Sukta 27
Sukta 3.27
Viśvāmitra Gāthina
Agni (as the one who leads offerings to the gods; verse frames ascent of offerings/forces)
Gāyatrī (shorter tri-pāda style; this verse is compact and gāyatrī-like in feel—exact metrical counting may vary by recension)
يُصوِّر هذا النشيد لأغني أنه القوّة المتقدّمة في الذبيحة، يحمل القربان المصفّى (الغِهْرِتا) صعودًا ويجعل السبيل إلى الآلهة مُتاحًا. ويُعيد مرارًا تأطير «فاجا» (الوفرة، القوّة الظافرة) بوصفها شيئًا يُحرَّك ويُهتدى به على يد أغني عبر «الأدهفارا» (مسيرة القربان). وتبلغ السُّوكتا ذروتها بإيقاد أغني كقوّة الثور، سائلين أن يتّقد على مدى واسع في «البْرِهَت» (الواسع)، مانحًا النعمة وإنجاز اليَجْنَا.
Mantras
Mantra 1
प्र वो वाजा अभिद्यवो हविष्मन्तो घृताच्या । देवाञ्जिगाति सुम्नयुः ॥
تَقَدَّمْ يا قُوَى الغَلَبَةِ الوَافِرَة، مُنْدَفِعَةً نحوَ العُلا؛ حاملةً الهَفِس (havis) وماضيةً بنورِ السَّمْنِ المُصَفّى. طالِبُ النِّعْمَةِ يَصِلُ إلى الآلِهَة.
Mantra 2
ईळे अग्निं विपश्चितं गिरा यज्ञस्य साधनम् । श्रुष्टीवानं धितावानम् ॥
أُسَبِّحُ أَغْنِي (Agni) البَصيرَ العارفَ (vipáścit) بالكلمةِ المُنْشَدَة—هو مُتِمُّ اليَجْنَا (yajña). غَنِيٌّ بالسَّمْعِ المُطيع، راسِخٌ في الفِكْرِ المُؤَسَّس.
Mantra 3
अग्ने शकेम ते वयं यमं देवस्य वाजिनः । अति द्वेषांसि तरेम ॥
يا أغني، لعلّنا نقدر—نحن ذوو قوّتك، الواجِنون—أن نبلغ اليَمَ الإلهي (الضبط والنظام القويم)؛ ولعلّنا نعبر ما وراء الأحقاد والمقاومات.
Mantra 4
समिध्यमानो अध्वरेऽग्निः पावक ईड्यः । शोचिष्केशस्तमीमहे ॥
أغني، المُوقَد في مسار القُربان (أدْهْفَرا)، المُطهِّرُ الجديرُ بالإنشاد؛ ذو شَعرٍ من لهيب—إيّاه نلتمس.
Mantra 5
पृथुपाजा अमर्त्यो घृतनिर्णिक्स्वाहुतः । अग्निर्यज्ञस्य हव्यवाट् ॥
واسعُ القوّة، خالدٌ، مُكتسٍ بضياءِ الغِهْرْتا (السمن المصفّى)، مُقَرَّبٌ على وجهه—أغني هو حامِلُ القُربان (هَفْيَفاط) في اليَجْنَة.
Mantra 6
तं सबाधो यतस्रुच इत्था धिया यज्ञवन्तः । आ चक्रुरग्निमूतये ॥
إيّاهُ—اللَّهَبَ الذي لا يُقاوَم—أقامَهُ أصحابُ اليَجْنَا، بمغارفَ منضبطة، وهكذا بفِكرٍ مُستيقِظ (dhī)، هنا للعون: أَغْنِي، قُوَّةُ الإرادةِ الإلهيّة.
Mantra 7
होता देवो अमर्त्यः पुरस्तादेति मायया । विदथानि प्रचोदयन् ॥
الهوتَرُ، الإلهُ الخالد، يمضي أمامَنا بمَايَاهُ (قوّةِ التشكيل)؛ ويُحرِّكُ الوِداثات (vidatha: مجامعَ طقسِ الحكمة) إلى مسارِها القويم.
Mantra 8
वाजी वाजेषु धीयतेऽध्वरेषु प्र णीयते । विप्रो यज्ञस्य साधनः ॥
بوصفِه vājī (حاملَ الوفرة) يُثبَّتُ في vāja (الوفرة)؛ وفي الأَدهْفارا (adhvara: مسالكِ القربان) يُقادُ إلى الأمام—الـvipra، مُنجِزُ اليَجْنَا.
Mantra 9
धिया चक्रे वरेण्यो भूतानां गर्भमा दधे । दक्षस्य पितरं तना ॥
بِـ«دِهِيَا» (الرؤية-الفكر) صاغَ «فَرِينْيَا» المُستحقَّ للاختيار، وأودَعَ رَحِمَ الكائنات (غَرْبَه). وأقامَ في جسدهِ هو نفسِه أبا القُدرةِ المُميِّزة (دَكْشَه).
Mantra 10
नि त्वा दधे वरेण्यं दक्षस्येळा सहस्कृत । अग्ने सुदीतिमुशिजम् ॥
أُثَبِّتُكَ هاهنا، يا أَغْنِي، أيّها المُستحقُّ للاختيار (فَرِينْيَا)—إلهامًا من دَكْشَه، مُصاغًا بالقوّة؛ لهيبًا صافيًا مُضيئًا، «أُشِجَم» المتوثّب، الساعي العامل لأجل القُربان.
Mantra 11
अग्निं यन्तुरमप्तुरमृतस्य योगे वनुषः । विप्रा वाजैः समिन्धते ॥
أَغْنِي، الهادي والفاعلُ المُجدي، في اقترانِ «رِتَه» (الحقّ/النظام الكوني)—يُوقِدُهُ الساعونَ معًا؛ ويُشعِلُهُ الـ«ڤِپْرَا» (الملهمون) بوفرةِ «ڤَاجَه» (قوى الظفر).
Mantra 12
ऊर्जो नपातमध्वरे दीदिवांसमुप द्यवि । अग्निमीळे कविक्रतुम् ॥
أُبَجِّلُ أَغْنِي، ابنَ الفَيْضِ (ūrjā)، المتألِّقَ في القُربان (adhvara)، الصاعدَ نحوَ السَّماءِ—هو الذي إرادتُه إرادةُ الرائي (ṛṣi).
Mantra 13
ईळेन्यो नमस्यस्तिरस्तमांसि दर्शतः । समग्निरिध्यते वृषा ॥
مَحْبوبٌ للإنشادِ ومُسْتَحِقٌّ للسُّجود، ظاهرٌ وراءَ الظُّلُمات؛ يُوقَدُ أَغْنِي كاملاً—قويًّا، دافعًا بقوّتِه.
Mantra 14
वृषो अग्निः समिध्यतेऽश्वो न देववाहनः । तं हविष्मन्त ईळते ॥
يُوقَدُ أَغْنِي، ثَوْرًا جَبّارًا من القُوّة؛ كَفَرَسٍ يَحْمِلُ الآلِهَة. إِيّاهُ يَدْعُو حامِلو القُرْبان (havis) بتوقٍ.
Mantra 15
वृषणं त्वा वयं वृषन्वृषणः समिधीमहि । अग्ने दीद्यतं बृहत् ॥
أنتَ الثورُ القويّ، يا ثورَ القوّة؛ ونحنُ أيضًا—ثورِيّو العزمِ في سَعينا—نُوقِدُكَ إيقادًا تامًّا. يا أغني، تَلَهَّبْ واسعًا في الفَسْحِ العظيم.
Inside Sukta 27
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
The hymn opens with a forward surge: plenitudes of force (vājāḥ) press toward the heights, bearing offering and ghee-bright radiance, seeking grace that reaches the gods.
- Development
Agni is established as the one who is ‘set’ within plenitude and ‘led forward’ through the sacrificial journeys; the rite is portrayed as a directed ascent where priestly vision (vipra) and effective action converge.
- Climax
Agni is hailed as the bull-force and is kindled to blaze expansively—an image of concentrated power becoming vast, ensuring the yajña’s success and divine response.
- Where it settles
The sukta closes by sealing the rite in confident invocation: Agni’s wide blazing secures auspiciousness, accomplishment, and the completed conveyance of offerings to the devas.
The deity: Agni
- In the VedaAgni is the divine Fire—kindled on the altar, bright with ghee, swift-tongued and priestly—who receives offerings and conveys them to the gods. He is invoked as the yajña’s accomplisher (sādhana) and as the force that leads forward the sacrificial movement.
- Cosmic functionMediator between earth and heaven: he transforms material oblations into a subtle, upward-moving power that reaches the devas and returns their boons in due order.
- Inner significanceThe awakened will and luminous intelligence that ‘cooks’ experience into insight, lifts aspiration upward, and turns effort into effective realization; the inner priest that aligns speech, mind, and act.
The seer
- Viśvāmitra GāthinaGāthin (Viśvāmitra lineage; traditionally connected with the Kuśika line) · A pivotal Rigvedic seer associated with royal-to-rishi transformation and with powerful Agni-Indra hymns; renowned for shaping key strands of Vedic sacrificial and spiritual aspiration.
Famous verses
प्र वो वाजा अभिद्यवो हविष्मन्तो घृताच्या । देवाञ्जिगाति सुम्नयुः ॥vipro yajñasya sādhanaḥ
agne dīdyatam bṛhat
Attributes of the deity
- Hotṛ/priestly mediator
- Carrier of offerings to the gods
- Leader of the adhvara (sacrificial journey)
- Ghee-bright (ghṛtācyā), luminous, ascending
- Bull-force (vṛṣan): vigorous, expansive power
- Accomplisher of yajña (yajñasya sādhana)
Also by this seer
- Major portions of Rig Veda Mandala 3 (many hymns attributed to the Viśvāmitra family)
- Hymns to Indra, Agni, and related sacrificial deities emphasizing victory (vāja) and right-leading (naya)
- Tradition later associates the Viśvāmitra stream with the Gāyatrī mantra (RV 3.62.10), though this sukta is RV 3.27
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the vedi (altar space) and arrange fuel (samidh) for kindling.
- Invoke Agni as the forward-leading messenger and seat him in the rite (establish the fire as the priestly presence).
- Offer ghee (ājya) and other havis while reciting verses that emphasize ascent, guidance, and accomplishment of yajña.
- Contemplate/affirm the upward movement of vāja (victorious force) as Agni conducts the offering to the gods.
- Conclude with a strengthening kindling: request Agni to blaze ‘wide in the Vast’ and secure auspiciousness (sumná) and completion.
Offerings
- Ghee (ghṛta/ājya)
- Havis (general oblation: grains/cakes as applicable by rite)
- Samidh (fuel sticks) for kindling and sustaining the fire
Frequently Asked Questions
It praises Agni as the power that leads the sacrifice forward and carries the offering upward to the gods, so that grace and success return to the worshipper.
“Vāja” is the hymn’s way of describing energized abundance and victory. Agni sets this force in motion and guides it through the sacrificial journey so it becomes effective.
It means “Agni, blaze widely in the Vast.” The prayer asks the fire to expand in power and light, completing the rite and opening a larger, auspicious state.
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