Rig Veda 2.8.5: Mandala 2, Sukta 8, Mantra 5
Sukta 2.8
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अत्रिमनु स्वराज्यमग्निमुक्थानि वावृधुः । विश्वा अधि श्रियो दधे ॥
átrim ánu svarā́jyam agním ukthā́ni vāvṛdhuḥ | viśvā́ ádhi śríyo dadhe ||
অত্রির স্বরাজ্যের অনুসরণে স্তোত্রগুলি অগ্নিকে বৃদ্ধি করল; আর তিনি সকল শ্রী-সমৃদ্ধির ঊর্ধ্বে (তাদের) স্থাপন করলেন—সত্তায় আলো ও পূর্ণতার প্রাচুর্য ধারণ করলেন।
Word by Word
- अत्रिम्
- Atri (the seer), as objectNoun (Proper name)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after, following, in accordance withIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्वराज्यम्
- sovereignty, self-ruleNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot स्वराज्य (प्रातिपदिक; स्व- + राज्य)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (Fire), as objectNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थानि
- hymns, recitationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot उक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधुः
- they have strengthened / increasedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), 3 पुरुष, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त/वृद्धि-आवृत्ति-रूप (वावृध-)Role क्रियाRoot वृध् (धातु)
- विश्वाः
- all (splendours/fortunes), allAdjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्म (दधे इत्यस्य) / कर्मपद-विशेषणRoot विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अधि
- upon, overIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- श्रियः
- splendours, prosperitiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (वैदिक रूप: श्रियः = श्रियाः)Role कर्मRoot श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधे
- he has placed / has putVerbलिट् (आत्मनेपद), 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अत्रिम् | अनु | स्वराज्यम् | अग्निम् | उक्थानि | वावृधुः | विश्वाः | अधि | श्रियः | दधे । बाह्य-सन्धि विशेष: (1) अत्रि॒म् + अनु॑ → अत्रि॒मनु॑ (म् + अ = म + अ, संयोगलेखन)
- (2) अग्निम् + उक्थानि → अग्निमु॒क्थानि (म् + उ = मु)
- (3) विश्वाः + अधि → विश्वा॒ अधि॒ (आः + अ → आ अ; पदपाठ में पृथक्)
- वैदिक रूप: श्रियः (द्वि. बहु.) = श्रियाः (क्लासिकल)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Following Atri in his self-sovereignty, the hymns increased Agni; he set above all the splendors.
Inner meaning
Atri here functions as a prototype of the inner seer who attains svarājya—self-rule: the soul’s governance over mind and life. ‘Following Atri’ means aligning with that seer-state in ourselves: the psychic being leading. Ukthāni (hymns, inspired utterances) are not mere words; they are formations of conscious thought and mantra-force that ‘increase’ Agni—strengthen the will and its luminous capacity. When Agni is grown by true mantra, he ‘sets above all splendors’ (viśvā adhi śriyaḥ dadhe): he establishes higher harmonies and plenitudes as governing powers in the nature, subordinating lesser attractions to the greater light.
Universal truth
Inner sovereignty grows when inspired speech and sincere practice strengthen the guiding will; then higher values and deeper fulfillment become the ruling ‘splendor’ of life.
Themes
lineage of seers, mantra efficacy, inner kingship, installation of splendor
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu / Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.8 (entire hymn), Rig Veda 2.1 (Agni growth by praise motif)
Family tradition
Bhārgava poetry often links mantra (uktha) with growth of Agni and the attainment of inner mastery; the mention of Atri invokes an older rishi-line as an archetype of seerhood.
Significance
The verse teaches a method: follow the seer-state (Atri) → establish self-rule (svarājya) → increase Agni by mantra → allow higher splendors to govern the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Vardhya (to be increased by hymn; implied), Śri-dhā (placer of splendors; implied by śriyaḥ dadhe)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech; thematic), Bṛhaspati (word-power; thematic)
Cosmic role
Agni grows by praise and becomes the upholder of prosperity and harmony; he elevates the ‘splendors’ of the worlds.
Inner power
Transformative will strengthened by mantra; organizer of the being so that higher harmonies take precedence.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise in soma and non-soma contexts; strengthening Agni through uktha
अत्रि॒मनु॑ स्व॒राज्य॑म॒ग्निमु॒क्थानि॑ वावृधुः । विश्वा॒ अधि॒ श्रियो॑ दधे ॥
अत्रि॑म् । अनु॑ । स्व॒ऽराज्य॑म् । अ॒ग्निम् । उ॒क्थानि॑ । व॒वृ॒धुः॒ । विश्वाः॑ । अधि॑ । श्रियः॑ । द॒धे॒ ॥
atrim | anu | sva-rājyam | agnim | ukthāni | vavṛdhuḥ | viśvāḥ | adhi | śriyaḥ | dadhe
24
3 × ~8 syllables
affirmative and declarative; builds in two steps then culminates
supports resolve and ‘installation’ of higher values; good as a closing verse after a short Agni sequence.
- अत्रि (Atri)
- Literal: name of a seer. Symbolic: the inner seer-consciousness; the power that turns inward to the truth (proto-psychic guide)
- स्वराज्य (sva-rājya)
- Literal: self-sovereignty. Symbolic: rule of the soul over nature; mastery through alignment with truth
- उक्थानि (ukthāni)
- Literal: hymns/solemn utterances. Symbolic: mantric thought-force; inspired speech that builds inner fire
- वावृधुः (vāvṛdhuḥ)
- Literal: they increased, made grow. Symbolic: intensification of aspiration and will through repeated right invocation
- श्रियो (śriyaḥ)
- Literal: splendors, prosperities. Symbolic: harmonies, luminous fulfillments, powers of beauty and right-being established above lesser impulses
- विश्वाः अधि (viśvāḥ adhi)
- Literal: above all. Symbolic: a higher ordering where the spiritual values govern the whole nature
Connects seer-lineage (Atri) with hymn-power; supports the doctrine that mantra increases Agni and establishes śrī (auspicious fullness) in the sacrificer
during stotra/śastra-like praise segments; after establishing the fire
recitation to ‘increase’ Agni and invite śrī (prosperity)
use before disciplined practice (study, sādhanā) to invoke ‘self-sovereignty’ and place higher aims above distractions.
(sva-rājya) ‘self-rule’ from sva ‘self’ + rājya ‘kingship’ (√ ‘to rule, shine’ also carries luminous undertone). from √/√ (solemn speech) denotes efficacious utterance. from √ ‘to grow/increase’—hymn as growth-force. from √ ‘to place, establish’—Agni installs śrī as a stable state.
svarājya (inner sovereignty), mantra as formative power, śrī as fullness of being
Svarājya implies alignment with ṛta internally—true order governing the nature.
Mantra as expression of satya: true speech that builds true force.
Growth of fire through word: consciousness creates and orders itself by mantra.
mantra-śakti / integral yoga reading: speech as force, not description.
Fire = will; hymn = thought-force; sovereignty = inner kingship; splendors = higher harmonies establishing dominion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘seer-lineage empowerment’ mythologem: by following Atri’s self-sovereignty, hymns increase Agni, who then establishes splendors. Innerly: the mantra-tradition, grounded in mastery, grows the inner fire which installs higher fullness (śrī) as a governing condition.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ ‘grow’ is part of a broad IE growth lexicon; the causative sense ‘hymns increased Agni’ shows the archaic belief in speech as a real force. Compounding (sva-rājya) reflects inherited nominal strategies for abstract sovereignty.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi situates himself in a transmission (Atri) and uses uktha to increase Agni; Agni reciprocates by ‘placing’ śrī—making the seeker’s inner realm sovereign and luminous.
assume the ‘seer posture’—inner witness leading the will; establish self-rule over impulses
manipura
kapālabhāti light (if suitable) or strong exhale emphasis for 1–2 minutes, then chant once slowly
upright, masterful, integrated
Before engaging the day: recall one governing intention (svarājya). Chant and then state one clear inner rule (vrata) that places the highest ‘śrī’ above lesser gratifications.
Emphasize udātta on svarājyam and agnim; keep ukthāni resonant; let the final pāda ‘śriyo dadhe’ be steady and weighty.
Mark the syntactic turn at |; first pāda establishes lineage (‘following’), second builds force (‘increased Agni’), third installs result (‘set above splendors’).
atrim: short a, clear tr cluster, anu: light, quick, svarājyam: sv cluster clean; long ā, ukthāni: aspirated kh; long ā, vāvṛdhuḥ: vāvṛ- with long ā; retroflex ḍh sound in dhuḥ, śriyo: śri as in śriyā; avoid ‘sriyo’ with hard s
confident, upright, slightly emphatic
9
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.
