Rig Veda 10.78.6: Mandala 10, Sukta 78, Mantra 6
Sukta 10.78
- Devata
- Maruts
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Hasya (mirth)
ग्रावाणो न सूरयः सिन्धुमातर आदर्दिरासो अद्रयो न विश्वहा । शिशूला न क्रीळयः सुमातरो महाग्रामो न यामन्नुत त्विषा ॥
grā́vāṇo na sū́rayaḥ síndhu-mātara ādardirā́so ádrayo na viśváhā | śiśū́lā na krīḷáyaḥ su-mā́taro mahā-grā́mo na yā́mann uta tvíṣā ||
ดุจศิลาบีบคั้น (grāvan) เขาทั้งหลายคือผู้แข็งแกร่ง เกิดจากสายน้ำเป็นมารดา กึกก้องเนืองนิตย์ดุจผา. ดุจเด็กน้อยผู้เล่นสนุกของมารดาผู้ดี; ดุจกองทัพใหญ่ในยาตรา เขาทั้งหลายเคลื่อนไป—และยังด้วยประกายเดช (tviṣ) อันลุกโชติช่วงของตน.
Word by Word
- ग्रावाणः
- pressing-stonesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot ग्रावन् (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *gʷerh₃-?; Vedic: ‘pressing-stone’
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा/तुलना-निपातRoot न (निपात)
- सूरयः
- patrons, noblesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमान) / विशेष्य-सम्बन्धRoot सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सिन्धुमातरः
- having the Sindhu as mother / Sindhu-bornNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण) / संबोधन-भावRoot सिन्धु-मातृ (समास: षष्ठी/बहुव्रीहि-प्राय)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- दर्दिरासः
- the impetuous/rushing onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root दर्दिर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘swift/impetuous, rushing’; RV-विशेष)
- अद्रयः
- stones, rocks (pressing-stones)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (निपात)
- विश्वहा
- always, at all timesIndeclinableकाल-अव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल)Root विश्वहा (अव्यय; विश्व + हा ‘always’)
- शिशूलाः
- childlike, youngAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root शिशूल (प्रातिपदिक; ‘childlike/young’)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (निपात)
- क्रीळयः
- players, sporting onesAdjective (agentive, used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot क्रीळि/क्रीड् (धातु: क्रीड् ‘to play’) → क्रीळय (नाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; RV-रूप)
- सुमातरः
- well-mothered / having good mothersNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root सु-मातृ (समास: बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-प्राय ‘good mothers’)
- महाग्रामः
- a great troop/hostNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमान)Root महा-ग्राम (समास: कर्मधारय)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (निपात)
- यामन्
- in the course/marchNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (वैदिक: -न्)Role अधिकरण (स्थान/अवसर)Root यामन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘course, going, march’)
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अधिक्य-निपातRoot उत (निपात)
- त्विषा
- with brilliance, by splendourNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘splendour, flashing power’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): ग्रावाणः | न | सूरयः | सिन्धुमातरः | आ | दर्दिरासः | अद्रयः | न | विश्वहा | शिशूलाः | न | क्रीळयः | सुमातरः | महाग्रामः | न | यामन् | उत | त्विषा । 1) ‘सिन्धु॑मातर’ इति संहितायां ‘सिन्धु-मातरः’ (प्रथमा बहु) रूपेण ग्रहणम्। 2) ‘आदर्दि॒रासो॒’ = ‘आ + दर्दिरासः’ (उपसर्ग-निपात ‘आ’ पृथक्)। 3) ‘न याम॑न्नु॒त’ = ‘न यामन् उत’ (यामन् + उत; नकारादि-सन्धिः नास्ति, केवलं पदसीमा)। 4) ‘विश्वहा’ अव्ययम् (विश्व + हा) ‘सर्वदा’ अर्थे। 5) वैदिक-स्वर (उदात्त/स्वरित) मूलपाठानुसारः
- पदच्छेदे स्वरचिह्नानि सामान्यतः न दर्शितानि।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Maruts are like pressing-stones, strong, river-born; ever thundering like rocks. Like playful children of a good mother, like a great host on the march they move, and in their blazing force.
Inner meaning
The Marut energies are the ‘pressing-stones’ of the inner Soma-work: they crush and press experience so that the essence (Ananda/Soma) can be extracted. ‘Born of the rivers’ suggests they arise from flowing currents of consciousness—life-streams that become powerful instruments. Their thunder like rocks is the impact of concentrated force on stubborn subconscient resistance. Yet they are also ‘playful children of a good mother’: when rightly related to the Divine Shakti (sumātṛ), these forces are not grim—they have a spontaneous, joyous play (līlā-like) in the sadhana. As a great host, they organize into a collective march: many energies coordinated toward transformation, blazing with tejas.
Universal truth
Spiritual force must be both strong and joyful: it presses out the essence from life, breaks resistant hardness, but remains a childlike play of the Divine—organized power without loss of delight.
Themes
Soma-pressing symbolism, Maruts as roaring troop, Play and power combined
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.78.1-6
Significance
A mature yogic insight: the same forces that ‘crush’ resistance can also be childlike play when they are born of the right currents and held by the good Mother-principle—strength without harshness.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- grāvāṇaḥ (pressing-stones), sindhumātaraḥ (river-born), ādardirāsaḥ (thundering), śiśūlāḥ krīḻayaḥ (playful children), mahāgrāmaḥ (great host)
- Related deities
- Indra, Rudra, Soma, Āpas (waters), Aditi/Devī (as ‘good mother’ archetype)
Cosmic role
They bring thunder and rain, shake the worlds, and accompany Indra’s victories; they are a collective force of Rudra’s energy.
Inner power
Persistent transformative pressure and coordinated dynamism, tempered by a joyful, childlike spontaneity when aligned with the Divine Mother-force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing symbolism (grāvāṇaḥ) suggests resonance with Soma-yajña; Marut praise as supportive force
ग्रावा॑णो॒ न सू॒रय॒: सिन्धु॑मातर आदर्दि॒रासो॒ अद्र॑यो॒ न वि॒श्वहा॑ । शि॒शूला॒ न क्री॒ळय॑: सुमा॒तरो॑ महाग्रा॒मो न याम॑न्नु॒त त्वि॒षा ॥
ग्रावा॑णः । न । सू॒रयः॑ । सिन्धु॑ऽमातरः । आ॒ऽद॒र्दि॒रासः॑ । अद्र॑यः । न । वि॒श्वहा॑ । शि॒शूलाः॑ । न । क्री॒ळयः॑ । सु॒ऽमा॒तरः॑ । म॒हा॒ऽग्रा॒मः । न । याम॑न् । उ॒त । त्वि॒षा ॥
grāvāṇaḥ | na | sūrayaḥ | sindhu-mātaraḥ | ādardirāsaḥ | adrayaḥ | na | viśvahā | śiśūlāḥ | na | krīḷayaḥ | su-mātaraḥ | mahāgrāmaḥ | na | yāman | uta | tv iṣā
Triṣṭubh/Jagatī mixture likely (expansive descriptive pādas)
44
4 pādas; late style with heavy compounds and emphatic similes
Thunderous in the first half (grāvāṇo… ādardirāso), then light and playful (śiśūlā… krīḻayaḥ), ending in a marching blaze.
Moves the listener from heavy ‘breaking’ force into relieved joy—ending with confident mobilization.
- ग्रावा॑णः (grāvāṇaḥ)
- Literal: pressing-stones. Symbolic: powers that press experience to release Soma/bliss; transformative pressure in yoga
- सू॒रयः (sūrayaḥ)
- Literal: strong ones/wise, valiant. Symbolic: luminous strong forces; energetic intelligences
- सिन्धुमातरः (sindhumātaraḥ)
- Literal: river-born, having rivers as mothers. Symbolic: arising from currents of consciousness; life-streams feeding force
- आदर्दिरासः (ādardirāsaḥ)
- Literal: thundering, crashing. Symbolic: impact-force that breaks inertia and subconscient knots
- अद्रयः (adrayaḥ)
- Literal: rocks, stones. Symbolic: hard resistances; fixed formations in the being
- विश्वहा (viśvahā)
- Literal: always, at all times. Symbolic: persistent transformative action—daily, continual pressure
- शिशूलाः (śiśūlāḥ)
- Literal: little children. Symbolic: fresh, spontaneous energies; unspoiled delight in the divine work
- क्रीळयः (krīḻayaḥ)
- Literal: players, playful ones. Symbolic: līlā-quality; joyous movement of Shakti
- सुमातरः (sumātaraḥ)
- Literal: of a good mother. Symbolic: held by the Divine Mother/Right Nature that nurtures force safely
- महाग्रामः (mahāgrāmaḥ)
- Literal: great host/troop. Symbolic: integrated collective energies of the being marching together
- यामन् (yāman)
- Literal: march, course, movement. Symbolic: disciplined journey of sadhana
- त्विषा (tviṣā)
- Literal: with blaze, brilliance. Symbolic: tejas—radiant force-power in action
To bring the Marut-force into the soma-pressing atmosphere (grāvan imagery), intensifying the roar and splendour that breaks open the inner soma (delight/immortality)
Around Soma-related recitations or whenever invoking Marut strength and persistent action
Stuti; metaphorically aligns Maruts with the pressing that releases Soma
Useful when facing deep-seated habits: chant to apply steady pressure without self-violence—then shift into a lighter, playful perseverance.
grāvan ‘pressing stone’ (soma ritual implement). sindhu ‘river’ (also Indus) of uncertain IE etymology; in Vedic often ‘stream/river’ archetype. adri ‘stone, mountain’. tvíṣ ‘splendour, flash’ from √tviṣ ‘to gleam’. krīḷ ‘play’. grāma ‘host/troop’ (later ‘village’).
Concentration of force (grāvan as compression/pressing of essence), Collective movement (mahā-grāma as organized powers), Splendour (tviṣ) as manifestation of inner light
Implied: the ‘host’ marches in an ordered course (yāman), not random violence.
The persistent ‘always’ action suggests fidelity to truth-work over time.
From waters arise forces; by pressure and thunder they shape forms; by play they sustain evolution; by blaze they uplift.
Integral Yoga resonance: tapas + ananda; strong transformation held by the Mother-principle.
Stones = concentrated transformative pressure; rivers = flowing consciousness; rocks = hardened resistance; children/play = spontaneous Shakti; host/march = coordinated sadhana; blaze = tejas illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘storm-troop as soma-pressers’ mythologem: Marut-energy is likened to the grāvans that press Soma—i.e., powers that compress and release the essence. Their roar (ādardirāsaḥ) and blaze (tviṣ) indicate the breaking-open of concealed delight/force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ritual lexicon (grāvan) is specifically Indo-Iranian in cultural development, while the broader metaphor of ‘stone/pressing = extraction of essence’ aligns with Indo-European poetic strategies of concretizing inner processes. √tviṣ adds a common IE ‘shine/flash’ semantic field.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invites the devatā to enter both discipline and delight: like pressing stones (controlled intensity) and like playful children (spontaneous joy). The requested relationship is a harmonized force—strong, organized, yet luminous and glad.
Apply steady ‘pressing’ attention to a resistant pattern; let the essence (calm joy) emerge; then relax into playful persistence.
Maṇipūra (tapas/pressure) with grounding in Mūlādhāra (rock-resistance) and softening into Anāhata (good mother)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing with a gentle internal ‘press’ on exhale (as if squeezing out tension), followed by a soft smile/relaxation phase
Steady tapas held in ananda
Chant once; name one ‘rock’ in your nature; on each exhale, press it with calm awareness; on each inhale, invite childlike openness. End by feeling the whole being as a marching host aligned to one aim.
Mixed; keep the opening heavy and grounded, then lighten noticeably at ‘śiśūlā na krīḻayaḥ’. Exact Vedic accents require the svara text.
Deliver ‘grāvāṇo… ādardirāso’ with weight; make a clear tonal shift to softness on ‘śiśūlā’; finish with firm forward motion on ‘mahāgrāmo… tviṣā’.
grāvāṇo: long ā; ‘grā-vā-ṇo’, sindhumātaraḥ: ‘sin-dhu-mā-ta-raḥ’ (dh aspirated), ādardirāsaḥ: articulate double ‘r’ cluster carefully, krīḻayaḥ: retroflex ḻ (as in Vedic), approximate as ‘ḍa/ḷa’ depending on tradition; keep long ī
Start deep and resonant; transition to lighter, warmer tone; end bright and steady
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