Rig Veda 3.33.9: Mandala 3, Sukta 33, Mantra 9
Sukta 3.33
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Vipāś and Śutudrī / Sindhu
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
ओ षु स्वसारः कारवे शृणोत ययौ वो दूरादनसा रथेन । नि षू नमध्वं भवता सुपारा अधोअक्षाः सिन्धवः स्रोत्याभिः ॥
ó ṣú svasāraḥ kāráve śṛṇota yayáu vo dūrā́d anasā́ ráthena | ní ṣū namadhvaṃ bhávatā supārā́ adho-akṣā́ḥ síndhavaḥ srotyā́bhiḥ ||
اے بہنیں، گائیک کی پکار سنو؛ وہ دور سے گاڑی اور رتھ لے کر تمہارے پاس آیا ہے۔ مہربانی سے جھکو؛ پار ہونا آسان ہو جاؤ - اے ندیاں - تمہارے بہاؤ پہیے کی گہرائی تک نیچے چلے جائیں۔
Word by Word
- ओ
- O! (interjection)Indeclinableसम्बोधन/आह्वानार्थ निपातRoot ओ (निपात)
- षु
- indeed, nowIndeclinableउपपद-निपात (प्रग्रह/बलार्थ)Root षु (निपात)
- स्वसारः
- sistersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot स्वसृ (प्रातिपदिक: स्वसार्-)
- कारवे
- to the singer/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot कारु (प्रातिपदिक: कारु-)
- शृणोत
- hear (you all)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन (वैदिक रूप: -त)Root श्रु
- ययौ
- has gone/wentVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot या
- वः
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Root युष्मद् (एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम)
- दूरात्
- from afarIndeclinable (adverbial ablative)नपुंसक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनसा
- with a cart/wagonNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अनस् (प्रातिपदिक: अनस्-)
- रथेन
- with a chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक: रथ-)
- नि
- down, lowIndeclinableउपसर्ग (अवरोह/निम्नता)Root नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- षु
- indeed, nowIndeclinableबलार्थ/प्रग्रह निपातRoot षु (निपात)
- नमध्वम्
- bow down!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot नम्
- भवता
- you (honored ones)Pronoun (honorific)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole Kartā (आदेशस्य कर्तृ-सम्बोधन)Root भवत् (प्रातिपदिक: भवत्-)
- सुपाराः
- having good crossings / easy to crossAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root सु-पार (प्रातिपदिक: सुपार-)
- अधोअक्षाः
- with lowered axles (low-axled)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root अधः-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक: अधोअक्ष-)
- सिन्धवः
- rivers (Sindhus)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक: सिन्धु-)
- स्रोत्याभिः
- with (their) streams/currentsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्रोत्या (प्रातिपदिक: स्रोत्या-)
Sandhi Notes
- (1) ओ षु: निपात-द्वयम्। (2) स्व॑सारः: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्। (3) का॒रवे॑: चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्। (4) शृणोत: वैदिक लोट्-रूप (मध्यम-बहु) ‘शृणुत’ के स्थान पर। (5) य॒यौ: लिट् 3sg ‘या’ धातोः। (6) दू॒रादन॑सा॒ रथे॑न → दूरात् + अनसा + रथेन (दूरात् + अनसा = दूरादनसा, त् + अ → द्-अनुस्वार-रहित संधि-रूप)। (7) नि षू: उपसर्ग + निपात। (8) नमध्वम्: लोट् आत्मनेपद 2pl। (9) भव॑ता: ‘भवत्’ सर्वनाम, तृतीया बहुवचन (आदरार्थ ‘you’)। (10) अधोअ॒क्षाः: अधः + अक्षाः (विसर्ग-लोप/समास-रूप), बहुवचन विशेषण।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet calls the two sister-rivers to listen; he has come from far with cart and chariot. He asks the streams to bend low, become easy to cross, and let the current run at axle-depth.
Inner meaning
The “sisters” are twin currents of consciousness (vital and mental, or two channels of the life-force) that can either obstruct or assist the soul’s journey. The kavi’s call is the awakened aspiration. The request “bend down / run low” is the inner act of making turbulent movements of desire and restlessness subside so the seeker’s chariot (disciplined life and practice) can pass. The rivers become “supārāḥ” when the flow turns from outward dispersion to a supportive, harmonized movement that carries the being across a difficult passage.
Universal truth
Progress requires the powers of life to consent to the soul’s intention: when the movements that usually overflow and scatter become calm, measured, and cooperative, the passage to a higher state becomes possible.
Themes
appeasement-of-waters, safe-passage, invocation, journey-symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthin (Kauśika tradition, commonly associated with Viśvāmitra)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.33.1-13 (Vipāś–Śutudrī crossing hymn), Rig Veda 3.62.10 (Gāyatrī, traditional attribution)
Family tradition
Royal-turned-seer; hymns emphasize conquest of inner obstacles by tapas (ardor) and mantra-force.
Significance
Viśvāmitra embodies the transformation of kṣatriya dynamism into brahminic vision—will turned into light; thus his river-hymn reads as mastery and harmonization of powerful life-currents through the word of truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Vipāś–Śutudrī / Sindhu-powers (Rivers as ‘sisters’)
- Epithets
- svasāraḥ (sisters), supārāḥ (good for crossing), sindhavaḥ (streams)
- Related deities
- Āpaḥ (Waters), Indra (as impeller in the background of the hymn), Sarasvatī (river of inspiration/illumined speech)
Cosmic role
They are the moving powers that connect regions—carriers of force, fertility, and passage; in the cosmic order they are channels by which energy and grace circulate.
Inner power
Purifying and consenting flow: the ability of life-energy to become calm, supportive, and rightly directed for the soul’s transit.
In ritual
Where it is used
River-crossing and journey-prayers; also recited in contexts invoking safe passage and the favor of waters.
ओ षु स्व॑सारः का॒रवे॑ शृणोत य॒यौ वो॑ दू॒रादन॑सा॒ रथे॑न । नि षू न॑मध्वं॒ भव॑ता सुपा॒रा अ॑धोअ॒क्षाः सि॑न्धवः स्रो॒त्याभि॑: ॥
ओ इति॑ । सु । स्व॒सा॒रः॒ । का॒रवे॑ । शृ॒णो॒त॒ । य॒यौ । वः॒ । दू॒रात् । अन॑सा । रथे॑न । नि । सु । न॒म॒ध्व॒म् । भव॑त । सु॒ऽपा॒राः । अ॒धः॒ऽअ॒क्षाः । सि॒न्ध॒वः॒ । स्रो॒त्याभिः॑ ॥
o iti | su | svasāraḥ | kārave | śṛṇota | yayau | vaḥ | dūrāt | anasā | rathena | ni | su | namadhvam | bhavata | su-pārāḥ | adhaḥ-akṣāḥ | sindhavaḥ | srotyābhiḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables (with Vedic flexibility)
Forward-driving, martial yet spacious cadence suited to petition and passage.
Creates a sense of movement and crossing; the repeated imperatives (‘listen’, ‘bend’, ‘become’) imprint resolve and cooperative calm in the listener.
- स्वसारः (svasāraḥ)
- Literal: sisters. Symbolic: kindred powers/parallel currents of consciousness that must act in harmony
- कारवे (kārave)
- Literal: to the singer/poet. Symbolic: the seer-aspiration that calls the inner powers to obedience
- दूरात् (dūrāt)
- Literal: from far away. Symbolic: from the long journey of the soul through ignorance toward awakening
- अनसा रथेन (anasā rathena)
- Literal: with cart and chariot. Symbolic: the embodied means of practice: outer discipline (cart) and inner dynamic force (chariot)
- नि सु नमध्वम् (ni ṣū namadhvam)
- Literal: bend down, incline. Symbolic: subside of turbulence; surrender of lower movements
- सुपाराः (supārāḥ)
- Literal: easy to cross, good for crossing. Symbolic: life-forces made helpful for transition to higher consciousness
- अधोअक्षाः (adhoakṣāḥ)
- Literal: below the axle. Symbolic: reduced intensity—energies kept beneath the threshold that upsets the journey
- सिन्धवः (sindhavaḥ)
- Literal: streams/rivers. Symbolic: flowing energies of life-mind; currents of experience
- स्रोत्याभिः (srotyābhiḥ)
- Literal: with currents/streams. Symbolic: habitual flow-patterns that can be regulated by will and insight
Mantra for invoking the yielding of obstructive forces and securing a ‘good crossing’—used paradigmatically for transitions (outer journey/inner passage) within Vedic ceremonial movement.
During travel, approach to a ford; in soma/pravargya-related movements where waters are invoked for support (general Vedic usage of Āpaḥ).
Addressing waters with mantra before crossing; requesting lowering/peace of flow.
Use before major transitions (new job, move, initiation of practice) as a prayer for the life-stream to become passable and supportive.
(svasṛ-) ‘sister’ from PIE *swésōr. from √śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’). from √nam ‘bend’ (PIE *nem-). (pāra-) ‘far shore/crossing’ from √pṛ/√pā? (Vedic usage: crossing), with - ‘good crossing’. (srotya-) from √sru ‘flow’ (PIE *sreu- ‘flow’).
ṛta as right movement/flow, divine hearing (śruti as reception), grace as ‘yielding’ of higher powers to aspiration
The rivers ‘bend’ when movements align to ṛta—energies obey the true direction.
The kavi’s truthful call (mantra) is the power that persuades nature.
Waters as primal carriers of force; regulated flow as a microcosmic re-enactment of ordering chaos.
Early Vedic psychological symbolism (as developed by Sri Aurobindo/Kashyap) emphasizing inner sacrifice and transformation of nature.
The river is the life-flow; the ford is a critical threshold; the axle-depth measure is the needed reduction of turbulence so the seeker’s disciplined movement can proceed.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘rivers that bow’ motif: living waters respond to the seer and lower their flood for passage. Innerly, dynamic life-forces (āpah) are asked to become ‘su-pāra’—supportive rather than overwhelming—so the embodied journey can proceed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The verse clusters inherited motion/hearing/flow roots: √śru (PIE *ḱleu-) and √sru (PIE *sreu-) create a sound–flow parallel typical of IE poetics. ‘svasāraḥ’ preserves PIE kinship vocabulary, reinforcing the personification of rivers as a family of powers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s arrival ‘from afar’ indicates sustained tapas/effort; the devatā’s response is requested as a voluntary ‘nam’ (inclining) that converts obstacle into passage. The relationship is not coercive but persuasive: call → hearing → gracious adjustment of the flow.
Consent of the life-force to the soul’s direction; calming the ‘overflow’ of impulses before a transition.
svādhiṣṭhāna (water/life-flow) with support from maṇipūra (will to cross).
Lengthened exhale with soft pauses (viśrānti) to ‘lower the current’; mentally repeat ‘ni ṣū namadhvam’.
From restless rajasic flow to quiet, ordered movement (sattvic stream).
Before action, ask the inner currents to become ‘supārāḥ’: reduce reactivity, simplify motives, and proceed with steady will aligned to truth.
Vedic triṣṭubh with udatta as melodic lift on marked syllables; svarita as falling glide; anudatta as low support (exact śākhā-specific accents depend on recensional notation).
Keep the imperatives crisp: śṛṇota, namadhvam, bhavata; sustain the long vowels in dūrād, supārāḥ.
ṣ in o ṣu is retroflex; keep it distinct from s, śṛṇota: cluster śṛ- with light ‘ṛ’ vowel, namadhvam: clear dhv cluster, avoid inserting extra vowel, sindhavaḥ: dental n, aspirate dh softly
Clear, directive, then soothing on ‘supārāḥ … adhoakṣāḥ’.
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