Rig Veda 8.43.31: Mandala 8, Sukta 43, Mantra 31
Sukta 8.43
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
अग्निं मन्द्रं पुरुप्रियं शीरं पावकशोचिषम् । हृद्भिर्मन्द्रेभिरीमहे ॥
agníṃ mandráṃ puru-priyáṃ śīráṃ pāvaka-śóciṣam | hṛ́dbhir mandrébhir īmahe ||
Agni — den Entzückenden, den Vielgeliebten, den Starken, der mit reinigendem Flammenleuchten strahlt — den erbitten wir mit entzückten Herzen.
Word by Word
- अग्निम्
- Agni (as object of praise/adoration)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्द्रम्
- gladdening, pleasant (voiced)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (अग्निम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot मन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुप्रियम्
- dear to many, much-belovedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (अग्निम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot पुरु-प्रिय- (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- शीरम्
- swift, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (अग्निम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot शीर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पावकशोचिषम्
- having purifying flame/radianceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (अग्निम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot पावक-शोचिस् (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- हृद्भिः
- with (our) heartsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot हृद्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्द्रेभिः
- gladdening, joyful (hearts)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन (हृद्भिः इति विशेषणम्)Role करणRoot मन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईमहे
- we worship/seek/imploreVerbलट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole कर्तृRoot यम् (धातु; आत्मनेपद) – वेदिक-प्रयोगे "ईमहे"
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अग्निम् | मन्द्रम् | पुरुप्रियम् | शीरम् | पावकशोचिषम् | हृद्भिः | मन्द्रेभिः | ईमहे । बाह्यसन्धिः: (1) शोचिषम् । हृद्भिः → शोचिषम् हृद्भिः (विसर्ग/अनुस्वार-परिवर्तनं न; पदान्त -म् + ह- आरम्भे यथावत्)
- (2) हृद्भिः मन्द्रेभिः → हृद्भिर्मन्द्रेभिः (विसर्ग-लोपः/रेफादेशः: -भिः + म- → -भिर् + म-)
- (3) मन्द्रेभिः ईमहे → मन्द्रेभि॑रीमहे (स्वर-संयोगे दीर्घ/यण्-परिवर्तनं न; केवलं पदसन्धिः: -भिः + ई- → -भिर् + ई-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We seek Agni—rapturous, much-beloved, strong, luminous with purifying flame—by our rapturous hearts.
Inner meaning
Agni is approached not merely by outward rite but by the heart’s glad intensity (mandra hṛd). When the emotional being is refined into a luminous delight and aspiration, it becomes a fit vessel to ‘seek’ and host the purifying flame. The mantra teaches bhakti as a power of yoga: love and joy make the inner fire steady, strong (śīra), and cleansing (pāvaka-śociṣ).
Universal truth
True transformation is sustained by a warm heart: joy, love, and aspiration invite the purifying power and make discipline natural rather than forced.
Themes
devotion, purification, delight, Agni praise
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.43.28, Rig Veda 8.43.29, Rig Veda 8.43.30, Rig Veda 8.43.32
Significance
The seer foregrounds the heart as instrument of realization: Agni is ‘sought’ (īmahe) by inner gladness, aligning with the psychological reading where devotion and joy are effective forces.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- mandra, purupriya, śīra, pāvakaśociṣ
- Related deities
- Soma (bliss), Uṣas (illumination)
Cosmic role
Purifier and inspirer; the flame that makes the offering acceptable and luminous.
Inner power
Turns emotion into devotion, desire into aspiration, and impulse into steady strength; gives inner sweetness with clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stuti (praise) in offering sequences
अ॒ग्निं म॒न्द्रं पु॑रुप्रि॒यं शी॒रं पा॑व॒कशो॑चिषम् । हृ॒द्भिर्म॒न्द्रेभि॑रीमहे ॥
अ॒ग्निम् । म॒न्द्रम् । पु॒रु॒ऽप्रि॒यम् । शी॒रम् । पा॒व॒कऽशो॑चिषम् । हृ॒त्ऽभिः । म॒न्द्रेभिः॑ । ई॒म॒हे॒ ॥
agnim | mandram | puru-priyam | śīram | pāvaka-śociṣam | hṛt-bhiḥ | mandrebhiḥ | īmahe
32
4×8 (approx.)
Melodic and affectionate; repeated ‘mandra’ gives resonance.
Opens the chest and softens the breath; evokes warmth and devotion while keeping clarity.
- मन्द्र (mandra)
- Literal: pleasant/rapturous, resonant. Symbolic: uplifted delight; inspired gladness that supports sādhanā
- पुरुप्रिय (puru-priya)
- Literal: dear to many. Symbolic: universally lovable divine presence; the fire that responds to all sincere calls
- शीर (śīra)
- Literal: strong, vigorous. Symbolic: firm will-force; capacity to endure and act rightly
- पावकशोचिष (pāvaka-śociṣ)
- Literal: with purifying flame. Symbolic: purifier of nature; clarifying light that burns impurity
- हृद्भिः (hṛdbhiḥ)
- Literal: by hearts. Symbolic: psychic-emotional center offering itself as altar
Devotional invocation emphasizing inner affect (hṛd) as instrument; suitable for moments of intensifying bhāva/ardor in the offering.
Morning/evening recitation to kindle devotional fire
Stotra-style praise; may accompany lamp/diya offering in later practice analogues
Heart-centered invocation before meditation; useful for those who feel dry or over-mental in practice.
(mandrá-) from √ ‘to rejoice, be glad’ (also ‘slow’ in later Sanskrit; RV sense is delight/rapture). (pā́vaka-) from √ ‘to purify’ (causative/derivative): purifying agency. (śócis-) ‘flame, radiance’ from √ ‘shine, be bright, be pure’—light and purity intertwined.
purification (pāvaka), delight (ānanda-like mandra quality), heart as organ of consciousness
Purification (pāvaka) is the means by which the being aligns with ṛta.
Strength (śīra) supports fidelity to truth in action.
Fire as the evolutionary agent: it refines the heart-matter into conscious devotion.
Bhakti-yoga integrated with jñāna/tapas (Aurobindonian synthesis): delight as a power of transformation.
Flame = aspiration; purifying light = discernment; heart = inner altar where transformation is sustained.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as purifying delight: not only a slayer but a joy-bearing purifier. Innerly, the flame is sought through the heart’s rapture; purification is inseparable from a higher delight that draws the being upward.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- śuc ‘shine/pure’ connects to PIE *ḱeu-/*ḱleu- fields debated; the common IE association of brightness with purity is strong. hṛd (heart) parallels PIE *ḱerd- (Latin cor, Greek kardia), reflecting a shared metaphor of heart as center of personhood.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The instrument of approach is the heart (hṛd), not only the tongue. The r̥ṣi offers an affective alignment—rapture to rapture—so Agni’s purifying radiance can be received without resistance.
Ignite a joyful aspiration in the heart; let the inner fire be both sweet (mandra) and purifying (pāvaka).
Anahata (heart)
Coherent breathing ~5–6 breaths/min; silently repeat ‘agnim mandram’ on inhale, ‘hṛdbhir mandrebhir īmahe’ on exhale.
Devotional concentration with gentle joy.
Place awareness behind the sternum; recall a moment of pure gratitude; offer it to the flame. If agitation arises, return to ‘pāvakaśociṣam’ and feel the emotion clarified rather than suppressed.
Three-tone; keep ‘mandram’ slightly lifted; let ‘pāvakaśociṣam’ carry a bright peak; soften at ‘īmahe’.
Do not over-aspirate: śīram (not ‘shheera’). Keep pāvaka-śociṣam as two parts with a light internal pause.
śīram: long ī; palatal ś, not retroflex ṣ., pāvaka: long ā; v is dental-labial, not ‘w’., śociṣam: ‘śo-ci-ṣam’ with retroflex ṣ., hṛdbhiḥ: conjunct hṛd-bhiḥ; keep vocalic ṛ short.
Warm, resonant, heart-led; moderate volume; sustained vowels.
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