Rig Veda 10.82.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 82, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.82
- Rishi
- Viśvakarman
- Devata
- Viśvakarman / formative seer-powers
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त आयजन्त द्रविणं समस्मा ऋषयः पूर्वे जरितारो न भूना । असूर्ते सूर्ते रजसि निषत्ते ये भूतानि समकृण्वन्निमानि ॥
tá ā́yajanta dráviṇaṃ sám asmai ṛ́ṣayaḥ pū́rve jaritā́ro ná bhūnā́ | asū́rte sū́rte rájasi niṣatté yé bhūtā́ni samákṛṇvann imā́ni ||
ฤๅษีโบราณ ผู้ไม่ตระหนี่ในการให้ ได้ถวายทรัพย์แห่งพลังที่รวบรวมไว้แด่ท่าน ประทับนั่งในแดนแห่งอรูปและรูป ในรัชัส (rajas) ผู้ซึ่งก่อรูปความเป็นไปทั้งหลายเหล่านี้ ได้ทำให้มันทั้งปวงรวมเป็นหนึ่งเดียว เป็นระเบียบอันสมบูรณ์
Word by Word
- ते
- theyPronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आयजन्त
- they sacrificed / they worshippedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KriyāRoot यज् (धातु)
- द्रविणम्
- wealth, treasureNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot द्रविण (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Role UpasargaRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अयम्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋषयः
- the seersNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्वे
- former, earlierAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (ऋषयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरितारः
- praisers, singersNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √जॄ/जर् ‘to praise’ से)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमान/तुलना-निपातःRole ParticleRoot न (अव्यय)
- भूना
- many, numerousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (जरितारः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot भूना (प्रातिपदिक; ‘बहु/प्रचुर’ अर्थे, वैदिक)
- असूर्ते
- in the unformed / unimpelled (state)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (रजसि इत्यर्थे/सप्तमी-सम्बन्धः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अ-सूर्त (प्रातिपदिक; सूर्त ‘well-ordered/impelled’ इत्यस्य नञ्)
- सूर्ते
- in the formed / well-ordered (state)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (रजसि इत्यर्थे/सप्तमी-सम्बन्धः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- रजसि
- in the space/realm (rajas)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- निषत्ते
- when (he) was seated/settledParticipleपुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (सप्तमी-विशेषणम्; ‘स्थिते/आसीने’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot नि-षद् (धातु) → निषत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- which (things)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भूतानि
- beings, created thingsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot भूत (प्रातिपदिक; √भू ‘to be’ से)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गःRole UpasargaRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अकृण्वन्
- they made, they fashionedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KriyāRoot कृ (धातु)
- इमानि
- thesePronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): ते | आयजन्त | द्रविणम् | सम् | अस्मै | ऋषयः | पूर्वे | जरितारः | न | भूना । असूर्ते | सूर्ते | रजसि | निषत्ते | ये | भूतानि | सम् | अकृण्वन् | इमानि ॥ 1) समस्मा → सम् + अस्मै (उपसर्ग ‘सम्’ + चतुर्थी ‘अस्मै’)
- 2) समकृण्वन् → सम् + अकृण्वन् (उपसर्ग ‘सम्’ + लङ् ‘अकृण्वन्’)
- 3) ‘असूर्ते सूर्ते’ द्वे सप्तम्यौ ‘रजसि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणे (वैदिक-वाक्यरचना)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ancient seers offered him gathered riches; seated in the unformed and formed realm, those who shaped these beings made them an ordered whole.
Inner meaning
The ‘pūrve ṛṣayaḥ’ are the primordial seeing powers in consciousness (or the earliest realized seers) who offer their collected energies (draviṇa as power-substance) to the formative Divine. ‘Asūrta/sūrta rajas’ indicates the subtle domain where unmanifest potential and manifest forms meet; from there the creator-powers harmonize the multiplicity of becomings into one coherent order—an image of inner integration where scattered forces are unified under the soul’s central will.
Universal truth
True formation requires both potential and expression: the unmanifest must be held together with the manifest in a higher poise so that multiplicity becomes ordered unity.
Themes
Inner sacrifice, Formation in rajas, Unmanifest/manifest, Seer-creation
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvakarman
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.81.1, Rig Veda 10.81.2, Rig Veda 10.81.3, Rig Veda 10.81.4, Rig Veda 10.82.1, Rig Veda 10.82.2, Rig Veda 10.82.3, Rig Veda 10.82.5, Rig Veda 10.82.6, Rig Veda 10.82.7
Family tradition
Cosmogonic visionary tradition emphasizing the One formative Power; the hymn speaks with the authority of ‘pūrve ṛṣayaḥ’—a lineage of inner realizers.
Significance
Highlights the rishi-ideal: offering one’s gathered powers to the Divine so the unformed potential and formed life are reconciled and unified.
The deity
- Devata
- Viśvakarman / formative seer-powers
- Epithets
- viśvakarman (all-maker), dhātṛ-like ordainer (implied)
- Related deities
- Prajāpati, Tvāṣṭṛ (divine artisan), Bṛhaspati/Brahmaṇaspati (word-power that forms)
Cosmic role
Receives the offering of power and uses it to shape and harmonize the becomings; presides over the interface of unmanifest and manifest.
Inner power
The organizing Will-Intelligence that can sit above both chaos (unformed) and rigidity (over-formed) and create living order.
In ritual
Where it is used
General śrauta offering context (yajña) to the creator/ordainer; not a narrow domestic usage.
त आय॑जन्त॒ द्रवि॑णं॒ सम॑स्मा॒ ऋष॑य॒: पूर्वे॑ जरि॒तारो॒ न भू॒ना । अ॒सूर्ते॒ सूर्ते॒ रज॑सि निष॒त्ते ये भू॒तानि॑ स॒मकृ॑ण्वन्नि॒मानि॑ ॥
ते । आ । अ॒य॒ज॒न्त॒ । द्रवि॑णम् । सम् । अ॒स्मै॒ । ऋष॑यः । पूर्वे॑ । ज॒रि॒तारः॑ । न । भू॒ना । अ॒सूर्ते॑ । सूर्ते॑ । रज॑सि । नि॒ऽस॒त्ते । ये । भू॒तानि॑ । स॒म्ऽअकृ॑ण्वन् । इ॒मानि॑ ॥
te | ā | ayajanta | draviṇam | sam | asmai | ṛṣayaḥ | pūrve | jaritāraḥ | na | bhūnā | asūrte | sūrte | rajasi | ni-satte | ye | bhūtāni | sam-akṛṇvan | imāni
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Dynamic yet controlled; suitable for describing acts of formation and synthesis.
Energizes constructive aspiration while keeping a firm cadence that ‘gathers’ scattered attention into coherence.
- āyajanta
- Literal: they sacrificed/offered. Symbolic: they consciously consecrated energies to the Divine formation
- draviṇam
- Literal: wealth/substance. Symbolic: stores of force, capacity, and luminous power gathered for the work
- ṛṣayaḥ pūrve
- Literal: ancient seers. Symbolic: primordial seeing faculties or archetypal realizers within the tradition
- jaritāraḥ
- Literal: praisers/singers. Symbolic: powers of inspired speech that affirm and build the divine order
- asūrta
- Literal: unformed. Symbolic: unmanifest potential (avyakta-like) in consciousness
- sūrta
- Literal: formed. Symbolic: manifested determinations, names and forms
- rajas
- Literal: mid-region/space. Symbolic: the subtle field of formation between spirit and matter (inner ‘mid-world’) where forces are organized
- niṣatte
- Literal: seated/established. Symbolic: poised firmly in a stable higher consciousness
- bhūtāni
- Literal: becomings/beings. Symbolic: all emergent states of life and mind
- samakṛṇvan
- Literal: they made together/into one. Symbolic: integration—harmonizing many movements into a single ordered whole
Supports the inner meaning of yajña: offering accumulated energies (draviṇa) to the ordering consciousness for integration of life-movements.
Recited when invoking cosmic formation, craftsmanship of the sacrifice, or the ordering of powers; also apt in contemplative recitations on creation.
Offering of ‘draviṇa’ (wealth/power) into the sacrificial fire or as verbal consecration; establishing right order (ṛta) in the rite.
As a practice of inner consecration: collect attention, breath, and will (‘draviṇa’) and offer them to the inner Viśvakarman for harmonizing life and mind.
ā-√yaj frames sacrifice as a movement of conscious offering/union. draviṇa (wealth/substance) is read as inner ‘resource of force’ because it is what can be ‘gathered’ (sam) and offered to the source for further formation. a-sūrta/sūrta: from √sṛ/√sūrt semantic of being set flowing/impelled; the pair suggests unmanifest vs manifest states within rajas (the formative field). sam-√kṛ ‘make together’ expresses integration: the many becomings are organized into a coherent order (ṛta).
manifestation from unmanifest to manifest, integration (sam-), ṛta as organized becoming
‘Samakṛṇvan’—making the becomings one ordered whole—is a direct expression of ṛta as harmonized multiplicity.
True formation (sūrta) must be grounded in the truth of the unformed potential (asūrta) held rightly.
Creation as a synthesis-work carried out from a mid-region (rajas) bridging unmanifest and manifest.
Bridging cosmology toward Upaniṣadic ideas of avyakta/vyakta and Brahman as ordering intelligence (thematic).
Rajas is the subtle psychological ‘formation field’ where intentions become organized forces; draviṇa is the gathered energy of practice; asūrta/sūrta is potential/actualized consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The seers as co-creators through sacrifice: primordial ṛṣis offer gathered power and thereby participate in shaping the worlds. Psychologically, the ‘praisers’ are the awakened expressive faculties; by offering their collected energies to the highest ordering consciousness, the movements of life (bhūtāni) are integrated from scattered becoming into ordered being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yaj is Indo-Iranian specialized (‘sacrifice/worship’), but the underlying IE pattern is ‘make sacred by offering’. √sad ‘sit’ (ni-satte) reflects PIE *sed- ‘sit’ (Latin sedēre, English sit), used poetically for ‘established in a realm’. √kṛ ‘do/make’ (PIE *kwer-/*ker- complex is debated; Indo-Iranian √kar/√kṛ is central) carries the archaic ‘world-making’ diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishis’ relationship is participatory: they do not merely praise the Devatā; they offer draviṇa and thereby become instruments of the divine formation. The Devatā receives and orders; the rishi supplies articulated force (hymn/aspiration) so that formation in rajas can proceed from unformed to formed without loss of unity.
Integration practice: hold awareness simultaneously in the silent unformed background and the formed movements; offer both to the inner Formative Power.
viśuddha (word/formation) and ājñā (ordering vision)
Box-breath (4-4-4-4) or sama-vṛtti to ‘gather draviṇa’ (steady force) before offering.
Poised creative stillness—silent background with active organizing intelligence.
1) Gather energies (attention, breath, will) as one ‘wealth’. 2) Offer upward/inward. 3) Sit in the mid-region: watch impulses take form without haste. 4) Choose the movement that increases harmony (ṛta) across the being.
Rigvedic accentuation; keep lift on ‘āyajanta’ and ‘samakṛṇvan’ to convey action and synthesis.
Mark the contrast clearly: ‘asūrte sūrte’; slight pause after each pair to let the polarity register.
āyajanta: long ā at start; ‘j’ soft palatal, draviṇam: retroflex ṇ at end, jaritāraḥ: flap ‘r’, visarga lightly, asūrte/sūrte: long ū; keep sibilant clear, rajas(i): short a, soft j, niṣatte: retroflex ṣ; double t held lightly, samakṛṇvan: ṛ vowel in kṛ, nasal n at end
Firm and constructive; slightly more energetic than purely contemplative verses.
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