Rig Veda 2.6.3: Mandala 2, Sukta 6, Mantra 3
Sukta 2.6
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Shringara (love)
तं त्वा गीर्भिर्गिर्वणसं द्रविणस्युं द्रविणोदः । सपर्येम सपर्यवः ॥
táṃ tvā gīrbhír gírvaṇasaṃ draviṇasyúṃ draviṇódaḥ | saparyéma saparyávaḥ ||
তোমাকে—গীর্ভিতে আনন্দিত, গির্বণস, দ্রবিণের অভিলাষী ও দ্রবিণোদ—আমরা আমাদের বাক্যোচ্চারণে পূজা করি; আমরা, যারা উপাসনায় উৎসুক।
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (स्तुत्य/उपास्य-देवता) / लक्ष्यRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनम् (एनक्लिटिक रूप)Role कर्म (सम्बोधन-लक्ष्य) / लक्ष्यRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गीर्भिः
- with hymns / with praisesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot गीर्/गिर् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक ‘वाणी/स्तुति’)
- गिर्वणसम्
- worthy of hymns / praised by songsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम्/त्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेष्य-देवता-सम्बद्ध विशेषणम्)Root गिर्वणस् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्तुतिभिः वण्यमान/स्तुत्य’)
- द्रविणस्युम्
- desiring wealth / wealth-seekingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम्/त्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root द्रविणस्यु (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; द्रविण ‘धन’ + स्यु ‘इच्छु/काम’)
- द्रविणोदः
- O giver of wealthNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन/प्रथमा एकवचनम् (वेदे प्रथमा-सम्बोधन-समासः; अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root द्रविणोदस् (विशेषण/नाम-प्रातिपदिक; द्रविण ‘धन’ + उदस् ‘दाता/प्रदाता’)
- सपर्येम
- may we worship / let us honorVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-सदृश प्रयोगः) उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रिया (कर्तृ = वयम्)Root सपर्य् (धातु; ‘पूज्/उपास्/सेव्’)
- सपर्यवः
- we worshippers / we who serveNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot सपर्यव् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पूजक/उपासक’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तम् | त्वा | गीर्भिः | गिर्वणसम् | द्रविणस्युम् | द्रविणोदः | सपर्येम | सपर्यवः । 1) गीर्भिः + गिर्वणसम् → गीर्भिर्गिर्वणसम् (विसर्ग/रुत्व-सन्धि: -भिः + ग- → -भिर् + ग-). 2) सपर्येम + सपर्यवः: संहिता-पाठे ‘सपर्येम॑ सप॒र्यव॑:’—पदयोः मध्ये सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न, केवलं पदविभागः। 3) द्रविणोदः: ‘द्रविणोदस्’ प्रातिपदिकस्य प्रथमा/सम्बोधन एकवचनम्
- ऋग्वैदिके प्रथमा-रूपेण सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः सामान्यः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
With songs we worship Agni who delights in hymns, who desires wealth and gives wealth.
Inner meaning
Agni is ‘girvaṇas’—one who takes joy in inspired speech: the divine Will responds to truth-utterance and aspiration. The ‘wealth’ (draviṇa) is not mere cattle or gold but the real riches: light, strength, right joy, and capacities of the soul. The seeker worships through mantra because speech is an offering that attracts the giver of these inner riches.
Universal truth
What we repeatedly value and articulate shapes what awakens in us: truthful, elevated speech invites higher powers and brings real inner resources.
Themes
Agni praised as giver of wealth, Mantric reciprocity, Worship as sustained practice
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.6.1, Rig Veda 2.6.2, Rig Veda 2.6.4, Rig Veda 2.6.5
Family tradition
Bhārgava poetics: the ‘gīr’ is not ornament but a vehicle of force; worship is primarily by consciousness and speech-offering.
Significance
Establishes mantra as a practical yogic tool: Agni is drawn by inspired word and gives ‘draviṇa’—the means for inner victory.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Girvaṇas, Draviṇasyu (desiring the riches), Draviṇodaḥ (giver of riches)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (word-power), Indra (illumination that becomes wealth)
Cosmic role
Distributor of divine ‘substance’ to the human; awakener and organizer of powers needed for the sacrifice.
Inner power
Speech-responsive transformative will; grants capacities (śakti) required for progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Stotra to Agni in offering sequences seeking prosperity/strength
तं त्वा॑ गी॒र्भिर्गिर्व॑णसं द्रविण॒स्युं द्र॑विणोदः । स॒प॒र्येम॑ सप॒र्यव॑: ॥
तम् । त्वा॒ । गीः॒ऽभिः । गिर्व॑णसम् । द्र॒वि॒ण॒स्युम् । द्र॒वि॒णः॒ऽदः॒ । स॒प॒र्येम॑ । स॒प॒र्यवः॑ ॥
tam | tvā | gīḥ-bhiḥ | girvaṇasam | draviṇasyum | draviṇaḥ-daḥ | saparyema | saparyavaḥ
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8-8-8
Devotional and repetitive; the last pada reinforces steady service (saparyema).
Creates a loop of offering and receiving—good for japa that builds inner resources.
- गीः (gīḥ) / गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: songs/utterances. Symbolic: inspired formulations of consciousness; mantra as offering
- गिर्वणस् (girvaṇas)
- Literal: delighting in hymns. Symbolic: the divine that answers aspiration and truth-speech
- द्रविण (draviṇa)
- Literal: wealth, substance. Symbolic: spiritual riches: light, force, wideness, right enjoyment
- द्रविणोदस् (draviṇodaḥ)
- Literal: giver of wealth. Symbolic: power that bestows inner capacities and resources for the path
- सपर्य (saparya)
- Literal: to worship, attend upon. Symbolic: steady inner service: repeated offering, remembrance, and alignment
Praise of Agni as mediator and giver of boons during oblation; supports the yajamāna’s request for ‘draviṇa’ (capacity/wealth)
During praise portions after kindling and initial oblations; when requesting ‘draviṇa’ for the rite’s success.
Recitation as praise; offering ghee while naming Agni as giver of wealth.
As a gratitude-and-invocation chant before study, creative work, or sādhanā: ask for the ‘riches’ of insight and steadfast energy.
gir- ‘song’ + vanas- ‘delight’ (√van ‘to desire/delight’) → girvaṇas ‘song-delighting’: indicates a deity whose mode of action is responsive to inspired speech. draviṇa ‘wealth’ likely connected with fluidity/movement (drav-) and ‘substance’; in inner reading it is not gold but ‘movable power’—resources of consciousness. sapary- (Vedic) ‘to honor, attend’ conveys sustained service rather than a single act.
Vak/Mantra as power, Rayi/Draviṇa as plenitude of being
Draviṇa is what supports right movement; Agni distributes resources so the being can act in ṛta.
Girvaṇas implies the divine responds to satya-vāc; false or scattered speech weakens the channel.
From fire and word arises ordered manifestation: speech-offering draws down formative substance.
Vedic psychology of Vāc as shakti; aligns with Aurobindo’s view of mantra as force.
Fire as transformer; wealth as condensed power/ability; speech as carrier-wave for consciousness-force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic pattern is ‘praise → divine pleasure → bestowal’: Agni delights in hymns and, as draviṇodā, grants the riches sought. Inwardly: right speech aligns the inner fire, which then releases capacities and abundance in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The semantic pairing ‘song’ and ‘fame/hearing/response’ is Indo-European poetic economy: inspired speech effects divine action. While draviṇa is specifically Indo-Aryan, the functional concept of ‘wealth as power’ parallels PIE poetics where goods and glory are conferred through praise.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the community as saparyavaḥ (those committed to service) and offers gīḥ; Agni, characterized as responsive (girvaṇas) and generous (draviṇodā), is invoked to reciprocate by pouring spiritual resources into the sacrificer’s life and consciousness.
Offer a few sincere words from the heart; then listen inwardly for the answering warmth/clarity.
Viśuddha (speech) harmonized with Anāhata (psychic)
Soft ujjāyī-like whisper on exhale while chanting to refine speech-force.
Devotional receptivity; quiet confidence.
Keep speech truthful and minimal for a day (‘gīr’ purified). Note how conserved speech becomes inner wealth (draviṇa) as calm power.
Maintain Vedic accenting with lift on key epithets (girvaṇasam, draviṇodaḥ); exact svara per Śākala recitation guides.
Do not rush compounds: ‘draviṇasyuṃ draviṇodaḥ’ should be articulated distinctly to preserve meaning.
gīrbhir (gīr-bhir; long ī), girvaṇasaṃ (gir-va-ṇa-saṃ; retroflex ṇ), draviṇasyum (dra-vi-ṇa-syum; retroflex ṇ), draviṇodaḥ (dra-vi-ṇo-daḥ; retroflex ṇ; visarga), saparyema (sa-par-ye-ma), saparyavaḥ (sa-par-ya-vaḥ; visarga)
Clear, resonant, slightly devotional; let consonants be crisp.
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