Rig Veda 7.78.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 78, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.78
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्रति षीमग्निर्जरते समिद्धः प्रति विप्रासो मतिभिर्गृणन्तः । उषा याति ज्योतिषा बाधमाना विश्वा तमांसि दुरिताप देवी ॥
práti sīm agnír jarate sam-iddháḥ práti viprā́so matíbhir gṛṇántaḥ | uṣā́ yāti jyótiṣā bā́dhamānā víśvā támāṃsi duritā́pa devī ||
ప్రత్యుత్తరంగా, సమిద్ధమైన అగ్ని మేల్కొని వేడితో జ్వలిస్తుంది; ప్రత్యుత్తరంగా, విప్రులు మతి-ప్రేరణలతో స్తుతి గానము చేస్తారు. దేవి ఉషా తన జ్యోతితో ముందుకు సాగుతుంది—సర్వ తమస్సులను వెనక్కి నెట్టుతూ, దురితపు వక్రతను దహించుతూ.
Word by Word
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb)Root प्रति
- सीम्
- indeed, just, straightwayIndeclinableनिपात/अव्यय (enclitic particle)Root सीम्
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि
- जरते
- praises/sings (is praised)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRoot जॄ (जर्) / जॄ-धातु (to sing/praise)
- समिद्धः
- kindled, well-litAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/क्तवत्-भाव, PPP)Role Kartā (विशेषण of अग्निः)Root सम्-इन्ध् (to kindle) → समिद्ध (PPP)
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्रति
- विप्रासः
- inspired poets/seersNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विप्र
- मतिभिः
- with thoughts/insights (hymns)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मति
- गृणन्तः
- praising, singingVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त; परस्मैपद-प्रत्यय; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (कर्तरि शतृ)Role Kartā (विप्रासः के विशेषणम्)Root गृ (गृण्) (to sing/praise)
- उषाः
- Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot उषस्
- याति
- goes, comesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRoot या (to go)
- ज्योतिषा
- with lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ज्योतिस्
- बाधमाना
- driving away, dispellingVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमा; एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कर्तरि शानच्)Role Kartā (उषाः के विशेषणम्)Root बाध् (to press, drive away, repel) → बाधमान (pres. mid. ptc.)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (विशेषणम्)Role Karma (बाधमाना के)Root विश्व
- तमांसि
- darknessesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तमस्
- दुरिताप
- from distress/evilNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन (अपादान-अर्थे)Role ApādānaRoot दुरिताप् (दुरित + आप्/आप्-प्रत्यय; ‘evil-affliction’)
- देवी
- the goddessNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (उषाः का विशेषण/सम्बोधन-भावः)Root देवी
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: प्रति | सीम् | अग्निः | जरते | समिद्धः || प्रति | विप्रासः | मतिभिः | गृणन्तः | उषाः | याति | ज्योतिषा | बाधमाना | विश्वा | तमांसि | दुरिताप् | देवी || मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) अग्निर्जरते = अग्निः + जरते (विसर्ग→र्, रकारादेशः)
- (2) समिद्धः प्रति = समिद्धः + प्रति (विसर्गः पदान्ते)
- (3) विप्रासो मतिभिः = विप्रासः + मतिभिः (विसर्ग→ओ, सवर्णदीर्घ/ओ-आदेशः पदसन्धिः)
- (4) मतिभिर्गृणन्तः = मतिभिः + गृणन्तः (विसर्ग→र्)
- (5) विश्वा तमांसि = विश्वा + तमांसि (सन्धि न आवश्यक; पदान्त-अकारः)
- (6) दुरिताप दे॒वी = दुरिताप् + देवी (पदपाठे दुरिताप्; संहितायां दुरिताप् देवी)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In response, the kindled Agni awakens; in response, the seers sing. Dawn advances with her light, driving back all darkness and burning away difficulty.
Inner meaning
When aspiration is kindled, the inner Fire (Agni—will and soul-force) grows warm and active; the illumined faculties (viprāsaḥ) respond with inspired thought. Uṣas then moves as a decisive light-force that presses back obscurity and ‘burns away’ inner distortions (duritā)—habits, crooked movements, and subconscient resistance.
Universal truth
Illumination is not passive: it is a dynamic power that awakens will, inspires understanding, and actively clears inner suffering and confusion.
Themes
Agni and Uṣas cooperation, Mantra as instrument (gṛṇanti), Purification and overcoming
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.78.1, RV 7.78.3, RV 7.77 (Uṣas), RV 7.18 (Indra)
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 7’s steady emphasis on right-ordered progress: light awakens Agni and the inspired word.
Significance
The seer shows the integral interplay: Agni (will) + vipra-mati (illumined thought) + Uṣas (awakening light) together accomplish purification and forward movement.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas (with Agni as co-present)
- Epithets
- devī (goddess), vibhātī (shining)
- Related deities
- Agni, Sūrya, Indra, Aśvins
Cosmic role
Uṣas initiates the day’s order by dispelling darkness; Agni sustains the sacrificial process as the awakened flame.
Inner power
Uṣas: illumining force that clears obscurity; Agni: the inner leader that responds and grows by offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn hymn accompanying kindling of the fire; congenial to Agnihotra mood though the hymn is Ṛgvedic stuti.
प्रति॑ षीम॒ग्निर्ज॑रते॒ समि॑द्ध॒: प्रति॒ विप्रा॑सो म॒तिभि॑र्गृ॒णन्त॑: । उ॒षा या॑ति॒ ज्योति॑षा॒ बाध॑माना॒ विश्वा॒ तमां॑सि दुरि॒ताप॑ दे॒वी ॥
प्रति॑ । सी॒म् । अ॒ग्निः । ज॒र॒ते॒ । सम्ऽइ॑द्धः । प्रति॑ । विप्रा॑सः । म॒तिऽभिः॑ । गृ॒णन्तः॑ । उ॒षाः । या॒ति॒ । ज्योति॑षा । बाध॑माना । विश्वा॑ । तमां॑सि । दुः॒ऽइ॒ता । अप॑ । दे॒वी ॥
prati | sīm | agniḥ | jarate | sam-iddhaḥ | prati | viprāsaḥ | mati-bhiḥ | gṛṇantaḥ | uṣāḥ | yāti | jyotiṣā | bādhamānā | viśvā | tamāṃsi | duḥ-itā | apa | devī
44
4 × ~11
Energetic, responsive antiphony (‘prati… prati…’) creating a call-and-answer feel.
Elicits wakefulness and resolve; supports a cleansing, energizing inner mood.
- agnir samiddhaḥ
- Literal: Agni kindled. Symbolic: awakened psychic will; ignited aspiration leading the inner sacrifice
- jarate
- Literal: grows warm, becomes active. Symbolic: will-force intensifies; tapas becomes operative
- viprāsaḥ
- Literal: seers, inspired ones. Symbolic: illumined mind-powers that can articulate truth
- matibhiḥ gṛṇantaḥ
- Literal: singing with thoughts. Symbolic: mantric thinking; inspired formulation aligning mind with light
- jyotiṣā bādhamānā
- Literal: pressing with light. Symbolic: light as force that dislodges resistance, not mere idea
- viśvā tamāṃsi
- Literal: all darknesses. Symbolic: layers of ignorance from surface mind to subconscient
- duritā
- Literal: difficulties, wrong paths, distress. Symbolic: crooked movements of nature; inner suffering born of falsehood
- apā (apa)
- Literal: away. Symbolic: expulsion/purification; clearing the field for right action
Practical dawn sequence: kindling of Agni and chanting by vipras in the morning; thematically fits the daily rekindling and recitation cycle (general).
Early morning, at lighting lamp/fire, beginning of japa or study.
Kindling (samidh) + recitation; praise to invoke purification and clarity.
Chant at the start of practice to ‘ignite’ will and clear mental heaviness; pair with lighting a ghee lamp.
from √ag/√añc ‘to move, drive’ (and ‘fire’): psychologically the moving flame of will. (sam-iddha) from √indh ‘to kindle’: intensified inner ignition. from √bādh ‘to press, afflict, drive away’: Dawn’s light actively overcomes obscurity. - (durita-apa) ‘away from durita’—durita from dur- ‘bad/difficult’ + √i ‘to go’ (that which ‘goes badly’, mis-going): hence inner crooked movement corrected by light.
Ṛta as responsive harmony (prati...prati), tapas/inner heat (Agni jarate), purification by light (duritāpa)
Dawn’s light re-establishes right functioning by removing the cover and crookedness.
Vipra-mati becomes a vehicle of satya when Agni is kindled.
Daily victory of light over darkness as perpetual cosmic maintenance.
Integral-psychological (Aurobindo/Kashyap): purification of nature by descending/arriving light and awakened will.
dawn
Ignition of aspiration and the clearing of inner obscurity; light functioning as an active purifying pressure.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cooperative advent of light: Agni is kindled and the seers sing; then Uṣas advances, driving away darkness. Mythically it is dawn dispersing night; psychologically it is aspiration + mantra enabling illumination that removes inner mis-going (durita).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √indh ‘kindle’ is Indo-Iranian (cf. Avestan aēnd- ‘ignite’), showing a shared ritual-psychological lexicon of ‘ignition’ as activation. √bādh ‘press/drive away’ has parallels in Indo-Iranian semantics of afflicting/repelling, supporting the active (not passive) nature of illumination.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi’s act (gṛṇanti with mati) and the priestly act (kindling Agni) are presented as conditions that call forth Dawn’s victorious movement. The deities respond to human aspiration by transforming the inner field—darkness is not merely ‘gone’ but ‘pushed back’.
Feel the inner fire respond; let the mantra become ‘mati’—a luminous thought-current that presses out dullness and wrong turns.
Maṇipūra (Agni/tapas) supporting Ājñā (illumination).
Bhastrikā-light (or brisk kapalabhāti if suitable) 30–60 strokes, then calm breathing with mantra repetition.
Energized clarity; purification-in-action.
If tamas or confusion arises, do not argue with it—apply steady light-pressure (jyotiṣā bādhamānā) and rekindle aspiration (samiddhaḥ agniḥ).
Maintain clear udātta on ‘agníḥ’ and ‘uṣā́’; the repeated ‘prati’ benefits from a crisp, slightly lifted onset.
Mark the parallelism: ‘prati… prati…’ as two balanced openings; keep ‘jyotiṣā bādhamānā’ as one flowing unit.
samiddhaḥ: double ‘ddh’ with aspiration, viprāso: long ‘ā’, matibhir: light ‘bh’ aspiration, bādhamānā: long ‘ā’ vowels; dental ‘dh’, duritāpa: articulate ‘ri’ clearly; avoid swallowing syllables
Clear, warming, slightly forceful but controlled.
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