Rig Veda 8.71.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 71, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.71
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यं त्वं विप्र मेधसातावग्ने हिनोषि धनाय । स तवोती गोषु गन्ता ॥
yáṃ tváṃ vipra medhásātāv ágne hinóṣi dhánāya | sá tavótī góṣu gantā́ ||
مَن تدفعه أنتَ إلى الأمام، يا أغني—يا مُلهَم—نحو نيل المِدْهَا (medhā) المضيئة وغنيمتها؛ فبحمايتك يدخل في قطعان النور.
Word by Word
- यम्
- whom/whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? द्वितीया-एकवचन (relative pronoun)Role कर्म (यम् = whom)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विप्र
- O inspired sage (epithet)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मेधसातौ
- in the winning of wisdom/skill (in the contest for insight)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Vedic locative) अथवा दत्त-स्थानीयः ‘मेधसातौ’ = मेधसातौ (यज्ञ-प्रतिस्पर्धा/प्राप्ति-स्थाने)Role अधिकरणRoot मेधसाति (प्रातिपदिक; मेधस् + साति)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिनोषि
- you impel/driveVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot हि (धातु; Vedic ‘hinoti’ = प्रेरयति/चोदयति)
- धनाय
- for wealthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (purpose/for)Root धन (प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊती
- with (your) help/protectionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (instrumental)Role करणRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोषु
- among the cows/cattleNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- गन्ता
- a goer/attainer; one who will reachVerbal noun / Agent nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (agent)Root गम् (धातु) → गन्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यम् | त्वम् | विप्र | मेधसातौ | अग्ने | हिनोषि | धनाय | सः | तव | ऊती | गोषु | गन्ता । 1) ‘तवोती’ = तव + ऊती (अ + ऊ → ओ; संधि-रूप: तवोती).
- ‘गन्ता’ कृदन्त (गम् + तृन्) प्रथमा-एकवचन। 3) ‘मेधसा॑ता॒वग्ने॑’ पाठ में संधि-समास-सन्निकर्ष
- पदच्छेद में ‘मेधसातौ | अग्ने’ (अवग्ने इति न; ‘अग्ने’ सम्बोधन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whom you, O Agni—O inspired one—impel toward the winning of intelligence and toward gain, he comes by your protection into the cows (herds).
Inner meaning
Agni drives the vipra (inspired seeker) toward medhā-sāti—the conquest/attainment of luminous intelligence (right discernment, inspired understanding). ‘Dhanāya’ is the gain that follows: not crude possession, but the acquired power and resources of the inner life. ‘Goṣu’ means the herds of Light—rays of knowledge and illumination released in consciousness. Under Agni’s protection (ūtī), the seeker enters these luminous domains; the inner ‘cows’ are recovered as knowledge-forces.
Universal truth
When the will is kindled and guided by the inner fire, intelligence becomes luminous and fruitful; true gain is entry into a field of light where knowledge multiplies.
Themes
illumination, knowledge-as-cows, divine-impulsion, protection
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.71.1, Rig Veda 8.71.2, Rig Veda 8.71.3, Rig Veda 8.71.4
Significance
The seer gives a precise inner map: Agni impels → medhā is won → true ‘wealth’ arrives → entry into ‘cows’ (illumination). This is classic Vedic symbolism central to Sri Aurobindo’s interpretation.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Agne, Vipra (addressed), Impeller (hinoṣi), Protector (ūtī)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspiration/flow of insight), Indra (illumination and victory), Soma (delight supporting inspiration)
Cosmic role
Divine force that awakens inspiration and leads to the recovery of light (go) and wealth (dhana/rayi).
Inner power
Psychic dynamism that turns aspiration into effective progress; awakens medhā and guards the opening to illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocations for medhā (intelligence) and prosperity; linked to priestly inspiration and successful rite
यं त्वं वि॑प्र मे॒धसा॑ता॒वग्ने॑ हि॒नोषि॒ धना॑य । स तवो॒ती गोषु॒ गन्ता॑ ॥
यम् । त्वम् । वि॒प्र॒ । मे॒धऽसा॑तौ । अग्ने॑ । हि॒नोषि॑ । धना॑य । सः । तव॑ । ऊ॒ती । गोषु॑ । गन्ता॑ ॥
yam | tvam | vipra | medha-sātau | agne | hinoṣi | dhanāya | saḥ | tava | ūtī | goṣu | gantā
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Approx. 4 pādas
Dynamic, forward-moving; ‘driving’ rhythm matching hinoṣi.
Energizes aspiration and mental clarity; supports motivated, focused practice.
- वि॒प्र (vipra)
- Literal: inspired sage. Symbolic: The awakened, receptive intelligence under inspiration
- मेधसातौ (medhasātau)
- Literal: in the winning of medhā (intelligence). Symbolic: Conquest of luminous discernment; inspired understanding
- हिनोषि (hinoṣi)
- Literal: you impel, drive forward. Symbolic: Divine impulsion of will and energy toward progress
- धना॑य (dhanāya)
- Literal: for gain, for wealth. Symbolic: Fruit of sadhana: power, capacity, right means for the divine life
- ऊती (ūtī)
- Literal: help, protection. Symbolic: Guarding grace that ensures safe passage and stable attainment
- गोषु (goṣu)
- Literal: in the cows/herds. Symbolic: Rays of Light/Knowledge; luminous energies in the consciousness
Prayer for medhā (inspired intelligence) and dhana (gain) under Agni’s impulsion; relevant to rites seeking prosperity and inspired speech.
Before/at the start of recitations and offerings requiring clarity; also in contexts of seeking ‘rays’ (illumination)
Calling Agni to impel the priest/seeker toward inspired speech and successful gain
Use before study, teaching, creative work, or meditation retreats to invoke luminous intelligence and protected progress.
medhā ‘intelligence, wisdom, right skill’ from √medh/√man? (Vedic semantic field: capacity to know and to arrange the rite inwardly). √hi (hinóṣi) ‘impel, set in motion’. go (gó-) ‘cow’ also ‘ray of light’ in Vedic symbolism; thus góṣu ‘among the rays/illumined herds’. ūtí ‘aid’ is a standard Vedic term for divine succor.
medhā (luminous intelligence), inner acquisition (dhana as stabilized possession of force)
Medhā-sāti is a victory of ṛta in the mind—right seeing that aligns action and result.
True gain comes as illumination (go) rather than mere possession.
Release of hidden light and formation of higher intelligence in the human instrument.
Vedic psychology leading toward Upanishadic vidyā (knowledge) as liberation.
Cows = rays of knowledge; driving forward = awakening of energy and directed will; fire = transformative aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Finding/entering the cows: ‘goṣu’ signals the classic mythic complex of recovering the cows (lights) from concealment. Here Agni’s impulsion leads the seeker to the luminous herds—psychologically, to recovered knowledge and clarified consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘go’ is a clear IE inheritance (cf. Latin eō/Greek baínō are different roots, but PIE *gʷem- yields Sanskrit gam-, English come). go- ‘cow’ aligns with PIE *gʷōus (Greek boûs, Latin bōs), supporting the archaic ‘cow/light’ poetic equation in Indo-Iranian.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is addressed as vipra (seer-power), implying the deity’s own inspired consciousness; the human becomes capable of medhā-sāti only when impelled by Agni. The return-gift is ūtí: protection that enables entry into the ‘cows’—secured illumination.
Invoke Agni to impel the mind toward luminous discernment; visualize ‘cows of light’ entering awareness.
Ajna (luminous intelligence) supported by Manipura (driving will)
Bhrāmarī or simple nāḍī-śodhana (optional) to refine medhā; then steady breathing with mantra repetition
Bright, focused, inspired.
Before study/meditation, recite 12 or 27 times. Feel Agni as a forward-driving force; offer confusion into the flame; then rest attention at the brow, inviting rays of insight to ‘arrive’ without strain.
Svara marks not provided; chant with a forward accent on ‘hinoṣi’ and a bright lift on ‘goṣu gantā’.
Maintain compound integrity: medhasātau; do not split goṣu; keep final long ā in gantā.
vipra: crisp ‘pr’, medhasātau: aspirate ‘dh’; long ā; ‘au’ diphthong, hinoṣi: ‘hi’ clear; retroflex? (no) dental n, dhanāya: long ā, ūtī: long ū and ī, goṣu: retroflex ‘ṣ’, gantā: nasal ‘n’; long ā
Bright, clear, slightly rising energy; avoid harshness.
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