Rig Veda 1.45.7: Mandala 1, Sukta 45, Mantra 7
Sukta 1.45
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh-like
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
नि त्वा होतारमृत्विजं दधिरे वसुवित्तमम् । श्रुत्कर्णं सप्रथस्तमं विप्रा अग्ने दिविष्टिषु ॥
ní tvā hotā́ram ṛtv́ijaṃ dadhiré vasuvíttamam | śrútkarṇaṃ sapráthastamaṃ víprā agne divíṣṭiṣu ||
لقد أقامك الحكماءُ هوتَرَ (Hotṛ)، كاهنَ الموسم الحقّ (ṛtvij)، أكرمَ من يظفر بالـ«فَسو»—الثروةِ الحقّة. يا أغني، يا أوسعَهم امتدادًا، يا ذا الأذنِ السامعةِ حقًّا، قد ثُبِّتتَ في «الدِّفِشْتي» (diviṣṭi)—المجاهداتِ الإلهيةِ للـ«ڤِبرا» (vipra).
Word by Word
- नि
- down; in; forth (as preverb)IndeclinableUpasarga/particle (preverb) used with following verbRoot नि (upasarga) / ni (avyaya)
- त्वा
- you (thee)PronounAccusative singular (2nd person)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (asmad/yusmad-pronoun stem)
- होतारम्
- the Hotṛ-priest; invokerNounMasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot होतृ (from √हु ‘to sacrifice, invoke’)
- ऋत्विजम्
- the Ṛtvij (ritual priest); officiantNoun/AdjectiveMasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot ऋत्विज् (ṛtu+√यज् ‘to worship’ > ‘seasonal sacrificer’)
- दधिरे
- they have placed; they have setVerbPerfect, 3rd person plural, ĀtmanepadaRoot √धा (धारणे/स्थापने) with reduplication (perfect)
- वसुवित्तमम्
- most wealth-winning; best giver/finder of richesAdjectiveMasculine, accusative singular (agreeing with त्वा/होतारम्/ऋत्विजम्)Role KarmaRoot वसुवित्तम (वसु-वित्तम; superlative of ‘wealth-finding/wealth-winning’)
- श्रुत्कर्णम्
- keen-eared; having attentive earsAdjectiveMasculine, accusative singular (agreeing with the same object)Role KarmaRoot श्रुत्कर्ण (श्रुत्+कर्ण ‘having-hearing ears’)
- सप्रथस्तमम्
- most far-spreading; most widely renownedAdjectiveMasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot स-प्रथस्-तम (from प्रथस् ‘breadth, expansion, wide fame’ + superlative -तम)
- विप्राः
- the seers; inspired poetsNounMasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot विप्र (from √विप्/√वेप् ‘to tremble, be inspired’ > ‘inspired sage’)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)Masculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot अग्नि
- दिविष्टिषु
- in the heavenly rites; in the divine contests/ceremoniesNounFeminine, locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot दिविष्टि (divi-ṣṭi ‘heavenly rite/contest’; RV noun)
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution: नि | त्वा | होतारम् | ऋत्विजम् | दधिरे | वसुवित्तमम् | श्रुत्कर्णम् | सप्रथस्तमम् | विप्राः | अग्ने | दिविष्टिषु ।
- internal compounds: वसुवित्तमम् (वसु+वित्तम, superl.), श्रुत्कर्णम् (श्रुत्+कर्ण), सप्रथस्तमम् (स+प्रथस्+तम), दिविष्टिषु (दिविष्टि + loc.pl. -षु)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seers have installed Agni as Hotṛ and ṛtvij, best finder of riches, wide-spreading, with hearing ear, in the divine contests/strivings.
Inner meaning
The illumined faculties (viprāḥ) place the inner Fire as the officiant of the right season (ṛtvij): the power that knows when and how each movement must be offered. ‘Riches’ are inner gains—light, strength, joy. Agni is ‘wide’ (saprathastama): he expands consciousness; ‘true-hearing’ (śrutkarṇa): he receives the soul’s call and the gods’ inspirations within our striving (diviṣṭiṣu).
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires an inner priest: a discerning will that times the offering, expands awareness, and turns struggle into growth.
Themes
Agni as Hotṛ, Inner sacrifice, Expansion (prath)
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.45.1-10, RV 1.44.7-11
Family tradition
Kaṇva seers frequently emphasize Agni’s priesthood—Agni as the organizer of the inner rite and the bringer of ‘vasu’ (true wealth).
Significance
The rishi’s insight is practical-yogic: install Agni as the inner officiant and the whole struggle becomes ordered, fruitful, and expansive.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- hotṛ, ṛtvij, vasuvittama, śrutkarṇa, saprathastama
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (inspired word), Indra (illumined mind), Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Priest of the gods and of the human; establishes the right rhythm (ṛtu) of the sacrifice and mediates divine descents.
Inner power
Discerning will with intuitive hearing; expands consciousness and converts effort into gain.
In ritual
Where it is used
Establishing Agni as Hotṛ/ṛtvij at the start or central moments of śrauta rites; praise of Agni’s priestly function
नि त्वा॒ होता॑रमृ॒त्विजं॑ दधि॒रे व॑सु॒वित्त॑मम् । श्रुत्क॑र्णं स॒प्रथ॑स्तमं॒ विप्रा॑ अग्ने॒ दिवि॑ष्टिषु ॥
नि । त्वा॒ । होता॑रम् । ऋ॒त्विज॑म् । द॒धि॒रे । व॒सु॒वित्ऽत॑मम् । श्रुत्ऽक॑र्णम् । स॒प्रथः॑ऽतमम् । विप्राः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । दिवि॑ष्टिषु ॥
ni | tvā | hotāram | ṛtvijam | dadhire | vasuvit-tamam | śrut-karṇam | saprathaḥ-tamam | viprāḥ | agne | diviṣṭiṣu
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Strong, expansive, and declarative—suited to establishment and affirmation.
Creates a sense of firm placement and widening; the listener feels ‘set’ into a larger field of striving and support.
- होतारम् (hotāram)
- Literal: Hotṛ priest, invoker. Symbolic: the invoking power in us that calls higher forces into action
- ऋत्विजम् (ṛtvijam)
- Literal: priest of the right season. Symbolic: right timing and right measure in sadhana; discrimination guided by inner law
- वसुवित्तमम् (vasuvittamam)
- Literal: best finder of wealth. Symbolic: discoverer of true inner riches—illumination, force, harmony
- श्रुत्कर्णम् (śrutkarṇam)
- Literal: having hearing ears. Symbolic: responsive consciousness; capacity to receive intuition and prayer
- सप्रथस्तमम् (saprathastamam)
- Literal: most widely extended. Symbolic: expansive awareness; widening of being
- दिविष्टिषु (diviṣṭiṣu)
- Literal: in divine contests/strivings. Symbolic: inner battles where higher light confronts resistance and ignorance
Defines Agni’s priestly office in śrauta setting; also inner-ritual mapping: Agni as the correctly-timed invoking intelligence in spiritual effort (diviṣṭi).
When appointing/acknowledging the officiating power; before key offerings
Recitation while tending the fire; mentally ‘installing’ Agni as leader of the rite
A pre-work invocation: ‘set’ the inner will as officiant before difficult tasks or inner conflicts.
from √ (hu) ‘to pour/offer/invoke’. = ṛtu ‘season/right time’ + √ ‘sacrifice’ (agent noun): ‘one who sacrifices at the right time’. from √ (dhā) ‘to place’. from √ (prath) ‘to spread, widen’.
Right timing (ṛtu) as law of progress, Vasu as essential wealth (fullness of being), Diviṣṭi as upward striving
ṛtvij explicitly ties Agni to ṛta through right timing and right action.
śrutkarṇa implies receptivity to truth-inspiration; the sacrifice succeeds when hearing is true.
Widening (prathā) as a mark of evolution—consciousness expands through ordered effort.
Yogic-psychological hermeneutic: inner priesthood and widening as stages of consciousness.
ṛtu as principle rather than a specific season
Season = right inner moment; fire = will; widening flame = expansion of awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The consecration of Agni as Hotṛ/ṛtvij—installing the divine priest within the rite. Innerly, it is the establishment of an awakened will that knows right timing and can ‘find the riches’ (vasu) hidden by inertia and darkness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The priestly titles (hotṛ, ṛtvij) preserve an archaic sacral-professional vocabulary; √dhā ‘set/place’ is a core IE root (PIE *dʰeh₁-; cf. Greek τίθημι, Latin faciō is different root but ‘do’ overlaps semantically).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The viprās actively ‘install’ Agni—suggesting human consent and preparation are required for divine functioning. Once established, Agni reciprocates by hearing (śrutkarṇa), widening the being (saprathas), and revealing vasu (spiritual wealth).
Install Agni as inner guide for right timing and right offering during sadhana.
ajna (discrimination) with support from manipura (fire)
Inhale: ‘ni tvā’; exhale: ‘hotāram ṛtvijam’; then a silent pause to ‘hear’ (śrutkarṇa).
Firm, discerning, expansive.
Before confronting a habit/resistance, recite once slowly, then ask inwardly: ‘What is the right season (ṛtu) for my next step?’ Act only after the inner hearing settles.
Triṣṭubh recitation with clear pāda breaks; preserve udātta on key nouns (hotāram, ṛtvijam, viprāḥ) as per śākhā accentuation.
Mark 4 pādas distinctly; slight lengthening at pāda ends; avoid rushing compounds (vasuvittamam, saprathastamam).
ṛtvijam: vocalic ṛ; 'tv' cluster clean, vasuvittamam: double 'tt' held briefly, śrutkarṇam: retroflex ṇ; 'śrut' crisp, diviṣṭiṣu: retroflex ṣṭ; final -ṣu with clear ṣ
Grave, steady, expansive; let the sound ‘widen’ on saprathastamam.
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