Rig Veda 5.53.7: Mandala 5, Sukta 53, Mantra 7
Sukta 5.53
- Rishi
- Atri — commonly associated with Mandala 5 hymns
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
ततृदानाः सिन्धवः क्षोदसा रजः प्र सस्रुर्धेनवो यथा । स्यन्ना अश्वा इवाध्वनो विमोचने वि यद्वर्तन्त एन्यः ॥
tatṛdānā́ḥ síndhavaḥ kṣódasā rájaḥ prá sasrur dhénavo yáthā | syannā́ áśvā iva ádhvano vimócané ví yád vártanta ényaḥ ||
نکلتے ہوئے دریا بہہ نکلتے ہیں، فضا کو ہلاتے ہوئے، دودھ دینے والی گائیوں کی طرح۔ پسینے میں تر گھوڑوں کی طرح راستے پر، رہائی کے وقت وہ الگ ہو جاتے ہیں، یہ تیز رفتار طاقتیں۔
Word by Word
- ततृदानाः
- rending, cleaving (as they rush)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (कर्तरि वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः; ‘भिन्दन्तः/विदारयन्तः’ इत्यर्थः)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)Root ततृद् (√तृद् ‘भेदन/छेदन’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (ततृद् + आना)
- सिन्धवः
- the rivers/streamsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सिन्धु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षोदसा
- by the impulse/thrustNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot क्षोदस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धक्का/आघात/प्रेरणा’)
- रजः
- the region/space (dusty expanse)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रजस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धूलि/अन्तरिक्ष/प्रदेश’)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableनिपातःRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- सस्रुः
- they have rushed/ranVerbलिट् (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (क्रियापदम्)Root √सृ (सरणे)
- धेनवः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमानपदम्)Root धेनु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यथा
- as, likeIndeclinableउपमानवाचक अव्ययम्Root यथा (निपात)
- स्यन्नाः
- streaming, flowingAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (भूतकृदन्त/निष्पन्नविशेषणः; ‘स्रवन्तः/प्रस्रुताः’)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √स्यन्द् (स्रवणे/प्रस्रवणे) → स्यन्न- (कृदन्त/विशेषण)
- अश्वाः
- horsesNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमानपदम्)Root अश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमानवाचक अव्ययम्Root इव (निपात)
- अध्वनः
- of the road/wayNounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa/सम्बन्ध (मार्गस्य)Root अध्वन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मार्ग/पन्था’)
- विमोचने
- at the releasing/unharnessingNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot विमोचन- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मुक्ति/विसर्जन/उन्मोचन’)
- वि
- apart, asunderIndeclinableउपसर्गःRoot वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- यत्
- whenPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे अव्ययीभाव/सम्बन्धे (यदा/यत् = ‘when/that which’), यहाँ ‘यदा’ अर्थेRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्तन्ते
- they turn/moveVerbलट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (क्रियापदम्)Root √वृत् (वर्तने)
- एन्यः
- the swift one (swift host)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (समूह/गणवाचकः—‘the swift one/host’)Role Kartā (वर्तन्ते इत्यस्य)Root एन्य- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वेगवान्/शीघ्रगामी’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): ततृदानाः | सिन्धवः | क्षोदसा | रजः | प्र | सस्रुः | धेनवः | यथा | स्यन्नाः | अश्वाः | इव | अध्वनः | विमोचने | वि | यत् | वर्तन्ते | एन्यः । मुख्यसन्धयः: (1) सिन्धव॒: क्षोद॑सा → सिन्धवः | क्षोदसा (विसर्गः परे ककारे स्थिरः)। (2) रज॒: प्र → रजः | प्र (विसर्गः परे पकारे)। (3) सस्रुर्धे॒नवो॑ → सस्रुः | धेनवः (विसर्ग-रेफः संहितायाम्)। (4) इ॒वाध्व॑नो → इव | अध्वनः। (5) वि॒मोच॑ने॒ वि यद्वर्त॑न्त → विमोचने | वि | यत् | वर्तन्ते (यद् + वर्तन्ते संहितायां यद्वर्तन्त)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The rivers break through and stream forth, churning the spaces, like milch-cows. Like sweating horses on the road, at the loosening they turn apart—those impetuous powers.
Inner meaning
When the Marut-force acts, the held-back currents (sindhavaḥ) of consciousness break the cover and begin to flow. They churn the inner ‘spaces’ (rajaḥ) — the subtle ranges of mind and life — producing a rich yield like cows giving milk (rays and nourishment of knowledge). The energies are like sweat-drenched horses: intense vital force in motion; and at the moment of release (vimocana) the previously bound powers separate from obstruction and take their free directions, each force finding its right channel.
Universal truth
Breakthrough is not calm at first: it is a churning. But once the binding knot loosens, the life-energies and thought-currents that were congested regain their natural flow and become nourishing rather than turbulent.
Themes
Release of waters, Breakthrough imagery, Path-progress, Dynamic redistribution
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.54, RV 5.52, RV 5.40
Family tradition
Ātreya hymns often describe the ‘release of the waters’ as an inner liberation of energies and illuminations.
Significance
Atri’s vision emphasizes transformation by release: the bound streams become milk-like nourishment and the strained horses become free powers once the knot is cut.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- enyaḥ (impetuous), tveṣāḥ (fierce/ardent), rudrāsaḥ (Rudra-born, in broader Marut lore)
- Related deities
- Indra (breaker of Vṛtra), Rudra (source of force), Sarasvatī (flow of inspiration)
Cosmic role
They drive the storm and the release of waters; they are the momentum that makes the blocked flow break into movement.
Inner power
They are the executive dynamism that breaks subconscious resistance and reorganizes energies into right channels.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut praise in Śrauta sequences where release and increase (waters, strength) are invoked; supportive to Indra-Marut rites.
त॒तृ॒दा॒नाः सिन्ध॑व॒: क्षोद॑सा॒ रज॒: प्र स॑स्रुर्धे॒नवो॑ यथा । स्य॒न्ना अश्वा॑ इ॒वाध्व॑नो वि॒मोच॑ने॒ वि यद्वर्त॑न्त ए॒न्य॑: ॥
त॒तृ॒दा॒नाः । सिन्ध॑वः । क्षोद॑सा । रजः॑ । प्र । स॒स्रुः॒ । धे॒नवः॑ । य॒था॒ । स्य॒न्नाः । अश्वाः॑ऽइव । अध्व॑नः । वि॒ऽमोच॑ने । वि । यत् । वर्त॑न्ते । ए॒न्यः॑ ॥
tatṛdānāḥ | sindhavaḥ | kṣodasā | rajaḥ | pra | sasruḥ | dhenavaḥ | yathā | syannāḥ | aśvāḥ-iva | adhvanaḥ | vi-mocane | vi | yat | vartante | enyaḥ
44
4×~11 syllables; strong caesura typical of Triṣṭubh
Surging and percussive; mimics breaking, streaming, and turning apart.
Stirs prāṇa; helpful when lethargy or inner congestion must be broken; can feel like an inner ‘clearing storm’.
- सिन्धवः (sindhavaḥ)
- Literal: rivers/streams. Symbolic: currents of consciousness and life-force previously held back
- ततृदानाः (tatṛdānāḥ)
- Literal: breaking through, cleaving. Symbolic: penetrative action that shatters resistance (Vṛtra-like covering)
- क्षोदसा (kṣodasā)
- Literal: with churning/impulse. Symbolic: intensification that stirs the inner substance and releases latent power
- रजः (rajaḥ)
- Literal: space/region (also dust). Symbolic: subtle planes of mind-life; the ‘field’ of inner movement
- धे्नवः (dhenavaḥ)
- Literal: milch-cows. Symbolic: rays of knowledge and nourishing powers that yield abundance
- अश्वाः (aśvāḥ)
- Literal: horses. Symbolic: vital energies of action and dynamic force
- अध्वनः (adhvanaḥ)
- Literal: of the road/path. Symbolic: the yogic path of progress through stages
- विमोचने (vimocane)
- Literal: at the loosening/release. Symbolic: moment of inner unbinding—release from knots, constrictions, and habitual formations
- एण्यः (enyaḥ)
- Literal: impetuous, swift. Symbolic: the swift divine impulsions (Marut-like forces)
Describes the effects of Marut action: release of waters and movement; innerly, breakthrough of blocked currents and redistribution of energies along the path.
When seeking breakthrough—removal of obstruction to prosperity, rain, or successful pressing/offerings.
Stuti (praise) describing the effect of the gods: release of rivers/waters and the free course of energies.
Use when stuck: before study, decision, or recovery from dullness; as a mantra for ‘unblocking’ mental and vital channels.
tatṛdānāḥ: from √tṛd 'to cleave, pierce, break through' → breakthrough action. sindhu: river/stream; symbolically currents of consciousness. kṣodas: 'impulse, pressure, agitation' (from √kṣud 'to strike, crush, agitate'). rajas: 'space, region' (mid-air). vimocana: vi- + √muc 'release' → unbinding; psychologically, release of blocked energies. √vṛt 'turn, move' (PIE *wert- 'turn', cf. Latin vertere).
Breakthrough (piercing obstruction), Release/unbinding (vimocana), R̥ta as right circulation of forces
The streams find their lawful courses after vimocana—right order is restored once obstruction is removed.
Milk-cow imagery hints at truth-nourishment: knowledge that feeds the being.
Release of waters: a recurring Vedic creation motif—life and knowledge arise when the cover is cleft.
Yoga of transformation: liberation of prāṇa and thought-currents into a higher functioning.
Rivers = flowing consciousness; churning = tapas-driven purification; cows = luminous yields of knowledge; horses = energized prāṇa on the path; loosening = release from granthi (knots).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'release of the waters' mythologem in a Marut register: rivers break through and stream; energies turn apart at the moment of loosening. Innerly, it is the liberation of blocked life-currents and the re-channeling of force needed for the onward journey.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛt 'turn' corresponds to PIE *wert- (Latin vertere, English worth/ward via turning semantics). √sru 'flow' corresponds to PIE *sreu-. The verse’s kinetic participles and similes (tatṛdānāḥ, syannāḥ) are typical of archaic IE style where grammar performs the motion it describes.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi reads the outer storm/rivers as signatures of inner divine operation: Marut force creates vimocana (release). The human work is to recognize and consent to the re-ordering of energies so the path (adhvan) becomes passable and fruitful.
Observe where energy is ‘bound’ (tightness, repetitive thought). Invoke the breaking-through force, then allow the streams to reorganize without forcing.
manipura (release of dynamic force)
Bhastrikā-light or strong kapalabhati (if appropriate) followed by long exhale and quiet sitting; 3 rounds, then stillness.
Purificatory dynamism moving toward free flow.
Chant to build tapas, then pause at ‘vimocane’ mentally—feel a knot loosening; let the mind become a clear channel rather than a dam.
Rigvedic accents as marked; keep svarita falls clean after udatta peaks.
Give lift to síndhavaḥ and rájaḥ; articulate vimócané as the pivot-word; keep enyaḥ clipped and swift.
: vocalic ṛ clear; retroflex ‘ḍ’ not used—here dental ‘d’, : ‘dh’ aspirated; visarga light, : ‘kṣo’ conjunct crisp, : ‘dh’ aspirated; ‘e’ longish, : ‘mo’ long; ‘c’ palatal, : retroflex ‘ṭ’ not present; here ‘rt’ cluster clean
Forceful, percussive, then slightly releasing at the end of each pāda.
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