Rig Veda 4.56.6: Mandala 4, Sukta 56, Mantra 6
Sukta 4.56
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Paired sovereign powers associated with ṛta
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
पुनाने तन्वा मिथः स्वेन दक्षेण राजथः । ऊह्याथे सनादृतम् ॥
punāné tanvā́ mitháḥ svéna dákṣeṇa rājathaḥ | ūhyā́the sanā́d ṛtám ||
اپنے وجود میں آپس میں پاک ہو کر، اپنی فطری تمیز کی طاقت سے تم حکمرانی کرتے ہو؛ تم قدیم زمانے سے سچائی کے نظام، ابدی رتا کو سنبھالے ہوئے ہو۔
Word by Word
- पुनाने
- (you two) being purified / purifying yourselvesParticiple (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (सन्दर्भतः द्विवचन-प्रथमा; ‘पुनाने’ = प्रथमा-द्विवचनम्)Role Kartā (कर्तृ-विशेषणम्) — ‘(तौ) शुद्ध्यमानौ’Root पू (धातु, ‘पवने/शोधने’) → पुनान- (शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- तन्वा
- with (your) body / with yourselvesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role Karaṇa (करणम्) — ‘स्व-तनूना/स्वदेहेन’Root तनू- (प्रातिपदिक ‘body, self’)
- मिथः
- mutually, with one anotherIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role Adverbial (परस्पर-भावे) — क्रियाविशेषणम्Root मिथस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वेन
- with your ownAdjective (pronominal)पुं/नपुं, तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role Karaṇa (करणम्) — ‘स्वेन … (दक्षेण)’Root स्व- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक ‘own’)
- दक्षेण
- with (your) skill/powerNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role Karaṇa (करणम्)Root दक्ष- (प्रातिपदिक ‘skill, power, ability’)
- राजथः
- you two shine / ruleVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया) — कर्ता: ‘पुनाने (तौ)’Root राज् (धातु ‘दीप्तौ/राज्ये’)
- ऊह्याथे
- you two carry/bring (hither)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया) — कर्म-ग्रहणम् अपेक्षितम्Root वह् (धातु ‘वहने/नयने’) with preverb आ- → आ-वह्; Vedic form ऊह्याथे
- सनात्
- from of old, eternallyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role Adverbial (काल-विशेषणम्)Root सनात् (अव्यय ‘from of old, since ancient times’)
- ऋतम्
- ṛta: truth/cosmic orderNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role Karma (कर्म) — ‘ऊह्याथे’ इत्यस्यRoot ऋत- (प्रातिपदिक ‘cosmic order, truth’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: पुनाने | तन्वा | मिथः | स्वेन | दक्षेण | राजथः | ऊह्याथे | सनात् | ऋतम् ।
- ‘ऊह्याथे’ इति वैदिक-रूपं (आ-वह् धातोः) छन्दो/उच्चारण-परम्परया दृश्यते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Purifying yourselves in your own being, mutually, by your own discerning power you rule; you bear and uphold from of old the Truth (ṛta).
Inner meaning
The paired sovereign powers (contextually Mitra–Varuṇa/Ādityas in dual function, or the dyad as rulers) are described as self-purifying (punāne) within their own substance (tanvā). Psychologically, this indicates that the true governing faculties in us—clarity and law, wideness and restraint—must continuously cleanse themselves of ego-mixture. ‘Svena dakṣeṇa’ is inner discernment/skill: right discrimination that rules the being. They ‘carry’ (ūhyāthe) the ancient ṛta: the eternal order is not invented by preference; it is upheld by ever-renewed purification and right judgment.
Universal truth
Right governance—of self or society—depends on continual self-purification and discerning intelligence aligned to an enduring truth-order, not shifting impulse.
Themes
Ṛta-upholding, Purification, Divine sovereignty, Dual harmony
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.56.2, RV 4.56.4, RV 4.58
Family tradition
A seer of ṛta-practice: purification, discernment (dakṣa), and inner sovereignty are recurrent concerns in Maṇḍala 4.
Significance
Vāmadeva’s emphasis here is yogic governance: the divine dual powers model how the practitioner must rule the nature—by purification and discerning alignment to ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Dual sovereign powers upholding Ṛta (Mitra–Varuṇa / Ādityas in dual)
- Epithets
- punāne, svena dakṣeṇa, rājathaḥ, sanād ṛtam
- Related deities
- Aditi, Aryaman, Bhaga, Savitar
Cosmic role
Guardians and rulers of ṛta: maintain moral-cosmic law, mutual balance (contract and vastness), and purity of order.
Inner power
Ethical-spiritual sovereignty: the power to purify motives, discern rightly, and establish stable inner law.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation to ṛta-upholders within śrauta recitation; suitable for rites emphasizing purity, vows, and right order.
पु॒ना॒ने त॒न्वा॑ मि॒थः स्वेन॒ दक्षे॑ण राजथः । ऊ॒ह्याथे॑ स॒नादृ॒तम् ॥
पु॒ना॒ने इति॑ । त॒न्वा॑ । मि॒थः । स्वेन॑ । दक्षे॑ण । रा॒ज॒थः॒ । ऊ॒ह्याथे॒ इति॑ । स॒नात् । ऋ॒तम् ॥
punāne iti | tanvā | mithaḥ | svena | dakṣeṇa | rājathaḥ | ūhyātheiti | sanāt | ṛtam
22
2 pādas × ~11
Austere, governing rhythm; concise and authoritative.
Instills discipline and clarity; supports resolve to purify and align with truth.
- पुनाने (punāne)
- Literal: purifying (themselves). Symbolic: self-cleansing consciousness; ongoing refinement
- तन्वा (tanvā)
- Literal: in the body/being. Symbolic: in the substance of nature; not superficial purity
- मिथः (mithaḥ)
- Literal: mutually. Symbolic: reciprocal correction and balance of complementary powers
- स्वेन दक्षेण (svena dakṣeṇa)
- Literal: by their own skill/discernment. Symbolic: intrinsic discriminative intelligence; right seeing that governs
- राजथः (rājathaḥ)
- Literal: you two rule. Symbolic: sovereignty of truth-guided faculties over the nature
- ऊह्याथे (ūhyāthe)
- Literal: you bear/bring, uphold. Symbolic: sustaining and carrying forward the law of being
- सनात् (sanāt)
- Literal: from of old, eternally. Symbolic: timeless validity of ṛta
- ऋतम् (ṛtam)
- Literal: truth-order. Symbolic: cosmic and psychological law; right rhythm of consciousness
Invocatory verse for establishing ṛta in the rite; suitable in Soma sequences emphasizing purification and right order
At moments of consecration, vow-taking, or affirming correctness of the rite.
Recited to stabilize the ritual’s truthfulness and the sacrificer’s sincerity.
Use as a daily ethical-meditative reminder: self-purify, apply discernment, uphold truth in action and speech.
punāna from √pū ‘to purify, cleanse’—in Vedic often ‘to clarify’ like soma, thus psychological ‘clarification of nature’. tanū ‘body/own person’ indicates the embodied field of practice. dakṣa from √dakṣ ‘be able, fit, competent’: capacity that becomes right discernment. rājathaḥ from √rāj ‘to rule, shine’ (royal sovereignty and radiance overlap). ūhyāthe likely from √ūh ‘to convey, bring, infer/ponder’: the powers both ‘carry’ ṛta and ‘conduct’ it into manifestation.
Ṛta as eternal law, Dakṣa (effective intelligence), Self-purification as preparation for divine rule
Explicit: ‘sanād ṛtam’—the eternal ṛta upheld by the dual rulers.
Satya as lived lawfulness: truth expressed as right governance of nature through dakṣa.
Order as primordial and sustained, not accidental.
Dharma/ṛta-centered Vedic psychology: inner law as basis of realization.
Purification = clearing subconscious admixture; duality = balancing forces (expansion/constraint); ṛta = right rhythm in thought-breath-action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘sovereign upholders of ṛta’: the paired rulers maintain the ancient cosmic order through their intrinsic dakṣa, and their purification is the condition for unerring governance—mirrored in the seeker’s need for clarified nature before truth-action.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √rāj ‘rule/shine’ reflects the archaic overlap of kingship and radiance found across Indo-European traditions. ṛta (Vedic) parallels Avestan aša, indicating an Indo-Iranian shared concept of cosmic truth-order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi recognizes the gods’ rule as grounded in self-born capacity (svéna dakṣéṇa). The implied exchange: by aligning with their purification and order, the human participant receives the ability to act in ṛta rather than in mixed desire.
Self-purification + discernment: observe one recurring distortion (fear, craving, self-justification) and release it into the breath while affirming ṛta.
viśuddha (truthful expression) with ājñā (discernment)
Exhale-lengthening with a brief pause after exhale to ‘cleanse’; then inhale smoothly to re-establish order.
Clear, law-abiding inner silence; steady ethical luminosity.
Chant slowly, then ask: ‘What is the truthful order of this moment?’ Choose the smallest right action. Repeat daily to build inner sovereignty (rājathaḥ) rooted in purification (punāne).
Vedic accenting as marked; keep the dual cadence (two pādas) firm and even.
Emphasize clarity on punāne, dakṣeṇa, ṛtam; maintain a slight pause after each pāda to let ‘order’ settle.
: pu-nā-ne, long ā, : tan-vā, dental n, : th aspirate; final ḥ audible, : retroflex ḍ? (here d is dental; kṣ cluster clear), : th aspirate; final ḥ, : long ū; hyā cluster carefully, : final d crisp, : vocalic ṛ; short a
Low, steady, authoritative; minimal vibrato.
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