Rig Veda 1.72.1: Mandala 1, Sukta 72, Mantra 1
Sukta 1.72
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
नि काव्या वेधसः शश्वतस्कर्हस्ते दधानो नर्या पुरूणि । अग्निर्भुवद्रयिपती रयीणां सत्रा चक्राणो अमृतानि विश्वा ॥
ní kā́vyā vedhásaḥ śáśvatas kar hás te dádhāno náryā purū́ṇi | agnír bhuvad rayipátī rayīṇā́ṃ satrā́ cakrāṇó amṛ́tāni víśvā ||
भगवान हमेशा से अपनी कला से दुनिया बनाते आ रहे हैं। उनके हाथ में बहुत ताकत है जो इंसान का काम आसान करती है। अग्नि अब धन और समृद्धि का मालिक बन गया है। वो लगातार वो सब चीज़ें बना रहा है जो कभी खत्म नहीं होती।
Word by Word
- नि
- down; in; forth (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga/avyayaRoot नि (upasarga) / ni (avyaya)
- काव्याः
- the inspired thoughts/poetic inspirationsNounfeminine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot काव्य (prātipadika)
- वेधसः
- of the wise one/ordainer (Agni)Nounmasculine, genitive singularRole Sambandha (genitive)Root वेधस् (prātipadika)
- शश्वतस्
- always; from of old; continuallyAdjective (used adverbially)(from adj. शश्वत्) ablative singular used as adverbRole Adhikaraṇa (temporal) / Avyaya-likeRoot शश्वत् (prātipadika)
- कर्ह
- at any time; everIndeclinableindeclinable (temporal particle)Role Adhikaraṇa (temporal)Root कर्ह (avyaya)
- हस्ते
- in (his) handNounmasculine, locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot हस्त (prātipadika)
- दधानः
- placing; holding; bearingVerb (participle)present active participle (शतृ), masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (agreeing with subject, i.e., अग्निः/वेधस्)Root धा (dhātu) → दधा- (present stem); kṛdanta: शतृ
- नर्या
- manly; pertaining to men; heroicAdjectiveneuter, accusative plural (used with पुरूणि)Role Karma (qualifier of object)Root नर्य (prātipadika)
- पुरूणि
- many (things/goods)Adjective (substantival)neuter, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot पुरु (prātipadika)
- अग्निः
- Agni (Fire-god)Nounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- भुवत्
- became; wasVerbimperfect (Vedic injunctive-like usage possible), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot भू (dhātu)
- रयिपती
- lord of wealthNounmasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā/Predicative nominativeRoot रयि-पति (compound prātipadika)
- रयीणाम्
- of riches/wealthsNounmasculine, genitive pluralRole Sambandha (genitive)Root रयि (prātipadika)
- सत्रा
- altogether; wholly; continuallyIndeclinableindeclinable (adverb)Root सत्रा (avyaya)
- चक्राणः
- having made; fashioningVerb (participle)perfect middle participle (क्तान), masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (agreeing with अग्निः)Root कृ (dhātu) → चक्र- (perfect stem); kṛdanta: क्तान
- अमृतानि
- immortal things; ambrosial (boons)Noun/Adjectiveneuter, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot अमृत (prātipadika)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveneuter, accusative plural (agreeing with अमृतानि)Role Karma (qualifier)Root विश्व (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved as: काव्याः (not *काव्या) + वेधसः
- शश्वतस् + कर्ह (sandhi-less juxtaposition)
- कर्ह + हस्ते
- दधानः + नर्या + पुरूणि. अग्निः + भुवत् (visarga before voiced bh → r/Ø in saṃhitā: अग्निर्भुवत्). रयिपती + रयीणाम्. सत्रा + चक्राणः. चक्राणः + अमृतानि + विश्वा. Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are retained on the surface forms
- pada-forms here are given without attempting full udātta/anudātta mapping per padapāṭha
The meaning
Outer meaning
The eternal Formator (Vedhas) sets down the inspired works; holding many humanly helpful powers in his hand. Agni becomes lord of riches/plenitudes, continuously forming all immortal things.
Inner meaning
The divine Will-Force (Agni), guided by the eternal creative Intelligence (vedhas), establishes in the seeker the true inspirations (kāvyā)—not as passing ideas but as fixed powers of consciousness. The ‘hand’ is executive capacity: the ability to hold and apply inner faculties (naryā purūṇi) for the soul’s progress. When Agni becomes ‘rayipatī’ (lord of plenitudes), he governs the inflow of inner riches—light, strength, joy—and steadily fashions the immortal elements of the divine nature in the human instrument.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth is not accidental: a conscious inner Fire organizes inspiration into stable capacities, and gradually builds an immortal poise (deathless qualities) within the mortal life.
Themes
Agni the creator, inner prosperity, immortal formations, inspired speech (kāvya)
The seer
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-line (Śāktya branch)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.65, RV 1.66, RV 1.67, RV 1.68, RV 1.69, RV 1.70, RV 1.71, RV 1.72, RV 1.73
Family tradition
Seer of Agni-hymns emphasizing formation of the inner sacrifice; associated with the Angirasa-quest symbolism in RV 1.72.
Significance
Parāśara’s vision often presents Agni as the organizer of the yoga: the divine worker who turns inspiration into stable realization and builds the ‘immortal’ within the human frame.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- śuci (the pure), rayipatī (lord of plenitudes), vedhas (as the forming intelligence, by function), kavi (seer-poet, implied by kāvyā)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspiration/flow of speech), Bṛhaspati (word and truth-force), Indra (illumined mind supporting the work), Soma (bliss that feeds the fire)
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; carrier of offering; awakener of the gods; establisher of ṛta in works.
Inner power
Aspiration and divine Will in the heart that receives higher inspiration and executes it as transformed character and action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stotra/Agni-invocation within soma and iṣṭi contexts; general opening/establishing fire praise
नि काव्या॑ वे॒धस॒: शश्व॑तस्क॒र्हस्ते॒ दधा॑नो॒ नर्या॑ पु॒रूणि॑ । अ॒ग्निर्भु॑वद्रयि॒पती॑ रयी॒णां स॒त्रा च॑क्रा॒णो अ॒मृता॑नि॒ विश्वा॑ ॥
नि । काव्या॑ । वे॒धसः॑ । शश्व॑तः । कः॒ । हस्ते॑ । दधा॑नः । नर्या॑ । पु॒रूणि॑ । अ॒ग्निः । भु॒व॒त् । र॒यि॒ऽपतिः॑ । र॒यी॒णाम् । स॒त्रा । च॒क्रा॒णः । अ॒मृता॑नि । विश्वा॑ ॥
ni | kāvyā | vedhasaḥ | śaśvataḥ | kaḥ | haste | dadhānaḥ | naryā | purūṇi | agniḥ | bhuvat | rayi-patiḥ | rayīṇām | satrā | cakrāṇaḥ | amṛtāni | viśvā
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, declarative, with a ‘stride’ suited to building and establishing powers.
Strengthens resolve and clarity; supports sustained aspiration (satrā) and the sense of inner construction of immortality.
- काव्या (kāvyā)
- Literal: poetic/inspired utterances, works of the seer. Symbolic: revelatory intuitions and mantric formations establishing higher consciousness
- वेधसः (vedhasaḥ)
- Literal: the disposer/formator, creator. Symbolic: the shaping intelligence that arranges inner movements according to ṛta
- हस्ते (haste)
- Literal: in the hand. Symbolic: executive power; capacity to wield and apply faculties in life
- नर्या पुरूणि (naryā purūṇi)
- Literal: many things helpful to men. Symbolic: multiple soul-powers usable in embodied life (clarity, courage, aspiration, endurance)
- रयिपतिः (rayipatī)
- Literal: lord of wealth. Symbolic: mastery over inner plenitudes (light, force, joy, wideness)
- अमृतानि (amṛtāni)
- Literal: immortal things. Symbolic: deathless qualities of divine consciousness formed in the nature
- सत्रा (satrā)
- Literal: ever, continuously; also ‘in a session’. Symbolic: unbroken practice and continuity of the inner sacrifice
Agni as vedhas and rayipati: suitable for rites emphasizing prosperity as spiritual plenitude and the establishment of divine powers in the sacrificer
At commencement phases—kindling/establishing Agni and affirming his lordship over ‘rayi’
Āhuti into the fire; recitation to invoke Agni as organizer of the rite
Use as a morning ‘inner-kindling’ mantra to set intention: establish inspirations, gather faculties, and commit to continuous practice.
vedhas ‘disposer’ from √vidh ‘to arrange, apportion’ indicates intelligent formation. kāvya as inspired articulation (kavi-derived). rayi is not mere riches but fullness (root sense of ‘splendour/possession’ in Vedic usage). cakrāṇa (middle of √kṛ) emphasizes self-acting creative process: Agni as inner craftsman continuously forming immortal capacities.
creation as inner formation (vedhas, cakrāṇa), amṛta as immortal powers, rāyī as plenitude of being
Agni as the executive of ṛta: he ‘sets down’ (ni…dadhānaḥ) the true formations in the being.
Inspired works become stable truth-forms rather than mental constructs.
Ongoing inner creation: fashioning the immortal (amṛta) in the human vessel.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral Yogic reading (Aurobindo): evolution of consciousness through Agni as will and formative power.
dawn or early morning (practical kindling time; inner awakening)
Fire = aspiration/will; ‘wealth’ = influx of higher energies; ‘hand’ = capacity to execute the truth in life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine craftsman (vedhas) who establishes inspired powers and fashions immortals: a cosmogonic mythologem internalized as yogic construction of enduring faculties in the human being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √kṛ (make) is PIE *kwer-/*ker- ‘do/make’ (broad IE productivity); √bhū (become) is PIE *bʰuH-. The maker/fire as artisan is a common IE sacral trope, here specialized into Vedic psychological creation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is approached as the active builder of the seeker’s inner economy: he holds ‘many narya powers’ and becomes rayipati for the worshipper by continuously creating amṛta—deathless capacities—through the rite and aspiration.
Feel Agni as a steady flame in the heart organizing thoughts into luminous intentions and actions.
anahata
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or 4-4-6 breathing before chanting to stabilize and ‘set down’ inspirations.
Collected, will-centered, quietly forceful (tapas with clarity).
After chanting, write one ‘kāvyā’ (a clear inner intuition) and translate it into one concrete act today—training the ‘hand’ to hold the divine impulse.
Vedic accents as in śākala recension: observe udatta on marked syllables, svarita where applicable; keep anudatta low and steady between peaks.
Lift pitch on syllables with acute e.g., kāvyā, śaśvatas; avoid flattening the cadence at pāda ends—let triṣṭubh ‘stride’ continue.
Keep ‘vedhasaḥ’ with clear dental-dha and visarga at end of pada when present., ‘rayipatī’ pronounce as ra-yi-pa-tī (long ī)., ‘amṛtāni’ keep ṛ as a brief vocalic r (not ‘ri’).
Bright, steady, slightly forceful (tapas), without strain.
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