वनस्पते शतवल्शो वि रोह सहस्रवल्शा वि वयं रुहेम। यं त्वामयं स्वधितिस्तेजमानः प्रणिनाय महते सौभगाय॥
vanaspate śatavalśo vi roha sahasravalśā vi vayaṁ ruhema । yaṁ tvāmayaṁ svadhitistejamānaḥ praṇināya mahate saubhagāya ॥
Meaning of Vanaspate Śatavalśo Vi Roha
O plant life! May you grow and flourish with hundreds and thousands of branches, and may we also prosper along with you. May the radiant force that has nurtured you for great prosperity and well-being bring welfare to us all as well.
Word by word
- वनस्पतेvanaspate
O lord of the forest
वन + पति
- शतवल्शःśatavalśaḥ
with a hundred shoots
शत + वल्श
- वि रोहvi roha
grow up
वि + √रुह्
- सहस्रवल्शाःsahasravalśāḥ
with a thousand shoots
सहस्र + वल्श
- वि वयम् रुहेमvi vayaṁ ruhema
may we grow
वि + √रुह्
- यम् त्वाम्yaṁ tvām
you whom
- अयम् स्वधितिःayaṁ svadhitiḥ
this axe
स्वधिति
- तेजमानःtejamānaḥ
being sharpened
√तिज्
- प्रणिनायpraṇināya
has led forth
प्र + नि + √नी
- महते सौभगायmahate saubhagāya
to great good fortune
सु + भग
Commentary
The mantra addresses a vanaspati and asks it to grow with a hundred shoots, while the speakers hope to grow with a thousand. Its second half, however, does not describe a nurturing radiant force. Svadhitiḥ is an axe, and tejamānaḥ describes it as being sharpened: the plant has been brought forth or prepared by this sharpened axe for great good fortune. The supplied meaning preserves the shared-growth image but replaces this ritual cutting with an ecological creative power. Sustainable flourishing can be drawn from the first half as a modern application, but it should not conceal the axe named in the Sanskrit.
Original Post
More from Rigveda
View source pageसुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः। स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु॥
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ । svasti nas tārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatir dadhātu ॥
A Rigveda svasti mantra in which Indra, Pushan, Tarkshya and Brihaspati are each asked to bestow well-being upon us.
More subhashitams on Nature
View topic pageदेव्या यया ततमिदं जगदात्मशक्त्या निश्शेषदेवगणशक्तिसमूहमूर्त्या। तामम्बिकामखिलदेवमहर्षिपूज्यां भक्त्या नताः स्म विदधातु शुभानि सा नः॥
devyā yayā tatamidaṃ jagadātmaśaktyā niśśeṣadevagaṇaśaktisamūhamūrtyā । tāmambikāmakhiladevamaharṣipūjyāṃ bhaktyā natāḥ sma vidadhātu śubhāni sā naḥ ॥
A prayer from Devi Mahatmyam to Ambika, who pervades the world and embodies all divine powers, asking for blessings for everyone.
हिताहितं सुखं दुःखमायुस्तस्य हिताहितम्। मानं च तच्च यत्रोक्तमायुर्वेदः स उच्यते॥
hitāhitaṃ sukhaṃ duḥkham āyus tasya hitāhitam । mānaṃ ca tac ca yatroktam āyurvedaḥ sa ucyate ॥
Charaka Samhita defines Ayurveda through beneficial and harmful, happy and unhappy forms of life and the measure of lifespan.
सुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.