Devīsūkta

The Devīsūktam, also called the Aṃbhṛnīsūktam, is the 125th sūkta (hymn) occurring in the 10th mandala of the Ṛgveda.[1] In the present day, the sūkta is popularly chanted during the worship of the Devī (Universal Goddess in any form), in the daily rituals of temples, and also in various Vedic sacrificial ceremonies like iṣti, hōma, havana, etc. It is also chanted at the end of Devīmāhātmya. The hymn portrays the Feminine Divine as the supreme origin, creative energy, and ultimate deity. It conveys a profound, all-encompassing experience of the Self and highlights the ancient Vedic acknowledgment of women's enlightened consciousness. Furthermore, it introduces the notion of the Divine Feminine as an immanent creative force. The Vedic hymn is an important basis for Shaktism.

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This article is about the Devīsūktam in the Ṛgveda. It is not to be confused with Devīsūktam (Chandipatha).

Text's Sequential Index

The proper sequential occurrence of Devīsūkta, in the Ṛgveda text is:

Maṇḍala: X; Anuvāka: X; Sūkta: CXXV; Aṣtaka: VIII; Adhyāya: VII; Varga: XI, XII

Anukramaṇī (Indices of the seer, deity number of verses & metre)

Since tradition mandates that all the sūktas in the Vedas must specify the Ṛṣi (m.) or Ṛṣikā (fe.) (the sage who envisioned the sūkta), the devatā (deity being invoked), number of verses in it, and the chandah (metre of the verses), the same follows below:

Ṛṣikā:Vāgāmbhṛṇī; Devatā: Vāgāmbhṛṇī; chandah: this sūkta has eight ṛks (verses) of which ṛks 1 & 3-8 are in Tṛṣṭup chandah, and ṛk 2 is in Jagatī chandah. [[File:Devi Mookambika for wiki.jpg|frame|right|Śrī Mūkāṃbikā, a form of Devī worshipped at Kollur in Karnataka, as the synchronized form of [[Lakshmi|Mahālakṣmī]], Mahāsarasvatī and Mahākāḷī. ]]

This is one of the very few sūktas in the Ṛgveda for which the Ṛṣikā and devatā are one and the same.

Text, meaning and significance

The sūkta, in its apparent, general sense, is the proclamation by the Devī of her own power, glory, pervasiveness, and actions. The hymn depicts the Feminine Divine as the Ultimate Source, Creative Force, and Supreme Divinity. It portrays a mystical experience of the Self as pervasive, unlimited, and nonlocal. It underscores the early Vedic recognition of women's enlightened awareness and introduces the idea of the Divine Feminine as immanent, experienceable creative power.[2]

The origins of Tantric Śaktism can be traced to the Vāgāmbhṛṇī Sūkta. This hymn depicts Vac as the Supreme Power, governing various deities such as Vasu, Soma, Tvasta, the Rudras, and the Adityas while also being the source of treasures, sustainer of natural forces, and bestower of favors. It encapsulates key monotheistic ideas, forming the basis of historical Sāktism.[3]

Sāyaṇācārya, in his commentary, states that Vāgāmbhṛṇī, (Vāk, the daughter of Ṛṣi Aṃbhṛṇa) – a brahmaviduṣi (one who has realized Bṛahman) – has eulogized herself in this sūkta. Vāk, having dissolved her individuality – the ego – has hence identified herself with the Paramātman (Brahman who is none other than the Devī), the all-pervasive saccidānanda (the indivisible Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute), and thus with all the forms in the universe and the functionaries thereof, has praised herself.

Hence, she is the ṛṣikā of this sūkta and also the devatā.[4]

The 'I' Vāgāmbhṛṇī refers to in the sūkta, is no more the narrow, limited ego which identifies itself with the microcosmic body-mind complex. It is the illimitable, eternal, residual Pure Consciousness – the Substratum of both the ego (subject) and the universe (object).

Her words perhaps remain the boldest, most uncompromising proclamations of the realisation of Advaitic (non-dualistic) Truth by any seer in the entire realm of the Vedas.

The Devīsūkta:

1. I proceed with the Rudras, with the Vasus, with the Ādityas, and with Viśhvadevas; I support both Mitra and Varuṇa, Agni and Indra, and the two Aśvins.[5]

2. I support the foe-destroying Soma, Tvaśtṛ, Pūśan and Bhaga; I bestow wealth upon the institutor of the rite offering the oblation (havis) – (who is) pouring forth the libation and deserving of careful protection. [6]

3. I am the sovereign queen (of all Existence), the collectress of treasures, cognizant (of the Supreme Being), the chief object of worship; as such, the gods have put me in many places, abiding in manifold conditions, entering into numerous (forms).[7]

4. He who eats food (eats) through me; he who sees, who breathes, who hears what is spoken, does so through me; those who are ignorant of me perish; hearken who is capable of hearing, I tell you that which is deserving of belief. [8]

5. I verily of myself declare this which is approved of by both gods and men; whomsoever I choose, I render him an exalted one, make him a Brahman, a ṛṣi, or a sage. [9]

6. I bend the bow (to fasten the bow string at its ends) for Rudra, to slay the tormenting, Brahman-hating enemy. I wage war against (hostile) men (to protect the praying ones); I have pervaded heaven and earth. [10]

7. I bring forth the paternal (heaven – abode of the manes) upon the crown (brow) of this (Supreme Being); my genesis is from the waters (cosmic – the all-pervading Entity); from thence, I pervade through all beings and reach this heaven with my body. [11]

8. I verily myself breathe forth like the wind, giving form to all created worlds; beyond the heaven, beyond this earth, (I exist eternally – beyond space & time) – so vast am I in greatness. [12]

Recitation

An audio recording of the recitation of the Devīsūkta:

References
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  1. Rao, P. Venkata (1955): Ṛgveda Saṃhitā with Sāyaṇa's bhāṣya, Vol. 30. Śṛī Śāradā Press, Mysore, Karnataka, India, (Published by The Mahāṛāja of Mysore, for free public perusal). p. 689
  2. Howard, Veena R. (2019-10-17). The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Indian Philosophy and Gender. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 254. ISBN 978-1-4742-6959-9.
  3. The roots of Tantra. Internet Archive. Albany : State University of New York Press. 2002. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7914-5305-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. Rao (1955), p. 690
  5. Rao (1955), p. 692
  6. Rao (1955), p. 693
  7. Rao (1955), p. 694 - 695
  8. Rao (1955), p. 696
  9. Rao (1955), p. 697
  10. Rao (1955), p. 698
  11. Rao (1955), p. 700
  12. Rao (1955), p. 703
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