Rig Veda 6.12.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 12, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.12
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
आ यस्मिन्त्वे स्वपाके यजत्र यक्षद्राजन्त्सर्वतातेव नु द्यौः । त्रिषधस्थस्ततरुषो न जंहो हव्या मघानि मानुषा यजध्यै ॥
ā yásmin tve svápāke yajatra yákṣad rājan sarvatātā́ iva nú dyáuḥ | tri-sádhasthas tátaruṣo ná jaṃhó havyā́ maghā́ni mā́nuṣā yájadhyai ||
O König, o verehrungswürdiger Agni, in dem—wenn du in lichtvoller Wirksamkeit vollkommen offenbar bist—der Himmel selbst gleichsam jetzt im allumfassenden Sich-Hingeben opfert; du, auf dem dreifachen Sitz stehend, schnell, jenseits aller Hemmung, sollst von den Menschen mit Opfergaben und mit Gaben der Fülle verehrt werden.
Word by Word
- आ
- towards; hitherIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- यस्मिन्
- in whom/whereinPronounmasc./neut. locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot यद् (sarvanāma)
- त्वे
- in youPronounlocative singular (Vedic/poetic for त्वयि)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot त्वद् (sarvanāma)
- स्वपाके
- O well-cooking/skillful (in preparing offerings)Adjective (vocative epithet)masc. vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot सु- + पाक (prātipadika: svapāka)
- यजत्र
- O worship-worthyAdjective (vocative epithet)masc. vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot यजत्र (from √यज्)
- यक्षत्
- may he worship/offerVerbaorist injunctive/imperative-like, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √यज् (Vedic: yakṣ- ‘to worship, to offer’)
- राजन्
- O kingNoun (vocative)masc. vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot राजन् (prātipadika)
- सर्वतातेव
- as if from every side; altogether as it wereIndeclinablecompound of adverb + particleRoot सर्वता (avyaya) + इव
- नु
- now; indeedIndeclinableparticleRoot नु
- द्यौः
- the Heaven (sky)Nounfem. nominative singularRole KartāRoot द्यौ (prātipadika)
- त्रिषधस्थः
- having three seats/abodesAdjective/Nounmasc. nominative singularRole KartāRoot त्रि- + षध-स्थ (prātipadika: triṣadhastha)
- तत॒रुषः
- having overpassed; having crossedParticiple (adjectival)masc. nominative singularRole KartāRoot √तॄ (tar-/tṛ) → ततरुष् (Vedic perfect/participle stem)
- न
- like; asIndeclinablecomparative particleRoot न
- जंहः
- a stride; a leap (swift step)Nounmasc. nominative singularRole Kartā/UpamānaRoot जंह (prātipadika)
- हव्या
- oblations; offeringsNounneut. accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot हव्य (prātipadika)
- मघानि
- gifts; bountiesNounneut. accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot मघ (prātipadika)
- मानुषा
- human (belonging to men)Adjectiveneut. accusative plural (agreeing with हव्या/मघानि)Role KarmaRoot मानुष (prātipadika)
- यजध्यै
- to worship; to sacrificeVerb (infinitive)infinitive (dative-type) in -ध्यैRole PrayojanaRoot √यज्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (main): यस्मिन् + त्वे → यस्मिन् त्वे (no further change)
- यक्षत् + राजन् → यक्षद्राजन् (final -t before voiced r becomes -d)
- सर्वता + इव → सर्वतातेव (ā + i → āte by Vedic sandhi)
- नु + द्यौः → नु द्यौः
- त्रिषधस्थः + ततरुषः → त्रिषधस्थस्ततरुषः (visarga before t → s)
- ततरुषः + न → ततरुषो न (ḥ before n → o by Vedic sandhi)
- जंहः + हव्या → जंहो हव्या (ḥ before h → o). Accent marks in the provided text are preserved in citation but not re-applied per-pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is addressed as King and adorable. In him, when he is well-manifest in his luminous working, even heaven as it were performs sacrifice in totality. Standing on the triple seat, swift beyond hindrance, he is to be worshipped by humans with oblations and gifts.
Inner meaning
When the Divine Will is perfectly expressed in the clear working (su-apāka), the higher consciousness (dyauḥ) itself becomes an act of offering—total self-giving into the process of transformation. Agni stands on the ‘triple seat’ (triṣadhastha): body-life-mind (or the three worlds) aligned for the sacrifice. Unhindered, he overpasses inner obstacles and makes human energies (havyā, maghāni) effective offerings—our thoughts, emotions, and actions turned into plenitude.
Universal truth
When the inner will is transparent and rightly functioning, the whole being participates in self-offering; obstacles lose their power, and life becomes a unified act of consecration that generates abundance of consciousness.
Themes
Agni-as-King, inner sacrifice, overcoming obstacles, three-world integration, plenitude (magha)
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 6.9, Rig Veda 6.10, Rig Veda 6.11, Rig Veda 6.12
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 6 Agni tradition: Agni as the effective priest-king who perfects the offering and opens integral participation of the higher mind.
Significance
The Bharadvāja vision often insists on ‘right working’ (ṛta + effective action): the divine is not only adored but made operative in the whole of nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Rājan, Yajatra, Triṣadhastha
- Related deities
- Dyauḥ, Indra, Soma, Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Priest-king who makes the sacrifice universal, linking heaven’s light with human offering.
Inner power
Integrating will that coordinates the threefold being and turns aspiration into total consecration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stotra within Soma rites; general Agni invocation in iṣṭis emphasizing Agni as rājā (lord of rite).
आ यस्मि॒न्त्वे स्वपा॑के यजत्र॒ यक्ष॑द्राजन्त्स॒र्वता॑तेव॒ नु द्यौः । त्रि॒ष॒धस्थ॑स्तत॒रुषो॒ न जंहो॑ ह॒व्या म॒घानि॒ मानु॑षा॒ यज॑ध्यै ॥
आ । यस्मि॑न् । त्वे इति॑ । सु । अपा॑के । य॒ज॒त्र॒ । यक्ष॑त् । रा॒ज॒न् । स॒र्वता॑ताऽइव । नु । द्यौः । त्रि॒ऽस॒धस्थः॑ । त॒त॒रुषः॑ । न । जंहः॑ । ह॒व्या । म॒घानि॑ । मानु॑षा । यज॑ध्यै ॥
ā | yasmin | tve iti | su | apāke | yajatra | yakṣat | rājan | sarvatātāiva | nu | dyauḥ | tri-sadhasthaḥ | tataruṣaḥ | na | jaṃhaḥ | havyā | maghāni | mānuṣā | yajadhyai
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Expansive and integrative; the cadence supports ‘totality’ (sarvatātā) and forward surge.
Creates a feeling of whole-being alignment—gathering the parts into one offering.
- svapāka (su-apāke)
- Literal: well-cooked/well-ripened; well-manifest working. Symbolic: clear, perfected functioning of will and discernment
- yajatra
- Literal: worthy of worship. Symbolic: that in us which is intrinsically divine and to be enthroned
- rājan
- Literal: king. Symbolic: sovereign governance of the divine will
- sarvatātā
- Literal: totality, all-sidedness. Symbolic: integral self-giving; whole-being participation
- dyauḥ
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous consciousness
- triṣadhastha
- Literal: standing on triple seat. Symbolic: established in threefold nature (mind-life-body) or three worlds
- tataruṣaḥ
- Literal: overpassing, surging beyond. Symbolic: force that exceeds resistance
- havyā
- Literal: oblations. Symbolic: offered movements—thought, speech, act
- maghāni
- Literal: gifts/boons, plenitudes. Symbolic: powers of fullness released by right offering
Agni-stotra/Agni-invocation within Soma-yajña sequences; also adaptable to daily Agnihotra as inner ‘kindling’ (idh) of the sacrificial fire
When establishing the sacrificial order and calling for an all-sided offering; suitable for morning kindling.
Recitation with oblations; invoking Agni to seat himself on the triple foundation and accept offerings.
Before work or study: align body-breath-mind as ‘triple seat’, then offer the coming actions to the inner Agni for clarity and unhindered progress.
Key terms: (1) yájadhyai: infinitive from √yaj ‘to worship, offer, unite by sacrifice’; inner sense: conscious offering of movements to the divine Will. (2) dyáuḥ from √dyu/√div ‘to shine’; heaven = luminous mind-plane. (3) tri-sádhastha: tri ‘three’ + sádhas ‘seat, base’ (from √sad ‘to sit’); suggests threefold foundation (earth/atmosphere/heaven; or body-life-mind) on which Agni is established. (4) tátaruṣaḥ from √tṛ/√tar ‘to cross over’; indicates the force that overpasses obstruction. (5) maghā́ni from maghá ‘bounty, gift’ (connected with capacity/power to bestow); interpreted as plenitudes of force and felicity, not merely material wealth. (6) apā́ke (RV usage) related to ‘ripening/cooking’ imagery (√pac ‘to cook, ripen’ in semantic field), implying a prepared, clarified inner state where the sacrifice becomes effective.
Ṛta (right order implied by effective sacrifice), integration/totality (sarvatātā), threefold world (tri-sadhastha)
Agni’s right working makes even ‘heaven’ participate—symbol of higher truth consenting to manifestation.
Truth becomes effective when the instrument is ‘well-ripened’ (su-apāka).
Manifestation as sacrifice: higher consciousness pours itself into form through Agni.
Integral Yoga hermeneutic: threefold nature offered to higher consciousness.
A clear inner flame that makes the higher mind itself an active participant in transformation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cosmic sacrifice’ mythologem: Heaven (Dyauḥ) itself is portrayed as performing sacrifice when Agni is rightly manifest. Psychologically, when the inner Fire is perfected, the higher mind spontaneously offers its energies into the integrality (sarvatātā), enabling a total consecration rather than a merely human effort.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyáuḥ ‘heaven’ continues PIE *dyēus ‘sky, daylight’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iūpiter < *dyēus-pəter). √yaj ‘to sacrifice’ aligns with Indo-Iranian *yaj- (Avestan yaz- ‘worship’). √tṛ/√tar ‘to cross over’ has PIE *terh₂ ‘cross, pass over’ (cf. Latin trans, English through). These inherited roots support the verse’s shared Indo-European imagery of sky-brightness, offering, and crossing beyond impediment.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi addresses Agni as sovereign (rājan) and ‘worthy of worship’ (yajatra), implying a reciprocity: humans offer (havyā) and align their prepared energies (svapāke), while Agni, established in the threefold being, removes hindrance (jaṃha) by his overpassing power (tataruṣaḥ) and returns plenitudes (maghāni) as inner increase and victorious capacity for right action.
Integral offering: feel the higher mind consenting; offer body-life-mind into a single flame of aspiration.
3-part breath (lower ribs/upper chest/clavicular) gently unified, then smooth exhale as ‘offering’
integral, harmonized, unobstructed flow
Mentally seat Agni in three layers: physical steadiness, vital calm power, mental clarity; then offer one chosen movement (speech/action) as havis.
Maintain clear udātta on vocatives (yajatra, rājan) and on structural nouns (dyauḥ, triṣadhastha); keep svarita as a controlled glide, not a separate note.
Slightly lengthen the cadence on ‘triṣadhastha’; keep the second hemistich more urgent to match ‘tataruṣaḥ’.
svapāke: pronounce as ‘sva-pā-ke’ (not ‘suh-’), triṣadhastha: retroflex ṣ, clear cluster -stha, jaṃho: nasalized ‘ṃ’ before h, maghāni: aspirated gh
clear, uplifted, devotional yet forceful
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