Rig Veda 1.149.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 149, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.149
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अयं स होता यो द्विजन्मा विश्वा दधे वार्याणि श्रवस्या । मर्तो यो अस्मै सुतुको ददाश ॥
ayáṃ sá hotā yó dvijánmā víśvā dadhé vā́ryāṇi śravasyā́ | márto yó asmai sutúko dadā́śa ||
Dies ist jener Hotar, der zweimal Geborene, der alle begehrenswerten Güter und die Kräfte, die Ruhm schaffen, bewahrt und austeilt. Der Sterbliche, der ihm mit freudiger Gabe darbringt, dem antwortet er mit Fülle.
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सः—कर्ता-निर्देशः) / विषयःRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā / विषयःRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- होता
- the Hotṛ (invoking priest)Noun (agent) / titleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (यजमानस्य/देवस्य कर्मणि कर्ता—‘invoker/priest’)Root √हु (जुहोति) → होतृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoRelative pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-कर्ता; ‘who’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्विजन्मा
- two-born / having two birthsAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (यः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā-विशेषणम्Root द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक); बहुव्रीहिः
- विश्वा
- all (things)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karma (दधे इत्यस्य कर्म)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधे
- has placed / has establishedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √धा (दधाति) [परस्मैपदम्]
- वार्याणि
- choice treasures / desirable boonsNoun/Adjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karma (दधे इत्यस्य कर्म; ‘desirable goods’)Root वार्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘choice/precious, desirable’)
- श्रवस्या
- fame-bringing / gloriousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वार्याणि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma-विशेषणम्Root श्रवस्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fame-giving, glorious’)
- मर्तः
- a mortalNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (ददाश इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoRelative pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-कर्ता; ‘who’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounचतुर्थी (दत्तिव्), एकवचनम्Role Sampradāna (प्राप्ता/सम्प्रदानम्)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतुकः
- willingly / with good intentAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (मर्तः/यः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā-विशेषणम्Root सु + तुक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-pleased/ready, eager’; RV adj.)
- ददाश
- has given / has bestowedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √दा (ददाति) [परस्मैपदम्]
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अयम् | सः | होता | यः | द्विजन्मा | विश्वा | दधे | वार्याणि | श्रवस्या | मर्तः | यः | अस्मै | सुतुकः | ददाश || सन्धि-विशेषाः: (1) अयं सः → अयम् सः (म् + सः; पदपाठे पृथक्)
- (2) होता यो → होता यः (ओ + यः; संहितायां ‘यो’ रूपम्)
- (3) मर्तो यो → मर्तः यः (अः + यः; संहितायां ‘यो’)
- (4) यो अस्मै → यः अस्मै (अः + अ; संहितायां ‘यो’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, the twice-born Hotṛ, holds all desirable riches and fame-worthy powers; the mortal who offers gladly to him receives abundance in return.
Inner meaning
Agni as inner priest governs the true wealth (vāryāṇi)—capacities of the soul: clarity, courage, harmony, and effective force. ‘Śravasyā’ is not mere social fame but the soul’s hearing/renown: the power to receive the higher Word and to become a vessel of inspired expression. When the human gives with ‘sutuka’ (willing, joyful consent), the exchange becomes real: aspiration offered without bargaining returns as plenitude—strength, light, and ordered energies.
Universal truth
What we willingly consecrate to the highest in us returns multiplied as inner riches; reluctant offering yields little transformation, but glad self-giving opens the channels of grace.
Themes
Agni as bestower, inner offering and consent, spiritual wealth (vārya), fame as truth-expression
The seer
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Aucathya (traditional attribution for RV 1.149)
- Lineage
- Aucathya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.149, Rig Veda 1.150
Family tradition
Seer of symbolic correspondences; emphasizes inner exchange between human offering and divine response.
Significance
Embodies the psychology of sacrifice: the quality of giving (sutuka) determines the measure of inner gain.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- hotā, dvijanmā, holder/disposer of riches (dadhe vāryāṇi)
- Related deities
- Bhaga (distributor), Indra (illumined mind that enjoys the gains), Soma (bliss that sweetens offering)
Cosmic role
Distributor of boons through right offering; organizer of energies that sustain the yajña and the worlds.
Inner power
Capacity to convert aspiration into concrete inner growth; grants ‘wealth’ as powers of consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation as Hotṛ before offerings; general āhuti sequences.
अ॒यं स होता॒ यो द्वि॒जन्मा॒ विश्वा॑ द॒धे वार्या॑णि श्रव॒स्या । मर्तो॒ यो अ॑स्मै सु॒तुको॑ द॒दाश॑ ॥
अ॒यम् । सः । होता॑ । यः । द्वि॒ऽजन्मा॑ । विश्वा॑ । द॒धे । वार्या॑णि । श्र॒व॒स्या । मर्तः॑ । यः । अ॒स्मै॒ । सु॒ऽतुकः॑ । द॒दाश॑ ॥
ayam | saḥ | hotā | yaḥ | dvi-janmā | viśvā | dadhe | vāryāṇi | śravasyā | martaḥ | yaḥ | asmai | su-tukaḥ | dadāśa
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Declarative and weighty; suited to stating a law of inner exchange.
Instills confidence and ethical clarity: glad offering aligns the being and invites fullness.
- hotā
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: the inner calling-power that summons higher forces into the psyche
- dvijanmā
- Literal: twice-born. Symbolic: will reborn as luminous guidance; aspiration becoming living flame
- vāryāṇi
- Literal: desirable treasures. Symbolic: soul-wealth: virtues, capacities, inner resources for dharma and yoga
- śravasyā
- Literal: fame/renown. Symbolic: power of inspired hearing and true expression; enduring spiritual ‘name’ in consciousness
- sutukaḥ
- Literal: glad, willing, eager. Symbolic: cheerful consent of nature to the divine working (non-resistant offering)
Praise of Agni-Hotṛ as the bearer of vāryāṇi in the offering; supports the logic of dakṣiṇā/oblation as inner consent and outward rite in soma and household fires.
Before or during offering of ghee/grains; also as a resolve for the yajamāna.
Offer with consent and clarity; acknowledge Agni as disposer of boons.
Recite before donating time/effort or beginning sādhanā: consciously ‘offer’ one attachment; then sit silently to receive the returning peace/strength.
(dadhé): middle/perfect-like from √dhā ‘set, support’—Agni ‘holds’ the vāryāṇi as powers to be distributed through right offering. (śrávas): from √śru ‘hear’; fame is what is ‘heard of’—psychologically, the resonant truth that spreads in consciousness. (sutúka): su- ‘good’ + tuka (from √tuc/tuj ‘to be pleased/impelled’ in Vedic semantics); indicates a glad consenting energy rather than reluctant ritual payment. (dadā́śa): from √dā ‘give’; the human act of offering is the enabling condition for the divine bestowal (reciprocity of yajña).
yajña as reciprocity (human offering ↔ divine increase), śravas as truth-resonance (not mere social fame), divine sustenance (√dhā) as ordering of inner wealth
A karmic-spiritual law: right giving through Agni yields right increase.
Śravas as truth-sound: alignment with higher Word brings enduring ‘renown’ in consciousness.
Sustenance of worlds through sacrifice; inner creation of capacities through consecration.
Yoga of works (karma-yoga prototype) within Vedic symbolism.
Fire = transforming will; offering = attention/energy surrendered; riches = inner faculties and stable joy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine Hotṛ who ‘holds’ all desirable boons and releases them through the human act of offering. Mythically, the priest-fire is the distributor of treasure; psychologically, awakened will-knowledge allocates powers (vāryāṇi) and establishes a lasting truth-resonance (śravas) in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘set/put’ is PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different but the semantic field of ‘placing’ is clear; more directly: English ‘do’ is from *dʰeh₁- in some accounts via Germanic developments). √dā ‘give’ is PIE *deh₃- (cf. Greek dídōmi, Latin dōnum). The verse encodes an inherited Indo-European gift-exchange ideology: giving (√dā) activates distribution of valued goods (vārya).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi identifies Agni as immediately present (‘ayam’) yet cosmic (‘saḥ’), emphasizing experiential confirmation. The mortal’s glad offering (sutúka) is not mere transaction but alignment; Agni responds by sustaining and arranging inner riches (√dhā), making the human vessel capable of wider truth and force.
Practice ‘sutuka’—glad consent: offer breath, thought, and action into the inner fire without strain.
Anāhata (joyful offering) supporting Maṇipūra (will)
Inhale: ‘receive’; exhale: ‘offer’—softly repeat ‘sutuka’ mentally on the exhale.
Consecrated calm with a subtle joy (prasāda)
Before practice, name one ‘vārya’ you seek (clarity, courage, peace). Offer one concrete habit of resistance. Sit for 2–3 minutes in receptive silence, noticing the return as steadiness.
Maintain Vedic accent contours; keep clear udātta on key demonstratives/verbs (ayaṃ, hotā, dadhe) as per śākhā tradition; exact svara needs a recitation source.
Do not rush ‘viśvā dadhe vāryāṇi’; keep ‘sutukaḥ’ bright and light.
ayaṃ: final ‘ṃ’ as light nasalization, śravasyā: ‘śra-va-syā’ with palatal ś, long ā, sutukaḥ: ‘su-tu-kaḥ’ (not ‘sū’), dadāśa: long ā; retroflex ḍ not present—use dental ‘d’
Warm and clear; a gentle uplift on ‘sutukaḥ’.
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