Ideal Wife and Role in Rigveda

Ideal Wife and Role: Description and Prayer for in Rigveda

In a set of three brilliant verses, sage Kaanva prays to Agni for a wife and describes the ideal characteristics of a wife as well as her spiritual and material role in life.

Somapeetaye

Before turning to the verses, let us recall the meaning of the term सोमपीतये. In a seminal verse in the very second hymn of Rigveda, Vaisvamitra uses this catch term. In this verse, he advises all to turn pious before their time on earth approaches to an end.

वायो तव प्रपृञ्चती धेना जिगाति दाशुषे | उरूची सोमपीतये || (1.002.3)[1]

Revere Union Thou (वायो), turn pious (दाशुषे) before getting caught in the swiftly moving river (प्रपृञ्चती धेना जिगाति)[2] (of time/samsara). As on earth (उरूची) draws to an end (सो) time (मः), one must increase (पी) protection (तयः).

This preamble is necessary because सोमपीतये is hereafter used as catch phrase for turning pious before death approaches. In case of Indra, it is used as a double entendre, since it also mean drinking soma.

Ideal Wife

Praying for an ideal wife, sage Kaanva says:

अग्ने पत्नीरिहावह देवानामुशतीरुप | त्वष्टारं सोमपीतये || (1.022.9)[3]

Agni (I) implore to bring home a wife (पत्नीरिहावह),  like wives of gods having beautiful form (देवानामुशतीरुप); Formed in mind suitably (त्वष्टारं) so that before time finishes on earth (I) increase protection (सोमपीतये).

Bring me home a wife, Agni, pleads the sage. She must be beautiful in form (“like wives of gods having beautiful form), as well as favour piety in mind (“formed in mind suitably”), so that the husband can turn pious before his time on earth runs out.

The sage further adds that the wife must favour speech, i.e. must be well spoken as well as bless him with good speech.

आ ग्ना अग्न इहावसे होत्रां यविष्ठ भारतीम् | वरूत्रीं धिषणां वह || (1.022.10)[4]

Also the divine woman Agni bring hither favouring speech (आ ग्ना अग्न इहावसे होत्रां), very young (यविष्ठ) descendant of Bharata (भारतीम्); Guardian goddess (वरूत्रीं), understanding (धिषणां) supporting (वह).

Here the sage likens the ideal wife to a divine woman, well spoken (“favouring speech”).  She must be very young, and a descendant of Bharata. She must be a guardian goddess. She must be understanding and supporting. 

Role of wife

In the next verse, the sage describes the spiritual and material role of an actual wife.

अभि नो देवीरवसा महः शर्मणा नृपत्नीः | अच्छिन्नपत्राः सचन्ताम् || (1.022.11)[5]

For the sake of (अभि) prosperity (नो), Devi’s protection (देवीरवसा), abundance (महः), sheltering (शर्मणा) and guiding men is Wife (नृपत्नीः); Inseparable, bestowing rise/fall (अच्छिन्नपत्राः), obedient/love/serve/follow/aid till death comes upon (सचन्ताम्).

To repeat, a wife is there for the sake of one’s prosperity and for Devi’s protection. She is there to provide abundance and shelter. The wife guides men (नृपत्नीः). She is inseparable and the cause of men’s rise or fall. Very poignantly he adds that she loves or is obedient, or follows, or aids, or serves the husband till death. The word सच् has five meanings all of which fit the context.

Summary

The sage description of the ideal wife and her role bear summarizing.

She must be beautiful and pious (1.022.9). She must be divinely well spoken, very young, a descendant of Bharata. She must be a guardian goddess, understanding and supporting the husband (1.022.10)

Describing the role of an actual wife, he says, that she is there for the sake of one’s prosperity. She provides Devi’s protection. She provides abundance and shelter. She even guides men, for she is inseparable, and the cause of men’s rise or fall. She loves/serves/follows/obeys/aids the husband till death (1.022.11)

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[1] Reverence Union (वा-यः) thou (तव) before coming in contact (प्र-पृञ्ज् = प्रपृञ्चती) with river (धेना) going swiftly (जिगत्नु = जिगाति) worship emancipation (दाशु-षः = दाशुषे) | Earth (उरूचि) finish time increase protection (सो-म-पी-तयः = सोमपीतये)

[2] before coming in contact (प्र-पृञ्ज् = प्रपृञ्चती) with river (धेना) going swiftly (जिगत्नु = जिगाति)

[3] अग्ने पत्नी – रिह् - आवह देवानाम् – उशती - रुप | त्वष्ट - अरं सो – म – पी - तये ||

Agni (अग्ने) wife (पत्नी) implore (रिह्) to bring home (आवह्) wives of gods (देवानाम्) beautiful (उशत् = उशती) form (रुप) | Formed in mind (तष्ट = तवष्ट) suitably  (अरम्) finish (सो) time (मः) increase (पी) protection (तय = तये)

[4] आ ग्ना अग्न इह - अवसे होत्रां यविष्ठ भारतीम् | वरूत्रीं धिषणां वह ||

Also (आ) divine woman (ग्ना) Agni (अग्न) hither (इह) favour (अवस् = अवसे) speech (होत्रां) very young (यविष्ठ) descendant of Bharata (भारतीम्) | Guardian goddess (वरूत्रीं) understanding (धिषणां) supporting (वह)

[5] अभि नो देवीर् - अवसा महः शर्मणा नृ - पत्नीः | अच्छिन्न - पत्राः सच् – अन्त - अम् ||

For the sake of (अभि) prosperity (नो) goddess (देवीर्) protection (अवस् = अवसा) abundance (मह) sheltering (शर्मण्य = शर्मणा) guiding men (नृ) wife (पत्नी) | inseparable (अच्छिन्न) fall down/soar (पत्) bestow (राः) to be obedient/love/serve/follow/aid (सच्) death (अन्त) come upon (अम्)

God as Director in Rigveda

There are several verses in Rigveda that refer to the Director or (यन्ति, यन्तृ, यन्त).

The sage Vaisvamitra begings the tenth hymn with an exhilarating appeal to himself, in which he links up the threefold knowledge, Realisation, knowledge of Brahman and Union in a stirring verse.

He calls upon himself to sing of the Director (गायन्ति[1] त्वा) implying that the world is a play director by the One. Then he continues: (sing) the song of the threefold knowledge (गायत्रिणो).[2] This song of threefold knowledge, he says shines ‘before the flash of lightning bright’(अर्चन्त्यर्कमर्किणः).[3].

Sage Medatithi Kaanva, in another verse also refers to a Director who plays behind the scene. The attitude one must have toward him should be one of reverence and fear. This invigorates and produces auspiciousness. This is stated in the following:

प्र वो भ्रियन्त इन्दवो मत्सरा मादयिष्णवः | द्रप्सा मध्वश्चमूषदः  || (1.014.4)[4]

Before the Director, (I have) reverence and fear (प्र वो भ्रियन्त); invigorating, causing auspiciousness (इन्दवो); from me cascades delight (मत्सरा) wishing knowledge and auspiciousness (मादयिष्णवः); (Pray) gift a drop of nectar for the mouse also, to experience (द्रप्सा मध्वश्चमूषदः).

Sensing the blessings of the Director, the sage says that delight cascades through him, and he is induced to desire knowledge and auspiciousness. Touchingly he asks for a drop of this nectar for the mouse (himself) to experience.

Devi is to be approached for Union with the One or ‘Director’, as he is called frequently. Thus:

विश्रयन्तामृतावृधो द्वारो देवीरसश्चितः |  अद्या नूनं च यष्टवे || (1.013.6)[5]

To find repose in the Director, Eternal, Friend (विश्रयन्तामृतावृधो), Devi is the medium inexhaustible (द्वारो देवीरसश्चितः); To this day, therefore, she is also to be worshipped (यष्टवे).

One verse says that yoga has its swings determined by the Director, and therefore one should practice secrecy.

य इङ्ख्यन्ति पर्वतान्तिरः समुद्रमर्णवम् |(1.019.7.1)[6]

The ups and downs of Yoga are in the hands of the Director (य इङ्ख्यन्ति); therefore worship secretly (पर्वतान्तिरः) like a sea full of water (समुद्रमर्णवम्).

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[1] Sing (गा) Director (यन्तृ = यन्ति)(गा-यन्तृ = गायन्ति)

[2] song  (गायः) three (त्रि) knowledge (णः = णो)

[3] shine (अर्च्) before (अन्ति) flash of lighting (अर्क = अर्कं) bright (अर्किन् = अर्किणः)(अर्च्-अन्ति-अर्कम्-अर्किन् = अर्चन्त्यर्कमर्किणः)

[4] प्र वो भ्रि - यन्त इन् – द् - वो मत् - सरा माद – इष् – ण - वः | द्रप्सा मधु – अश् – च – मूष - दः  ||

Before (प्र) reverence (वः = वो) fear (भ्र = भ्रि) Director (यन्त) to invigorate (इन्) causing (द) auspiciousness (वः) from me (मत्) cascade (सर) delight (माद) wishing (इष्) knowledge (ण) auspiciousness (वः) | A drop (द्रप्सा) nectar (मधु) experience (अश्) also (च) mouse (मूष) gift (दः)

[5] विश्र – यन्त – अमृता - वृधो द्वारो देवीर् - असश्चितः |  अद्या नूनं च यष्टवे ||

To repose (विश्रम् = विश्र) Director (यन्त = यन्तृ) eternal (अमृत) friend (वृधो) medium (द्वारो) Devi (देवीर्) inexhaustible (असश्चत् = असश्चतः) | To this day (अद्य = अद्या) therefore (नूनं) also (च) to be worshipped (यष्टव्य = यष्टवे)

[6] य इङ्ख् - यन्ति पर्व – अत – अन् - तिरः समुद्रम् - अर्णवम् |

Yoga (यः) ups and downs (इङ्ख्) Director (यन्तृ = यन्ति) to fill (पर्व्) therefore (अतस् = अत) worship (अन्) secretly (तिरस् = तिरः) sea (समुद्रम्) full of water (अर्णवम्) |