Rig Veda 5.61.9: Mandala 5, Sukta 61, Mantra 9
Sukta 5.61
- Rishi
- Atri or Atris
- Devata
- Maruts, with imagery of illumining powers moving against darkness
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
उत मेऽरपद्युवतिर्ममन्दुषी प्रति श्यावाय वर्तनिम् । वि रोहिता पुरुमीळ्हाय येमतुर्विप्राय दीर्घयशसे ॥
utá mé ’rapad yuvatír mamanduṣī́ práti śyā́vāya vartánim | ví róhitā puru-mīḷhā́ya yématur víprāya dīrgha-yáśase ||
และเพื่อข้าพเจ้า พลังอันเยาว์วัยเรืองรอง—ผู้ยังความรื่นรมย์—ได้ก้าวหน้าไปตามทางที่หันสู่ความมืด; และพลังสีแดงทั้งสองได้เร่งรุดไปเพื่อผู้ทรงกรุณามาก (purumīḷha) เพื่อฤๅษีผู้มีเกียรติยศยืนนาน (vipra)
Word by Word
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/उपपद-अव्ययRoot उत
- मे
- of me, myPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic) / वैदिके दत्तिवत् प्रयोगःRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) / स्वामित्वRoot अस्मद्
- अरपद्युवतिः
- the faultless young woman (maiden)Noun (f.)प्रथमा एकवचन स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot अरपद्युवती (प्रातिपदिक) < अरपद् + युवति
- ममन्दुषी
- gladdening, exhilaratingParticiple (f.)प्रथमा एकवचन स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कर्तरि), वैदिक-रूपःRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण) / कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot मन्द् (धातु) → ममन्दुषी (कृदन्त, परिपूर्ण/परस्मैपदीय-भाव)
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (दिशा/प्रत्यभिमुखता)Root प्रति
- श्यावाय
- to the dark one / to the dark (horse/steed)Adjective (used substantively)चतुर्थी एकवचन पुं/नपुं (वैदिके विशेष्य-लोपे)Role सम्प्रदानRoot श्याव (प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्तनिम्
- path, track, courseNoun (f.)द्वितीया एकवचन स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot वर्तनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (विभाग/विशेष-प्रसार)Root वि
- रोहिता
- the two roan/red (mares)Noun/Adjective (f.)प्रथमा द्विवचन स्त्रीलिङ्ग (रोहिते—‘the two roan/red (mares)’)Role कर्तृRoot रोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुमीळ्हाय
- to the much-praised oneAdjective (m.)चतुर्थी एकवचन पुंलिङ्गRole सम्प्रदानRoot पुरुमीळ्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
- येमतुः
- let (them) restrain/guide; let (them) yoke/driveVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) परस्मैपदम्, ३ पुरुष, द्विवचनRole क्रियाRoot यम् (धातु)
- विप्राय
- to the inspired sageNoun (m.)चतुर्थी एकवचन पुंलिङ्गRole सम्प्रदानRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीर्घयशसे
- to (him) of long-lasting fameAdjective (m.)चतुर्थी एकवचन पुंलिङ्गRole सम्प्रदान (विप्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root दीर्घयशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): उत | मे | अरपद्युवतिः | ममन्दुषी | प्रति | श्यावाय | वर्तनिम् | वि | रोहिता | पुरुमीळ्हाय | येमतुः | विप्राय | दीर्घयशसे । Notable: मेऽरपद्युवतिः → मे + अरपद्युवतिः (avagraha marks vowel coalescence)
The meaning
Outer meaning
For me the young woman, the gladdening one, has advanced along the path facing the dark; and the two ruddy ones have pressed on for the much-gracious One, for the inspired seer of long fame.
Inner meaning
A ‘yuvatī’—a youthful luminous power (often Dawn/Illumination or a rising inner śakti)—moves forward in the seeker, bringing gladness (mamanduṣī). She advances ‘toward the dark path’ (prati śyāvāya vartanim): illumination does not avoid the subconscient; it confronts it. Then ‘the two rohitā’—ruddy energies (twin forces of life and light; or two currents of dynamic power) surge forward for the Purumīḻha (the abundantly gracious divine power) and for the vipra (seer) whose fame is ‘dīrgha’—extended, i.e., whose consciousness widens beyond the small ego.
Universal truth
Real progress includes turning illumination toward our darkness. Joy-bearing awakening moves into what is obscure; twin forces of energy and light then carry the work forward for the sake of a larger, more gracious consciousness.
Themes
dawnlike energies, path against darkness, seer’s expansion of fame (light), inner journey
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Ātreya / Ātreyāḥ (traditional)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.40 (illumination motifs), RV 1.113 (Uṣas—awakening imagery, thematic kinship)
Family tradition
Atri’s line frequently links illumination with a courageous facing of obscurity; the seer’s ‘fame’ is the spread of light in consciousness.
Significance
The rishi’s psychology is developmental: joy (ānanda) and light do not merely comfort; they actively enter the dark track to transform it.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts (hymn context) with Dawn/Illumination imagery
- Epithets
- śubhrāḥ, pṛśnayaḥ, śocíṣkeśāḥ (flame-haired—imagistic)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Agni, Indra
Cosmic role
They drive forward the movements that bring light and rain; companions of awakening forces.
Inner power
Propulsive purification that carries illumination into subconscient resistance; energizes the vipra’s expansion.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocatory verse for forward movement and victory over obscurity; suitable in Soma pressing sequences emphasizing exhilaration (mand) and illumination
उ॒त मे॑ऽरपद्युव॒तिर्म॑म॒न्दुषी॒ प्रति॑ श्या॒वाय॑ वर्त॒निम् । वि रोहि॑ता पुरुमी॒ळ्हाय॑ येमतु॒र्विप्रा॑य दी॒र्घय॑शसे ॥
उ॒त । मे॒ । अ॒र॒प॒त् । यु॒व॒तिः । म॒म॒न्दुषी॑ । प्रति॑ । श्या॒वाय॑ । व॒र्त॒निम् । वि । रोहि॑ता । पु॒रु॒ऽमी॒ळ्हाय॑ । ये॒म॒तुः॒ । विप्रा॑य । दी॒र्घऽय॑शसे ॥
uta | me | arapat | yuvatiḥ | mamanduṣī | prati | śyāvāya | vartanim | vi | rohitā | puru-mīḷhāya | yematuḥ | viprāya | dīrgha-yaśase
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4 × ~11
Flowing yet forceful; long lines suited to narrative movement.
Creates a felt ‘advance’—as if the voice itself moves along a path into darkness and emerges with increased energy.
- युव॒तिः (yuvatī)
- Literal: young woman. Symbolic: fresh awakening power; Dawn-like illumination or rising inner śakti
- ममन्दुषी (mamanduṣī)
- Literal: gladdening, intoxicating. Symbolic: joy-force that makes effort glad (ānanda-impulsion)
- श्या॒वाय (śyāvāya)
- Literal: to/against the dark. Symbolic: subconscient obscurity; inertia and hidden formations
- वर्तनिम् (vartanīm)
- Literal: path, track. Symbolic: line of movement in consciousness; habitual route of energy
- रोहि॑ता (rohitā)
- Literal: the two ruddy ones. Symbolic: twin red powers—dynamic life-energy and illumined force; or two forward-driving currents
- पुरुमी॒ळ्हाय (purumīḻhāya)
- Literal: to the much-gracious/abundantly bountiful. Symbolic: the Divine as generous bestower; grace that supports the seer
- विप्रा॑य (viprāya)
- Literal: to the inspired seer. Symbolic: the awakened intuitive mind in the practitioner
- दी॒र्घय॑शसे (dīrghayaśase)
- Literal: of long fame. Symbolic: wide and enduring consciousness; long-reaching realisation
Invocatory verse for forward movement and victory over obscurity; suitable in Soma pressing sequences emphasizing exhilaration (mand) and illumination
In Marut stotras/śastras where dynamic movement and overcoming obscurity are invoked.
Praise that ‘pushes’ the rite forward; imagistically supports removal of obstacles and calling of helpful powers.
Meditation for shadow-work: invite the joy-bearing light to move toward the hidden difficulty rather than away from it.
: from √mand ‘to rejoice, be exhilarated’, often linked with Soma-delight; inwardly, the bliss that energizes progress. : ‘dark’ (cf. Indo-European color terms), used in Vedic for obscuring forces. : ‘ruddy/red’ (dawn/fire association), symbolically the illumining energies that break darkness. vipra: inspired poet-seer, from a root expressing vibration/quickening; psychologically the awakened intuitive mind. : mīḷhá ‘gift, grace’ (often of gods), indicating abundance of help rather than material charity.
progress of consciousness, illumination overcoming obscurity, delight (ānanda-like mand) as a power of advance
The ‘path’ (vartanī) is corrected toward ṛta by illumination entering the dark track.
Vipra’s widening fame symbolizes satya’s expansion in the being.
Transformation of darkness by descent/advance of light and joy; evolution by confronting the subconscient.
Integral Yoga psychology: illumination + joy as transforming powers, not escapist states.
dawn moving into lingering night
Dawn = awakening; ruddy horses = energized will and life-force; dark sky = subconscient resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The advance of the luminous powers along the path that confronts darkness: a dawn-myth transposed inwardly into the soul’s journey, where delight and ruddy illumination move to break the obstructing obscurity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Color symbolism (śyāva/rohitá) and path vocabulary (vartani) reflect inherited Indo-European poetic diction contrasting dark vs. red/gold light. √mand has Indo-Iranian parallels for exhilaration (often Soma-linked). The dual verb form (yematuḥ) preserves archaic agreement patterns typical of early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer reports an experienced inner movement: divine energies (youthful, gladdening, ruddy) act ‘for me’ and ‘for the vipra’, indicating that inspiration is both the offering (openness, receptivity) and the fruit (illumined advance and enduring luminous renown).
Invite the ‘yuvatī’ (fresh luminous force) to move toward the difficult place in you with gladness, not strain.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (joy-flow) moving toward Maṇipūra (forward drive)
Inhale imagining dawn-light in the heart; exhale sending it gently into the ‘dark track’ (a specific fear/habit). 12 cycles.
From bright aspiration to transformative engagement with the subconscient.
Choose one recurring dark pattern. Do not fight it with harshness; approach with the glad force (mamanduṣī). Then apply the twin rohitā: (1) steady will, (2) clear understanding—move stepwise forward.
Rigvedic accent; keep long compounds flowing; lift slightly on ‘rohitā’ and ‘purumīḻhāya’.
Do not rush the first pāda; let ‘prati śyāvāya vartanim’ be clearly segmented to mark ‘turning toward darkness’.
: ‘yu-va-tiḥ’ (clear tiḥ), : ‘ma-man-du-ṣī’ (retroflex ṣ, long ī), : ‘ro-hi-tā’ (long ā), : ‘pu-ru-mī-ḻhā-ya’ (ḻh approximated as retroflex ‘ḍh’ in many traditions)
Warm, luminous, gently expansive.
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