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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

The Crying of Trita in the Well: A Sūkta of Existential Anguish and Divine Deliverance

📜 19 Verses

Act 1

The Cosmic Order and the Crippling Burden of Existence

Verses 1, 2, 3

Verse 1

चं॒द्रमा॑ अ॒प्स्वं१॒॑तरा सु॑प॒र्णो धा॑वते दि॒वि । न वो॑ हिरण्यनेमयः प॒दं विं॑दंति विद्युतो वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

candrámā apsvántárā́ suparṇó dhāvate diví ǀ ná vo hiraṇyanemayaḥ padám vindanti vidyuto vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 2

अर्थ॒मिद्वा उ॑ अ॒र्थिन॒ आ जा॒या यु॑वते॒ पतिं॑ । तुं॒जाते॒ वृष्ण्यं॒ पयः॑ परि॒दाय॒ रसं॑ दुहे वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

árthamídvā́ u arthína ā́ jāyā́ yuvate pátim ǀ tuñjā́te vṛ́ṣṇyam páyaḥ paridā́ya rásam duhe vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 3

मो षु दे॑वा अ॒दः स्व१॒॑रव॑ पादि दि॒वस्परि॑ । मा सो॒म्यस्य॑ शं॒भुवः॒ शूने॑ भूम॒ कदा॑ च॒न वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

mó ṣú devā adáḥ sváráva pādi diváspári ǀ mā́ somyásya śambhúvaḥ śū́ne bhūma kádā caná vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

My dear student, we step into one of the most poignant and psychologically raw hymns of the Rigveda. Sūkta 105 is traditionally attributed to Trita Āptya—or to the Ṛṣi trapped in a dark, metaphoric pit (kūpa), crying out to Heaven and Earth. In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi paints a haunting portrait of the cosmos: the golden-rimmed lightning, the moon running through the waters like a swift bird, and the unyielding wheel of worldly existence. He feels the crushing weight of mortal limitations, longing for the divine milk of life that sustains the universe, while praying that his mortal soul does not perish in absolute emptiness. The tone is not one of arrogant priestly ritual, but of a soul stripped bare by suffering, appealing to the vast, indifferent yet responsive horizons of Heaven and Earth (Rodasī). Every verse functions as a piercing refrain: vittaṃ me asya rodasī—'O Heaven and Earth, take note of this, acknowledge my plight!' The Ṛṣi uses domestic and cosmic metaphors interchangeably: the wife drawing close to her husband, the milking of the divine essence, and the haunting fear of falling into the void of the spirit.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: The moon moves like a bright-feathered bird across the waters and through the heavens; O golden-rimmed lightnings, none catch your footstep. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 2: True to their goal run the seekers, the wife draws close to her husband; together they stir the potent stream and milk the flowing essence. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 3: May that heavenly light not fall away from us into obscurity, nor let us sink into the barrenness of the soma-blessed joy. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets these verses through the lens of ritualistic sacrifice and physical distress, whereas Sri Aurobindo and psychological commentators view the 'well' (kūpa) as the dark, circumscribed state of human consciousness cut off from the divine infinite.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
चन्द्रमाः	candramāḥ	the moon
अप्सु	apsu	in the waters
सुपर्णः	suparṇaḥ	bird with fair wings
हिरण्यनेमयः	hiraṇyanemayaḥ	having golden rims or tires

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अर्थिनः	arthinaḥ	seekers or those pursuing a goal
जया	jāyā	wife
वृष्ण्यम्	vṛṣṇyam	bull-like, potent, invigorating
दुहे	duhe	she milks

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
देवाः	devāḥ	O gods
शंभुवः	śambhuvaḥ	source of happiness or well-being
शूने	śūne	in emptiness, destitution, or void

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine a solitary traveler trapped at the bottom of a dry well at twilight, watching the moon soar freely above while calling desperately up to the vast sky.

Act 2

Interrogating the Cosmic Order and the Pains of the Soul

Verses 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Verse 4

य॒ज्ञं पृ॑च्छाम्यव॒मं स तद्दू॒तो वि वो॑चति । क्व॑ ऋ॒तं पू॒र्व्यं ग॒तं कस्तद्बि॑भर्ति॒ नूत॑नो वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

yajñám pṛcchāmyavamám sá táddūtó ví vocati ǀ kvá ṛtám pūrvyám gatám kástádbibharti nū́tano vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 5

अ॒मी ये दे॑वाः॒ स्थन॑ त्रि॒ष्वा रो॑च॒ने दि॒वः । कद्व॑ ऋ॒तं कदनृ॑तं॒ क्व॑ प्र॒त्ना व॒ आहु॑तिर्वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

amī́ yé devāḥ sthána triṣvā́ rocané diváḥ ǀ kádva ṛtám kádánṛtam kvá pratnā́ va ā́hutirvittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 6

कद्व॑ ऋ॒तस्य॑ धर्ण॒सि कद्वरु॑णस्य॒ चक्ष॑णं । कद॑र्य॒म्णो म॒हस्प॒थाति॑ क्रामेम दू॒ढ्यो॑ वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

kádva ṛtásya dharṇasí kádváruṇasya cákṣaṇam ǀ kádaryamṇó maháspathā́ti krāmema dūḍhyó vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 7

अ॒हं सो अ॑स्मि॒ यः पु॒रा सु॒ते वदा॑मि॒ कानि॑ चित् । तं मा॑ व्यंत्या॒ध्यो॒३॒॑ वृको॒ न तृ॒ष्णजं॑ मृ॒गं वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

ahám só asmi yáḥ purā́ suté vádāmi kā́ni cit ǀ tám mā vyantyādhyó vṛ́ko ná tṛṣṇájam mṛgám vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 8

सं मा॑ तपंत्य॒भितः॑ स॒पत्नी॑रिव॒ पर्श॑वः । मूषो॒ न शि॒श्ना व्य॑दंति मा॒ध्यः॑ स्तो॒तारं॑ ते शतक्रतो वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

sám mā tapantyabhítaḥ sapátnīriva párśavaḥ ǀ mū́ṣo ná śiśnā́ vyádanti mādhyáḥ stotā́ram te śatakrato vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

Here the Ṛṣi deepens his inquiry into a direct interrogation of the cosmic forces. He asks: Where has the ancient Ṛta (Truth/Cosmic Order) gone? Who among the moderns upholds it? He questions the gods dwelling in the three luminous realms of heaven, demanding to know the boundary between truth (ṛta) and falsehood (anṛta). This is not rebellious blasphemy, my friend, but the holy audacity of a seeker who refuses to accept superficial answers from the universe. As the hymn progresses into verses 7 and 8, the imagery turns intensely personal and visceral. The Ṛṣi laments how he, who once boldly spoke praises during the soma pressings, is now hunted by anxieties as a thirsty deer is stalked by a wolf. The pressures of life press upon him like co-wives in a household, or gnaw at him like mice chewing wood. It is an extraordinary psychological depiction of existential anxiety—the feeling of being eaten away from within by fear and doubt.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 4: I question the humblest sacrifice; let the messenger declare it. Where has the ancient Ṛta gone? Who is the new one that upholds it? O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 5: O gods who abide in the three realms of heaven's light, what is your truth, what is falsehood, and where is your ancient oblation? O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 6: How do we hold fast to your Ṛta? How do we behold Varuṇa's vision? How might we cross beyond the path of mighty Aryaman with our troubled minds? O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 7: I am he who in former days spoke bright words at the pressing; now anxieties stalk me like a wolf tracking a thirsty deer. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 8: On all sides, rival ribs (or co-wives) scorch me; anxieties gnaw at me like mice gnawing with their teeth. O you of a hundred powers, to you I sing! O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The comparison to sapatnīḥ (co-wives) is a striking metaphor from ancient domestic life, illustrating mutual jealousy and pressure, applied here to inner psychological torments.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
यज्ञम्	yajñam	sacrifice, worship
ऋतम्	ṛtam	cosmic truth, divine order
नूतनः	nūtanaḥ	new, modern

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
रोचने	rocane	luminous sphere, vault
अनृतम्	anṛtam	falsehood, unrighteousness
आहुतिः	āhutiḥ	oblation, offering

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
धर्णसि	dharṇasi	holding firmly, supporting
चक्षणम्	cakṣaṇam	sight, aspect, illumination
दुःध्यः	duḥdhyaḥ	evil-minded, distressed, of troubled mind

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सुते	sute	at the pressing of Soma
वृकः	vṛkaḥ	wolf
तृष्णजम्	tṛṣṇajam	thirst-stricken

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सपत्नीः	sapatnīḥ	co-wives (rivals sharing a husband)
पर्शवः	parśavaḥ	ribs or sides
मूषः	mūṣaḥ	mice

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a person trapped in a narrow cage, surrounded by hostile rival pressures on all sides, questioning the very laws of justice that allowed them to fall there.

Act 3

Cosmic Rays, Divine Guardians, and the Descent of Grace

Verses 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Verse 9

अ॒मी ये स॒प्त र॒श्मय॒स्तत्रा॑ मे॒ नाभि॒रात॑ता । त्रि॒तस्तद्वे॑दा॒प्त्यः स जा॑मि॒त्वाय॑ रेभति वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

amī́ yé saptá raśmáyastátrā me nā́bhirā́tatā ǀ tritástádvedāptyáḥ sá jāmitvā́ya rebhati vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 10

अ॒मी ये पंचो॒क्षणो॒ मध्ये॑ त॒स्थुर्म॒हो दि॒वः । दे॒व॒त्रा नु प्र॒वाच्यं॑ सध्रीची॒ना नि वा॑वृतुर्वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

amī́ yé páñcokṣáṇo mádhye tasthúrmahó diváḥ ǀ devatrā́ nú pravā́cyam sadhrīcīnā́ ní vāvṛturvittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 11

सु॒प॒र्णा ए॒त आ॑सते॒ मध्य॑ आ॒रोध॑ने दि॒वः । ते से॑धंति प॒थो वृकं॒ तरं॑तं य॒ह्वती॑र॒पो वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

suparṇā́ etá āsate mádhya āródhane diváḥ ǀ té sedhanti pathó vṛ́kam tárantam yahvátīrapó vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 12

नव्यं॒ तदु॒क्थ्यं॑ हि॒तं देवा॑सः सुप्रवाच॒नं । ऋ॒तम॑र्षंति॒ सिंध॑वः स॒त्यं ता॑तान॒ सूर्यो॑ वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

návyam tádukthyám hitám dévāsaḥ supravācanám ǀ ṛtámarṣanti síndhavaḥ satyám tātāna sū́ryo vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 13

अग्ने॒ तव॒ त्यदु॒क्थ्यं॑ दे॒वेष्व॒स्त्याप्यं॑ । स नः॑ स॒त्तो म॑नु॒ष्वदा दे॒वान्य॑क्षि वि॒दुष्ट॑रो वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

ágne táva tyádukthyám devéṣvastyā́pyam ǀ sá naḥ sattó manuṣvádā́ devā́nyakṣi vidúṣṭaro vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 14

स॒त्तो होता॑ मनु॒ष्वदा दे॒वाँ अच्छा॑ वि॒दुष्ट॑रः । अ॒ग्निर्ह॒व्या सु॑षूदति दे॒वो दे॒वेषु॒ मेधि॑रो वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

sattó hótā manuṣvádā́ devā́m̐ ácchā vidúṣṭaraḥ ǀ agnírhavyā́ suṣūdati devó devéṣu médhiro vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 15

ब्रह्मा॑ कृणोति॒ वरु॑णो गातु॒विदं॒ तमी॑महे । व्यू॑र्णोति हृ॒दा म॒तिं नव्यो॑ जायतामृ॒तं वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

bráhmā kṛṇoti váruṇo gātuvídam támīmahe ǀ vyū́rṇoti hṛdā́ matím návyo jāyatāmṛtám vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In this middle movement, the Ṛṣi lifts his gaze upward from his personal misery to contemplate the vast cosmic architecture. He speaks of the seven rays where his navel (his grounding in existence) is anchored, a secret known to Trita Āptya. He envisions the celestial bulls and the golden-winged guardians of the sky who drive away the wolf of darkness from the path of the flowing waters. Gradually, the hymn shifts from despair to invocation and priestly confidence. Agni is invoked as the knowing Hotṛ priest who sits human-wise to offer oblations to the gods. Varuṇa fashions the divine prayer, opening up the heart's hidden wisdom so that a fresh, renewed truth (navyo jāyatām ṛtam) may be born. Through these verses, the Ṛṣi demonstrates the transformative power of poetry: by speaking the divine name and invoking the cosmic order, the human mind breaks out of its confinement.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 9: Those seven rays are where my navel is bound; Trita Āptya knows this truth, and he sings out for the sake of kinship. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 10: Those five mighty bulls who stand in the midst of high heaven—their unified word must be proclaimed to the gods, and they have turned back together. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 11: Fair-winged birds sit in the middle of heaven's steep slope; they drive the wolf away from the path, keeping the surging waters safe. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 12: This is a new, worthy hymn, dear to the gods and clear to proclaim: the rivers flow with truth, and the sun has stretched out his reality. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 13: O Agni, this your hymn of praise is a kin-tie among the gods; sitting like a mortal, worship the gods for us, knowing them best. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 14: Seated as Hotṛ priest in human fashion toward the gods, Agni brings the oblations to success—the wise god among the gods. O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

Verse 15: Varuṇa fashions the prayer that finds the path; him we entreat. He unlocks the heart's secret thought; may a fresh truth be born! O Heaven and Earth, acknowledge this my plight!

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Here, Varuṇa is celebrated as 'Brahmā'—the master of prayer who unlocks the inner cavern of the heart (hṛdā matiṃ vyūrṇoti), bridging human aspiration with divine revelation.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
रश्मयः	raśmayaḥ	rays or reins
नाभिः	nābhiḥ	navel, central bond
त्रितः	tritaḥ	Trita (a divine or semi-divine sage)

Verse 10

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
उक्षणः	ukṣaṇaḥ	bulls, vigorous ones
प्रवाच्यम्	pravācyam	worthy to be proclaimed
सध्रीचीनाः	sadhrīcīnāḥ	going together, united

Verse 11

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सुपर्णाः	suparṇāḥ	fair-winged, celestial birds
सेधन्ति	sedhanti	keep away, drive off
यह्वतीः अपः	yahvatīḥ apaḥ	mighty or eternal waters

Verse 12

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
नव्यम्	navyam	new, fresh
सिन्धवः	sindhavaḥ	rivers, streams
ततान	tatāna	has spread out, extended

Verse 13

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आप्यम्	āpyam	relationship, kinship
मनुष्वत्	manuṣvat	like a man, in human fashion
विदुष्टरः	viduṣtaraḥ	most knowing, wiser

Verse 14

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
होता	hotā	invoking priest
सुसूदति	susūdati	drives forward successfully, accomplishes
मेधिरः	medhiraḥ	wise, intelligent

Verse 15

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ब्रह्मा	brahmā	prayer-maker, priest of the sacred word
गातुविदम्	gātuvidam	finding the path or way
व्यूर्णोति	vyūrṇoti	uncovers, opens wide

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a master architect standing at the center of a cosmic loom, pulling the golden threads of the sun and stars to weave a pathway out of darkness.

Act 4

Deliverance from the Well and the Triumph of the Sūkta

Verses 16, 17, 18, 19

Verse 16

अ॒सौ यः पंथा॑ आदि॒त्यो दि॒वि प्र॒वाच्यं॑ कृ॒तः । न स दे॑वा अति॒क्रमे॒ तं म॑र्तासो॒ न प॑श्यथ वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

asáu yáḥ pánthā ādityó diví pravā́cyam kṛtáḥ ǀ ná sá devā atikráme tám martāso ná paśyatha vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 17

त्रि॒तः कूपेऽव॑हितो दे॒वान्ह॑वत ऊ॒तये॑ । तच्छु॑श्राव॒ बृह॒स्पतिः॑ कृ॒ण्वन्नं॑हूर॒णादु॒रु वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

tritáḥ kū́pé’vahito devā́nhavata ūtáye ǀ tácchuśrāva bṛ́haspátiḥ kṛṇvánnaṃhūraṇā́durú vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 18

अ॒रु॒णो मा॑ स॒कृद्वृकः॑ प॒था यंतं॑ द॒दर्श॒ हि । उज्जि॑हीते नि॒चाय्या॒ तष्टे॑व पृष्ट्याम॒यी वि॒त्तं मे॑ अ॒स्य रो॑दसी ॥

aruṇó mā sakṛ́dvṛ́kaḥ pathā́ yántam dadárśa hí ǀ újjihīte nicā́yyā táṣṭeva pṛṣṭyāmayī́ vittám me asyá rodasī ǁ

Verse 19

ए॒नांगू॒षेण॑ व॒यमिंद्र॑वंतो॒ऽभि ष्या॑म वृ॒जने॒ सर्व॑वीराः । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहंता॒मदि॑तिः॒ सिंधुः॑ पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥

enā́ṅgūṣéṇa vayámíndravanto’bhí ṣyāma vṛjáne sárvavīrāḥ ǀ tánno mitró váruṇo māmahantāmáditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

We reach the glorious culmination of Sūkta 105. The Ṛṣi points to the sun's path in heaven—a wondrous road established by the gods that mortals cannot transgress or fully see with ordinary eyes. In verse 17 comes the great mythological resolution: Trita, cast down into the well (kūpa), calls upon the gods for help, and Bṛhaspati hears his cry, dragging him forth from the narrow choke of distress into the wide, open spaces of freedom! Yet, even as he emerges, the memory of danger lingers: the tawny wolf once watched him on the path, causing him to shudder like a carpenter's curved rib of wood racked with pain. But the hymn does not end in fear. In the final verse, the Ṛṣi joins hands with all divine forces—Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven—shouting out a triumphant battle-cry of collective strength. They are now 'Indra-blessed and rich in heroes' (indravanto sarvavīrāḥ), fully delivered from the pit of darkness.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 16: That path of Āditya in heaven has been made glorious to proclaim; O gods, none of you can cross beyond it, yet you mortals do not perceive it.

Verse 17: Trita, cast down into the well, calls upon the gods for aid. Bṛhaspati heard his cry, delivering him from the narrow stranglehold into the wide expanse.

Verse 18: The tawny wolf once saw me as I went along the path; he rises up, gazing upon me like a carpenter's tool, my ribs aching with pain.

Verse 19: With this chant, accompanied by Indra, may we conquer in the gathering with all our heroes! May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven magnify this for us.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Verse 17 is the dramatic anchor of the whole Sūkta, frequently cited in Vedic literature as the archetype of deliverance from distress (aṃhūraṇāt uru), where the divine voice of Bṛhaspati rescues the trapped seeker.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 16

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
पन्थाः	panthāḥ	path, way
आदित्यः	ādityaḥ	the sun, son of Aditi
अतिक्रमे	atikrame	to transgress or bypass

Verse 17

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अवहितः	avahitaḥ	thrown down, placed inside
बृहस्पतिः	bṛhaspatiḥ	Lord of the Sacred Word
अंहूरणात्	aṃhūraṇāt	from distress, narrowness, confinement

Verse 18

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अरुणः	aruṇaḥ	ruddy, tawny
तष्टा	taṣṭā	carpenter, wood-worker
पृष्टिआमयी	pṛṣṭi-āmayī	suffering in the ribs or back

Verse 19

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आङ्गूषेण	āṅgūṣeṇa	with this loud chant of praise
इन्द्रवन्तः	indravantaḥ	accompanied by Indra
ममहन्ताम्	mamahantām	may they magnify, honor, or gladden

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Memory Hook

Picture a man pulled out of a dark, narrow well by Bṛhaspati's mighty hand, standing under the wide-open sun alongside all the great gods in joyous celebration.