Rig Veda 1.79.10: Mandala 1, Sukta 79, Mantra 10
Sukta 1.79
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्र पूतास्तिग्मशोचिषे वाचो गोतमाग्नये । भरस्व सुम्नयुर्गिरः ॥
prá pūtā́s tígmaśociṣe vā́co gotamāgnáye | bhárasva sumnayúr gíraḥ ||
Vorwärts mögen die geläuterten Worte zu Agni der Gotamas gehen, zu dem scharf aufflammenden; trage unsere Lieder, nach sumná verlangend — göttlicher Eintracht und Gunst.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- पूतास्
- purifiedAdjectivemasc. nom. pl. (agreeing with implied ‘वाचः’)Role Kartā (with वाचः as subject) / qualifierRoot पूत (ppp. of √पू ‘to purify’)
- तिग्मशोचिषे
- to the sharp-flamed (one)Noun (epithet)masc. dat. sg.Role SampradānaRoot तिग्म-शोचिस् (tatpuruṣa: ‘sharp-flamed’)
- वाचः
- words, utterancesNounfem. nom. pl.Role KartāRoot वाच्
- गोतमा
- O GotamaNoun (proper name)masc. voc. sg.Role SambodhanaRoot गोतम
- अग्नये
- to AgniNounmasc. dat. sg.Role SampradānaRoot अग्नि
- भरस्व
- bear, bring, bestowVerbloṭ (imperative), 2nd pers. sg., ĀtmanepadaRole (predicate; addressed agent = Kartā implied ‘त्वम्’)Root √भृ (भरति)
- सुम्नयुः
- seeking (our) favor; favor-desiringAdjectivemasc. nom. sg. (used as epithet of the addressee, i.e., Agni)Role Kartā (as vocative-like nominative of address) / qualifierRoot सुम्न-यु (desiderative/possessive adj. ‘seeking favor’)
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounfem. acc. pl.Role KarmaRoot गिर्
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved: पू॒तास् + ति॒ग्मशो॑चिषे (final -स् before dental त-; underlying nom.pl. adjective ‘पूतास्’ qualifying ‘वाचः’)
- वाचो + गोतमा → वाचः गोतमा (pada-text shows separation; underlying nom.pl. ‘वाचः’)
- Accent marks in the saṃhitā (e.g., ति॒ग्मशो॑चिषे, वाचो॑, अग्नये॑) are noted but not expanded into full udātta/anudātta mapping per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
The purified words go forth to the keen-flaming Agni of the Gotamas; carry our utterances, desiring sumná (divine favor/harmony).
Inner meaning
Speech (vāc) is treated as an offering that must be purified (pūtāḥ): cleansed of falsehood, agitation, and ego. These clarified word-forces are sent forward (pra) to the tigma-śociṣ—Agni with sharp flame—who can cut through obscurity. The rishi asks Agni to ‘carry’ (bharasva) the mantric utterances so they reach their divine fulfillment, moved by sumnayúḥ: a longing for true harmony, grace, and right attunement with the divine order. Mantra becomes a vehicle of transformation when speech is purified and borne by the inner fire.
Universal truth
When communication is purified and aligned with a sincere aspiration for harmony, it becomes a force that transforms both speaker and world.
Themes
Consecrated speech, Purification, Agni as receiver of mantra, Grace (sumná)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa (Gautama)
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.79.1-12, Rig Veda 1.60 (Gautama-related Agni themes—traditional associations)
Family tradition
Gotama tradition is strongly connected with vāc and dhī—speech and inspired intelligence—as instruments of realization; ‘Gotamāgnaye’ marks the family’s intimate relation with Agni as their guiding flame.
Significance
This mantra articulates a key yogic principle: mantra succeeds when speech is purified and carried by the awakened will (Agni), not merely recited outwardly.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- tigmaśociṣ (keen-flaming), gotamāgnī (Agni of the Gotamas—familial deity relation)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (vāc), Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired word), Indra (illumined mind that receives the word)
Cosmic role
Bearer of offerings; purifier; awakener of inspired speech in the seers.
Inner power
Discernment-fire that refines expression and makes aspiration effective; transforms vāc into mantric power.
In ritual
Where it is used
Recitation during offering of hymns (stotra/śastra context broadly) to sanctify speech; suitable as a pre-chant consecration verse.
प्र पू॒तास्ति॒ग्मशो॑चिषे॒ वाचो॑ गोतमा॒ग्नये॑ । भर॑स्व सुम्न॒युर्गिर॑: ॥
प्र । पू॒ताः । ति॒ग्मऽशो॑चिषे । वाचः॑ । गोतम । अ॒ग्नये॑ । भर॑स्व । सु॒म्न॒ऽयुः । गिरः॑ ॥
pra | pūtāḥ | tigma-śociṣe | vācaḥ | gotama | agnaye | bharasva | sumna-yuḥ | giraḥ
24
3×8
Crisp and declarative; ‘pra pūtāḥ’ gives a clean launch, matching the theme of ‘forth-going’ speech.
Encourages articulation with purity and precision; energizes the throat-center while keeping the mind clear.
- पूताः (pūtāḥ)
- Literal: purified. Symbolic: speech/thought refined by sincerity, clarity, and inner discipline
- तिग्मशोचिषे (tigma-śociṣe)
- Literal: to the sharp/keen-flaming one. Symbolic: discriminating fire that burns falsehood and pierces resistance
- वाचः (vācaḥ)
- Literal: words, speech. Symbolic: mantra-force; expressive power of consciousness
- भरस्व (bharasva)
- Literal: carry, bear. Symbolic: uplift the mantra into effective realization; make speech a successful offering
- सुम्नयुः (sumna-yuḥ)
- Literal: desiring sumná (favor, grace). Symbolic: aspiration for divine harmony, rightness, and benevolent alignment
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: hymns, utterances. Symbolic: vibrations of inspired speech offered in the inner sacrifice
Self-referential offering of the hymn (mantra as oblation): emphasizes purity of speech and its consecration to Agni in the sacrificial session.
Before or during formal praise to ensure the mantra is ‘pūtā’ and effectively borne to Agni.
Consecration of vāc; offering of clarified utterance as oblation.
Use before important speech—teaching, difficult conversations, vows—to purify intention and align words with harmony.
(pūta) from √pū ‘to purify, cleanse’. (śocis) ‘flame, brightness’ from √śuc ‘to shine, be bright, be pure’. (vāc-) from PIE *wekʷ- ‘to speak’ (Lat. vox, Eng. voice). (sumná) su- ‘good’ + √man ‘to think’ → ‘good-mindedness, harmony, grace’ (inner alignment of thought with Ṛta). (gir-) ‘hymn’ from √gṛ ‘to sing/praise’.
vāc as creative power aligned to Ṛta, purification (pūta) as prerequisite for truth-speech, sumná as harmonious grace in consciousness
Purified speech becomes an instrument of ṛta; Agni’s sharp flame enforces right alignment.
Pūtā vāc is speech that serves truth rather than ego.
Word as creative power: purified vibration participates in shaping inner and outer reality.
Mantra-yoga / Vedic psychology: vāc as shakti when purified and supported by Agni.
Fire = purifier of expression; ‘sharp flame’ = discriminative clarity; speech = vibrational energy shaping consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Mantra-as-offering: purified speech is sent forth to Agni, who ‘bears’ it upward and makes it effective. Psychologically, clarified expression becomes a vehicle for the will-fire to intensify and harmonize the being (sumná).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāc (PIE *wekʷ-) is a classic IE inheritance (voice/vox). The ritual-poetic reflexivity—speech offering speech—is a hallmark of early IE sacral poetics where word and deed are fused.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Gotama voice is presented as already ‘purified’ and therefore fit for divine reception. Agni is asked to carry the utterance and return sumná—inner concord and blessing—showing exchange: consecrated speech for harmonizing grace.
Purify speech at its source: align intention, breath, and word with the inner fire.
vishuddha (speech purification)
chant on a steady exhale; feel the sound originate from the heart and pass through the throat as a purified stream.
lucid, truthful, harmonizing intention.
Before japa, silently offer any agitation or dishonesty into the inner flame; then chant with minimal force and maximal sincerity, aiming for sumná (harmonious goodwill).
Rigvedic accents; articulate consonant clusters cleanly; keep the udātta lift on tigmaśociṣe and agnaye where marked in tradition.
Let ‘pra pūtāḥ’ be crisp; a slight pause after vāco; end ‘giraḥ’ with a gentle release of visarga-like breath (ḥ not present here; but final ḥ in giraḥ).
pra: rolled/r-tap minimal, pūtāḥ: long ū and ā; visarga ḥ audible but light, tigmaśociṣe: ś as palatal; i short; final e clear, vāco: long ā; ‘c’ = ‘ch’, gotamāgnaye: long ā; ag-na-ye with clear ‘y’, bharasva: aspirate bh; ‘sv’ cluster, sumnayur: ‘yu’ as y + u; keep short u, giraḥ: retroflex? actually ‘r’ dental; final ḥ lightly aspirated
precise, bright, slightly forward-projected; avoid harshness despite ‘tigma’.
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