Rig Veda 3.54.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 54, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.54
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Dyāvā-Pṛthivī with Agni as mediator
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
युवोॠतं रोदसी सत्यमस्तु महे षु णः सुविताय प्र भूतम् । इदं दिवे नमो अग्ने पृथिव्यै सपर्यामि प्रयसा यामि रत्नम् ॥
yuvó ṛtáṃ rodasī satyám astu mahé ṣú ṇaḥ suvitā́ya prá bhūtam | idáṃ divé námo agne pṛthivyái saparyā́mi práyasā yā́mi rátnam ||
โอ้ฟ้าและแผ่นดิน ขอความจริงของท่านทั้งสองจงเป็นฤตะ (ระเบียบอันเที่ยงธรรม) อันมั่นคง; ด้วยความยิ่งใหญ่ของท่าน จงเป็นทางเปิดนำหน้าแก่เราสู่หนทางอันเป็นสิริมงคล. โอ้อัคนี นี่คือความนอบน้อมของข้าต่อฟ้าและต่อแผ่นดิน; ข้ารับใช้ด้วยพลังแห่งเครื่องบูชา และข้ามุ่งไปสู่รัตนะ—ขุมทรัพย์.
Word by Word
- युवोः
- of you two / in you twoPronoun/Adjectiveषष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन (Vedic: gen./loc. dual)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root युव (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतम्
- cosmic order, truthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म/प्रत्ययार्थ (predicate-nominative sense)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (Heaven and Earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (of अस्तु) / संबोधन-सम्बन्धRoot रोदसी (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व-युग्म ‘द्यावापृथिवी’)
- सत्यम्
- true, truthNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole विशेषण/प्रत्ययार्थRoot सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let it beVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- महे
- for the great (one) / for greatnessAdjective (used substantively) / Dative formचतुर्थी एकवचन (Vedic dative)Role सम्प्रदानRoot मह्/महि (प्रातिपदिक ‘महत्’)
- सु
- well, auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपपद-प्रयोग (intensifier/auspicious)Root सु (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सुविताय
- for good passage/prosperityNounचतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सुवित (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- भूतम्
- become, come to beParticipleभूत (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole प्रत्ययार्थ (predicate: ‘become’)Root भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त)
- इदम्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (of नमो/सपर्यामि: ‘this [act]’) / विषयRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- दिवे
- to HeavenNounचतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमः
- homage, reverenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म/भाव (act of homage)Root नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिव्यै
- to EarthNounचतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- सपर्यामि
- I worship, I honorVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot सपर्य् (धातु)
- प्रयसा
- with offering/refreshment (food, oblation)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot प्रयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यामि
- I go, I proceedVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु)
- रत्नम्
- treasure, precious giftNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): युवोॠतं → युवोः + ऋतम् (visarga before vowel; RV orthography writes ोॠ)
- रोदसी स॒त्यम॑स्तु → रोदसी + सत्यम् + अस्तु (final -म् before vowel)
- म॒हे षु ण॑: → महे + सु + नः (RV often writes षु for सु; enclitic नः)
- सुवि॒ताय॒ प्र भू॑तम् → सुविताय + प्र + भूतम्
- दि॒वे नमो॑ → दिवे + नमः
- पृथि॒व्यै स॑प॒र्यामि॒ → पृथिव्यै + सपर्यामि
- प्रय॑सा॒ यामि॒ → प्रयसा + यामि
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Heaven and Earth, may your Truth be the Right; in your greatness become for us a forward opening to the happy path. This is my obeisance to Heaven, O Agni, and to Earth; with offering-force I serve; I go toward the treasure.
Inner meaning
The rishi asks that Satya (truth of being) and Ṛta (truth in movement/order) be one in the two foundations—higher consciousness and embodied life. When above and below are aligned, they become ‘pra bhūtam’—a forward emergence/opening—into su-vitā (the good going), the progressive path. Agni is invoked as mediator: the inner Fire translates the higher truth into earthly practice. ‘Prayasā’ is the effective offering-force—earnest energy of consecrated action. ‘Ratna’ is the inner treasure: light, joy, and plenitude released when truth and right order unite in the instrument.
Universal truth
When truth of consciousness and right order of action are reconciled, life opens into a happier movement. Consecrated effort guided by inner will leads to genuine riches—clarity, strength, and fullness.
Themes
truth-order, path-of-ascent, consecration, treasure-of-light
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthin
- Other hymns
- RV 3.54.1, RV 3.54.2, RV 3.54.4, RV 3.26
Family tradition
A hallmark of Viśvāmitra is the insistence on ṛta-satya alignment—spiritual realization must become effective in life, not remain abstract.
Significance
This verse is a compact integral formula: unite Satya and Ṛta across Heaven and Earth, invoke Agni as transformer, proceed by consecrated effort to the inner treasure.
The deity
- Devata
- Dyāvā-Pṛthivī with Agni as mediator
- Epithets
- Ṛtāvarī (ṛta-rich, implied by request), Mahī (great), Agni as mediator
- Related deities
- Savitṛ (suvitā), Indra (victorious illumination), Aditi (infinite wideness)
Cosmic role
Heaven and Earth establish the field; Agni carries the movement between them, ensuring truth becomes right action.
Inner power
Integration plus transformation: higher truth descends and becomes ordered action through Agni’s will.
In ritual
Where it is used
Establishing ṛta-satya alignment at the opening of the hymn; suitable as a rite of 'setting the path' (suviti) in Soma liturgy
यु॒वोॠ॒तं रो॑दसी स॒त्यम॑स्तु म॒हे षु ण॑: सुवि॒ताय॒ प्र भू॑तम् । इ॒दं दि॒वे नमो॑ अग्ने पृथि॒व्यै स॑प॒र्यामि॒ प्रय॑सा॒ यामि॒ रत्न॑म् ॥
यु॒वोः । ऋ॒तम् । रो॒द॒सी॒ इति॑ । स॒त्यम् । अ॒स्तु॒ । म॒हे । सु । नः॒ । सु॒ऽवि॒ताय॑ । प्र । भू॒त॒म् । इ॒दम् । दि॒वे । नमः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । पृ॒थि॒व्यै । स॒प॒र्यामि॑ । प्रय॑सा । यामि॑ । रत्न॑म् ॥
yuvoḥ | ṛtam | rodasī iti | satyam | astu | mahe | su | ṇaḥ | su-vitāya | pra | bhūtam | idam | dive | namaḥ | agne | pṛthivyai | saparyāmi | prayasā | yāmi | ratnam
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Balanced and directive: prayer → imperative opening → personal oblation → forward movement to treasure.
Gives a sense of alignment and forward progress; stabilizes resolve while opening aspiration.
- ऋतम्…सत्यम् (ṛtam…satyam)
- Literal: Right and Truth. Symbolic: right order of becoming and truth of being; alignment of action with inner reality
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds. Symbolic: higher and lower planes within the human being
- सुविताय (suvitāya)
- Literal: to good going, happy path. Symbolic: progressive movement of yoga; life guided by light
- अग्ने (agne)
- Literal: O Agni. Symbolic: inner will that mediates, transforms, and carries offerings upward
- प्रयसा (prayasā)
- Literal: with effort/offerings. Symbolic: consecrated energy; effective will in action
- रत्नम् (ratnam)
- Literal: treasure, jewel. Symbolic: inner riches: illumination, bliss, plenitude
Establishing ṛta-satya alignment at the opening of the hymn; suitable as a rite of 'setting the path' (suviti) in Soma liturgy
In Dyāvā-Pṛthivī praises within śrauta recitations; thematically suited at transitions—before beginning a journey/undertaking or a new stage of rite.
Namo (obeisance) and saparyā (service) with prayas (offering-force).
Use as a ‘path-opening’ mantra before meditation or important life decisions: align truth and right order, then act with consecrated effort.
ṛta from √ṛ 'to fit, join, rise in rightness' → right order; satya from sat 'being' → truth of existence; su-viti 'good passage' (su + viti from √vid/√vī 'to find a way/track'); √yā 'go' marks the path motif. namas is not mere homage but a turning/aligning of the being.
Rita and Satya (paired formula), suviti (happy path), ratna as inner treasure
Explicit: may Satya be Ṛta—truth must become right movement.
Truth is invoked as a living power spanning both worlds.
Progress as ‘pra bhūtam’—a forward becoming; treasure emerges from alignment.
Integral/psychological Veda; anticipates Upanishadic insistence on satyam-ṛtam-bṛhat (truth-right-vast).
Sky/Earth = above/below in the being; Fire = transforming will; Path = progressive unfolding of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The foundational mythologem of ṛta–satya: cosmic order and essential truth as the condition for the 'good path' (suviti) and the attainment of the treasure (ratna). Heaven and Earth are invoked as guarantors of this law.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The Heaven-Earth dual is archaic IE. The semantic pairing of 'truth' and 'order' parallels IE concern with cosmic law (cf. Avestan aša as functional parallel to ṛta). The verb √yā 'go' is a basic IE motion root (cf. Gk. iénai).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns (namas) and serves (saparyāmi) with offering-substance (prayasā), asking the cosmic pair to become an active opening of the path. The Devata are not distant; they are the very conditions of right movement in the seeker.
Align inner truth with outer action: ask ‘Is my movement ṛta-aligned?’ then kindle Agni to translate insight into practice.
Anāhata (Agni in heart) with Ājñā (truth-guidance)
Exhale with the sense of ‘namo’ (surrender), inhale with ‘pra bhūtam’ (forward opening).
Aligned, surrendered, forward-moving (calm tapas).
Chant slowly once; then set a clear intention: one truthful insight to embody today. Offer one concrete action as ‘prayas’ and treat it as the step toward ‘ratna’.
Maintain clear pāda breaks; slightly elevate tone on ‘ṛtam’ and ‘satyam’ to mark the core alignment.
Key emphases: yuvor ṛtám, satyám astu; suvitā́ya; namó; práyasā; rátnam.
‘ṛtam’ with vocalic ṛ; do not insert a vowel before r., ‘saparyāmi’: keep palatal ‘yā’ long and clear., ‘suvitāya’: long ā at end; keep v soft, not ‘b’.
Reverent, steady, inward; allow silence after the final ‘ratnam’.
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