Rig Veda 10.3.7: Mandala 10, Sukta 3, Mantra 7
Sukta 10.3
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स आ वक्षि महि न आ च सत्सि दिवस्पृथिव्योररतिर्युवत्योः । अग्निः सुतुकः सुतुकेभिरश्वै रभस्वद्भी रभस्वाँ एह गम्याः ॥
sá ā́ vakṣi máhi na ā́ ca satsi divás-pṛthivyór aratír yuvatyóḥ | agníḥ su-túkaḥ su-túkebhir áśvaiḥ rábhasvad-bhī rábhasvān éha gamyāḥ ||
Tráenos la grandeza y siéntate aquí con nosotros — Agni, la Potencia en movimiento de los dos jóvenes, Cielo y Tierra. Con caballos veloces, bien uncidos, impetuoso y fuerte, ven aquí, a nuestro recinto de ofrenda.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आगमनार्थे) / निपातःRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वक्षि
- bring (hither)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (अध्याहृत) क्रिया; कर्ता = त्वम्Root वह् (वहति) + आ (उपसर्ग) → आ-वह्
- महि
- greatly, mightilyIndeclinable (adverbial) / Adjectiveअव्ययवत् प्रयोगःRoot महि (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘मह्/महत्’ से)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचनम् (वेदे ‘नः’ = our/to us)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- आ
- hitherIndeclinableनिपातःRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थकःRoot च (निपात)
- सत्सि
- sit down (here)!Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (अध्याहृत) क्रिया; कर्ता = त्वम्Root सद् (सीदति) + आ (उपसर्ग) → आ-सीद्
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः/पुंलिङ्गः (वेदे), षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्धे) / विशेषण-सम्बन्धRoot दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौः)
- पृथिव्योः
- of heaven-and-earth (of the two: earths)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी द्विवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्धे) / विशेषण-सम्बन्धRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरतिः
- the mover/driver; the guiding activityNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्धवाक्ये/विशेषणरूपेण) अथवा विशेष्य-विशेषणभावःRoot अरति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘गतिः/चेष्टा/रथ-चालन’ अर्थे)
- युवत्योः
- of the two young womenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी द्विवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्धे)Root युवती (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- Agni (Fire)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतुकः
- well-kindled, blazing wellAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (अग्नि-विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root सु-तुक (प्रातिपदिक; सु + तुक ‘well-kindled/quick to blaze’ इत्यर्थे)
- सुतुकेभिः
- with well-kindled (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot सु-तुक (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वैः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- रभस्वद्भिः
- with swift/forceful (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया बहुवचनम् (अश्व-विशेषणम्)Role KaraṇaRoot रभस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘रभस्’ = वेग/बल)
- रभस्वान्
- swift, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (अग्नि-विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root रभस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableदेशवाचक-अव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- गम्याः
- to be come; come (hither)!Verbal adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (वेदे आज्ञार्थे/विध्यर्थे)Role Kartā (आह्वानार्थे) अथवा विधेय-विशेषणम्Root गम् (धातु) → गम्य (कृत्: यत्/ण्यत्; ‘गन्तव्य/आगन्तव्य’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्य): सः | आ | वक्षि | महि | नः | आ | च | सत्सि | दिवः | पृथिव्योः | अरतिः | युवत्योः | अग्निः | सुतुकः | सुतुकेभिः | अश्वैः | रभस्वद्भिः | रभस्वान् | इह | गम्याः । 1) ‘दिवस्पृथिव्योः’ = ‘दिवः पृथिव्योः’ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + प् → स् + प्). 2) ‘अरतिर्युवत्योः’ = ‘अरतिः युवत्योः’ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + य् → र् + य्). 3) ‘अश्वै रभस्वद्भी’ = ‘अश्वैः रभस्वद्भिः’ (पदपाठे विसर्गः स्पष्टः; संहितायां ः लोप/विकल्प). 4) ‘एह’ पाठः ‘इह’ (निपात) इति ग्रहणम्
- संहितालिप्यां ‘इह’ → ‘एह’ इत्यपि दृश्यते (स्वर/उच्चारण-भेद)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The singer calls Agni to bring “greatness” and to sit at the offering, as the active power moving between Heaven and Earth, coming quickly with well-yoked, swift horses to the sacrificial field.
Inner meaning
Agni is invoked as the divine Will and conscious Force that can “carry” (vakṣi) into our being a greater amplitude (mahi) and then establish itself (satsi) in the inner altar. As the arati (moving/working power) of the two “young ones” (Heaven and Earth), Agni mediates between higher mind (dyu) and embodied nature (pṛthivī), harnessing the life-forces (aśvāḥ) that are swift and eager (rabhasvat) so the aspiration can become effective in action.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires an awakened inner Fire that links the heights of consciousness with the field of embodied life, organizing the energies of action into a disciplined, swift movement toward the Divine Presence.
Themes
invitation, descent-of-agni, wideness, swift-forces
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.3 (Agni hymn cluster)
Significance
The anonymity of several Maṇḍala 10 seers often reflects a more universalized voice of aspiration: the mantra speaks less from lineage-identity and more from the collective seeker calling the inner Fire to bridge heaven and earth.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Arati of Heaven-and-Earth, Sutuka (swift/well-yoked), Jātavedas (implied: knower of births), Hotṛ (implied: priest of the inner offering)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Indra, Soma, Dyaus, Pṛthivī
Cosmic role
Mediator between the worlds; carrier of offerings; awakener of the path between earthly life and the luminous heights.
Inner power
Divine Will and the executive flame that harnesses energies, makes aspiration effective, and establishes a stable inner altar.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra/Āhavanīya kindling and invitatory verses to Agni (general Agni invocation)
स आ व॑क्षि॒ महि॑ न॒ आ च॑ सत्सि दि॒वस्पृ॑थि॒व्योर॑र॒तिर्यु॑व॒त्योः । अ॒ग्निः सु॒तुक॑: सु॒तुके॑भि॒रश्वै॒ रभ॑स्वद्भी॒ रभ॑स्वाँ॒ एह ग॑म्याः ॥
सः । आ । व॒क्षि॒ । महि॑ । नः॒ । आ । च॒ । स॒त्सि॒ । दि॒वःपृ॑थि॒व्योः । अ॒र॒तिः । यु॒व॒त्योः । अ॒ग्निः । सु॒ऽतुकः॑ । सु॒त्ऽउके॑भिः । अश्वैः॑ । रभ॑स्वत्ऽभिः । रभ॑स्वान् । आ । इ॒ह । ग॒म्याः॒ ॥
saḥ | ā | vakṣi | mahi | naḥ | ā | ca | satsi | divaḥpṛthivyoḥ | aratiḥ | yuvatyoḥ | agniḥ | su-tukaḥ | sut-ukebhiḥ | aśvaiḥ | rabhasvat-bhiḥ | rabhasvān | ā | iha | gamyāḥ
Triṣṭubh (probable for this section of RV 10.3 in many metrical listings)
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, martial-aspirational cadence with room for emphatic imperatives.
Creates a sense of summoning and descent: a rhythmic ‘pull’ that helps the mind call and seat the inner Fire.
- वक्षि (vakṣi)
- Literal: carry/bring. Symbolic: the soul-force that conveys higher power into the being
- महि (mahi)
- Literal: greatness. Symbolic: vastness of consciousness; wideness and strength of the divine working
- सत्सि (satsi)
- Literal: sit down, take seat. Symbolic: establishment of Agni in the heart/inner altar as steady will
- दिवःपृथिव्योः (divaspṛthivyoḥ)
- Literal: of Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: higher mental/spiritual consciousness and the embodied nature
- अरति (arati)
- Literal: moving/active power. Symbolic: effective executive force that mediates and accomplishes
- युवत्योः (yuvatyoḥ)
- Literal: of the two young women. Symbolic: ever-renewing Heaven/Earth principles; fresh powers of above and below
- अश्वैः (aśvaiḥ)
- Literal: horses. Symbolic: vital energies and dynamic forces of action
- रभस्वत् (rabhasvat)
- Literal: impetuous, vehement. Symbolic: ardent life-force purified for divine work
- क्षेत्र/इह (implicit ‘field’, iha)
- Literal: here, the place of offering. Symbolic: the present moment and embodied field where realization must descend
Invitation for Agni to ‘sit’ on the sacrificial seat and bring ‘mahi’ (greatness). Appropriate for the āvāhana (inviting) phase of fire-offerings; inwardly, calling the divine will to take its seat in the heart and bring wideness.
At the opening of offerings; when inviting Agni to the seat and establishing the fire as priest.
Āvāhana (invocation), seating (āsana), offering with clarified butter/oblations.
Use as a pre-meditation invocation to ‘seat’ will and clarity before work, study, or sādhanā—especially when energies are scattered and need harnessing.
ā vakṣi from √ ‘carry/bring’ (PIE *weǵʰ-). aśva ‘horse’ from PIE *h₁eḱwos (Lat equus). The horse-team is a standard IE image for controlled powers of motion; here the ‘swift horses’ are inner energies yoked to Agni’s progress. mahi (greatness) indicates expansion (bṛhat-like wideness) rather than external wealth.
wideness/greatness (mahi/bṛhat), descent and establishment (ā-sad), yoked energies (aśva as controlled force)
Agni as the executor of Ṛta: he organizes the movement between Heaven and Earth into a lawful ascent/descent.
‘Mahi’ indicates the truth-wide consciousness that can be brought down and made present.
Mediation of worlds; the two poles (above/below) unified by a conscious force.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: descent of higher consciousness into life through Agni as will.
Fire = will; horses = energized prāṇa; heaven/earth = higher mind and embodied nature; field = the present psycho-physical being offered for transformation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The god’s arrival in a chariot-team image: Agni comes with swift horses and is asked to sit at the offering, bringing greatness. Mythically, it is the descent/approach of the divine power into the human rite (and inner field).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva (horse) is a classic IE inheritance (PIE *h₁eḱwos). The ‘yoked horses’ trope reflects shared IE sacral poetics where divine powers travel as harnessed forces—reinterpreted here as disciplined energies that carry consciousness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests a concrete reciprocity: Agni is invited to take seat (presence) and to bring mahi (wideness). The human provides the locus (sacrifice/heart-seat); Agni provides the expanding force and swift movement toward the higher state.
Seat the inner Fire in the heart and invite a ‘greater wideness’ to descend into action.
anahata
gentle ujjayi with a slight emphasis on exhale to ‘seat’ and stabilize attention
Collected, widened, and energized; a poised readiness for right action.
Chant once slowly to invoke, then repeat in sets while visualizing a flame in the heart linking upward to a clear sky and downward into the body’s field of work; offer a chosen intention as oblation.
Use standard Ṛgvedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as per śākhā; keep the imperative verbs (vakṣi, satsi, gamyāḥ) clearly projected with udātta prominence where marked.
Sustain udātta slightly; let svarita fall cleanly without dragging; keep pāda breaks crisp after yuvatyoḥ and aśvaiḥ.
Maintain retroflex in pṛthivī-, Keep cluster in divaspṛthivyoḥ flowing: di-vas-pṛ-thi-vyoḥ, Nasalization in rabhasvām̐: lightly nasalize without over-humming, Gamyāḥ: clear palatal ‘y’ glide, not ‘j’
Bright, summoning, steady chest resonance
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