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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

A Study Guide to Rigveda 1.2

📜 9 Verses

Act 1

The Call to Vāyu

Verses 1, 2, 3

Verse 1

वाय॒वा या॑हि दर्शते॒मे सोमा॒ अरं॑कृताः । तेषां॑ पाहि श्रु॒धी हवं॑ ॥

vā́yavā́ yāhi darśatemé sómā áraṃkṛtāḥ ǀ téṣām pāhi śrudhī́ hávam ǁ

Verse 2

वाय॑ उ॒क्थेभि॑र्जरंते॒ त्वामच्छा॑ जरि॒तारः॑ । सु॒तसो॑मा अह॒र्विदः॑ ॥

vā́ya ukthébhirjarante tvā́mácchā jaritā́raḥ ǀ sutásomā aharvídaḥ ǁ

Verse 3

वायो॒ तव॑ प्रपृंच॒ती धेना॑ जिगाति दा॒शुषे॑ । उ॒रू॒ची सोम॑पीतये ॥

vā́yo táva prapṛñcatī́ dhénā jigāti dāśúṣe ǀ urūcī́ sómapītaye ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The opening triplet calls Vāyu to come to the prepared Soma and hear the invitation. The singers then describe themselves as praising him with hymns after pressing Soma, and as people who know the appointed day. The final verse turns to what comes toward the giver: Vāyu’s dhenā, described as broad and associated with Soma-drinking. The triplet moves from invitation, to praise, to the approach of this offering-linked presence.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: Come here, Vāyu, splendid one: these Soma draughts are prepared. Drink of them, and hear our call.

Verse 2: Vāyu, the singers praise you with hymns; they have pressed Soma and know the day.

Verse 3: Your dhenā moves toward the giver, broad in reach, for the drinking of Soma.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The verses literally invite Vāyu, mention prepared and pressed Soma, hymns, a call, and a dhenā moving toward the giver for Soma-drinking. Rendering dhenā as a voice, flow, or nourishing presence is interpretive; the guide does not treat it as a fixed symbolic identification.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वायो	vāyo	Vāyu, the one being addressed
आ	ā	hither; toward here
याहि	yāhi	come
दर्शत	darśata	visible or splendid
इमे	ime	these
सोमाः	somāḥ	Soma draughts
अरम्ऽकृताः	aram-kṛtāḥ	made ready or prepared
तेषाम्	teṣām	of them
पाहि	pāhi	drink; partake
श्रुधि	śrudhi	hear
हवम्	havam	call or invocation

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वायो	vāyo	Vāyu, the one being addressed
उक्थेभिः	ukthebhiḥ	with hymns or praise-poems
जरन्ते	jarante	they praise or sing
त्वाम्	tvām	you
अच्छ	accha	toward
जरितारः	jaritāraḥ	singers or praisers
सुतऽसोमाः	suta-somāḥ	those with Soma pressed
अहःऽविदः	ahaḥ-vidaḥ	those who know the day

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वायो	vāyo	Vāyu, the one being addressed
तव	tava	your
प्रऽपृञ्चती	pra-pṛñcatī	mixing or joining; descriptive of what proceeds
धेना	dhenā	a dhenā; its precise sense here is uncertain
जिगाति	jigāti	goes or moves
दाशुषे	dāśuṣe	to the giver or worshipper
उरूची	urūcī	broad or far-reaching
सोमऽपीतये	soma-pītaye	for Soma-drinking

🧠

Memory Hook

Remember the movement: Vāyu is called, praised, and approached by the dhenā.

Act 2

The Invitation to Two Guests

Verses 4, 5, 6

Verse 4

इंद्र॑वायू इ॒मे सु॒ता उप॒ प्रयो॑भि॒रा ग॑तं । इंद॑वो वामु॒शंति॒ हि ॥

índravāyū imé sutā́ úpa práyobhirā́ gatam ǀ índavo vāmuśánti hí ǁ

Verse 5

वाय॒विंद्र॑श्च चेतथः सु॒तानां॑ वाजिनीवसू । तावा या॑त॒मुप॑ द्र॒वत् ॥

vā́yavíndraśca cetathaḥ sutā́nām vājinīvasū ǀ tā́vā́ yātamúpa dravát ǁ

Verse 6

वाय॒विंद्र॑श्च सुन्व॒त आ या॑त॒मुप॑ निष्कृ॒तं । म॒क्ष्वि१॒॑त्था धि॒या न॑रा ॥

vā́yavíndraśca sunvatá ā́ yātamúpa niṣkṛtám ǀ makṣvítthā́ dhiyā́ narā ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The next triplet widens the invitation from Vāyu alone to Indra and Vāyu together. The pressed Soma is ready, and the verses say that the Soma drops long for the two to come. The singers then urge them to come quickly, describing them as aware of the pressed offerings and addressing them as heroes. The movement is direct: the offering is present, the invited pair are summoned, and the request for their arrival is repeated with urgency.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 4: Indra and Vāyu, these Soma draughts are pressed. Come here with refreshments; the Soma drops are eager for you both.

Verse 5: Vāyu and Indra, you know the pressed Soma. You two, rich in strength and resources, come here swiftly.

Verse 6: Vāyu and Indra, come quickly to the prepared place of the Soma-presser, as heroes and with clear intention.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The verses literally address Indra and Vāyu together and speak of pressed Soma, an invitation to come, and a prepared place. Descriptions such as “rich in strength” are cautious renderings of an epithet; no further symbolic identification is asserted.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
इन्द्रवायू	indravāyū	Indra and Vāyu
इमे	ime	these
सुताः	sutāḥ	pressed
उप	upa	near; hither
प्रयःऽभिः	prayaḥ-bhiḥ	with refreshments or offerings
आ	ā	hither
गतम्	gatam	come, addressed to the two
इन्दवः	indavaḥ	Soma drops
वाम्	vām	you two
उशन्ति	uśanti	desire or long for
हि	hi	indeed

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वायो	vāyo	Vāyu
इन्द्रः	indraḥ	Indra
च	ca	and
चेतथः	cetathaḥ	you two know or perceive
सुतानाम्	sutānām	of the pressed offerings
वाजिनीवसू	vājinīvasū	an epithet of the two, suggesting abundance or resources
तौ	tau	those two
आ	ā	hither
यातम्	yātam	come, addressed to the two
उप	upa	near
द्रवत्	dravat	quickly

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वायो	vāyo	Vāyu
इन्द्रः	indraḥ	Indra
च	ca	and
सुन्वतः	sunvataḥ	of the Soma-presser
आ	ā	hither
यातम्	yātam	come, addressed to the two
उप	upa	near
निःऽकृतम्	niḥ-kṛtam	prepared or arranged
मक्षु	makṣu	quickly
इत्था	itthā	thus; in this way
धिया	dhiyā	with thought or intention
नरा	narā	heroes or powerful ones

🧠

Memory Hook

The pressed Soma calls two guests: first they are invited, then urged to hurry.

Act 3

Mitra and Varuṇa: Thought and Order

Verses 7, 8, 9

Verse 7

मि॒त्रं हु॑वे पू॒तद॑क्षं॒ वरु॑णं च रि॒शाद॑सं । धियं॑ घृ॒ताचीं॒ साधं॑ता ॥

mitrám huve pūtádakṣam váruṇam ca riśā́dasam ǀ dhíyam ghṛtā́cīm sā́dhantā ǁ

Verse 8

ऋ॒तेन॑ मित्रावरुणावृतावृधावृतस्पृशा । क्रतुं॑ बृ॒हंत॑माशाथे ॥

ṛténa mitrāvaruṇāvṛtāvṛdhāvṛtaspṛśā ǀ krátum bṛhántamāśāthe ǁ

Verse 9

क॒वी नो॑ मि॒त्रावरु॑णा तुविजा॒ता उ॑रु॒क्षया॑ । दक्षं॑ दधाते अ॒पसं॑ ॥

kavī́ no mitrā́váruṇā tuvijātā́ urukṣáyā ǀ dákṣam dadhāte apásam ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The final triplet turns to Mitra and Varuṇa. The singers invoke them with epithets and ask for a thought to be brought to completion. The next verse links the pair with ṛta, describing them as strengthened by and in contact with it, and says they attain a great resolve or purpose. The closing verse calls them wise, wide-dwelling, and mighty in birth, and says they establish skill and work for the speakers. The emphasis moves from invocation, through a great purpose shaped by ṛta, to the capacity for effective action.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 7: I invoke Mitra, of purified skill, and Varuṇa, the foe-destroyer; may the two bring our ghee-rich thought to fulfillment.

Verse 8: Through ṛta, Mitra and Varuṇa grow strong and remain in contact with it; they attain a great purpose.

Verse 9: Wise Mitra and Varuṇa, mighty-born and wide-dwelling, establish skill and purposeful work for us.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The verses literally invoke Mitra and Varuṇa, refer to a thought, ṛta, a great kratu, and the establishment of dakṣa and work. Translating ṛta as truth or order is an interpretive gloss; it is not a claim that either deity is a dictionary symbol for a mental faculty.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
मित्रम्	mitram	Mitra
हुवे	huve	I invoke
पूतऽदक्षम्	pūta-dakṣam	of purified skill or discernment
वरुणम्	varuṇam	Varuṇa
च	ca	and
रिशादसम्	riśādasam	destroyer or devourer of foes
धियम्	dhiyam	thought or understanding
घृताचीम्	ghṛtācīm	ghee-rich or ghee-flowing
साधन्ता	sādhantā	bringing to accomplishment, said of the two

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ऋतेन	ṛtena	through ṛta, often glossed as truth or order
मित्रावरुणौ	mitrāvaruṇau	Mitra and Varuṇa
ऋतऽवृधौ	ṛta-vṛdhau	growing through or strengthened by ṛta
ऋतऽस्पृशा	ṛta-spṛśā	touching or in contact with ṛta
क्रतुम्	kratum	purpose, resolve, or intention
बृहन्तम्	bṛhantam	great or vast
आशाथे	āśāthe	you two attain or obtain

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
कवी	kavī	the two wise ones or seers
नः	naḥ	for us
मित्रावरुणा	mitrāvaruṇā	Mitra and Varuṇa
तुविऽजातौ	tuvi-jātau	born mighty
उरुऽक्षया	uru-kṣayā	wide-dwelling
दक्षम्	dakṣam	skill or capability
दधाते	dadhāte	the two establish or bestow
अपसम्	apasam	work or activity

🧠

Memory Hook

Hold the sequence: invoke the pair, name their connection with ṛta, then ask for skill and work.