Rig Veda 4.2.19: Mandala 4, Sukta 2, Mantra 19
Sukta 4.2
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अकर्म ते स्वपसो अभूम ऋतमवस्रन्नुषसो विभातीः । अनूनमग्निं पुरुधा सुश्चन्द्रं देवस्य मर्मृजतश्चारु चक्षुः ॥
ákarm te svápaso abhūma ṛtám avasrann uṣáso vi-bhātī́ḥ | anū́nam agníṃ purudhā́ su-candrám devásya marmṛ́jataś cā́ru cákṣuḥ ||
Nos hemos vuelto tus buenos obradores, oh Agni; las Uṣas (Auroras), resplandecientes, han derramado el Ṛta, Verdad y Orden. De muchas maneras han hecho a Agni sin mancha y bellamente luminoso; pulen el amable ojo del dios: la visión del fuego.
Word by Word
- अकर्म
- (as) non-working / without actionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्यक्त-रूप; ‘अकर्म’ = ‘कर्म न (अस्ति)’)Role KarmaRoot कृ (धातु) / अ-कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वपसः
- well-working, of good workmanshipAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सु-अपस् (प्रातिपदिक) / अपस् ‘कार्य, कर्म’
- अभूम
- we became / we wereVerbलुङ् (अorist), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root भू (धातु)
- ऋतम्
- ṛta, cosmic order / truthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवस्रन्
- they flowed down / streamed forthVerbलुङ् (अorist), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root सृ (धातु) + अव (उपसर्ग)
- उषसः
- the DawnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विभातीः
- shining forth, radiantParticiple (Adjectival)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-समकक्ष)Role Kartā (उषसः का विशेषण)Root भा (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग) / विभाति (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अनूनम्
- not lacking, undiminishedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अग्निम् विशेषयति—अर्थतः ‘अपूर्णं न’)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root अनून (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुधा
- in many ways / manifoldlyIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot पुरुधा (अव्यय; ‘many-ways’)
- सुश्चन्द्रम्
- very bright, fair-shiningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root सु-चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवस्य
- of the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्मृजतः
- they two polish / cleanseVerbलट् (present), तृतीयपुरुष, द्विवचनRole (क्रिया)Root मृज् (धातु) / मर्मृज् (तीव्र/आवृत्ति-रूप, reduplicated present stem)
- चारु
- beautiful, lovelyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (चक्षुः विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- चक्षुः
- eye; (figuratively) light/visionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अकर्म | ते | स्वपसः | अभूम | ऋतम् | अवस्रन् | उषसः | विभातीः || अनूनम् | अग्निम् | पुरुधा | सु-चन्द्रम् | देवस्य | मर्मृजतः | चारु | चक्षुः || 1) ‘अवस्रन्नुṣaso’ = अवस्रन् + उषसः (न् + उ → नु; संहितायां ‘न्नु’)
- 2) ‘सुश्चन्द्रम्’ = सु + चन्द्रम् (उ + च → उश्च; व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
- 3) ‘मर्मृजतश्चारु’ = मर्मृजतः + चारु (ः + च → श्च; विसर्ग-सन्धि)
- 4) ‘चक्षु:’ = चक्षुः (विसर्ग-लेखनभेद)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We have become your good workers, Agni; the shining Dawns have poured forth the Truth. In many ways they have made Agni flawless and beautifully bright; they polish the god’s lovely eye.
Inner meaning
The aspirants declare themselves svapasaḥ—effective workers of Agni’s inner sacrifice. With awakening (uṣasaḥ vibhātīḥ), the Dawns of illumination pour out ṛtam: the true order and truth-substance descending into mind. These illuminations act repeatedly and variously (purudhā) to make Agni anūnam—without lack, integral, unbroken—suścandraṃ, beautifully luminous. The ‘lovely eye’ (cāru cakṣuḥ) is Agni’s vision: the awakened perceptive flame in the being, polished (marmṛjataḥ) by constant discernment and purity until it becomes a steady seeing-force.
Universal truth
When illumination rises, truth-order descends. Persistent inner work and repeated awakenings refine the will and clarify perception, turning aspiration into stable vision.
Themes
purification, dawn-awakening, clarified vision
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.2.1, RV 4.2.16, RV 4.3.1
Family tradition
Mandala 4 repeatedly links Agni’s growth with Uṣas and ṛta; the seer emphasizes progressive purification leading to stable inner sight.
Significance
Vāmadeva articulates the pedagogy of illumination: repeated dawns polish perception until the will becomes a seeing flame—central to Aurobindo’s ‘psychic and spiritual transformation’ reading.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Uṣas auxiliary)
- Epithets
- svapā (implied through svapasaḥ), suścandra (beautifully luminous), anūna (integral)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya (implicit in dawn-light), Indra (illumination-force)
Cosmic role
Agni as revealer and carrier of ṛta; Uṣas as bringer of truth-light that prepares the field.
Inner power
Agni: will that becomes vision; Uṣas: awakening illumination that pours truth into the mind.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning Agnihotra/Agni praise; also Soma contexts where Uṣas and ṛta are invoked.
अक॑र्म ते॒ स्वप॑सो अभूम ऋ॒तम॑वस्रन्नु॒षसो॑ विभा॒तीः । अनू॑नम॒ग्निं पु॑रु॒धा सु॑श्च॒न्द्रं दे॒वस्य॒ मर्मृ॑जत॒श्चारु॒ चक्षु॑: ॥
अक॑र्म । ते॒ । सि॒ऽअप॑सः । अ॒भू॒म॒ । ऋ॒तम् । अ॒व॒स्र॒न् । उ॒षसः॑ । वि॒ऽभा॒तीः । अनू॑नम् । अ॒ग्निम् । पु॒रु॒धा । सु॒ऽच॒न्द्रम् । दे॒वस्य॑ । मर्मृ॑जतः । चारु॑ । चक्षुः॑ ॥
akarma | te | si-apasaḥ | abhūma | ṛtam | avasran | uṣasaḥ | vi-bhātīḥ | anūnam | agnim | purudhā | su-candram | devasya | marmṛjataḥ | cāru | cakṣuḥ
44
4 × ~11
Clear, ascending movement in first half (dawns pouring ṛta), then a refining cadence (polishing the eye).
Supports a meditative ascent into clarity; encourages steadiness and purification rather than intensity alone.
- स्वपसः (svapasaḥ)
- Literal: good workers, effective doers. Symbolic: those whose energies are rightly harnessed to the inner sacrifice
- ऋतम् (ṛtam)
- Literal: truth, right order. Symbolic: law of right becoming; truth-substance descending into consciousness
- उषसः (uṣasaḥ)
- Literal: dawns. Symbolic: successive illuminations and awakenings
- विभातीः (vibhātīḥ)
- Literal: shining out. Symbolic: clear emergence of light in mind
- अनूनम् (anūnam)
- Literal: not lacking, complete. Symbolic: integral will; unbroken flame of aspiration
- सुचन्द्रम् (su-candram)
- Literal: beautifully bright/moonlike. Symbolic: cool-luminous clarity, steady radiance of purified will
- मर्मृजतः (marmṛjataḥ)
- Literal: they polish, cleanse. Symbolic: refinement by repeated discernment and tapas
- चारु चक्षुः (cāru cakṣuḥ)
- Literal: lovely eye. Symbolic: inner seeing—Agni as vision-force in the heart/mind
Purification motif: dawn-awakenings ‘polish’ Agni’s vision; used to invoke clarity and flawlessness in the sacrificial fire and in the seeker’s sight.
At dawn or in morning recitations; whenever invoking purity and right order before offerings/work.
Kindling/feeding the fire; recitation facing east; mental offering of thoughts into Agni.
A dawn mantra for clarity: on waking, chant to ‘pour ṛta’ into the day and polish inner perception before decision-making.
mṛj- ‘wipe/cleanse’ (PIE *merg- ‘wipe’ cf. Latin mergere ‘dip’ is different; but Indo-European cleansing roots are common). uṣas again from PIE *h₂eus-. cákṣu ‘eye/vision’ from √cakṣ ‘see’ (PIE *kw(e)kʷ-?; cognates in Avestan čašman ‘eye’).
ṛta flowing down (descent of truth), purification/clarification (mṛj), vision as spiritual faculty (cakṣu)
Explicit: ṛtam avasran—truth-order flows down with the dawns.
Truth becomes experiential as a ‘seeing’ (cakṣuḥ) rather than belief.
Daily re-creation: dawn renews the world; illumination renews the inner world.
R̥ta-Satya psychology leading toward Upaniṣadic ‘inner light’ doctrine.
dawn
Dawn = awakening illumination; fire = will; eye = inner discernment; sun = supramental/greater light hinted through Uṣas.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn as purifier of the divine sight: the awakenings ‘polish’ the god’s eye—inner myth of cleansing perception so that ṛta can flow and Agni becomes flawless in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- cakṣu ‘eye’ parallels Avestan čašman, showing Indo-Iranian continuity of the ‘eye/vision’ lexeme and its extension to spiritual seeing.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi declares transformed agency: ‘we have become thy good workers’. Human effort aligns with dawn-awakenings to perfect Agni’s vision within, enabling the descent/flow of ṛta.
Let dawn-like illumination pour ṛta into the mind; refine will until it becomes clear seeing.
Ājñā (inner sight) supported by Anāhata (psychic fire)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana (alternate nostril) 5–7 rounds, then silent awareness at the brow/heart.
Clear, sattvic, luminous quietude.
Chant at sunrise; visualize a soft dawn-light entering the forehead and descending to kindle a steady flame in the heart; practice ‘polishing’ by observing thoughts without consent and offering them into Agni.
Tri-svara; keep a gentle rise on uṣasaḥ and ṛtam; settle softly on cāru cakṣuḥ (verify with svara text).
Let caesura breathe naturally after abhūma and vibhātīḥ; avoid clipping ṛtam.
Retroflex ṭ in ṛtam not needed; but keep ṛ vowel clear (ṛ)., In marmṛjataḥ: articulate the repeated ṛ, avoid turning into ‘marmaj’., Keep suścandraṃ with ś + c cluster clean (ś-c).
Clear, gentle, luminous; minimal force, maximum purity of tone.
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