Rig Veda 6.27.7: Mandala 6, Sukta 27, Mantra 7
Sukta 6.27
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
यस्य गावावरुषा सूयवस्यू अन्तरू षु चरतो रेरिहाणा । स सृञ्जयाय तुर्वशं परादाद्वृचीवतो दैववाताय शिक्षन् ॥
yásya gā́vā aruṣā́ suyavasyū antár ū ṣú cárato rérihāṇā | sá sṛ́ñjayāya turváśaṃ párā adād vṛcī́vato daivavātā́ya śíkṣan ||
ผู้ใดมีโคเพศเมียสองตัว สีแดงเรื่อและอุดมด้วยทุ่งหญ้าดี เดินไปมาอยู่ภายใน เลียซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า—ผู้นั้นได้มอบทุรวศะ (Turvaśa) แก่สฤญชัย (Sṛñjaya) และฝึกไทววาตะ (Daivavāta) ให้ต่อกรกับวฤจีวันต์ (Vṛcīvant)
Word by Word
- यस्य
- of whom/whosePronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवरुषाः
- unharmed, uninjuredAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (गावः इति विशेष्य)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root अवरुष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘not injured/harmless, unharmed’)
- सूयवस्युः
- seeking good pastureAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (गावः इति विशेष्य)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root सू-यवस्-यु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘desiring good pasture/grass’)
- अन्तरू
- within, in betweenIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (स्थान)Root अन्तर (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-स्वरूप; here as adverbial ‘within/in between’)
- षु
- indeed, just (emphatic particle)IndeclinableनिपातRoot षु (निपात)
- चरतः
- they two move/roamVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन (परस्मैपद)Role क्रिया (कर्तृ=गावः)Root चर् (धातु)
- रेरिहाणा
- licking (as they roam)Verb (participle)वर्तमानकाले शानच् (आत्मनेपदी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (चरतः इत्यस्य सहवर्ती)Role कर्तृ (कर्तरि वर्तमान-क्रियाविशेषण)Root रिह् (धातु) with reduplication (रे-रिह्) + शानच्
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सृञ्जयाय
- to SṛñjayaProper nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सृञ्जय (प्रातिपदिक; जन/राजन्-नाम)
- तुर्वशम्
- TurvaśaProper nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तुर्वश (प्रातिपदिक; जन/राजन्-नाम)
- परादात्
- gave away, bestowedVerbलुङ् (आorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ=सः; कर्म=तुर्वशम्)Root दा (धातु) with preverb परा-
- वृचीवतः
- of the Vṛcī-armed/weapon-bearing oneAdjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root वृचीवत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘possessing the Vṛcī/weapon’, epithet)
- दैववाताय
- to DaivavātaProper nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दैववात (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
- शिक्षन्
- instructing, guidingVerb (participle)वर्तमानकाले शतृ (परस्मैपदी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सः इति विशेषण/सहवर्ती)Role कर्तृ (कर्तरि वर्तमान-क्रियाविशेषण)Root शिक्ष् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic): यस्य | गावः | अवरुषाः | सूयवस्युः | अन्तरू | षु | चरतः | रेरिहाणा | सः | सृञ्जयाय | तुर्वशम् | परा-दात् | वृचीवतः | दैववाताय | शिक्षन् । मुख्य सन्धि/रूप-टिप्पणी: (1) परा + दात् → परादात् (उपसर्ग-सन्धि)
- (2) रेरिहाणा = रिह् धातोः द्विरुक्त (रे-रिह्) + शानच्, स्त्री-द्विवचन (चरतः इत्यनुगुणम्)
- (3) शिक्षन् = शिक्ष् + शतृ, पुं-एकवचन, ‘सः’ इत्यस्य सहवर्ती वर्तमानकृदन्तः
- (4) अन्तरू, षु इति निपात/अव्यय-प्रयोगः (RV-विशेषः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He whose two ruddy cows rich in pasture move within, licking repeatedly—he gave Turvaśa to Sṛñjaya, instructing Daivavāta against Vṛcīvant.
Inner meaning
The ‘two cows’ (gāvau aruṣā) are twin streams of inner Light—often read as illumined thought and illumined perception (or the two rays of knowledge) moving ‘within’ (antaḥ), repeatedly ‘licking’ (rerihāṇā) the inner being—assimilating experience, refining taste, drawing essence. This describes a yogic condition: the inner lights circulate and nourish the consciousness. From that state, Indra can ‘give’ (parā-dāt) Turvaśa to Sṛñjaya—symbolically, transferring a turbulent vital impulse (turvaśa ~ swift/impetuous) to a harmonizing power (sṛñjaya ~ organizer/assembler), i.e., converting raw drive into ordered force. Daivavāta (divine-wind) is the inspired breath/Prāṇa moved by higher influence; it is trained against Vṛcīvant (distortion), so the life-force supports truth rather than crooked impulse.
Universal truth
Inner illumination must be made nutritive and assimilative; then the vital can be re-educated—its turbulence offered to a higher organizing power. When breath and life-energy become ‘divine-wind,’ distortion loses its hold.
Themes
cows as rays, inner nourishment, strategic alliance, training against obstruction
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 6.28 (Go-sūkta), RV 6.48 (Agni and increase, thematic)
Family tradition
Bharadvāja’s vision frequently links ‘cows’ with inner lights and the right ordering of the vital under Indra’s governance.
Significance
The rishi shows a key step of integral practice: illumination must penetrate and educate prāṇa and desire, not remain only in thought.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan, Maghavan
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Agni, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Releaser and governor of luminous energies; ally of the inner dawns and cows (rays).
Inner power
Capacity to reorder the vital under the law of light; to train prāṇa as an instrument of truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra hymn in heroic narrative sections
यसस्य॒ गावा॑वरु॒षा सू॑यव॒स्यू अ॒न्तरू॒ षु चर॑तो॒ रेरि॑हाणा । स सृञ्ज॑याय तु॒र्वशं॒ परा॑दाद्वृ॒चीव॑तो दैववा॒ताय॒ शिक्ष॑न् ॥
यस्य॑ । गावौ॑ । अ॒रु॒षा । सु॒य॒व॒स्यू इति॑ सु॒ऽय॒व॒स्यू । अ॒न्तः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । सु । चर॑तः । रेरि॑हाणा । सः । सृञ्ज॑याय । तु॒र्वश॑म् । परा॑ । अ॒दा॒त् । वृ॒चीव॑तः । दै॒व॒ऽवा॒ताय॑ । शिक्ष॑न् ॥
yasya | gāvau | aruṣā | suyavasyū itisu-yavasyū | antaḥ | oṃ iti | su | carataḥ | rerihāṇā | saḥ | sṛñjayāya | turvaśam | parā | adāt | vṛcīvataḥ | daiva-vātāya | śikṣan
44
4 × ~11
Fluid in the first half (imagery of moving within), then directive and decisive in the second (transfer/training).
Begins soothing and inward, ends energizing—good for moving from contemplation to right action.
- गावौ (gāvau)
- Literal: two cows. Symbolic: Twin rays/streams of knowledge and light in the inner being
- अरुषा (aruṣā)
- Literal: ruddy, dawn-colored. Symbolic: Dawn-like illumination; living light rather than abstract idea
- अन्तः (antaḥ)
- Literal: within. Symbolic: Inner field of consciousness (antar-ātmanic space)
- रेरिहाणा (rerihāṇā)
- Literal: licking repeatedly. Symbolic: Assimilation, refining taste; repeated inward reception of light
- तुर्वश (turvaśa)
- Literal: name Turvaśa. Symbolic: Turbulent/impetuous vital force needing right direction
- सृञ्जय (sṛñjaya)
- Literal: name Sṛñjaya. Symbolic: Organizer/combiner—harmonizing power that orders forces
- दैववात (daivavāta)
- Literal: moved by divine wind; a name. Symbolic: Inspired prāṇa/breath-force aligned to the divine
- वृचीवत् (vṛcīvant)
- Literal: crooked/distorting. Symbolic: Force of perversion that bends truth into error
Narrative exemplum within Indra hymn: illustrates Indra’s governance of exchange/alliance and the training of forces; supports petitions for right distribution of powers (dakṣiṇā/rayi) and victory.
Recited in praise to Indra for guidance and victory; also in contexts seeking right ordering of forces.
Stotra that affirms Indra’s governance over human/vital energies.
Use when working with breath/vital discipline: chant to align prāṇa with truth and to convert turbulence into organized force.
gó ‘cow’ (PIE *gʷou-) is a classic RV symbol: outwardly cattle, inwardly ‘rays of light/knowledge’ (go as light in many RV contexts of discovery). aruṣá connects to reddish dawn-light. √car ‘move’ (PIE *kers- ‘run’). rérihāṇā from √rih ‘lick’ with intensive reduplication, suggesting repeated internal assimilation.
go as light/knowledge, inner nourishment (yavas as sustaining substance), discipline/training (śikṣā)
Sṛñjaya symbolizes the assembling of forces into R̥ta; Turvaśa the unruly force brought into order.
Inner cows as satya-rays feeding consciousness.
Internal creation: organizing life-force under light to build a stable inner world.
Aurobindonian psychological symbolism: transformation of prāṇa by illumined mind and inner light.
dawn (implied by aruṣa)
Pasture = field of experiences that nourish; cows = rays; divine wind = inspired breath moving the life-force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cows within’ motif—luminous powers moving in the inner field—combined with Indra’s orchestration of alliances and training against an obstructer (Vṛcīvant). It fuses the knowledge-symbol (go) with the battle/training theme.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- gó ‘cow’ reflects PIE *gʷou- (Greek bous, Latin bōs). śravas/kleos logic remains in the background of heroic exchange. √car ‘move’ is an inherited motion root with wide IE parallels.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi reads social-heroic narrative as inner yoga: Indra arranges the giving/handing-over of forces (parā adāt) and trains (śikṣan) the right wind-like energy (daivavāta) against obstruction. The ‘two cows within’ indicate that Indra’s work is ultimately the movement of inner light and nourishment.
Bring awareness ‘within’; feel two currents of light (clarity and warmth) circulating and assimilating experience.
anāhata (inner warmth) / ājñā (clarity)
Ujjāyī light and slow for 3–5 minutes, then chant; feel breath become ‘daivavāta’.
Inwardly luminous, nutritive, and organized.
After chanting, note one turbulent impulse (Turvaśa) and consciously offer it to a higher ordering intention (Sṛñjaya): ‘Let this force serve truth.’
Rigvedic three-tone; seek a trained reciter for precise svara placement.
Let ‘yasya gāvāv aruṣā’ flow smoothly; emphasize ‘antaḥ’ as an inward turn; give a crisp cadence to ‘śikṣan’.
gāvāv: sustain ā and the dual ending, aruṣā: clear retroflex ṣ, rerihāṇā: roll the repeated ‘ri’ lightly without rushing
Warm, inward, slightly softer in first half; firmer in the concluding directive phrase.
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