Rig Veda 1.113.13: Mandala 1, Sukta 113, Mantra 13
Sukta 1.113
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
शश्वत्पुरोषा व्युवास देव्यथो अद्येदं व्यावो मघोनी । अथो व्युच्छादुत्तराँ अनु द्यूनजरामृता चरति स्वधाभिः ॥
śáśvat puróṣā vyùvāsa devy átho adyédáṁ vyā́vo maghóni | átho vyùcchād úttarāṁ ánu dyū́n ajárāmṛ́tā carati svadhā́bhiḥ ||
Mula sa unang panahon, ang Bukang-liwayway na diyosa ay nagningning; at ngayon din, O mapagkalooban, iyong ibinunyag ang sanglibutan. At pag siya ay sumilip, siya ay nagpatuloy sa mga panghinaharap na araw - hindi tumanda, walang kamatayan - sa kanyang sariling kapangyarihang likas.
Word by Word
- शश्वत्
- always, continuallyIndeclinableअव्यय (काल/नित्यत्वार्थे)Role Adhikaraṇa (कालवाचक)Root शश्वत् (अव्यय/नित्यत्वार्थक) < PIE *sekw-? (परम्परया)
- पुरः
- before, in frontIndeclinableअव्यय (दिशा/पूर्वार्थे)Role Adhikaraṇa (दिशा/क्रम)Root पुरस् (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश; ‘पूर्वे’)
- उषाः
- Dawn (Uṣas)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक) देवी उषा
- वि
- apart, forth (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- उवास
- has dwelt / has shone forth (Vedic perfect)Verbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √वस् (वस् निवासे/वसने; वैदिक: ‘उवास’ = परोक्षभूत)
- देवी
- the goddessNoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (उषसः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (उषाः-समनाधिकरण)Root देवी (देव- प्रातिपदिक)
- अथो
- and then, moreoverIndeclinableनिपात (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थे)Root अथो (अथ + उ; निपात)
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableअव्यय (कालवाचक)Role Adhikaraṇa (काल)Root अद्य (अव्यय)
- इदम्
- this (world/space)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- वि
- apart, widely (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- आवः
- has made manifest / has opened (spread out)Verbलुङ्/इम्पर्फेक्ट (वैदिक), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अव् (अव रक्षणे/गत्यर्थे; वैदिक प्रयोग: ‘आवः’)
- मघोनी
- the bountiful oneNoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (उषाः-समनाधिकरण)Root मघोनी (मघवन्/मघ- ‘दान/समृद्धि’ से; उषसः विशेषणम्)
- अथो
- and furtherIndeclinableनिपातRoot अथो (निपात)
- वि
- forth (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- उच्छात्
- she has dawned / shone upVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √उष्/√वस्? (वैदिक: √वस्/√उष् ‘प्रकाशे’; ‘उच्छात्’ = लुङ् 3sg, ‘उद्+छा/उष्’ परम्परया ‘उदित’)
- उत्
- up, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (उत्कर्ष/उद्गम)Root उत् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- तरान्
- later, followingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (द्यून् विशेषयति)Role Karma (अनु-गमनस्य)Root उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) ‘higher, later’
- अनु
- after, alongIndeclinableअव्यय (अनुगमनार्थे)Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्यून्
- daysNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot द्युन्/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दिन’)
- अजरामृता
- unaging, immortalAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (उषसः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (उषाः-समनाधिकरण)Root अजरा-अमृता (अ-जर + अ-मृत; समास)
- चरति
- moves, proceedsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √चर् (चर गतौ)
- स्वधाभिः
- by her own powers/ordinancesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्व-धा’ = own power/ordinance; वैदिक: पितृ-स्वधा/देव-स्वधा)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): शश्वत् | पुरः | उषाः | वि | उवास | देवी | अथो | अद्य | इदम् | वि | आवः | मघोनी | अथो | वि | उच्छात् | उत् | तरान् | अनु | द्यून् | अजरा अमृता | चरति | स्वधाभिः । 1) शश्वत्पुरः → शश्वत् + पुरः (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)। 2) पुरोषा → पुरः + उषाः (विसर्गलोप/ओ-भाव: पुरः + उ → पुरो; ततः पुरो + उषाः)। 3) व्युवास → वि + उवास (उपसर्ग-संयोग; ‘वि’ + ‘उ’ = ‘व्यु’ लेखन)। 4) देव्यथो → देवी + अथो (ई + अ → य्-आगम: देव्यथो)। 5) अद्येदम् → अद्य + इदम् (अ + इ → ए: अद्येदम्)। 6) व्यावो → वि + आवः (वि + आ → व्या-)
- 7) व्युच्छात् → वि + उच्छात् (वि + उ → व्यु-)
- 8) उत्तराँ → उत् + तरान् (उत्-उपसर्ग/निपात + तरान्; पदपाठे ‘उत् तरान्’)। 9) द्यूनजरामृता → द्यून् + अजरा + अमृता (न् + अ → न्; तथा अजरा + अमृता समास/सन्धि)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Dawn, the goddess, has shone from ancient times; even today she unveils the world. After dawning she proceeds through the later days—unaging and deathless—by her own inherent power.
Inner meaning
Uṣas is the recurring power of illumination in consciousness. The verse affirms that the awakening Light is not a one-time event but an eternal rhythm: the same inner Dawn that rose in the seers rises “today” in us, unveiling the field of our being. Her “unaging, deathless” movement suggests that true illumination is of the soul-nature (not the mortal mind), advancing the seeker through successive states (“later days”) by svadhā—an innate spiritual law and self-existent energy.
Universal truth
Awakening is perennial: the Light that reveals life’s meaning is always available, and it advances us stage by stage through an inner law when we consent to it.
Themes
Perennial epiphany, Immortal principle of illumination, Self-powered cosmic order, Progressive unfolding
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.112, RV 1.113, RV 1.114
Family tradition
Āṅgiras seers are strongly associated with the recovery of Light (cows/rays) and the victory over concealment; their hymns often portray illumination as an active, progressive conquest.
Significance
Kutsa’s vision emphasizes the ever-returning Dawn as a law of inner evolution—illumination comes repeatedly, each time unveiling more of the world-being and leading the seeker forward.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- devī (goddess), maghonī (bounteous), ajarā (unaging), amṛtā (deathless)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Indra
Cosmic role
She opens the worlds, dispels night, and sets the rhythm for Sūrya and the activities of beings.
Inner power
The awakening Force that reveals, renews, and steadily advances consciousness through successive horizons.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning praise at dawn; Uṣas-sūkta recitation in prātaḥ-savana contexts (general).
शश्व॑त्पु॒रोषा व्यु॑वास दे॒व्यथो॑ अ॒द्येदं व्या॑वो म॒घोनी॑ । अथो॒ व्यु॑च्छा॒दुत्त॑राँ॒ अनु॒ द्यून॒जरा॒मृता॑ चरति स्व॒धाभि॑: ॥
शश्व॑त् । पु॒रा । उ॒षाः । वि । उ॒वा॒स॒ । दे॒वी । अथो॒ इति॑ । अ॒द्य । इ॒दम् । वि । आ॒वः॒ । म॒घोनी॑ । अथो॒ इति॑ । वि । उ॒च्छा॒त् । उत्ऽत॑रान् । अनु॑ । द्यून् । अ॒जरा॑ । अ॒मृता॑ । च॒र॒ति॒ । स्व॒धाभिः॑ ॥
śaśvat | purā | uṣāḥ | vi | uvāsa | devī | atho iti | adya | idam | vi | āvaḥ | maghonī | atho iti | vi | ucchāt | ut-tarān | anu | dyūn | ajarā | amṛtā | carati | svadhābhiḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, spacious, and declarative; suited to proclamation and inner ascent.
Creates a steady upward momentum, supporting the sense of continual progress ‘into later days’.
- उषाः (uṣāḥ)
- Literal: Dawn. Symbolic: Spiritual illumination; awakening of higher consciousness
- देवी (devī)
- Literal: Goddess. Symbolic: A conscious cosmic Power that acts with intention in the being
- वि आवः (vi āvaḥ)
- Literal: you have uncovered/unveiled. Symbolic: Removal of ignorance; revelation of inner truth
- मघोनी (maghonī)
- Literal: bounteous, giver of wealth. Symbolic: Bestower of inner riches—clarity, joy, right movement
- उत्त॑रान् अनु द्यून् (uttarān anu dyūn)
- Literal: following the later days. Symbolic: Progression through higher and higher states of awareness
- अजरा अमृता (ajarā amṛtā)
- Literal: unaging, deathless. Symbolic: Immortal soul-light beyond mental fluctuation
- स्वधाभिः (svadhābhiḥ)
- Literal: by her own powers/inherent law. Symbolic: Self-existent spiritual energy; the truth-force of her nature
Affirmation of perennial dawn-power; supports steadiness in daily discipline and the sense of an immortal principle guiding successive ‘days’ (states) of practice.
At or before sunrise; beginning of study/recitation; opening of inner work.
Recitation facing East; lighting of fire/lamp; offering of attention and aspiration.
Use as a daily ‘awakening mantra’ to set intention: let the inner Dawn unveil the day and move you forward by svadhā.
śaśvat/purā emphasizes timeless recurrence. ajarā + amṛtā: Dawn as an immortal principle, not merely a transient event. svadhā ‘own power, inherent law’ (sva- ‘own’ + dhā ‘placing/establishing’ from √dhā) indicates self-founded operation of the cosmic power. uttara ‘later/higher’ allows a psychological reading: Dawn leads toward higher subsequent states of consciousness.
immortality of cosmic powers (ajarā, amṛtā), svadhā as inherent law/power, progression to later/higher states (uttara)
Uṣas is a principal sign of Ṛta: the lawful recurrence of Light that orders life and consciousness.
Truth is that which is unveiled—knowledge as revelation rather than construction.
Perpetual re-creation: each dawn reconstitutes the world; inwardly, each awakening reconstitutes the person.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): evolution of consciousness through repeated illuminations.
dawn
The recurring emergence of clarity from subconscious obscurity, carrying the seeker through graded levels of insight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn as an immortal, self-powered principle who perpetually unveils the world and moves on to subsequent days. Inner myth: illumination is not a single event but a deathless power (amṛtā) that, by its svadhā, leads consciousness through successive stages (uttarān dyūn) toward greater clarity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The immortality vocabulary (a-mṛta ‘not-dead’) is built through inherited IE negation morphology (a-/n̥- type). The root √dhā in svadhā reflects a widespread IE root *dʰeh₁- ‘put, place’ (cf. Greek títhēmi), showing deep inheritance in key metaphysical terms.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi affirms trust in Uṣas as a perennial guide: she has unveiled ‘this’ today as always, and she continues onward by her own law. The human response implied is perseverance and receptivity—aligning daily effort with the immortal rhythm rather than treating awakening as accidental or purely physical.
Invoke the ‘ever-ancient yet ever-new’ awakening Light; allow it to unveil the day-mind and lead attention forward stepwise.
Ājñā (brow)
Gentle ujjāyī or slow nasal breathing with a slight pause after inhale to ‘receive’ illumination.
Waking-to-witness transition; luminous quietude with forward aspiration.
At dawn, sit facing East; repeat the mantra 9 or 27 times; after each repetition, feel a veil lifting and the next ‘day’ of consciousness opening by svadhā (effortless right law).
Follow Rigvedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as per śākhā tradition; emphasize udātta on key verbs (vy uvāsa, vy āvaḥ, carati).
Keep clear rises on udātta syllables; let svarita fall-glide be gentle, not dramatic.
Hold long vowels: (śaśvāt) quality in śaśvat; (uṣāḥ) with retroflex ṣ, Cluster clarity: (svadhābhiḥ) = sva-dhā-bhiḥ, Anusvāra/nasalization: (anu) clean dental n
Luminous, steady, slightly rising at pāda ends to convey onward movement.
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