Rig Veda 1.60.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 60, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.60
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तं त्वा वयं पतिमग्ने रयीणां प्र शंसामो मतिभिर्गोतमासः । आशुं न वाजम्भरं मर्जयन्तः प्रातर्मक्षू धियावसुर्जगम्यात् ॥
táṃ tvā vayáṃ pátim agne rayīṇā́m prá śáṃsāmo matíbhir gótamāsaḥ | āśúṃ ná vā́jambharaṃ márjayantaḥ prātár makṣū́ dhiyā́vasur jagamyāt ||
Dich, den Herrn der Reichtümer, o Agni, preisen wir, die Gautamas, mit wachen Gedanken. Indem wir (Opfer und Rede) läutern und glätten wie einen schnellen Träger der Kraft, möge der an dhī (Einsicht) Reiche rasch zur Morgenröte kommen, beim ersten Aufbrechen des Lichts.
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पतिम्
- lordNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- रयीणाम्
- of richesNounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, openlyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- शंसामः
- we praiseVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot शंस् (धातु)
- मतिभिः
- with thoughts/hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- गौतमासः
- the GotamasNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशुम्
- swiftAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (विशेष्य-सम्बन्धः)Root आशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root न (निपात)
- वाजम्
- a prize/strength (victory)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (उपमान-निर्देशः)Root वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- भरम्
- bearing, bringingNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot भर (प्रातिपदिक; √भृ-सम्बद्ध)
- मर्जयन्तः
- cleansing, purifyingVerb (participle)वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा बहुवचनम् पुंलिङ्गेRole कर्तृ (शंसामः-कर्तृसमनाधिकरणम्)Root मृज् (धातु)
- प्रातर्
- in the morningIndeclinableअव्ययम् (कालवाचकः)Role अधिकरण (काल)Root प्रातर् (अव्यय)
- मक्षु
- quicklyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root मक्षु (अव्यय)
- धिया
- with (our) insight/prayerNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role करणRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसुः
- the good one; the beneficent (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- जगम्यात्
- may he come/arriveVerbविधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रायः (वेदिकः: injunctive/subjunctive nuance), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot गम् (धातु) + उपसर्गः ज (archaic preverb in RV usage, here as perfective/augmentless perfect-subjunctive formation)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): तं | त्वा | वयम् | पतिम् | अग्ने | रयीणाम् | प्र | शंसामः | मतिभिः | गौतमासः || आशुम् | न | वाजम्-भरम् (समासः/युग्मपद-प्रयोगः) | मर्जयन्तः | प्रातर् | मक्षु | धिया | वसुः | जगम्यात् । 1) ‘वाजम्भरम्’ → ‘वाजम् भरम्’ (वाज-भर ‘प्राइज/बलं वहन्’ इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासभावः; संहितायां म्+भ → म्भ)
- 2) ‘मतिभिर्गौतमासः’ → ‘मतिभिः गौतमासः’ (विसर्ग/रकार-लोपादि संहितासन्धिः)
- 3) ‘प्रातर्मक्षू’ → ‘प्रातर् मक्षु’ (र् + म् संहितायां संयुक्त)
- 4) ‘धियावसुर्जगम्यात्’ → ‘धिया वसुः जगम्यात्’ (आ + व → आव; विसर्गः परे ज-कारे लोप/रूपान्तरं संहितायाम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Gautamas praise Agni as lord of riches/plenitudes, purifying their offering and speech like one polishing a swift bringer of strength; they ask that the one rich in insight arrive quickly at dawn.
Inner meaning
Agni is the inner Flame—divine Will and priest of the yoga—made “master of plenitudes” when our thoughts (matīḥ) become awakened and clarified. The act of “polishing” is the psychic-mental purification of intention and speech so that the force (vāja) can be carried swiftly into action. The prayer is for the arrival of dhiyāvasu—one made wealthy by dhi (illumined understanding)—at prātaḥ, the first opening of inner dawn (Uṣas-like illumination) in consciousness.
Universal truth
When aspiration is sincere and expression is purified, the guiding flame in us leads quickly to illumination; true abundance is the increase of conscious force and insight, not outer acquisition.
Themes
Agni as lord of plenitude, purification of the instrument, dawn as inner opening
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.60, RV 1.61
Family tradition
Gautama seers of RV Maṇḍala 1: hymns that emphasize purification of thought/speech and the ascent by illumination through Agni and Indra.
Significance
Gautama’s vision often presents the sacrifice as an inner discipline: clarified matī (thought-force) and luminous dhi are the means by which Agni leads to the dawn of higher consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- rayīṇāṃ pati (lord of plenitudes), hotṛ (inner priest), dūta (messenger), purohita (placed in front—leader)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Indra, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; kindles order (ṛta) by carrying offerings to the gods and bringing back powers and boons.
Inner power
Aspiration, will-to-transform, psychic fire that purifies and organizes the being toward truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stotra / Agni-invocation within Soma and daily fire rites (general usage)
तं त्वा॑ व॒यं पति॑मग्ने रयी॒णां प्र शं॑सामो म॒तिभि॒र्गोत॑मासः । आ॒शुं न वा॑जम्भ॒रं म॒र्जय॑न्तः प्रा॒तर्म॒क्षू धि॒याव॑सुर्जगम्यात् ॥
तम् । त्वा॒ । व॒यम् । पति॑म् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । र॒यी॒णाम् । प्र । शं॒सा॒मः॒ । म॒तिऽभिः॑ । गोत॑मासः । आ॒शुम् । न । वा॒ज॒म्ऽभ॒रम् । म॒र्जय॑न्तः । प्रा॒तः । म॒क्षु । धि॒याऽव॑सुः । ज॒ग॒म्या॒त् ॥
tam | tvā | vayam | patim | agne | rayīṇām | pra | śaṃsāmaḥ | mati-bhiḥ | gotamāsaḥ | āśum | na | vājam-bharam | marjayantaḥ | prātaḥ | makṣu | dhiyāvasuḥ | jagamyāt
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, energetic cadence suited to invocation and swift movement.
Builds inner momentum and clarity; supports a ‘quickening’ toward dawn-like illumination.
- अग्ने (agne)
- Literal: O Agni, fire. Symbolic: Divine Will/inner flame, leader of the inner sacrifice
- पतिम् रयीणाम् (patim rayīṇām)
- Literal: lord/master of riches. Symbolic: Master of inner plenitudes—powers, joys, wideness, right action
- मतिभिः (matibhiḥ)
- Literal: with thoughts, intentions. Symbolic: Awakened mental formations turned upward in aspiration
- मर्जयन्तः (marjayantaḥ)
- Literal: polishing, cleansing. Symbolic: Purifying speech, motive, and offering; refining the instrument
- वाजम्भरम् (vājambharam)
- Literal: bringer/bearer of vāja (force/prize). Symbolic: Carrier of victorious energy—dynamic power to overcome inertia
- प्रातर् (prātar)
- Literal: at dawn/early. Symbolic: First opening of illumination; beginning of the inner day
- धियावसुः (dhiyāvasuḥ)
- Literal: rich in dhi (insight). Symbolic: Consciousness made opulent by illumination; the illumined seeker or the illumining power
Praise accompanying kindling and morning pressing context; aligns with prātaḥ-savana mood (dawn invocation)
At kindling/praise of Agni; also thematically apt for early-morning recitation.
Praise (śaṃs) with purified speech; offering/oblation and inner intention aligned.
Morning practice: recite before meditation to ‘clean’ speech/mind and invoke the will for a luminous start to the day.
matí- from √man ‘to think, form in mind’ → ‘shaped thought/insight’. marjay- from √mṛj ‘to wipe, cleanse, polish’ → inner purification of speech/offerings. vāja- (in vājam-bhara) from semantic field of strength, prize, plenitude; ‘force-bearing fullness’ (not merely food). prātaḥ ‘dawn’ links to √prā ‘forth’ + temporal opening: psychologically the first emergence of illumination.
Tapas (purifying heat/effort) via √mṛj refinement, Rita as right articulation (śaṃs) and right arrival (jagam)
Agni as establisher of ṛta through purified offering and right speech.
Truth manifests as dhi (illumined understanding) arriving at prātaḥ (first opening).
Emergence of light/order from obscurity through the kindled flame and clarified thought.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral-Vedic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): ascent from mind to illumined mind via Agni and dhi.
dawn
Fire = will and aspiration; dawn = first spiritual illumination; swiftness = unobstructed prāṇa-force carrying the offering upward; cleansing = inner purification of mind and speech.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘dawn-arrival’ of the power: through purification (márjayantaḥ) the seekers enable Agni/rayi to ‘arrive’ at prātaḥ, the first opening of light. Mythically it is the coming of the divine helper at dawn; psychologically it is the descent/awakening of luminous force in the mind at the threshold-state.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati again reflects PIE *pótis. The root √man (matí-) is PIE *men- ‘think’ (cf. Greek μένος/μνήμη, Latin mens). √mṛj ‘wipe/clean’ has Indo-Iranian parallels in purification semantics, supporting the inherited ‘cleansing before sacrifice’ pattern.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Gautamas offer formed thought (matí) and purification (mṛj) as their human contribution; Agni reciprocates by quick arrival and by establishing the seeker as dhiyāvasu—one whose wealth is founded on illumined intelligence.
Kindle the inner flame and offer the day’s thoughts into it; cultivate ‘polished speech’ and luminous intention.
maṇipūra (fire/will)
Gentle kapalabhāti-like cleansing or steady ujjāyī (soft) before chanting; then natural breath with each pāda.
From tamas/dispersion to collected, bright, forward-moving aspiration.
Chant at dawn; after each recitation, pause and feel a flame at the navel/heart rising to the brow as ‘dhi’ clarifies; resolve one action to be done in the light (vāja carried swiftly).
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita per Rigvedic recitation; key lifts often on vocatives and action-verbs (e.g., agne, pra śaṃsāmaḥ).
Keep udātta clearly raised; avoid flattening compound accents in patim rayīṇām and dhiyāvasuḥ; maintain pāda breaks.
agne: short ‘e’ (ag-ne), not ‘ag-ni’, rayīṇām: lengthen ī and ā (ra-yī-ṇām), márjayantaḥ: clear ‘rj’ cluster; dental ‘t’ in -taḥ, prātar: long ā; light ‘r’, dhiyāvasuḥ: dhi-yā-va-suḥ with clear aspirated ‘dh’
Bright, steady, slightly uplifting at each pāda end; clean articulation to match ‘polishing’ theme.
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