Rig Veda 5.8.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 8, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.8
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Jagati
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वामग्ने अतिथिं पूर्व्यं विशः शोचिष्केशं गृहपतिं नि षेदिरे । बृहत्केतुं पुरुरूपं धनस्पृतं सुशर्माणं स्ववसं जरद्विषम् ॥
tvā́m agne átithiṃ pū́rvyaṃ víśaḥ śocíṣ-keśaṃ gṛhá-patiṃ ní ṣedire | bṛhát-ketuṃ puru-rū́paṃ dhana-spṛ́taṃ su-śármāṇaṃ su-vávasaṃ jarad-víṣam ||
Agni, log tumhe mehman bana ke bithate hain. Tum purane mehman ho. Tumhare baal aag jaisi chamak mein hain. Tum ghar ke malik ho. Tumhari roshni ka jhanda bada hai. Tum kitne roop le sakte ho. Tum dhan ko chuate ho, accha ghar dete ho. Tum purani burai ko khatam karte ho.
Word by Word
- त्वाम्
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अतिथिम्
- guestNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्व्यम्
- ancient; of oldAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अतिथिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + य)
- विशः
- the clans/settlements (the people)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके बहुधा), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शोचिष्केशम्
- flame-haired; with blazing hairAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अग्निम्/त्वाम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot शोचिष्केश (समास-प्रातिपदिक; शोचिस् + केश)
- गृहपतिम्
- lord of the house; householderNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्वाम् इति समानाधिकरण/विशेष्य)Role कर्मRoot गृहपति (समास-प्रातिपदिक; गृह + पति)
- नि
- down; in; (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (षद् धातोः सह)Root नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- षेदिरे
- they have sat down; they seated (him)Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot षद् (धातु; वैदिके ‘षद्’ = ‘सद्’ उपवेशनार्थः)
- बृहत्केतुम्
- having lofty/brilliant banner; of great radianceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्वाम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot बृहत्केतु (समास-प्रातिपदिक; बृहत् + केतु)
- पुरुरूपम्
- many-formedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पुरुरूप (समास-प्रातिपदिक; पुरु + रूप)
- धनस्पृतम्
- winning/attaining wealth; wealth-bestowingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धनस्पृत् (समास-प्रातिपदिक; धन + स्पृत् < √स्पृश्/स्पृ ‘to touch, win’ वैदिके ‘स्पृत्’ = ‘प्राप्त/स्पर्शक’)
- सुशर्माणम्
- of good shelter/protectionAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सुशर्मन् (समास-प्रातिपदिक; सु + शर्मन्)
- स्ववसम्
- self-powerful; possessing good wealth/strengthAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot स्ववस् (समास-प्रातिपदिक; स्व + वस् ‘good, wealth/power’)
- जरद्विषम्
- hating old age; warding off senilityAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जरद्विष् (समास-प्रातिपदिक; जरत्/जरद् ‘old age’ + द्विष् ‘hating’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वाम् | अग्ने | अतिथिम् | पूर्व्यम् | विशः | शोचिष्केशम् | गृहपतिम् | नि | षेदिरे | बृहत्केतुम् | पुरुरूपम् | धनस्पृतम् | सुशर्माणम् | स्ववसम् | जरद्विषम् । 1) ‘अग्ने अति…’ इत्यत्र विसर्गादि-सन्धिः न
- सम्बोधन ‘अग्ने’ पृथक्। 2) ‘नि षेदिरे’ इत्यत्र उपसर्ग ‘नि’ + √षद् (वैदिक रूप, सद्-समकक्ष) — संहितायां ‘निषेदिरे’ इति। 3) ‘बृहत्केतुम्’ इत्यत्र समासे ‘बृहत् + केतु’ → ‘बृहत्केतु’। 4) ‘धनस्पृतम्’ इत्यत्र समास ‘धन + स्पृत्’ (वैदिक विशेषण) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The peoples have seated you, O Agni, as the ancient guest, flame-haired, lord of the home—vast-bannered, many-formed, touching riches, giving good shelter, of good giving, consuming what is old and harmful.
Inner meaning
The ‘viśaḥ’ (powers/communities of the being) enthrone Agni as atithi—the divine Guest who arrives when invited but then becomes the master within. ‘Flame-haired’ indicates thought-currents lit by will. Agni’s ‘great banner’ is the high sign of illumination guiding life; ‘many-formed’ shows he works in body, life, and mind differently. He ‘touches riches’ by opening inner resources (strength, clarity, joy). He gives ‘good shelter’—a protected inner poise—and ‘burns the old poison’: obsolete habits, fatigued desires, toxic residues of the past (jarad-viṣam).
Universal truth
When the inner fire is given a seat of honor, it becomes a protecting guide, unlocks inner wealth, and steadily purifies inherited and aged poisons of habit.
Themes
Agni-as-guest, installation, purification, wealth-as-felicity
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya) (traditional)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.8.1, RV 5.7
Family tradition
The Ātreya strain often presents Agni as the inner guest/master whose enthronement purifies and enriches the whole being.
Significance
Atri’s emphasis on seating Agni indicates a deliberate inner enthronement—making aspiration a stable governance rather than a passing mood.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- atithi pūrvya, śociṣkeśa, gṛhapati, bṛhatketu, pururūpa, dhanaspṛt, suśarmāṇa, jaradviṣa
- Related deities
- Uṣas (illumination), Indra (victory of light), Soma (delight that follows purification)
Cosmic role
Householder of the worlds; purifier and protector; awakener of light-signs that guide beings.
Inner power
Psychic fire that purifies the past, protects the present, and unlocks future resources.
In ritual
Where it is used
Hospitality-to-Agni motif in agni-upāsanā; stotra at kindling and seating of fire
त्वाम॑ग्ने॒ अति॑थिं पू॒र्व्यं विश॑: शो॒चिष्के॑शं गृ॒हप॑तिं॒ नि षे॑दिरे । बृ॒हत्के॑तुं पुरु॒रूपं॑ धन॒स्पृतं॑ सु॒शर्मा॑णं॒ स्वव॑सं जर॒द्विष॑म् ॥
त्वाम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अति॑थिम् । पू॒र्व्यम् । विशः॑ । शो॒चिःऽके॑शम् । गृ॒हऽप॑तिम् । नि । से॒दि॒रे॒ । बृ॒हत्ऽके॑तुम् । पु॒रु॒ऽरूप॑म् । ध॒न॒ऽस्पृत॑म् । सु॒ऽशर्मा॑णम् । सु॒ऽअव॑सम् । ज॒र॒त्ऽविष॑म् ॥
tvām | agne | atithim | pūrvyam | viśaḥ | śociḥ-keśam | gṛha-patim | ni | sedire | bṛhat-ketum | puru-rūpam | dhana-spṛtam | su-śarmāṇam | su-avasam | jarat-viṣam
48
4 pādas × ~12 syllables
Long-breathed, descriptive, enthroning cadence; suitable for ‘seating’ and establishing.
Induces a sense of stable installation of Agni; supports purification imagery with sustained tone.
- atithi
- Literal: guest. Symbolic: indwelling divine presence invited by aspiration
- śociṣkeśa
- Literal: flame-haired. Symbolic: mind and life lit with fiery clarity; luminous thought-streams
- gṛhapati
- Literal: lord of the home. Symbolic: governing consciousness in the embodied nature
- bṛhatketu
- Literal: having a vast banner/sign. Symbolic: high illumination that leads the journey
- pururūpa
- Literal: many-formed. Symbolic: Agni’s multiple operations in different layers of the being
- dhanaspṛt
- Literal: touching/attaining riches. Symbolic: opening inner treasures: strength, knowledge, delight
- suśarmāṇa
- Literal: bringing good shelter/peace. Symbolic: protective inner peace and right environment for growth
- svavasa
- Literal: of good giving/own power. Symbolic: self-existent power that supports right works
- jaradviṣa
- Literal: having old poison; consuming old poison. Symbolic: burning aged toxicity: stale desires, fears, resentments
Installation of Agni as household guest and lord (gārhapatya symbolism); also an inner rite of establishing the flame of will as purifier of decay.
When installing/maintaining household or altar fire; also in daily fire reverence
Seating/inviting Agni (āvāhana) and kindling; offerings for protection and purification
Use as a purification mantra: chant before sleep to ‘burn old poison’—resentments, stale cravings, mental toxins.
atithi ‘guest’ encodes invited indwelling; śociṣ ‘flame’ + keśa ‘hair’ gives vivid iconography; √sad ‘seat’ = install as stable presence; ketu again ‘banner/sign’ of light; puru-rūpa indicates multiple operations of Agni in psyche; jarad-viṣa frames Agni as consumer of decay/toxicity—psychologically, purifier of stale formations.
indwelling divine presence (atithi, gṛhapati), purification of old formations (jarad-viṣa), light as guiding sign (ketu)
To seat Agni is to seat ṛta in the ‘house’ of the being.
Bṛhatketu as truth-sign: inner discernment that reveals what must be burned away.
Renewal through fire: the old is consumed so the new form can manifest.
Yoga of transformation (Aurobindonian): purification of subconscient residues to free higher action.
evening (implied by purification/settling; not explicit)
unspecified
House = body-life-mind; banner = guiding illumination; poison = toxic samskāras; fire = transformative will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine guest installed in the house’ mythologem: Agni is seated by the peoples as atithi and gṛhapati. This is the archetype of welcoming the divine power into the human dwelling so it can burn away jarad-viṣa—old, poisonous accretions of consciousness—and make the being a protected, prosperous home of light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sad ‘sit/seat’ reflects PIE *sed- ‘sit’ (cf. Latin sedēre). ketu as ‘sign/banner’ participates in an old poetic register of ‘visible token’ (conceptual parallels with IE ‘glory-sign’ traditions).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The human collectivity (viśaḥ) performs the key act: they ‘seat’ Agni—making the inner presence stable. Agni’s reciprocal role is described through epithets: he protects (suśarman), helps (su-avas), brings riches (dhana-spṛt as inner plenitude), and purges decay (jarad-viṣa).
Enthrone Agni in the heart as the ‘guest-lord’; invite him to burn the ‘old poison’ of habit.
Anāhata (seat of the guest) with cleansing support into Svādhiṣṭhāna (habit-energy)
Slow exhale-focused breathing; mentally repeat jaradviṣam on the exhale for 12 breaths
Protected calm with cleansing warmth
Visualize a small steady flame in the heart. On inhale: ‘ni ṣedire’ (I seat you). On exhale: ‘jaradviṣam’ (burn the old toxin). End by feeling ‘suśarmāṇa’—a sheltered inner space.
Standard Vedic accenting; keep long vowels sustained in pūrvyaṃ, śociṣkeśaṃ, bṛhatketum, jaradviṣam (exact svara needs accent text).
Let the first half feel like enthronement (ni ṣedire), second half like unfolding epithets; slightly emphasize jaradviṣam as a cleansing seal.
śociṣkeśam: articulate śo-ciṣ-ke-śam (ṣ retroflex), bṛhatketum: vocalic ṛ in bṛhat, pururūpam: roll the repeated ru clearly, jaradviṣam: keep ṣ, not ‘s’
Gentle but firm; warming tone
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