Ṛgveda · Maṇḍala 1 · Sūkta 20

Ṛk 1.20.4

Ṛbhus · Medhātithi Kāṇva

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Saṃhitā

युवा॑ना पि॒तरा॒ पुनः॑ स॒त्यमं॑त्रा ऋजू॒यवः॑ ।
ऋ॒भवो॑ वि॒ष्ट्य॑क्रत ॥

युवाना पितरा पुनः सत्यमन्त्रा ऋजूयवः |
ऋभवो विष्ट्य् अक्रत ||

yúvānā pitárā púnaḥ satyámantrā ṛjūyávaḥ ǀ
ṛbhávo viṣṭyákrata ǁ

yuvānā pitarā punaḥ satyamantrā ṛjūyavaḥ |
ṛbhavo viṣṭy akrata ||

Padapāṭha

युवा॑ना । पि॒तरा॑ । पुन॒रिति॑ । स॒त्यऽम॑न्त्राः । ऋ॒जु॒ऽयवः॑ ।
ऋ॒भवः॑ । वि॒ष्टी । अ॒क्र॒त॒ ॥

युवाना । पितरा । पुनरिति । सत्यऽमन्त्राः । ऋजुऽयवः ।
ऋभवः । विष्टी । अक्रत ॥

yúvānā ǀ pitárā ǀ púnaríti ǀ satyá-mantrāḥ ǀ ṛju-yávaḥ ǀ
ṛbhávaḥ ǀ viṣṭī́ ǀ akrata ǁ

yuvānā ǀ pitarā ǀ punariti ǀ satya-mantrāḥ ǀ ṛju-yavaḥ ǀ
ṛbhavaḥ ǀ viṣṭī ǀ akrata ǁ

References

Maṇḍala · Sūkta · Ṛk
01.020.04
Aṣṭaka · Adhyāya · Varga · Ṛk
1.2.01.04
Maṇḍala · Anuvāka · Ṛk
01.05.022
Devatā देवता
Ṛbhus
Ṛṣi ऋषि
Medhātithi Kāṇva
Chandas छन्दस्
Gāyatrī
Svara स्वरः
षड्जः

Text and interpretations from the Ṛgveda database of theveda.org.in.

Ṛgveda 1.20.4

Interpretations

Kapali Shastri

Translation

Tr. The Ribhus rendered the parents young again by their pervading, the truth-thoughted, desirous of straightness.

Commentary

ṛbhavaḥ these gods presently in question; pitarā heaven and earth celebrated as the father and the mother, the old parents; punaḥ yuvānā again youthful; akrata made (Aorist of kṛ Atmanepada, substitution of a usual termination dropped; form is Vedic); by what means? vișți by spreading (this is the termination of instrumental case singular; so says Skandasvamin. This is the form of vișțr to pervade. viştayaḥ endowed with pervasion, says Sayana); what kind of Ribhus? satyamantrāḥ they whose mantras are true, so they say, or, according to Skandasvamin, of true speech; according to Sayana, unbelying potency of mantras; still better, they in whose mentations is the truth; again of what kind? rjūyavaḥ desiring straightness for themselves; the word rju here suggests the dominant quality, desirous of straightness, these become straight, hence in their thoughts or mantras mentated, there abides only truth, not untruth.

Another important action of the Ribhus is stated in this Rik. And that is bringing about the youthfulness of the old parents, almost worn out. The earth-special field of material consciousness denoted by the term physical—is the Mother. The heaven-special field of the predominantly pure mental consciousness—is the Father. The Ribhus remove the worn-out condition of both the parents who have been old for very long and bring about an energetic freshness in them. And glories of Truth like light and strength, the divine directness of the true thoughts of these gods who walk straight path, may help in this task.