Rig Veda 2.6.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 6, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.6
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अया ते अग्ने विधेमोर्जो नपादश्वमिष्टे । एना सूक्तेन सुजात ॥
ayā́ te agne vidhémorjó napād áśvam iṣṭe | enā́ sū́ktena sujāta ||
આયા દ્વારા, હે અગ્નિ, અમે તને વિધિપૂર્વક અર્પણ કરીએ; હે ઊર્જાના નપાત્, અશ્વને (ગતિશીલ શક્તિને) ઇચ્છનાર! આ સુઘડ સૂક્ત વડે, હે સુજાત, અમામાં પ્રગટ થા.
Word by Word
- अया
- by this (means), with thisIndeclinableअव्यय; (वेदिक) ‘अया’ = ‘अनेन/एतया (स्त्री. तृतीया एक.)’ अर्थे, ‘by this (hymn/means)’Role करणRoot इदम् (प्रातिपदिक: अय- < इ-) / अव्यय-प्रयोग
- ते
- your, of youPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic) — ‘of you/thy’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विधेम
- let us worship/serveVerbलोट् (वेदिक injunctive/optative-like imperative use); उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचन — ‘let us serve/worship’Role कर्तृ (अस्मद्-कर्तृ)Root धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-; धातु-प्रयोग: विधा- ‘to arrange, to serve, to worship’
- ऊर्जः
- of vigour, of nourishmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन — ‘of strength/vigour/nourishment’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root ऊर्ज्/ऊर्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
- नपात्
- offspring, sonNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषण-रूपेण) — ‘offspring/son’Role सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषण (Agni as ‘son of…’)Root नपात् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वम्
- a horseNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- इष्टे
- in the desired (rite), in the worshipAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (स्थाने/अधिकारणे) — ‘in the desired/worshipful (rite/occasion)’Role अधिकरणRoot यज् (धातु) → इष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त) ‘worshipped/desired’; वेदिक प्रयोग ‘इष्टे’
- एना
- by thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन — ‘by this’Role करणRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सूक्तेन
- with (this) hymnNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक; सु-उक्त ‘well-spoken’)
- सुजात
- O well-born (Agni)Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot सुजात (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + जात ‘well-born’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अया | ते | अग्ने | विधेम | ऊर्जः | नपात् | अश्वम् | इष्टे | एना | सूक्तेन | सुजात । 1) ‘विधेमोर्जो’ = विधेम + ऊर्जः (अन्त्य ‘-म्’ + आरम्भ ‘ऊ-’ इत्यत्र पदसंयोगः; संहितायां ‘म’ परे स्वरादौ प्रायः अनुस्वार/संयोग-रूपेण दृश्यते). 2) ‘नपादश्वम्’ = नपात् + अश्वम्
- त् + अ → द् (जश्त्व/संधि) तथा संहितायां ‘नपादश्वम्’. 3) ‘एना सूक्तेन’ पृथक् करण-तृतीया-द्वयम्
- ‘अया’ अपि वेदिक-करणार्थक-अव्यय-प्रयोगः
The meaning
Outer meaning
With this act we serve Agni, the child of nourishment, who desires the horse; by this good hymn, O well-born, manifest.
Inner meaning
Through the present upward movement (ayā)—the act of inner offering—we serve the divine Will, born of plenitude (ūrjaḥ napāt). Agni ‘desires the horse’ (aśvam iṣṭe): he seeks the rightly harnessed vital energy for the work. By a well-shaped mantra (sūkta), the seeker asks Agni to grow clear and active in the being (sujāta: rightly born within).
Universal truth
When aspiration is joined to disciplined energy and true speech, the transforming power becomes fully born in us and can act effectively in life.
Themes
Agni as child of plenitude, Mantric efficacy, Invocation of force (aśva)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.6.1, Rig Veda 2.6.3, Rig Veda 2.6.4, Rig Veda 2.6.5
Family tradition
Bhārgava emphasis on Agni as the inner priest and on the efficacy of shaped speech (sūkta) to bring down and stabilize force.
Significance
This verse highlights a key Aurobindonian theme: Agni needs the ‘horse’—purified vital energy—so the divine Will can execute the illumination in embodied life.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Ūrjaḥ Napāt, Aśvamiṣṭa (desiring the horse), Sujāta
- Related deities
- Maruts (vital forces), Indra (illumined mind), Soma (bliss that feeds Agni)
Cosmic role
Power of tapas that converts substance (food/ūrj) into light and action; awakener of the gods in the human.
Inner power
Disciplined will that harnesses prāṇa/vitality for divine works; mantra-born clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stotra at kindling; offerings seeking strength and successful action
अ॒या ते॑ अग्ने विधे॒मोर्जो॑ नपा॒दश्व॑मिष्टे । ए॒ना सू॒क्तेन॑ सुजात ॥
अ॒या । ते॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । वि॒धे॒म॒ । ऊर्जः॑ । न॒पा॒त् । अश्व॑म्ऽइष्टे । ए॒ना । सु॒ऽउ॒क्तेन॑ । सु॒ऽजा॒त॒ ॥
ayā | te | agne | vidhema | ūrjaḥ | napāt | aśvam-iṣṭe | enā | su-uktena | su-jāta
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8-8-8
Energetic yet balanced; ideal for ‘yoking’ force—each pada feels like a rein-check and release.
Invokes a clean, forward-driving aspiration; supports integration of will and vitality.
- अया (ayā)
- Literal: by this way/movement. Symbolic: the current inner movement of offering; the method of yoga in action
- विधेम (vidhema)
- Literal: we would serve/ordain. Symbolic: consecrate our energies; align action with the divine Will
- ऊर्जः नपात् (ūrjaḥ napāt)
- Literal: child/offspring of plenitude/nourishment. Symbolic: Agni arising from the abundant divine life-force; the flame born of inner fullness
- अश्व (aśva)
- Literal: horse. Symbolic: vital energy, force of action, dynamic drive to be yoked to the Truth
- सुक्त (sūkta)
- Literal: well-spoken hymn. Symbolic: rightly formed mantra/thought that carries truth-power
- सुजात (sujāta)
- Literal: well-born. Symbolic: the divine flame rightly born in the heart, not a mental imitation
Invocatory praise during offering to Agni; supports the ‘establishing’ function of Agni as hotṛ and as energizer of the sacrifice
When establishing Agni for effective rite; also before undertaking demanding work as a consecration.
Recitation with offering of ghee/kindling; intention to harness energies for the yajña.
Before exercise/work: chant to align vital drive (aśva) with inner will (Agni), avoiding rajasic scattering.
√dhā ‘to place, establish’ with vi- → vidh- ‘to arrange/perform (rite), to serve by right disposition’: suggests ordering consciousness in accord with ṛta. ūrj- ‘sap, strength’ relates to nourishment/refreshment; napāt ‘offspring’ marks Agni as a derivative power arising from plenitude (also a traditional epithet-pattern like Apām Napāt). aśva ‘horse’ from PIE *h₁éḱwos (Latin equus, Old Irish ech): symbolically ‘speed/force’—here the dynamic energy Agni kindles and directs. ukta from √vac ‘speak’ (via participial formation) foregrounds speech as effective power when ‘su-’ (well/right).
Rita (right arrangement implied by vidhéma, su-ukta), Tapas/Urj (nourishing force that births divine action)
Right action (ṛta) requires right force; Agni ‘desires the horse’ because energy must serve truth-order.
Sūkta as satya-vāc: speech that is ‘well-made’ carries truth-power, not mere emotion.
From ūrj (substance/plenitude) arises the flame that organizes and drives evolution—energy becoming conscious will.
Integral Yoga reading: transformation of vital nature through consecrated will and true mantra.
Plenitude gives birth to will; vitality is yoked to the divine intention through mantra.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as ‘napāt’ (offspring) of ūrj (plenitude) is the mythic birth of divine fire from the nourishing source; simultaneously Agni ‘desires the horse’—the acquisition and harnessing of swift power for the sacrifice. Inwardly: the will born from inner abundance seeks and shapes dynamic energies into a divine instrument.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva continues PIE *h₁éḱwos ‘horse’, a pan–Indo-European sacral symbol of power and speed. The su- prefix parallels Indo-European evaluative prefixes marking ‘good/well’ (cf. Greek eu-), reinforcing the idea that right speech (su-ukta) is efficacious.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers ‘right arrangement’ (vidhéma) and ‘right speech’ (su-ukta); Agni responds as the well-born power that awakens vigor and governs the seeker’s energies (aśva) for the work. The reciprocity is pedagogic: human ordering invites divine ordering.
Feel Agni in the heart drawing up scattered energies and yoking them to a single aim.
Maṇipūra (will/energy) linked upward to Anāhata (psychic consent)
4-4 breathing: inhale gather ‘aśva’ energy; exhale offer it into Agni; keep the mind on ‘vidhema’.
Dynamic concentration; unified drive.
After chanting, choose one action for the day and inwardly dedicate it; watch for vital impulses that resist yoking and gently return them to the flame.
Udatta emphasis typically on invocatory ‘agne’ and epithets; maintain clear svarita transitions; exact svara requires pada-svara reference.
Let ‘ūrjaḥ napāt’ be pronounced as a single epithetic unit; give a slight lift on ‘aśvam’ to mark the energy-symbol.
ayā (long ā at end), vidhema (vi-dhe-ma; aspirate dh), ūrjaḥ (long ū; visarga), napāt (na-pāt; long ā), aśvamiṣṭe (aś-va-miṣ-ṭe; retroflex ṭ), sūktena (sūk-te-na; long ū), sujāta (su-jā-ta; long ā)
Bright and forward; controlled power rather than forceful shouting.
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