Rig Veda 7.95.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 95, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.95
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Sarasvatī
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एकाचेतत्सरस्वती नदीनां शुचिर्यती गिरिभ्य आ समुद्रात् । रायश्चेतन्ती भुवनस्य भूरेर्घृतं पयो दुदुहे नाहुषाय ॥
ékā acetat sárasvatī nadī́nāṃ śúcir yatī́ giríbhyā́ samudrā́t | rā́yaś cetántī bhúvanasya bhū́rer ghṛtáṃ páyo duduhe nā́huṣāya ||
นาง—สรัสวตี—เพียงผู้เดียวตื่นขึ้นเป็นผู้รู้ท่ามกลางสายน้ำทั้งหลาย; การเคลื่อนไหวของนางบริสุทธิ์ ไหลจากภูผาสู่มหาสมุทร. นางรู้ทรัพย์แห่งโลกอันกว้างใหญ่ แล้วรีดออกให้แก่นาหุษะ (Nahusha) ทั้งฆฤตะ (ghṛta) อันหวานชื่นและปยัส (páyas) อันหล่อเลี้ยง.
Word by Word
- एकाचेतत्
- single-minded / of one intentAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (सरस्वती-विशेषण)Role Kartā (कर्ता-विशेषण)Root एक- (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + चेतत् (√चित् ‘चेतयति/चेतति’ से कृत्-रूप) अथवा समास-विशेषण
- सरस्वती
- SarasvatīNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot सरस्वती- (प्रातिपदिक; नदी-देवी का नाम)
- नदीनाम्
- of the riversNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root नदी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुचिः
- pure, brightAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (सरस्वती-विशेषण)Role Kartā (कर्ता-विशेषण)Root शुचि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यती
- going, flowingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (सरस्वती-विशेषण)Role Kartā (कर्ता-विशेषण)Root यती- (प्रातिपदिक; √या ‘गच्छति’ से ‘यत्/यती’ ‘going’)
- गिरिभ्यः
- from the mountainsNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी बहुवचनRole ApādānaRoot गिरि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रिया-विशेषक; गत्यर्थ-प्रवृत्ति)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- समुद्रात्
- from the sea/oceanNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot समुद्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- रायः
- of wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (RV में), षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root राय्/रायि- (प्रातिपदिक ‘धन, संपत्ति’)
- चेतन्ती
- noticing, mindful ofAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (सरस्वती-विशेषण)Role Kartā (कर्ता-विशेषण)Root √चित् (चेतयति/चेतति) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- भुवनस्य
- of the worldNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot भुवन- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूरेः
- of abundance, of the great (store)Adjective (used substantively)(सामान्यतः) नपुंसक/पुं, षष्ठी एकवचन; यहाँ ‘प्रचुरता/बहुलता’ के अर्थ मेंRole सम्बन्धRoot भूरि- (प्रातिपदिक ‘बहु, प्रचुर’)
- घृतम्
- ghee, clarified butterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot घृत- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पयः
- milk, nourishing fluidNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पयस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुदुहे
- she milked/drew forthVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथम पुरुष एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) — कर्ता: सरस्वती; कर्म: घृतम्, पयःRoot √दुह् ‘दोहति’
- नाहुषाय
- for NāhuṣaNoun (proper) / Recipientपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot नाहुष- (प्रातिपदिक; नहुष-वंशज/नाहुष नाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): एकाचेतत् | सरस्वती | नदीनाम् | शुचिः | यती | गिरिभ्यः | आ | समुद्रात् || रायः | चेतन्ती | भुवनस्य | भूरेः | घृतम् | पयः | दुदुहे | नाहुषाय || 1) ‘एकाचेतत्’ को ‘एका + चेतत्’ (समास/संयुक्त-विशेषण) रूप में लिया गया है
- यह सरस्वती का विशेषण है। 2) ‘शुचिर्यती’ = शुचिः + यती (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + य → र्य). 3) ‘गिरिभ्य आ’ = गिरिभ्यः + आ (विसर्ग लोप/पद-सन्धि). 4) ‘समुद्रात् । रायश्चेतन्ती’ में ‘रायः + चेतन्ती’ (विसर्ग + च → श्च). 5) ‘भूरेर्घृतम्’ = भूरेः + घृतम् (विसर्ग + घ → र्घ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Sarasvatī alone awakens as the conscious one among rivers, pure as she moves from mountains to the sea; knowing the riches of the wide world, she milks out ghee and milk for Nahusha (the human).
Inner meaning
Among all movements of consciousness, Sarasvatī is ‘ekā acetat’—the uniquely awakened current: the one that is self-aware and truth-guided. Her passage ‘from mountains to sea’ is the descent and spread of illumination: from the heights of vision (giri) into the vast integrality (samudra) of being. She ‘knows the riches’—the inner opulences (rāyas) of the worlds of our nature—and draws from them ghṛta (clarified delight/illumined substance) and payas (nourishing plenitude) for the Nāhuṣa, the human seeker striving in mortal limitations.
Universal truth
The awakened intelligence is a pure movement that can translate high vision into total life. True knowledge yields both clarity (ghṛta) and nourishment (payas): delight and strength for human growth.
Themes
River-as-goddess, Inspiration, Purity, Essence-extraction
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.95.1, RV 7.95.3, RV 7.96.1, RV 7.97.2
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 7’s Vasiṣṭha lineage emphasizes the passage from higher truth to effective life-order; Sarasvatī is central as the carrier of inspired ṛta.
Significance
The seer frames Sarasvatī as the awakened consciousness that bridges heights and vastness—vision becoming lived plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Sarasvatī
- Epithets
- ekācetat (uniquely awakened), śuci (pure), rāyaś-cetantī (knower of riches), duhitrī-like giver (milking forth)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired word), Indra (illumined mind), Soma (bliss/nectar)
Cosmic role
Mediator between higher planes (mountains) and the integral sea of existence; bestower of clarified delight and nourishment.
Inner power
Intuitive discrimination that yields both joy and strength; the capacity to ‘milk’ essence from experience into wisdom and energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocations to Sarasvatī for purity of speech and successful recitation; associated with offerings of ghṛta in Vedic rites.
एका॑चेत॒त्सर॑स्वती न॒दीनां॒ शुचि॑र्य॒ती गि॒रिभ्य॒ आ स॑मु॒द्रात् । रा॒यश्चेत॑न्ती॒ भुव॑नस्य॒ भूरे॑र्घृ॒तं पयो॑ दुदुहे॒ नाहु॑षाय ॥
एका॑ । अ॒चे॒त॒त् । सर॑स्वती । न॒दीना॑म् । शुचिः॑ । य॒ती । गि॒रिऽभ्यः॑ । आ । स॒मु॒द्रात् । रा॒यः । चेत॑न्ती । भुव॑नस्य । भूरेः॑ । घृ॒तम् । पयः॑ । दु॒दु॒हे॒ । नाहु॑षाय ॥
ekā | acetat | sarasvatī | nadīnām | śuciḥ | yatī | giri-bhyaḥ | ā | samudrāt | rāyaḥ | cetantī | bhuvanasya | bhūreḥ | ghṛtam | payaḥ | duduhe | nāhuṣāya
48
4 × 12 syllables (Jagatī; suited to extended descriptive movement)
Smooth, continuous, river-like; spacious phrasing with a gentle forward pull.
Encourages a purified, sustained attention; supports contemplative ‘flow’ meditation.
- ekā acetat (एका अचेतत्)
- Literal: alone she became conscious/awakened. Symbolic: the singular truth-current that is self-aware amid many mechanical movements
- nadīnām (नदीनाम्)
- Literal: among rivers. Symbolic: among streams of thought, emotion, life-force
- śuciḥ (शुचिः)
- Literal: pure, bright. Symbolic: unmixed clarity; sattvic-luminous movement
- giribhyaḥ (गिरिभ्यः)
- Literal: from the mountains. Symbolic: from higher mind/peaks of intuition and vision
- samudrāt (समुद्रात्)
- Literal: to/from the sea. Symbolic: the vast, integral consciousness; the infinite receptacle
- rāyaḥ (रायः)
- Literal: riches, treasures. Symbolic: inner powers and fulfillments of the worlds of being
- ghṛtam (घृतम्)
- Literal: ghee. Symbolic: clarified light/delight; illumined substance of understanding
- payaḥ (पयः)
- Literal: milk. Symbolic: nourishing fullness; sustaining sap of life and joy
- nāhuṣāya (नाहुषाय)
- Literal: for Nahusha (a human/ancestral figure). Symbolic: for the mortal seeker—the human instrument needing nourishment and light
Invocation for purity and inspired abundance; can accompany rites seeking medhā/inspiration and prosperity (inner and outer)
Before/within stotras where inspired speech and right discrimination are required; also in learning/teaching contexts.
Praise; symbolic offering of clarified butter; seeking inner nourishment for the sacrificer.
Chant before study, creative work, or when integrating a ‘high insight’ into daily life; useful for writers/teachers/meditators.
√cit ‘to perceive’ gives acetat/cetantī: Sarasvatī as ‘conscious flow’; √duh ‘milk’ expresses the Vedic idea of extracting essence (light/delight) from the cosmic cow—here the river-goddess yields ghṛta (clarified radiance) and payas (nourishment). nāhuṣa can denote a human clan/ancestor; symbolically ‘for humanity’ receiving the essence.
Consciousness in nature (cetantī), Ghṛta as clarified light/delight, Rayi as plenitude
Purity of movement (śuciḥ) indicates alignment with ṛta rather than mixed desire-currents.
Awakened consciousness (acetat) as truth-aware movement.
Waters as original consciousness; the descent from heights to sea as manifestation/integration.
Integral Vedāntic symbolism: higher mind to totality; essence-extraction into delight and strength.
Mountains = peaks of intuition; sea = infinite/total being; ghee/milk = clarified delight and nourishing force extracted from experience by luminous discernment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Sarasvatī as the uniquely conscious river who ‘milks’ essence for man: a transformation of nature into a personified power that yields spiritual nourishment (ghṛta, payas). Inner myth: the truth-current extracts clarified delight and sustenance for the evolving soul.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √cit (know/perceive) and √duh (milk) are old inherited verbal notions with Indo-Iranian continuities; the ‘milking’ metaphor is widespread in IE poetics for extracting value/essence (here ritual-psychological rather than pastoral literalism).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi recognizes Sarasvatī as a conscious benefactress and asks (implicitly through praise) that her pure flow become operative for humanity: she provides clarified delight (ghṛta) and nourishment (payas) as inner boons that widen the being.
Trace consciousness from ‘summit’ insight to ‘sea’ wholeness; let the insight nourish the whole life-field.
Ājñā (vision) to Viśuddha (expression) integration
Slow inhalation ‘from mountains’ (crown/brow) and long exhalation ‘to sea’ (heart/whole body), 6–8 cycles.
Purified flow with gentle joy; integrative awareness.
After chanting, recall one high intuition; feel it descend as a cool bright stream through the mind into heart and body, becoming ghṛta (clear delight) and payas (steady nourishment).
Follow udatta marks (॑) carefully on ekā́/acetat/sárasvatī; keep the cadence even across long compounds.
Let the first pāda open gently; emphasize ‘ekā acetat’ as the awakening pivot; maintain steady fall on line endings.
ekā: long ā, acetat: ‘c’ as ‘ch’ in Vedic phonetics (palatal), but keep it crisp, giribhyaḥ: articulate -bhyaḥ without dropping aspiration, duduhe: repeat ‘du’ clearly; avoid ‘dudhe’ contraction
Pure, unforced, flowing; minimal vibrato.
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