Rig Veda 10.182.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 182, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.182
- Devata
- Narāśaṃsa
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
नराशंसो नोऽवतु प्रयाजे शं नो अस्त्वनुयाजो हवेषु । क्षिपदशस्तिमप दुर्मतिं हन्नथा करद्यजमानाय शं योः ॥
narāśáṃso no ’vatu prayā́je śáṃ no astv anuyā́jo háveṣu | kṣipád aśástim ápa durmatíṃ hánn áthā karad yajamā́nāya śáṃ yóḥ ||
نراشنس ہمیں پہلے ہدیوں میں بچائے، بعد کا ہدیہ ہمارا سکون ہو۔ بری تعریف دور کرکے اور برے خیال کو مار کر، پھر وہ یج کرنے والے کے لیے بھلائی اور سکون بنائے۔
Word by Word
- नरा॒शंसः
- Narāśaṃsa (the praised-by-men deity)Noun (deity-name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot नराशंस (प्रातिपदिक) < नर + शंस (√शंस् ‘स्तु’)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (enclitic ‘our/us’ in Vedic usage)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- अवतु
- may he protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √अव् (रक्षणे)
- प्रयाजे
- in/at the fore-offering (preliminary oblation)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot प्रयाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- शम्
- well-being, auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्ययRole कर्म (फल/प्रयोजन)Root शम् (अव्यय)
- नः
- for usPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- अस्तु
- let there beVerbलोट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √अस् (भुवि)
- अनुयाजः
- the after-offering (subsequent oblation)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अनुयाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- हवेषु
- in the invocations/calls (at the rites of calling)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot हव (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षिपदशः
- the swift-biting/quick-striking oneAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot क्षिपदश (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic epithet)
- तिमम्
- the Timá (a hostile being/demon; lit. ‘darkness/Timá’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तिम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अप
- away, offIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot अप (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- दुर्मतिम्
- evil intent / bad counselNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक) < दुर् + मति
- हन्
- smite! slay!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (Vedic injunctive/imperatival form)Role क्रियाRoot √हन् (हिंसायाम्)
- अथा
- then, thereafterIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध/क्रमRoot अथा (अव्यय)
- करत्
- may he make / let him doVerbविधिलिङ्/लोट्-समर्थ (Vedic optative/jussive), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √कृ (करणे)
- यजमानाय
- for the sacrificerNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot यजमान (प्रातिपदिक) < √यज्
- शम्
- welfareIndeclinableअव्ययRole कर्म (फल)Root शम् (अव्यय)
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- योः
- and prosperity (well-being and good fortune)Indeclinableअव्यय (fixed expression ‘शं योः’)Role कर्म (फल)Root योस्/योः (अव्यय; Vedic dual formula)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved sandhi: नोऽवतु → नः + अवतु (visarga + a-)
- अस्त्वनुयाजो → अस्तु + अनुयाजः (u + a → va; final -s before vowel)
- तिमप → तिमम् + अप (m + a with nasal assimilation)
- दुर्मतिं हन्नथा → दुर्मतिम् + हन् + अथा (final -m before h; imperative ‘हन्’)
- करद्यजमानाय → करत् + यजमानाय (final -t before y). Accent marks retained as in saṃhitā where applicable
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Narāśaṃsa protect us in the fore-offerings; may the after-offerings be for our peace in the calls. Casting away ill-praise and slaying evil thought, may he make peace and well-being for the sacrificer.
Inner meaning
Narāśaṃsa—‘he who is the praise of men’/the divine power that perfects inspired affirmation—guards the beginnings (prayāja) and completions (anuyāja) of the inner sacrifice: the start and closure of every conscious offering. He removes false formulation (aśasti: ill-praise, wrong speech) and destroys durmati (crooked thought, perverse intention). When speech becomes true and mind becomes straight, peace (śam) and integral well-being (yoḥ) are established in the doer (yajamāna), i.e., the practitioner of the inner yajña.
Universal truth
Right beginnings and right endings—guarded by truthful speech and purified intention—create harmony; removing inner negativity and false narrative is itself a sacred protection that yields peace and well-being.
Themes
Ritual purification, Protection in offerings, Removal of wrong speech and evil thought
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.182.1-3 (protective sequence)
Significance
The anonymous seer emphasizes purification of speech and thought as the core protection—an inner exorcism through right formulation and auspicious completion.
The deity
- Devata
- Narāśaṃsa
- Epithets
- protector in prayāja, giver of śam and yoḥ, remover of aśasti
- Related deities
- Agni (as priest of yajña), Bṛhaspati (lord of brahman/word), Sarasvatī (inspired speech)
Cosmic role
A guardian power of the yajña who ensures the rite proceeds in right speech and right intention, warding off disharmony.
Inner power
Purifies speech-energy, corrects mental formations, and seals the practice with peace.
In ritual
Where it is used
Prayāja/Anuyāja portions of soma or other śrauta rites; protective recitation for auspiciousness.
नरा॒शंसो॑ नोऽवतु प्रया॒जे शं नो॑ अस्त्वनुया॒जो हवे॑षु । क्षि॒पदश॑स्ति॒मप॑ दुर्म॒तिं ह॒न्नथा॑ कर॒द्यज॑मानाय॒ शं योः ॥
नरा॒शंसः॑ । नः॒ । अ॒व॒तु॒ । प्र॒ऽया॒जे । शम् । नः॒ । अ॒स्तु॒ । अ॒नु॒ऽया॒जः । हवे॑षु । क्षि॒पत् । अश॑स्तिम् । अप॑ । दुः॒ऽम॒तिम् । ह॒न् । अथ॑ । क॒र॒त् । यज॑मानाय । शम् । योः ॥
narāśaṃsaḥ | naḥ | avatu | pra-yāje | śam | naḥ | astu | anu-yājaḥ | haveṣu | kṣipat | aśastim | apa | duḥ-matim | han | atha | karat | yajamānāya | śam | yoḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Protective, declarative, with a strong cadence suited to warding and sealing.
Creates a sense of guarded boundary at the start/end of practice; stabilizes mind by rhythmic insistence.
- नराśंस (narāśaṃsa)
- Literal: praised by men / praise of men. Symbolic: power of true affirmation and inspired word that protects the rite and the psyche
- प्रयाज (prayāja)
- Literal: fore-offerings. Symbolic: initial consecrations: starting movements of practice, intention-setting
- अनुयाज (anuyāja)
- Literal: after-offerings. Symbolic: closing offerings: completion, integration, sealing of the work
- हवेषु (haveṣu)
- Literal: in the invocations/calls. Symbolic: acts of calling higher help; inward aspiration
- अशस्ति (aśasti)
- Literal: ill-praise, improper hymn. Symbolic: false self-talk, wrong mantra, distorted speech-energy
- दुर्मति (durmati)
- Literal: evil/bad thought. Symbolic: perverse intention, hostile formations in mind
- शं, योः (śaṃ, yoḥ)
- Literal: peace, welfare. Symbolic: harmonized consciousness and integrated flourishing
Explicitly tied to prayāja and anuyāja segments of Shrauta worship; protective/cleansing mantra to remove wrong speech and wrong thought during offerings.
At the beginning and concluding segments of offerings; also when seeking protection from wrong speech/mental disturbance.
Recitation as a consecratory and apotropaic (warding) formula; mentally ‘cast out’ wrong thoughts while offering.
Use before and after meditation, study, or important conversation to purify intention and speech; a ‘psychic hygiene’ mantra.
narāśáṃsa (nara + śaṃsa from √śaṃs 'to praise, recite') → the rightly-reciting/praised power; dur-mati (dus + mati from √man) → distorted mind; han from √han 'to strike, slay' (PIE *gʷhen-). aśásti from a- + śasti (√śaṃs/√śas 'praise') → wrong utterance; śam from √śam 'to be calm, pacify' → peace.
Rita maintained by right speech (śaṃsa) and right mind (mati), Purification of mantra and intention, Śam as settled harmony after removal of distortion
Aśasti and durmati are deviations from ṛta; Narāśaṃsa restores alignment.
True praise/true word is satya in vibration—creating peace as a natural result.
Formation of a protected field for the work; harmonization of the doer through purified speech-mind.
Mantra-śakti emphasis consonant with Aurobindo/Kashyap: speech as consciousness-force shaping inner reality.
Fore/after offerings = opening/closing psychic gestures; casting away = inner cleansing; slaying = decisive rejection of hostile formations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Not a nature-myth but a ritual-psychic combat: the slaying of durmati and casting off aśasti. The mythic action is purification of the sacrificer’s field so the gods can be invoked without distortion—an inner exorcism restoring rita.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- han 'slay' continues PIE *gʷhen- (cf. Greek theínō, Sanskrit han). mati/manas reflects PIE *men- 'think'. The formula shows inherited Indo-European sacral concern with correct speech (√śaṃs) as performative power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi petitions Narāśaṃsa to police the boundary of the rite: he protects the stages of offering and corrects the sacrificer’s speech and thought. The devatā’s gift is śam/yoḥ—harmonized consciousness as the fruit of purified invocation.
Purify speech and thought at the threshold of practice; establish a protected field and auspicious closure.
vishuddha
Slow exhale-focused breathing (1:2 ratio) while mentally releasing ‘aśasti’ and ‘durmati’.
Quiet vigilance: calm, protected awareness with ethical clarity.
Before practice, chant once to ‘guard the prayāja’ (intention). During practice, whenever negative self-talk arises, recall ‘kṣipad aśastim’. After practice, chant once to seal peace (śam yoḥ) and dedicate the fruit.
Vedic accents as marked; keep clear rise on narāśaṃso and avatu; maintain cadence on repeated kṣipad aśastim… śaṃ yoḥ.
Slight pause after prayāje and haveṣu; emphasize the imperative force in kṣipad… hann.
ś (narāśaṃso): long ā; anusvāra before s is nasalized, /: clear ‘yā’ length, (kṣipad): conjunct kṣ crisp, (durmatiṃ): retroflex ṭ? (here dental t), keep ‘dur-’ firm
Calm but firm; protective tone, not aggressive.
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