ná raṇvā́ḥ sávane mádantaḥ ||
తమ తను(శరీర)లను అలంకరించుకుంటూనే వారు ఇక్కడికి ఎగిరివచ్చారు—నీలపృష్ఠ హంసల వలె. సమస్త శర్ధ (దళం) నా చుట్టూ కూర్చునుగాక; సవనంలో మదంతో మత్తులై ఆనందించే రణ్వ (రమ్య) వీరనరుల వలె.
Word by Word
- सस्वः
- one’s own; self’sAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (here agreeing with implied subject/collective)Role Kartā (with implied verb ‘अपप्तन्’)Root सस्वस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्व’/‘स्वस्’ = own, self; Vedic form)
- चित्
- indeed; evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (अव्यय; emphatic particle)
- हि
- for; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot हि (अव्यय; causal/emphatic)
- तन्वः
- of the body; of the personNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (Vedic: तन्वः = तन्वाः/तन्वाः type gen.sg.)Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root तनू- (स्त्री; ‘body, person’)
- शुम्भमानाः
- adorning themselves; shiningAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; वर्तमान (लट्-समकालिक) आत्मनेपदी कृदन्तRole Kartā (qualifying the flying ones)Root शुभ् (धातु) → शुम्भमान- (वर्तमान कृदन्त, आत्मनेपद)
- आ
- towards; hitherIndeclinableअव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- हंसासः
- swans; geeseNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (of ‘अपप्तन्’)Root हंस- (पुं; ‘swan/goose’)
- नीलपृष्ठाः
- blue-backedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with हंसासः)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root नील-पृष्ठ- (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय; ‘blue-backed’)
- अपप्तन्
- they flew; they dartedVerbलुङ् (aorist); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; बहुवचनRole Kriyā (main verb)Root पत् (धातु) + अप (उपसर्ग) → अप-√पत्
- विश्वम्
- all; the whole (mass)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (object of ‘नि षेद’)Root विश्व- (सर्व/विशेषण ‘all’)
- शर्धः
- host; troopNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (here appositional with विश्वम्; taken as acc. with it)Role Karma (in apposition to विश्वम्)Root शर्धस्- (नपुं; ‘troop, host’)
- अभितः
- around; on all sidesIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (circumstantial: ‘around’)Root अभितः (अव्यय)
- मा
- mePronounउत्तमपुरुष; द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (object with ‘अभितः’ / of surrounding)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम) → मा (enclitic acc.)
- नि
- down; in; intoIndeclinableअव्ययRoot नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- षेद
- let it settle/sitVerbलोट् (imperative); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRole Kriyā (injunctive/imperative: ‘let … sit/settle’)Root सद् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग) → नि-√सद्
- नरः
- men; heroesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (of participle ‘मदन्तः’)Root नर- (पुं; ‘man, hero’)
- न
- like; asIndeclinableअव्ययRoot न (अव्यय; comparative ‘like’)
- रण्वाः
- delightful; gladdeningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with नरः)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root रण्व- (विशेषण; ‘delighting, pleasant, gladdening’)
- सवने
- in the Soma-pressing; at the riteNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (locus: ‘at/in the pressing’)Root सवन- (नपुं; ‘pressing, Soma-pressing, rite’)
- मदन्तः
- rejoicing; exhilaratedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; वर्तमान परस्मैपदी कृदन्तRole Kartā (describing नरः)Root मद् (धातु) → मदन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): सस्वः चित् हि तन्वः शुम्भमानाः आ हंसासः नीलपृष्ठाः अपप्तन् । विश्वम् शर्धः अभितः मा नि षेद । नरः न रण्वाः सवने मदन्तः ॥ प्रमुख संधि: (1) सस्वश्चिद्धि = सस्वः + चित् + हि (विसर्ग-लोप/समुच्चय)
- (2) तन्वः शुम्भमानाः: तनू-षष्ठी एकवचन ‘तन्वः’ (Vedic gen.sg.)
- (3) हंसासो नीलपृष्ठा = हंसासः + नीलपृष्ठाः (ओ/अः पदान्त रूपभेद)
- (4) अपप्तन् = अ + √पत् (लुङ्) with उपसर्ग ‘अप-’
- (5) नि षेद = नि + (उपसर्ग-संयोग) √सद्, लोट् 3sg ‘षेद’ (Vedic spelling with ṣ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Maruts, adorning their bodies, have flown here of themselves like swans with dark-blue backs. Let the whole troop sit around me, like heroic men rejoicing, intoxicated at the Soma pressing.
Inner meaning
The divine life-forces arrive spontaneously when the inner atmosphere is ready; their ‘adorned bodies’ indicate harmonized energies—prāṇa refined into beauty and right form. The swan-image (haṃsa) suggests discernment and luminous movement in consciousness; the ‘dark-blue back’ hints at vast depth (nīla) of the overmind-like sky behind their radiance. The host settling ‘around me’ signifies the seeker being encircled by protective, strengthening currents; ‘intoxicated at the pressing’ indicates that when Soma is pressed within (extracted delight from experience), these forces rejoice and amplify the uplift.
Universal truth
When inner offering becomes sincere and ripe, higher energies arrive naturally, surround the aspirant with protection, and turn life into a joyful, courageous movement.
Themes
Marut epiphany, protective surrounding, Soma exhilaration
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha-gotra)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.2 (Agni as priest/leader), RV 7.60-61 (cosmic order themes around dawn and movement)
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 7’s Vasiṣṭha tradition often depicts the gods’ arrival, seating, and action as a lived inner event—visionary yet disciplined.
Significance
The seer reports a sign of attainment: the powers come ‘of themselves’—a hallmark of increasing receptivity and alignment with ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- śumbhamānāḥ (self-adorning), nīlapṛṣṭhāḥ (blue-backed), raṇvāḥ (delighting)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
They move as a coordinated host through the mid-world, bringing force, rain, and the impetus for Indra’s victories.
Inner power
They are the collective dynamisms that beautify and energize the nature, creating a protective circumference and heroic joy in spiritual effort.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-pressing context: welcoming the Marut host to the sacrifice
स॒स्वश्चि॒द्धि त॒न्व१॒॑: शुम्भ॑माना॒ आ हं॒सासो॒ नील॑पृष्ठा अपप्तन् । विश्वं॒ शर्धो॑ अ॒भितो॑ मा॒ नि षे॑द॒ नरो॒ न र॒ण्वाः सव॑ने॒ मद॑न्तः ॥
स॒स्वरिति॑ । चि॒त् । हि । त॒न्वः॑ । शुम्भ॑मानाः । आ । हं॒सासः॑ । नील॑ऽपृष्ठाः । अ॒प॒प्त॒न् । विश्व॑म् । शर्धः॑ । अ॒भितः॑ । मा॒ । नि । से॒द॒ । नरः॑ । न । र॒ण्वाः । सव॑ने । मद॑न्तः ॥
sasvariti | cit | hi | tanvaḥ | śumbhamānāḥ | ā | haṃsāsaḥ | nīla-pṛṣṭhāḥ | apaptan | viśvam | śardhaḥ | abhitaḥ | mā | ni | seda | naraḥ | na | raṇvāḥ | savane | madantaḥ
44
4 × 11 syllables
Flowing, image-rich, with a settling cadence in the second hemistich
Induces a felt ‘arrival’ and ‘encircling’—a spacious, protective atmosphere around the listener.
- शुम्भमानाः (śumbhamānāḥ)
- Literal: adorning, shining, making beautiful. Symbolic: energies purified and harmonized into luminous right action
- हंसासः (haṃsāsaḥ)
- Literal: swans. Symbolic: soul-discernment, free movement of consciousness, luminous flight
- नीलपृष्ठाः (nīlapṛṣṭhāḥ)
- Literal: dark-blue-backed. Symbolic: radiance supported by vast depth; the infinite sky of consciousness
- शर्धः (śardhaḥ)
- Literal: host, troop. Symbolic: collective powers working together in the being
- अभितो मा नि सेद (abhito mā ni ṣeda)
- Literal: sit around me. Symbolic: form a protective and strengthening circle in the consciousness
- सवने मदन्तः (savane madantaḥ)
- Literal: rejoicing at the pressing. Symbolic: uplift and ecstasy when Soma (ānanda) is extracted and received
Epiphany-description and settling of the Marut host around the sacrificer; complements Soma pressing liturgy by visualizing divine arrival and encirclement.
During/after invitations when envisioning the gods’ arrival and seating
Visualization of arrival; offering continues; communal rejoicing
Guided meditation mantra for sensing supportive energies ‘arrive’ and ‘sit’ around one’s practice space (protective field visualization).
haṃsa- ‘swan’ is a Vedic symbol of high flight and discernment; here tied to storm-color nīla-pṛṣṭha ‘dark-backed’ suggesting cloud-borne motion. √pat ‘fly’ is pan-IE (cf. Latin petō ‘seek/attack’ is different; but PIE *pet- ‘fly’ appears in some branches). śardha- ‘host’ denotes collective martial/divine troop. śumbh- ‘adorn, shine’ indicates epiphanic manifestation.
epiphany (self-manifesting forms), protective encirclement by divine host, Soma-delight as intensifier of divine-human communion
Spontaneous arrival indicates harmony between aspiration and cosmic order.
The vision-image functions as satya in experience—truth seen as living movement.
From vastness (blue depth) to formed beauty (śumbha) and heroic action—manifestation of force into ordered life.
Vedic symbolic psychology; also resonates with later haṃsa symbolism of inner freedom.
Morning sky imagery (blue) implied
Higher prāṇic currents flying in, supported by vast calm, settling as a protective aura and joyful strength.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The epiphany of the Marut-host: they ‘fly’ in like a flock and ‘settle around’ the poet. Inner sense: the self-impelled life-forces, adorning their forms, descend and arrange themselves concentrically around the inner being, forming a protective and energizing field during the Soma-pressing (savana).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The collective ‘host’ (śardha) and martial simile ‘like men/heroes’ reflect an IE warrior-band poetic template applied to storm-gods. The flight/flock imagery is also widespread in IE hymnody as a sign of divine approach and epiphany.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests intimate proximity: ‘let the whole host settle around me’. The gods are not distant recipients but surrounding allies; their Soma-joy (madantaḥ) is meant to translate into energized protection and a heightened state of consciousness in the sacrificer.
Receptivity to descending supportive forces; building a protective field around the practitioner.
Anāhata (field/embrace) and Ājñā (vision of arrival)
On inhale, imagine ‘haṃsa’ rising through the spine; on exhale, feel the host ‘ni ṣeda’—settling around you as a calm circumference.
Receptive wonder moving into stable, energized joy
Chant softly, then pause in silence sensing subtle ‘winds’ around the body; let the feeling of being ‘surrounded’ remove fear and dispersion.
Accent-sensitive; keep image-words clear: śumbhamānāḥ, haṃsāsaḥ, nīlapṛṣṭhāḥ.
Maintain caesura after vivid images; avoid rushing consonant clusters (nīla-pṛṣṭhāḥ).
śumbh-: palatal ś, nasal mbh, haṃsāsaḥ: anusvāra before s, nīlapṛṣṭhāḥ: retroflex ṣṭh, ṣeda: retroflex ṣ
Lyrical, spacious, with a settling finish
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