Chapter 1 · Prathamo’dhyāyaḥ (First Chapter)
Verse 72–73
ब्रह्मोवाच ॥ ७२ ॥ त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा त्वं हि वषट्कारःस्वरात्मिका ॥ ७३ ॥
brahmōvāca || 72 || tvaṁ svāhā tvaṁ svadhā tvaṁ hi vaṣaṭkāraḥsvarātmikā || 73 ||
Translation
Brahmā said: 'You are Svāhā, you are Svadhā, you are indeed the Vaṣaṭkāra; you are the very essence of the vowel sounds.'
Word by word
- tvam
- you
- svāhā
- the sacred utterance Svāhā (offered in fire rituals)
- svadhā
- the sacred utterance Svadhā (offered to ancestors)
- hi
- indeed
- vaṣaṭkāraḥ
- the sacred utterance Vaṣaṭ (uttered during offerings)
- svarātmikā
- the very essence of the vowel sounds (of Sanskrit)
Meaning
Brahmā identifies the Goddess as the divine power inherent in the most sacred Vedic utterances. Svāhā makes oblations to the gods effective, Svadhā nourishes the ancestors, and Vaṣaṭ completes a sacrifice. By stating she is these, he declares she is the ultimate energy behind all ritual and the very power of sound (svarātmikā) that constitutes the Vedas and the universe.