Rig Veda 1.18.7: Mandala 1, Sukta 18, Mantra 7
Sukta 1.18
- Rishi
- Kāṇva
- Devata
- Sadasaspati
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
यस्मादृते न सिध्यति यज्ञो विपश्चितश्चन । स धीनां योगमिन्वति ॥
yásmād ṛté ná sídhyati yajñó vipaścítaś caná | sá dhīnā́ṃ yógam invati ||
جس کے بغیر قربانی کامیاب نہیں ہوتی - خواہ واضح بصیرت والا ہی کیوں نہ ہو - وہی ہے جو خیالات کے جوڑ کو پروان چڑھاتا ہے: وہ ہماری دھی کو سچائی کے نظام کے ساتھ جوڑتا ہے۔
Word by Word
- यस्मात्
- from whom/without whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (abl. sg.)Role अपादानRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → यस्-
- ऋते
- without, exceptIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘without, except’ (पञ्चमी-संबन्धी उपपद)Role अपादान (उपपद-सम्बन्ध) / निवारणार्थRoot ऋते (अव्यय; √ऋ/अर् ‘to go, fit’ से निष्पन्न प्राचीन अव्यय) अथवा ‘ऋत’ (सत्य/नियम) से संबद्ध
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययRoot न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- सिध्यति
- is accomplished/succeedsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (अकर्मक; क्रिया)Root √सिध् (सिध्यति) ‘to succeed, be accomplished’
- यज्ञः
- the sacrifice/ritualNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (क्रियायाः कर्ता)Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- विपश्चितः
- of the wise/discerning (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्ध (यज्ञस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot वि-पश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विशेषेण पश्यति’ = discerning/wise)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
- चन
- even/at allIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चन (अव्यय; ‘even, at all’—निषेध/प्रबलनार्थ)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अगली क्रिया का कर्ता)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स-
- धीनाम्
- of the thoughts/insights (prayers)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन (gen. pl.)Role सम्बन्ध (योगस्य—‘of thoughts/insights’)Root धी (स्त्री; ‘thought, insight, prayer’)
- योगम्
- the yoking/connection (proper joining)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot योग (प्रातिपदिक; ‘yoking, joining, harnessing; application’)
- इन्वति
- impels/sets in motionVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (सकर्मक; कर्म=योगम्)Root √इन्/ईन् (इन्वति) ‘to set in motion, impel, further’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: यस्मात् । ऋते । न । सिध्यति । यज्ञः । विपश्चितः । च । चन । सः । धीनाम् । योगम् । इन्वति । 1) ‘यस्मादृते’ = ‘यस्मात् + ऋते’ (त् + ऋ → द् ऋ; संधि-लोप/परिवर्तन). 2) ‘विपश्चितश्चन’ = ‘विपश्चितः + च + चन’ (विसर्गः + च → श्च).
- ‘धीनाम्’ षष्ठी बहुवचन
The meaning
Outer meaning
Without him the sacrifice does not succeed, even for a wise seer; he fosters the yoking/joining of thoughts (dhī).
Inner meaning
The inner yajña cannot be accomplished by brilliance alone; it requires a presiding harmonizer. Sadasaspati is indispensable because he joins the dhī—our thought-powers, intuitions, and discernments—into a single yoking (yogam) with ṛta. When dhī is unyoked, energies scatter; when yoked, the sacrifice advances inevitably.
Universal truth
Realization depends less on isolated insight and more on integration: the many movements of mind must be yoked to a single truth-order for the work to succeed.
Themes
Indispensability of divine order, Integration of consciousness, Success of yajña
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.18.6-8
Family tradition
Kanvas often stress that the seer’s light must be supported by right order in the sacrifice—method, integration, and steady governance.
Significance
This verse is a Kāṇva teaching on necessity: even vipaścit (clear-seeing) requires the integrative power; yoga is not optional but the condition of success.
The deity
- Devata
- Sadasaspati
- Epithets
- indispensable for siddhi, yoker of dhī (dhīnāṃ yogam)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumination), Agni (will/leader of sacrifice), Brahmaṇaspati (word-formulation)
Cosmic role
Ensures successful completion (siddhi) of the sacrificial work by maintaining right coordination and continuity.
Inner power
Integrator and impeller: gathers inspirations into a single directive movement aligned to ṛta.
In ritual
Where it is used
Affirmation of the presiding deity’s necessity for successful rite; recited to prevent faults and ensure completion.
यस्मा॑दृ॒ते न सिध्य॑ति य॒ज्ञो वि॑प॒श्चित॑श्च॒न । स धी॒नां योग॑मिन्वति ॥
यस्मा॑त् । ऋ॒ते । न । सिध्य॑ति । य॒ज्ञः । वि॒पः॒ऽचितः॑ । च॒न । सः । धी॒नाम् । योग॑म् । इ॒न्व॒ति॒ ॥
yasmāt | ṛte | na | sidhyati | yajñaḥ | vipaḥ-citaḥ | cana | saḥ | dhīnām | yogam | invati
24
3 pādas × 8 syllables
Didactic firmness; a ‘law-statement’ rhythm with strong negation-to-affirmation turn.
Instills discipline and integration; the mind feels compelled toward coherence and right method.
- ऋते (ṛte)
- Literal: without; also ‘apart from ṛta’ by resonance. Symbolic: Without the right-ordering power; without alignment to ṛta nothing is accomplished
- यज्ञ (yajña)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: Inner offering and transformation—conscious exchange with the Divine
- विपश्चित् (vipaścit)
- Literal: clear-seeing, wise. Symbolic: The illumined seeker; even high intelligence needs integration
- धी (dhī)
- Literal: thought, inspiration. Symbolic: Intuitive-mental faculties; insight-movements that must be unified
- योग (yoga)
- Literal: yoking, joining. Symbolic: Integration of faculties with truth; disciplined union enabling progress
- इन्वति (invati)
- Literal: he impels, fosters. Symbolic: Active harmonization—making the union effective
Affirms the necessity of the presiding principle for successful yajña; supports correct coordination of priestly functions and, inwardly, the coordination of faculties (dhī) for effective offering.
When establishing the session’s authority or correcting/averting procedural and recitational errors.
Declaration of dependence on the presiding power; supports cohesion among officiants and acts.
For teams/communities: chant before collaborative work to invoke coherence; for personal practice: before sādhanā to unify intentions and end inner fragmentation.
sidhyati: √sidh ‘to succeed, be accomplished’. yajña: √yaj ‘to worship, sacrifice’—act of offering; inwardly self-giving. vipaścít: vi- ‘apart/clear’ + paś/cit complex ‘see/know’—clear-seeing intelligence. dhī: from √dhī/√dhā semantic ‘to place, hold’—the formed thought/vision placed in consciousness. yoga: √yuj ‘to yoke, join’—integration. invati: √in ‘to set in motion, impel’.
Ṛta (implied via ṛte and success of yajña), Yoga (integration of powers), Dhī (inspired thought)
Direct: success arises through yoking dhī to ṛta; disorder blocks siddhi.
Unified dhī becomes a vessel of satya rather than mixed opinion.
World-work succeeds through coordination—many forces yoked under a single law.
Integral Yoga emphasis: integration of parts is prerequisite to stable higher consciousness.
Yoke = disciplined union of faculties; path = progressive ascent of consciousness; success = stable opening to the gods (higher powers).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘rite fails without the presiding power’ motif: divine order/personified lordship is the hidden condition for efficacy. In inner terms, aspiration and technique are insufficient without the descent/permission of the governing Truth-power that unifies the faculties.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- yoga from √yuj reflects PIE *yeug- ‘yoke, join’ (cf. Latin iugum). ṛta (echoed by ṛte) relates to PIE *h₂r-tó- ‘fitted, right’ (cf. Avestan aša). The verse’s syntax (‘without whom… not succeeds… even…’) is a classic Indo-European relative-correlative emphasis construction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges dependency: even the vipaścít cannot accomplish yajña alone. The devatā’s gift is not a material boon but the ‘yoking of dhī’—the inner coordination that makes the human offering capable of receiving truth and power.
Integration of thought-streams into one truth-aligned intention; cultivate ‘yoga of dhī’.
ājñā (integration)
Exhale-lengthening (inhale 4, exhale 6) while mentally gathering scattered thoughts into a single point.
Unified, disciplined, truth-oriented attention.
List the 3–5 dominant thought-currents present; on each chant, imagine them converging into one luminous directive at the brow. After chanting, act on one small truth-aligned step—make yoga practical.
Gāyatrī; emphasize udātta on key syntactic peaks (yasmād, sidhyati, yajño, vipaścitaḥ, dhīnām, yogam).
Make the negation clause (na sidhyati) crisp; then broaden slightly on ‘sa dhīnāṃ yogam invati’.
yasmād ṛte: clear retroflex ṛ; do not reduce to ‘ri’, vipaścitaś: keep ‘śc’ cluster distinct, dhīnām: long ‘ī’; dental ‘dh’ aspirate, invati: light ‘v’; do not turn into ‘b’
Firm, instructional, steady; like establishing a rule of practice.
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