Rig Veda 4.2.3: Mandala 4, Sukta 2, Mantra 3
Sukta 4.2
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अत्या वृधस्नू रोहिता घृतस्नू ऋतस्य मन्ये मनसा जविष्ठा । अन्तरीयसे अरुषा युजानो युष्माँश्च देवान्विश आ च मर्तान् ॥
átyā vṛdhasnū róhitā ghṛtasnū ṛtásya manye mánasā jáviṣṭhā | antár īyase aruṣā́ yujānó yuṣmā́ṃś ca devā́n víśa ā́ ca mártān ||
अत्यन्त वेगवान हैं तुम्हारे अश्व—बल में बढ़ते हुए, रोहित, और घृत से सिक्त; मन से मैं उन्हें ऋत के लिए सर्वाधिक शीघ्र मानता हूँ। तुम बीच में गमन करते हो, अरुष शक्तियों को युक्त करते हुए, और देवों तथा मनुष्यों की विशः को एक साथ ले आते हो।
Word by Word
- अत्या
- exceedingly, veryIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier/‘beyond, exceedingly’)Root अति
- वृधस्नू
- growing/strengthening (f.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with रोहिता)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root वृधस्नु
- रोहिता
- the ruddy/red one (f.)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot रोहित
- घृतस्नू
- ghee-oozing, anointed with ghee (f.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with रोहिता)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root घृतस्नु
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order/truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root ऋत
- मन्ये
- I think, I deemVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole KriyāRoot मन् (मन्यते)
- मनसा
- with (my) mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मनस्
- जविष्ठा
- swiftest (f.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (superlative; agreeing with रोहिता)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root जविष्ठ (जव-)
- अन्तरीयसे
- thou movest/advancest between (the realms)Verbलट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Vedic; ‘thou goest/advancest in between/within’)Role KriyāRoot अन्तरीय (अन्तरि + इ/या)
- अरुषा
- ruddy, tawny (f.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with implied subject, same as रोहिता)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root अरुष
- युजानो
- yoking, harnessingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (Vedic usage; ‘yoking/being yoked’)Role Kartā (participle qualifying the agent)Root युज्
- युष्मान्
- you (pl.)Pronounद्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद्
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (in apposition with युष्मान्)Root देव
- विशः
- the clans, the peoplesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Vedic: ‘clans/peoples’)Role KarmaRoot विश्
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (towards, hither)Root आ
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च
- मर्तान्
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot मर्त
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अत्या | वृधस्नू | रोहिता | घृतस्नू | ऋतस्य | मन्ये | मनसा | जविष्ठा || अन्तरीयसे | अरुषा | युजानो | युष्मान् | च | देवान् | विशः | आ | च | मर्तान् || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) युष्माँश्च = युष्मान् + च (न् + च → ँश्च/ंश्च, अनुस्वार-परसवर्ण)
- (2) देवान्विशः = देवान् + विशः (न् + व → न्व)
- (3) आ च = आ + च (स्वर-सन्धि नहीं, केवल पद-संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni’s swift coursers—growing strong, ruddy, dripping with ghee—are perceived by mind as the fastest for ṛta. Agni moves between, yoking the ruddy powers and bringing together the gods and human clans.
Inner meaning
The ‘steeds’ are Agni’s dynamic forces in the being—vital-mental energies that become strong through practice and are ‘anointed’ with delight (ghṛta) when the movement turns toward truth. By an awakened mind (manasā manye), the seeker recognizes which impulses are truly swift for ṛta (right movement). Agni then travels the inner mid-region, yoking purified energies (aruṣā) to unify higher powers (devāḥ) and human instruments (martāḥ) into one harmonized action.
Universal truth
Progress accelerates when energies are strengthened, delighted, and yoked to truth; then higher inspiration and human effort converge into a single right movement.
Themes
steeds of Agni, illumined energies, union of gods and mortals via yajña
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.2.1, Rig Veda 4.2.2, Rig Veda 4.2.4
Family tradition
Vision-poetry that reads Agni’s ritual horses as inner energies; emphasizes ṛta as the criterion of right speed and right direction.
Significance
Vāmadeva highlights discernment (manasā) and the yoking of forces—key themes for integral transformation: not mere intensity, but right-ordered intensity.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- javiṣṭha (most swift), aruṣa (ruddy), ghṛta-anointed (ghṛtasnū imagery)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (ruddiness/dawn-force), Soma (delight/ghṛta essence), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Drives the movement of sacrifice swiftly toward ṛta; unites cosmic powers with human action.
Inner power
Swift will guided by discernment; capacity to convert raw energy into delighted, truth-aligned dynamism.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni kindling with ghee offerings; invocation of Agni’s ‘steeds’ (his powers) at the start of a rite
अत्या॑ वृध॒स्नू रोहि॑ता घृ॒तस्नू॑ ऋ॒तस्य॑ मन्ये॒ मन॑सा॒ जवि॑ष्ठा । अ॒न्तरी॑यसे अरु॒षा यु॑जा॒नो यु॒ष्माँश्च॑ दे॒वान्विश॒ आ च॒ मर्ता॑न् ॥
अत्या॑ । वृ॒ध॒स्नू इति॑ वृ॒ध॒ऽस्नू । रोहि॑ता । घृ॒तस्नू॒ इति॑ घृ॒तऽस्नू॑ । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । म॒न्ये॒ । मन॑सा । जवि॑ष्ठा । अ॒न्तः । ई॒य॒से॒ । अ॒रु॒षा । यु॒जा॒नः । यु॒ष्मान् । च॒ । दे॒वान् । विशः॑ । आ । च॒ । मर्ता॑न् ॥
atyā | vṛdhasnū itivṛdha-snū | rohitā | ghṛtasnūitighṛta-snū | ṛtasya | manye | manasā | javiṣṭhā | antaḥ | īyase | aruṣā | yujānaḥ | yuṣmān | ca | devān | viśaḥ | ā | ca | martān
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Quick, propulsive; suitable for describing speed and yoking.
Energizes the listener; supports a felt sense of ‘harnessing’ scattered forces into one swift current.
- atyāḥ
- Literal: coursers/steeds. Symbolic: dynamic energies of life and mind that carry the will
- vṛdhasnū
- Literal: growing, strengthening. Symbolic: energies that increase by discipline and right use
- rohitā
- Literal: ruddy. Symbolic: dawn-red force: awakened life-energy touched by light
- ghṛtasnū
- Literal: dripping with ghee. Symbolic: anointed with delight/clarity; ‘ghee’ as refined essence of consciousness
- ṛtasya
- Literal: of ṛta. Symbolic: right order, truth-movement
- manasā manye
- Literal: I think/perceive by mind. Symbolic: illumined discernment recognizing true speed toward truth
- antar īyase
- Literal: you move between. Symbolic: Agni mediating planes; inner passage-work
- aruṣā yujānaḥ
- Literal: yoking the ruddy ones. Symbolic: harnessing awakened forces into a single ascent
- devān ... martān
- Literal: gods and mortals. Symbolic: higher faculties/powers and human instruments unified
Invocation of Agni’s swift carriers in the offering; supports the rite’s efficacy by ‘speed’ and right conveyance.
At the enlivening of the fire and energizing of the rite’s movement
Offering ghṛta; inviting Agni to carry oblations and bring devas to the seat
Use when beginning work or sadhana to align speed with truth—before study, service, or concentrated practice.
rohitá ‘ruddy’ (color term tied to dawn/fire) supports the liminal power of transition. ghṛta (√ghṛ ‘to shine/sprinkle’; semantic overlap with ‘bright/unctuous essence’) enables the inner reading as ‘clarified delight/essence’. jav- in javiṣṭha relates to speed/impetus (√jav ‘to hasten’). The repeated ‘antar’ motif continues Agni’s mediatorship as a psychological bridge.
ṛta as goal and law, inner perception (manas), integration of divine and human powers
Explicit: the energies are ‘fastest for ṛta’—speed becomes sacred only when truth-aligned.
Truth is not only known but moved in; right motion is a form of satya.
The worlds are connected through a mid-region where forces are yoked; harmony of gods and mortals sustains cosmic order.
Integral psychological Vedism: discernment + energized will as instruments of ascent.
dawn (rohitā/aruṣa coloration)
unspecified
Steeds = prāṇic-mental drives; ghee = refined delight/clarity; dawn-red = awakening life-force under illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The divine steeds/energies that carry the rite toward ṛta: Agni yokes ruddy, ghee-bright forces and traverses the in-between space, joining gods and men. Psychologically, the ‘steeds’ are disciplined drives that become swift for truth when suffused with clarified delight (ghṛta).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The yoking motif (√yuj) again reflects PIE *yeug-. Color epithets like rohitá belong to an inherited Indo-European poetics where dawn/fire imagery encodes the rise of consciousness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi ‘knows by mind’ (manye manasā), suggesting an inner correspondence: as the seeker perceives and offers, Agni organizes the forces that connect human community (viśaḥ) to the divine community (devāḥ).
Observe inner energies (‘steeds’) and choose the ones that move toward truth; then yoke breath, attention, and will into one current.
manipura (drive) guided by ajna (discernment)
4-4-6 breathing: inhale (ignite), hold (discern), exhale (offer and unify).
Alert, swift, harmonized dynamism.
Before action, pause: ‘Which impulse is javiṣṭha for ṛta?’ Let delight (ghṛta) replace strain; proceed only with yoked, ruddy-awakened energy (aruṣā).
Follow Saṃhitā svara marks; emphasize the lift on key descriptors (javiṣṭhā, ṛtasya) without over-stressing consonants.
Keep pāda breaks clean; do not run ‘ṛtasya manye’ together—slight pause aids meaning.
rohitā: clear ‘h’ and long ā., ghṛtasnū: pronounce ghṛ (voiced aspirate + vocalic ṛ)., aruṣā: retroflex ṣ, not ś/s., viśaḥ: palatal ś, short aḥ at end.
Bright, energized, steady; avoid shouting—speed with clarity.
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