Mandala 10
Encyclopedia
The tenth Mandala of the Rigveda
has 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 1
, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda, containing much mythological material, including the Purusha sukta
(10.90) and the dialogue of Sarama
with the Panis
(10.108), and notably containing several dialogue hymns
. The subjects of the hymns cover a wider spectrum than in the other books, dedicated not only to deities or natural phenomena, including deities that are not prominent enough to receive their own hymns in the other books (Nirrti
10.59, Asamati
10.60, Ratri
10.127, Aranyani
10.146, Indrani 10.159), but also to objects like dice (10.34), herbs (10.97), press-stones (for Soma
, 10.94, 175) and abstract concepts like liberality (towards the rishi
, 10.117), creation (10.129 (the Nasadiya Sukta
), 130, 190), knowledge
(10.71), speech
, spirit
(10.58), faith (10.151), a charm against evil dreams (10.164).
10.15, dedicated to the forefathers, contains a reference to the emerging rite of cremation
in verse 14, where ancestors "both cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated (ánagnidagdha-)" are invoked.
10.47 to 50 are to Indra Vaikuntha, "Indra son of Vikuntha". Vikuntha was an Asuri
whom Indra had allowed to become his second mother. The rishi of 10.47 is called Saptagu, while that of 10.48-50 is likewise called Indra Vaikuntha.
10.85 is a marriage hymn, evoking the marriage of Suryā, daughter of Surya
(the Sun), another form of Ushas
, the prototypical bride.
RV 10.121 (the Hiranyagarbha sukta) is another hymn dealing with creation, containing elements of monotheism
. It has a recurring pada "what God shall we adore with our oblation?", in verse 1 named Hiranyagarbha "the golden egg", later a name of Brahma
, in verse 10 addressed as Prajapati
.
10.129 (the Nasadiya sukta
) and 130 are creation hymns, probably the best known Rigvedic hymns in the west, especially 10.129.7:
These hymns exhibit a level of philosophical speculation very atypical of the Rig-Veda, which for the most part is occupied with ritualistic invocation.
10.145 is attributed to Indrani. It is a spell for a jealous wife to get rid of more favoured rival. Untypical of the Rigveda, similar spells are found in the Atharvaveda
.
10.154 is a funeral hymn, asking for that the departed may join those who attained heaven through tapas
. Padas 1 cd is reminiscent of the Norse
concept of Valhalla
:
10.155 is against the "one-eyed limping hag" Arayi.
10.166, attributed to Anila, is a spell for the destruction of rivals, similar to 10.145, but this time to be uttered by men who want to be rid of male rivals.
10.173 and 174 are benedictions of a newly elected king.
The rishi
s of the 10th Mandala are divided into Shudrasuktas and Mahasuktas, that is, sages who have composed "small" vs. "great" hymns.
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
has 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 1
Mandala 1
The first Mandala of the Rigveda has 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 10, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda, its composition likely dating to the Early Iron Age....
, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda, containing much mythological material, including the Purusha sukta
Purusha sukta
Purusha sukta is hymn 10.90 of the Rigveda, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being". One version of the Suktam has 16 verses, 15 in the meter, and the final one in the meter...
(10.90) and the dialogue of Sarama
Sarama
In Hindu mythology, Sarama is a mythological being referred to as the bitch of the gods, or Deva-shuni . She first appears in one of Hinduism's earliest texts, the Rig Veda, in which she helps the god-king Indra to recover divine cows stolen by the Panis, a class of demons. This legend is alluded...
with the Panis
Panis
The Panis are a class of demons in the Rigveda, from , a term for "bargainer, miser," especially applied to one who is sparing of sacrificial oblations. The Panis appear in RV 10.108 as watchers over stolen cows. They are located behind the stream Rasā, and sought out by Sarama, the female dog...
(10.108), and notably containing several dialogue hymns
Rigvedic dialogue hymns
The Rigveda contains a number of dialogue hymns , hymns that are in the form of dialogues, representing the earliest surviving sample of this genre, and can be argued to be an early precursor of Sanskrit drama...
. The subjects of the hymns cover a wider spectrum than in the other books, dedicated not only to deities or natural phenomena, including deities that are not prominent enough to receive their own hymns in the other books (Nirrti
Nirrti
In Hinduism, ' is the goddess of death and corruption, one of the dikpāla , representing the southwest . The name has the meaning of "absence of ṛta, lawless"...
10.59, Asamati
Asamati
is a minor deity invoked in RV 10.60. According ot the Anukramani, it is also the name of a king, with the patronymic Râthaprośṭha....
10.60, Ratri
Ratri
Ratri, often also called Ratridevi, is the goddess of night in the Vedas and the mythology of India and Hinduism. She is sister to Ushas, the Vedic goddess of Dawn...
10.127, Aranyani
Aranyani
In Hinduism, Aranyani is a goddess of the forests and the animals that dwell within them.Aranyani has the distinction of having one of the most descriptive hymns in the Rig Veda dedicated to her, in which she is described as being elusive, fond of quiet glades in the jungle, and fearless of remote...
10.146, Indrani 10.159), but also to objects like dice (10.34), herbs (10.97), press-stones (for Soma
Soma
Soma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
, 10.94, 175) and abstract concepts like liberality (towards the rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
, 10.117), creation (10.129 (the Nasadiya Sukta
Nasadiya Sukta
The Nasadiya Sukta is the 129th hymn of the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda. It is concerned with cosmology and the origin of the universe. It is known for its skepticism...
), 130, 190), knowledge
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
(10.71), speech
Vak
VAK or Vak may refer to:* Vāk, Hindu goddess of speech* VAK , a system of learning styles in NLP * Chevak Airport, Alaska...
, spirit
Manas
Manas may refer to one of the following:*Manas, a Kyrgyz epic poem with 500,000 lines.*The Pali and Sanskrit term for "mind"; see**Manas **Manas-vijnana, one of the eight consciousnesses taught in Yogacara Buddhism...
(10.58), faith (10.151), a charm against evil dreams (10.164).
10.15, dedicated to the forefathers, contains a reference to the emerging rite of cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
in verse 14, where ancestors "both cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated (ánagnidagdha-)" are invoked.
10.47 to 50 are to Indra Vaikuntha, "Indra son of Vikuntha". Vikuntha was an Asuri
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
whom Indra had allowed to become his second mother. The rishi of 10.47 is called Saptagu, while that of 10.48-50 is likewise called Indra Vaikuntha.
10.85 is a marriage hymn, evoking the marriage of Suryā, daughter of Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
(the Sun), another form of Ushas
Ushas
Ushas , Sanskrit for "dawn", is a Vedic deity, and consequently a Hindu deity as well.Sanskrit is an s-stem, i.e. the genitive case is . It is from PIE , cognate to Greek Eos and Latin Aurora....
, the prototypical bride.
RV 10.121 (the Hiranyagarbha sukta) is another hymn dealing with creation, containing elements of monotheism
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
. It has a recurring pada "what God shall we adore with our oblation?", in verse 1 named Hiranyagarbha "the golden egg", later a name of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, in verse 10 addressed as Prajapati
Prajapati
In Hinduism, Prajapati "lord of creatures" is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of life. He appears as a creator deity or supreme God Viswakarma Vedic deities in RV 10 and in Brahmana literature...
.
10.129 (the Nasadiya sukta
Nasadiya Sukta
The Nasadiya Sukta is the 129th hymn of the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda. It is concerned with cosmology and the origin of the universe. It is known for its skepticism...
) and 130 are creation hymns, probably the best known Rigvedic hymns in the west, especially 10.129.7:
- He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it, / Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not. (GriffithRalph T.H. GriffithRalph Thomas Hotchkin Griffith , scholar of indology, Son of B.A. of Queen's College was elected to the vacant Sanskrit Scholarship on Nov 24, 1849. He translated the Vedic scriptures into English. He also produced translations of other Sanskrit literature, including a verse version of the...
)
These hymns exhibit a level of philosophical speculation very atypical of the Rig-Veda, which for the most part is occupied with ritualistic invocation.
10.145 is attributed to Indrani. It is a spell for a jealous wife to get rid of more favoured rival. Untypical of the Rigveda, similar spells are found in the Atharvaveda
Atharvaveda
The Atharvaveda is a sacred text of Hinduism and one of the four Vedas, often called the "fourth Veda"....
.
10.154 is a funeral hymn, asking for that the departed may join those who attained heaven through tapas
Tapas
Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm ....
. Padas 1 cd is reminiscent of the Norse
Norse paganism
Norse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
concept of Valhalla
Valhalla
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
:
- To those for whom the meath flows forth, even to those let him depart. (Griffith)
10.155 is against the "one-eyed limping hag" Arayi.
10.166, attributed to Anila, is a spell for the destruction of rivals, similar to 10.145, but this time to be uttered by men who want to be rid of male rivals.
10.173 and 174 are benedictions of a newly elected king.
The rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
s of the 10th Mandala are divided into Shudrasuktas and Mahasuktas, that is, sages who have composed "small" vs. "great" hymns.
List of hymns
| Sukta | Name | Deity | Rishi | Metre | Incipit |
| Havirdhanas | |||||
| Nadistuti sukta Nadistuti sukta The Nadistuti sukta ,"hymn of praise of rivers", is hymn 10.75 of the Rigveda.It is important for the reconstruction of the geography of the Vedic civilization... |
Rivers Rigvedic rivers Rivers, such as the Sapta Sindhu , play a prominent part in the hymns of the Rigveda, and consequently in early Vedic religion... |
||||
| Vishwakarma suktha | Vishvakarman Vishvakarman Viśvákarma is the Hindu presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects... |
Adi Rishi Vishwakarma | |||
| Manyu sukta Manyu sukta Manyu sukta is hymn 10.83 and 10.84 from the Rig veda. It contains 14 verses and is dedicated to Manyu. Manyu in Vedic sanskrit stands for temper, anger or passion... |
Manyu Manyu , Vedic Sanskrit for "spirit, temper, ardour, passion, anger" is war god,wielder of thunder,slayer of foes,of Dasyus. He is fierce,queller of the foe and is self-existent. He is beseeched to bring health and wealth... |
||||
| Purusha sukta Purusha sukta Purusha sukta is hymn 10.90 of the Rigveda, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being". One version of the Suktam has 16 verses, 15 in the meter, and the final one in the meter... |
Purusha Purusha In some lineages of Hinduism, Purusha is the "Self" which pervades the universe. The Vedic divinities are interpretations of the many facets of Purusha... |
||||
| Urvashi and Pururavas Urvashi and Pururavas Urvashi found the atmosphere in heaven stifling. Everything was cold and synthetic including the colours and the fragrances of the flowers. Urvashi often stole to the Earth at night with her friends to feel the wet dew under her feet and the soft breeze against her body. On the other hand Pururava... |
|||||
| Daksina | |||||
| Sarama Sarama In Hindu mythology, Sarama is a mythological being referred to as the bitch of the gods, or Deva-shuni . She first appears in one of Hinduism's earliest texts, the Rig Veda, in which she helps the god-king Indra to recover divine cows stolen by the Panis, a class of demons. This legend is alluded... and the Panis Panis The Panis are a class of demons in the Rigveda, from , a term for "bargainer, miser," especially applied to one who is sparing of sacrificial oblations. The Panis appear in RV 10.108 as watchers over stolen cows. They are located behind the stream Rasā, and sought out by Sarama, the female dog... |
|||||
| Hiranyagarbha sukta | Hiranyagarbha Hiranyagarbha Image:Hinducosm Map1.svg|thumb|Click an area to go there. This is one of many material universes, Brahmāṇḍa, which expand from Mahā Viṣṇu when He breathes.|400px|alt=One Brahmāṇḍa, with Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇurect 216 61 277 80 Brahma... /Prajapati Prajapati In Hinduism, Prajapati "lord of creatures" is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of life. He appears as a creator deity or supreme God Viswakarma Vedic deities in RV 10 and in Brahmana literature... |
||||
| Veda | |||||
| Nasadiya sukta Nasadiya Sukta The Nasadiya Sukta is the 129th hymn of the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda. It is concerned with cosmology and the origin of the universe. It is known for its skepticism... |
Creation | ||||
| Keshins | |||||
| Sapatnibadhanam | Indrani | ||||
| Tarkshya Tarkshya is the name of a mythical being in the Rigveda, described as a horse with the epithet áriṣṭa-nemi "with intact wheel-rims" , but alternatively taken to be a bird and later identified with Garuda or Garuda's father , counted among the offspring of Kashyapa in Mahabharata 1.2548, 4830 and... |
|||||
| the sacrificer and his wife | Prajavan | ||||
See also
- Rigvedic dialogue hymnsRigvedic dialogue hymnsThe Rigveda contains a number of dialogue hymns , hymns that are in the form of dialogues, representing the earliest surviving sample of this genre, and can be argued to be an early precursor of Sanskrit drama...