Rig Veda 7.5.9: Mandala 7, Sukta 5, Mantra 9
Sukta 7.5
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
तं नो अग्ने मघवद्भ्यः पुरुक्षुं रयिं नि वाजं श्रुत्यं युवस्व । वैश्वानर महि नः शर्म यच्छ रुद्रेभिरग्ने वसुभिः सजोषाः ॥
táṃ no agne maghávad-bhyaḥ puru-kṣúṃ rayíṃ ní vā́jaṃ śrutyáṃ yúvasva | vaiśvānara máhi naḥ śárma yaccha rudrébhir agne vásubhiḥ sajóṣāḥ ||
Uns, o Agni, schirre für die Freigebigen einen reichen, vielfach wachsenden Reichtum an — und einen vāja, weithin gerühmt, eine kraftvolle Fülle. O Vaiśvānara, gewähre uns großen Schutz und Obdach, mit den Rudras, o Agni, und den Vasus, in Eintracht.
Word by Word
- तम्
- him/that (Agni)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us/ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मघवद्भ्यः
- to the bountiful ones (patrons)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot मघवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुक्षुम्
- much-increasing/prosperingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पुरुक्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
- रयिम्
- wealthNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down/into; forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (युवस्व इत्यस्य)Root नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वाजम्
- prize; strength; (winning) bountyNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रुत्यम्
- famed; renowned; worth hearingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot श्रुत्य (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु से ‘श्रुत’ + य)
- युवस्व
- yoke/attach; bestow (bring in)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) मध्यमपुरुष एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Root √यु (योजने/मिश्रणे) + उपसर्ग नि
- वैश्वानर
- O Vaiśvānara (Agni as ‘belonging to all men’)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot वैश्वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
- महि
- great (a great thing)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः)Role KarmaRoot महि (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to usPronounचतुर्थी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक; ‘अस्मभ्यम्’)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्म
- shelter; protection; comfortNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यच्छ
- grant; bestowVerbलोट् मध्यमपुरुष एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Root √यम् (यच्छति ‘to give/extend/offer’)
- रुद्रेभिः
- with the RudrasNounपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसुभिः
- with the VasusNounपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सजोषाः
- in concord; of one accord (together)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सजोषस् (प्रातिपदिक; स- ‘together’ + जोषस् ‘delight/accord’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (key points): (1) तं नो॑ → तम् + नः (enclitic pronoun). (2) म॒घव॑द्भ्यः is independent dative plural. (3) र॒यिं नि → रयिम् + नि (final -म् before n-). (4) वाजं॒ श्रुत्यं॑ → वाजम् + श्रुत्यम्. (5) न॒: शर्म॑ → नः + शर्म (enclitic dative ‘to us’). (6) रुद्रेभि॑रग्ने → रुद्रेभिः + अग्ने (visarga sandhi: -भिः + अ- → -भिर् + अ- in saṃhitā). (7) वसु॑भिः स॒जोषा॑: → वसुभिः + सजोषाः (no further change; pada ends with -ः in saṃhitā). Accents (udātta/svarita) are as in the provided saṃhitā text
- notated here only implicitly by the source forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is asked to yoke for us a rich rayi (wealth/plenitude) and a famed vāja (prize/force). Vaiśvānara is asked to give great shelter/peace together with the Rudras and Vasus in harmony.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the inner Fire to harness (yuj) into the being a ‘purukṣu’ rayi—abundant, multiplying plenitude: capacities of mind, life, and body made serviceable to the soul. Also a ‘śrutya’ vāja: a victorious force recognized because it is effective truth-power. Then comes the deeper fruit: ‘mahi śarma’—a great peace, protection, and wideness of safety—established with the allied powers: Rudras (purifying, forceful energies that remove suffering and obstruction) and Vasus (harmonizing, foundational luminous forces).
Universal truth
Real prosperity is harnessed power and capacity guided by the inner fire; lasting security arises when transformative and harmonizing forces work together in concord.
Themes
boons: rayi and vāja, protection prayer, divine coalition, inner integration
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vāsiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.5.4 (Agni as protector, giver), RV 7.6.3-5 (Agni and the powers of order; thematic continuation)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha repeatedly seeks both force (vāja) and peace (śarma), indicating an integral aim: dynamic victory held inside a vast protection.
Significance
The Vasiṣṭha approach is balanced: not only conquest of darkness but establishment of a stable, harmonized inner kingdom with allied divine powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Vaiśvānara) with Rudras & Vasus
- Epithets
- Vaiśvānara, giver of rayi and vāja, bestower of śarma
- Related deities
- Rudra(s), Vasu(s), Indra (victory-force)
Cosmic role
Organizer of energies for victory and stability; coordinator of divine host (gaṇa) toward harmony in the two worlds.
Inner power
Yokes scattered faculties into a single effective force; brings protective peace by integrating purifying (Rudra) and sustaining (Vasu) powers.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation for prosperity (rayi/vāja) and protection (śarma)
तं नो॑ अग्ने म॒घव॑द्भ्यः पुरु॒क्षुं र॒यिं नि वाजं॒ श्रुत्यं॑ युवस्व । वैश्वा॑नर॒ महि॑ न॒: शर्म॑ यच्छ रु॒द्रेभि॑रग्ने॒ वसु॑भिः स॒जोषा॑: ॥
तम् । नः॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । म॒घव॑त्ऽभ्यः । पु॒रु॒ऽक्षुम् । र॒यिम् । नि । वाज॑म् । श्रुत्य॑म् । यु॒व॒स्व॒ । वैश्वा॑नर । महि॑ । नः॒ । शर्म॑ । य॒च्छ॒ । रु॒द्रेभिः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । वसु॑ऽभिः । स॒ऽजोषाः॑ ॥
tam | naḥ | agne | maghavat-bhyaḥ | puru-kṣum | rayim | ni | vājam | śrutyam | yuvasva | vaiśvānara | mahi | naḥ | śarma | yaccha | rudrebhiḥ | agne | vasu-bhiḥ | sa-joṣāḥ
44
4 × ~11
Petitionary yet strong; the first half ‘yokes’ forcefully, the last half settles into sheltering breadth.
Creates confidence and containment—energy gathered, then pacified into protection.
- मघवत्भ्यः (maghavadbhyaḥ)
- Literal: for the bountiful/possessors of gifts. Symbolic: for those prepared to give and receive—souls with the habit of offering
- पुरुक्षु (purukṣu)
- Literal: much-increasing. Symbolic: self-multiplying plenitude; growth that expands without depletion
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: inner resources: energy, clarity, skill, supportive circumstances
- वाज (vāja)
- Literal: prize, strength, victorious force. Symbolic: effective power of accomplishment; victory over resistance
- श्रुत्य (śrutya)
- Literal: to be heard of, famed. Symbolic: truth-effective force that naturally becomes ‘known’ as realization
- शर्म (śarma)
- Literal: shelter, peace. Symbolic: protective wideness; calm security in the Divine
- रुद्रेभिः (rudrebhiḥ)
- Literal: with the Rudras. Symbolic: purifying storm-forces; intense energies that heal by breaking obstruction
- वसुभिः (vasubhiḥ)
- Literal: with the Vasus. Symbolic: stable luminous foundations; harmonizing powers of order
- सजोषाः (sajoṣāḥ)
- Literal: in one accord. Symbolic: integration—forces no longer conflict within the being
Concluding boon-request: wealth/force and protection; appropriate as a closing or sealing verse in Agni praises within Śrauta recitations.
In rites seeking success and safe completion; also in household fire context for well-being
Recite with offering; intention to ‘yoke’ energies and invoke protective allies
Use when beginning a challenging project: first ask for effective force (vāja), then for peace and protection (śarma) amid intensity.
√yuj ‘yoke’ frames prosperity as disciplined harnessed force. vāja is read as ‘plenitude of force’ (not merely ‘food/prize’) based on its martial/energizing contexts. śarma ‘shelter’ is both outer protection and inner peace. sajoṣas indicates harmonized cooperation of divine powers within the being.
harmonized divine powers (sajoṣas), protection/peace (śarma), harnessed force (yuj, vāja)
‘Sajoṣāḥ’ indicates forces aligned—inner ṛta established as harmony among powers.
Śrutya vāja implies accomplishment that carries truth and therefore becomes naturally established.
Integration of divine hosts within the human: a microcosmic ‘assembly’ creating stable worlds of experience.
Integral synthesis: dynamic tapas supported by vast peace (śānti) and protection.
Storm = purifying intensity; Vasus = stable luminous supports; Fire = integrator that yokes all into one movement.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The sealing of protection by a coalition of powers: Agni as central mediator grants rayi/vāja and ‘great shelter’ together with Rudras and Vasus—mythic image of integrated divine functions securing the human journey.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (yoke) is PIE *yeug- (cf. Latin iugum, English yoke). The formulaic collocation of boon-nouns (rayi, vāja, śravas/śrutyam) is characteristic of IE praise-poetry where abstract powers are requested as concrete acquisitions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the community as ‘maghavat’ (capable of largeness) and asks Agni to yoke in the needed powers. Relationship is covenantal: the human offers and aligns; the deity grants force, abundance, and a protected field—through allied cosmic energies.
Gather scattered energies into a single ‘yoked’ force at the navel/heart; then widen into a protective calm around the whole body.
Maṇipūra (vāja) + Anāhata (śarma)
Inhale: feel energies yoke and concentrate; exhale: feel a wide sheltering field expand around you.
Centered strength within spacious peace.
If purification becomes harsh (Rudra-force), invoke Vasus for steadiness; if steadiness becomes inertia, invoke Rudras for clearing—hold both ‘sajoṣāḥ’.
Rigvedic accents as per śākha; emphasize deity-name calls ‘agne’, ‘vaiśvānara’ with clear pitch lift.
Let the first pāda be firm (yoking request), and soften into breadth on ‘mahi naḥ śarma yaccha’.
‘maghavadbhyaḥ’ with clear aspirate ‘bhyaḥ’, ‘purukṣuṃ’ keep kṣ cluster crisp, ‘sajoṣāḥ’ pronounce joṣ with voiced ‘j’ and long āḥ
Grounded and protective; less sharp than battle hymns, more containing.
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