Rig Veda 8.19.35: Mandala 8, Sukta 19, Mantra 35
Sukta 8.19
- Rishi
- Sobharī Kāṇva
- Devata
- Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
यूयं राजानः कं चिच्चर्षणीसहः क्षयन्तं मानुषाँ अनु । वयं ते वो वरुण मित्रार्यमन्त्स्यामेदृतस्य रथ्यः ॥
yūyáṃ rājānaḥ káṃ cit carṣaṇī-sahaḥ kṣáyantaṃ mā́nuṣām̐ ánu | vayáṃ te vo váruṇa mítrā́ryamant syā́ma íd ṛtásya rathyáḥ ||
మీరే రాజులు—ఓ చర్షణీసహులు (ప్రజలను నిలబెట్టే శక్తిమంతులు)—మానవులతో కలిసి నివసించువారు. ఓ వరుణ, మిత్ర, ఆర్యమన్! మేము నిజంగా మీ సహచరులమై, ఋత (సత్య-వ్యవస్థ) రథ్యమార్గంలో సాగుదుము గాక.
Word by Word
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- राजानः
- kings, rulersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (यूयम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/सम्बोधनार्थ-समाना)Root राजन्
- कम्
- someone, any (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (क्षयन्तम् इत्यस्य)Root किम्
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root चित्
- चर्षणीसहः
- victorious over (hostile) peoples; people-conqueringAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (राजानः/यूयम्)Root चर्षणी-सह
- क्षयन्तम्
- dwelling, ruling, abidingVerb-participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (कम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)Root क्षि (क्षयति) / √क्षि
- मानुषान्
- men, mortalsNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (अनु इत्यनेन सह: ‘after/among men’)Root मानुष
- अनु
- after, along, amongIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)उपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अनु
- वयम्
- wePronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद्
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (अधिकार/स्वामित्व: ‘thy’)Root त्वद्
- वः
- to you (pl.) / for youPronounचतुर्थी/षष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक; अत्र प्रायः चतुर्थी)Role सम्प्रदान (to you all)Root युष्मद्
- वरुण
- O VaruṇaNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वरुण
- मित्र
- O MitraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot मित्र
- अर्यमन्
- O AryamanNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अर्यमन्
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्)Root अस् (भू) / √अस्
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order/truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (रथ्यः इत्यस्य)Root ऋत
- रथ्यः
- charioteers; those fit for the chariot/road (path-guides)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole प्रेडिकेट-विशेषण (वयम् … स्याम)Root रथ्य
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): यूयम् | राजानः | कम् | चित् | चर्षणीसहः | क्षयन्तम् | मानुषान् | अनु || वयम् | ते | वः | वरुण | मित्र | अर्यमन् | स्याम | ऋतस्य | रथ्यः || 1) कं चित् → कम् + चित् (अनुस्वार/व्यञ्जनसन्धि). 2) मित्रार्यमन्त्- (पाठे ‘मित्रार्य॑म॒न्त्’) → मित्र + अर्यमन् (समाहार/समुच्चय; पदपाठे पृथक् सम्बोधन). 3) स्यामेदृ- इत्यत्र ‘ए’ संधिः: स्याम + (इ)दृश/एदृश-
- संहितापाठे स्यामेदृ… (स्वर-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Ādityas are kings and mighty upholders of peoples, dwelling with humankind. The speaker prays to be their companion—Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman—moving on the chariot-path of ṛta.
Inner meaning
Varuṇa–Mitra–Aryaman are the sovereign triad of inner governance: Varuṇa as vast law and purity, Mitra as harmony and right relation, Aryaman as noble aspiration and disciplined comradeship. They ‘abide with the human’ because the truth-powers are not remote; they can inhabit the human field when invited by sincerity. To become their ‘companions’ is to consent to be ruled inwardly by ṛta—so the life-movement runs on the ‘chariot-track’ of truth rather than on ego’s ruts.
Universal truth
Freedom is not lawlessness; the highest companionship is with truth, harmony, and noble discipline, which make life’s movement straight and fruitful.
Themes
Āditya kingship, walking the path of ṛta, companionship with law-powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Sobharī Kāṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.19, RV 8.20
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns frequently seek a disciplined, truth-led life—invoking sovereign deities to establish inner order and wideness.
Significance
The rishi’s aspiration is ethical-spiritual: not merely protection, but companionship with the divine governors—living as a collaborator of ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Varuṇa–Mitra–Aryaman (Āditya sovereign triad)
- Epithets
- rājānaḥ (kings), carṣaṇīsahaḥ (upholders of the peoples)
- Related deities
- Ādityas, Aditi, Bhaga
Cosmic role
They maintain cosmic and social order: law (Varuṇa), concord (Mitra), noble obligation and right belonging (Aryaman).
Inner power
Inner kingship: conscience, harmonising intelligence, noble will that aligns the whole being to truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocations to Mitra-Varuṇa in śrauta contexts; prayers for social and inner order; could accompany vrata (vow) intentions.
यू॒यं रा॑जान॒: कं चि॑च्चर्षणीसह॒: क्षय॑न्तं॒ मानु॑षाँ॒ अनु॑ । व॒यं ते वो॒ वरु॑ण॒ मित्रार्य॑म॒न्त्स्यामेदृ॒तस्य॑ र॒थ्य॑: ॥
यू॒यम् । रा॒जा॒नः॒ । कम् । चि॒त् । च॒र्ष॒णि॒ऽस॒हः॒ । क्षय॑न्तम् । मानु॑षान् । अनु॑ । व॒यम् । ते । वः॒ । वरु॑ण । मित्र॑ । अर्य॑मन् । स्याम॑ । इत् । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । र॒थ्यः॑ ॥
yūyam | rājānaḥ | kam | cit | carṣaṇi-sahaḥ | kṣayantam | mānuṣān | anu | vayam | te | vaḥ | varuṇa | mitra | aryaman | syāma | it | ṛtasya | rathyaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Sovereign, marching rhythm—well-suited to ‘kingship’ and the forward roll of a chariot.
Instills dignity and rectitude; the cadence feels like steady wheels on a straight road.
- राजानः (rājānaḥ)
- Literal: kings. Symbolic: sovereign inner principles that govern and order consciousness
- चर्षणीसहः (carṣaṇīsahaḥ)
- Literal: upholding/overpowering the peoples. Symbolic: supporting and mastering the many human impulses/‘clans’ within us
- क्षयन्तम् (kṣayantam)
- Literal: dwelling/abiding. Symbolic: indwelling presence of truth-powers in human life
- वरुण (varuṇa)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast purity, law, inward restraint that liberates by right measure
- मित्र (mitra)
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, luminous friendship, right relation
- अर्यमन् (aryaman)
- Literal: Aryaman. Symbolic: noble aspiration, disciplined fellowship, the ‘Arya’ principle
- ऋतस्य रथ्यः (ṛtasya rathyaḥ)
- Literal: chariot-path of ṛta. Symbolic: the destined track of truth-order; right movement of life-force and mind
Āditya-invocation in rites emphasizing social/moral order and protection; supports vows, truth-speaking, and harmonizing movements within the sacrificial community.
At times of seeking right order—beginning of disciplined practice, reconciliation, governance, oath-taking.
Recitation as an appeal for alignment with ṛta; can be paired with offering to solar/Āditya deities.
A mantra for ethical clarity and relationships: before difficult conversations, leadership decisions, or recommitting to a spiritual discipline.
(rājan) from √rāj (PIE *h₃reǵ-): sovereignty. (carṣaṇi) ‘people’ + (saha) ‘strong, bearing’: ‘supporters of the peoples’. (√kṣi) ‘dwell, rule’ (kṣayantam): settled governance. Mitra from √mi ‘to bind’/‘measure’ (Indo-Iranian contract deity): harmony. Varuṇa from √vṛ ‘encompass’ (semantic: the all-encompassing sovereign). Aryaman linked with ‘arya’ (noble order, belonging). (rathya) from ratha ‘chariot’: metaphor for ‘path of right movement’ in ṛta.
ṛta (truth-order), sovereignty and covenant (Varuṇa/Mitra), noble belonging (Aryaman)
Explicit: ‘ṛtasya rathyaḥ’—life moving on truth’s roadway.
To be ‘companions’ implies inner truthfulness and fidelity to the divine law.
Order emerging within the human field—cosmos replicated in the psyche through sovereign principles.
Integral/Vedāntic trajectory: the divine is immanent as governance of consciousness when the being consents.
The straight road of inner rightness along which thought, speech, and action move without deviation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The sovereign gods as ‘kings’ who establish human order, and the seeker as ‘rathya’ on ṛta’s path. Mythically, it is divine kingship and guidance; psychologically, it is aligning life-movement with truth-order under inner sovereign principles.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rājan (< PIE *h₃reǵ-) ties to IE kingship vocabulary (rex/reg-). The Varuṇa–Mitra pair is frequently compared with IE juridical sovereignty (contract/order), paralleling functional structures in other IE traditions (e.g., legal/sovereign dyads).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi asks not merely protection but participation: ‘may we be your people/companions’ and move on ṛta’s chariot-path. The exchange is self-offering to order and truth; the return is stable governance of life by the Ādityas.
Invoke inner kingship: let law (Varuṇa), harmony (Mitra), and noble will (Aryaman) govern the mind and vital.
Viśuddha (truth) and Ājñā (right seeing/governance).
Even-count breathing (sama-vṛtti) while mentally repeating ‘ṛtasya rathyaḥ’ to feel straightness.
Ordered wideness—quiet, upright, ethically luminous.
Contemplate one life-area off the ‘chariot-path’ (speech, desire, habit). Offer it inwardly to Varuṇa-Mitra-Aryaman; take one concrete step to restore ṛta.
Follow Vedic accents as marked; keep udatta lift on key words (yūyáṃ, rājānaḥ, varuṇa, mitra, aryaman, ṛtásya).
Let ‘ṛtasya rathyaḥ’ be articulated as a single purposeful phrase; avoid breaking the compound feel.
yūyaṃ: long ū; nasal ṃ lightly, carṣaṇīsahaḥ: retroflex ṣ; long ī; clear h at end, kṣayantam: kṣ cluster crisp, not ‘kh’, mānuṣān: long ā; retroflex ṣ, syāmed: long ā; dental d
upright, dignified, steady; slightly resonant in chest and throat.
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