Rig Veda 1.113.11: Mandala 1, Sukta 113, Mantra 11
Sukta 1.113
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
ईयुष्टे ये पूर्वतरामपश्यन्व्युच्छन्तीमुषसं मर्त्यासः । अस्माभिरू नु प्रतिचक्ष्याभूदो ते यन्ति ये अपरीषु पश्यान् ॥
īyúṣ ṭe yé pū́rvatārām ápaśyan vyucchántīm uṣásaṁ mártyāsaḥ | asmā́bhir ū́ nú praticákṣyā abhūd ó te yánti yé aparī́ṣu páśyān ||
وہ چلے گئے - وہ فانی لوگ جو پہلے کے سویرے کو دیکھتے تھے جب وہ طلوع ہوتی تھی۔ اب وہ ہمارے لیے بدلے میں نظر آئی ہے؛ مگر وہ لوگ گزر جاتے ہیں جو دیکھتے ہوئے بھی دور کی دوریوں میں رہتے ہیں۔
Word by Word
- ईयुः
- they have gone / they wentVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमा, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot इ (धातु) → परस्मैपद परिपूर्ण (इयाय/ईय)
- ते
- those (men)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (संबन्ध-सर्वनाम)
- पूर्वतराम्
- earlier / more formerAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (उषसम् विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तुलनार्थक प्रत्यय)
- अपश्यन्
- they sawVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमा, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot दृश् (धातु) (पश्यति)
- व्युच्छन्तीम्
- dawning forth, shining outParticiple (Adjective)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (उषसम् विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot वि + उच्छ् (धातु) / उच्छति ‘to dawn, shine forth’ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- उषसम्
- Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्त्यासः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्माभिः
- by us / with usPronounत्रिलिङ्ग/सामान्य, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- उ
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (उद्ग्राहक/एव-अर्थे)Root उ (निपात)
- नु
- now, thenIndeclinableनिपात (अधुना/अनन्तरम्)Root नु (निपात)
- प्रति
- towards, in returnIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- चक्ष्या
- (our) sight/seeing; visibilityNoun (action-noun) / verbal nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (भाववाचक: ‘दर्शनम्/दृश्यता’)Role KartāRoot चक्ष् (धातु) ‘to see’ → चक्ष्य (भविष्यत्/विधिलिङ्-आधार) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभूत्
- has become / becameVerbलुङ्/लङ् (भूतार्थे), प्रथमा, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot भू (धातु)
- उ
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot उ (निपात)
- ते
- thosePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- यन्ति
- they goVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमा, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot या (धातु) ‘to go’
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (संबन्ध-सर्वनाम)
- अपरीषु
- in the later (times) / among those that come afterNoun/Adjective (locative plural)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अपरी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘later/after, coming behind’)
- पश्यान्
- seeing (beholding)Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (कर्तरि; ‘seeing’)Role KartāRoot दृश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): ईयुष्टे → ईयुः ते
- पूर्व॑तरा॒मप॑श्यन् → पूर्वतराम् अपश्यन्
- व्यु॒च्छन्ती॑मु॒षसं॒ → व्युच्छन्तीम् उषसम्
- अ॒स्माभि॑रू॒ नु → अस्माभिः उ नु
- प्रति॒चक्ष्या॑भू॒दः → प्रति चक्ष्या अभूत्
- भू॒दो ते → अभूत् उ ते
- अप॒रीषु॒ पश्या॑न् → अपरीषु पश्यान्. Accent marks retained as in saṃhitā
- pada forms given without explicit accent marking
The meaning
Outer meaning
Those mortals have gone who saw the earlier Dawn as she dawned. Now she is visible to us in return; but those pass on who, even while seeing, remain far away.
Inner meaning
Past seekers who received earlier illuminations have moved on—time carries the embodied life forward. The same Dawn becomes visible to us now: illumination is ever-available. Yet some ‘pass on’ even while seeing—meaning one may witness spiritual light outwardly or mentally, but remain inwardly distant (aparīṣu), not truly entering the experience. The verse warns against detached seeing without inner participation; true sight must become lived consciousness.
Universal truth
Illumination is perennial, but our participation is not guaranteed. Merely ‘seeing’ truth is insufficient if we remain inwardly remote; realization requires nearness—an intimate consent and embodiment of what is seen.
Themes
Human transience, Recurring illumination, Seeing vs. truly receiving, Existential urgency
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.113, RV 1.112, RV 1.114
Family tradition
Āṅgirasa emphasis on the recovery of light: vision must be brought near and made effective in life, not kept as distant knowledge.
Significance
Kutsa introduces a sobering discrimination: the same Dawn returns, but the seeker’s inner position matters. The verse distinguishes between mere perception and transformative seeing—central to an Aurobindonian psychology of realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- vyucchantī (dawning), praticakṣyā (made visible)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Yama (mortality/time, implicit)
Cosmic role
She returns daily, making the world visible; she links generations by the same recurring light.
Inner power
She offers renewed revelation and tests sincerity: she can be ‘seen’ yet not entered unless the being comes near.
In ritual
Where it is used
Contemplation on mortality and recurrence; supports urgency of practice—receive the dawn when it comes.
ई॒युष्टे ये पूर्व॑तरा॒मप॑श्यन्व्यु॒च्छन्ती॑मु॒षसं॒ मर्त्या॑सः । अ॒स्माभि॑रू॒ नु प्र॑ति॒चक्ष्या॑भू॒दो ते य॑न्ति॒ ये अ॑प॒रीषु॒ पश्या॑न् ॥
ई॒युः । ते । ये । पूर्व॑ऽतराम् । अप॑श्यन् । वि॒ऽउ॒च्छन्ती॑म् । उ॒षस॑म् । मर्त्या॑सः । अ॒स्माभिः॑ । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । नु । प्र॒ति॒ऽचक्ष्या॑ । अ॒भू॒त् । ओ इति॑ । ते । य॒न्ति॒ । ये । अ॒प॒रीषु॑ । पश्या॑न् ॥
īyuḥ | te | ye | pūrva-tarām | apaśyan | vi-ucchantīm | uṣasam | martyāsaḥ | asmābhiḥ | oṃ iti | nu | prati-cakṣyā | abhūt | o iti | te | yanti | ye | aparīṣu | paśyān
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4×11
Grave and contemplative; contrasts ‘gone’ vs ‘now visible’ vs ‘still passing on’
Creates introspection and urgency: do not remain distant; come near to the light.
- martyāsaḥ
- Literal: mortals. Symbolic: Embodied seekers subject to time and change
- pūrvatarām
- Literal: earlier. Symbolic: Prior stages of awakening; previous cycles of illumination
- praticakṣyā abhūt
- Literal: has become visible in return. Symbolic: Grace of renewed revelation; light meeting the present seeker
- aparīṣu
- Literal: in farther distances. Symbolic: Inner remoteness; lack of integration; living at the periphery of experience
- paśyān
- Literal: seeing. Symbolic: Mental witnessing that may or may not become realization
Contemplation on mortality and recurrence; supports urgency of practice—receive the dawn when it comes.
At dawn, especially in remembrance of impermanence and the need for timely practice.
Recitation as a contemplative exhortation; can accompany offering of water/light at sunrise.
A morning memento: chant to avoid spiritual procrastination—turn insight into action today.
The verse juxtaposes transience of mortals (martyāsaḥ) with recurring Dawn. prati-√cakṣ ‘see in return/face-to-face’ indicates renewed availability of revelation. aparīṣu ‘in the far distances’ suggests those who remain remote from the light even while ‘seeing’—psychologically: perception without inner participation; knowledge not integrated.
mortality vs. cosmic recurrence, revelation and response (prati-cakṣ), distance from truth (aparī)
Dawn’s recurrence is ṛta; the passing of mortals shows time’s law within ṛta.
Truth offers itself repeatedly; our nearness determines whether it becomes satya in life.
Perennial reappearance of revelation within transient lives.
Yoga of integral realization: knowledge must descend into life; otherwise one remains ‘far’.
dawn
Recurring opportunities for awakening; the risk of remaining a spectator rather than a participant in transformation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The contrast between the immortal recurrence of Dawn and the passing away of mortals who once saw her. Inner myth: opportunities of illumination return, but individuals pass; therefore one must not remain ‘far’ (aparī) from the light—mere seeing is insufficient without inward nearness and assimilation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The repeated √i ‘go’ (īyuḥ, yanti) frames mortality as ‘passing’, a common IE metaphor. The opposition of ‘near/face-to-face’ (prati-) and ‘far’ (aparī) is an inherited spatialization of epistemic states (knowledge as proximity).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi receives Uṣas as a returning revelation (praticakṣyā abhūt), but warns of a failure-mode: remaining remote even while perceiving. The implied reciprocity is ethical-psychological—Dawn offers herself; the human must come near in consciousness, not merely observe externally.
Bring the light ‘near’: shift from observing thoughts to inhabiting the luminous awareness that observes.
ājñā
quiet breath with longer exhale (e.g., 4 in / 6 out) to reduce mental distance and increase intimacy
Witnessing moving toward identification with the inner light
After chanting, ask: ‘Am I merely seeing, or consenting?’ Choose one concrete alignment (truthful speech, disciplined action, or compassionate act) to reduce ‘aparīṣu’—inner remoteness.
Maintain accent contrasts to support meaning; avoid emotional over-coloring—let the cadence carry the gravity.
Clear pause after ‘īyuḥ te’ (they have gone); slight emphasis on ‘praticakṣyā’ (made visible).
īyuḥ: long ī; visarga-less ending sound, pūrvatarām: retroflex ṛ; long ā, vyucchantīm: double cch, aparīṣu: long ī; ṣ retroflex
Low, steady, contemplative; gentle firmness on the final pāda
3
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