Rig Veda 10.136.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 136, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.136
- Rishi
- Keśin Dārbhya
- Devata
- Keśin/Muni in relation to Vāta and the yogic-seer state
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
उन्मदिता मौनेयेन वाताँ आ तस्थिमा वयम् । शरीरेदस्माकं यूयं मर्तासो अभि पश्यथ ॥
unḿaditā maúnéyena vātā́m̐ ā́ tasthima vayám | śarīréd asmā́kaṃ yūyám mártāso abhí paśyatha ||
داخل خاموشی کی طاقت سے پاگل ہو کر، ہم نے ہوا کے دھاروں میں اپنا قدم جمایا ہے۔ اے فانی لوگو، تم صرف ہمارے جسم کو دیکھتے ہو، لیکن ہمارا وجود اس وسیع حرکت میں چلتا ہے۔
Word by Word
- उन्मदिताः
- maddened, inspired (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot उन्मदित (उद्-√मद् ‘to be intoxicated/mad’)
- मौनेयेन
- by/with the munis’ (state/discipline), by the muni-hoodAdjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः (or पुं.), तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot मौनेय (मुनि-सम्बद्ध ‘belonging to the muni’; from मुनि)
- वातान्
- windsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वात (√वा ‘to blow’)
- आ
- to, up to; (preverb with verb)Indeclinable (preverb) / particleRoot आ
- तस्थिम
- we have stood / we have taken our standVerbलिट् (परस्मैपदम्), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot √स्था (with preverb आ) → तस्थिम (perf. 1pl)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अस्मद्
- शरीरे
- in the bodyNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot शरीर
- इद्
- indeed, justParticle (emphatic) अव्ययRoot इद्
- अस्माकम्
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अस्मद्
- यूयम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- मर्तासः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot मर्त (√मृ ‘to die’)
- अभि
- towards, upon; (intensively)Indeclinable (preverb) / particleRoot अभि
- पश्यथ
- you see / beholdVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot √पश् (दृश्-समर्थ) ‘to see’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उन्मदिताः | मौनेयेन | वातान् | आ | तस्थिम | वयम् | शरीरे | इद् | अस्माकम् | यूयम् | मर्तासः | अभि | पश्यथ । 1) तस्थिमा → तस्थिम (लिट् 1पु.बहु. ‘we have stood’), पदपाठे तस्थिम। 2) शरीरेदस्माकम् → शरीरे + इद् + अस्माकम् (इद्-प्रत्यय/निपातः ‘indeed’ sandhi: -e + id → -ed). 3) Accent marks (उन्म॑दिता॒, मौने॑येन॒, वाताँ॒, etc.) are preserved in saṃhitā
- pada-analysis here gives unaccented lemma forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
Exhilarated by the vow of silence, we the ascetics have mounted the winds. You, O mortals, perceive only our physical bodies, while we have transcended them.
Inner meaning
Through the power of 'Mauna' (inner silence which silences the surface mind), the Seer enters a state of divine ecstasy ('Unmaditā'). In this state, the consciousness is no longer bound by the physical body but rides the 'Vāta' (the universal Pranic life-forces). The ordinary human consciousness ('Martāsaḥ') sees only the external physical form, unaware that the Seer's true being is moving freely in the vast, universal consciousness.
Universal truth
True spiritual liberation requires the silencing of the analytical mind to access the universal life-force. The physical body is merely an anchor, while the liberated spirit moves unrestricted in the cosmic expanse.
Themes
Muni/Keśin mysticism, Inner realization vs outer appearance, Yoga-like discipline, Vital force as cosmic power
In ritual
Where it is used
Not primarily a śrauta-procedural hymn; used more as a visionary/ascetic (muni) statement; later reception associates it with contemplative disciplines rather than soma-pressing liturgy.
उन्म॑दिता॒ मौने॑येन॒ वाताँ॒ आ त॑स्थिमा व॒यम् । शरी॒रेद॒स्माकं॑ यू॒यं मर्ता॑सो अ॒भि प॑श्यथ ॥
उत्ऽम॑दिता । मौने॑येन । वाता॑न् । आ । त॒स्थि॒म॒ । व॒यम् । शरी॑रा । इत् । अ॒स्माक॑म् । यू॒यम् । मर्ता॑सः । अ॒भि । प॒श्य॒थ॒ ॥
ut-maditā | mauneyena | vātān | ā | tasthima | vayam | śarīrā | it | asmākam | yūyam | martāsaḥ | abhi | paśyatha
Not primarily a śrauta-procedural hymn; used more as a visionary/ascetic (muni) statement; later reception associates it with contemplative disciplines rather than soma-pressing liturgy.
Key terms: (1) ut-maditā: from √mad ‘to be exhilarated, to be intoxicated/rapt’; with ut- ‘up/out’ → ‘uplifted beyond the normal mind’ (ecstatic). (2) mauneya: from mauna ‘silence’ (related to muni); suggests a discipline where thought-speech is stilled, allowing supramental intuition. (3) vāta: from √vā ‘to blow’ → wind/breath; psychologically prāṇa, the vital universal movement. (4) tasthima: 1pl from √sthā ‘stand, establish’; implies stable station in the life-currents, not being tossed by them. (5) śarīra: ‘body’ as outer form; contrasted with the inner being of the seer.
Mauna (inner silence), Ecstasy/overmind rapture (mad, unmāda as transcendence of ordinary mind), Inner vs outer perception, Stability in universal Life-force (standing in vāta)
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘seer who moves with the Wind’: a mythic figure of the Keśin/Muni who participates in the cosmic Breath (Vāta) and stands established in it. The contrast ‘you mortals see only the body’ encodes the Vedic motif of hidden divine life within the human vessel—an initiatory invisibility of the true action.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vā ‘blow’ (vāta) aligns with PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘to blow’ (cf. Latin ventus ‘wind’ via *h₂wéh₁-nto-; English ‘wind’ is Germanic but semantically parallel). √sthā ‘stand’ (tasthima) reflects PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’ (Greek histēmi, Latin stō). √mad ‘be exhilarated’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan mad- ‘to be intoxicated/joyful’), supporting an inherited poetic register for inspired rapture.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is implicit rather than petitionary: the Muni does not ask Vāta for an outer boon; he aligns his consciousness with Vāta’s universal movement through mauna, becoming a stable station (√sthā) for that power. The ‘gift’ is transformation—mortals see a body, but the seer lives in the deity’s domain (the life-wind), indicating an inner consecration rather than transactional offering.
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