Rig Veda 3.18.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 18, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.18
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
तपो ष्वग्ने अन्तराँ अमित्रान्तपा शंसमररुषः परस्य । तपो वसो चिकितानो अचित्तान्वि ते तिष्ठन्तामजरा अयासः ॥
tápo ṣv agne ántarāṃ amítrān tápā śáṃsam araruṣáḥ párasya | tápo vaso cikitānáḥ acíttān ví te tiṣṭhantām ajárā ayā́saḥ ||
হে অগ্নি! তোমার তপে অন্তরের শত্রুদের দগ্ধ কর; যে আমাদের বিরুদ্ধে ক্রুদ্ধ হয়ে গর্জে ওঠে, তার শত্রুতাপূর্ণ শংসন—দুষ্প্রচার—ও দগ্ধ কর। হে বসু! দৃষ্টিতে সচেতন, যারা অচেতন ও অস্পষ্ট, তাদের বিরুদ্ধে তোমার অজরা, অয়াস—অক্লান্ত—অগ্নিগুলি স্থির হয়ে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকুক।
Word by Word
- तपः
- heat; burning power; austerity (as a force)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सु
- well; thoroughlyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सु (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तरान्
- those within; internal (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमित्रान्
- enemiesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अमित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तप
- burn! scorch!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot तप् (धातु)
- शंसम्
- praise; laudation (utterance)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शंस (प्रातिपदिक)
- अररुषः
- of the raging one; of the furious (foe)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot अररुष (प्रातिपदिक; √रुष्/रुष् ‘to rage, be angry’ से व्युत्पन्न)
- परस्य
- of the other; of the distant/hostile oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot पर (प्रातिपदिक)
- तपः
- burning power; heatNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसो
- O good one; O benefactorNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- चिकितानः
- knowing; discerningParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; परस्मैपदी परिपूर्ण-भाव (परिपूर्ण/परिपक्व ‘knowing’)Role KartāRoot √चित् (धातु) → चिकित्स्/चिकित् (परिपूर्ण/इच्छार्थ-प्रयोग; ‘to perceive, be aware’); कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक
- अचित्तान्
- unthinking; senseless (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अचित्त (प्रातिपदिक; a- + चित्त)
- वि
- apart; asunder; in various directionsIndeclinableअव्ययRoot वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ते
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तिष्ठन्ताम्
- let them stand; let them remainVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot √स्था (धातु)
- अजराः
- unaging; undecayingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अजर (प्रातिपदिक; a- + जर ‘aging’)
- अयासः
- unwearied; tirelessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अयास (प्रातिपदिक; a- + यास/यास ‘weariness, toil’)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान (Vedic sandhi resolution): 1) ष्वग्ने → सु + अग्ने (उपसर्ग/निपात ‘सु’ + सम्बोधन ‘अग्ने’; सु + अ → स्व (वेदे ‘ष्व’ लेखन/उच्चारण-परम्परा))
- 2) अमित्रान्तपा → अमित्रान् + तप (न् + त → न्त्)
- 3) शंसमररुषः → शंसम् + अररुषः (म् + अ → म)
- 4) अचित्तान्वि → अचित्तान् + वि (न् + व → न्व)
- 5) ते तिष्ठन्ताम्: ‘ते’ एन्क्लिटिक षष्ठी एकवचन ‘त्वद्’ से।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is urged to burn with heat the inner enemies and the hostile speech of an enraged adversary; as Vasu, seeing consciously, may his unaging, unfailing fires stand against the unmindful forces.
Inner meaning
Tapas is invoked as Agni’s purifying intensity: it targets the ‘antarān amitrān’—inner hostile formations (fear, craving, self-sabotage, falsehood) rather than external foes. The ‘hostile proclamation’ is the inner voice of denial and accusation that arises when the ego-nature resists change. Agni as Vasu (the luminous good) is ‘cikitānaḥ’—conscious, discerning—so his steady flames can confront ‘acittān’ (unmindful, obscure impulses) without fatigue. This is the yogic demand for vigilant inner heat that does not burn out.
Universal truth
Transformation requires sustained conscious intensity: a heat that is not anger but awakened power, capable of dissolving inner opposition and false narratives.
Themes
tapas, inner battle, protection from hostility, unaging unfailing power
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.18.1, RV 3.26, RV 3.62
Family tradition
A seer-line that frequently pairs mantra (brahman) with tapas (inner heat) to win illumination and mastery over obstruction.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s vision highlights disciplined intensity: spiritual force must be conscious (cikitāna) to be effective and non-destructive.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- tapasvān (by function: heat-bearing), Vasu, cikitānaḥ, ajarāḥ ayāsaḥ (his fires)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumination), Soma (bliss that supports tapas), Bṛhaspati (word-power against hostile speech)
Cosmic role
Purifier and illuminator; establishes the divine order by consuming darkness and sustaining the sacrificial flame.
Inner power
A discerning heat that reveals and dissolves inner enemies; endurance of aspiration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and purificatory Agni-stotra within soma rites or iṣṭi; also general rakṣā-mantra function
तपो॒ ष्व॑ग्ने॒ अन्त॑राँ अ॒मित्रा॒न्तपा॒ शंस॒मर॑रुष॒: पर॑स्य । तपो॑ वसो चिकिता॒नो अ॒चित्ता॒न्वि ते॑ तिष्ठन्ताम॒जरा॑ अ॒यास॑: ॥
तपो॒ इति॑ । सु । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अन्त॑रान् । अ॒मित्रा॑न् । तप॑ । शंस॑म् । अर॑रुषः । पर॑स्य । तपो॒ इति॑ । व॒सो॒ इति॑ । चि॒कि॒ता॒नः । अ॒चित्ता॑न् । वि । ते॒ । ति॒ष्ठ॒न्ता॒म् । अ॒जराः॑ । अ॒यासः॑ ॥
tapo iti | su | agne | antarān | amitrān | tapa | śaṃsam | araruṣaḥ | parasya | tapo iti | vaso iti | cikitānaḥ | acittān | vi | te | tiṣṭhantām | ajarāḥ | ayāsaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Incantatory and forceful; repeated ‘tapo’ gives hammering emphasis.
Generates inner heat and alertness; supports cutting through lethargy and mechanical thought.
- तपो (tapo)
- Literal: Heat, austerity, ardor. Symbolic: Conscious transformative intensity; yogic fire of purification
- अन्तरान् (antarān)
- Literal: Inner, within. Symbolic: Psychological domain; inner formations rather than outer events
- अमित्रान् (amitrān)
- Literal: Enemies, non-friends. Symbolic: Hostile habits and impulses opposing the soul’s movement
- शंसम् (śaṃsam)
- Literal: Proclamation, praise/speech. Symbolic: Formative speech-thought; here hostile suggestion/inner propaganda
- अररुषः (araruṣaḥ)
- Literal: Raging, furious. Symbolic: Reactive vital force; angry resistance of the lower nature
- वसो (vaso)
- Literal: O Vasu (good one; shining being). Symbolic: Agni as luminous wealth of being; the ‘good’ power in the system
- चिकितानः (cikitānaḥ)
- Literal: Perceiving, discerning, conscious. Symbolic: Awakened discrimination; vigilant awareness in action
- अचित्तान् (acittān)
- Literal: Unmindful, unconscious. Symbolic: Subconscient automatisms; mechanical impulses
- अजराः (ajarāḥ)
- Literal: Unaging. Symbolic: Steady flame that does not decline—enduring aspiration
- अयासः (ayāsaḥ)
- Literal: Unwearying, without fatigue. Symbolic: Persistence in sādhanā without burnout
Apotropaic/defensive use: invoking Agni’s tapas to destroy enemies and hostile speech; applicable in rites seeking protection and victory.
When obstacles, hostile influences, or inner agitation are felt; during kindling and strengthening of fire
Intensifying the fire; offerings with intent of burning obstructions
Use as a ‘tapas mantra’ before study/meditation: to burn inner distractions and strengthen steady attention.
tapas: from √tap ‘heat, ardour’ → inner ascetic fire/force of transformation. amitra: ‘non-friend’ (a- + mitra) → hostile power. śaṃsa: ‘utterance, praise/proclamation’ from √śaṃs ‘declare’ → here hostile assertion. ajara: a- + jara ‘aging’ → deathless force. ayāsa: a- + yāsa ‘weariness’ → unfailing.
Tapas (transformative ardour), inner enemies (antarān amitrān), consciousness vs. obscurity (cikitānaḥ vs. acittān)
Tapas aligned with ṛta becomes purifying order, not destructive passion; the mantra asks for conscious tapas (cikitāna).
Truth is supported by clear seeing; hostile ‘śaṃsa’ is false formation to be burned.
Tapas as creative power: the same heat that purifies also builds enduring flame-forms (ajarā ayāsaḥ).
Yogic-Vedāntic psychology: conscious force transforms subconscient automatisms.
Heat = concentration/ardor; raging adversary = reactive vital; unmindful forces = inertia and habit-energy of the subconscient.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Tapas as divine weapon: Agni’s heat is invoked to burn inner and outer enemies, especially the ‘śaṃsa’ (hostile utterance), indicating the mythic power of speech and counter-speech in Vedic conflict.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- amitra ‘non-friend’ reflects a common IE social opposition encoded via negation. The emphasis on hostile speech (śaṃsa) echoes the IE poetic belief that words effect reality—seen across Indo-Iranian traditions (mantra efficacy; Avestan sacred speech).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls for an intensification of Agni’s tapas as a conscious force to stand against ‘acittāḥ’—unconscious obscurities. The exchange is: the human offers invocation; Agni provides transformative heat and protective clarity.
Awaken conscious heat: repeat ‘tapo’ as a seed of ardor, then offer specific inner enemies into the flame of awareness.
manipura (solar plexus)
Kapalabhati (light, 30–60 strokes) or brisk exhale emphasis, then settle into slow breathing and chant once with full attention.
Bright, vigilant, purified; steady endurance.
Differentiate tapas from anger: keep the will firm but the heart uncontracted; observe hostile inner speech as an object to be burned, not believed.
Maintain Vedic accents; the repeated ‘tapo’ should be clearly articulated with consistent pitch movement per recension.
Give ‘tápo’ a crisp onset; keep ‘antarā́n amitrā́n’ flowing; land ‘ajarā́ ayā́saḥ’ with sustained steadiness.
: ‘ta-po’ (short o), : retroflex ṇ not present; use dental n; long ā, : roll r lightly; ‘ruṣ’ with ṣ (retroflex sibilant), : ‘ci-ki-tā-naḥ’ with long ā
Bright, concentrated, slightly forceful but controlled.
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