Rig Veda 5.2.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 2, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.2
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
हिरण्यदन्तं शुचिवर्णमारात्क्षेत्रादपश्यमायुधा मिमानम् । ददानो अस्मा अमृतं विपृक्वत्किं मामनिन्द्राः कृणवन्ननुक्थाः ॥
hiraṇyá-dantaṃ śúci-varṇam ārā́t kṣétrād apaśyam ā́yudhā mimā́nam | dadā́nō asmai amṛ́taṃ vipṛ́kvat kíṃ mām anindrā́ḥ kṛṇavann anukthā́ḥ ||
De loin, depuis le champ, je l’ai vu — aux dents d’or, de teinte pure — mesurant ses armes. Il lui donne l’Immortel, le pressant au dehors; que peuvent contre moi les puissances sans Indra, sans hymne?
Word by Word
- हिरण्यदन्तम्
- having golden teeth (gold-tusked)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? द्वितीया एकवचन (विशेष्यं: तम्/अग्निम् इत्यादि)Role कर्मRoot हिरण्य-दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा बहुव्रीहि: हिरण्यं दन्ता यस्य
- शुचिवर्णम्
- of bright/pure colorAdjectiveपुं/नपुं द्वितीया एकवचन (पूर्वपदस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot शुचि-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- आरात्
- from nearby; at close rangeIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot आरात् (निपात/अव्यय)
- क्षेत्रात्
- from the field/groundNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग पञ्चमी एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपश्यम्
- I sawVerbलुङ् (अorist) उत्तमपुरुष एकवचनRole KartāRoot √पश् (दृश्)
- आयुधा
- with weaponsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
- मिमानम्
- measuring out; metingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), द्वितीया एकवचन (विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्मRoot √मा (माने/मिमाते; ‘to measure, mete out’)
- ददानः
- givingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा एकवचन पुंलिङ्गRole KartāRoot √दा (दाने)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounचतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अमृतम्
- immortality; ambrosiaNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- विपृक्वत्
- mingled; blended (as a mixed draught)Adjective/Indeclinable-likeनपुंसकलिङ्ग? द्वितीया एकवचन (अमृतम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) / अथवा क्रियाविशेषणवत्Role KarmaRoot विपृक्वत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘mixed, mingled’—विशेषण) अथवा अव्ययीभाव-प्राय प्रयोग
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन (प्रश्नार्थे) अथवा अव्ययवत्Role KarmaRoot किम् (प्रश्नसर्वनाम)
- माम्
- mePronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अहम्/मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अनिन्द्राः
- O (you) not-Indras; O non-Indra(-like ones)Adjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग सम्बोधन बहुवचनRole (Sambodhana)Root अनिन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; a-nindra ‘not Indra’, ‘without Indra’/‘non-Indra-like’)
- कृणवन्
- they did/madeVerbलङ् (imperfect) तृतीयपुरुष बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √कृ (करणे)
- अनुक्थाः
- in accord with the hymn; following the recitationAdjective/Adverbialपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन (कृणवन् इत्यस्य कर्तृविशेषणम्) अथवा क्रियाविशेषणवत्Role KartāRoot अनु-क्थ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘following the hymn/recitation’, ‘in accordance with the praise’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धिविच्छेद): हिरण्यदन्तं शुचिवर्णम् आरात् क्षेत्रात् अपश्यम् आयुधा मिमानम् । ददानो अस्मै अमृतं विपृक्वत् किम् माम् अनिन्द्राः कृणवन् अनुक्थाः ॥ 1) वर्णमा॒रात् = वर्णम् + आरात् (म् + आ → मा)
- 2) क्षेत्रा॑दपश्य॒म् = क्षेत्रात् + अपश्यम् (त् + अ → द् + अ; पदपाठे ‘क्षेत्रात् अपश्यम्’)
- 3) द॒दा॒नो अ॑स्मा = ददानः + अस्मै (विसर्ग-लोप/पदसंयोग; पदपाठे ‘ददानो अस्मै’)
- 4) किं माम॑नि॒न्द्राः = किम् + माम् + अनिन्द्राः (म् + अ → मा; पदपाठे पृथक्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
From afar, from the field, the seer saw a golden-toothed, pure-colored figure measuring out his weapons. He gives immortal essence as if pressing it forth. The speaker declares that Indra-less, hymnless powers cannot harm him.
Inner meaning
The vision is of Agni as a radiant force seen ‘from afar’—first as a distant call from the field of life (kṣetra: the embodied nature). He is ‘gold-toothed’—his powers bite through resistance with luminous discernment—and ‘pure-colored’—untainted will. He ‘measures weapons’: he apportions the needed inner instruments (clarity, courage, discrimination, endurance) for the battle against obscurity. He also gives ‘amṛta’—the immortal essence, often linked with Soma-bliss—pressing it out as an inner distillation. Therefore the hostile forces that are ‘anindrāḥ’ (without Indra: without illumination) and ‘anukthāḥ’ (without mantra/hymn: without true word) are powerless against the seeker established in this flame and its allied light.
Universal truth
When inner will is purified and armed with discernment, and when one lives by illumination and true speech, lower chaotic forces lose their power; immortality is tasted as a distilled essence of consciousness.
Themes
Vision of armed luminous power, Bestowal of immortality, Repulsion of hostile forces
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.2.1, RV 5.2.2, RV 5.6
Family tradition
Ātreya vision combines mystic seeing with spiritual combat: revelation of Agni’s armament and the protective power of illumination (Indra principle).
Significance
Atri frames the path as both revelation and victory: the seer’s sight of Agni’s purity and weapons becomes a shield against obscurity.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Hiraṇyadanta, Śucivarṇa, Dātā amṛtasya (giver of immortality, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumination/force), Soma (amṛta/bliss), Maruts (battle energies, implicit)
Cosmic role
Warrior-priest who equips the seeker; distills immortality; stands as protective force against hostile powers.
Inner power
Discernment, purification, and empowered will; ability to extract bliss/essence from life and turn it into strength.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Agni invocation; used within sacrificial sequences to affirm safety and efficacy against hostile influences
हिर॑ण्यदन्तं॒ शुचि॑वर्णमा॒रात्क्षेत्रा॑दपश्य॒मायु॑धा॒ मिमा॑नम् । द॒दा॒नो अ॑स्मा अ॒मृतं॑ वि॒पृक्व॒त्किं माम॑नि॒न्द्राः कृ॑णवन्ननु॒क्थाः ॥
हिर॑ण्यऽदन्तम् । शुचि॑ऽवर्णम् । आ॒रात् । क्षेत्रा॑त् । अ॒प॒श्य॒म् । आयु॑धा । मिमा॑नम् । द॒दा॒नः । अ॒स्मै॒ । अ॒मृत॑म् । वि॒पृक्व॑त् । किम् । माम् । अ॒नि॒न्द्राः । कृ॒ण॒व॒न् । अ॒नु॒क्थाः ॥
hiraṇya-dantam | śuci-varṇam | ārāt | kṣetrāt | apaśyam | āyudhā | mimānam | dadānaḥ | asmai | amṛtam | vipṛkvat | kim | mām | anindrāḥ | kṛṇavan | anukthāḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Visionary and defiant; strong caesuras suit proclamation of fearlessness.
Energizes courage; sharpens mental clarity; gives a protective, victorious mood.
- hiraṇyadanta
- Literal: gold-toothed. Symbolic: luminous ‘bite’ of discernment; power to cut through falsehood and resistance
- śucivarṇa
- Literal: pure-colored. Symbolic: purity of will and intention; sattvic clarity
- kṣetra
- Literal: field. Symbolic: field of embodied life/practice where forces are worked out
- āyudhā mimānam
- Literal: measuring weapons. Symbolic: apportioning inner instruments/powers needed for victory
- amṛta
- Literal: immortal (nectar). Symbolic: deathless consciousness; soma-like bliss/essence distilled in sādhanā
- vipṛkvat
- Literal: pressing forth/mixing-pressing. Symbolic: inner extraction/distillation of essence from experience
- anindrāḥ
- Literal: without Indra. Symbolic: forces devoid of illumination; obscurant tendencies
- anukthāḥ
- Literal: without hymn/mantra. Symbolic: forces without true word/affirmation; chaotic, unformed impulses
Protective/apotropaic usage: affirmation that forces lacking Indra (mastery) and lacking hymn (mantric truth) cannot harm the seer aligned with amṛta.
When seeking protection (rakṣas-nivāraṇa) or asserting victory during offerings; also as confidence formula after oblations.
Offer ghee; recite as a protective declaration; mentally ‘arm’ oneself with Agni’s instruments.
Use before difficult conversations or inner battles (addiction, fear, procrastination): invoke purified will and illumination; affirm that unillumined forces cannot prevail.
amṛ́ta- ‘immortal’ a- (negation) + mṛta (√mṛ ‘die’): deathless being. vipṛ́kvat from vi- + √pṛc/√pṛk ‘separate, sift, press out’: symbolic of extracting pure essence (truth-consciousness) from mixed nature. an-indra- indicates absence of indriya/indra-force: the luminous lordship that conquers obstruction.
Amṛta as deathless consciousness, Discernment/extraction (vipṛkvat) as purification, Indra-force as victorious illumination
‘Measuring’ weapons indicates ṛta as right proportion and right force in action.
Purity (śuci) aligns the will with truth; then protection is natural.
Immortality (amṛta) is not distant—it's pressed out from experience by the divine fire.
Yoga of transformation: extraction of essence (amṛta) and conquest of obscurity via illumined will.
Field = life-situation; gold = illumination; weapons = inner faculties; pressing = distillation of bliss/immortality from practice.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A vision of the radiant power arming itself and dispensing amṛta—divine essence—while hostile forces are declared impotent. Psychologically, once the seeker is connected to the deathless core, forces lacking illumination (anindrāḥ) and lacking true speech (anukthāḥ) cannot destabilize the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- amṛta is built on √mṛ ‘die’ (PIE *mer- ‘die’, cf. Latin mori, English mortal). The negated formation a-mṛta ‘not-dead’ reflects a common IE morphological strategy for metaphysical absolutes.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s ‘seeing’ (apaśyam) is paired with divine ‘giving’ (dadānaḥ): revelation and grace. The hymn also functions as a shield—alignment with the devatā’s amṛta and with mantra renders the rishi beyond the reach of chaotic, unillumined agencies.
Visualize Agni as a pure golden flame in the navel/heart that measures and assigns inner ‘weapons’: discrimination, courage, patience, truth-speech.
Maṇipūra (power) rising to Ājñā (illumination/Indra principle)
Brisk_energetic kapalabhāti (if suitable) followed by steady nasal breathing; end with silent absorption tasting ‘amṛta’ as calm sweetness.
Fearless, clear, decisive; protected by inner light.
When a dark wave arises, name it ‘anindra/anuktha’ (without light/without true word). Return to the flame, choose one right action, and let the essence (amṛta) be the quiet joy that follows alignment.
Keep strong udatta emphasis on descriptive compounds (hiraṇyadantam, śucivarṇam) and on the defiant closing question (kim mām…).
Articulate compounds cleanly: hi-ra-ṇya-dan-tam; śu-ci-var-ṇam. Keep retroflex ṇ in hiraṇya, varṇa.
kṣetrād: kṣ conjunct; long ā in ārāt, mimānam: nasal m, long ā, vipṛkvat: pṛ is vocalic r; avoid ‘pri’, anindrāḥ: clear n + dr cluster; long āḥ
Bright, forceful, protective—ending with a confident, cutting cadence.
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