Rig Veda 5.7.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 7, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.7
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सं यदिषो वनामहे सं हव्या मानुषाणाम् । उत द्युम्नस्य शवस ऋतस्य रश्मिमा ददे ॥
saṃ yadiṣó vanā́mahe saṃ havyā́ mā́nuṣāṇām | utá dyumnásya śávasā ṛtásya raśmím ā́ dade ||
যেতিয়া আমি একেলগে বৃদ্ধি-প্ৰেৰণা (ইধিষঃ) সমবেত কৰোঁ, আৰু মানুহৰ হব্যসমূহো একত্ৰ কৰোঁ, তেতিয়া দ্যুম্নৰ বলত তেওঁ আমাৰ ভিতৰত ঋত (সত্য-ব্যৱস্থা)-ৰ ৰশ্মি স্থাপন কৰে।
Word by Word
- सम्
- together, whollyIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/निपात)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यदिषः
- of (our) wish/impulse; whose desireNoun (relative compound/phrase)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (यद्-सम्बन्धेन: ‘of which/whose’ + ‘इष्’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root इष् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक ‘इष्’ = इष्टि/इच्छा/प्रेरणा) + यत् (सम्बन्ध-प्रातिपदिक ‘यद्’)
- वनामहे
- we seek / we winVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: वयम्)Root वन् (धातु; ‘to win, to seek, to desire’)
- सम्
- together, whollyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- हव्या
- oblationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to offer’ से ‘हव्य’ = ‘to be offered’)
- मानुषाणाम्
- of men / of humansNoun/Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: whose)Root मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उत (निपात)
- द्युम्नस्य
- of brilliance / gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot द्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- शवसः
- of strength / mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot शवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order / truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- रश्मिम्
- ray, rein, line (beam)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रश्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ददे
- has given / bestowsVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट; वैदिक), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: सः/देवः)Root दा (धातु; ‘to give’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): सम् | यदिषः | वनामहे | सम् | हव्या | मानुषाणाम् | उत | द्युम्नस्य | शवसः | ऋतस्य | रश्मिम् | आ | ददे । मुख्य सन्धि: (1) रश्मिम् + आ → रश्मिमा (अनुस्वार/म् + स्वर ‘आ’ पर ‘मा’ रूप; पदपाठे: रश्मिम् आ)
- (2) ‘सं’ उपसर्ग/निपात रूपेण द्विवारम्
- स्वर/उदात्त-चिह्न पाठानुसार: यदि॒षो, वना॑महे, हव्या, मानु॑षाणाम्, द्यु॒म्नस्य॒, शव॑स, ऋ॒तस्य॑, र॒श्मिमा, द॑दे इत्यादि (चिह्न यथापाठ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
When we gather the impulsions (iṣaḥ) and the human offerings (havyā), then by the force of luminous power (dyumnasya śavasa) he places within us the ray/cord (raśmi) of ṛta.
Inner meaning
The seeker collects upward-moving energies (iṣaḥ) and offers the human materials—works, desires, thoughts—into the inner rite. When this gathering is sincere and complete, Agni acts with ‘dyumna-śavas’—the force of luminous mind-power—and establishes in us the ‘raśmi of ṛta’: a guiding thread, an inner alignment that makes perception and action straight. This is a key Aurobindonian movement: the descent of truth-order as a living ray that organizes the nature.
Universal truth
When aspiration and self-offering become unified, a tangible guidance appears within—an inner thread of truth that straightens life and reveals the right way forward.
Themes
Agni-inner sacrifice, Rita-establishment, illumination, aspiration-and-offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya) (traditional for RV 5.7 in some recensions; verify with Anukramaṇī/critical edition for exact verse attribution)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.40 (Atri; Sūrya/Indra contexts), RV 5.44 (Atri; Agni), RV 5.52 (Atri; Maruts)
Family tradition
Atri lineage often associated with inner light, the sunlike vision, and the ordering power of ṛta through luminous intelligence.
Significance
Atri’s stamp here is the ‘ray of ṛta’—a luminous thread placed in the being, indicating a seer’s concern with inner law and illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- dyumat (luminous) implied via dyumna, pāvaka (purifier) implied by function, ṛtāvā (possessor of ṛta) by result
- Related deities
- Sūrya (ray of truth), Mitra-Varuṇa (ṛta guardians), Indra (illumination-force)
Cosmic role
Transformer of human offerings into truth-guidance; establishes ṛta within the sacrificer.
Inner power
Illumined will that forges an inner compass—direct perception of right order.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within offering rites; thematically suited to moments of collecting oblations and invoking ṛta
सं यदि॒षो वना॑महे॒ सं ह॒व्या मानु॑षाणाम् । उ॒त द्यु॒म्नस्य॒ शव॑स ऋ॒तस्य॑ र॒श्मिमा द॑दे ॥
सम् । यत् । इ॒षः । वना॑महे । सम् । ह॒व्या । मानु॑षाणाम् । उ॒त । द्यु॒म्नस्य॑ । शव॑सा । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । र॒श्मिम् । आ । द॒दे॒ ॥
sam | yat | iṣaḥ | vanāmahe | sam | havyā | mānuṣāṇām | uta | dyumnasya | śavasā | ṛtasya | raśmim | ā | dade
44
4 × ~11
Gathering in first half, then a decisive placing/establishing in the second—strong caesura supports the ‘then’ movement.
Creates a sense of inner organization; listeners often feel ‘straightened’ and clarified after repetition.
- इषः (iṣaḥ)
- Literal: impulsions, refreshments. Symbolic: ascending energies of growth and aspiration
- हव्या (havyā)
- Literal: offerings. Symbolic: what is to be given—works, desires, thought-stuff surrendered
- मानुषाणाम् (mānuṣāṇām)
- Literal: of humans. Symbolic: the mixed, imperfect nature to be transformed
- द्युम्नस्य (dyumnasya)
- Literal: of luminous splendor. Symbolic: illumined mind-force, clarity that carries power
- शवसा (śavasā)
- Literal: by force, might. Symbolic: effective energy of consciousness, not brute strength
- ऋतस्य रश्मिम् (ṛtasya raśmim)
- Literal: ray/cord of ṛta. Symbolic: inner guiding thread of truth-order; straightening law within
Agni praise/invocation in household and soma contexts; adaptable to Agnihotra and Soma-sacrifice openings as the kindling of the inner/outer fire (general Shrauta usage rather than a single exclusive rite).
When offerings are assembled and about to be poured; also in pravara-like invocations emphasizing ṛta
Collecting offerings, recitation, oblation; invocation for right order and luminous strength
Use when seeking guidance: chant, then sit quietly to perceive the ‘thread of rightness’ for a current decision.
Key terms: iṣ- from √iṣ ‘to impel, invigorate’ → inner impulsion/energizing will; vanāmahe from √van ‘to win, gain; desire/seek’ suggests conquest through aspiration; havyā from √hu ‘to pour/offer; invoke’ → offerings as acts of conscious calling; dyumna from dyu ‘shine’ → luminous plenitude; śavas ‘force’ (cognate field of strength/energy); ṛta from √ṛ ‘to move/fit rightly’ → ordered truth; raśmi ‘ray/bridle’ indicates both illumination and governance; dade from √dhā ‘to place/establish’ (thematic: installing ṛta’s ray in the human system).
Ṛta (truth-order), integration/collection (saṃ as yogic gathering of energies), illumination and governance (raśmi as ray/bridle)
Explicit: ṛtasya raśmi—ṛta becomes an inner ray, not only cosmic law.
The ray is the operative satya in the mind—truth that guides action.
From human offering to divine order: yajña as the mechanism by which cosmos and individual are aligned.
Integral Yoga / psychological Veda: descent of truth-order into mind-life through consecration.
Sun-ray = direct truth-perception; fire = transformative will; offerings = surrendered nature; thread = inner guidance/axis.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The installation of ṛta’s ‘ray’ through Agni: the mythic action is not a battle episode but a foundational act—Agni, empowered by luminous force (dyumna/śavas), establishes the directing beam (raśmi) of cosmic order within the human offering. This is the recurrent Vedic motif of ‘bringing down/upholding ṛta’ through sacrifice, where illumination becomes a governing line in consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ṛta (Skt. ṛtá) aligns with the Indo-Iranian and wider PIE field of ‘right order/fit’ (cf. Avestan aša). dyu (in dyumná) belongs to the PIE *dyeu- ‘sky/day/shine’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin dies). The semantic pairing of raśmi ‘ray/bridle’ with √dhā ‘to place’ encodes a common IE poetic idea: light as both illumination and control (guiding line), not merely physical brightness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer’s side is the act of integration and offering—‘we gather the impulsions (iṣaḥ) and the havyā of humans.’ The Devata’s reciprocation is the decisive inner gift: Agni (or the invoked power through Agni) ‘places’ the raśmi of ṛta. This expresses a covenantal exchange: human aspiration and rightly ordered offering invite the descent/establishment of truth-guidance that reforms the human nature from within.
Receive the ‘ray of ṛta’—an inner thread of right discernment.
Ājñā (discernment) supported by Anāhata (sincerity of offering)
Nādī-śodhana 6–6–6 (inhale-hold-exhale) for 6 rounds; then chant once and sit in receptive stillness.
Quietly luminous, aligned, guided.
After chanting, ask one clear question; do not mentalize. Wait for the ‘straight thread’ feeling—simple, non-dramatic rightness—then act accordingly.
Keep tonal prominence on ṛtásya ráśmim; maintain clear separation of saṃ and yat; follow śākhā svara for dyúmnasya śávasa.
Two-stage delivery: (1) saṃ yad iṣo vanāmahe | saṃ havyā mānuṣāṇām || (2) uta dyumnasya śavasa | ṛtasya raśmim ā dade ||
‘vanāmahe’ with long ā in nā., ‘havyā’ aspirate h clearly., ‘dyumnasya’ pronounce dyu as ‘dyu’ (not ‘ju’)., ‘ṛtasya’ initial ṛ crisp; ‘raśmim’ with ś (palatal).
Clear, luminous, slightly inward; let the second half be more reverent and settled.
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