Rig Veda 10.14.8: Mandala 10, Sukta 14, Mantra 8
Sukta 10.14
- Devata
- Yama and Pitṛs
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Karuna (compassion)
सं गच्छस्व पितृभिः सं यमेनेष्टापूर्तेन परमे व्योमन् । हित्वायावद्यं पुनरस्तमेहि सं गच्छस्व तन्वा सुवर्चाः ॥
saṃ gácchasva pitṛ́bhiḥ saṃ yaméneṣṭāpū́rtena paramé vyòman | hitvā́yāvadyaṃ púnar ástam éhi saṃ gácchasva tanvā̀ suvárcāḥ ||
จงรวมกับบรรพชน จงรวมกับยมะ พร้อมด้วยอิษฺฏาปูรฺตะ (iṣṭāpūrta) คือพิธีบูชาและกุศลที่สำเร็จแล้ว ในเวหาหาสูงสุด. ละทิ้งความด่างพร้อย แล้วกลับคืนสู่เรือนของตนอีกครั้ง; จงรวมด้วยกายอันรุ่งเรืองสว่างไสว.
Word by Word
- सम्
- together, withIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot सम् (उपसर्ग) अव्यय
- गच्छस्व
- go (thou), proceedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot गम् (गच्छ-)
- पितृभिः
- with the Fathers (ancestors)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सह/साकं (सहकारकः) / करणRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, withIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot सम् (उपसर्ग) अव्यय
- यमेन
- with YamaNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सह/साकं (सहकारकः) / करणRoot यम (प्रातिपदिक)
- इष्टापूर्तेन
- with merit from sacrifices and pious works (iṣṭa & pūrta)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहारार्थे), तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot इष्टापूर्त (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व/समाहारः: इष्ट + पूर्त)
- परमे
- in the highestAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (विशेषणम्)Role अधिकरणRoot परम (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्योमन्
- in heaven / in the skyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हित्वा
- having abandonedVerbal (absolutive)क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्ययभावः), पूर्वकालिक क्रियाRoot हा (त्यागे) → क्त्वान्त
- अवद्यम्
- the blameworthy (sin), faultAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अवद्य (प्रातिपदिक) < अव + वद्य (वद्/वद्य ‘blameworthy’)
- पुनः
- againIndeclinableक्रियाविशेषणRoot पुनः (अव्यय)
- अस्तम्
- home, to the abodeIndeclinableगत्यर्थक-अव्यय (दिशा/लक्ष्य)Role अधिकरण/गत्यर्थ-लक्ष्यRoot अस्तम् (अव्यय/निपात; ‘home, to home’)
- एहि
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot इ (ए-)
- सम्
- together, withIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot सम् (उपसर्ग) अव्यय
- गच्छस्व
- go (thou), proceedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot गम् (गच्छ-)
- तन्वा
- with (thy) body/selfNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करण (सहभाव/उपाधि)Root तनू (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवर्चाः
- radiant, of good splendorAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे/विशेषणरूपेण) अथवा सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (गच्छस्व-कर्तृविशेषणम्)Root सुवर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक; सु + वर्चस्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सम् | गच्छस्व | पितृभिः | सम् | यमेन | इष्टापूर्तेन | परमे | व्योमन् | हित्वा | अवद्यम् | पुनः | अस्तम् | एहि | सम् | गच्छस्व | तन्वा | सुवर्चाः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) सं गच्छस्व = सम् + गच्छस्व (अनुस्वारः परसवर्ण/नासिक्य-समायोगः)
- (2) पितृभिः सं = पितृभिः + सम् (विसर्गः → अनुस्वारः/सँ-प्रयोगः पदसंहितायाम्)
- (3) यमेनेष्टापूर्तेन = यमेन + इष्टापूर्तेन (अ + इ → ए)
- (4) व्योमन् । हित्वा = पदान्त-विरामः
- (5) पुनरस्तमेहि = पुनः + अस्तम् + एहि (ः + अ → र्; तथा अस्तम् + एहि → अस्तमेहि)
- (6) तन्वा सुवर्चाः = पदसंहिता (विशेषण-सम्बन्धः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The departed is told to unite with the Fathers and with Yama in the highest heaven through iṣṭāpūrta (sacrifices and good works). Leaving behind fault, he is asked to return home and unite with a radiant body.
Inner meaning
The consciousness is gathered (saṃ-gam) into its true lineage of realized forces (Pitṛs) under the governance of right law (Yama). Iṣṭāpūrta, beyond mere ritual merit, symbolizes the totality of rightly offered aspiration (iṣṭa) and rightly built inner formations (pūrta): what one has ‘constructed’ in nature by truth, service, and self-giving. ‘Leaving fault’ is casting off distortions, guilt, and crooked movements of the lower nature. ‘Return home’ points to the soul’s re-entry into its own proper plane (svadhāma), and ‘radiant body’ indicates a supraphysical embodiment of luminous substance (suvarcā tanū) — a formed clarity of consciousness.
Universal truth
Union with higher states depends on what we have inwardly offered and built: aspiration, right action, and ethical truth create a fit vessel. Liberation is not mere escape; it is purification and reconstitution into a more luminous form of being.
Themes
Union with Fathers, Purification, Heavenly ascent, Radiant body
The seer
- Rishi
- As RV 10.14 Yama/Pitṛ hymn collection; specific rishi attribution is uncertain in many modern listings and should be confirmed against the Anukramaṇī for the target recension.
- Other hymns
- RV 10.14.1-16, RV 10.15.1-14
Significance
The verse articulates a Vedic psychology of after-passage: purification (hitvā avadyam), integration (saṃ gacchasva), and re-embodiment in radiance (tanvā suvarcāḥ).
The deity
- Devata
- Yama (with Pitṛs)
- Epithets
- saṃgati (principle of union, implicit), patha-neta (guide of the path, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni (as conveyor in funerary context), Soma (delight in higher worlds), Varuṇa (truth-law background)
Cosmic role
Yama governs the lawful transition and the right belonging of the being in the ancestral/higher domain; Pitṛs represent the established forms of that domain.
Inner power
Power of integration and ethical rectification that enables luminous re-formation of the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Antyeṣṭi and Pitṛ rites; also recited in śrāddha contexts in later tradition as a wish for auspicious passage and luminous state.
सं ग॑च्छस्व पि॒तृभि॒: सं य॒मेने॑ष्टापू॒र्तेन॑ पर॒मे व्यो॑मन् । हि॒त्वाया॑व॒द्यं पुन॒रस्त॒मेहि॒ सं ग॑च्छस्व त॒न्वा॑ सु॒वर्चा॑: ॥
सम् । ग॒च्छ॒स्व॒ । पि॒तृऽभिः॑ । सम् । य॒मेन॑ । इ॒ष्टा॒पू॒र्तेन॑ । प॒र॒मे । विऽओ॑मन् । हि॒त्वाय॑ । अ॒व॒द्यम् । पुनः॑ । अस्त॑म् । आ । इ॒हि॒ । सम् । ग॒च्छ॒स्व॒ । त॒न्वा॑ । सु॒ऽवर्चाः॑ ॥
sam | gacchasva | pitṛ-bhiḥ | sam | yamena | iṣṭāpūrtena | parame | vi-oman | h itvāya | avadyam | punaḥ | astam | ā | ihi | sam | gacchasva | tanvā | su-varcāḥ
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4 x ~11 syllables
Gathering and concluding cadence; balanced injunctions with a luminous resolution.
Encourages inner consolidation, release of remorse, and aspiration toward a clear, radiant state.
- सं गच्छस्व (saṃ gacchasva)
- Literal: go together, unite. Symbolic: integration of the being; gathering into the true consciousness
- पितृभिः (pitṛbhiḥ)
- Literal: with the Fathers. Symbolic: with prior realized powers/attainments that support ascent
- यमेन (yamena)
- Literal: with Yama. Symbolic: with the guiding law of right measure and passage
- इष्टापूर्तेन (iṣṭāpūrtena)
- Literal: by sacrifices and good works. Symbolic: rightly offered aspiration + rightly built inner character and works
- परमे व्योमन् (parame vyoman)
- Literal: in the highest heaven/expanse. Symbolic: highest wideness of consciousness
- अवद्यं (avadyam)
- Literal: fault, blameworthy thing. Symbolic: distortion, wrong movement, inner disharmony
- पुनरस्तम् एहि (punar astam ehi)
- Literal: come again to the home. Symbolic: return to the soul’s own plane; re-centering in the psychic home
- तन्वा सुवर्चाः (tanvā suvarcāḥ)
- Literal: with a body of good radiance. Symbolic: luminous subtle embodiment; clarified instrument of consciousness
Funerary benediction; directing union with Fathers/Yama and aspiration toward luminous re-embodiment
After cremation/at offerings to ancestors; during remembrance rites.
Invocation for union with Pitṛs/Yama; symbolic ‘leaving fault’ and wishing for radiant embodiment.
Meditation for purification and reintegration after loss, trauma, or major life change; a mantra of ‘release the fault, return home in light’.
vyóman ‘expanse/heaven’ suggests widened consciousness. iṣṭāpūrta (iṣṭa ‘sacrificed’ + pūrta ‘fulfilled’) indicates integrated action: will offered and works completed. tanū ‘body/self’ with su-varcas ‘good radiance’ implies a transformed embodiment—inner subtle body of light—rather than mere physical return.
purification (leaving avadya), integration of works (iṣṭāpūrta), luminous embodiment
Union with the Fathers is union with the ordered worlds sustained by right action and truth.
‘Leaving fault’ implies choosing satya over self-deception; truth as purification.
Re-formation of embodiment in subtler luminous substance; worlds as gradations of consciousness.
Karmic-ethical cosmology moving toward Upaniṣadic innerization (action as inner formation).
evening/homecoming motif (astam)
Sky/expanse = wideness of consciousness; home = psychic center; radiance = clarified mind-life substance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The myth of ‘gathering into the highest expanse’ with Fathers and Yama, shedding fault and attaining a radiant form—after-death transition as purification and luminous reconstitution.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘go’ (gacchasva) is PIE *gʷem- ‘to go/come’ (cf. Greek baínō via different root, but Indo-Iranian preserves *gʷem- strongly; cf. Avestan jam-). su- as ‘good’ parallels Greek eu-.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks as conductor of transition, urging the soul into communion with Yama and the Fathers; the devata’s gift is the ‘highest expanse’ and radiant selfhood, conditioned by completed offering/works.
Integration with the ‘inner ancestors’ (best parts of one’s lineage and past attainments) and purification of fault; visualization of a radiant subtle body.
anāhata (home/heart center) and sahasrāra (highest expanse)
Heart-centered breathing: inhale ‘saṃ gacchasva’, exhale ‘hitvā avadyam’; 9 cycles, then silent rest in wideness.
Reconciled, luminous quiet; belonging without attachment.
Offer your works and intentions inwardly (iṣṭa) and affirm the inner structures you have built by truth (pūrta). Consciously drop the ‘avadyam’ (self-blame, crooked impulse). Rest in the heart-home, then imagine a body made of clear light (suvarcā tanū).
Maintain Vedic accenting per Śākala; emphasize ‘saṃ’ with clean nasalization; keep pāda endings settled (triṣṭubh closure).
Do not rush ‘iṣṭāpūrtena’; articulate compound clearly; slight pause after ‘parame vyoman’.
: clear anusvāra before guttural/appropriate consonant; here ‘saṃ’ as nasalized ‘sam’, : pronounce ‘iṣ-ṭā-pūr-te-na’ with retroflex ‘ṭ’, : ‘vyo-man’ (not ‘vyōm’) with clear ‘vy’ cluster, : ‘su-var-cāḥ’ with long ā and visarga
Soothing, consolatory, inward; let the final pāda brighten slightly.
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