Requesting the meaning of a rucha

[satyajit B]

Dear Leaned Sirs

I request word by word meaning for the following mantra from Sandhyavandana, as well as its origin. The mantra is 

सस्रुषीः तदपसो दिवा नक्तं च सस्रुषीः |वरेण्यक्रतूरहमा देवीरवसे हुवे॥ 

It follows the Mantra, of six Richa-s, though may not be connected.

ॐ शं न्नो देवीरभिष्ठयष्टय  आपो भवन्तु पीतये॥ शं योरभिस्रवन्तु नः॥ १॥

I shall be obliged for your guidance.

Best regards
Satyajita,

 

[संस्कृत संवादः]

This mantra is a beautiful invocation of the Divine Waters (आपः - āpaḥ) and is a vital part of the ritual purification process. Here is the direct and detailed breakdown of its origin, meaning, and grammatical structure.

Origin and Context

This mantra traces its origins to two specific Vedic sources:

1. Primary Origin: It is originally found in the अथर्ववेद (Atharvaveda), although the standard text features a slight variation in the second half of the verse. [Śaunaka, Atharvaveda Saṃhitā, 6.23.1]

2. Exact Match Origin: The exact wording you provided is found in the ऋग्वेद-खिलानि (Ṛgveda-Khilāni), which are the ancient supplementary hymns attached to the Rigveda. [Unknown, Ṛgveda Khilāni, 10.9.10]

Context in Sandhyāvandana:
You are entirely correct in noting its placement. In the ऋग्वेदीय सन्ध्यावन्दनम् (Ṛgvedīya Sandhyāvandanam), this mantra is chanted as the concluding part of the मार्जनम् (mārjanam - the ritual purification by sprinkling water). It seamlessly follows the famous nine-verse "āpo hi ṣṭhā..." (आपो हि ष्ठा...) sequence and the "śaṃ no devīrabhiṣṭaye..." (शं नो देवीरभिष्टये...) mantra. Though they are drawn from different Sūktas, they are strung together in the ritual because they share the exact same Devatā (deity): the Divine Waters.

Padaccheda (Word-Splitting)

To understand the mantra properly, we must first break the sandhi (phonetic combinations):
सस्रुषीः तत्-अपसः दिवा नक्तम् च सस्रुषीः ।
वरेण्य-क्रतूः अहम् आ देवीः अवसे हुवे ॥

Word-by-Word Meaning

• सस्रुषीः (sasruṣīḥ): The continuously flowing ones. (Feminine accusative plural).

• तत्-अपसः (tat-apasaḥ): Those whose very work/nature is that (i.e., the act of flowing and purifying).

• दिवा (divā): By day.

• नक्तम् (naktam): By night.

• च (ca): And.

• सस्रुषीः (sasruṣīḥ): The continuously flowing ones.

• वरेण्य-क्रतूः (vareṇya-kratūḥ): Those whose actions/rites are excellent or worthy of being chosen.

• अहम् (aham): I.

• आ (ā): A verbal prefix (उपसर्ग - upasarga) meaning 'completely' or 'towards', used in conjunction with the verb 'huve'.

• देवीः (devīḥ): The divine entities / the Goddesses (referring to the divine waters).

• अवसे (avase): For protection / for favor / for safeguarding.

• हुवे (huve): I call / I invoke.

Overall Translation

"I invoke for my protection the divine Goddesses of Water, who continuously flow, whose very cosmic work is to constantly flow by day and by night, and whose actions are most excellent."

Grammatical Insights and Commentarial Perspectives

1. The concept of सस्रुषीः (sasruṣīḥ):
This is a complex Vedic grammatical form derived from the root सृ (sṛ - to move or to flow) combined with a perfect participle affix क्वसु (kvasu) [Pāṇini, Aṣṭādhyāyī, 3.2.107].

• Analogy (उपमा): Just as we might call a professional marathoner a "runner" because running is their continuous defining action, the Vedas refer to the waters simply as "the flowing ones" because eternal, uninterrupted flow is their inherent characteristic.

2. The meaning of अपस् (apas):
In Vedic Sanskrit, अपस् (apas) strictly means 'work', 'action', or 'duty'. Interestingly, it shares the exact same linguistic root as the Latin word opus (meaning a great work of art or labor). By calling the waters तत्-अपसः (tat-apasaḥ), the mantra implies that their constant flowing is not random; it is their designated cosmic duty to wash away physical impurities and spiritual sins.

3. Various Perspectives on वरेण्य-क्रतूः (vareṇya-kratūḥ):
The word क्रतु (kratu) can mean 'will', 'intellect', 'action', or 'sacrificial rite'.

• According to Sāyaṇācārya: In his commentary on this exact Khila verse, Sāyaṇa explains the compound as "स्नानपानपावनादिवरणीय कर्माणः" (snānapānapāvanādivaraṇīya karmāṇaḥ). He interprets it from a ritualistic perspective: "Those whose actions—such as providing water for bathing, drinking, and purification—are excellent and highly sought after by humanity." [Sāyaṇa, Ṛgveda Bhāṣya, on Khila 10.9.10][1]

4. The shielding nature of अवसे (avase):
This is the dative singular form of अवस् (avas - protection), derived from the root अव् (av - to protect).

• Analogy (उपमा): When a soldier goes into battle, he asks the blacksmith for a physical shield. Similarly, in the Sandhyāvandana, the practitioner is asking the Divine Waters to serve as a spiritual shield against negative karmas and impurities.