Rig Veda 10.71.11 is often interpreted in ritualistic terms, mapping the four priestly roles (Hotṛ, Udgātṛ, brahmā, Adhvaryu) onto the sacrificial framework of the Yajur Veda.
ऋचां त्वः पोषमास्ते पुपुष्वान्गायत्रं त्वो गायति शक्वरीषु ।
ब्रह्मा त्वो वदति जातविद्यां यज्ञस्य मात्रां वि मिमीत उ त्वः ॥
ṛcāṃ tvaḥ poṣam āste pupuṣvān gāyatraṃ tvo gāyati śakvarīṣu |
brahmā tvo vadati jātavidyāṃ yajñasya mātrāṃ vi mimīta u tvaḥ ||
General translation:
The one [Hotar] sits, blooming a blooming of verses; the other [Udgātar] sings a song in śakvarī verses. The one, the formulator [brahmā], speaks the knowledge born (in him), and the other [Adhvaryu] measures out the measure of the sacrifice.
Spiritual Interpretation
While ritualistic commentaries like those of Sāyaṇācārya view this mantra through the lens of a physical Yajna involving standard external priests (Hotar, Udgatar, Adhvaryu, and Brahma), the textual context of the entire Sukta explicitly supports spiritual view.
Rig Veda 10.71.11 is mentioning about 4 different types of spiritual practitioners, ie.,
· one who actually experienced the bliss (brahmā),
· one who meticulously frame the spiritual experience into a verse in a specified chandas or metre (Adhvaryu),
· one who merely recites the known verses(Hotṛ), and
· one who sings the known verses (Udgātṛ), respectively
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Rig Veda Mandala 10, Hymn 71 is explicitly dedicated to Jñāna (Knowledge) and Vāk (Speech). It contains 11 verses in total.
The rest of the hymn supports the internal, spiritual interpretation:
- Verse 2 mentions that the wise cleanse speech in their minds like sifting flour through a sieve.
- Verse 4 famously states that while many look, they do not "see" speech, and many listen, but do not "hear" her. But to the one who truly knows, Speech yields herself fully, like a loving wife revealing her beauty to her husband.
- Verse 5 laments those who only achieve a superficial understanding, calling their speech "barren flower and fruitless word."
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1. The Knower of Inherent Wisdom (Brahmā tvo vadati jātavidyām)
- The Ritual View: Associated with the Brahma priest who silently oversees the sacrifice and corrects errors.
- The Spiritual Reality: This refers to the fully realized sage. Jātavidyā means the "knowledge of all manifested existences" or birth-knowledge. This practitioner does not just read; they speak from direct experience of the ultimate truth. They have tasted internal bliss and possess the quiet, deep wisdom that witnesses and steadies everything else.
2. The Measurer of the Sacrifice (Yajñasya mātrāṃ vi mimīta u tvaḥ)
- The Ritual View: Associated with the Adhvaryu priest who physically measures the altar ground and handles the execution.
- The Spiritual Reality: This is the one who meticulously frames the spiritual experience into a specific verse and meter. They measure (vi mimīte) the dimensions of the internal sacrifice (Yajna), structuring raw, infinite spiritual insight into reproducible, structured sacred language (Mātrā).
3. The Reciter of Verses (Ṛcāṃ tvaḥ poṣam āste pupuṣvān)
- The Ritual View: Associated with the Hotṛ priest who physically recites the Rigvedic verses.
- The Spiritual Reality: This represents the practitioner at the intellectual or preserving level. They carefully nourish, memorize, and sustain the external form of the sacred verses (ṛc). They ensure the transmission of the word but are still operating at the level of structural knowledge.
4. The Singer of Melodies (Gāyatraṃ tvo gāyati śakvarīṣu)
- The Ritual View: Associated with the Udgatar priest who chants the Samaveda.
- The Spiritual Reality: This signifies the practitioner who transforms stagnant knowledge into vibrational harmony and devotion. By singing the hymns according to rhythmic measures (śakvarī), they elevate the emotional and energetic state, moving from mere recitation to internal alignment and aesthetic ecstasy.
