Rig Veda 4.3.11: Mandala 4, Sukta 3, Mantra 11
Sukta 4.3
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
ऋतेनाद्रिं व्यसन्भिदन्तः समङ्गिरसो नवन्त गोभिः । शुनं नरः परि षदन्नुषासमाविः स्वरभवज्जाते अग्नौ ॥
ṛténá adríṃ ví asan bhidántaḥ sámaṅgirasaḥ navanta gó-bhiḥ | śunáṃ nárāḥ pári ṣadan uṣásam āvíḥ svàr abhavat jāté agnáu ||
Durch Ṛta spalteten sie den Fels und brachen ihn auf; die Aṅgirasas drängten gemeinsam vor mit den Strahlen des Lichts. Die Starken setzten sich rings um die Morgenröte in glücklicher Weite; und Svar, der leuchtende Himmel, wurde offenbar, als Agni darin geboren ward.
Word by Word
- ऋतेन
- by/with ṛta (cosmic order, truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक) / √ऋ (ऋ-गतौ, ‘to go/fit’, semantic base of ṛta) रूपेण ‘ऋत’
- अद्रिम्
- the rock, mountainNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्यसन
- they split asunder / they cleftVerbलुङ्/इञ्जङ्क्टिव (वेदिक), प्रथम पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √अस् (अस्-भुवि/अस्-गतौ) + वि- (उपसर्ग); injunctive/aorist stem ‘व्यस्-’
- भिदन्तः
- splitting, cleavingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √भिद् (भिद्-विदारणे)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अङ्गिरसः
- the Aṅgirases (Aṅgiras seers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अङ्गिरस् (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषिगण/देवयजक-समूह)
- नवन्त
- they praised / they celebratedVerbलट्, प्रथम पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √नु/नव् (वेदिक; ‘to praise/celebrate’—स्तुतौ)
- गोभिः
- with cows; with cattle (as wealth/offerings)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वेदे प्रायः), तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुनम्
- well, auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root शुनम् (अव्यय; ‘well, prosperously, happily’)
- नरः
- the men, heroesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- षदन्
- sitting, taking their seatsVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √सद् (सद्-आसने/उपवेशने)
- उषासम्
- Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आविः
- manifest, openlyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root आविस्/आविः (अव्यय)
- स्वः
- the light; heavenNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (वेदिक रूप ‘स्वः’)Role KarmaRoot स्वर्/स्वः (प्रातिपदिक; ‘light, heaven’)
- अभवत्
- came to be, appearedVerbलुङ् (अorist), प्रथम/तृतीय पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (वेदिक प्रयोग: ‘it became/appeared’)Role (क्रिया)Root √भू (भू-सत्तायाम्) + अभि- (उपसर्ग)
- जाते
- when born; in the born (state)Adjective/Participleभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (अग्नौ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Adhikaraṇa (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)Root √जन् (जन्-प्रादुर्भावे) → जात (कृदन्त)
- अग्नौ
- in Agni; in the fire (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): ऋ॒तेन + अद्रिम्
- व्य॑सन् + भिदन्तः
- सम् + अङ्गिरसः
- नवन्त + गोभिः
- शुनम् + नरः
- परि + षदन् + उषासम्
- आविः + स्वः + अभवत्
- जाते + अग्नौ. ‘स्व॑रभवज्’ इति संहितापाठे स्वर् + अभवत् → स्वःऽभवत् (वेदिक संधि/लोप) इत्यर्थः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
By Ṛta they split the rock apart; the Angirases together pressed forward with the cows (rays). The strong men sat around the Dawn in happy wideness; luminous Svar became manifest when Agni was born.
Inner meaning
A direct statement of the inner Vedic myth: by Ṛta (truth-force) the seekers (Angirases—powers of aspiration and the soul’s flame) break the ‘rock’ (adri: obstruction, subconscient holding the light). With the ‘cows’ (go: rays of knowledge) they advance—illumination becomes their means and prize. They gather around Uṣas (Dawn: awakening illumination) in a widened, glad consciousness (śunam). When Agni is born within (the psychic fire awakened in the heart), Svar (the luminous world, higher consciousness) becomes visible—inner heaven manifests.
Universal truth
When aspiration aligns with truth, the deepest obstruction can be broken; awakening follows, and a higher plane of consciousness becomes directly experienced as an inner dawn.
Themes
Angirasa myth, recovery of the hidden Light (cows), birth of Agni, victory over obstruction
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1 (Agni’s birth), RV 4.2 (Agni and the release of light), RV 4.4 (illumination and strength)
Family tradition
The Vāmadeva hymns are among the clearest sources for the Angiras myth as an inner drama: breaking the cave, releasing the cows, manifesting Svar through Agni’s birth.
Significance
This verse encapsulates the core psychological teaching favored by Sri Aurobindo: the Veda’s ‘myth’ is a record of inner realization—truth-force breaks resistance; dawn and heaven appear when the inner fire is born.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Angirases, Uṣas, Svar as field/results)
- Epithets
- jāta (new-born, awakened)
- Related deities
- Angirases, Uṣas, Svar (as realm/principle)
Cosmic role
Birth of Agni inaugurates manifestation of Svar; he is the catalyst that turns Ṛta-driven effort into revelation of higher world.
Inner power
Psychic flame that enables breakthrough of subconscient obstruction and stabilizes the dawn of illumination into a higher consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni hymns used in śrauta recitations; mythic verses often accompany the sense of ‘opening’ and successful progress of the rite
ऋ॒तेनाद्रिं॒ व्य॑सन्भि॒दन्त॒: समङ्गि॑रसो नवन्त॒ गोभि॑: । शु॒नं नर॒: परि॑ षदन्नु॒षास॑मा॒विः स्व॑रभवज्जा॒ते अ॒ग्नौ ॥
ऋतेन॑ । अद्रि॑म् । वि । अ॒स॒न् । भि॒दन्तः॑ । सम् । अङ्गि॑रसः । न॒व॒न्त॒ । गोऽभिः॑ । शु॒नम् । नरः॑ । परि॑ । स॒द॒न् । उ॒षस॑म् । आ॒विः । स्वः॑ । अ॒भ॒व॒त् । जा॒ते । अ॒ग्नौ ॥
ṛtena | adrim | vi | asan | bhidantaḥ | sam | aṅgirasaḥ | navanta | go--bhiḥ | śunam | naraḥ | pari | sadan | uṣasam | āviḥ | svaḥ | abhavat | jāte | agnau
44
4 × ~11
Mythic-narrative drive: strong verbs (bhidantaḥ, navanta, pari ṣadan) propel a sequence of breakthrough → gathering → revelation.
Elicits uplift and release; listeners often feel a ‘clearing’ and widening as the verse moves toward ‘āviḥ svar abhavat’ (Svar became manifest).
- ऋतेन (ṛtena)
- Literal: by Ṛta. Symbolic: by truth-force/right law of being
- अद्रि (adri)
- Literal: rock, stone. Symbolic: hard obstruction; subconscient ‘cave’ holding the light
- भिद् (bhid)
- Literal: to split, cleave. Symbolic: breakthrough that releases imprisoned energies/knowledge
- अङ्गिरस (aṅgirasa)
- Literal: Angiras seers. Symbolic: powers of flame-aspiration; soul-forces that discover the hidden light
- गो (go)
- Literal: cow. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge released and used for progress
- नवन्त (navanta)
- Literal: pressed forward, urged on. Symbolic: intensified effort/aspiration moving as a collective force
- उषस् (uṣas)
- Literal: dawn. Symbolic: illumination and spiritual awakening
- शुनम् (śunam)
- Literal: happiness, well-being. Symbolic: glad wideness of the liberated consciousness
- स्वर् (svar)
- Literal: heaven/light-world. Symbolic: luminous higher consciousness (inner heaven) made manifest
- जाते अग्नौ (jāte agnau)
- Literal: when Agni is born. Symbolic: when the psychic fire awakens within the being
Agni-invocation in Soma-sacrifice contexts; also protective/illumining Agni for kindling (samidh) and for the recovery of light/clarity in the rite
At points emphasizing success of the sacrifice and the manifestation of light/auspiciousness; also as praise of Agni’s birth and power.
Recitation to affirm victory over obstruction and invite dawning illumination.
Mantra for breakthroughs: when stuck in inertia or darkness, use as a contemplative narrative of release—‘by Ṛta the rock splits; dawn rises; Svar appears when Agni awakens.’
Key roots: √bhid ‘to split, cleave’ → bhidantaḥ (present participle, nom. pl. m.). √sad ‘to sit, settle’ → sadan (participle/finite form used with pari). √bhū ‘to become’ → abhavat (imperfect 3sg). ṛta (from √ar/ṛ ‘to fit, move in right order’) indicates the law of true arrangement; hence ‘truth-order’ as the operative power. go (polysemy: ‘cow’ and ‘ray/light’) supports the inner reading ‘rays/knowledges’. uṣas (dawn) from √vas/√uṣ ‘to shine, burn’ indicating emergence of illumination.
Ṛta (cosmic order / truth-order), manifestation (āviḥ), illumination (Svar, Uṣas)
Ṛta is the operative power that enables the splitting of the rock—truth-force as effective energy, not abstraction.
Manifestation (āviḥ) of Svar is the unveiling of satya-consciousness once obstruction is broken.
Re-creation of the inner world: from hidden light in the cave to manifest heaven through the birth of Agni.
Vedantic-psychological reading: ascent from subconscient obstruction to luminous consciousness through awakened psychic fire.
dawn
Rock = resistance/subconscient; Dawn = awakening illumination; Fire = psychic will; Rays/cows = released knowledge-forces; Heaven = higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Angirasa recovery myth: by Ṛta the seer-powers (Angirases) break the rock/cave that withholds the ‘cows’ (rays of light/knowledge). Dawn (Uṣas) is established and Svar (luminous heaven) becomes manifest with the birth of Agni—symbolically, the awakening of the divine Will releases hidden illumination from the subconscient obstruction.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhid ‘split’ has IE cognates (e.g., English ‘bit’ in the sense of cutting; PIE *bheid- ‘to split’). √bhū ‘become’ reflects PIE *bʰuH- (‘to be, become’). The semantic doublet go (‘cow’/‘ray’) is a Vedic poetic device rather than purely IE inheritance, enabling a layered mythic-psychological reading.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns with Agni as the inner priestly Will: when Agni is ‘born’ (kindled/awakened) in the human vessel, the cosmic law (Ṛta) becomes operative, leading to unveiling (āviḥ) of Svar. The hymn thus frames reciprocity: the human kindles and seats Agni; Agni in turn manifests illumination and releases the guarded riches of consciousness.
Break the inner ‘rock’ of inertia by truth-aligned aspiration; awaken the heart-fire; sit in the dawning wideness until higher light becomes evident.
Anāhata (birth of inner fire) leading to Ājñā (manifest Svar/illumination)
Slow inhalation with visualization of light-pressure ‘splitting’ a dark knot; gentle breath retention while silently repeating ‘ṛtena’; exhale into widening space.
From concentrated force → sudden release → expansive luminous awareness.
1) Recall the ‘rock’ (habit, fear, dullness). 2) Invoke Ṛta: commit to one truthful movement. 3) Chant once, then sit quietly as if awaiting dawn. 4) When a small flame of sincerity appears, protect it; let it widen into Svar by steady offering.
Rigvedic svara; give a clear lift on ‘ṛtena’ and a declarative firmness on ‘āviḥ svar abhavat’.
Phrase the narrative: (1) breakthrough ‘ṛtenādriṃ…’ (2) collective advance ‘sam aṅgiraso…’ (3) gathering around dawn ‘pari ṣadan uṣāsam’ (4) revelation ‘āviḥ svar…’.
adriṃ: crisp ‘dr’ cluster, bhidantaḥ: voiced ‘bh’ and dental ‘d’, aṅgirasaḥ: nasal ‘ṅg’, uṣāsam: retroflex ‘ṣ’, āviḥ: long ‘ā’ opening, svar: light ‘sv’ cluster
Narrative clarity with rising brightness toward the end; let ‘svar’ ring openly.
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