Rig Veda 1.147.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 147, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.147
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
बोधा मे अस्य वचसो यविष्ठ मंहिष्ठस्य प्रभृतस्य स्वधावः । पीयति त्वो अनु त्वो गृणाति वन्दारुस्ते तन्वं वन्दे अग्ने ॥
bódhā me asyá vácaso yaviṣṭha maṃhíṣṭhasya prá-bhṛtasya svadhāvaḥ | pī́yati tvo ánu tvo gṛṇāti vandā́rus te tánvaṃ vande agne ||
হে অগ্নি, হে যৱিষ্ঠ (সৰ্বকনিষ্ঠ), হে স্বধাৱঃ (স্বশক্তিসম্পন্ন), মহত্তম ঐশ্বৰ্যৰ পৰা আগবঢ়াই অনা এই মোৰ বচন তুমি জাগ্ৰতভাৱে গ্ৰহণ কৰা। উপাসক তোমাক পান কৰে, তোমাৰ পিছত চলে, তোমাৰ অনুগীত গায়; হে অগ্নি, তোমাৰ দেহকেই মই বন্দনা কৰোঁ।
Word by Word
- बोधाः
- know, take noticeVerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRole (क्रिया) —Root √बुध्
- मे
- to/for mePronounGenitive/Dative singular (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदान (to/for me)Root अस्मद्
- अस्य
- of thisPronounGenitive singular (masc./neut.)Role सम्बन्ध (of this)Root इदम्
- वचसः
- of the utterance/wordNounGenitive singular, neuterRole सम्बन्ध (of the speech/utterance)Root वचस्
- यविष्ठ
- O youngestAdjective (vocative epithet)Vocative singular, masculineRole सम्बोधनRoot यविष्ठ (युवा-तमा) < युवा
- मंहिष्ठस्य
- of the most bountifulAdjectiveGenitive singular, masculine/neuter (agreeing with प्रभृतस्य)Role सम्बन्धRoot मंहिष्ठ < मंह्/मंह (प्रशंसा/दान)
- प्रभृतस्य
- of the bestowed/providedParticiple/AdjectiveGenitive singular, masculine/neuterRole सम्बन्धRoot प्र-√भृ (कृदन्त: प्रभृत) / प्रभृत (ppp)
- स्वधावः
- O possessor of svadhā (inherent power/ritual might)Noun/Adjective (vocative epithet)Vocative singular, masculineRole सम्बोधनRoot स्वधा + वस्/वत् (स्वधावन्)
- पीयति
- drinksVerbPresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole (क्रिया) —Root √पा (पी) / √प्या? (Vedic)
- त्वः
- youPronounAccusative singular (enclitic form of त्वाम्)Role कर्मRoot त्वद्
- अनु
- after, alongIndeclinablePreverb/particleRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root अनु
- त्वः
- youPronounAccusative singular (enclitic)Role कर्मRoot त्वद्
- गृणाति
- praises, singsVerbPresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole (क्रिया) —Root √गृ (गृण्) / √गॄ
- वन्दारुः
- the worshipper/suppliantNounNominative singular, masculineRole कर्तृRoot वन्दारु (from √वन्द् + आरु/aru suffix)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounGenitive singular (enclitic)Role सम्बन्धRoot त्वद्
- तन्वम्
- body, personNounAccusative singular, feminineRole कर्मRoot तनू
- वन्दे
- I worship, I praiseVerbPresent indicative, 1st person singular, ātmanepadaRole (क्रिया) —Root √वन्द्
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounVocative singular, masculineRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada): बोधा॑ मे → बोधाः + मे
- अ॒स्य वच॑सो → अस्य + वचसः
- यविष्ठ॒ मंहि॑ष्ठस्य॒ → यविष्ठ + मंहिष्ठस्य
- प्रभृ॑तस्य स्वधावः → प्रभृतस्य + स्वधावः
- पीय॑ति त्वो॒ → पीयति + त्वः (enclitic acc. = त्वाम्)
- अनु॑ त्वो → अनु + त्वः
- व॒न्दारु॑स्ते → वन्दारुः + ते
- त॒न्वं॑ वन्दे → तन्वम् + वन्दे
The meaning
Outer meaning
Awaken to this my word, O youngest, O self-powered one, brought forward from the greatest abundance. The worshipper drinks you in, follows you, sings after you; I bow to your very body, O Agni.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls Agni ‘yaviṣṭha’ (youngest) because the divine fire is ever-new, freshly born in each moment of sincerity. ‘Svadhāvaḥ’ indicates self-existent power: the will of the Divine does not depend on outer props. This word (vacasaḥ) is not mere speech but mantra—an offering of consciousness. The worshipper ‘drinks’ Agni: internalizes the flame as living energy and delight of effort; then ‘follows’ it (anu)—aligns life behind the leading will; then ‘sings after’ it—lets speech and thought echo the inner guidance. To bow to Agni’s tanū (body) is to revere the embodied presence of the divine will in one’s own nature (the formed flame in mind-life-body).
Universal truth
Real transformation begins when inspiration becomes embodied: we internalize the guiding fire, align our actions behind it, and let our speech echo it. The sacred is renewed each day and is self-sustaining when sincerely invoked.
Themes
invocation to awaken, assimilation of divine force, devotion and embodiment
The seer
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Aucathya (traditional hymn attribution)
- Lineage
- Aucathya
- Other hymns
- RV 1.147
Family tradition
Mantric tradition where ‘word’ awakens the divine fire; emphasis on internalization (drinking) and embodiment (tanū).
Significance
A classic inner-sadhana movement: invoke → awaken response → internalize → follow → express → surrender.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Yaviṣṭha (youngest), Svadhāvan (self-powered), Maṃhiṣṭha (most bountiful)
- Related deities
- Soma (drink/bliss—here transmuted into ‘drinking Agni’), Vāc (mantric speech), Sūrya (illumination following awakened fire)
Cosmic role
Ever-renewed messenger between human and divine; brings the abundance of the higher worlds into manifestation.
Inner power
Self-sustaining will and aspiration that can be ‘drunk’ as energy and made the leader of thought, speech, and action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-invocation before offerings; also suitable as a personal prayer within daily fire/lamp worship
बोधा॑ मे अ॒स्य वच॑सो यविष्ठ॒ मंहि॑ष्ठस्य॒ प्रभृ॑तस्य स्वधावः । पीय॑ति त्वो॒ अनु॑ त्वो गृणाति व॒न्दारु॑स्ते त॒न्वं॑ वन्दे अग्ने ॥
बोध॑ । मे॒ । अ॒स्य । वच॑सः । य॒वि॒ष्ठ॒ । मंहि॑ष्ठस्य । प्रऽभृ॑तस्य । स्व॒धा॒ऽवः॒ । पीय॑ति । त्वः॒ । अनु॑ । त्वः॒ । गृ॒णा॒ति॒ । व॒न्दारुः॑ । ते॒ । त॒न्व॑म् । व॒न्दे॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ ॥
bodha | me | asya | vacasaḥ | yaviṣṭha | maṃhiṣṭhasya | pra-bhṛtasya | svadhāvaḥ | pīyati | tvaḥ | anu | tvaḥ | gṛṇāti | vandāruḥ | te | tanvam | vande | agne
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Invocatory and intimate; repeated verbs (drink/follow/sing/bow) create a devotional progression.
Leads the listener from call-and-response into inward assimilation and reverence.
- बोध (bodha)
- Literal: awaken! understand!. Symbolic: turn the inner fire to conscious response; make the will perceptible
- यविष्ठ (yaviṣṭha)
- Literal: youngest. Symbolic: ever-new divine presence; freshly kindled aspiration
- स्वधावः (svadhāvaḥ)
- Literal: having svadhā, self-powered. Symbolic: autonomous spiritual force; inner authority
- मंहिष्ठस्य (maṃhiṣṭhasya)
- Literal: of the most bountiful/great. Symbolic: from the highest plenitude of being (divine abundance)
- प्रभृतस्य (prabhṛtasya)
- Literal: brought forward, produced. Symbolic: made manifest in the front of consciousness
- पीयति (pīyati)
- Literal: drinks. Symbolic: absorbs/ingests the fire as living energy; intimate assimilation
- अनु (anu)
- Literal: after, following. Symbolic: alignment of life behind the inner leading
- गृणाति (gṛṇāti)
- Literal: sings, praises. Symbolic: thought and speech vibrating with the inner truth
- तन्वम् (tanvam)
- Literal: body, form. Symbolic: the formed presence of Agni in the embodied nature
Direct address/awakening of Agni; supports inner agni-upāsanā—inviting the force to wake and be assimilated.
At the start of japa/meditation; at lighting of lamp; before beginning significant work
Recite facing flame/light; offer a small oblation (ghee) or symbolic offering (breath, attention)
Use as a ‘start-up mantra’ to kindle motivation and align speech/actions with inner guidance.
√budh 'to wake/know' (bodha: imperative); yaviṣṭha superlative of yuvan 'young'; svadhā 'own placing/power' (sva + √dhā). pīyati from √pā 'drink' indicates assimilation: the devotee internalizes Agni’s force, not merely offers outwardly.
awakening (bodha), svadhā (self-law/self-power), embodiment of the divine (tanū)
Following Agni (anu) is to place life behind right order; speech becomes true praise rather than noise.
Truth becomes embodied as a living ‘form’ (tanū) of awakened will.
Manifestation of divine force from abundance into the front of consciousness; embodiment in the human instrument.
Mantra-yoga and karma-yoga synthesis (word awakens force; force guides works).
Fire = will; drinking = assimilation; song = vibratory alignment of thought/speech; body-form = embodiment of realization.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The awakening of the ever-young Agni by the seer’s word and the 'drinking' of Agni: the myth of internalization of the god. Psychologically: mantra awakens the will-flame; the aspirant assimilates it as living energy and follows its guidance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √budh corresponds to PIE *bheudh- 'to be aware' (cf. English 'bid' in older sense, German bieten; and 'Buddha' in Indic). √pā 'drink' has IE parallels in the broader ingestion lexicon (though direct cognates vary), reinforcing the archaic metaphor of knowledge as drinking.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Explicit reciprocity: the rishi offers word (vacas) and reverence (vande), asking Agni to awaken; Agni is then 'drunk' and followed—divine force becomes the inner leader, while the human becomes its conscious vessel.
Invoke the ever-new inner fire; ‘drink’ it as energy; follow it as inner guidance; let speech arise from it; end in surrender to its embodied presence.
Maṇipūra (fire) + Viśuddha (vāc/singing)
Inhale imagining drawing flame up the spine; exhale softly with a hum on ‘agne’ to seal the vibration.
Devotional concentration leading to energized alignment.
After chanting, sit 2–3 minutes sensing a bright warmth at the navel/heart; ask inwardly, ‘what does the fire want next?’ and follow the simplest clear impulse.
Observe udatta on vocatives and imperatives; let ‘bodhā’ carry a clear lift without strain.
Make ‘bodhā me asya vacaso’ one coherent call; slight pause after ‘svadhāvaḥ’.
(yaviṣṭha): pronounce ṣṭh clearly., (svadhāvaḥ): ‘sv’ cluster clean; long ā., (pīyati): long ī., (vande): dental n, not retroflex ṇ.
intimate, warm, inward-facing; end with a soft bowing tone on ‘agne’
7
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
