Rig Veda 7.86.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 86, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.86
अव द्रुग्धानि पित्र्या सृजा नोऽव या वयं चकृमा तनूभिः । अव राजन्पशुतृपं न तायुं सृजा वत्सं न दाम्नो वसिष्ठम् ॥
áva drugdhā́ni pitryā́ sṛjā no 'vá yā́ vayáṃ cakṛmā́ tanū́bhiḥ | áva rā́jan paśu-tṛ́paṃ ná tāyúṃ sṛjá vatsáṃ ná dā́mno vásiṣṭham ||
ขอทรงปลดเปลื้องจากพวกเราเสียซึ่งความผิดและความบิดเบือนที่สืบมาจากบรรพชน และความผิดที่พวกเราก่อขึ้นเองด้วยกายนี้ โอ้พระวรุณะผู้เป็นราชา ขอทรงปล่อยผู้แสวงหาที่หลงทาง—ดุจผู้ไปกินฝูงสัตว์ของผู้อื่น; และขอทรงปล่อยวสิษฐะ (Vasiṣṭha) จากเชือกแห่งการผูกมัด ดุจลูกวัวถูกปลดจากหลักผูก
Prayer for release from Varuṇa’s bonds (pāśa) and inherited fault; often cited in discussions of Vedic notions of inherited guilt and expiation.
bondage and release (dāman, sṛj), inherited formation (pitryā́), restoration of ṛta through unbinding
Wrongs are departures from ṛta; release restores harmony and protection.
Truth is the force that unties: confession + aspiration invites satya’s cleansing action.
Evolutionary purification: the embodied being sheds inherited and self-made obscurations to return to vast law.
Integral/psychological: subconscient inheritance + conscious choice; grace as transformative power.
unspecified
unspecified
Rope = binding habit; calf = psychic innocence; herd = rays/energies of knowledge that must not be misused; feeding wrongly = vital indulgence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘unbinding from Varuṇa’s cord’ mythologem: the devotee is tethered by the consequences of inherited and self-made distortions, and asks the sovereign to loosen the bond. The calf released from the rope is the emblem of the soul’s young formation freed to grow in ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛj ‘let loose’ (release) and the concrete metaphor of binding/cord are widespread IE juridical-religious images (binding oaths, divine fetters). The verse’s parallelism (áva…sṛja… / áva…sṛjá…) is a typical IE poetic intensification through repetition.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi stands as both culpable and aspirant: he admits inherited and embodied wrongdoing yet appeals to Varuṇa as rā́jan—sovereign who can remit and restore. The relationship is remedial: divine law is asked to become divine mercy through release (sṛj) rather than punishment.
Release inherited and embodied patterns; feel the ‘rope’ at belly/solar plexus soften.
Manipura (karmic knot/agency) and Anahata (release into trust)
Exhale-lengthening practice (inhale 4, exhale 6–8) while repeating ‘ava… sṛja’.
Letting-go, forgiveness, restored innocence.
1) Name one ancestral tendency and one personal habit. 2) On each ‘ava’, consciously drop identification. 3) Visualize the tether untying. 4) End by affirming a right nourishment (truthful inputs, sattvic action).
Tri-svara; repeated ‘ava’ should be kept steady and low (anudātta tendency), allowing udātta rises on key verbs sṛja and nouns like dāmnaḥ/vasisṭham where accented.
Mark each ‘ava’ as a deliberate release; slight pause after pitryā and tanūbhiḥ to contemplate layers of conditioning.
drugdhāni: clear ‘drugh-dhā-ni’ (gh + dh)., pitryā: ‘pi-tryā’ with palatal y glide., paśutṛpam: retroflex ṛ; do not drop the ṛ., dāmno: long ā; nasal ‘mn’ cluster gently., vasiṣṭham: retroflex ṣṭh.
Soft, pleading, soothing; emphasize ‘release’ rather than ‘punishment’.
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