Rig Veda 10.7.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 7, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.7
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इमा अग्ने मतयस्तुभ्यं जाता गोभिरश्वैरभि गृणन्ति राधः । यदा ते मर्तो अनु भोगमानड्वसो दधानो मतिभिः सुजात ॥
imā́ agne matáyas túbhyaṃ jātā́ góbhiḥ áśvaiḥ abhí gṛ́ṇanti rā́dhaḥ | yadā́ te márto ánu bhógam ānáḍ váso íti dádhāno matíbhiḥ sujāta ||
হে অগ্নি! এই ভাবনা-সমূহ (মতয়ঃ) তোমারই জন্য জন্মেছে; তারা গো-রূপ কিরণ ও অশ্ব-রূপ গতিশক্তি সহ তোমার রাধঃ—উজ্জ্বল ঐশ্বর্য—স্তব করে। যখন মর্ত্য তোমার ভোগের অনুগামী হয়ে তা লাভ করে, তখন সে ‘বসু’—সত্য দ্ৰব্য—ধারণ করে, হে সুজাত! সুগঠিত প্রেরণা (মতি) দ্বারা সমৃদ্ধ হয়।
Word by Word
- इमाः
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मतयः
- thoughts / hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुभ्यम्
- for youPronoun(एकवचन) चतुर्थी/द्वितीया रूप; अत्र चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान)Role सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जाताः
- born / producedAdjective (past participle)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (मतयः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot √जन् (जनि) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- गोभिः
- with cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वैः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards / untoIndeclinableउपसर्गः; ‘towards/unto’Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गृणन्ति
- they sing/praiseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √गृ (गिर्/गृण्) ‘स्तु’
- राधः
- bounty / giftNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वैदिके प्रथमा/द्वितीया समानरूपता)Role कर्मRoot राधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यदा
- whenIndeclinableकालवाचक-सम्बन्धः ‘when’Root यदा (अव्यय)
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद्/युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तः
- a mortalNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- following / in accordance withIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययः ‘after, following’Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भोगम्
- enjoyment / shareNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
- आनट्
- has attained / reachedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √अन्/अश्? (वैदिक रूप) → ‘आ-नट्’ (आगमन/प्राप्ति-अर्थे)
- वसोः
- of wealth / of goodNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (RV में ‘वसु’ द्रव्य/धन), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधानः
- bearing / holdingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (मर्तः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot √धा ‘धारणे’ → दधान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- मतिभिः
- with thoughts / with hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुजात
- well-born / noble-bornAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (अग्ने इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot सु- + जात (√जन्) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): इमाः | अग्ने | मतयः | तुभ्यम् | जाताः | गोभिः | अश्वैः | अभि | गृणन्ति | राधः || यदा | ते | मर्तः | अनु | भोगम् | आनट् | वसोः | दधानः | मतिभिः | सुजात || 1) इमा + (अग्ने) → इमाः अग्ने (विसर्ग/दीर्घ-रूपः: इमाः). 2) गोभिः अश्वैः: समुच्चय-करणे तृतीया-द्वयम्. 3) गृणन्ति राधः: ‘राधः’ नपुंसकं, RV में प्रथमा/द्वितीया समानरूप
- अत्र कर्मत्वे (they praise/celebrate the bounty). 4) भोगम् आनट्: ‘आ-’ उपसर्गयुक्त अorist
- वैदिक रूप ‘आनट्’ (प्राप्ति/आगमन-अर्थ). 5) वसोः दधानः: षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः ‘wealth’s (share)’, ‘bearing wealth’ इत्यर्थसम्भवः
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet says: these thoughts born for Agni praise his wealth with cows and horses; when the mortal follows Agni’s enjoyment and attains it, bearing the Vasu by inspirations, O well-born.
Inner meaning
The ‘matayaḥ’ are inspired movements of consciousness created for the inner Fire. They praise Agni’s ‘rādhas’—his plenitude—expressed as ‘go’ and ‘aśva’: rays of knowledge and powers of movement. The mortal (limited human) who follows Agni’s ‘bhoga’ (divine enjoyment, the right delight of offering and receiving) reaches it by carrying ‘vasu’ within—true substance, the settled inner wealth of being. This is done through ‘matibhiḥ’—rightly-formed thoughts/inspirations, not random thinking. Agni is ‘sujāta’: well-born, i.e., rightly kindled in the being; then knowledge-rays and life-energies become expressions of his plenitude rather than ego’s grasping.
Universal truth
Inspired thought aligned to the inner flame converts knowledge and energy into true wealth. By following the divine delight rather than desire, the human attains a stable inner substance.
Themes
Agni as inner guide, illumination and force, attainment of divine enjoyment, wealth as spiritual plenitude
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.7.3 (Agni as father/brother/friend, immediately following)
Significance
The seer emphasizes the discipline of inspiration: thoughts must be ‘born for Agni’ to become vehicles of light (go) and force (aśva), culminating in the settled ‘vasu’ within.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Sujāta (well-born)
- Related deities
- Soma (bhoga/ananda undertone), Indra (illumination behind go/rays)
Cosmic role
Giver of rādhas (plenitude); awakener of luminous knowledge and dynamic force; leader toward divine enjoyment in works.
Inner power
Transforms mental formations into inspired movements; converts knowledge and energy into stable inner wealth (vasu).
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise during offering sequences; general stotra/śastra context
इ॒मा अ॑ग्ने म॒तय॒स्तुभ्यं॑ जा॒ता गोभि॒रश्वै॑र॒भि गृ॑णन्ति॒ राध॑: । य॒दा ते॒ मर्तो॒ अनु॒ भोग॒मान॒ड्वसो॒ दधा॑नो म॒तिभि॑: सुजात ॥
इ॒माः । अ॒ग्ने॒ । म॒तयः॑ । तुभ्य॑म् । जा॒ताः । गोभिः॑ । अश्वैः॑ । अ॒भि । गृ॒ण॒न्ति॒ । राधः॑ । य॒दा । ते॒ । मर्तः॑ । अनु॑ । भोग॑म् । आन॑ट् । वसो॒ इति॑ । दधा॑नः । म॒तिऽभिः॑ । सु॒ऽजा॒त॒ ॥
imāḥ | agne | matayaḥ | tubhyam | jātāḥ | gobhiḥ | aśvaiḥ | abhi | gṛṇanti | rādhaḥ | yadā | te | martaḥ | anu | bhogam | ānaṭ | vaso iti | dadhānaḥ | mati-bhiḥ | su-jāta
44
4 × ~11 syllables (approx.)
Strong and articulated; supports the movement from praise to attainment.
Energizes aspiration and clarifies intention; aids in shaping thought into mantra-like inspiration.
- मतयः (matayaḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: seer-thoughts; formed movements of consciousness offered to Agni
- राधः (rādhaḥ)
- Literal: bounty, plenitude. Symbolic: fullness of divine capacities bestowed by Agni
- गोभिः (gobhiḥ)
- Literal: with cows. Symbolic: with rays of light/knowledge
- अश्वैः (aśvaiḥ)
- Literal: with horses. Symbolic: with vital energies and powers of action
- भोगम् (bhogam)
- Literal: enjoyment, experience. Symbolic: divine delight of right action/offerings; Ananda in works
- वसु (vasu)
- Literal: a good, wealth; ‘Vasu’. Symbolic: true substance of being; stable inner richness
- मतिभिः (matibhiḥ)
- Literal: by thoughts. Symbolic: by rightly shaped inspirations; intelligent offerings
- सुजात (sujāta)
- Literal: well-born. Symbolic: Agni rightly kindled; the psychic fire properly awakened
Agni-praise usable as an āhavanīya-kindling/agnistuti in Soma and domestic offerings; broadly applicable to Agni as Hotṛ and inner priest (not tied here to a single named śrauta procedure in the supplied data).
During Agni-related recitations accompanying offerings; also suitable as a reflective praise in daily practice
Praise of Agni’s bounty and request/affirmation of attainment through right inspiration
Use when seeking to purify thought: recite before study/creative work so that ‘matayaḥ’ become luminous and forceful rather than restless.
Key roots: √man/√mat (mati ‘thought, intention, inspired understanding’); √gṛ (gṛṇanti ‘they praise, sing forth’); rā́dhas (bounty, plenitude; connected with giving/attainment semantics, often ‘richness of being’ in RV); √bhuj (bhoga ‘enjoyment, participation, share’—inner assimilation of the divine action); √naś/naṭ (ānaṭ ‘attains, reaches’); √dhā (dadhānaḥ ‘bearing/holding/placing within’). Symbolics justified by polyvalence: go ‘cow’ as ‘ray/illumination’ (go also ‘light’ in Vedic diction); aśva as force of movement/energy; vasu as ‘good, luminous substance/wealth’—not merely material riches but stable inner plenitude.
Rita (implicit: right attainment and ordered enjoyment through Agni’s action), inner sacrifice (yajña as psychological process), plenitude/wholeness (rādhas, vasu)
Rightly-formed inspirations (matibhiḥ) are ṛta in the mind.
Go as rays of knowledge indicates truth-illumination.
From inspiration to manifestation: thought becomes light and force, yielding stable substance (vasu).
Aurobindonian: bhoga as divine Ananda in works; vasu as essential being-substance.
Fire = aspiration; cows = rays of knowledge; horses = vital force; enjoyment = ananda in right action; wealth = inner substance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘gift of Agni’ mythologem: inspired thoughts (matayaḥ) arise for Agni and in turn evoke his rādhas (plenitude). The mortal ‘follows after’ (anu) and attains (ānaṭ) bhoga—participatory enjoyment—by bearing vasu within. Mythically, Agni mediates the conversion of luminous herds (go = rays) and swift steeds (aśva = powers) into an attained inner wealth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Several lexemes sit on wide Indo-European strata: marta ‘mortal’ relates to PIE *mer- ‘to die’ (cf. Latin mors); √man/men- ‘think’ underlies mati (cf. English mind); aśva ‘horse’ corresponds to PIE *h₁éḱwos (Latin equus). The verse also shows typical RV syntax: fronted demonstrative imāḥ, vocative agne, and a temporal clause yadā… with a finite attainment verb ānaṭ.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is expressed as a cycle: the seer’s matayaḥ are ‘born for’ Agni (tubhyam jātāḥ) and praise his rādhas; in response, the human (martaḥ) attains bhoga by ‘holding’ (dadhānaḥ) vasu through these very matis. Dakṣiṇā here is inward: the offering is shaped consciousness, and the return is stable luminous substance and empowered movement.
Offer thoughts into the flame until they become inspirations; invite rays of clarity and steady energetic movement; rest in inner ‘vasu’.
Ajna (clarity/go) integrated with Manipura (force/aśva)
Nadi shodhana (gentle) to balance clarity and force; then silent attention in the inner flame
Bright, ordered, quietly fulfilled
Before chanting, set intention: ‘Let my thoughts be born for the Divine.’ After chanting, watch thoughts: accept only those that feel luminous (go) and energizing (aśva) without agitation.
Rigvedic udatta/anudatta/svarita per śākhā; confirm with accented Saṃhitā for exact placements.
Keep ‘imā agne’ light; emphasize clarity on ‘gobhir aśvaiḥ’; maintain flow through the long second half without rushing.
(imā): long ā, (gobhiḥ): long ‘o’, (abhi gṛṇanti): vocalic ṛ in gṛ-, (ānaṭ): retroflex ṭ at end, (sujāta): long ā
Bright and articulate; a gentle uplift on phrases naming go/aśva.
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