Rig Veda 1.94.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 94, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.94
- Rishi
- Gopavana Ātreya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
यस्मै त्वमायजसे स साधत्यनर्वा क्षेति दधते सुवीर्यम् । स तूताव नैनमश्नोत्यंहतिरग्ने सख्ये मा रिषामा वयं तव ॥
yásmai tvám ā́yajase sá sādhati anárvā kṣéti dádhate su-vī́ryam | sá tū́tāva náinam aśnoty aṃhatír ágne sakhyé mā́ riṣāmā vayáṃ táva ||
जिस इंसान के लिए तुम पूजा करते हो, वो अपना काम कर लेता है। उसको कोई नुकसान नहीं होता, वो खुल के रहता है। जो देता है, उसको तुम ताकत देते हो। वो आगे बढ़ता रहता है, कोई बड़ी मुसीबत उसको नहीं पकड़ती। अग्नि की दोस्ती में हम सेफ रहें, कोई तकलीफ न हो।
Word by Word
- यस्मै
- to whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- thouPronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियायोगे)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- यजसे
- thou worshippest / sacrificestVerbलट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot यज्
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- साधति
- prospers, succeedsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot साध्
- अनर्वा
- not sluggish / not failing (vigorous)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root अनर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; न- + अर्वन्)
- क्षेति
- dwells, abidesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot क्षि
- दधते
- they place, bestowVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot धा
- सुवीर्यम्
- good heroism, excellent manly powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सु-वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तूताव
- has prevailed/has become strong (has overcome)Verbलिट् (परफेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot तु (धातु; तुताव = परोक्ष/परफेक्ट रूप)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न (निपात)
- एनम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एनद्-श्रुति)
- अश्नोति
- reaches, attainsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अश्
- अंहतिः
- distress, harmNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अंहति (प्रातिपदिक; अंहस्-सम्बद्ध)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्ये
- in friendshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableप्रत्याख्यान (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध-निपात)
- रिषाम
- may we be harmed / may we sufferVerbलुङ् (आज्ञार्थे/प्रार्थनायाम्; injunctive/aorist usage); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot रिष्
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा-बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of thee, thyPronounषष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; 2nd person)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): यस्मै | त्वम् | आ | यजसे | सः | साधति | अनर्वा | क्षेति | दधते | सुवीर्यम् || सः | तूताव | न | एनम् | अश्नोति | अंहतिः | अग्ने | सख्ये | मा | रिषाम | वयम् | तव || 1) साधति+अनर्वा → साधत्यनर्वा (य्-आगमः)
- 2) न+एनम् → नैनम् (स्वर-सन्धि/वृद्धि-प्रकृति)
- 3) अंहतिः+अग्ने → अंहतिरग्ने (र्-आगमः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He whom you worship accomplishes; he dwells unharmed in wideness, and you grant heroic force to the giver. He is urged onward; no distress can reach him. In Agni’s friendship may we not be harmed.
Inner meaning
When Agni is truly worshipped—i.e., when the inner will is kindled and made central—the sadhaka ‘accomplishes’ (sādhati): the works become effective because they are offered. ‘Anarvā’ (unhurt in movement) indicates a progress not lamed by inner conflict; ‘kṣeti’ in wideness suggests the consciousness settles in a larger space beyond constriction. ‘Suvīrya’ is not mere physical heroism but luminous strength of the soul-supported life-force. The being is ‘tūtāva’—impelled by the divine fire—so that aṃhati (smiting distress, narrowness, sin/pressure) cannot touch him. The refrain seals the psychological protection: remain in Agni’s friendship as a constant inner alignment.
Universal truth
True accomplishment arises when effort is rooted in a higher will and offered to it. Wideness of consciousness is protection; inner alignment turns distress into non-contact.
Themes
accomplishment, protection from distress, bestowal of heroic force, inner widening vs constriction
The seer
- Rishi
- Gopavana Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 1.94.1-11
Family tradition
Ātreya hymns frequently stress Agni as protector and accomplisher of works through right offering.
Significance
The seer links worship (inner offering) to siddhi (accomplishment) and wideness—core psychological motifs in the Vedic yoga.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- protector-friend (sakhye), giver of suvīrya, impeller (tūtāva-kṛt, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (receives and manifests suvīrya), Ādityas (wideness and law of truth), Maruts (impulsions of force, allied to Agni’s drive)
Cosmic role
Divine force that initiates, carries, and guards the sacrificial exchange; establishes wideness by burning limitation.
Inner power
Courageous will, purification, dynamic protection; converts pressure (aṃhas) into forward impetus.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within fire rites; protective and success-invoking verse for the yajamāna.
यस्मै॒ त्वमा॒यज॑से॒ स सा॑धत्यन॒र्वा क्षे॑ति॒ दध॑ते सु॒वीर्य॑म् । स तू॑ताव॒ नैन॑मश्नोत्यंह॒तिरग्ने॑ स॒ख्ये मा रि॑षामा व॒यं तव॑ ॥
यस्मै॑ । त्वम् । आ॒ऽयज॑से । सः । सा॒ध॒ति॒ । अ॒न॒र्वा । क्षे॒ति॒ । दध॑ते । सु॒ऽवीर्य॑म् । सः । तू॒ता॒व॒ । न । ए॒न॒म् । अ॒श्नो॒ति॒ । अं॒ह॒तिः । अग्ने॑ । स॒ख्ये । मा । रि॒षा॒म॒ । व॒यम् । तव॑ ॥
yasmai | tvam | āyajase | saḥ | sādhati | anarvā | kṣeti | dadhate | su-vīryam | saḥ | tūtāva | na | enam | aśnoti | aṃhatiḥ | agne | sakhye | mā | riṣāma | vayam | tava
11
4×11
Martial steadiness with widening cadence; fits themes of heroic force and safety.
Energizes resolve while opening a sense of spaciousness; the refrain acts like a protective seal.
- आयजसे (āyajase)
- Literal: you are worshipped/offered to. Symbolic: Inner offering of works and energies to the divine Will
- स साधति (sa sādhaty)
- Literal: he accomplishes. Symbolic: Effective action born of alignment; siddhi through consecration
- अनर्वा (anarvā)
- Literal: uninjured, not lamed. Symbolic: Progress unhindered by inner fracture, doubt, or inertia
- क्षेति (kṣeti)
- Literal: dwells. Symbolic: Stabilizes in a poise of consciousness
- सुवीर्यम् (suvīryam)
- Literal: good heroic force. Symbolic: Illumined strength; soul-backed courage and capacity
- दधते (dadhate)
- Literal: to the giver/placer. Symbolic: To one who offers and establishes the fire—receives empowered force
- अंहतिः (aṃhatiḥ)
- Literal: smiting distress, harm. Symbolic: Narrowness, hostile pressure, depressive blow of ignorance
- तूताव (tūtāva)
- Literal: is urged/impelled. Symbolic: Divine impulsion carrying the sadhaka forward
Protective and success-invocation verse in fire-rite sequences; supports the sacrificer’s ‘siddhi’ (accomplishment) and warding of aṃhas in sadas.
During offerings seeking success and protection; recited to affirm the sacrificer’s safe progress.
Recitation accompanying oblation; intention of securing suvīrya and warding aṃhas.
Chant before difficult tasks or transitions to invoke ‘wideness’ and resilience; use as a protective affirmation in daily sadhana.
ā-yajase from √yaj ‘to worship, sacrifice’ with ā- ‘towards’ indicates active invocation. sādhati from √sādh ‘make straight, accomplish’ ties to right completion in ṛta. kṣeti from √kṣi ‘to dwell, rule’ suggests stable establishment. vīrya relates to vigor/heroic potency (semantic field of strength, virility, effective force). aṃhatiḥ from aṃhas ‘narrowness, trouble’ (possibly √aṃh ‘to press tight’) → constriction/affliction; psychologically, forces that narrow consciousness.
Ṛta as successful right accomplishment (sādh-), Aṃhas as narrowing/obstruction (ignorance-pressure)
Accomplishment and protection come from alignment with the right order embodied by Agni’s flame of truth.
Suvīrya as truth-strength—power that does not collapse under pressure.
Wideness (uru) as a created space in consciousness when limitation is burned away.
Integral-Vedic psychology: siddhi through consecration; wideness as a key realization.
Fire burns constriction; sky-space symbolizes expanded consciousness where distress cannot strike.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the patron of the ‘hero’ (vīra) who grants victorious force and makes the path safe from aṃhas (narrowing distress). The mythic pattern is the safeguarded advance: the worshipper, once aligned with Agni, cannot be overtaken by hostile constriction.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yaj is Indo-Iranian-specific ritual vocabulary, but the success-verb √sādh connects to the broader IE idea of ‘making straight/right’ (cf. semantic parallels in ‘right’ as correctness). aśnoti (√aś ‘reach’) reflects a common IE motion/attainment verb type (compare Avestan ašnauua- ‘to reach/attain’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames a conditional reciprocity: invocation of Agni (āyaj-) yields siddhi (sādh-) and protection. The devata is experienced as an inner force that converts offering (dadhate) into suvīrya—effective power for the soul’s progress.
Establish Agni in the heart; offer the day’s actions; feel wideness spreading so distress cannot ‘touch’.
anahata (wideness and safety)
Exhale with the thought ‘aṃhatiḥ na aśnoti’ (distress cannot reach); inhale as receiving suvīrya; keep breath smooth and broad.
Fearless wideness with steady dynamic energy.
When anxiety arises, return to the refrain; feel friendship with the inner flame as a living protection, then act from that widened base.
Observe udātta marks (॑) carefully: यस्मै॑, अग्ने॑; keep refrain accents consistent each repetition.
Give a slight lift on ‘sādhati’ and ‘suvīryam’ to emphasize accomplishment and strength; let the refrain descend into assurance.
āyajase: separate ā-ya-ja-se; keep j soft but clear, anarvā: roll/clear r; long ā at end, aṃhatir: nasal ‘ṃ’ before h; keep dental t, aśnoti: śn cluster clean, no extra vowel
Firm, protective, widening; refrain slightly softer and intimate.
3
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