Rig Veda 7.75.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 75, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.75
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एते त्ये भानवो दर्शतायाश्चित्रा उषसो अमृतास आगुः । जनयन्तो दैव्यानि व्रतान्यापृणन्तो अन्तरिक्षा व्यस्थुः ॥
eté tyé bhānávō darśatā́yāś citrā́ uṣáso amṛ́tāsa ā́guḥ | janáyanto daivyā́ni vratā́ny āpṛṇánto antárikṣā ví asthuḥ ||
ลำแสงอันรุ่งโรจน์เหล่านี้ของอุษัส (รุ่งอรุณ) ผู้แลเห็นงดงาม—สว่างไสวและอมตะ—ได้มาถึงแล้ว. พวกมันก่อกำเนิดวรตะ (vrata) อันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ คือกฎแห่งการกระทำของเทพ เติมเต็มแดนกลาง (antarikṣa) และตั้งมั่นอยู่ห่างไกลอย่างกว้างขวาง.
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (उषसः इत्यस्य)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / एष-प्रातिपदिक
- त्ये
- thosePronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (भानवः इत्यस्य)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / त्यद्-प्रयोगः
- भानवः
- lights, beamsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (आगुः इत्यस्य)Root भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दर्शतायाः
- of the lovely/visible oneAdjective (genitive attribute)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (उषसः-सम्बन्धः)Root दर्शत (प्रातिपदिक; √दृश् ‘to see’ से)
- चित्राः
- bright, variegatedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (भानवः)Root चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषसः
- dawnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (आगुः इत्यस्य; भानवः सह समन्वयः)Root उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृतासः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (उषसः)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- आगुः
- have comeVerbलिट् (परस्मैपदम्), 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √गम् (गच्छति) उपसर्गः आ-
- जनयन्तः
- producing, generatingParticipleवर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (उषसः/भानवः)Root √जन् (जनयति) कारण-प्रयोगः
- दैव्यानि
- divineAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (जनयन्तः इत्यस्य)Root दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक; देव-सम्बन्धि)
- व्रतानि
- ordinances, sacred lawsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (जनयन्तः इत्यस्य)Root व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
- आपृणन्तः
- fillingParticipleवर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (उषसः/भानवः)Root √पॄ/पृ (आपृणाति ‘to fill, satisfy’) उपसर्गः आ-
- अन्तरिक्षा
- the mid-spaces, atmospheresNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (आपृणन्तः इत्यस्य)Root अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्यस्थुः
- have stood apart / have taken their stationsVerbलिट् (परस्मैपदम्), 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √स्था (तिष्ठति) उपसर्गः वि-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) दर्शतायाः + चित्राः → दर्शतायाश्चित्राः (याः + चि- = याश् + चि-). (2) व्रतानि + आपृणन्तः → व्रतान्यापृणन्तः (इ + आ = या). (3) अन्तरिक्षा + व्यस्थुः → अन्तरिक्षा व्यस्थुः (पद-सन्धिः न; छन्दसि पदविरामः). Accent marks in the source are retained only in the mantra text
- pada forms are given unaccented
The meaning
Outer meaning
The radiant, beautiful, bright and deathless beams of Dawn have come. They bring forth the divine laws and, filling the mid-region, take their stations far and wide.
Inner meaning
The ‘beams’ (bhānavas) are not merely sunrays but multiple movements of illumination entering the mind. They are ‘amṛtāsaḥ’—deathless—because the light of truth belongs to the immortal plane of consciousness even when it descends into the mortal. Their coming ‘brings to birth’ (janayantaḥ) the daivyāni vratāni: divine workings, right laws of action, the true rhythms of sādhanā. They ‘fill the antarikṣa’—the mid-world between earth and heaven—symbolically the vital-mental field where confusion and mixed motives usually reign. When illumined, this intermediate nature becomes spacious and ordered; the powers of dawn then ‘stand wide apart’ (vi asthuḥ): distinct discernments, clear separations of truth from falsehood, right from wrong, each light taking its proper station in consciousness.
Universal truth
Illumination is plural and functional: it arrives as many clear perceptions that establish right law in our mixed inner world. When the mid-region of life is filled with light, order replaces confusion and each truth finds its proper place.
Themes
radiance-manifestation, law-of-truth, cosmic-order-in-action
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.75.1-6, RV 7.76, RV 7.77
Family tradition
Vision of ṛta as practical order in life; hymns often show descent of higher powers into the intermediate nature.
Significance
Here Vasiṣṭha emphasizes illumination as an organizer of the antarikṣa: spiritual light must structure the mixed vital-mental field through divine ‘vrata’.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas (with her Bhānavas)
- Epithets
- दर्शता (darśatā), चित्रा (citrā), अमृता (amṛtā)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Mitra-Varuṇa (ṛta/vrata), Indra
Cosmic role
Her radiances spread across the atmosphere, initiating ordered activity and the day’s lawful movements.
Inner power
Revelatory discernment that generates right principles of action and stabilizes them in the life-force and mind.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn praise during morning recitations; associated with beginning of works and establishment of vrata (right observance).
ए॒ते त्ये भा॒नवो॑ दर्श॒ताया॑श्चि॒त्रा उ॒षसो॑ अ॒मृता॑स॒ आगु॑: । ज॒नय॑न्तो॒ दैव्या॑नि व्र॒तान्या॑पृ॒णन्तो॑ अ॒न्तरि॑क्षा॒ व्य॑स्थुः ॥
ए॒ते । त्ये । भा॒नवः॑ । द॒र्श॒तायाः॑ । चि॒त्राः । उ॒षसः॑ । अ॒मृता॑सः । आ । अ॒गुः॒ । ज॒नय॑न्तः । दैव्या॑नि । व्र॒तानि । आ॒ऽपृ॒णन्तः॑ । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षा । वि । अ॒स्थुः॒ ॥
ete | tye | bhānavaḥ | darśatāyāḥ | citrāḥ | uṣasaḥ | amṛtāsaḥ | ā | aguḥ | janayantaḥ | daivyāni | vratāni | āpṛṇantaḥ | antarikṣā | vi | asthuḥ
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Radiant, unfolding movement; balanced clauses that ‘set stations’
Creates spaciousness in the chest and brow; supports clarity and inner ordering.
- भानवः (bhānavas)
- Literal: beams, radiances. Symbolic: Multiple illuminations; rays of knowledge
- दर्शताया: (darśatāyāḥ)
- Literal: of the beautiful/fair-seeing. Symbolic: The luminous power that makes truth ‘seeable’ to the mind
- अमृतासः (amṛtāsaḥ)
- Literal: immortal, deathless. Symbolic: Belonging to the immortal consciousness; enduring truth
- दैव्यानि व्रतानि (daivyāni vratāni)
- Literal: divine laws/vows/ordinances. Symbolic: Right principles of inner working; dharma of the sādhanā
- अन्तरिक्ष (antarikṣa)
- Literal: mid-region, atmosphere. Symbolic: Vital-mental plane between body and higher mind
- वि अस्थुः (vi asthuḥ)
- Literal: have stood apart, taken stations. Symbolic: Clear differentiation; stable establishment of lights in consciousness
Dawn hymn segment emphasizing ṛta/vrata; used to align the sacrificer’s day with divine order
At dawn, especially when commencing duties or vows
Recitation to align actions with divine law; mental consecration of the day’s work.
Chant before work/study to invoke clear priorities, ethical alignment, and stable discernment in the ‘mid-region’ of emotions and thoughts.
bhānú ‘beam’ from √bhā ‘shine’ (PIE *bheh₂- ‘shine’). amṛ́ta ‘deathless’ = a- + mṛta (√mṛ ‘die’, PIE *mer-). vratá ‘law of action’ from √vṛ/√vrat ‘to choose, will, set a rule’; psychologically: fixed right movement of forces. antárikṣa: ‘between’ + ‘domain’—the intermediate expanse where forces circulate.
amṛta (deathless consciousness), vrata (divine law of working), antarikṣa (intermediate plane)
Dawn’s rays ‘generate’ and ‘station’ the divine laws—ṛta expressed as functional order.
Truth becomes ‘darśatā’—seeable—through illumination; satya is cognized as clear perception.
Cosmic ordering each morning: law and differentiation emerge out of indistinctness.
Integral psychological symbolism: cosmic functions mirror inner ascent (antarikṣa as vital-mental).
dawn
Illumination filling the vital-mental field, establishing right laws and clear discriminations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘coming of the immortals as rays’: Dawn’s beams arrive as deathless powers that generate divine vratāni—stable laws of action—spreading through the midspace. Mythically, illumination is not passive light but an ordering host.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhā ‘shine’ has Indo-European correspondences in light/brightness roots; amṛta from *mer- ‘die’ is a transparent inherited formation (negated). √sthā ‘stand’ is PIE *steh₂- (Latin stāre, English stand).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi witnesses and affirms the operative descent of Dawn’s radiances as law-bearing forces; the hymn functions as a cognitive alignment—recognition that the day’s movements should be shaped by the daivya-vrata.
Visualize multiple rays entering the mind and heart, each establishing a ‘vrata’ (a right rule) for the day.
Ājñā and Viśuddha (clarity, truthful order in expression)
Inhale: receive ‘bhānavas’; exhale: spread into antarikṣa (whole torso) for 8–12 breaths, then chant.
Clear, receptive, discriminative awareness
After chanting, name one concrete ‘divine law’ to embody today (truthfulness, steadiness, non-reaction), letting it ‘take its station’ in the mind.
Not fully determinable from provided text alone; maintain natural Vedic word-accent flow with clear caesura at pāda ends.
Keep compound clarity: darśatāyāś citrā uṣaso | amṛtāsa āguḥ || Avoid running ‘āguḥ’ into next phrase.
bhānavo: bhā-na-vo (clear bh), darśatāyāḥ: dar-śa-tā-yāḥ (palatal ś), amṛtāsaḥ: a-mṛ-tā-saḥ (ṛ syllabic), vratāni: vra-tā-ni (cluster vr-), antarikṣā: an-ta-rik-ṣā (kṣ)
Even, luminous, with clean articulation to mirror ‘stations’
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