Rig Veda 5.8.5: Mandala 5, Sukta 8, Mantra 5
Sukta 5.8
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वमग्ने पुरुरूपो विशेविशे वयो दधासि प्रत्नथा पुरुष्टुत । पुरूण्यन्ना सहसा वि राजसि त्विषिः सा ते तित्विषाणस्य नाधृषे ॥
tvam agne puru-rūpo viśe-viśe vayo dadhāsi pratna-thā puru-stuta | purūṇy annā sahasā vi rājasi tviṣiḥ sā te titviṣāṇasya nādhṛṣe ||
Du, o Agni, bist vielgestaltig; in jedem Volk, in jeder Gemeinschaft setzt du, wie von alters her, die Lebenskräfte ein, o Vielgepriesener. Mit Macht strahlst du hervor und spendest viele Speisen — viele Nährungen des Seins; und diese Glut von dir, wenn du zur vollen Stärke entflammt bist, vermag niemand zu widerstehen.
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुं; संबोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुरूपः
- of many formsAdjectiveपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root पुरु-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- विशे-विशे
- to each clan/settlementNoun (reduplicated distributive)स्त्री; चतुर्थी; एकवचन (वितरणार्थे: ‘प्रत्येकस्मै विशे’)Role सम्प्रदानRoot विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वयः
- vital strength / vigorNounनपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधासि
- you place / bestowVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु)
- प्रत्नथा
- as of old / in the ancient wayIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्रत्नथा (अव्यय; ‘प्रत्न’ + -था)
- पुरुष्टुत
- O much-praised oneNoun/Adjective (vocative epithet)पुं; संबोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरु-स्तुत् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि)
- पुरूणि
- manyAdjectiveनपुं; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root पुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्ना
- foods / provisionsNounनपुं; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहसा
- with might / by forceNounनपुं; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth; intensifierPreverb/Indeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (उपसर्ग)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- राजसि
- you shine / ruleVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot राज् (धातु)
- त्विषिः
- splendor, brillianceNounस्त्री; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/भाव (वाक्ये विशेष्य-भावेन)Root त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सा
- that (she/it)Pronounस्त्री; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (अन्वय: ‘सा त्विषिः’)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी; एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तित्विषाणस्य
- of (you) blazing intenselyParticiple (adjectival)पुं; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / विशेषणRoot तित्विषाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; धातु: त्विष्; तीव्र/आवृत्त-दीप्त्यर्थे; वर्तमान/परिपूर्ण-दीप्तिमान् ‘shining intensely’)
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययRole निषेधRoot न (निपात)
- अधृषे
- unassailable, not to be dared againstAdjective (predicative)पुं; सप्तमी; एकवचन (स्थाने/अधिकरणे: ‘अधृषे’ = ‘in/for the unassailable one’; RV-idiom: ‘to/against whom none dares’)Role अधिकरण/सम्बन्ध (पदप्रयोग-विशेषः)Root धृष् (धातु) + अ (निषेध/अभाव) → अधृष (प्रातिपदिक ‘unassailable’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वम् | अग्ने | पुरुरूपः | विशे-विशे | वयः | दधासि | प्रत्नथा | पुरुष्टुत | पुरूणि | अन्ना | सहसा | वि | राजसि | त्विषिः | सा | ते | तित्विषाणस्य | न | अधृषे । 1) ‘विशेविशे’ = ‘विशे विशे’ (वितरणार्थे पुनरुक्ति). 2) ‘पुरूण्यन्ना’ इति संहितायां ‘पुरूणि अन्ना’ (इकारान्त-नपुंसक बहुवचन + अकारादि) — पदपाठे पृथक्. 3) ‘त्विषिः सा’ संहितायां विसर्गः परे सकारे प्रायः शकार/सकार-सम्बन्धं जनयति
- पदपाठे ‘त्विषिः | सा’. 4) ‘तित्विषाणस्य’ कृदन्त-रूपं (त्विष् धातोः) ‘अत्यर्थं दीप्तिमतः’ इत्यर्थे
- षष्ठी-एकवचनं ‘ते’ इत्यनेन सम्बन्धः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, praised by many, takes many forms and establishes life-powers in every clan; by force he shines, giving many foods; his fully kindled blaze is irresistible.
Inner meaning
The inner Fire (divine Will) assumes many psychological forms suited to each part of our nature (viśe-viśe). It establishes and renews the energies of life (vayaḥ) in the seeker “as of old” (pratnathā: according to the eternal method). When intensified, Agni’s luminous force (tviṣiḥ) becomes an invincible spiritual ardor that cannot be overpowered by inertia, doubt, or subconscient resistance.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires a many-sided inner Will that adapts to each domain of life, steadily nourishes the being with higher energies, and grows into an irresistible flame of transformation.
Themes
Agni’s many forms, distribution of life-power, nourishment as inner sustenance, invincible blaze
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.2, RV 7.3, RV 7.18
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha family hymns emphasize Agni as the inner priest and the upholder of ṛta—an ordered ascent from human limitation to divine wideness.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision often presents Agni as the adaptable guide working in every ‘clan’ of the being, establishing harmony and victorious intensity against resistance.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- puruṣṭuta (much-praised), pururūpa (many-formed), tviṣīmant (splendid/blazing)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; carrier of offerings; awakener of light and order in the cosmos.
Inner power
Divine Will and spiritual aspiration that organizes the nature, increases inner energies, and burns through obstruction.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stotra / agnyādhāna-related praise within soma and non-soma sequences (general Agni invocation)
त्वम॑ग्ने पुरु॒रूपो॑ वि॒शेवि॑शे॒ वयो॑ दधासि प्र॒त्नथा॑ पुरुष्टुत । पु॒रूण्यन्ना॒ सह॑सा॒ वि रा॑जसि॒ त्विषि॒: सा ते॑ तित्विषा॒णस्य॒ नाधृषे॑ ॥
त्वम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । पु॒रु॒ऽरूपः॑ । वि॒शेऽवि॑शे । वयः॑ । द॒धा॒सि॒ । प्र॒त्नऽथा॑ । पु॒रु॒स्तु॒त॒ । पु॒रूणि॑ । अन्ना॑ । सह॑सा । वि । रा॒ज॒सि॒ । त्विषिः॑ । सा । ते॒ । ति॒त्वि॒षा॒णस्य॑ । न । आ॒ऽधृषे॑ ॥
tvam | agne | puru-rūpaḥ | viśe--viśe | vayaḥ | dadhāsi | pratna-thā | purustuta | purūṇi | annā | sahasā | vi | rājasi | tviṣiḥ | sā | te | titviṣāṇasya | na | ādhṛṣe
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Firm, forward-driving cadence suited to force and expansion.
Builds tapas and confidence; supports a sense of invincibility and steady ascent.
- पुरुरूपः (pururūpaḥ)
- Literal: many-formed. Symbolic: the one divine Will taking diverse functional powers in the psyche
- विशेविशे (viśe-viśe)
- Literal: to each clan/community. Symbolic: to each part, layer, or collectivity within the being
- वयः (vayaḥ)
- Literal: vigor, vital power, life-force. Symbolic: energies of growth—prāṇa-force uplifted by the soul’s aspiration
- प्रत्नथा (pratnathā)
- Literal: in the ancient way. Symbolic: the perennial law of inner sacrifice; the timeless yogic method
- अन्ना (annā)
- Literal: foods. Symbolic: nourishments of consciousness—supports, powers, and satisfactions given by the divine
- सहसा (sahasā)
- Literal: by force, with might. Symbolic: tapas-force; concentrated spiritual energy
- त्विषिः (tviṣiḥ)
- Literal: splendor, blaze. Symbolic: luminous intensity of awakened will and insight
- तित्विषाणस्य (titviṣāṇasya)
- Literal: of the blazing one, fully kindled. Symbolic: Agni raised to full potency in the adhara (instrument)
Praise of Agni’s multi-form presence across households/altars; supports domestic and soma-sacrificial contexts where Agni is established in multiple fires.
At the kindling/praise of the sacred fire; also adaptable to daily agnihotra-style recitation.
Kindling, offering ghee/oblations, and invoking Agni’s protection and increase.
Used as a mantra of strengthening will: recite before meditation or disciplined work to invoke sustained inner intensity.
puru-rūpa: puru (many) + rūpa (form/appearance); viśe-viśe dative repetition emphasizes distributive ‘to each’; vayaḥ (vital vigor) from √vī/√vāy notions of enlivening; dadhāsi < √dhā; pratna-thā: pratna (ancient, primal) + -thā (manner); sahasā from sahas (force) < √sah (to prevail); rājasi < √rāj (to shine, rule); tviṣi (splendor, fiery energy) related to shining/heat semantic field; ādhṛṣ < ā-√dhṛṣ (to dare/assail).
pratna (the primordial law/tradition), śakti/force (sahas), irresistibility of awakened will (nādhṛṣe)
Agni establishes the right functioning of powers “as of old,” aligning life-energies with ṛta.
Truth-force becomes irresistible when the flame is fully kindled.
Multiplication of one fire into many functional forms sustaining the worlds.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo: Agni as will in evolution).
Fire = will and aspiration; food = conscious supports and satisfactions; forceful shining = tapas that overcomes inertia.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the many-formed power present in every ‘viś’ (clan/domain), establishing vitality and nourishment: the mythic idea of one fire taking many seats and forms, mirrored inwardly as one divine will assuming multiple functional expressions in the psyche.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √rāj ‘shine/rule’ reflects PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten, rule’ with Indo-Iranian semantic overlap of radiance and sovereignty. √sah ‘prevail’ is Indo-Iranian (cf. Avestan sah-). √dhā (place) is PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Greek títhēmi).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Agni’s distributive presence ‘to each domain’ and asks, by praise, for the establishment of vayas (vital plenitude) and anna (inner sustenance). Agni’s response is his widening radiance and invincible tviṣi—supporting the seeker’s growth and overcoming resistance.
Kindle the inner fire in each ‘part’ of the being—body, life, mind—so that all are nourished and unified toward the soul’s aim.
Maṇipūra (fire/will)
Gentle bhastrikā-like energizing breaths or steady ujjāyī to build heat without agitation.
Tāpasa steadiness—luminous, forceful concentration.
Invoke Agni as the leader: offer restlessness and tamas into the flame; ask for ‘many foods’—the right energies and supports for each inner domain; end with silent feeling of an invincible blaze.
Use saṃhitā-svara if available; otherwise chant with clear udātta lifts on principal verb/noun accents and avoid flattening compounds (approximate).
Sustain the cadence across each triṣṭubh pāda; give slight emphasis to pururūpo, viśe-viśe, sahasā, vi rājasi, tviṣiḥ.
agne: short 'e' (a-gne), not 'ag-nee', pururūpo: roll 'r' lightly; long ū in rū, viśe-viśe: pronounce ś as palatal 'sh', tviṣiḥ: cluster 'tv' cleanly; ṣ retroflex, nādhṛṣe: retroflex ṛ; do not insert extra vowel between dh-ṛ
Bright, steady, increasing intensity toward the final pāda.
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