Rig Veda 3.2.15: Mandala 3, Sukta 2, Mantra 15
Sukta 3.2
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
मन्द्रं होतारं शुचिमद्वयाविनं दमूनसमुक्थ्यं विश्वचर्षणिम् । रथं न चित्रं वपुषाय दर्शतं मनुर्हितं सदमिद्राय ईमहे ॥
mandráṃ hotā́raṃ śucím ádvayāvinam damū́nasaṃ ukthyáṃ viśvá-carṣaṇim | ráthaṃ na citráṃ váp uṣāya darśatáṃ mánur-hitaṃ sád am íd rā́ya īmahe ||
نلتمسُ أغني المفعمَ بالنشوة—الهوتَرَ الطاهرَ، السائرَ بلا انقسام، سيّدَ الدار، الجديرَ بالترنيمة، الشاملَ في عمله بين الشعوب. كعربةٍ بهيّةٍ عجيبة، حسنةِ المنظر لهيئةِ الروح؛ قد أقامها الإنسانُ أبدًا في مقعدِ إندرا، فنحن نبتغيه ونمجّده.
Word by Word
- मन्द्रम्
- gladdening, pleasantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’)Root मन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- होतारम्
- the Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot होतृ- (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘यजने/आह्वाने’)
- शुचिम्
- pure, brightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’)Root शुचि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्वयाविनम्
- free from duplicity; undeceivingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’)Root अद्वयाविन्- (प्रातिपदिक; अ-द्वया ‘अद्वितीयता’ + -विन् ‘युक्त/धारिन्’)
- दमूनसम्
- house-friend; lord of the houseNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’)Root दमूनस्- (प्रातिपदिक; दमू- ‘गृह/दम’ + नस्)
- उक्थ्यम्
- worthy of hymns/recitationsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’)Root उक्थ्य- (प्रातिपदिक; उक्थ ‘स्तोत्र’)
- विश्वचर्षणिम्
- belonging to/benefiting all peoplesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’)Root विश्व-चर्षणि- (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व ‘सर्व’ + चर्षणि ‘जन/मानवसमूह’)
- रथम्
- chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (उपमान-रूपेण)Root रथ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- चित्रम्
- bright, wondrousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘रथम्’/उपमानस्य)Root चित्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वपुषाय
- by (his) form/beautyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (हेतु/साधनभावः: ‘रूपेण/तेजसा’)Root वपुस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- दर्शतम्
- good to see, splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’)Root दर्शत- (प्रातिपदिक; √दृश् ‘दर्शने’)
- मनुः
- Manu (the archetypal man/ancestor)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपपद-कर्तृ: ‘मनुना/मनुष्या’ इत्यर्थे परम्परया)Root मनु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हितम्
- appointed, establishedAdjective (Participle)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणः ‘होतारम्’: ‘मनुना निहितम्/स्थापितम्’)Root हित- (कृदन्त; √धा ‘धारणे’ → धित/हित ‘स्थापित/निहित’)
- सदम्
- alwaysIndeclinableकाल-अव्ययRole अधिकरण (कालः)Root सदम् (अव्यय; ‘सदा/सततम्’)
- इद्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिश्चय/एवकारार्थक-निपातRoot इद् (अव्यय/निपात)
- रायः
- for wealth, for bountyNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot राय्/रयि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईमहे
- we seek, we strive forVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot √यम् (आत्मनेपद; वेदिक ‘ईमहे’ = ‘यामहे/ईमहे’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): मन्द्रं | होतारं | शुचिम् | अद्वयाविनम् | दमूनसम् | उक्थ्यम् | विश्वचर्षणिम् | रथम् | न | चित्रम् | वपुषाय | दर्शतम् | मनुः | हितम् | सदम् | इद् | रायः | ईमहे । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) शुचिमद्वयाविनम् = शुचिम् + अद्वयाविनम् (म् + अ → म् अ, लेखने ‘मद्’ इव दृश्यते)
- (2) दमूनसमुक्थ्यम् = दमूनसम् + उक्थ्यम् (म् + उ → म् उ, संहितायां ‘मु’)
- (3) मनुर्हितम् = मनुः + हितम् (विसर्ग-लोप/रकारादेशः: उः + ह → उर्ह)
- (4) सदमिद्राय = सदम् + इद् + रायः (म् + इ → मि; इद् निपातः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The rapturous, pure Agni—invoker and lord of the dwelling, worthy of praise and active among all peoples—is sought for as wealth; he is like a bright, wondrous chariot, beautiful to behold, established by man in the seat of sacrifice.
Inner meaning
Agni is the awakened divine Will and priestly power in the human being that calls down higher forces. “Moving without division” suggests an integral consciousness (not split between desire and truth). The “bright chariot” is the organized movement of the soul-nature (vapuṣ) carrying the being toward plenitude (rāyas). When the human (Manu = the mental being, the maker) installs this Will steadily in the inner yajña, the wealth of being (not merely possessions) grows—clarity, energy, right action, and joy.
Universal truth
When aspiration becomes pure and integral, the inner guiding flame can coordinate all parts of life into a luminous vehicle of progress; sustained practice establishes a stable center from which true prosperity—wholeness of being—arises.
Themes
Agni-Hotṛ, inner-sacrifice, delight-force, establishment-in-man, wealth-as-fulfilment
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.2, RV 3.3, RV 3.4, RV 3.26, RV 3.62 (Gāyatrī)
Family tradition
Royal-turned-seer tradition emphasizing conquest of inner and outer darkness through tapas and mantra; strong Agni–Indra orientation in Maṇḍala 3.
Significance
Viśvāmitra embodies the transformation of rajasic power into luminous vision; his Agni hymns train the practitioner to install the inner priest steadily so illumination can become a stable law of life.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- mandra (rapturous), śuci (pure), hotā (invoker), damūnas (lord of the dwelling), ukthya (hymn-worthy), viśvacarṣaṇi (universal-worker)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Mediator and carrier of offerings; awakener of consciousness; establishes the sacrificial order (yajña) between human and divine worlds.
Inner power
Psychic fire of aspiration and will that unifies the being, purifies motives, and summons higher light and force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / daily kindling and Hotṛ-invocation; also adaptable to soma-sacrifice openings as Agni is established.
म॒न्द्रं होता॑रं॒ शुचि॒मद्व॑याविनं॒ दमू॑नसमु॒क्थ्यं॑ वि॒श्वच॑र्षणिम् । रथं॒ न चि॒त्रं वपु॑षाय दर्श॒तं मनु॑र्हितं॒ सद॒मिद्रा॒य ई॑महे ॥
म॒न्द्रम् । होता॑रम् । शुचि॑म् । अद्व॑याविनम् । दमू॑नसम् । उ॒क्थ्य॑म् । वि॒श्वऽच॑र्षणिम् । रथ॑म् । न । चि॒त्रम् । वपु॑षाय । द॒र्श॒तम् । मनुः॑ऽहितम् । सद॑म् । इत् । रा॒यः । ई॒म॒हे॒ ॥
mandram | hotāram | śucim | advayāvinam | damūnasam | ukthyam | viśva-carṣaṇ im | ratham | na | citram | vapuṣāya | darśatam | manuḥ-hitam | sadam | it | rāyaḥ | īmahe
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, expansive, suited to invocation and heroic ascent.
Builds a steady inner momentum; supports concentration with uplift and a sense of luminous advance.
- अग्नि (Agni)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine Will, inner priest and leader of transformation
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: invoker-priest. Symbolic: power that calls and links human to divine consciousness
- मन्द्र (mandra)
- Literal: rapturous, gladdening. Symbolic: ecstatic uplift of aspiration; joy in the will to progress
- शुचि (śuci)
- Literal: pure, bright. Symbolic: clarity and sincerity; purified intention
- अद्वयाविन् (advayāvin)
- Literal: moving without duality/division. Symbolic: integral movement beyond inner conflict
- दमूनस् (damūnas)
- Literal: lord of the house. Symbolic: master of the inner dwelling; keeper of the psychic home
- उक्थ्य (ukthya)
- Literal: worthy of the hymn. Symbolic: responds to true mantric thought and inspired speech
- विश्वचर्षणि (viśvacarṣaṇi)
- Literal: universal among peoples. Symbolic: works in all parts of the nature; universal applicability
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: organized dynamic of life-forces guided by inner will
- वपुस् (vapus)
- Literal: form, beauty. Symbolic: soul-form; luminous shaping of character
- मनुहिता (manurhita)
- Literal: set by Manu (man). Symbolic: established by the mental being through conscious discipline
- रायः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: wealth of being—light, force, harmony, delight
Household and Soma-sacrifice context: Agni as Hotṛ/central priest, ‘set by Manu’ i.e., established by human tradition; inwardly, fixing the flame in the seated practice (sadam) for the gain of rayi.
At lighting the sacred fire; at the beginning of recitation/meditation to establish the inner altar.
Kindling/adoration of Agni; offering (āhuti) with praise; “seating” Agni in the vedi (inner seat).
Use as a morning ‘inner-fire’ invocation before work or sādhanā: establish sincerity, unity, and the guiding will.
mandrá- from √mand ‘rejoice’ => delight as a power of Agni; hotṛ from √hu ‘invoke, pour’ => the will that calls down the gods; ádvayāvin- ‘non-dual-going’ => inner integration (no splitting of will/knowledge); damū́nasa- ‘of the house’ (dáma) => indwelling fire in the human vessel; darśatá- from √dṛś ‘see’ => manifestable to vision; rāyá- (rayi) ‘wealth’ as plenitude/felicity of being; manuḥ-hita- indicates the human founding of the sacrificial fire as a permanent inner institution.
integration/non-duality in action (advaya), inner seat of sacrifice (sadam), rayi as spiritual felicity
Agni as the organizer of ṛta in the human system—making life a coherent yajña.
Purity (śuci) and non-division (advaya) align speech, will, and action with truth.
The ‘chariot’ image suggests formation: consciousness shaping a vehicle for the soul’s journey.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral Yoga reading (Aurobindo): ascent through inner sacrifice toward integral consciousness.
dawn or early morning (typical for establishing Agni)
Fire = aspiration; dwelling = inner being; chariot = coordinated life-force; radiance = clarity of soul-form.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine Hotṛ ‘set by Manu’—the mythic founding of the sacrificial fire in humanity, making the gods accessible. Psychologically, it is the establishment of an undivided will (advayāvin) that becomes the carrier (ratha) of illumination and delight into embodied life.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- manu- corresponds to PIE *manu- ‘man, human’ (cf. Germanic Mann, etc.); √dṛś ‘see’ relates to PIE *derk- ‘see’ (cognate field); dyadic/dual vocabulary (dvaya) reflects inherited IE conceptual oppositions, here negated (a-dvaya) to express integrated consciousness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seeker asks not for objects but for rāyaḥ—fullness of being—by approaching Agni as the permanent inner priest. The reciprocity is continuity: humans ‘set’ Agni (manuḥ-hitam) through practice; Agni returns as delighting, hymn-worthy power that carries the life-journey forward.
Install the ‘inner hotṛ’: feel a bright flame in the heart/solar plexus guiding thought, speech, and action without division.
anahata (heart) / manipura (will-fire)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow inhalation imagining ascent of flame; exhale offering restlessness into the fire.
Collected, integral, quietly ecstatic aspiration (mandra).
Before chanting, set an intention of sincerity; after chanting, sit 3–5 minutes and watch for the next right impulse arising from the inner flame rather than mental debate.
Use Rigvedic three-tone contour: preserve udātta peaks on key invocatory words (mandraṃ, hotāram, śucim, rāyaḥ) with gentle svarita falls; avoid flattening into a single pitch.
Let each pāda end settle (cadence) while keeping the mid-pāda lift on the main epithet cluster; pause lightly at the | (caesura).
mandraṃ: nasalize final -aṃ clearly, hotāraṃ: long ā in -tā-, śucim: ś = palatal ‘sh’, not s, advayāvinaṃ: articulate -dv- cluster cleanly; long ā, damūnasam: long ū, ukthyaṃ: aspirate khy, viśvacarṣaṇim: retroflex ṇi at end, rathaṃ: light ‘th’ (dental), not English ‘th’
Bright, steady, slightly uplifted; aim for purity over volume.
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