Rig Veda 1.26.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 26, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.26
- Rishi
- वसिष्ठ
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- गायत्री
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
नि नो होता वरेण्यः सदा यविष्ठ मन्मभिः । अग्ने दिवित्मता वचः ॥
ní no hotā́ váreṇyaḥ sádā yaviṣṭha mánmabhiḥ | ágne divitmátā vácaḥ ||
अग्नि, हमने तुम्हे अपना गाइड चुना है। तुम्हारी ताकत कभी पुरानी नहीं होती। हमें वो बात दे जो हमारे मन को ऊपर ले जाए, जैसे आसमान की तरफ। वो बात जो सच्चाई तक पहुँचा दे।
Word by Word
- नि
- down; in; towards (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- नः
- of us; ourPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (possessive/genitive)Root अस्मद्
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest; invokerNounmasculine nominative singularRole कर्तृRoot होतृ (from √हु ‘to sacrifice/invoke’)
- वरेण्यः
- choice-worthy; excellentAdjectivemasculine nominative singularRole कर्तृ (qualifier of होताः)Root वरेण्य (from √वृ ‘to choose’, ‘worthy to be chosen’)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableadverbRole अधिकारण (temporal)Root सदा
- यविष्ठ
- O youngest (most youthful)Adjective (vocative epithet)masculine vocative singularRole सम्बोधनRoot यविष्ठ (superlative of युवा/युवन् ‘young’)
- मन्मभिः
- with thoughts; with devotionsNounneuter instrumental pluralRole करणRoot मन्मन् (n.)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounmasculine vocative singularRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
- दिवित्मता
- with heavenly (radiant) power; heaven-possessingAdjectivemasculine instrumental singularRole करण (qualifier of वचः understood as ‘with…speech’ / or of the act of invoking)Root दिवित्मत् (possessing ‘heavenliness/brightness’; from दिव्)
- वचः
- speech; utterance; hymnNounneuter nominative singularRole कर्तृ (as the utterance/prayer) / or कर्म (as ‘speech’ offered) بحسب interpretationRoot वचस् (n.)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi is minimal in this mantra. Notable: enclitic gen.pl. ‘नः’ follows ‘नि’ (pada division: नि | नः). ‘होता वरेण्यः’ is a nominative NP (no sandhi change). ‘यविष्ठ मन्मभिः’ shows simple juxtaposition
- ‘अग्ने’ is vocative. ‘दिवित्मता वचः’ likewise shows no phonetic fusion beyond normal padapāṭha separation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agnī, the chosen Hotṛ (invoking priest), ever youthful, is asked to be established among us with our thoughts; may he set in us the heaven-bright Word.
Inner meaning
Agni as the divine Will and inner priest is invited to take his seat in the consciousness “below” (ni) so the mind’s formations (manma) become vehicles for a higher revelation. The prayer is for divitmat vacaḥ—an inspired speech luminous with the supramental/heavenly light—so thought and speech align to Truth (ṛta/satya) and lift the being upward.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on an awakened inner flame that turns ordinary thought into inspired cognition and transforms speech into truth-bearing expression; illumination is not manufactured by intellect but kindled by the soul’s will toward the higher light.
Themes
Agni as Hotṛ, inspiration and right speech, ascent toward the luminous heaven
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition (attributed to the Kāṇvas; specific seer not securely identified)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.26.1, Rig Veda 1.26.3, Rig Veda 1.26.4, Rig Veda 1.26.5, Rig Veda 1.26.6
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 1 contains many hymns of the Kāṇva lineage; this sūkta is commonly placed in that stream though individual rishi is uncertain.
Significance
The (Kāṇva) seer-impulse emphasizes mantra as a means of ascent: Agni establishes the luminous Word so the human becomes fit for ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Hotā, Vareṇya, Yaviṣṭha, Dūtá (implicit mediator)
- Related deities
- Soma, Indra, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mouth of the gods and carrier of offerings; mediator who links earth-consciousness to the luminous heaven.
Inner power
Psychic fire and divine Will: the force that purifies, organizes the inner sacrifice, and turns thought into inspired speech.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnyādhāna / Agnihotra-style invocatory use; opening invocations to Agni as Hotṛ
नि नो॒ होता॒ वरे॑ण्य॒: सदा॑ यविष्ठ॒ मन्म॑भिः । अग्ने॑ दि॒वित्म॑ता॒ वच॑: ॥
नि । नः॒ । होता॑ । वरे॑ण्यः । सदा॑ । य॒वि॒ष्ठ॒ । मन्म॑ऽभिः । अग्ने॑ । दि॒वित्म॑ता । वचः॑ ॥
ni | naḥ | hotā | vareṇyaḥ | sadā | yaviṣṭha | manma-bhiḥ | agne | divitmatā | vacaḥ
24
3 pādas of ~8 syllables each
Compact, bright, forward-driving cadence suited to invocation and establishment of inner fire.
Creates a quickened clarity; supports concentrated aspiration and a clean upward movement of attention.
- hotā
- Literal: invoking priest (Hotṛ). Symbolic: the inner facilitator of sacrifice: the will that calls down higher powers into consciousness
- vareṇyaḥ
- Literal: to be chosen, excellent. Symbolic: the soul’s discernment that selects the true guide within
- yaviṣṭha
- Literal: youngest, most youthful. Symbolic: ever-renewing force of aspiration; Agni’s perennial freshness in transformation
- manma-bhiḥ
- Literal: with thoughts/mental formations. Symbolic: consecrated ideation—thought made plastic to inspiration
- divitmatā vacaḥ
- Literal: word luminous with heaven. Symbolic: revelatory speech from the plane of light (dyu), mantra as truth-vibration
Agni-invocation at the opening/continuation of the offering; establishment of inspired speech (vāc) for the yajña.
At the kindling and invitation of Agni; at the start of offerings when speech (mantra) is to be made effective
Inviting Agni as Hotṛ; establishing the mantra (vacas) and intention (manma) in the rite
Use as a pre-meditation invocation: kindle will, then speak/chant from inner quiet so words become truth-bearing.
Key terms: hotā́ (√hu ‘to call, invoke’ > Hotṛ, the invoking priest; psychologically the calling will). vareṇyaḥ (√vṛ ‘to choose’ > ‘choice-worthy’, the selected leading power). yaviṣṭha (superlative formation from yuva- ‘young’; Agni as ever-young energy). mánman- (from √man ‘to think, form in mind’ > inspired thought/hymn-formation). divitmát- (div ‘heaven, luminous realm’ + possessive -mat, ‘possessed of heaven-light’). vácaḥ (√vac ‘to speak’ > word; in RV often ‘inspired utterance’ rather than ordinary speech).
ṛta (right order) as the ‘true word’ established by Agni, vāc (inspired speech), inner yajña (psychological sacrifice)
Divitmat vacaḥ implies speech aligned to ṛta—word as right vibration that maintains order in consciousness.
The ‘heaven-luminous word’ is speech that carries satya rather than opinion or impulse.
Speech as creative power (vāc) descending from light; Agni as the formative force that brings higher order into the human.
Proto-Vedāntic / Aurobindonian psychological reading (Agni as psychic will; dyu as higher mind/supramental light).
Fire = will/aspiration; heaven-light = higher consciousness; smoke/upward flame = ascent of offering and breath.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as Hotṛ (the divine priest) who establishes the heaven-lit Word: the mythic action is the ignition of the inner Fire that founds the sacrifice by true inspiration, making speech a vehicle of the higher luminous world (div).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hu ‘invoke’ (hotā́) aligns with PIE *ǵʰewh-/*ǵʰuH- ‘to pour/libate; invoke’ (semantic field of ritual calling/oblation). √vac ‘speak’ (vácaḥ) continues PIE *wekʷ- ‘to speak’ (cf. Latin vox, English voice). √man (mánman-) continues PIE *men- ‘think’ (cf. Greek menos/Latin mens).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is framed as inner collaboration: the human offers ‘manman’ (formed inspirations), and Agni responds by fixing (ni) in the seeker the divinely luminous word—thus the Devata perfects the instrument (speech/mind) by which the sacrifice can proceed in ṛta.
Kindle the inner flame; invite inspired speech and truthful thought.
viśuddha (speech/truth) and ājñā (illumined mind)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow exhale-focused breathing while mentally offering thoughts into the inner fire.
Collected, upward-turned attention; receptive to higher intuition.
Chant once slowly to ‘establish’ Agni, then sit 5–10 minutes watching the will in the heart/solar plexus; speak only after inner quiet arises.
Mixed udātta/anudātta with svarita on dependent pitches; follow śākhā recitation for exact accents.
Keep udātta syllables slightly higher and clearer; avoid flattening ‘vareṇyaḥ’ and ‘divitmatā’.
Maintain retroflex ṣ in yaviṣṭha (ya-viṣ-ṭha)., Keep short i in ni, not ‘nee’., Pronounce divitmatā with dental t (di-vit-ma-tā), not retroflex., vācaḥ: final ḥ is a light visarga, not a full ‘ha’.
Bright, steady, slightly ascending intention on divitmatā vacaḥ.
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