Rig Veda 3.7.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 7, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.7
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni, with implicit aiding powers
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ सीमरोहत्सुयमा भवन्तीः पतिश्चिकित्वान्रयिविद्रयीणाम् । प्र नीलपृष्ठो अतसस्य धासेस्ता अवासयत्पुरुधप्रतीकः ॥
ā́ sīm árohat suyámā bhávantīḥ pátiś cikitvā́n rayivíd rayīṇā́m | prá nī́lapṛṣṭho atásasya dhāsés tā́ avāsayat purudhápratīkaḥ ||
Ab yeh shaktiyan sahi raaste pe chalne lagti hain. Ek malik hai jo sab jaanta hai, jo acchi cheezein dhundhta hai. Uska peeth neela hai aur woh sab ko sahi jagah pe bitha deta hai. Uske bahut roop hain aur woh andar ki puja ke liye sab taiyaar karta hai.
Word by Word
- आ
- towards; hitherIndeclinableupasarga/nipāta (no gender/case/number)Root आ (upasarga) / ā (nipāta)
- सीम्
- indeed; just; straightwayIndeclinableparticle (emphatic/limiting)Root सीम् (nipāta)
- अरोहत्
- mounted; rose upVerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole Kartā (with implied subject) / verbal predicateRoot √रुह् (रुहँ) ‘to rise, mount’
- सुयमा
- well-guided; well-reinedAdjectiveFeminine nominative pluralRole Kartā (agreeing with feminine plural subject) / viśeṣaṇaRoot सु- + यम (prātipadika: सुयम- ‘well-guided/with good reins’)
- भवन्तीः
- becoming; beingParticiple (Adjective)Present active participle, feminine nominative pluralRole Kartā (as participial predicate of the subject) / viśeṣaṇaRoot √भू (भू) → present participle ‘भवन्त्’
- पतिः
- lord; husband; masterNounMasculine nominative singularRole KartāRoot पति- (prātipadika)
- च
- andIndeclinableconjunctionRoot च (avyaya)
- चिकित्वान्
- wise; discerningParticiple (Adjective)Perfect active participle, masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to पतिः) / viśeṣaṇaRoot √चित् (चिती) ‘to perceive, notice, understand’ → perfect participle ‘चिकित्वांस्’
- रयिवित्
- finder of wealthNoun (agentive)Masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to पतिः) / viśeṣaṇaRoot रयि- ‘wealth’ + √विद् (विदँ) ‘to know/find’ → -वित् ‘finder/knower’
- रयीणाम्
- of riches; of wealthNounMasculine genitive pluralRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitive relation to रयिवित्)Root रयि- (prātipadika)
- प्र
- forth; forwardIndeclinablepreverb/particleRoot प्र (upasarga/nipāta)
- नीलपृष्ठः
- dark-backed; having a dark backNoun/Adjective (bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa usage)Masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (subject of following verb) / viśeṣaṇaRoot नील- ‘dark/blue’ + पृष्ठ- ‘back’ (compound)
- अतसस्य
- of flaxNounNeuter genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (with धासेः/धासे)Root अतस्- (prātipadika) ‘flax’
- धासेः
- of the portion; of the distribution/foodNounMasculine/Neuter genitive singular (Vedic form; ‘of the portion/distribution’)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot धासि-/धास- (prātipadika) ‘portion; distribution; offering/food’ (Vedic)
- ताः
- themPronounFeminine accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot तद् (sarvanāman)
- अवासयत्
- caused (them) to settle; brought downVerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person singular, parasmaipada, causative senseRole Kriyā (with Kartā = नीलपृष्ठः; Karma = ताः)Root ava- + √सि/√सा? (causative of √वस्/√वास ‘to dwell/settle’ used as ‘to cause to settle/bring down’; Vedic usage)
- पुरुधप्रतीकः
- of many forms; many-facedAdjectiveMasculine nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition/epithet of subject) / viśeṣaṇaRoot पुरुधा (avyaya ‘in many ways/much’) + प्रतीक- ‘appearance, form, face’ (compound)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (principal): सी॑म्+अरोहत् → सीम् अरोहत्
- सु॒यमा॒ भव॑न्ती॒: → सुयमा भवन्तीः
- चिकि॒त्वान्र॑यि॒विद्र॑यी॒णाम् → चिकित्वान् रयिवित् रयीणाम्
- नील॑पृष्ठो → नीलपृष्ठः (visarga restored in pada)
- अत॒सस्य॑ धा॒सेस्ता → अतसस्य धासेः ताः (final -eḥ before t- gives eṣṭa in saṃhitā)
- अ॑वासयत्पुरु॒धप्र॑तीकः → अवासयत् पुरुधप्रतीकः
The meaning
Outer meaning
They have mounted and become well-guided; the lord, the conscious knower, finder of riches, leads. The dark-backed one of the woven substance sets them to their stations, many-formed.
Inner meaning
The feminine plural powers (supporting energies—thought-forces, inspirations, or goddesses of the rite) ‘mount’ the movement of sacrifice and become suyamāḥ—well-yoked, rightly guided. Agni as pati, cikitvān (conscious knower) and rayivid (finder of plenitudes) takes precedence, leading the ascent. ‘nīlapṛṣṭha’ (dark-backed) and ‘atasasya’ (of woven flax/texture) point to Agni working through the dense fabric of embodied nature—within the inconscient/subconscient material. He stations the powers (avāsayat) in their right places: organizing the inner instruments, giving each force its proper function, revealing himself as purudhapratīka—one divine Will with many forms adapted to the seeker’s nature.
Universal truth
Progress requires not only aspiration but right guidance and arrangement of inner forces; the conscious will can organize even the dense, habitual fabric of life into a harmonious instrument for growth.
Themes
Agni as organizer and knower, right governance of inner powers, placement of energies in the rite
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.7.1, RV 3.7.2, RV 3.7.4, RV 3.7.5
Family tradition
A tradition of mantric discipline where speech, will, and energies are ‘yoked’ into a guided ascent; emphasis on conscious mastery (cikitvān).
Significance
This verse reflects the yogic craft of the seer: not only invoking powers but arranging them—turning multiplicity into an ordered instrument around the psychic fire.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- pati (lord), cikitvān (knower), rayivid (finder of plenitudes), purudhapratīka (many-formed), nīlapṛṣṭha (dark-backed)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī/Vāc (guidance of word), Indra (leading illumination), Maruts (supporting energies; possible resonance with plural feminine powers)
Cosmic role
Organizer of the sacrifice; establishes functional order among powers and bridges the luminous and the obscure strata.
Inner power
Discerning will that can work within the ‘woven’ material-vital nature and set forces into right stations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni hymn in Soma ritual context; also relevant to rites of establishing the fire and assigning priestly functions (symbolic parallel)
आ सी॑मरोहत्सु॒यमा॒ भव॑न्ती॒: पति॑श्चिकि॒त्वान्र॑यि॒विद्र॑यी॒णाम् । प्र नील॑पृष्ठो अत॒सस्य॑ धा॒सेस्ता अ॑वासयत्पुरु॒धप्र॑तीकः ॥
आ । सी॒म् । अ॒रो॒ह॒त् । सु॒ऽयमाः॑ । भव॑न्तीः । पतिः॑ । चि॒कि॒त्वान् । र॒यि॒ऽवित् । र॒यी॒णाम् । प्र । नील॑ऽपृष्ठः । अ॒त॒सस्य॑ । धा॒सेः । ताः । अ॒वा॒स॒य॒त् । पु॒रु॒धऽप्र॑तीकः ॥
ā | sīm | arohat | su-yamāḥ | bhavantīḥ | patiḥ | cikitvān | rayi-vit | rayīṇām | pra | nīla-pṛṣṭhaḥ | atasasya | dhāseḥ | tāḥ | avāsayat | purudha-pratīkaḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables
Directive and organizing; strong caesurae aid ‘placing’ and ‘leading’ sense.
Supports inner discipline—mind feels ‘set in place’; helpful for bringing scattered energies into alignment.
- सुयमाः (suyamāḥ)
- Literal: well-guided/well-yoked. Symbolic: rightly directed energies; disciplined movements of thought and force
- पतिः (patiḥ)
- Literal: lord/master. Symbolic: central governing will (Agni) in the being
- चिकित्वान् (cikitvān)
- Literal: knowing, conscious. Symbolic: awake discernment; the flame that knows and chooses
- रयिवित् (rayivid)
- Literal: finder of riches. Symbolic: bringer of inner plenitudes—light, force, joy
- नीलपृष्ठ (nīlapṛṣṭha)
- Literal: dark-backed. Symbolic: Agni hidden in dense nature; fire in the obscurity
- अतस (atasa)
- Literal: flax, woven fiber. Symbolic: the woven texture of prakṛti—habits, nerves, embodied patterns to be ordered
- पुरुधप्रतीक (purudhapratīka)
- Literal: many-formed. Symbolic: one divine power expressing through multiple functions/faculties
Describes the organizing action of Agni in the rite: setting powers in their stations and enabling right guidance (su-yama).
During praise that establishes Agni as leader and organizer of the rite
Recitation while arranging offerings/implements; inner analogue: arranging faculties
Use before planning, study, or sādhanā to invoke inner order and guidance.
su-yama from su + yama (√yam ‘to hold, control’) → well-governed. cikitvān from desiderative/intensive of √cit ‘perceive, know’ → ‘one who knows’. rayi from √rā/√ri? ‘to give, bestow, wealth’ (Vedic semantic: fullness). nīla ‘dark/blue’ + pṛṣṭha ‘back’. atasá ‘flax’ (woven fibre) used as metaphor for formed material texture. pratīka ‘face/form’ from prati + √īkṣ ‘to see’ → what is seen as a form.
rāyi/rayi as plenitude of being, guidance/control (yama) of energies, many-formed divine manifestation (purudha-pratīka)
Agni ‘stations’ powers according to ṛta—right functional order in the being.
Conscious knowing (cikitvān) is the satya-light that guides the yoked energies.
The One manifests as many forms; order is created by right placement of forces in the cosmic work.
Integral Vedic psychology: transformation of embodied nature by conscious will.
Mounting=energies taking higher direction; dark-backed=hidden fire in obscurity; weaving=structured nature; stations=chakric/functional placements of force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hidden fire’ (dark-backed) that nonetheless arranges the powers and leads them into right guidance. Inner sense: the will in embodied substance (atasá) organizes the energies of the being, placing them rightly so plenitude (rayi) can be found and stabilized.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati ‘lord’ reflects PIE *pótis (cf. Greek πόσις, Latin potis ‘able’ in related semantic sphere). √yam ‘hold/control’ is Indo-European in control/constraint semantics. √īkṣ ‘see’ (in pratīka) aligns with PIE *weid-/*h₃ekʷ- visual/knowing networks (broadly), reinforcing the theme of discernment and formed appearance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Agni not merely as recipient of praise but as inner governor: Agni’s consciousness (cikitvān) and capacity to find plenitude (rayivit) are invoked as operative powers that can set the aspirant’s energies into right stations.
Invoke Agni as the inner organizer: ‘place’ each faculty (speech, thought, desire, action) at its station around the flame.
Maṇipūra (governing will) coordinating with Ājñā (discernment)
3-part breath (abdomen–chest–clavicle) to ‘mount’ energies; exhale while mentally ‘placing’ one faculty at a time.
Collected mastery; luminous control within the dense body-mind texture.
After chanting, do a brief inner inventory: name 3–5 active forces (thought, emotion, impulse); offer each into the flame and assign it a right function (service, silence, study, action).
Maintain accent integrity; keep ‘cikitvān rayivid’ crisp—these are key semantic peaks.
Slightly emphasize transitions: ā sīm arohat → patiḥ cikitvān → pra nīlapṛṣṭhaḥ → avāsayat.
suyamā: separate su-ya-mā, long ā, cikitvān: retroflex ṭ absent; keep dental t; final -ān long, nīlapṛṣṭha: retroflex ṣṭh cluster—articulate carefully, purudhapratīka: break into pu-ru-dha-pra-tī-ka, long ī
Firm, directive, well-supported; avoid breathiness to convey mastery.
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