Rig Veda 1.96.9: Mandala 1, Sukta 96, Mantra 9
Sukta 1.96
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Devata
- Agni, with supporting invocations to Mitra-Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Pṛthivī, Dyauḥ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एवा नो अग्ने समिधा वृधानो रेवत्पावक श्रवसे वि भाहि । तन्नो मित्रो वरुणो मामहन्तामदितिः सिन्धुः पृथिवी उत द्यौः ॥
evā́ no agne samídhā vṛdhānó revát-pāvaka śrávase ví bhāhi | tán no mitró váruṇo māmahantām áditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ||
So, o Agni, durch unser Entzünden wachsend, leuchte hervor zu unserem strahlenden Ruhm, o Läuterer, reich an Fülle. Und möge dies für uns vermehrt werden durch Mitra und Varuṇa, durch Aditi, durch Sindhu, den ozeanischen Strom, durch die Erde und auch durch den Himmel.
Word by Word
- एवा
- thus, just soIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय), अर्थे ‘एव/एवं’Root एव (निपात) + आ (प्रगृह्य/निपात) → एवा
- नः
- to us, for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक रूप ‘नः’ (RV में प्रायः दत्ते/सम्बन्धे) — यहाँ दत्ते ‘to us/for us’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot अग्नि
- समिधा
- with kindling-fuel (with a fuel-stick)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot समिध् (स्त्री) / सम्-इध् ‘to kindle’ से नाम
- वृधानः
- growing, being strengthenedVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), प्रथमा एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्तरि—‘growing/being increased’Role KartāRoot वृध् (धातु) → वृधान (शानच्)
- रेवत्
- splendid, wealth-givingAdjectiveनपुंसक/पुं? अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग; यहाँ विशेषण रूपेण ‘रेवत्-’ (समासपूर्वपद) = ‘splendid/wealth-bringing’Root रेवत् (विशेषण; रेवत् ‘wealthy, splendid’)
- पावक
- O Purifier (Agni)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषण)Role SambodhanaRoot पावक (पू ‘to purify’ से)
- श्रवसा
- with fame, with gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot श्रवस्
- वि
- forth, apart, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भाहि
- shine forthVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot भा (धातु)
- तत्
- then, thereupon; thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; यहाँ ‘तत्’ = ‘then/that (being so)’ (वाक्योपक्रम)Root तद्
- नः
- for usPronounएन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ = अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यम्; यहाँ दत्ते ‘for us’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मित्र
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot वरुण
- मामहन्ताम्
- may they favor us, may they gladden/honor (us)Verbलोट्, तृतीयपुरुष, द्विवचन (मित्रावरुणयोः); आत्मनेपद रूप ‘-ताम्’Role KartāRoot मा + मह्/मंह् (धातु ‘to honor, to gladden, to favor’; RV में ‘मामह’ स्तुत्यर्थ)
- अदितिः
- AditiNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot अदिति
- सिन्धुः
- Sindhu (the river/ocean)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot सिन्धु
- पृथिवी
- EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot पृथिवी
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थ निपातRoot उत (निपात)
- द्यौः
- Heaven, SkyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके), प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot द्यौ (द्यौस्)
Sandhi Notes
- मुख्य संधि-विच्छेद: (1) रे॒वत्पा॑वक॒ → रेवत् + पावक (व्यञ्जन-संधि: त् + प → त्प)
- (2) तन्नो॑ → तत् + नः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकस्य नकारादौ परे ‘तद्’ → ‘तन्’)
- अन्य पद प्रायः पदपाठानुसार स्वतंत्र हैं: एवा | नः | अग्ने | समिधा | वृधानः | रेवत् | पावक | श्रवसा | वि | भाहि | तत् | नः | मित्रः | वरुणः | मामहन्ताम् | अदितिः | सिन्धुः | पृथिवी | उत | द्यौः ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, increased by kindling, is asked to shine for renown, rich in plenty and purifying. Then Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, the Ocean/river (Sindhu), Earth, and Heaven are asked to enlarge that for us.
Inner meaning
When we feed Agni with samidh (right fuel: attention, sincerity, self-offering), the inner fire grows and radiates (vi bhāhi) as śravas—not mere fame, but luminous hearing/renown: the power of truth that is recognized in consciousness and action. Revat and pāvaka indicate that abundance and purification are inseparable: true plenitude comes by cleansing mixed motives. Mitra-Varuṇa then represent harmony and vast law strengthening this radiance; Aditi is the infinite wideness that frees from limitation; Sindhu is the great flow of consciousness/energy; Pṛthivī and Dyauḥ are the lower and higher hemispheres—body-life and mind-spirit—supporting the integrated expansion.
Universal truth
Feed the inner fire with right attention, and it shines as purified, abundant clarity; when harmony, law, wideness, and the great flow support it, the whole being—earth and heaven—expands in one concord.
Themes
Kindling and expansion of inner fire, Purification and manifestation, Cosmic support for inner renown, Integration of heaven-earth axis
The seer
Significance
The seer frames a complete integral harmony: Agni’s radiance is supported by social-ethical harmony (Mitra), vast truth-law (Varuṇa), infinite wideness (Aditi), the flowing power (Sindhu), and the two worlds (Earth-Heaven).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (primary) with Mitra-Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Pṛthivī, Dyauḥ
- Epithets
- Pāvaka, Revat, Samidhā-vṛddha (grown by kindling)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Pṛthivī, Dyauḥ
Cosmic role
Agni radiates and purifies; Mitra-Varuṇa uphold cosmic law; Aditi releases into infinity; Sindhu supplies flow; Earth-Heaven stabilize the whole manifestation.
Inner power
Radiant purification leading to harmonious expansion across all planes of the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling and praise of Agni; concluding or connective verse invoking wider deities for increase of śravas and well-being.
ए॒वा नो॑ अग्ने स॒मिधा॑ वृधा॒नो रे॒वत्पा॑वक॒ श्रव॑स॒॒ वि भा॑हि । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहन्ता॒मदि॑ति॒: सिन्धु॑: पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥
ए॒व । नः॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । स॒म्ऽइधा॑ । वृ॒धा॒नः । रे॒वत् । पा॒व॒क॒ । श्रव॑से । वि । भा॒हि॒ । तत् । नः॒ । मि॒त्रः । वरु॑णः । म॒म॒ह॒न्ता॒म् । अदि॑तिः । सिन्धुः॑ । पृ॒थि॒वी । उ॒त । द्यौः ॥
eva | naḥ | agne | sam-idhā | vṛdhānaḥ | revat | pāvaka | śravase | vi | bhāhi | tat | naḥ | mi traḥ | varuṇaḥ | mamahantām | aditiḥ | sindhuḥ | pṛthivī | uta | dyauḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Balanced: first half kindles and radiates; second half expands via supporting powers.
Begins with energizing brightness, resolves into wide, inclusive invocation—felt as expansion.
- समिधा (samidhā)
- Literal: kindling sticks/fuel. Symbolic: right offerings: attention, discipline, sincerity, aspiration
- वृधानः (vṛdhānaḥ)
- Literal: growing, increasing. Symbolic: intensifying inner flame through practice
- रेवत् (revat)
- Literal: rich, opulent. Symbolic: fullness of being that follows purification
- पावक (pāvaka)
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: cleansing force removing ego-mixture and obscurity
- श्रवसे (śravase)
- Literal: for fame/renown. Symbolic: luminous recognition; truth that is heard/received inwardly
- वि भाहि (vi bhāhi)
- Literal: shine forth, radiate. Symbolic: spread illumination through mind and life
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, right relatedness, inner concord
- वरुणः (varuṇaḥ)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast law, truth-order, ethical wideness
- अदितिः (aditiḥ)
- Literal: the Infinite. Symbolic: boundless consciousness freeing from limitation
- सिन्धुः (sindhuḥ)
- Literal: ocean/river. Symbolic: great current of consciousness-force
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: embodied foundation, stability
- द्यौः (dyauḥ)
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous plane
Concluding reinforcement of Agni-kindling leading to śravas; integrative invocation of cosmic supports (Adityas and world-poles) in a sacrificial session.
At morning/evening agnihotra-style remembrance; also in hymn recitation for purification and harmony.
Kindling/feeding the fire; concluding prayer for widening support.
Chant after a short offering (lamp/candle) and then sit for 2–3 minutes feeling wideness supported by harmony and law.
samídhā: instr.sg from sam-√idh 'to kindle' (√idh 'ignite'); psychological: deliberate intensification. vṛdhānó from √vṛdh (PIE *werdh- 'grow'). √bhā 'shine' (PIE *bheh₂- 'shine'). śrávas: 'fame' but also the heard truth; from √śru 'hear' (PIE *ḱlew-), linking renown with 'that which is heard/recognized'. Aditi from a-diti 'unboundness' (√dā 'bind' in some analyses; semantic: non-division). dyáuḥ from PIE *dyew- 'sky, shine' (cf. Zeus, Jupiter).
Śravas as truth-recognition, Ṛta via Mitra-Varuṇa, Aditi (infinity, undividedness)
Mitra-Varuṇa explicitly reinforce ṛta; Agni’s purification enables living in ṛta.
Śravas as truth-recognition; Varuṇa as guardian of satya.
Expansion of light from the kindled center into the whole cosmos (earth-heaven).
Integral Vedic yoga: harmonized widening (Aditi) grounded in law (Varuṇa) and concord (Mitra).
dawn_or_twilight (kindling context)
Fuel = attention; river/ocean = flow of consciousness; earth/sky = lower/higher hemispheres integrated by the fire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The kindled Agni shining forth as śravas (luminous recognition), supported by the cosmic regulators (Mitra-Varuṇa) and the infinite matrix (Aditi), framed by the world-poles (Earth-Heaven) and the great Flow (Sindhu). It is the mythic action of manifestation: inner fire becomes universal radiance upheld by ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyáuḥ continues PIE *dyew- (sky-god complex), and śrávas corresponds to PIE *ḱléwos 'fame' (Greek kléos). This preserves an inherited IE poetic economy where 'fame' is a quasi-immortal spiritual attainment tied to hearing/recitation and divine radiance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers the method (samidhā) that increases Agni; Agni answers by widening manifestation (vi bhāhi). Then the rishi calls the larger cosmic powers to 'māmahantām'—to magnify the attainment—showing that individual realization is completed by universal assent of ṛta-bearing deities.
Radiate purified light from the heart/fire-center into the whole being; then invoke harmony, law, wideness, and flow.
Anāhata (radiance) and Viśuddha (śravas: truth-expression)
Inhale ‘kindle’ (feel gathering), exhale ‘vi bhāhi’ (feel radiating) for 7 cycles; then chant once.
Luminous, widened, harmonized.
After chanting, contemplate: What fuel am I giving today—restlessness or sincerity? Offer the former, feed the latter; then open to Aditi’s wideness and Sindhu’s flow.
Ṛgvedic accents; emphasize udātta on agne, pāvaka, vi bhāhi; keep names (mitro varuṇo aditiḥ) clearly articulated.
Slight pause after vi bhāhi; then a smooth enumerative flow through the supporting deities.
samidhā: clear dental d + long ā, śravase: śra-va-se (not śra-vaśe), varuṇa: retroflex ṇ, pṛthivī: clear ṛ and th
Radiant, open-throated, not harsh.
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