Rig Veda 1.45.1: Mandala 1, Sukta 45, Mantra 1
Sukta 1.45
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
त्वमग्ने वसूँरिह रुद्राँ आदित्याँ उत । यजा स्वध्वरं जनं मनुजातं घृतप्रुषम् ॥
tvám agne vasū́m̐r ihá rudrā́m̐ ādityā́m̐ utá | yájā svadhvaráṃ jánaṃ mánujātaṃ ghṛtápruṣam ||
अग्नि, तुम वसु देवता, रुद्र देवता और आदित्य देवता को यहाँ लाओ। यज्ञ का काम करो। मनु के वंश से पैदा हुए लोगों के लिए यह बलि दो। घी डाल के यह पूजा सही बन जाए।
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou (you)Pronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसून्
- the VasusNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot इह (अव्यय)
- रुद्रान्
- the RudrasNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आदित्यान्
- the ĀdityasNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRole (समुच्चय/निपात)Root उत (अव्यय)
- यज
- worship / sacrifice to / offerVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम? → वास्तवतः द्वितीय-एकवचन (आत्मने/परस्मैपद-प्रयोगः वैदिके), 2nd person singular imperativeRole (क्रिया)Root यज् (धातु)
- स्वध्वरम्
- well-performed (ritual)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root सु-ध्वर (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि: ‘सु’ + ‘ध्वर’ = good rite)
- जनम्
- the people / folkNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक) / जन- ‘people’
- मनुजातम्
- born of Manu / sprung from ManuAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (जनम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root मनु-जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जन् + क्त)
- घृतप्रुषम्
- sprinkled with ghee / ghee-droppingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (जनम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root घृत-प्रुष (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष: ‘घृत’ + ‘प्रुष’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वम् | अग्ने | वसून् | इह | रुद्रान् | आदित्यान् | उत | यज | स्वध्वरम् | जनम् | मनुजातम् | घृतप्रुषम् । 1) त्वम्+अग्ने → त्वमग्ने (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: म् + अ = म)
- 2) रुद्रान्+आदित्यान् → रुद्राँ आदित्याँ (नकारस्य लोपः/अनुस्वार-दीर्घ-प्रयोगः पदपाठ-परम्परायाम्; संहितायां न् + आ → न्ना इत्यपि सम्भवति, परन्तु ऋग्वैदिक-पाठे ‘रुद्राँ’ ‘आदित्याँ’ इति नासिक्य-दीर्घचिह्नेन दर्श्यते)
- 3) आदित्यान्+उत → आदित्यानुत (न् + उ = नु)
- 4) यजा → यज (लोट् 2sg; संहितापाठे दीर्घस्वर/स्वरित-चिह्नेन ‘यजा॑’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is asked to bring the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas here and to perform the sacrifice for the rightly ordered people of Manu, an offering sprinkled with ghee.
Inner meaning
Agni, the divine Will and priest of the inner sacrifice, is invoked to summon the full range of god-powers needed for transformation: Vasus (foundational harmonies and supports), Rudras (purifying, forceful powers that break obstacles), and Ādityas (luminous, law-bearing powers of truth and wideness). The ‘people of Manu’ signify the mental-human being aspiring to become true Man (the thinker who consents to the divine order). ‘Ghṛtapruṣam’ (ghee-sprinkled) indicates clarified understanding and a smooth luminous substance of thought offered into the fire—so the adhvara becomes su-adhvara, a straight, uninjured, rightly ordered path of works.
Universal truth
A disciplined spiritual life needs (1) stable supports, (2) purifying transformative force, and (3) truth-guiding illumination—united by a central will to offer. When intention is clarified (ghee), action becomes a straight path rather than a confused struggle.
Themes
Agni invocation, Sacrifice as inner discipline, Summoning the gods, Purification and illumination
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.45 (Agni as summoner), RV 1.44 (Agni invitations)
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns to Agni often emphasize Agni as organizer of the inner rite and summoner of the totality of divine powers (viśve devāḥ) through graded groups.
Significance
Kaṇva’s approach is practical and yogic: establish Agni, then call the necessary powers for a complete inner working—support, purification, illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with invoked collectives: Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas)
- Epithets
- hotṛ (implied: priest of offering), jātavedas (contextual in hymn), ghṛtapruṣa (ghee-bright)
- Related deities
- Soma, Indra, Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Agni mediates between human and divine, carrying offerings and bringing down the gods; he orders the rite and makes it effective.
Inner power
Capacity to consecrate action, purify motives, and summon higher faculties into the field of practice.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnyādhāna/Agni-stoma style invocations; general Agni-yajña opening summons of deity groups
त्वम॑ग्ने॒ वसूँ॑रि॒ह रु॒द्राँ आ॑दि॒त्याँ उ॒त । यजा॑ स्वध्व॒रं जनं॒ मनु॑जातं घृत॒प्रुष॑म् ॥
त्वम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । वसू॑न् । इ॒ह । रु॒द्रान् । आ॒दि॒त्यान् । उ॒त । यज॑ । सु॒ऽअ॒ध्व॒रम् । जन॑म् । मनु॑ऽजातम् । घृ॒त॒ऽप्रुष॑म् ॥
tvam | agne | vasūn | iha | rudrān | ādityān | uta | yaja | su-adhvaram | janam | manu-jātam | ghṛta-pruṣam
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3 pādas × 8 syllables (Gāyatrī norm)
Compact, directive, mantra-like—well-suited to command/invocation (tvam… yaja).
Focuses will and intention; builds a clean inner ‘line’ for action and offering.
- अग्ने (agne)
- Literal: O Agni. Symbolic: divine will, inner priest, catalytic fire of aspiration
- वसून् (vasūn)
- Literal: the Vasus. Symbolic: foundational powers—right substance, harmony, supports of being
- रुद्रान् (rudrān)
- Literal: the Rudras. Symbolic: purifying forces; fierce grace that breaks resistance
- आदित्यान् (ādityān)
- Literal: the Ādityas. Symbolic: luminous truth-powers; wideness, law, discernment
- यज (yaja)
- Literal: sacrifice/offer. Symbolic: consecrate action; offer ego-motive into divine will
- सुअध्वरम् (su-adhvaram)
- Literal: good/right sacrifice (uninjured rite). Symbolic: straight path of works; harmonious, non-violent inner process
- मनुजातम् (manu-jātam)
- Literal: born of Manu. Symbolic: the mental-human being capable of conscious offering
- घृतप्रुषम् (ghṛta-pruṣam)
- Literal: sprinkled with ghee. Symbolic: clarified intelligence; luminous understanding that feeds the fire
Agni as Hotṛ in Soma and non-Soma rites; verse functions as an invitation for divine collectives to the yajña and as a consecration of the ‘su-adhvara’ (well-formed offering-path).
At the beginning of offerings to invite deity groups and establish Agni as officiant.
Calling the divine collectives; offering ghee; establishing the rite as su-adhvara.
Before work or meditation: light a lamp (optional), chant to align intention, then consciously invite stability (Vasus), purification (Rudras), and truth-guidance (Ādityas) into the day’s actions.
√ (yaj) ‘to sacrifice/worship’ (PIE *h₁yeh₂ǵ- ‘to worship/sacrifice’ often proposed). (adhvara) is traditionally ‘sacrifice’; inner sense ‘unbroken/straight movement’ is supported by the RV tendency to contrast straight vs. crooked paths; su-adhvara intensifies right arrangement. (ghṛta) from √/√ (ghṛ) ‘to shine/sprinkle’ (semantic field includes brightness/unctuous clarity); pruṣ ‘sprinkled/droplet’.
Ṛta via ‘rightly ordered rite’ (su-adhvara), Collective divine functions (Vasus/Rudras/Ādityas as differentiated powers)
Su-adhvara indicates right ordering; Agni establishes ṛta in works.
Ādityas embody satya/ṛta; ghee as clarified mind supports truth-perception.
Yajña as continual creation: offering sustains and reshapes the world of consciousness.
Karmayoga-like Vedic foundation (Aurobindonian): works as sacrifice guided by inner fire and truth-powers.
Fire = will; ghee = clarified understanding; sun = illumination and law; the ‘path’ = progressive discipline of action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine messenger-priest who convenes the god-powers (Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas) to the sacrifice. Innerly, it is the myth of ‘the awakened Will’ gathering the differentiated cosmic faculties to build a straight, luminous path of transformation in the human.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The sacrificial register (√yaj) belongs to an inherited Indo-European cultic lexicon. The triadic listing of divine groups is a poetic device comparable to IE cataloguing. √yaj is commonly compared with Avestan yaz- ‘to worship’ (Indo-Iranian continuity).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts agency to Agni (‘you bring, you sacrifice’), making Agni the executive power of the inner rite. The human community (manu-jāta jana) is offered not as a crowd but as a harmonizable set of faculties to be aligned with luminous clarity (ghṛta) and right order (su-adhvara).
Consecrate action: feel a flame in the heart (Agni) and invite stability, purification, and illumination into the psyche.
Maṇipūra (will-fire) with support from Anāhata (harmonising)
3–6 rounds of steady ujjāyī or equal-ratio breathing; on exhale, offer ‘restlessness’ into Agni.
Collected will and disciplined clarity; readiness for right action.
Chant 3 times; then state one ‘vrata’ (simple inner law) for the day; act as offering, returning to the heart-flame when distracted.
Maintain Vedic accenting per Śākala; keep the opening ‘tvam agne’ clear and steady; avoid musical over-ornamentation.
Slight emphasis on imperatives and summons: iha, yaja; keep deity-group triad distinct (vasūn… rudrān… ādityān).
tvam: crisp ‘tv’ cluster, agne: short ‘e’ at end; not ‘agni’, ādityān: long ā; palatal ‘dy’, su-adhvaram: separate prefix su + adhvaram, manujātam: retroflex ṇ not present—keep dental n; long ā in jā, ghṛtapruṣam: ghṛta with syllabic ṛ; ṣ in pruṣam retroflex
Commanding, steady, concentrated.
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