Rigveda Maṇḍala 1, Sūkta 172: The Radiant March of the Maruts

📜 3 Verses

Act 1

The Wondrous Path and Divine Protection of the Storm Gods

Verses 1, 2, 3

Verse 1

चि॒त्रो वो॑ऽस्तु॒ याम॑श्चि॒त्र ऊ॒ती सु॑दानवः । मरु॑तो॒ अहि॑भानवः ॥

citró vo’stu yā́maścitrá ūtī́ sudānavaḥ ǀ máruto áhibhānavaḥ ǁ

Verse 2

आ॒रे सा वः॑ सुदानवो॒ मरु॑त ऋंज॒ती शरुः॑ । आ॒रे अश्मा॒ यमस्य॑थ ॥

āré sā́ vaḥ sudānavo máruta ṛñjatī́ śáruḥ ǀ āré áśmā yámásyatha ǁ

Verse 3

तृ॒ण॒स्कं॒दस्य॒ नु विशः॒ परि॑ वृंक्त सुदानवः । ऊ॒र्ध्वान्नः॑ कर्त जी॒वसे॑ ॥

tṛṇaskandásya nú víśaḥ pári vṛṅkta sudānavaḥ ǀ ūrdhvā́nnaḥ karta jīváse ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In this short and deeply devotional Sūkta, the Ṛṣi addresses the Maruts—the fierce, brilliant storm deities who accompany Indra. The seer begins by invoking the wondrous, ever-surprising nature of their arrival and their unfailing protection. The Maruts are hailed as 'su-dānavaḥ' (bountiful givers) and 'ahi-bhānavaḥ' (radiant as serpents or possessing the brilliant light of lightning). The sage beseeches these powerful deities to direct their destructive weapons and thunderbolts far away from the petitioners, aiming them instead at enemies and obstacle-creators like the 'tṛṇa-skanda' (the grass-crusher or elusive destroyer). Ultimately, the Ṛṣi prays for upliftment and vitality, asking the Maruts to establish them firmly in life with renewed vigor and upward-aspiring energy. Throughout these verses, we witness a delicate balance of awe and intimacy. The Maruts are terrifying in their atmospheric force, shaking the earth with their chariots, yet to the worshipper, they are benevolent guardians who steer danger away from the righteous household. The prayer moves from acknowledging their brilliant manifestations to an urgent plea for safety, culminating in a triumphant request to make the petitioners stand tall and vibrant in life.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: May your coming be wondrous to us, O bountiful Maruts, and wondrous your protection, you whose splendor is like the lightning's flash.

Verse 2: Far away be that striking missile of yours, O bountiful Maruts, and far away the stone that you hurl.

Verse 3: Turn away from us the harm caused by the elusive grass-destroyer, O bountiful ones, and make us upright for living.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The translation and narrative blend the ritualistic reading of Sāyaṇa, who views the Maruts as rain-bringers and protectors against physical adversaries, with the psychological and spiritual lens of modern Vedic interpreters who see the Maruts as dynamic inner forces that shatter mental rigidity and elevate consciousness toward divine vitality.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
चित्रः	citraḥ	wondrous, bright, variegated
यामः	yāmaḥ	course, journey, arrival
ऊती	ūtī	with protection, help
सुदानवः	su-dānavaḥ	bountiful, generous givers
अहिभानवः	ahi-bhānavaḥ	having the brilliant light of a serpent or lightning

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आरे	āre	far away, at a distance
शरुः	śaruḥ	missile, weapon, dart
ऋञ्जती	ṛñjatī	striking, rushing towards
अश्मा	aśmā	stone, thunderbolt
अस्यथ	asyatha	you throw, hurl

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
तृणस्कन्दस्य	tṛṇa-skandasya	of the grass-leaper or one who tramples/hides in grass (a demon or nuisance)
विशः	viśaḥ	settlements, people, harm to the community
परि वृङ्क्त	pari vṛṅkta	ward off, turn away around
ऊर्ध्वान्	ūrdhvān	upright, lifted up
जीवसे	jīvase	for life, to live fully

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Memory Hook

Picture a violent thunderstorm rolling across the horizon with blinding flashes of lightning; instead of cowering, the farmer welcomes the rains while asking the fierce winds to direct their destructive hailstones away from his fields, leaving his crops standing tall and proud.