Rig Veda 3.13.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 13, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.13
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स नः शर्माणि वीतयेऽग्निर्यच्छतु शंतमा । यतो नः प्रुष्णवद्वसु दिवि क्षितिभ्यो अप्स्वा ॥
sá naḥ śármāṇi vītáye ’gnír yacchatu śáṃtamā | yáto naḥ pruṣṇávad vásu diví kṣitíbhyó apsv ā́ ||
Möge Agni uns, zum Genießen, die friedensreichsten Zufluchten gewähren. Von ihm komme zu uns das leuchtende Gut — auf Erden, im Himmel und in den Wassern — damit unser Sein erfüllt werde.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (यच्छतु इत्यस्य) / विषयःRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान (यच्छतु—‘to us’) / सम्बन्ध (our)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्माणि
- protections, comforts, sheltersNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (यच्छतु—‘grant protections/comforts’)Root शर्मन् (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- वीतये
- for enjoyment/feasting; for the rite of seekingNounस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (वीतये—‘for the seeking/enjoyment/feast’)Root वीति (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अग्नि (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- यच्छतु
- may he grant / let him bestowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot यम् (धातु) ‘यच्छति’ (वेद. रूप)
- शंतमा
- most beneficent, most auspiciousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (शर्माणि इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot शं (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक ‘शम्’ ‘welfare’) + तमप् (सुपरलेटिव)
- यतः
- from where; whenceIndeclinableअव्ययम् (अपादानार्थे/हेतौ)Role अपादान/हेतु (whence/from which)Root यतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रुष्णवत्
- abounding in nourishment/sprinkling (rich, bounteous)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (वसु इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot प्रुष्ण (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (मतुप्-तद्धित)
- वसु
- wealth, good (treasure)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (implicit: ‘(grant) wealth/good’)Root वसु (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवि
- in heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरण (in heaven)Root द्यौ/दिव् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षितिभ्यः
- from the abodes/regions; from the earthsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, पञ्चमी, बहुवचनम्Role अपादान (from the dwellings/regions/earths)Root क्षिति (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरण (in the waters)Root अप् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; pluralia tantum)
- आ
- hither, towards (us)Indeclinableअव्ययम् (उपसर्गः; ‘towards, hither’)Role क्रियाविशेषण (directional)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): सः | नः | शर्माणि | वीतये | अग्निः | यच्छतु | शंतमा | यतः | नः | प्रुष्णवत् | वसु | दिवि | क्षितिभ्यः | अप्सु | आ । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) वीतयेऽग्निः = वीतये + अग्निः (अ + अ → ’अ/ऽ)
- (2) अग्निर्यच्छतु = अग्निः + यच्छतु (विसर्गस्य ‘र्’ आदेशः य्-आदौ)
- (3) प्रुष्णवद्वसु = प्रुष्णवत् + वसु (त् + व → द्व्)
- (4) अप्स्वा = अप्सु + आ (उ + आ → वा; ‘अप्स्वा’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Agni grant us the most peace-giving shelters for enjoyment, and may shining wealth come to us from him—in heaven, on earth, and in the waters.
Inner meaning
Agni is asked to establish śarman—secure inner protections: states of peace, wideness, and safe holding for the consciousness so it can ‘enjoy’ (vītaye) the divine gifts without disturbance. The ‘shining wealth’ (pruṣṇavat vasu) is luminous substance of consciousness: light in mind (divi), stability and right functioning in embodied life (kṣitibhyaḥ), and deep life-force purity and flow in the subconscient/vital waters (apsu). The verse maps a yogic completeness: illumination above, firm foundation below, and purified currents within.
Universal truth
True prosperity is multi-layered: clarity in the mind, steadiness in life, and clean, living depths. Inner peace is not escape but a protective order that allows delight to be received and expressed.
Themes
Protection, Peace, Plenitude across worlds, Integral prosperity
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina line)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.13 (entire sūkta context), Rig Veda 3.14, Rig Veda 3.15
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 3’s Agni hymns often build the inner sacrifice: protection, wideness, and the descent of luminous riches.
Significance
The seer’s yoga seeks integral completeness—divine gifts in mind, life, and body—under the guardianship of the inner Fire.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- śaṃtamā (most peace-giving), dātṛ (bestower, implied), rakṣitṛ (protector, implied through śarman)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (order/peace), Indra (luminous force), Soma (delight)
Cosmic role
Guardian of the home/altar; establisher of safe order; distributor of riches across the worlds.
Inner power
Protective flame that creates a calm enclosure (śarman) and channels luminous substance into all layers of being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise for protection and prosperity; suitable in household fire rites and broader śrauta settings as a benedictive verse.
स न॒: शर्मा॑णि वी॒तये॒ऽग्निर्य॑च्छतु॒ शंत॑मा । यतो॑ नः प्रु॒ष्णव॒द्वसु॑ दि॒वि क्षि॒तिभ्यो॑ अ॒प्स्वा ॥
सः । नः॒ । शर्मा॑णि । वी॒तये॑ । अ॒ग्निः । य॒च्छ॒तु॒ । शम्ऽत॑मा । यतः॑ । नः॒ । प्रु॒ष्णव॑त् । वसु॑ । दि॒वि । क्षि॒तिऽभ्यः॑ । अ॒प्ऽसु । आ ॥
saḥ | naḥ | śarmāṇi | vītaye | agniḥ | yacchatu | śam-tamā | yataḥ | naḥ | pruṣṇavat | vasu | divi | kṣiti-bhyaḥ | ap-su | ā
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4 pādas of ~12 syllables
Even, spacious, sheltering; long lines suit the sense of ‘cover’ and ‘full distribution’.
Induces calm confidence; supports a feeling of being held and widened.
- शर्माणि (śarmāṇi)
- Literal: shelters, protections, refuges. Symbolic: inner poise and peace-states that guard the practice
- वीतये (vītaye)
- Literal: for enjoyment, for seeking/attaining. Symbolic: capacity to receive and assimilate divine influence (ānanda)
- शंतमा (śaṃtamā)
- Literal: most peace-giving. Symbolic: deepest settling of the nature into harmony
- प्रुष्णवत् (pruṣṇavat)
- Literal: speckled/shining, glittering. Symbolic: luminous, scintillating riches of consciousness (rays of light)
- वसु (vasu)
- Literal: wealth, good, substance. Symbolic: inner riches: light, force, joy, right capacity
- दिवि (divi)
- Literal: in heaven. Symbolic: in the illumined mind-plane
- क्षितिभ्यः (kṣitibhyaḥ)
- Literal: from the earth/regions. Symbolic: from embodied existence and its stable foundations
- अप्सु (apsu)
- Literal: in the waters. Symbolic: in the vital/subconscient depths; the flowing life-energies
Prayer for śarman (protection/peace) and vasu (plenitude) from Agni across the three worlds; suitable for concluding/benefit-seeking portions of Agni rites.
At morning/evening fire offering or before commencing study/recitation for protective peace.
Offering ghee with prayer for śarman (peaceful protection) and vasu (well-being).
Use as a ‘protective invocation’ before sleep, travel, or stressful work; contemplate peace in mind, body, and depths.
śárman ‘shelter, protection, comfort’ (possibly from √śṛ ‘to protect’ in semantic field). vītí ‘enjoyment, possession’ from √vī ‘to pursue/acquire’ (Vedic nuance: obtaining and enjoying rightly). śáṃtamā superlative of śám ‘peace, auspiciousness’. pruṣṇávad from pruṣṇá ‘sprinkling, speckled; moistening’—imagery of refreshing abundance. vásu from √vas ‘to dwell, be’ → ‘good, wealth, substance’; inner sense: stable plenitude of being. apsú locative plural of áp ‘waters’—often symbolic of life-energy and the flowing consciousness.
śam (peace) as settled harmony, triloka symbolism (dyu, earth-regions, waters), vasu as fullness of being
Śarman is ṛta experienced as protection—order that prevents dispersion and disturbance.
Shining wealth is satya-substance: true light and true force rather than mere outer gain.
Triple distribution of gifts across heaven/earth/waters mirrors the Vedic threefold world and integral manifestation.
Integral yoga reading: descent and integration across planes (mind–life–body/subconscient).
Heaven=illumined mind; Earth=stable embodiment; Waters=vital/subconscient currents; Fire=agent that harmonizes all three.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The tri-world distribution of divine wealth: heaven, earth-regions, and waters. Inner sense: the divine fire harmonizes and fills all layers of the being—mind (divi), embodied life (kṣiti), and vital flow (apsu).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- áp ‘water’ is a well-known IE lexeme (cf. Latin aqua is not cognate, but the IE ‘water’ set includes Hittite wātar, English water; Sanskrit udán is closer to that set; nevertheless Vedic áp is Indo-Iranian-specific prominence). The triadic cosmology and formulaic locatives reflect inherited Indo-European poetic mapping of cosmos into layered regions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi asks not for isolated gifts but for ‘śarman’ and ‘vasu’ as conditions of inner stability and fullness. Agni’s reciprocity is to establish peace (śam) and distribute plenitude through all planes, making the sacrificer fit for sustained ascent.
Establish inner shelter: feel a calm flame in the heart/solar plexus spreading protection through mind, body, and depths.
Anahata (peaceful shelter) supported by Manipura (steady fire)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale 4, hold 4 gently, exhale 6) while repeating ‘śaṃ… śaṃ…’ mentally
Quietude with luminous receptivity.
After chanting, scan three layers: (1) head—invite clear light, (2) chest/torso—invite steady strength, (3) belly/depths—invite clean flow; offer disturbances into the flame.
Chant with clear udatta peaks on key nouns (śarmāṇi, agniḥ, śaṃtamā, vasu, divi, apsu) following Śākala accenting; keep endings light.
Pause gently after each pāda; let ‘śaṃtamā’ land softly (peace emphasis).
śarmāṇi: keep ‘ś’ palatal, not ‘s’., vītaye: long ī sustained., pruṣṇavat: retroflex ṣṇ cluster—articulate carefully., kṣitibhyo: kṣ as conjunct, not ‘kh’., apsv ā: maintain sandhi feel—‘apsvā’ with clear ‘psv’ cluster.
Soft, warm, sheltering; avoid harsh attack.
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