Rig Veda 7.16.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 16, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.16
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तं त्वा दूतं कृण्महे यशस्तमं देवाँ आ वीतये वह । विश्वा सूनो सहसो मर्तभोजना रास्व तद्यत्त्वेमहे ॥
táṃ tvā dūtáṃ kṛṇmahe yaśástamaṃ devā́ṃ ā vītáye vaha | víśvā sūno sahaso martábhōjanā rāsva tád yát tvā ī́mahe ||
Dich setzen wir zum Boten ein, den ruhmvollsten: führe die Götter her zum Genuss unserer Opfergabe. O Sohn der Kraft, gewähre uns alle sterblichen Nährungen, alle menschlichen Stärkungen — jene Formen von Speise und Halt, um die wir dich bitten.
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (कृण्महे इत्यस्य)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (कृण्महे इत्यस्य)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दूतम्
- messengerNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म/परिणाम (कृण्महे—‘दूतं’ इति कृत्वा)Root दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृण्महे
- we make / we appointVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- यशस्तमम्
- most gloriousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (दूतम् इति विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root यशस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तम-प्रत्ययः)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (वह इत्यस्य)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः/निपातःRole क्रियाविशेषण (वह—‘आ-वह’ = ‘आनय’)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वीतये
- for the feast/service (ritual attendance)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान (वह—‘वीतये’ = ‘वीतिं प्रति/अर्थम्’)Root वीति (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘आगमन/सेवा/भोजन-समागम’)
- वह
- carry/bring!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot वह् (धातु)
- विश्वा
- all (things)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (कर्मरूपेण)Role कर्म (रास्व इत्यस्य)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- सूनो
- O sonNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहसः
- of might/strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (सूनो इत्यस्य—‘सहसः सूनो’)Root सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तभोजनाः
- who enjoy the offerings of mortalsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (देवान् इति विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ/कर्म-सम्बन्धे—देवाः ‘मर्तभोजनाः’)Root मर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक) → समासः (बहुव्रीहिः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः)
- रास्व
- grant/give!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot रा (धातु; ‘दातृ/प्रदान’)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (रास्व इत्यस्य)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which/whatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः; ‘यत्…तत्’)Role कर्म (यम् अर्थं वयम् ईमहे)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (ईमहे इत्यस्य)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ईमहे
- we seek/begVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot ईम्/इ (धातु; ‘याच्/प्रार्थ्/गम्’—वेदिक प्रयोगः ‘ईमहे’ = ‘याचामहे/प्रार्थयामहे’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरसनम्): तं | त्वा | दूतं | कृण्महे | यशस्तमं | देवान् | आ | वीतये | वह || विश्वा | सूनो | सहसः | मर्तभोजनाः | रास्व | तत् | यत् | त्वा | ईमहे || 1) ‘देवाँ आ’ इति संहितायां ‘देवान् आ’ (न् + आ) → ‘देवाँ आ’ (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-समासः, वैदिक-लेखनम्)
- 2) ‘तद्यत्’ = ‘तत् यत्’ (त् + य् संयोगः)
- 3) ‘यत्त्वेमहे’ = ‘यत् त्वा ईमहे’ (त् + त् → त्त; ‘त्वा’ परे ‘ईमहे’ इति पृथक् पदम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We make you our messenger, most glorious; bring the gods to partake of the offering. O Son of Force, grant us all mortal nourishings we ask.
Inner meaning
Agni is appointed as dūta—messenger—between our present state and the divine powers (devāḥ) that can uplift and complete us. To ‘bring the gods to vītaye’ is to invite higher faculties—illumined mind (Indra), bliss (Soma), truth-word (Bṛhaspati), dawn-illumination (Uṣas)—to partake in and transform our offering. ‘Sūno sahasaḥ’ (Son of Force) indicates Agni as the child of tapas, the concentrated power that can effect change. ‘Martabhojanā’ are the supports of embodied life—energies, capacities, right enjoyments—yet in the inner reading they are to be purified into divine forms of sustenance. The seeker asks: give us all those needed means for the mortal journey, but as offerings returned in a higher form.
Universal truth
Transformation requires a mediating will that can call higher powers into our work and convert life’s needs into supports for spiritual progress.
Themes
Agni as messenger, invitation of gods, descent of powers into experience, boons as inner sustenance
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.2, RV 7.10, RV 7.16
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha vision frequently treats Agni as envoy and organizer, calling the gods (higher powers) into the human field to establish ṛta in life.
Significance
The seer frames spiritual practice as a collaboration: human aspiration, Agni’s mediation, and the descent/participation of divine powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- dūta (messenger), yaśastama (most glorious), sūnu sahasaḥ (son of force)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Mitra-Varuṇa
Cosmic role
Mediator between worlds; convoker of the gods; carrier of offerings and bringer of divine gifts.
Inner power
Psychic will that can summon higher consciousness-powers and distribute their help into life’s needs.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as hotṛ’s fire that ‘invites the gods’ in soma-yajña and other śrauta offerings
तं त्वा॑ दू॒तं कृ॑ण्महे य॒शस्त॑मं दे॒वाँ आ वी॒तये॑ वह । विश्वा॑ सूनो सहसो मर्त॒भोज॑ना॒ रास्व॒ तद्यत्त्वेम॑हे ॥
तम् । त्वा॒ । दु॒तम् । कृ॒ण्म॒हे॒ । य॒शःऽत॑मम् । दे॒वान् । आ । वी॒तये॑ । व॒ह॒ । विश्वा॑ । सू॒नो॒ इति॑ । स॒ह॒सः॒ । म॒र्त॒ऽभोज॑ना । रास्व॑ । तत् । यत् । त्वा॒ । ईम॑हे ॥
tam | tvā | dutam | kṛṇmahe | yaśaḥ-tamam | devān | ā | vītaye | vaha | viśvā | sūno iti | sahasaḥ | marta-bhojanā | rāsva | tat | yat | tvā | īmahe
44
4×11 (approx.)
Commanding, directive rhythm suited to appointment (‘we make you’) and invocation (‘bring!’).
Strengthens resolve and the sense of calling higher help; energizes aspiration-demand.
- dūta
- Literal: messenger, envoy. Symbolic: the mediating flame linking human aspiration to divine response
- yaśastama
- Literal: most glorious/famed. Symbolic: the most effective and luminous power in the sacrifice
- devān ā vītaye vaha
- Literal: bring the gods for enjoyment/participation. Symbolic: invite higher divine faculties to enter and transform our offering and experience
- sūno sahasaḥ
- Literal: son of force/might. Symbolic: born of tapas; concentrated power of will
- martabhojanā
- Literal: mortal nourishments. Symbolic: supports for embodied life—energies and satisfactions to be refined into spiritual fuel
- rāsva
- Literal: grant, give. Symbolic: bestowal of inner resources and right conditions
- īmahe
- Literal: we seek/request. Symbolic: aspiring demand of the soul-will
Agni as dūta in offering rites: invitation of devās to the sacrifice (āvāhana/bringing to vīti).
During invitatory/praise sequences before offerings to various deities
Invoke Agni to summon devatās; proceed with oblations once presence is ritually established
Before important work or meditation, inwardly appoint Agni as ‘messenger’: ask the higher mind and peace to enter the activity; then act from that invoked presence.
dūta (messenger: mediating principle). vaha (imperative √vah ‘carry’: convey powers into the offering-field/inner consciousness). īmahe (from √ī ‘to seek/desire/implore’: aspiration). sahas (strength/ardour: tapas-energy). The verse frames Agni as the psychopomp of the sacrifice: the inner flame carries our formulated will upward and brings down divine powers into experience (vīti).
reciprocity between human aspiration and divine descent, integration of powers (viśvā), tapas/sahas as generative force
Agni calls the powers that maintain ṛta so life-movements align with the cosmic order.
The ‘messenger’ function implies truthful transmission between planes—no distortion when will is pure.
Interworld exchange: offering rises, divine powers descend with gifts.
Integral/psychological Vedism: gods as powers of consciousness participating in inner yajña.
Fire = mediator-will; carrying = transmission between levels; feast/enjoyment = conscious assimilation of divine force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni the messenger who brings the gods: the classic mythic role of fire as mediator between worlds. Psychologically, the awakened flame carries aspiration upward and returns with divine powers as lived forces in the practitioner.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ is a common IE root set for conveyance (cf. Lat. vehere). The mediatory ‘messenger’ motif aligns with IE ritual poetics where fire/smoke functions as carrier of offerings, encoded in imperative verbal forms (vaha) and performative ‘we make’ (kṛṇmahe).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi actively appoints Agni’s function (‘we make you messenger’), then asks for the descent of divine powers (‘bring the gods’) and for sustaining fulfilments (‘grant mortal nourishings’). It is a disciplined reciprocity: right designation and invocation elicit the gods’ participation and inner sustenance.
Invoke Agni as inner envoy; invite higher powers (clarity, strength, peace, delight) into the heart of practice; ask for purified supports for life.
anāhata (invocation/communion) with maṇipūra (will as messenger)
inhale: ‘bring the gods’; exhale: ‘offer my seeking’; keep breath smooth and prayerful
Devotional strength—active surrender with confident demand for right supports.
Name the ‘gods’ psychologically: Indra=clarity, Soma=delight, Varuṇa=vastness, Uṣas=awakening. Ask Agni to bring these into your present difficulty. Receive ‘martabhojanā’ as practical energies and right enjoyments, purified of compulsion.
Keep imperative phrases (kṛṇmahe, vaha, rāsva) firm; apply udātta/svarita as per tradition (exact mapping needs svara text).
Slight emphasis on dūtaṃ and vaha; maintain steady triṣṭubh flow without rushing.
dūtaṃ: long ū, kṛṇmahe: retroflex ṇ; ‘e’ clear, devām̐: nasalization (anunāsika) before pause, vītaye: long ī; ‘t’ dental, sahasaḥ: aspirated ‘h’ clear; final ḥ audible
clear, directive, devotional warmth
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