Rig Veda 5.79.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 79, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.79
- Rishi
- Syāvāśva Ātreya
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
या सुनीथे शौचद्रथे व्यौच्छो दुहितर्दिवः । सा व्युच्छ सहीयसि सत्यश्रवसि वाय्ये सुजाते अश्वसूनृते ॥
yā sunīthé śáucadrathe vyàuccho duhitar divaḥ | sā vyùccha sahīyasi satyáśravasi vāyyé sujāte aśvasūnṛte ||
Ikaw na nagningning sa mabuting landas, sa maliwanag na karo, O Anak na Babae ng Langit, magningning ka ngayon; lumago ka nang lalong matibay, O ikaw na may tunay na pandinig, na gumagalaw sa hininga ng buhay, mabuting ipinanganak, nagdadala ng mabilis na lakas at ng masayang salita.
Word by Word
- या
- she whoPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुनीथे
- in good guidance / in good leadingNoun (locative) / epithetनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सु-नीथ (प्रातिपदिक; सु + नीथ ‘नेतृत्व/मार्गदर्शन’)
- शौचद्रथे
- in the bright/pure chariotAdjective (locative) / epithetनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot शौच-द्रथ (समास; शौच ‘शुद्धि/दीप्ति’ + द्रथ ‘रथ’)
- वि
- forth, apartIndeclinable (preverb)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- औच्छः
- you shone forth / you dawnedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot वच्/उच् (धातु; √उच्/√वच् ‘उषः-प्रकाशे/उदय’ → ‘उच्छ्’ in Vedic usage)
- दुहितः
- O daughterNoun (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (address) / SambodhanaRoot दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven / of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (वैदिक ‘द्यौः’), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक ‘द्यौ/दिव्’)
- सा
- she (that one)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- forthIndeclinable (preverb)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- उच्छ
- shine forth! / dawn!Verbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot उच्छ् (धातु; √उच्छ् ‘उदय/प्रकाश’)
- सहीयसि
- you are stronger / you prevailVerbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot सह् (धातु; √सह् ‘बल/सहन’) + ईयस् (तुलनात्मक-प्रत्यय) → ‘सहीयस्’
- सत्यश्रवसि
- O of true fameAdjective (vocative) / epithetस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (address) / SambodhanaRoot सत्य-श्रवस् (समास; सत्य ‘true’ + श्रवस् ‘fame/glory’)
- वाय्ये
- in the airy/atmospheric (realm)Adjective (locative) / epithetनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वाय्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वायु-सम्बन्धिन्/वायव्य’)
- सुजाते
- O well-bornAdjective (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (address) / SambodhanaRoot सु-जात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; सु + √जन् ‘to be born’)
- अश्वसूनृते
- O Ashva-sūnṛtā (lady of horses and good/true speech)Noun/epithet (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (address) / SambodhanaRoot अश्व-सूनृत (समास; अश्व ‘horse’ + सूनृत ‘good speech/true utterance’; वैदिक देवीनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): या | सुनीथे | शौचद्रथे | वि | औच्छः | दुहितः | दिवः | सा | वि | उच्छ | सहीयसि | सत्यश्रवसि | वाय्ये | सुजाते | अश्वसूनृते । 1) व्यौच्छः = वि + औच्छः (वि-उपसर्ग + लुङ् रूप)
- 2) व्युच्छ = वि + उच्छ (वि-उपसर्ग + लोट्)
- 3) दुहितर्दिवः → दुहितः दिवः (रेफ-सन्धि/पदसंयोग; सम्बोधन + षष्ठी)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Daughter of Heaven, who has shone on the good path with a bright chariot—shine forth now; become more powerful, O true-hearing one, moving in the life-breath, well-born, bringing swift force and glad speech.
Inner meaning
The dawn-illumination is not random; it comes on the ‘good leading’ path (sunītha)—a right guidance in consciousness. Her ‘bright car’ (śaucadratha) is the pure, luminous movement of thought that carries the seeker forward. The rishi calls for renewed shining and increasing potency (sahīyasi): the light must not only appear but grow strong enough to transform the vital (vāyye) and to deliver dynamic energies (aśva) and true utterance (sūnṛtā).
Universal truth
True progress follows a right path and a purified movement. Illumination must increase in power, otherwise it remains a beautiful dawn without effective transformation.
Themes
Illumination, Guidance, Strengthening of consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Syāvāśva Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.79, RV 5.80, RV 5.81
Family tradition
Uṣas-seer of Mandala 5; emphasizes right path (nītha) and increasing power of illumination.
Significance
His vision insists on illumination that leads—light as guidance and force, not merely beauty.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- Duhitā Diváḥ, Śaucadrathā (bright-charioted), Satyaśravasi, Sujātā, Sahīyasī (growing in might)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Vāyu, Agni, Indra
Cosmic role
She reveals the paths, sets the rhythm of works, and increases the power of light in the worlds.
Inner power
Guiding illumination that purifies the mental instrument and strengthens the will to persist.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn praise to secure right guidance and auspicious progress
या सु॑नी॒थे शौ॑चद्र॒थे व्यौच्छो॑ दुहितर्दिवः । सा व्यु॑च्छ॒ सही॑यसि स॒त्यश्र॑वसि वा॒य्ये सुजा॑ते॒ अश्व॑सूनृते ॥
या । सु॒ऽनी॒थे । शौ॒च॒त्ऽर॒थे । वि । औच्छः॑ । दु॒हि॒तः॒ । दि॒वः॒ । सा । वि । उ॒च्छ॒ । सही॑यसि । स॒त्यऽश्र॑वसि । वा॒य्ये । सुऽजा॑ते । अश्व॑ऽसूनृते ॥
yā | su-nīthe | śaucat-rathe | vi | aucchaḥ | duhitaḥ | divaḥ | sā | vi | uccha | sahīyasi | satya-śravasi | vāyye | su-jāte | aśva-sūnṛte
48
4 × ~12 syllables
Measured expansion with a forward-driving close; supports the idea of ‘path’ and ‘progress’.
Encourages steady, confident advance; breath and attention naturally lengthen and stabilize.
- सुनीथे (sunīthe)
- Literal: on the good guidance/path. Symbolic: right leading of the inner journey; guided progression under ṛta
- शौचद्रथे (śaucadrathe)
- Literal: on the bright/pure chariot. Symbolic: pure luminous movement of mind; clarified instrument of progression
- दुहितर्दिवः (duhitar divaḥ)
- Literal: Daughter of Heaven. Symbolic: illumination born from higher consciousness (dyu) entering the human
- वि औच्छः / व्युच्छ (vi aucchaḥ / vy uccha)
- Literal: you have shone / shine out. Symbolic: repeated breakthrough of light; renewal of awakening
- सहीयसि (sahīyasi)
- Literal: you become more mighty. Symbolic: growth of effective spiritual force; illumination that conquers resistance
- वाय्ये (vāyye)
- Literal: in the life-breath. Symbolic: light carried into prāṇa, transforming vital reactions
- अश्वसूनृते (aśvasūnṛte)
- Literal: horse-glad-word. Symbolic: energies of action united with truth-speaking mantra
Dawn-invocation supporting right guidance (su-nītha) before daily works/pressings
At first light; also before beginning travel/work (symbolic ‘path’)
Recitation with intention for clarity and right direction; offerings in morning fire in śrauta setting
Use before starting the day’s key task; as a ‘right-path’ invocation to reduce confusion and procrastination.
su-nītha ‘good leading’ from √nī ‘lead’. śáuca ‘brightness/purity’ from √śuc ‘shine, be pure’ + ratha ‘chariot’. sahīyasi from sah- ‘to be strong, prevail’ (inner: intensification of effective illumination).
right leading (nītha) as inner guidance, increase of force (sahas) through illumination
Sunītha indicates movement aligned with ṛta—guidance that does not deviate into desire or error.
Satyaśravasi: truth is received and verified inwardly before outer action.
Light as a progressive force that grows and leads the worlds.
Integral/psychological Veda: ascent by illumination and purification of instruments.
dawn
The ‘path’ is the ordered unfolding of consciousness; the chariot is the mental-vital vehicle purified for the journey.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Uṣas rides forth on her radiant car, establishing the ‘good leading’—a mythic motif of the goddess who opens the path for gods and humans. Innerly, illumination not only appears but also ‘leads well’ the movement of thought and will.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śuc ‘shine/purify’ sits in a widespread IE semantic cluster of brightness/purity; ratha ‘chariot’ corresponds to IE vehicle terms (cf. Latin rota ‘wheel’ from PIE *ret(h)-). √nī ‘lead’ is a basic verbal root with broad IE parallels in guidance/leading semantics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer recalls Uṣas’s established mode (‘you have shone forth on the good leading’) and urges her to intensify it now (‘shine out; become more powerful’), implying that the human aspiration can call for a stronger descent of light when the path is already opened.
Right-path illumination: ask for guidance that is both pure (śauca) and effective (sahas).
Ājñā (guidance) and Viśuddha (true utterance/sūnṛtā)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to steady prāṇa; feel light descending on exhale
Directed clarity; luminous will
Before decisions, chant once; then wait for the ‘true-hearing’—a quiet inner yes/no that feels wide, calm, and energizing (not restless).
Maintain Vedic accents; the repeated refrain-epithets should be chanted consistently each time in the hymn.
Let ‘vy uccha’ be crisp and outward; slightly emphasize the growth-word ‘sahīyasi’ per accent.
sunīthe: long ī; dental th, śaucadrathe: śau diphthong; dr cluster, vy aucchaḥ: pronounce ‘vy’ as v+y; keep ‘aucchaḥ’ with clear au, duhitar: soft dh; short i, sahīyasi: long ī; yasi smooth, satyaśravasi: keep śr as single cluster
Clear, bright, forward; slightly more force on the imperative calls
3
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