Rig Veda 7.67.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 67, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.67
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni and Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अशोच्यग्निः समिधानो अस्मे उपो अदृश्रन्तमसश्चिदन्ताः । अचेति केतुरुषसः पुरस्ताच्छ्रिये दिवो दुहितुर्जायमानः ॥
áśoci agníḥ samidhānáḥ asmē úpo adṛśran támasas cid ántāḥ | áceti ketúr uṣásaḥ purástāc chríye divó duhitur jā́yamānaḥ ||
Agni a resplendi, allumé en nous ; même les confins des ténèbres sont devenus visibles. Devant, on discerne le signe d’Uṣas, naissant pour la gloire de la Fille du Ciel.
Word by Word
- अशोचि
- shone, blazedVerbAorist (injunctive/augmentless), 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole Kartā (with subject ‘अग्निः’)Root √शुच् (दीप्तौ) → aor. inj./ipf. stem aśoci
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire)NounMasculine, Nominative singularRole KartāRoot अग्नि- (prātipadika)
- समिधानः
- being kindled, kindlingParticiple (Adjective)Present active participle, Masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (agreeing with ‘अग्निः’)Root सम्-√इध् (दीप्तौ) → समिधा- (PPr.)
- अस्मे
- for usPronounDative singular (Vedic enclitic form)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (pronoun)
- उपो
- near, up (towards)IndeclinableUpasarga/particle; here = ‘उप’ before vowelRole (preverb to following verb)Root उप (preverb) + (Vedic sandhi form)
- अदृश्रन्
- they saw, they beheldVerbAorist, 3rd person plural, ParasmaipadaRole Kartā (with subject ‘अन्ताः’)Root √दृश् (दर्शन) → aor. 3pl adṛśran
- तमसः
- from darknessNounNeuter, Ablative singular (Vedic: -सः for -सात्/-तः sense) / also analyzable as Gen. sg.; here ablatival senseRole ApādānaRoot तमस्-
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableParticleRole (emphasis)Root चित्
- अन्ताः
- the ends, the limits (horizons)NounMasculine, Nominative pluralRole KartāRoot अन्त-
- अचेति
- became manifest, appearedVerbAorist, 3rd person singular, ĀtmanepadaRole Kartā (with subject ‘केतुः’)Root √चित् (चेतने/ज्ञाने) → aor. aceti
- केतुः
- banner; sign; radianceNounMasculine, Nominative singularRole KartāRoot केतु-
- उषसः
- of Dawn (Uṣas)NounFeminine, Genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (possessor of ‘केतुः’)Root उषस्-
- पुरस्तात्
- in front; in the eastIndeclinableAdverbRole Adhikaraṇa (locative sense: position) / directionRoot पुरस् + तात्
- श्रिये
- for splendor, for beautyNounFeminine, Dative singularRole Sampradāna (purpose/benefit)Root श्री-
- दिवः
- of heavenNounFeminine, Genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot द्यौ/दिव्- (दिव्/द्यौ prātipadika)
- दुहितुः
- of the daughterNounFeminine, Genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot दुहितृ-
- जायमानः
- being born, arisingParticiple (Adjective)Present middle participle, Masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (agreeing with ‘केतुः’)Root √जन् (प्रादुर्भावे) → जायमान- (PPr. Ā)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (main): अशो॑च्य॒ग्निः → अशोचि + अग्निः
- स॑मिधा॒नो अ॒स्मे → समिधानः + अस्मे
- उपो॑ अदृश्र॒न् → उप + अदृश्रन् (Vedic ‘उपो’ before vowel)
- अदृश्र॒न्तम॑सश्चि॒दन्ता॑: → अदृश्रन् + तमसः + चित् + अन्ताः
- के॒तुरु॒षस॑: → केतुः + उषसः
- पु॒रस्ता॑च्छ्रि॒ये → पुरस्तात् + श्रिये
- दु॑हि॒तुर्जाय॑मानः → दुहितुः + जायमानः. Accent marks retained in source but not re-applied per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, kindled in us, has shone; even the ends of darkness became visible. The sign of Dawn is perceived in front, being born for the glory of the Daughter of Heaven.
Inner meaning
When the inner fire (Agni: will and aspiration) is truly kindled in the being, it illumines even the boundaries of tamas—the subconscious obscurity—so that the seeker can see where darkness ends and transformation can begin. Then the ‘ketu’ (banner/sign) of Uṣas appears ahead: the first unmistakable token of awakening consciousness. Dawn is ‘born’ for the śrī (glory, fullness) of the Daughter of Heaven—illumination manifesting as beauty and rightness in the mind-life.
Universal truth
Sincere inner effort makes unconscious patterns visible; awareness of the limits of darkness is itself progress. From that awakened will arises the first dawn-signs—hope, clarity, and beauty—announcing a new consciousness.
Themes
Dawn symbolism, Agni as inner flame, Transition from darkness to knowledge
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.67.1 (Aśvin approach), RV 7.67.3+ (dawn/Aśvin motifs, thematic continuation), RV 7.2–7.3 (Agni hymns in Maṇḍala 7, thematic)
Family tradition
In Vasiṣṭha’s vision, Agni is the inner priest who opens the way for dawn-illumination; the hymn sequence often moves from invocation to experiential sign.
Significance
A compact psychological formula: kindle will (Agni) → perceive the structure of darkness → receive the dawn-sign (ketu) → illumination is born as śrī (radiant harmony).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni and Uṣas (within Aśvin dawn-setting)
- Epithets
- samidhāna (kindled), divo duhituḥ (Daughter of Heaven, Uṣas)
- Related deities
- Aśvins, Sūrya, Indra, Soma
Cosmic role
Agni: mediator and illuminator; Uṣas: opener of the day, revealer of paths and forms.
Inner power
Agni: force of aspiration that reveals and transforms; Uṣas: the arriving illumination that makes truth-beauty (śrī) manifest in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn-kindling and morning recitation; Agni kindling motif within Aśvin/dawn sequence
अशो॑च्य॒ग्निः स॑मिधा॒नो अ॒स्मे उपो॑ अदृश्र॒न्तम॑सश्चि॒दन्ता॑: । अचे॑ति के॒तुरु॒षस॑: पु॒रस्ता॑च्छ्रि॒ये दि॒वो दु॑हि॒तुर्जाय॑मानः ॥
अशो॑चि । अ॒ग्निः । स॒म्ऽइ॒धा॒नः । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । उपो॒ इति॑ । अ॒दृ॒श्र॒न् । तम॑सः । चि॒त् । अन्ताः॑ । अचे॑ति । के॒तुः । उ॒षसः॑ । पु॒रस्ता॑त् । श्रि॒ये । दि॒वः । दु॒हि॒तुः । जाय॑मानः ॥
aśoci | agniḥ | sam-idhānaḥ | asme iti | upo iti | adṛśran | tamasaḥ | cit | antāḥ | aceti | ketuḥ | uṣasaḥ | purastāt | śriye | d ivaḥ | duhituḥ | jāyamānaḥ
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4 pādas; strong caesurae; vivid declaratives
From blaze to revelation: first pādas expansive, last pādas bright and forward-looking
Ignites inner will and then quiets into a clear seeing; excellent for moving from inertia to luminous attention.
- अग्निः समिधानः (agniḥ samidhānaḥ)
- Literal: Agni being kindled. Symbolic: aspiration and divine will actively fed by practice and sincerity
- अशोचि (aśoci)
- Literal: has shone, blazed. Symbolic: illumination arising from awakened will
- तमसः अन्ताः (tamasaḥ antāḥ)
- Literal: ends/boundaries of darkness. Symbolic: limits of ignorance; edges of subconscious resistance becoming knowable
- केतुः (ketuḥ)
- Literal: sign, banner, signal. Symbolic: distinct intuitive indication; first sure mark of coming illumination
- उषसः (uṣasaḥ)
- Literal: of Dawn. Symbolic: spiritual awakening; progressive illumination
- दिवः दुहितुः (divaḥ duhituḥ)
- Literal: daughter of Heaven. Symbolic: the luminous consciousness born from the higher plane into the human field
- श्रिये (śriye)
- Literal: for glory/beauty/prosperity. Symbolic: fullness, harmony, and radiant rightness as a result of awakening
Morning rite setting: kindling of Agni and the advent of Dawn; prepares the invocation of Aśvins who are dawn-associated helpers.
Early morning; at the lighting/kindling of fire and dawn invocations
Kindling Agni; marking transition from night to day; praising dawn-signs
Use at the start of the day or before meditation to ‘light the inner fire’ and bring subconscious patterns into awareness gently.
aśoci from √śuc ‘shine, blaze, be pure’. sam-idhāna from sam- + √idh ‘to kindle’ (PIE *h₁eydʰ- ‘to kindle’; cf. Latin aedēs?; the fire-kindle root is strong in IE). tamas ‘darkness’ from √tam ‘be dark’ (PIE *temH- ‘dark’). ketu ‘sign’ possibly from √cit ‘to perceive’ in semantic neighborhood (aceti ‘was perceived’ from √cit). uṣas ‘dawn’ from √vas/√uṣ ‘to burn/shine’ (PIE *h₂ews- ‘dawn’; cf. Greek Ēōs, Latin Aurora).
Ignition of will (Agni) as prerequisite for illumination, Avidyā/tamas as obscuration, Birth of light (Uṣas) as progressive revelation
Dawn reveals the right paths; Agni makes the order of transformation visible—darkness gains ‘ends’ (limits) under ṛta.
Seeing the boundaries of darkness is satya in practice: truthful perception precedes change.
Daily creation: light is born from the higher plane into the manifested field, enabled by awakened will.
Aurobindonian psychology of ascent/descent: Agni awakens, Uṣas manifests as higher consciousness entering mind-life.
dawn
Fire = will/aspiration; darkness = subconscious inertia/resistance; dawn = awakening illumination; heaven = higher mind plane; śrī = harmonious manifestation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The birth of Dawn signaled after Agni is kindled: mythically fire and dawn cooperate to dispel night. Psychologically, the awakened inner fire (will, aspiration) makes the very limits of ignorance visible, enabling the first sure sign (ketu) of the coming illumination (Uṣas).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- uṣas continues PIE *h₂ews- ‘dawn’ (Greek Ēōs, Latin Aurora). tamas aligns with PIE darkness roots (*temH-). The fire-kindling root √idh has IE parallels in the semantic field of ignition/heat.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi locates the rite within the body (‘in us’): he kindles Agni as an inner act, and the gods respond by unveiling perception—darkness becomes measurable and Dawn is born for splendour, i.e., the being becomes capable of receiving higher light.
Kindle inner will; observe the edges of unconsciousness; rest attention on the first ‘signs’ of awakening clarity.
Maṇipūra (Agni/will) rising to Ājñā (ketu/sign of dawn)
Gentle bhastrikā 10 breaths (optional), then slow exhale chanting; end with 2 minutes silent witnessing of ‘tamas boundaries’.
Brightened awareness with calm wonder
Chant once slowly. Then: (1) feel a steady flame at the navel/heart, (2) notice where dullness begins/ends without judgment, (3) hold attention at the brow as if facing an inner horizon; wait for subtle dawn-signs (freshness, clarity, goodwill).
Vedic accents per pada; keep ‘aśoci’ bright; let ‘tamasaś cid antāḥ’ be steady and weighty; lift gently on ‘aceti ketuḥ’.
Mark the turning point at ‘aceti’ (is perceived): slightly clearer articulation and a subtle rise; end ‘jāyamānaḥ’ with a sense of ‘being born’.
a-śo-ci: palatal ś, short i, sam-idhā-naḥ: clear nasal ‘m’ before vowel; long ā, tamasaś cid: visarga in tama-saḥ; ‘cid’ crisp, aceti: ‘ce’ clear, not ‘che’, uṣasaḥ: short u; retroflex? (ṣ) is cerebral ṣ, duhitur: dental d; ‘hi’ light; short u, jāyamānaḥ: long ā; ‘mā’ long; final visarga audible lightly
warm, luminous, inwardly focused; avoid harshness on consonant clusters
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