Rig Veda 4.11.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 11, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.11
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
त्वामग्ने प्रथमं देवयन्तो देवं मर्ता अमृत मन्द्रजिह्वम् । द्वेषोयुतमा विवासन्ति धीभिर्दमूनसं गृहपतिममूरम् ॥
tvā́m agne prathamáṃ devayánto deváṃ mártā amṛta mandrájihvam | dveṣoyutám ā́ vivāsanti dhībhír damū́nasaṃ gṛhápatiṃ amū́ram ||
A ti, oh Agni, los que buscan lo divino te eligen y te encienden primero: a ti, el dios, oh Inmortal, de lengua de llama jubilosa. Con sus pensamientos te hacen morar, repelente de la hostilidad, señor de la casa, no confundido, que guía el hogar interior en el orden recto.
Word by Word
- त्वाम्
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमम्
- first, at the beginningAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्: ‘प्रथमम्’ = ‘first/at first’)Role विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवयन्तः
- seeking the gods / god-wardAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वर्तमान कृदन्त)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण ‘मर्ताः’)Root देवयन्त् (देव + √यम्/यत् ‘to strive/seek’; इच्छार्थक वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- देवम्
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (त्वाम्-देवम्: ‘you, the god’)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्ताः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृत
- O immortal oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (अग्ने इति सम्बोधनस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधन (विशेषण)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्द्रजिह्वम्
- having a pleasant tongue (flame)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अग्निं/त्वाम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root मन्द्र-जिह्व (समास; मन्द्र ‘sweet/pleasant’ + जिह्व ‘tongue’)
- द्वेषोयुतम्
- (that which is) yoked with hostility; hostile (thing/force)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (आ इति उपसर्गस्य कर्म/लक्ष्यरूपेण)Role कर्म/लक्ष्यRoot द्वेषस् + युत (समास; ‘joined with/attended by hatred/hostility’)
- आ
- towards, upIndeclinableउपसर्गः (√वास्/√वस् ‘to dwell/shine’ इत्यत्र ‘towards, up to’)Role दिशा/प्रवृत्तिनिमित्तRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- विवासन्ति
- they serve / they cause to shine forth / they attendVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot वि + √वास् (वस्) ‘to dwell/abide; (Vedic) to shine forth/serve’
- धीभिः
- with thoughts, with hymnic insightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)
- दमूनसम्
- the house-dwelling/house-helping oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गृहपतिम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root दमूनस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘of the house’, ‘house-friend/house-lord’—Agni as domestic)
- गृहपतिम्
- the lord of the houseNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गृहपति (समास; गृह ‘house’ + पति ‘lord’)
- अमूरम्
- unerring, not deludedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गृहपतिम्/अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root अमूर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘not-foolish’, ‘unerring’, ‘wise’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): त्वाम् | अग्ने | प्रथमम् | देवयन्तः | देवम् | मर्ताः | अमृत | मन्द्रजिह्वम् || द्वेषोयुतम् | आ | विवासन्ति | धीभिः | दमूनसम् | गृहपतिम् | अमूरम् || 1) ‘त्वामग्ने’ = त्वाम् + अग्ने (म् + अ → म् अ, संहितायाम् संयोगः)
- 2) ‘देवयन्तो देवम्’ = देवयन्तः + देवम् (विसर्गस्य ओ-आदेशः संहितायाम्; पदे ‘देवयन्तः’)
- 3) ‘धीभिर्दमूनसम्’ = धीभिः + दमूनसम् (विसर्गः + द → र् (रेफ) संधिः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The mortals who seek the divine first choose and kindle Agni, the immortal god with rapturous tongue; with their thoughts they make him dwell as repeller of hostility, lord of the house, unbewildered.
Inner meaning
In inner sadhana, the first act is to choose Agni—ignite the divine Will before other movements. ‘Devayantaḥ’ are those turned toward the Divine; they kindle the immortal flame (amṛta) whose ‘mandra-jihvā’ is the ecstatic tongue of aspiration and mantra. By dhī (concentrated thought/insight) they invite him to abide in the inner home (damūnasam, gṛhapati): the psychic being’s governance of the nature. As dveṣoyutam, Agni yokes away hostility—inner hatred, self-opposition, doubt, and intrusive forces. Amūra (unbewildered) indicates clear guidance, not confused impulse.
Universal truth
Spiritual life begins by placing the inner will under a higher flame; sustained right thought invites that flame to govern the ‘house’ of our nature and to repel hostile, divisive forces.
Themes
Agni first invoked, Gṛhapati (lord of inner house), Protection and clarity
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.1.1 (purohita theme, later tradition), RV 4.1, RV 4.2
Family tradition
The Gautamas often frame Agni as the first principle of the rite and the inner life—purohita and gṛhapati—establishing right order in the ‘house’ of the being.
Significance
Vāmadeva’s emphasis on ‘first choosing Agni’ is a practical yogic instruction: begin with aspiration and inner governance, not with outer achievement.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- amṛta (immortal), mandrajihva (rapturous-tongued), gṛhapati (lord of the house), dveṣoyuta (repeller of hostility), amūra (unbewildered)
- Related deities
- Soma (ecstasy supporting mandra), Indra (victory over hostile forces), Rudra (protector aspect, later resonance)
Cosmic role
House-lord of the sacrifice; protector; purifier; establishes harmonious order in the dwelling of men and in the worlds.
Inner power
Psychic fire that governs the nature, protects the sadhana, and turns speech into aspiration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnyādhāna/Agnihotra ethos (kindling and establishing Agni as house-lord) though the hymn is Rigvedic stuti used in broader Śrauta contexts.
त्वाम॑ग्ने प्रथ॒मं दे॑व॒यन्तो॑ दे॒वं मर्ता॑ अमृत म॒न्द्रजि॑ह्वम् । द्वे॒षो॒युत॒मा वि॑वासन्ति धी॒भिर्दमू॑नसं गृ॒हप॑ति॒ममू॑रम् ॥
त्वाम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । प्र॒थ॒मम् । दे॒व॒ऽयन्तः॑ । दे॒वम् । भर्ता॑ । अ॒मृ॒त॒ । म॒न्द्रऽजि॑ह्वम् । द्वे॒षः॒ऽयुत॑म् । आ । वि॒वा॒स॒न्ति॒ । धी॒भिः । दमू॑नसम् । गृ॒हऽप॑तिम् । अमू॑रम् ॥
tvām | agne | prathamam | deva-yantaḥ | devam | bhartā | amṛta | mandra-jihvam | dveṣaḥ-yutam | ā | vivāsanti | dhībhiḥ | damūnasam | gṛha-patim | amūram
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4×11 syllables (approx.)
Invocatory and stabilizing; ‘tvām agne prathamaṃ’ gives a firm opening anchor.
Centers the practitioner; evokes protection and clear inner leadership.
- प्रथमम् (prathamaṃ)
- Literal: first. Symbolic: priority of kindling aspiration before action
- देवयन्तः (devayantaḥ)
- Literal: seeking the gods/divine. Symbolic: orientation of the being toward higher consciousness
- अमृत (amṛta)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless flame of the soul; enduring will-to-truth
- मन्द्रजिह्व (mandrajihva)
- Literal: with rapturous tongue. Symbolic: ecstatic aspiration; mantra-bearing flame
- धीभिः (dhībhiḥ)
- Literal: with thoughts/insights. Symbolic: concentrated intelligence; meditative offering
- दमूनस (damūnasa)
- Literal: of the house/home. Symbolic: indwelling fire in the inner dwelling (heart-nature)
- गृहपति (gṛhapati)
- Literal: lord of the house. Symbolic: governing presence ordering the nature
- द्वेषोयुत (dveṣoyuta)
- Literal: yoked against hostility. Symbolic: repels inner opposition, doubt, discordant forces
- अमूर (amūra)
- Literal: not confused, not deluded. Symbolic: clear guidance; unerring discrimination
Foundational Agni-kindling sentiment: Agni first in order of invocation; domestic and śrauta contexts (gārhapatya/gṛhapati resonance), also protective against dveṣa in ritual space.
At the establishment/kindling of fire; also as a protective invocation within rites.
Āvāhana (inviting Agni to dwell) and stuti emphasizing protection from hostility.
Daily ‘inner kindling’ practice: chant at the start of meditation to establish a protective, clear intention and to reduce inner conflict.
prathama ‘first’ emphasizes Agni’s primacy as initiator of yajña and inner discipline. devay- ‘seek the gods’ (deva + √i ‘go’) indicates aspiration. mandra ‘gladdening/rapturous’ + jihvā ‘tongue’ (flame-tongue). vivāsanti from vi-ā-√vas ‘cause to dwell, entertain, kindle’—hosting the deity in the altar/heart. gṛhapati ‘lord of the house’ (gṛha + pati, PIE *pótis ‘master’, cf. Greek pótnia/pótis, Latin potis). amūra ‘unbewildered’ (a- + mūra ‘confused/deluded’).
Primacy of will-fire in sādhanā, Hosting the divine (inner indwelling), Removal of hostility (dveṣa) for harmony in ṛta
Agni as gṛhapati installs ṛta in the microcosm: thoughts, emotions, and actions take their right places.
Amūra implies the truth-guidance that does not err amid mixed impulses.
Establishing Agni as first is like establishing the cosmic fire at the beginning of order.
Yoga of the inner sacrifice (antar-yajña): governance by the psychic fire.
Hearth = heart-center; flame-tongue = aspiration/speech; house-lord = inner ruler aligning nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as first-invoked household lord: mortals who seek the divine ‘host’ him with dhī, making him dwell as gṛhapati and remover of hostility. Inner myth: the psychic home is established by kindling the will-fire, which orders and protects the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati ‘lord’ reflects PIE *pótis (Greek pótis, Sanskrit pati). jihvā ‘tongue’ aligns with PIE *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s / related ‘tongue’ lexemes (cf. Latin lingua via different development). The ‘hosting’ verb √vas ‘dwell’ is widely IE (cf. English ‘was’ is unrelated; but Slavic *ves- ‘village’ shows semantic neighborhood of dwelling).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames a discipline: divine-seekers begin by establishing Agni. The exchange is intimate and cognitive—Agni is invited to dwell through dhī (inspired thought), and in return he becomes the clear, unbewildered master of the inner house, expelling hostility and safeguarding the yajña within.
Establish Agni as the governing will in the ‘inner house’; offer thoughts (dhī) to invite his steady presence.
Anāhata (inner dwelling/psychic presence) supported by Maṇipūra (kindling will).
Slow coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min). Chant softly on exhale; pause after each pāda to feel ‘Agni dwelling’.
Collected, protected inwardness; readiness for deeper practice.
Make a simple sankalpa: ‘First, the Divine Will.’ Chant 1–3 times; then observe where inner hostility or self-division appears and offer it into the flame without argument.
Vedic accenting; opening phrase should be steady and grounded; maintain clear pāda breaks.
Do not rush mandrajihvam; give it a smooth, resonant contour. Keep dveṣoyutam crisp to convey protective force.
: de-va-yan-to, keep ‘yan’ clear, : man-dra-ji-hvam, conjunct jh + v, : dve-ṣo-yu-tam, retroflex ṣ, : vi-vā-san-ti, long ā, : gṛ-ha-pa-tim, vocalic ṛ in gṛ
Warm, steady, protective; slightly softer volume to emphasize indwelling.
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