Rig Veda 1.148.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 148, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.148
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
पुरूणि दस्मो नि रिणाति जम्भैराद्रोचते वन आ विभावा । आदस्य वातो अनु वाति शोचिरस्तुर्न शर्यामसनामनु द्यून् ॥
purū́ṇi dasmó ní riṇāti jámbhair ā́d rocate vána ā́ vibhā́vā | ā́d asya vā́to ánu vāti śocír astúr na śaryā́m asanā́m ánu dyū́n ||
अग्नि जो चमकता हुआ है, वो बहुत चीज़ें अपने मुँह से निकाल देता है। जंगल में चमकता है, चारों तरफ रोशनी फैलाता है। उसके पीछे हवा चलती है और आग को और भड़काती है। यह तेज़ दौड़ता है जैसे कोई तीर चला हो, दिन भर चलता रहता है।
Word by Word
- पुरूणि
- many (things)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot पुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दस्मः
- the wondrous one (Agni)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot दस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, away (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- रिणाति
- drives away, removesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRoot √री (रीणाति) / √रि (वेद.)
- जम्भैः
- with (his) jaws/teethNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot जम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- forth, towards (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्रोचते
- shines, is radiantVerbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRoot √द्रुच्/√द्रुच् (वेद. ‘द्रोचते’)
- वने
- in the wood/forestNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- forth, towards (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- विभावा
- all-illuminating, widely shiningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot विभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
- आत्
- then, thereuponIndeclinableनिपातRoot आत् (अव्यय) < अद्/अथ (वेद. अव्यय)
- अस्य
- of him/itsPronounपुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी; एकवचनRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वातः
- windNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot वात (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- along, after (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाति
- blowsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRoot √वा (वाति)
- शोचिः
- flame, blazeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शोचिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तुः
- of the house/homeNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRoot अस्तु (प्रातिपदिक) / √अस् (वेद. ‘अस्तु’ ‘home’)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- शर्याम
- a missile/arrow (swift dart)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
- असना
- with a cast/impulsion (with a throw)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot असन (प्रातिपदिक) / असनā (वेद. ‘throwing/impelling’)
- अनु
- along, afterIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्यून्
- days (day-times)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot द्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): पुरूणि दस्मो → पुरूणि | दस्मः (o < visarga sandhi in saṃhitā)
- रिणाति जम्भैर् → रिणाति | जम्भैः (ः → र् before vowel/voiced)
- जम्भैराद्रोचते → जम्भैः | आ | द्रोचते
- द्रोचते वन आ विभावा → द्रोचते | वने | आ | विभावा
- आदस्य → आत् | अस्य
- वातो अनु वाति → वातः | अनु | वाति
- शोचिरस्तुर्न → शोचिः | अस्तुः | न
- शर्यामस॒नामनु → शर्याम् | असना | अनु. Accents are as in saṃhitā text
- pada-forms given unaccented
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, the wondrous one, clears away many obstacles with his “jaws”; he shines in the wood as the wide-radiant flame. The wind follows him, fanning his blaze; his running flame moves swiftly through the days without pause.
Inner meaning
Agni as the inner Divine Will-Power breaks up resistances (“many things”) with the force of discernment and tapas, kindling in the “forest” of embodied nature (the complex of nerves, desires, habitual formations). Once the flame of aspiration is established, prāṇa (vāta) naturally follows and feeds it—breath becomes allied to the will. The movement then becomes continuous across “days” (states of waking practice), like a swift, precise arrow: a sustained, directed sādhanā-current that does not relapse.
Universal truth
When the soul’s will is lit, it clears inner obstructions, recruits the life-breath to its purpose, and establishes an unbroken momentum of growth; sustained practice becomes self-propelling and precise.
Themes
removal of obstacles, illumination, breath-fire synergy, unceasing aspiration
The seer
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Aucathya (attributed seer for RV 1.148 in the Anukramaṇī tradition)
- Lineage
- Aucathya
- Other hymns
- RV 1.140–1.164 (Dīrghatamas cycle; especially 1.164 on symbolic vision), RV 1.143–1.149 (Agni sequence contextually linked)
Family tradition
Āṅgirasa-linked fire-mysticism; hymns emphasize Agni as inner guide and the hidden workings of Light in embodied life.
Significance
The seer-vision here stresses continuity: once the psychic fire is kindled, breath and life-movement can be yoked to it, creating an unbroken current through time.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Dasma (wondrous), Vibhāvā (wide-radiant), Śociṣkeśa (flame-haired, implied), Jātavedas (knower of births, implicit Agni-function)
- Related deities
- Vāyu (as prāṇa that fans Agni), Uṣas (illumination that follows kindling), Indra (illumined mind that uses opened channels)
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; transformer that carries offerings and brings down powers of light; purifier and awakener in the worlds.
Inner power
Tapas and will of consecration that burns obscurity, organizes energies, and opens the way for illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / Āhavanīya kindling and praise of Agni in Soma-related sequences
पु॒रूणि॑ द॒स्मो नि रि॑णाति॒ जम्भै॒राद्रो॑चते॒ वन॒ आ वि॒भावा॑ । आद॑स्य॒ वातो॒ अनु॑ वाति शो॒चिरस्तु॒र्न शर्या॑मस॒नामनु॒ द्यून् ॥
पु॒रूणि॑ । द॒स्मः । नि । रि॒णा॒ति॒ । जम्भैः॑ । आत् । रो॒च॒ते॒ । वने॑ । आ । वि॒भाऽवा॑ । आत् । अ॒स्य॒ । वातः॑ । अनु॑ । वा॒ति॒ । शो॒चिः । अस्तुः॑ । न । शर्या॑म् । अ॒स॒नाम् । अनु॑ । द्यून् ॥
purūṇi | dasmaḥ | ni | riṇāti | jambhaiḥ | āt | rocate | vane | ā | vibhāvā | āt | asya | vātaḥ | anu | vāti | śociḥ | astuḥ | na | śaryām | asanām | anu | dyūn
Triṣṭubh (probable for RV 1.148; standard in this section)
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Driving, forward-thrusting cadence suited to forceful action and overcoming.
Builds momentum and steadiness; supports a sense of continuous inner propulsion (an ‘arrow-like’ directedness).
- दस्म (dasma)
- Literal: wondrous, skillful. Symbolic: the marvel-power of the Divine Will that knows how to work in Nature
- जम्भैः (jambhaiḥ)
- Literal: with jaws/teeth. Symbolic: cutting force of discrimination; power that bites through resistance and inertia
- वने (vane)
- Literal: in the wood/forest. Symbolic: the dense growth of embodied nature—vital/physical formations where fire must be kindled
- विभावा (vibhāvā)
- Literal: wide-shining, far-radiant. Symbolic: expanding illumination of consciousness once Agni is established
- वातः (vātaḥ)
- Literal: wind. Symbolic: prāṇa, breath-force that can either scatter or intensify the inner fire
- शोचिः (śociḥ)
- Literal: flame, radiance. Symbolic: psychic flame of aspiration; luminous energy of the will
- शर्याम् (śaryām)
- Literal: arrow/archer’s flight (swift missile). Symbolic: one-pointed, goal-directed movement of sādhanā
- द्यून् (dyūn)
- Literal: days. Symbolic: successive states/periods of practice across waking life
Describes Agni’s consuming and shining during kindling; apt in recitations accompanying fuel-offering and the enlivening of fire by fanning/breath (vāta).
At kindling/invocation of Agni; also as a contemplative recitation to awaken the inner fire before offerings.
Kindling, offering ghee, establishing the fire’s brightness; aligning breath with recitation.
Use as a pre-meditation ‘ignition’ mantra: kindle aspiration, then coordinate breath so prāṇa feeds the flame rather than disperses it.
Key roots: (1) √ri ‘to go, rise’ / √ṛ ‘to move’ in riṇāti ‘to remove/clear’ (Vedic usage): Agni as remover of coverings; ‘jaws’ indicates consuming transformation. (2) √ruc ‘shine’ → rocate: manifestation of light. (3) √vā ‘to blow’ → vāta, vāti: breath/wind as supporter of flame; inner prāṇa feeding will-fire. (4) śociṣ from √śuc ‘to shine, burn’ denotes flame as luminous consciousness. (5) The arrow simile (śaryām) underscores directed, piercing movement—Agni’s progress through time (dyūn) without slackening (asanām).
transformation by consuming tapas, prāṇa supporting inner will, continuity of practice through time (dyūn)
The ‘unceasing run through the days’ images Ṛta as continuity and right progression in time.
Agni’s radiance as truth-illumination that does not falter once established.
Fire in the wood as emergence of consciousness from dense matter; illumination born from concealment.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral-Yogic reading (Aurobindo): evolution of consciousness via Agni and Ṛta.
Unspecified (fits dawn-to-day continuity)
Unspecified
Fire = aspiration/will; wood = embodied nature; wind = breath/prāṇa; arrow-flight = one-pointed sādhana-current through time.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the devourer and illuminator: he consumes coverings and then shines; wind follows and intensifies the flame. Psychologically, the will-fire removes resistances, and the life-breath supports its steady, swift advance through the days of the sadhana.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The wind-fire collocation is a common IE natural-poetic pairing; √vā ‘blow’ is widely cognate (cf. Eng. wind, Lat. ventus). The arrow simile reflects an IE heroic register where swift, straight motion signifies effective force and directed intention.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi contemplates Agni’s operational method—consuming, shining, being fed by vāta—and implicitly aligns his own practice to it: offer fuel (material/psychic), sustain breath-force, and let Agni’s flame move unceasingly through time.
Kindle the psychic flame and consciously enlist breath to sustain it without strain.
Anāhata (heart) / Maṇipūra (will-fire)
Gentle ujjāyī-like lengthening; inhale ‘gather wood’, exhale ‘fan flame’—steady, unbroken.
From tamasic inertia to tapas-driven steadiness; then widening luminous awareness.
Begin with 9 slow recitations; feel a small inner flame; then maintain a continuous thread of aspiration through daily activities (‘through the days’).
Use Vedic three-tone: udatta on accented syllables, anudatta on preceding, svarita on falling—follow Śākala recitation for RV 1.148.
Keep clear rise on key verbs (riṇāti, rocate, vāti); avoid flattening the cadence in triṣṭubh pādas.
jambhaiḥ: pronounce ‘jambh’ with clear aspiration, not ‘jambai’, śociḥ: ‘śo’ long-open, ‘ciḥ’ with visarga lightly released, dyūn: long ‘ū’ and dental ‘n’, not retroflex
Bright, steady, slightly forceful (tapas), without harshness.
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