Chapter 4 · Caturtho’dhyāyaḥ (Fourth Chapter)
Verse 8
यस्याः समस्तसुरता समुदीरणेन तृप्तिं प्रयाति सकलेषु मखेषु देवि। स्वाहासि वै पितृगणस्य च तृप्तिहेतु- रुच्चार्यसे त्वमत एव जनैः स्वधा च ॥ ८ ॥
yasyāḥ samastasuratā samudīraṇēna tṛptiṁ prayāti sakalēṣu makhēṣu dēvi | svāhāsi vai pitṛgaṇasya ca tṛptihētu- ruccāryasē tvamata ēva janaiḥ svadhā ca || 8 ||
Translation
'O Goddess, by the utterance of whose essence (as the word "Svāhā"), all sacrifices attain satisfaction. Indeed, you are "Svāhā," the cause of satisfaction for the hosts of ancestors. Therefore, you are uttered by people as "Svāhā" and "Svadhā".'
Word by word
- yasyāḥ
- of whom
- samastasuratā
- the essence of all nectar (Soma)
- samudīraṇena
- by the utterance
- tṛptim
- satisfaction
- prayāti
- attains
- sakaleṣu
- in all
- makheṣu
- sacrifices
- devi
- O Goddess
- svāhā
- the utterance Svāhā
- asi
- you are
- vai
- indeed
- pitṛgaṇasya
- of the hosts of ancestors
- ca
- and
- tṛptihetuḥ
- the cause of satisfaction
- uccāryase
- are uttered
- tvam
- you
- ataḥ
- therefore
- eva
- indeed
- janaiḥ
- by people
- svadhā
- the utterance Svadhā
Meaning
The gods recognize the Goddess as the divine power within Vedic rituals. She is: The Essence of Offering (surasattā): The spiritual energy that makes rituals effective. Svāhā: The sacred word chanted when offering oblations to the gods. She is that word, making the offerings reach the deities and grant satisfaction (tṛpti). Svadhā: The sacred word for offerings to ancestors (pitṛs). She is that too, ensuring the ancestors are nourished. She is the very power of sacrifice and the spoken mantra that activates it.