Rig Veda 8.5.13: Mandala 8, Sukta 5, Mantra 13
Sukta 8.5
- Rishi
- Kāṇva/pragātha tradition
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- To be validated
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
नि षु ब्रह्म जनानां याविष्टं तूयमा गतम् । मो ष्वन्याँ उपारतम् ॥
ni ṣu bráhma jánānāṃ yā́viṣṭaṃ tū́yam ā́ gatam | mo ṣv anyā́ṃ úpāratam ||
జనుల బ్రహ్మం—ప్రేరిత వాణి—వద్దకు అతి వేగంగా దిగివచ్చండి; వెంటనే వచ్చి చేరండి. ఇతర పిలుపుల వైపు మళ్లకండి; ఆత్మోచ్చారణ సిద్ధంగా ఉన్న ఇక్కడికే సమీపించండి.
Word by Word
- नि
- down; in; forth (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- सु
- indeed; well; surelyIndeclinablenipāta (emphatic/particle)Root सु (nipāta)
- ब्रह्म
- sacred utterance; hymn; prayerNounneuter, nominative/accusative, singularRole Karma (object) (with implied verb of placing/uttering) / or Kartā if taken as subjectRoot ब्रह्मन् (prātipadika)
- जनानाम्
- of the peopleNounmasculine, genitive, pluralRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitival relation)Root जन (prātipadika)
- याविष्टम्
- most swift; very rapidAdjectiveneuter, nominative/accusative, singular (agreeing with an implied neuter, often ‘(rathaṃ) yāviṣṭam’ or ‘(gamanam)’)Role Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)Root याविष्ठ (prātipadika; superlative of यावन्/यावत् ‘swift/impetuous’ in Vedic usage)
- तूयम्
- swiftly; quicklyIndeclinableadverbRoot तूयम् (avyaya/adverb from *tūya-)
- आ
- towards; hither (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- गतम्
- Verb (participle)past passive participle, neuter, nominative/accusative, singularRole Karma/Predicative (Root √गम् (gam) → गत (PPP)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableprohibitive (used with injunctive/imperative sense)Root मा (prohibitive particle)
- सु
- indeed; at allIndeclinablenipāta (emphatic particle)Root सु (nipāta)
- अन्यान्
- othersPronoun/Adjectivemasculine, accusative, pluralRole Karma (object)Root अन्य (prātipadika)
- उप
- near; towards (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root उप (upasarga)
- आरतम्
- stopped; held back; kept awayVerb (participle) / Adjectivepast participle/adj., masculine, accusative, plural (agreeing with अन्यान्)Role Karma (predicative with implied verb ‘make/leave’ under prohibition)Root √रम् (ram) with ā- → आरत (PPP/adj.)
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution: नि षु → नि सु (ṣu is the Vedic particle su with ṣ- by sandhi after i)
- मो ष्व अन्याँ → मा सु अन्यान् (mo is mā with o-vowel before following s(u); ṣv is su with v-insertion before vowel; अन्याँ is accus. pl. masc. an्- ending, normalized as अन्यान्). Other words are already in resolved form. Accent marks in the Saṃhitā are not reproduced in the pada list
- analysis is morphological
The meaning
Outer meaning
An urgent invitation to the Aśvins: come quickly to the peoples’ brahman (inspired utterance); do not turn aside to other calls—approach here.
Inner meaning
The ‘brahma’ is the soul’s formative word of aspiration. The mantra asks the twin powers to descend into the field of collective human consciousness (janānām) swiftly, not letting the mind be diverted by lesser attractions (‘other calls’). It is the psychology of concentration: keep the divine help oriented to the central flame of aspiration rather than scattered impulses.
Universal truth
Spiritual help responds most fully where aspiration is clear, swift, and undiverted; the decisive condition is sincerity and one-pointedness.
Themes
invitation exclusivity, mantra-power, swift descent
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva (Pragātha/Kāṇva tradition of RV 8.5)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.5.12–16 (sequence), RV 1.47–1.50 (Aśvin-related themes in early maṇḍala; thematic parallels)
Family tradition
Kāṇva pragāthas often carry the tone of immediate summons, emphasizing efficacy of the spoken will (brahman) and the need for undistracted calling.
Significance
Represents the yogic discipline of ‘one call’: the mantra trains the being to refuse dispersion and to magnetize descent through concentrated speech and intention.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Nāsatyā, swift ones (tūyam implied)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Sarasvatī (brahman/inspiration), Agni
Cosmic role
Arrive first at dawn; restore and renew; respond to invocation; guide transitions from night to light.
Inner power
Quick harmonizers of the prāṇa-mind system; they align scattered movements into a single progressive current toward illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation within Soma rites; also general stotra calling the deities to the brahman.
नि षु ब्रह्म॒ जना॑नां॒ यावि॑ष्टं॒ तूय॒मा ग॑तम् । मो ष्व१॒॑न्याँ उपा॑रतम् ॥
नि । सु । ब्रह्म॑ । जना॑नाम् । या । अवि॑ष्टम् । तूय॑म् । आ । ग॒त॒म् । मो इति॑ । सु । अ॒न्यान् । उप॑ । अ॒र॒त॒म् ॥
ni | su | brahma | janānām | yā | aviṣṭam | tūyam | ā | gatam | mo iti | su | anyān | upa | aratam
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4 × ~11 syllables
Urgent, calling rhythm with quick turns; well-suited to ‘come now’ imperatives.
Sharpens attention; creates a ‘summoning’ pressure that gathers dispersed mind-stuff into a single channel.
- ब्रह्म (brahma)
- Literal: sacred word, inspired formulation. Symbolic: mantric will and soul-utterance shaping consciousness
- जनानाम् (janānām)
- Literal: of the peoples. Symbolic: the many parts of the being / collective nature needing harmonization
- तूयम् (tūyam)
- Literal: swiftly. Symbolic: rapid descent of help; immediacy of grace when the channel is open
- मो ष्व अन्यान् (mo ṣv anyān)
- Literal: do not (go) to others. Symbolic: do not allow consciousness to be drawn into side-tracks; guard against dispersion
- उपारतम् (upāratam)
- Literal: turn aside/approach (contextual). Symbolic: movement of attention—either deviation or intimate coming-near; here: ‘do not deviate, come near’
Ritual summons ensuring the deities’ presence at this pressing, not diverted to other sacrificers.
At points of inviting the devatā to partake/attend; before offerings or libations.
Recitation as an āvāhana (invitation) with mental ‘drawing near’ of the powers.
Use before japa/meditation to cut distractions: a mantra of recollection and one-pointed calling.
brahman (neuter) in RV is ‘formulated inspiration’ from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’—speech that makes consciousness wide and effective. √gam ‘go/come’ is PIE *gʷem- (Latin veniō, English come). The prohibitive mo is a standard Vedic negation in commands.
brahman as efficacious inspired speech, descent of power into manifestation (ni)
‘Do not turn aside’ mirrors ṛta: movement that stays aligned to the true path of ascent.
Truth of intention is the condition for the gods’ swift arrival.
Speech (vāc/brahman) as formative force that calls powers into manifestation.
Mantra-śakti orientation aligned with Aurobindo’s ‘Word as Will’ and Kashyap’s psychological devatā reading.
pre-dawn to dawn transition
The moment when obscurity yields: the ‘help’ must be invited without wavering, as attention crosses from inertia to awakening.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘the summoned descent’: divine powers are called to enter the field of inspired speech (brahman). The insistence ‘not to others’ dramatizes the competitive/urgent nature of presence—psychologically, the need for undivided attention of the helping powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam (gatam) reflects PIE *gʷem- ‘come/go’ (Latin veniō shows the nasal-present variant; English come is Germanic). The use of prohibitive particles with injunctive/imperative is an archaic Indo-Iranian feature.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi positions brahman as the meeting-point: the human offers a precise inspired formulation and demands the gods’ focused arrival. The reciprocity is intensification—speech becomes more potent when the invoked powers ‘come down’ into it.
One-pointed invocation; gathering scattered parts into a single aspiration-word.
Ājñā (focus)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6) while mentally repeating ‘tūyam ā gatam’.
Collected, alert receptivity.
Before practice, name inwardly the central aim of the day; chant 3 or 6 times; on ‘mo ṣv anyān’ consciously release side-desires; then sit silently, as if ‘drawing near’ the assisting Presence.
Maintain clear udatta on imperative verbs (ā gatam) where marked in source; keep anudatta low on particles (ni, su, mo). Exact svara requires a marked text.
Let ‘tūyam ā gatam’ be the peak of the call; soften but keep firmness on ‘mo ṣv anyān’.
ni ṣu: keep ṣ (retroflex) distinct from s, brahma: aspirate ‘bh’ lightly; do not say ‘barahma’, janānām: long ā twice, tūyam: long ū, upāratam: long ā; articulate ‘r’ clearly
Bright, summoning, precise articulation; minimal vibrato.
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