Rig Veda 4.15.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 15, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.15
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अग्निर्होता नो अध्वरे वाजी सन्परि णीयते । देवो देवेषु यज्ञियः ॥
pári tri-viṣṭy adhvaráṃ yāty agnī́ rathī́r iva | ā dēvéṣu práyo dádhat ||
Rings um die wohlgefügte Triviṣṭyā, das Opfer (adhvara), zieht Agni dahin wie ein Wagenlenker; unter den Göttern setzt er die Opfergabe und ihren Vorstoß ein.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Role Adhikaraṇa (परितः/पर्यन्ते—क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्रिविष्टि
- the ‘threefold’/heavenly (Triviṣṭi)Noun (compound) / Adjective (as qualifier)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अध्वरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण)Role Karma (याति इत्यस्य गन्तव्य/पर्यटन-विषयः; ‘त्रिविष्टिम् अध्वरम्’ = त्रिविष्टिसम्बद्धं यज्ञम्)Root त्रिविष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + विष्टि < √विश् ‘प्रवेश/आवेश’/‘आवेशन’)
- अध्वरम्
- sacrifice, ritual (adhvara)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (याति—‘goes around/attends’ what?)Root अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- याति
- goes, proceedsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root √या (गत्यर्थ)
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (याति—कर्ता)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथीः
- a charioteer, one with a chariotNoun (agent noun)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमानपद—इव सह; ‘as a charioteer’)Root रथिन्/रथी (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक-अव्ययRole (उपमान-सम्बन्धसूचक)Root इव (निपात)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (आगमन/आभिमुख्य/समन्तात्-प्राप्त्यर्थ)Role Adhikaraṇa (दिशा/आभिमुख्य-निर्देशः; क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- देवेषु
- among the gods, for the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (दधत्—‘among/for the gods’ as locus/target sphere)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रयः
- refreshment, offering, nourishmentNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (दधत्—what is placed/assigned?)Root प्रयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधत्
- placing, bestowing, establishingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (अग्निः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (अग्निः—कर्ता; ‘placing/establishing’)Root √धा (धारण/स्थापन)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: परि | त्रिविष्टि | अध्वरम् | याति | अग्निः | रथीः | इव | आ | देवेषु | प्रयः | दधत् । संधिः: (1) त्रिविष्ट्यध्वरम् = त्रिविष्टि + अध्वरम् (इ + अ → य्; ‘त्रिविष्ट्यध्वरम्’). (2) यात्यग्निः = याति + अग्निः (इ + अ → य्; ‘यात्यग्निः’). उच्चारण-चिह्न (॑, ॒) वैदिकस्वर-निर्देशकाः
- पदच्छेदे मूलरूपाणि दर्शितानि।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, our Hotṛ in the sacrifice, is led around the rite, vigorous and victorious; a god worthy of worship among the gods.
Inner meaning
The inner Fire as priest is not merely lit; it is ‘led around’ (pari nīyate): the will is consciously carried through all parts of the inner yajña—thought, life-force, body—so every movement becomes offering. ‘Vājī’ indicates victorious energy: the will that can carry the seeker forward. ‘Devo deveṣu’ shows the divine element in us taking its rightful place among the higher powers (illumined mind, intuition, bliss).
Universal truth
Progress becomes stable when the guiding will is brought into every domain of life and made the officiant of transformation; then the human offering joins the larger harmony of higher forces.
Themes
Ritual order, Agni as charioteer, Threefold world integration
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 4.15.2–5 (same hymn sequence to Agni)
Significance
A practical sadhana-verse: establishes Agni as the conscious organizer of the inner work, not a passive flame but the leader moving through the whole rite.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Hotṛ, Vājī, Deva, Yajñiya
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind), Soma (bliss), Uṣas (awakening)
Cosmic role
Priest-messenger who carries offerings to the gods and brings back their powers; initiator of the path.
Inner power
Aspiring will and discernment that orders the inner sacrifice and converts life into offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnyādhāna/Agnihotra and general śrauta yajña openings (invocation of Hotṛ-Agni)
परि॑ त्रिवि॒ष्ट्य॑ध्व॒रं यात्य॒ग्नी र॒थीरि॑व । आ दे॒वेषु॒ प्रयो॒ दध॑त् ॥
अ॒ग्निः । होता॑ । नः॒ । अ॒ध्व॒रे । वा॒जी । सन् । परि॑ । नी॒य॒ते॒ । दे॒वः । दे॒वेषु॑ । य॒ज्ञियः॑ ॥
agniḥ | hotā | naḥ | adhvare | vājī | san | pari | nīyate | devaḥ | deveṣu | yajñiyaḥ
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3 × 8 (with Vedic sandhi)
Bright, forward-driving, compact.
Energizes aspiration; clarifies intention; sets a steady inner pace.
- Agniḥ
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will, aspiration, transformative flame
- hotā
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: the power that calls down higher consciousness and arranges inner offering
- adhvara
- Literal: sacrifice/rite. Symbolic: the journey of self-offering; integral discipline
- vājī
- Literal: possessing vāja (strength/prize). Symbolic: victorious force of progress; effective energy
- pari nīyate
- Literal: is led around. Symbolic: made to pervade and govern all parts of the being
- yajñiyaḥ
- Literal: worthy of sacrifice/worship. Symbolic: that which deserves central place in sadhana
Agni’s circumambulation/ordering function in the rite; establishing offerings among the gods (general)
At kindling/invocation and when establishing Agni as officiant
Pari-caraṇa/leading around the fire; invoking Agni as Hotṛ
Begin meditation or work-session by invoking ‘Agni as Hotṛ’—a short intention-setting chant to make actions offerings.
tri-viṣṭi suggests ‘set/arranged in three’ (√viś/√sthā interplay in tradition; here as a fixed compound from padapāṭha). It supports the idea of the sacrifice harmonized across three planes. prayaḥ from pra-√i/√yā? traditionally ‘refreshment/oblation’; psychologically: the sustaining impulsion placed into the higher powers. rathī-iva frames Agni as the skilled director of movement.
threefold ordering of the work, Agni as director of inner movement, offering as impulsion (prayaḥ)
Agni orders the adhvara according to ṛta—right sequence and harmony of inner movements.
Truth in action: the will becomes sincere and aligned.
Tapas (inner heat) as the engine of becoming; Agni as the first power of manifestation.
Early yogic psychology of the Veda (Aurobindo/Kashyap reading): will as mediator between human and divine planes.
dawn or early ritual time (typical Agni kindling)
Fire = concentrated will; chariot-force = directed life-energy guided by mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as charioteer of the sacrifice: he circles and manages the rite, ensuring the offering reaches the gods. Inner sense: the will-flame governs the energies of practice, coordinating the threefold nature and transmitting the soul’s impulsion into the higher consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ratha ‘chariot’ is an old IE cultural word (cf. Celtic and Indo-Iranian chariot lexicon; PIE *rot(h₂)o- ‘wheel’ underlies many wheel-terms though ratha is specifically Indo-Iranian). √yā ‘go’ < PIE *h₁ey-. √dhā ‘place’ < PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Gk. títhēmi, Lat. faciō is different but PIE root is clear).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts governance to Agni: Agni is the organizer who ‘places’ the offering among the gods. Reciprocity: the human provides the arranged field (tri-viṣṭi adhvara); Agni ensures effective transmission and right placement, fulfilling Ṛta in action.
Invoke the inner priest: ‘Let my will be the Hotṛ that offers every thought and impulse to the higher Light.’
maṇipūra (fire/will) with ascent toward anāhata (offering)
ujjāyī light or 4-4-6 breathing to steady will and attention
Active concentration (tapas) transitioning into steady aspiration.
Chant once to ‘light’ the session, then silently ‘lead Agni around’: review body–life–mind and offer each layer to the inner flame.
Use RV accents as marked; keep ‘agnír hotā’ prominent (udātta on agnír/hótā per recitation tradition).
Slight lift on udātta; avoid flattening ‘pari nīyate’—keep it flowing as one unit.
‘adhvare’ with clear dhv cluster: ad-hva-re., ‘vājī’ long ā and ī., ‘deveṣu’ with ṣ retroflex, not s., ‘yajñiyaḥ’ as yaj-ñi-yaḥ (palatal ñ).
Clear, bright, priestly; steady pitch.
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