Rig Veda 8.102.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 102, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.102
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अग्निं वो वृधन्तमध्वराणां पुरूतमम् । अच्छा नप्त्रे सहस्वते ॥
agníṁ vo vṛdhántam adhvarā́ṇāṁ purūtámam | ácchā nápṭre sáhasvate ||
أدعوكم إلى أغني، القوّةَ التي لا تكفّ عن النموّ في مسيرة الأدهفارَات (القرابين)، الأوفرَ عملاً وأغزرَ فعلاً—تعالوا قُدُماً إلى النَّسْلِ الجبّار، حاملِ الطاقة الشديدة.
Word by Word
- अग्निम्
- Agni (as object of praise/invocation)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- for you / to you (O you all)Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी (एन्क्लिटिक ‘वः’); बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम)
- वृधन्तम्
- growing; increasing; most thrivingAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)Role कर्म (अग्निम्-विशेषण)Root वृध् (धातु) → वृधन्त्- (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)
- अध्वराणाम्
- of the sacrifices/ritualsNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अध्वर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरूतमम्
- most abundant; very much (the most)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (अग्निम्-विशेषण)Root पुरु- (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तम) सुपरलेटिव
- अच्छा
- towards; hitherIndeclinableअव्यय; गत्यर्थे (towards)Role अधिकरण/दिशा (गति-निर्देश)Root अच्छा (अव्यय)
- नप्त्रे
- to the grandson/descendant (epithet of Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot नप्तृ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्वते
- to the mighty one; to him who has strengthAdjective (used as epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (नप्त्रे-विशेषण)Root सहस्-वत् (प्रातिपदिक: ‘possessing might’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अग्निम् | वः | वृधन्तम् | अध्वराणाम् | पुरूतमम् | अच्छा | नप्त्रे | सहस्वते || 1) ‘वृधन्तम्’ = वृध् धातोः शतृ-कृदन्त (वृधन्त्) का द्वितीया-एकवचन रूप, ‘अग्निम्’ का विशेषण। 2) ‘अच्छा’ अव्यय ‘towards’—अगले चतुर्थी पदों (नप्त्रे, सहस्वते) के साथ गत्यर्थ/सम्प्रदान-भाव। 3) ‘वः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम—यहाँ ‘to/for you (pl.)’ अर्थ में (दत्तिव-सम्बन्ध) प्रयुक्त।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speaker calls the people toward Agni, who grows in the adhvaras (sacrificial journeys), most abundant in workings; he is addressed as the mighty Offspring, the powerful one.
Inner meaning
Agni is the ever-increasing inner power when the ‘adhvara’—the unobstructed journey of offering—continues. As aspiration and self-giving persist, the flame grows, becoming ‘purūtama’ (most manifold/abundant) in capacities: clearer discernment, stronger will, purer emotion, more luminous action. ‘Napāt’ (offspring) suggests Agni as the child of the waters/hidden being—new-born spiritual force arising in the practitioner, yet ‘sahasvat’ (full of energy) to conquer inertia.
Universal truth
Spiritual fire increases through sustained, sincere practice; it becomes versatile and powerful, capable of transforming many parts of life when fed by continuous offering.
Themes
Agni-invocation, Inner kindling, Guidance of the sacrifice, Increase of power
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.102.6, Rig Veda 8.102.8, Rig Veda 8.102.9, Rig Veda 8.102.10
Significance
The seer emphasizes growth of Agni through the ‘adhvara’ as inner discipline—Agni as the ever-young offspring that matures into forceful mastery.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- vṛdhantam (ever-growing), purūtama (most abundant in workings), napāt (mighty offspring), sahasvat (forceful)
- Related deities
- Apām Napāt (motif of offspring in waters), Indra (for victorious force), Soma (for delight that feeds growth)
Cosmic role
Power of transformation and progress in the sacrifice; brings the gods (higher powers) into the human journey.
Inner power
Increasing aspiration and executive will; tapas that turns practice into realized force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invitation during soma/yajña sequences; calling participants to the fire-priest.
अ॒ग्निं वो॑ वृ॒धन्त॑मध्व॒राणां॑ पुरू॒तम॑म् । अच्छा॒ नप्त्रे॒ सह॑स्वते ॥
अ॒ग्निम् । वः॒ । वृ॒धन्त॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒राणा॑म् । पु॒रु॒ऽतम॑म् । अच्छ॑ । नप्त्रे॑ । सह॑स्वते ॥
agnim | vaḥ | vṛdhantam | adhvarāṇām | puru-tamam | accha | naptre | sahasvate
Two pādas shown; full metrical mapping uncertain.
Energetic, exhortative cadence—suitable for a communal call toward the fire.
Builds momentum and confidence; supports a feeling of increasing inner strength.
- वृधन्तम् (vṛdhantam)
- Literal: growing, increasing. Symbolic: self-augmenting inner flame through repeated consecration
- अध्वराणाम् (adhvarāṇām)
- Literal: of the adhvaras (sacrifices). Symbolic: the unobstructed inner journey of offering; disciplined sadhana
- पुरूतमम् (purūtamam)
- Literal: most abundant/many-formed. Symbolic: multiform capacity of awakened will—many workings and helps
- नप्त्रे (naptre)
- Literal: to the offspring/descendant. Symbolic: new-born divine force in the being (often linked to fire-in-waters lineage)
- सहस्वते (sahasvate)
- Literal: possessing strength/energy. Symbolic: dynamic tapas; power to overcome resistance
Agni-invocation in the yajña: calling the increasing fire-power to lead the offering and establish effective inner and outer rite (general śrauta usage; specific assignment varies by recension and prayoga).
During invocation/approach (acchā) to Agni; before offerings or when rekindling zeal.
Verbal summons and praise; approach to altar; offering ghee.
Use at the start of practice sessions to kindle steady growth—especially when motivation is low or practice feels stagnant.
agní- < √ag/añj (to drive, to move; also ‘fire’ as the active principle); vṛdhánt- (pres. ptc.) < √vṛdh ‘to grow, increase’; adhvará- traditionally ‘sacrifice’, analyzable as a fixed ritual term for the ‘course/journey’ of offering; puru-tamá- (superl.) puru ‘many’ + -tama ‘most’; ácchā ‘towards, straight to’; náptṛ- ‘offspring/descendant’ (kinship term used mythically for emergent powers); sáhas-vant- < sáhas ‘force, might, victorious abundance’ + -vant ‘possessing’.
Yajña as inner work, Tapas (kindling/ardour implied by Agni’s growth), R̥ta (right-ordered movement of the sacrifice)
‘Adhvara’ as unobstructed movement implies alignment with ṛta; Agni grows when movement is right.
True strength is the increase of conscious will aligned with the inner law, not mere vital force.
The divine force is born and grows through offering—progressive manifestation.
Integral yoga hermeneutic: growth of psychic/fire-force through consecrated action.
The ‘journey’ symbolizes progressive inner practice; the growing fire is increasing conscious energy and will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘summoning of Agni’ as the ever-growing leader of the adhvara: the fire is invoked not merely as physical flame but as the manifest offspring-power that increases through offering and brings efficacy to the work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Key notions are built through inherited Indo-European morphology: superlative -tama in puru-tama (‘most manifold’), possessive -vant in sahas-vant (‘possessing force’). The fire principle parallels PIE fire/ignite complexes (cf. Latin ignis as a well-known cognate set often discussed in IE studies, though exact derivational mapping is debated).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal pact of increase: the human collective (vaḥ) turns ‘straight toward’ Agni with invocation; Agni, as the growing power of the sacrifice, responds by amplifying the work’s force (sahas) and multiplying its effective operations (purutamam).
Kindle and expand the inner flame through steady offering of attention and action.
Manipura (strengthening will)
Bhastrikā-lite or energizing diaphragmatic breaths (gentle, controlled), followed by steady nasal breathing while focusing on a warm core.
Dynamic collectedness—quiet strength rather than agitation.
Repeat while recalling your practice as an ‘adhvara’: remove inner obstacles (distractions, self-doubt), feed the flame with one sincere offering (attention, truthfulness, service) at a time.
Not fully reconstructible without Vedic accent marks; maintain a clear three-tone Vedic contour with slight lift on key invocatory words.
Stress-feel on agním, vṛdhántam, purūtámam, ácchā, náptre, sáhasvate (keep cadence forward).
vṛdhantam: vṛ-dhan-tam (clear ‘vṛ’), adhvarāṇām: adh-va-rā-ṇām (long ā), purūtamam: pu-rū-ta-mam (long rū), sahasvate: sa-has-va-te (light ‘te’)
Bright, steady, slightly forceful without harshness.
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