Rig Veda 4.7.6: Mandala 4, Sukta 7, Mantra 6
Sukta 4.7
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तं शश्वतीषु मातृषु वन आ वीतमश्रितम् । चित्रं सन्तं गुहा हितं सुवेदं कूचिदर्थिनम् ॥
táṃ śaśvátīṣu mātṛ́ṣu vána ā́ vītám aśrítam | citráṃ sántam gúhā hitáṃ su-védaṃ kūcíd-arthínam ||
A él lo buscamos y a él nos acercamos entre las Madres eternas, en el crecimiento boscoso de la Naturaleza: al que ha entrado y ha tomado asiento. Maravilloso en su ser, oculto en la cueva secreta, es perfectamente cognoscible para el buscador — aunque sólo lo busca quien de veras anhela.
Word by Word
- तम्
- him/that (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शश्वतीषु
- among the everlasting/continuous (ones)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot शश्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मातृषु
- among the mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वने
- in the wood/forestNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्गःRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वीतम्
- found/obtained; brought/led (to)Adjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (कर्मणि भूतकृदन्तः) तम् इति विशेषणम्Role कर्मRoot √वी (वे/वाय्) ‘to weave/cover; to go/drive’ (धातु) → वीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्रितम्
- rested in, lodged, taken refuge inAdjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (भूतकृदन्तः) तम् इति विशेषणम्Role कर्मRoot आ-√श्रि ‘to resort to, lean on’ (धातु) → अश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्रम्
- bright, wondrousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्तम्
- being, existentParticipleपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot √अस् ‘to be’ → सन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- गुहाः
- of the cave; in concealmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (वैदिके ‘गुहा’ = ‘गुहायाः’)Role अधिकारण (सम्बन्ध-निर्देशः)Root गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
- हितम्
- placed, hidden, depositedAdjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot √धा ‘to place’ → हि-त (निहित/हित) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवेदम्
- well-known; easy to find/recognizeAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot सु-वेद (प्रातिपदिक) < सु + √विद्/√वेद ‘to know’
- कुचित्
- somewhere; in some placeIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root कु + चित् (निपात-समास)
- अर्थिनम्
- seeker, one desiring (a goal/wealth)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) मातृषु वन आ → मातृषु | वने | आ (final -aḥ/-a of वन with following ā gives separate pada in RV pada-text; here taken as वने + आ)
- (2) गुहा हि॒तम् → गुहाः | हितम् (Vedic gen. sg. गुहाः for classical गुहायाः; hiatus preserved)
- (3) कूचिदर्थिनम् → कुचित् | अर्थिनम् (ū is Vedic orthography/metrical lengthening for ku; underlying indeclinable कुचित्)
- Accent marks (॑, ॒) are retained from saṃhitā but do not change morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
We seek him in the eternal Mothers, in the forest; approached, he has taken his seat. Wondrous in being, hidden in the cave, he is well-knowable to the seeker—yet found only by one who truly yearns.
Inner meaning
Agni is sought within the ‘eternal Mothers’—the sustaining powers of manifestation (often read as the divine energies/modes of Nature that bear the worlds). In the forest of our nature he has already entered and is seated: the hidden psychic fire within life and body. Though concealed in the secret cave (guhā), he is perfectly knowable (su-veda) to the one-pointed aspirant; but only the true arthin (one who intensely needs/longs) discovers him. This is the Vedic psychology of the secret soul-fire awaiting discovery.
Universal truth
The deepest guiding flame is already within, hidden by the density of nature. It is not inaccessible—only concealed. Sincere longing and persistent seeking unveil what is most intimate and most transformative.
Themes
Hidden Fire, Inner Agni, Revelation in the cave, Aspiration and seeking
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1, RV 4.2, RV 4.7.1–4.7.5
Family tradition
The Gautama-Vāmadeva hymns often reveal the ‘secret fire’ and the inner cave imagery—central to later Upaniṣadic developments. This verse is especially aligned with the inner quest motif.
Significance
A direct statement of the hidden Agni doctrine: the divine Will/soul-fire is concealed in the cave of the being and becomes knowable through sincere aspiration—an early Vedic seed of the ‘heart-cave’ teaching.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Guhā-hita (hidden in the cave), Citra (wondrous), Su-veda (well-knowable)
- Related deities
- Aditi (as great Mother principle), Uṣas (illumination that reveals), Soma (delight that rewards the seeker)
Cosmic role
Secret fire in creation; indwelling guide that supports evolution from within Nature’s wombs.
Inner power
Psychic being’s flame: discernment, aspiration, and the power to open the hidden doors of consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni hymn usage; thematically linked to ‘forest fire’ and the hidden fire discovered by seers
तं शश्व॑तीषु मा॒तृषु॒ वन॒ आ वी॒तमश्रि॑तम् । चि॒त्रं सन्तं॒ गुहा॑ हि॒तं सु॒वेदं॑ कूचिद॒र्थिन॑म् ॥
तम् । शश्व॑तीषु । मा॒तृषु॑ । वने॑ । आ । वी॒तम् । अश्रि॑तम् । चि॒त्रम् । सन्त॑म् । गुहा॑ । हि॒तम् । सु॒ऽवेद॑म् । कू॒चि॒त्ऽअ॒र्थिन॑म् ॥
tam | śaśvatīṣu | mātṛṣu | vane | ā | vītam | aśritam | citram | santam | guhā | hitam | su-vedam | kūcit-arthinam
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4×11 syllables (approx.); verify with critical edition due to compound density.
Deep, searching, contemplative triṣṭubh; weightier than gāyatrī, suited to ‘hidden cave’ imagery.
Induces inward descent and subtle concentration; supports the feeling of entering the cave of the heart to find the flame.
- śaśvatīṣu mātṛṣu
- Literal: in the eternal mothers. Symbolic: in the sustaining powers of Nature; womb-forces that carry consciousness
- vane
- Literal: in the forest. Symbolic: in the tangled growth of outer nature; the subconscient/instinctive field
- ā vītam aśritam
- Literal: approached, having entered/taken refuge; seated. Symbolic: the inner fire already established in us, waiting for conscious approach
- citraṃ santam
- Literal: wondrous in being. Symbolic: the psychic presence with many-sided luminous qualities
- guhā hitam
- Literal: placed in the cave. Symbolic: hidden in the heart-secret/subconscient depth
- suvedam
- Literal: well-knowable. Symbolic: directly realizable by inner contact (not mere belief)
- kūcidarthinam
- Literal: to some seeker/one who truly seeks. Symbolic: to the intensely yearning aspirant; sincerity as the key
Agni as Hotṛ and divine messenger in Soma-sacrifice; recitation in Agni-invocation sequences to establish the priestly Fire and open the ‘paths’ for offerings (general Śrauta usage, not uniquely fixed to one iṣṭi).
In recitation praising Agni’s secret presence; could accompany kindling with emphasis on hidden origin
Contemplative praise; recollection of Agni’s concealment and discovery
A meditation verse for inner-search practice: used before silent sitting to turn attention from surface mind to the heart-cave.
Key terms: (1) vītám: from vi-√i (eti) ‘to go apart, enter’; Vedic sense often ‘entered into (a place), taken residence’. (2) aśrítam: ā-√śri ‘to lean on, resort to, be supported’; indicates the flame ‘seated’ upon a support (inner basis). (3) guhā: ‘cave’ as the hidden heart or subconscient storehouse; frequent RV image for concealed light/Agni. (4) su-véda: su- ‘well’ + √vid ‘know’; not merely ‘known’, but ‘knowable by right inner seeing’. (5) arthín: from artha ‘aim, need, purpose’ + -in ‘possessing/desiring’; here the qualified seeker whose need is for the Truth/Fire.
Sat (being) as concealed reality, inner revelation (vidyā) through aspiration, guhā (secret heart) as locus of discovery
The hidden fire placed in the cave suggests a lawful concealment and revelation in ṛta: truth is veiled until the being is ready.
Su-veda: truth is directly knowable, not speculative, when the seeker becomes sincere and inward.
Concealment of divine fire in Nature’s womb and its progressive revelation—an evolutionary motif.
Upaniṣadic prefiguration (guhā/heart-cave) within Vedic symbolism; Integral yoga reading: psychic fire as key to transformation.
night-to-dawn transition implied (hidden then revealed)
unspecified
Forest = dense nature; cave = heart-depth/subconscient; mothers = sustaining energies of embodiment; hidden fire = psychic will awaiting discovery.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hidden Agni in the cave/forest’ mythologem: the divine Fire (light-consciousness) is deposited in secrecy (guhā hitam) within the dense growth of embodied Nature (vane), and must be approached by the true arthin (seeker). This is the recurrent RV pattern of concealed light awaiting discovery—not an external firewood scene, but the recovery of inner illumination from the subconscient.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid ‘to know’ (su-véda) continues PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (cf. Latin vidēre, English wit, Greek oîda). The semantic bridge ‘seeing = knowing’ supports the verse’s epistemic emphasis: Agni is not merely worshipped but ‘well-knowable’ through inner sight. The ‘cave’ concealment aligns with Indo-European poetic diction where hidden treasure/light is recovered through inspired quest.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi positions himself as the qualified seeker (arthin) who approaches (ā) the indwelling Agni. The reciprocity is implicit: Agni is ‘su-veda’—he yields knowledge when rightly sought—while the human side must provide sustained aspiration and discovery in the ‘Mothers’ (supporting powers). The offering here is primarily the inward act of seeking and finding, which allows Agni to become manifest and operative.
Search for the hidden flame in the heart-cave; cultivate sincere yearning (arthin) and receptivity to the Mother-forces that sustain embodiment.
anāhata (heart-cave)
Slow coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min). On inhale: ‘approach’ (ā vītam). On exhale: ‘enter the cave’ (guhā).
Inward, subtle, intimate awareness; psychic opening.
Sit quietly, feel the ‘forest’ of surface thoughts, then descend behind it into the heart-depth. Do not force visions; kindle sincerity. When a small steady warmth/clarity appears, protect it with quiet attention—this is Agni ‘seated’ within.
Triṣṭubh tonal flow with clear udatta peaks (e.g., śaśvatī́ṣu, citráṃ) per tradition; exact svara should follow the accent marks of the chosen śākhā/edition.
Let each pāda descend inwardly; keep a slightly longer pause after ‘guhā hitam’ to mark the ‘cave’ turning-point.
śaśvatīṣu: keep ś palatal; v soft; long ī, mātṛṣu: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṛ not ‘ri’, aśritam: śr cluster clean; short i, guhā: g hard; h voiced; long ā, suvedam: v soft; e longish in chant, kūcidarthinam: kū- long; articulate -rthin- with dental th (aspirated)
Soft, inward, resonant; avoid sharp attack—aim for ‘cave-like’ warmth.
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