Rig Veda 10.82.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 82, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.82
- Rishi
- Viśvakarman
- Devata
- The transcendent source / Viśvakarman
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
परो दिवा पर एना पृथिव्या परो देवेभिरसुरैर्यदस्ति । कं स्विद्गर्भं प्रथमं दध्र आपो यत्र देवाः समपश्यन्त विश्वे ॥
paró divā́ pará enā́ pṛthivyā́ paró devébhiḥ ásuraiḥ yád ásti | káṃ svíd gárbhaṃ prathamáṃ dadhra ā́po yátra devā́ḥ samápaśyanta víśve ||
آسمان سے پرے، اس زمین سے بھی پرے، دیوتاؤں اور طاقتور قوتوں میں جو ہے اس سے بھی پرے - وہ کون سا پہلا رحم مادر ہے جسے پانیوں نے تھام رکھا تھا، جہاں تمام دیوتا ایک ساتھ دیکھنے آئے تھے؟
Word by Word
- प॒रः
- beyond, higher thanAdjective/Adverbialपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (अव्ययीभावेन ‘परः’ = ‘beyond/above’)Role Adhikaraṇa (सीमावाचक/स्थानवाचक)Root पर (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *per- ‘beyond’
- दि॒वः
- than/from heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role Apādāna (यतः—‘from/than heaven’)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव् ‘sky, heaven’)
- प॒रः
- beyondAdjective/Adverbialपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सीमातिक्रमवाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पर (प्रातिपदिक)
- ए॒नाः
- than thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम् (एना = ‘this’)Role Apādāna (यतः—‘than this’)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एन/एना-प्रयोगः वैदिकः)
- पृ॑थि॒व्याः
- than/from the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- प॒रः
- beyondAdjective/Adverbialपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पर (प्रातिपदिक)
- दे॒वेभिः
- than/over the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role Apādāna/तुलनाबोधक ( ‘beyond the gods’ = ‘surpassing the gods’ )Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- असु॑रैः
- than/over the AsurasNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role Apādāna/तुलनाबोधकRoot असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- whatever (that which)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (अस्ति इत्यस्य)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- is, existsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role Kriyā (भवति/विद्यते)Root अस् (धातु)
- कम्
- whom/whatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (दध्रे इत्यस्य)Root क (प्रश्न-सर्वनाम)
- स्वित्
- indeed? (interrogative particle)Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थ-निपातःRoot स्वित् (निपात)
- गर्भम्
- embryo, germ, womb (cosmic seed)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (दध्रे)Root गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथ॒मम्
- firstAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (गर्भम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (गर्भम्-विशेषणम्)Root प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- द॑ध्रे
- held, bore, supportedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot धृ (धातु)
- आपः
- the WatersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (दध्रे इत्यस्य)Root आप् (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक बहुवचन-प्रयोगः)
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक-अव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot यत्र (अव्यय)
- दे॒वाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (अपश्यन्त)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- स॒म्
- together, completelyIndeclinable (prefix)उपसर्गः (अपश्यन्त इत्यस्य)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अप॑श्यन्त
- sawVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KriyāRoot पश्/दृश् (धातु; वैदिके ‘पश्य’)
- विश्वे॑
- all (of them)Adjective (substantive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (देवाः इति विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (देवाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): परो→परः
- दिवा→दिवः (पञ्चमी ‘दिवः’)
- पर एना→परः एनाः
- पृथिव्या→पृथिव्याः
- देवेभिरसुरैर्→देवेभिः असुरैः
- यदस्ति→यत् अस्ति
- कं स्विद्गर्भं→कम् स्वित् गर्भम्
- दध्र आपो→दध्रे आपः
- यत्र देवाः→यत्र देवाः
- समपश्यन्त→सम् अपश्यन्त
- (विश्वे पदान्तः एव)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Beyond heaven and earth and beyond gods and asuras—what is the first womb that the Waters held, where all the gods gathered to behold?
Inner meaning
The rishi points beyond all known planes (mental heaven, material earth, even the play of divine and titanic forces) to the original matrix of manifestation. ‘Āpaḥ’ as the cosmic Waters symbolize the undifferentiated consciousness-force that holds the first seed (garbha) of the universe—an inner depth where all luminous powers (devas) come together in a unified vision before differentiation.
Universal truth
Behind all opposites and all hierarchical planes lies an originating matrix of consciousness in which the principles of existence are first held and seen; true knowledge seeks that prior source.
Themes
Cosmogonic inquiry, Waters and first seed, Transcendence, Unity of the gods
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvakarman
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.121.1, Rig Veda 10.129.1, Rig Veda 10.81.1, Rig Veda 10.82.6
Family tradition
Inquiry-hymn tradition that presses beyond conventional cosmology into the ‘before’ of manifestation; aligned with late Rigvedic speculative spirituality.
Significance
Models the yogic movement of transcendence: not stopping at heaven/earth or at the duality of devas/asuras, but seeking the first causal seat.
The deity
- Devata
- Transcendent Source / Viśvakarman as the beyond
- Epithets
- paraḥ (beyond), prathama-garbha (first seed/womb)
- Related deities
- Hiraṇyagarbha, Nārāyaṇa (later synthesis), Prajāpati
Cosmic role
The pre-cosmic origin that precedes all planes and polarities; the matrix held in the Waters where gods find their common vision.
Inner power
Capacity to transcend all constructed identities and enter causal depth; the power of ‘origin-contact’ where unity is seen before division.
In ritual
Where it is used
Used for contemplative inquiry into origins; frames the sacrificial quest as a question reaching beyond all manifested orders.
प॒रो दि॒वा प॒र ए॒ना पृ॑थि॒व्या प॒रो दे॒वेभि॒रसु॑रै॒र्यदस्ति॑ । कं स्वि॒द्गर्भं॑ प्रथ॒मं द॑ध्र॒ आपो॒ यत्र॑ दे॒वाः स॒मप॑श्यन्त॒ विश्वे॑ ॥
प॒रः । दि॒वा । प॒रः । ए॒ना । पृ॒थि॒व्या । प॒रः । दे॒वेभिः॑ । असु॑रैः । यत् । अस्ति॑ । कम् । स्वि॒त् । गर्भ॑म् । प्र॒थ॒मम् । द॒ध्रे॒ । आपः॑ । यत्र॑ । दे॒वाः । स॒म्ऽअप॑श्यन्त । विश्वे॑ ॥
paraḥ | divā | paraḥ | enā | pṛthivyā | paraḥ | devebhiḥ | asuraiḥ | yat | asti | kam | svit | garbham | prathamam | dadhre | āpaḥ | yatra | devāḥ | sam-apaśyanta | v iśve
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Expansive and interrogative; repeated ‘paro’ creates a climbing cadence of transcendence.
Induces a sense of going beyond; the question-form opens contemplative silence rather than closure.
- paro divā
- Literal: beyond heaven. Symbolic: beyond the mental plane and its luminous constructions
- paro pṛthivyā
- Literal: beyond earth. Symbolic: beyond physical embodiment and material limitation
- devebhiḥ asuraiḥ
- Literal: gods and asuras. Symbolic: luminous and resistant/titanic forces within the cosmos and the psyche
- garbham prathamam
- Literal: the first womb/embryo. Symbolic: original seed-state of manifestation; first concentration of consciousness
- āpaḥ
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: undifferentiated consciousness-force, deep life-ocean, causal substance
- samapaśyanta
- Literal: they beheld together. Symbolic: unified seeing—many powers converging into one vision
Used for contemplative inquiry into origins; frames the sacrificial quest as a question reaching beyond all manifested orders.
Cosmogonic reflection within śrauta recitation cycles; also appropriate for philosophical svādhyāya.
Verbal offering of inquiry—placing the mind’s question into the cosmic sacrifice.
Use as a guided contemplation: ‘beyond’ each layer of identity and experience, ask for the first cause held in the deep Waters of consciousness.
gárbha ‘womb/embryo’ expresses contained potency; psychologically, the first concentration where the many powers can behold unity. āpaḥ ‘waters’ are multivalent: physical waters and the flowing substrate of life-consciousness; the root √ap/ambiguous IE water terms support their primordial role. √dhṛ ‘hold’ (dadhre) indicates bearing/containment rather than fabrication.
transcendence beyond gods/asuras, first womb/seed (garbha), collective vision (sam-apaśyanta)
Implicit: ṛta arises only after the first womb; the verse seeks the prior ground from which order emerges.
Truth is beyond all relative planes and powers; it is the first seed-state.
Pre-manifest matrix: Waters holding the first embryo where devas converge in unified seeing.
Strongly proto-Upaniṣadic/‘Hiraṇyagarbha’ line; also resonates with RV 10.129 (Nasadiya) inquiry.
Waters = deep causal consciousness; heaven/earth = mind/body; devas/asuras = illumined/resistant forces; ‘beyond’ = transcendence into causal unity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘first womb in the Waters’ mythologem: primordial waters contain the first seed of manifestation, witnessed by the assembled gods. Psychologically, the ‘waters’ are the flowing life-substance; when it holds a first concentration (garbha), the luminous powers can unite their seeing—an image of the first stable inner realization.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √paś ‘see’ (PIE *speḱ- ‘see’: cf. Latin specere) in sam-apaśyanta underscores an IE vision-root in cosmogonic diction. The interrogative káṃ svit reflects archaic poetic questioning typical of IE hymnic style (cosmogonic riddling).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s stance is radical inquiry: he pushes beyond all ranked powers (devas/asuras) to the source-condition itself. The Devatā is approached as the hidden origin; the offering is the question that purifies thought, preparing consciousness to ‘behold together’ what the gods beheld at the first emergence.
Neti-like ascent: step beyond body (earth), beyond mind (heaven), beyond inner dualities (deva/asura), into the causal ‘Waters’ and sense the first seed of intention/being.
sahasrāra (transcendence) with a descent-touch into bindu/seed awareness (subtle point)
Long exhalation with silent mental ‘paro… paro…’ then rest in kumbhaka-like stillness (without strain) at the question.
Causal silence with a luminous questioning; threshold-awareness.
Do not force an answer. Let the question refine perception until you feel the ‘first womb’ as a subtle, quiet potency behind all thoughts and impulses.
Rigvedic accents; emphasize the repeated ‘paro’ with clear udātta lift; let the final question fall into softer cadence.
Slight pause after each ‘paro’ phrase to enact transcendence; keep interrogative tone on ‘kaṃ svid’.
paro: roll r lightly; short o, divā: long ā, pṛthivyā: ṛ vowel; aspirate ‘th’, asuraiḥ: diphthong aiḥ with visarga-like ending, kaṃ svid: anusvāra ‘ṃ’ before s; cluster ‘sv’ clean, garbham: hard g; bh aspirated, āpo: long ā, samapaśyanta: ‘śy’ cluster clear, nasal nta
Wide, spacious, wondering; allow silence after the mantra.
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