Rig Veda 1.21.3: Mandala 1, Sukta 21, Mantra 3
Sukta 1.21
- Devata
- Indrāgnī
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
ता मित्रस्य प्रशस्तय इन्द्राग्नी ता हवामहे । सोमपा सोमपीतये ॥
tā́ mitrásya práśastaya indrāgnī tā́ havāmahe | somapā́ soma-pītáye ||
Ces deux-là, loués dans la bonne louange de Mitra — Indra et Agni —, nous les invoquons : buveurs de Soma, venez pour la boisson du Soma.
Word by Word
- ताः
- those (praises)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → सा/तत्
- मित्रस्य
- of MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रशस्तयः
- praises, laudationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot प्र-शस् (धातु ‘शस्’ = praise) → प्रशस्ति (स्त्री) / प्रशस्तयः (प्रातिपदिक-रूप)
- इन्द्राग्नी
- O Indra and AgniNoun (dual deity compound)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole Sambodhana (address)Root इन्द्र + अग्नि (द्वन्द्व-समास)
- ताः
- those (praises)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → सा/तत्
- हवामहे
- we invoke/callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole Kriyā (verbal action)Root √ह्वा (ह्वयति/ह्वयते) ‘to call, invoke’
- सोमपाः
- O Soma-drinkersAdjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचन (इन्द्राग्नी-विशेषण)Role Sambodhana (address)Root सोम + पा (√पा ‘to drink’) → सोमपा (बहुव्रीहि/उपपद-समास)
- सोमपीतये
- for the drinking of SomaNoun (action/occasion)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna / Prayojana (purpose)Root सोम + पीत (√पा ‘drink’ → पीत ‘drunk’) + -ये (दत्तिव-एकवचन) → सोमपीति (स्त्री) / सोमपीतये
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ताः | मित्रस्य | प्रशस्तयः | इन्द्राग्नी | ताः | हवामहे | सोमपाः | सोमपीतये । सन्धि/समास: (1) ‘इन्द्रा॒ग्नी’ = इन्द्र + अग्नी (द्वन्द्व; दीर्घ/स्वर-संयोग). (2) ‘सोमपाः’ = सोम + पाः (उपपद-समास; ‘सोम’ कर्म, ‘पा’ कर्तृ-विशेषण). (3) ‘सोमपीतये’ = सोम + पीतये (समास; चतुर्थी-एकवचन ‘-ये’). उच्चारण/स्वर: मन्त्रपाठ में उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न (॒, ॑) यथास्थान
- पदपाठ में प्रत्येक पद स्वतंत्र उच्चरित होता है।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Those two, praised in Mitra’s commendation, we call—Indra and Agni; Soma-drinkers, come for Soma-drinking.
Inner meaning
Indra and Agni are invoked under the auspice of Mitra—harmony, right relation, and luminous concord. Illumination and will can act turbulently unless governed by Mitra’s balance; therefore the seer calls them ‘in Mitra’s praise’: let their action be harmonious, not disruptive. As Soma-drinkers, they are invited to take in the delight-essence and thereby establish within the seeker a concordant force of light and aspiration—joy that is ordered, not intoxicating.
Universal truth
True power must be harmonized: illumination and force become beneficent when guided by right relationship and inner concord; delight then becomes a stabilizing nectar rather than a disturbance.
Themes
Invocation, Harmony and right relation, Soma-ritual
The seer
Significance
The seer adds a crucial modifier to the Indra-Agni yoga: Mitra’s harmony must preside, so that force and light integrate into a balanced divine life.
The deity
- Devata
- Indrāgnī (with Mitra as contextual harmonizer)
- Epithets
- Somapā
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa (often paired with Mitra as law/vastness; conceptually relevant), Soma
Cosmic role
Indra: victorious illumination; Agni: transformative will; Mitra: cosmic harmony and right measure that sustains Ṛta in relations.
Inner power
A triune functional harmony: clear mind (Indra) + upward will (Agni) regulated by concord (Mitra), producing stable delight (Soma) in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña invocation to Indrāgnī, with Mitra’s harmony invoked implicitly
ता मि॒त्रस्य॒ प्रश॑स्तय इन्द्रा॒ग्नी ता ह॑वामहे । सो॒म॒पा सोम॑पीतये ॥
ता । मि॒त्रस्य॑ । प्रऽश॑स्तये । इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्नी इति॑ । ता । ह॒वा॒म॒हे॒ । सो॒म॒ऽपा । सोम॑ऽपीतये ॥
tā | mitrasya | pra-śastaye | indrāgnī iti | tā | havāmahe | soma-pā | soma-pītaye
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3×8
Invocatory with a softening harmonic tone (Mitra reference) amid the usual Indra-Agni vigor.
Balances energy: evokes strength without agitation; encourages a calm, friendly inner atmosphere.
- मित्रस्य (mitrasya)
- Literal: of Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, right measure, luminous friendship—power of concord that regulates forces
- प्रशस्तये (praśastaye)
- Literal: for/through praise/commendation. Symbolic: affirmation that calls forth the harmonizing principle
- हवामहे (havāmahe)
- Literal: we call, we invoke. Symbolic: active aspiration summoning inner powers
- सोमपा (somapā)
- Literal: Soma-drinkers. Symbolic: powers that can receive and transmute delight into light and will
- सोमपीतये (somapītaye)
- Literal: for Soma-drinking. Symbolic: for the increase and stabilization of ānanda in the system
- इन्द्राग्नी (indrāgnī)
- Literal: Indra and Agni. Symbolic: illumination + will, acting together
Soma offering invitation: calling Indra-Agni as Soma-drinkers; liturgically aligns invocation with Mitra’s principle of concord (proper ritual relationship).
When calling Indra-Agni to partake Soma in a spirit of concord and right relation
Recitation during Soma offering; establishing auspicious harmony among participants (outer) and faculties (inner)
Chant when seeking balanced power—before decisive action, to ensure clarity and will remain harmonized and benevolent.
mitrá-: ‘friend, pact, harmony’; from √mi ‘to bind/measure’ semantic field; Mitra embodies ordered relation (Rita socially/psychically). pra-śastaye: from √śaṃs/√śās ‘praise/proclaim; set in order’; suggests praise that establishes order. havāmahe: 1pl middle of √hū ‘invoke’, indicating calling ‘for ourselves’ (inner appropriation).
Mitra as harmony/contract (Rita in relations), Soma as Ananda (delight) enabling divine action
Mitra is a guardian-mode of Ṛta as harmonious relation; it ensures Indra-Agni act in right measure.
Praise/affirmation (praśasti) as truthful alignment that invites right-acting powers.
Integration of forces: delight supports harmony; harmony supports effective illumination and will.
Integral-psychological Vedism: synthesis of powers under a harmonizing law.
Mitra = solar harmony/clarity in relations; Soma = nectar of joy; Indra-Agni = light and flame within.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘calling under Mitra’: divine powers are invoked within the law of harmony/true relation. Mythically, the gods come to drink Soma; psychologically, force and will are made to act under the governance of concord (Mitra), preventing distortion by ego or violence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The social-sacral concept of ‘pact/friend’ (mitra-) has Indo-Iranian parallels (Av. Miθra). The middle voice havāmahe encodes beneficiary involvement, a common archaic Indo-European trait where the subject participates in the action’s fruit.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the invocation as an act of right relationship: praise and calling are not mere request but alignment with Mitra’s order; the devatā respond as ‘Soma-drinkers’, i.e., powers that grow by the offered delight and then enlarge the seeker’s capacity.
Bring illumination and will under the governance of harmony; invite a calm, friendly strength; receive Soma as stable joy.
Anāhata (heart) for Mitra (friendliness/harmony); Ajñā for Indra; Maṇipūra for Agni (optional mapping).
Coherent breathing (5s inhale, 5s exhale) while chanting mentally; feel heart warmth (Mitra) stabilizing head clarity (Indra) and belly fire (Agni).
Harmonized, quietly powerful, joy-bearing.
If practice becomes forceful or restless, chant this verse to ‘Mitra-ize’ the energies. After chanting, recall one relationship (inner or outer) and offer it into harmony; then act from clear will and calm joy.
Rigvedic accents apply; without marked svara, maintain gentle musicality with slight lift on key names (mitrasya, indrāgnī, somapā).
Keep ‘tā … tā’ as a balanced call; soften the delivery on ‘mitrasya praśastaye’ to convey harmony; articulate ‘somapītaye’ clearly.
(mitrasya): dental t; ‘tra’ conjunct clean, (praśastaye): śa palatal; avoid ‘prasastaye’ flattening, (havāmahe): ‘va’ clear; final ‘he’ longish, (somapītaye): long ī; retroflex ṭ
Warm, harmonizing, slightly softer than 1.21.1–2.
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