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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

Hymn to Pitu: The Divine Sustenance of Food and Vitality

📜 11 Verses

Act 1

The Praise of Sustenance and the Might of Trita

Verses 1, 2

Verse 1

पि॒तुं नु स्तो॑षं म॒हो ध॒र्माणं॒ तवि॑षीं । यस्य॑ त्रि॒तो व्योज॑सा वृ॒त्रं विप॑र्वम॒र्दय॑त् ॥

pitúm nú stoṣam mahó dharmā́ṇam táviṣīm ǀ yásya tritó vyójasā vṛtrám víparvamardáyat ǁ

Verse 2

स्वादो॑ पितो॒ मधो॑ पितो व॒यं त्वा॑ ववृमहे । अ॒स्माक॑मवि॒ता भ॑व ॥

svā́do pito mádho pito vayám tvā vavṛmahe ǀ asmā́kamavitā́ bhava ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi Agastya turns his adoration toward Pitu—the divine personification of food, nourishment, and physical sustenance. Far from viewing eating as a mere biological necessity, the Vedic seer elevates it to a sacred cosmic principle, the very foundation of bodily and spiritual strength. Food is praised as a great upholder (dharmāṇaṃ), a repository of vital energy (taviṣīm). The Ṛṣi recalls the mythic feat of Trita, who, empowered by this very nourishment, shattered the serpent Vṛtra into pieces. This brilliant connection reminds us that physical vitality and spiritual resilience are deeply intertwined; without proper sustenance, the heroic journey of life cannot be undertaken. The seer then turns into an intimate prayer, invoking Pitu with tender epithets—sweet (svādo) and honeyed (madho)—asking for gracious protection and guardianship.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: Now I will praise Pitu, the great upholder, the reservoir of vigor, by whose ojas Trita broke Vṛtra into pieces.

Verse 2: O sweet Pitu, O honeyed Pitu, we choose you for ourselves; be our protector.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets Pitu primarily as anna (cooked food or grain) that sustains life and fuels ritual action, while esoteric commentators like Sri Aurobindo see in Pitu the divine nourishment that feeds the inner subtle bodies and sustains spiritual aspiration.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
पितुम्	pitum	food, nourishment, Pitu
धर्मिणम्	dharmāṇam	upholder, supporter
तविषीम्	taviṣīm	full of might or vigor
त्रितः	tritaḥ	Trita, an ancient Vedic hero

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
स्वादो	svādo	O sweet one
पितो	pito	O food
मधो	madho	O honeyed one
अविता	avitā	protector, helper

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a mighty warrior lifting a heavy sword, powered entirely by the wholesome grain and sweet honey of the earth—food as the true fuel of heroism.

Act 2

The Flow of Cosmic Nourishment and Divine Grace

Verses 3, 4, 5, 6

Verse 3

उप॑ नः पित॒वा च॑र शि॒वः शि॒वाभि॑रू॒तिभिः॑ । म॒यो॒भुर॑द्विषे॒ण्यः सखा॑ सु॒शेवो॒ अद्व॑याः ॥

úpa naḥ pitavā́ cara śiváḥ śivā́bhirūtíbhiḥ ǀ mayobhúradviṣeṇyáḥ sákhā suśévo ádvayāḥ ǁ

Verse 4

तव॒ त्ये पि॑तो॒ रसा॒ रजां॒स्यनु॒ विष्ठि॑ताः । दि॒वि वाता॑ इव श्रि॒ताः ॥

táva tyé pito rásā rájāṃsyánu víṣṭhitāḥ ǀ diví vā́tā iva śritā́ḥ ǁ

Verse 5

तव॒ त्ये पि॑तो॒ दद॑त॒स्तव॑ स्वादिष्ठ॒ ते पि॑तो । प्र स्वा॒द्मानो॒ रसा॑नां तुवि॒ग्रीवा॑ इवेरते ॥

táva tyé pito dádatastáva svādiṣṭha té pito ǀ prá svādmā́no rásānām tuvigrī́vā iverate ǁ

Verse 6

त्वे पि॑तो म॒हानां॑ दे॒वानां॒ मनो॑ हि॒तं । अका॑रि॒ चारु॑ के॒तुना॒ तवाहि॒मव॑सावधीत् ॥

tvé pito mahā́nām devā́nām máno hitám ǀ ákāri cā́ru ketúnā távā́himávasāvadhīt ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The Ṛṣi deepens his intimacy with Pitu, begging the divine sustainer to approach him with benevolent, auspicious aids. Pitu is described as a companion free from malice, sweet-natured and unfailing. In verses 4 and 5, the vision broadens to a cosmic scale: the essences (rasāḥ) of food pervade the vast atmosphere and spread across the heavens like winds established in the sky. Every delicious flavor and sap of the earth is a manifestation of Pitu's overarching presence, rising up abundantly like the proud necks of surging horses. Verse 6 strikes a profound theological chord: Pitu is closely linked to the hidden minds and intentions of the great gods. It is through this vital nourishment that even the cosmic battles against darkness are won, as the verse concludes with the imagery of the serpent being slain through Pitu's sustaining grace. Nourishment is not merely for mortal survival; it supports the divine cosmic order itself.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 3: Come toward us, O Pitu, auspicious with auspicious protections, a joy-bringing, non-hostile, kind, and unfailing friend.

Verse 4: Those essences of yours, O Pitu, are spread throughout the realms of space, anchored in the heavens like winds.

Verse 5: Those gifts of yours, O sweetest Pitu, rise up like proud-necked horses, the savory juices of the earth.

Verse 6: In you, O Pitu, is placed the mind of the great gods; through your grace, the serpent was slain.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa connects the slaying of the serpent here to the vigor that food gives to Indra to destroy Vṛtra, while mystical traditions see food as the base substance that allows even the divine consciousness to anchor itself in terrestrial creation.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
शिवः	śivaḥ	auspicious, benign
मयोहूः	mayobhuḥ	bringing joy or bliss
सखा	sakhā	friend

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
रसाः	rasāḥ	juices, sap, essences
रजांसि	rajāṃsi	spaces, realms
वातैः	vātāḥ	winds

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
स्वादिष्ठ	svādiṣṭha	O most sweet
स्वाद्मानः	svādmānaḥ	sweet flavors
तुविग्रीवाः	tuvigrīvāḥ	strong-necked, proud-necked

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
महानाम्	mahānām	of the great
मनः	manaḥ	mind, thought
अहिम्	ahim	the serpent, Vṛtra

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine rich sap pulsing through the roots of giant trees and rising into the sky like the arched necks of magnificent charging steeds—food as universal energy.

Act 3

The Blessing of the Feast and the Prayer to Vātāpi

Verses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Verse 7

यद॒दो पि॑तो॒ अज॑गन्वि॒वस्व॒ पर्व॑तानां । अत्रा॑ चिन्नो मधो पि॒तोऽरं॑ भ॒क्षाय॑ गम्याः ॥

yádadó pito ájaganvivásva párvatānām ǀ átrā cinno madho pitó’ram bhakṣā́ya gamyāḥ ǁ

Verse 8

यद॒पामोष॑धीनां परिं॒शमा॑रि॒शाम॑हे । वाता॑पे॒ पीव॒ इद्भ॑व ॥

yádapā́móṣadhīnām pariṃśámāriśā́mahe ǀ vā́tāpe pī́va ídbhava ǁ

Verse 9

यत्ते॑ सोम॒ गवा॑शिरो॒ यवा॑शिरो॒ भजा॑महे । वाता॑पे॒ पीव॒ इद्भ॑व ॥

yátte soma gávāśiro yávāśiro bhájāmahe ǀ vā́tāpe pī́va ídbhava ǁ

Verse 10

क॒रं॒भ ओ॑षधे भव॒ पीवो॑ वृ॒क्क उ॑दार॒थिः । वाता॑पे॒ पीव॒ इद्भ॑व ॥

karambhá oṣadhe bhava pī́vo vṛkká udārathíḥ ǀ vā́tāpe pī́va ídbhava ǁ

Verse 11

तं त्वा॑ व॒यं पि॑तो॒ वचो॑भि॒र्गावो॒ न ह॒व्या सु॑षूदिम । दे॒वेभ्य॑स्त्वा सध॒माद॑म॒स्मभ्यं॑ त्वा सध॒मादं॑ ॥

tám tvā vayám pito vácobhirgā́vo ná havyā́ suṣūdima ǀ devébhyastvā sadhamā́damasmábhyam tvā sadhamā́dam ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

As the hymn reaches its crescendo, the Ṛṣi addresses the abundance derived from waters and plants, transitioning into a famous and affectionate refrain invoking 'Vātāpi'—a personification of the digestive fire, bodily nourishment, and physical plumpness. The seer prays, 'O Vātāpi, be full of fat and vigor!' (vātāpe pīva idbhava). Whether partaking of simple grain and herb mixtures or complex Soma libations mixed with milk and barley, the mortal body is consecrated as an altar where nourishment transforms into vitality. The final verse gathers all these praises into a unified offering, presented to Pitu just as lowing cows are driven to their pasture, ensuring joy and companionship for both gods and men.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 7: When you, O Pitu, come from the summit of the mountains, may you be accessible to us for our enjoyment.

Verse 8: Whatever we consume of waters and herbs, O Vātāpi, be plump and robust.

Verse 9: Whatever Soma we partake of, mixed with milk or mixed with barley, O Vātāpi, be plump and robust.

Verse 10: O medicine, be the porridge, be the fat, the kidney, the liberal sustainer; O Vātāpi, be plump and robust.

Verse 11: Them we have fashioned with our words for you, O Pitu, like cows their offerings, for the joy of gods and ourselves.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Tradition associates Vātāpi here with the physical body's health and digestive vigor (agni/jāṭharāgni), viewing the repeated refrain as a protective blessing for bodily well-being and longevity.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अजगन्	ajagan	you come
पर्वतानाम्	parvatānām	of the mountains
भक्षाय	bhakṣāya	for eating, for consumption

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आपाम्	apām	of waters
ओषधीनाम्	oṣadhīnām	of plants/herbs
वातापे	vātāpe	O Vātāpi (digestive spirit/body)
पीवः	pīvaḥ	fat, plump, robust

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सोम	soma	Soma
गवाशिरः	gavāśiraḥ	mixed with milk
यवाशिरः	yavāśiraḥ	mixed with barley

Verse 10

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
करम्भः	karambhaḥ	porridge, gruel
ओषधे	oṣadhe	O plant, O medicine
वृक्कः	vṛkkaḥ	the kidney/vital part

Verse 11

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वचोभिः	vacobhiḥ	with words, hymns
गावः	gāvaḥ	cows
सधमादम्	sadhamādam	rejoicing together

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a glowing hearth within the body turning every drop of water, herb, and milk into radiant health and vibrant strength, chanting 'Vātāpi, be robust!'