Rig Veda 10.118.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 118, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.118
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
जरमाणः समिध्यसे देवेभ्यो हव्यवाहन । तं त्वा हवन्त मर्त्याः ॥
járamāṇaḥ sám idhyase devébhyō havyavāhana | táṃ tvā havanta mártyāḥ ||
अग्नि, तुम्हारी आग बढ़ती रहती है। देवियों के लिए तुम जलते हो, हवा ले कर जाते हो। लोग तुम्हे बुलाते हैं क्योंकि तुम उनकी राह दिखाते हो।
Word by Word
- जरमाणः
- aging; growing oldAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole Kartā (समिध्यसे का कर्ता)Root √जॄ (जरा- ‘to grow old’) → जॄ/जॢ-धातु से वर्तमान-कृदन्त ‘जरमाण’
- समिध्यसे
- you are kindled; you kindle upVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root सम् + √इध् (इध् ‘to kindle, ignite’)
- देवेभ्यः
- for the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole Sampradāna (जिसके लिए/को)Root देव
- हव्यवाहन
- O oblation-carrier (Agni)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)Root हव्य + वाहन (√वह् ‘to carry’)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole Karma (हवन्ति का कर्म)Root तद् (सर्वनाम)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role Karma (हवन्ति का कर्म)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- हवन्त
- they invoke; they callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमा/तृतीया?—प्रयोगतः प्रथमा, तृतीय पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √हू (ह्वे ‘to call, invoke’) → ‘हव’ (वैदिक)
- मर्त्याः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole Kartā (हवन्ति का कर्ता)Root मर्त्य
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: जरमाणः | समिध्यसे | देवेभ्यः | हव्यवाहन | तम् | त्वा | हवन्त | मर्त्याः || 1) ‘जर॑माण॒:’ = ‘जरमाणः’ (विसर्ग-रूप; उच्चारण-चिह्न हटाकर पद). 2) ‘दे॒वेभ्यो॑’ = ‘देवेभ्यः’ (ओ/अः वैदिक संधि/पदपाठ-रूप).
- ‘तम्’ + ‘त्वा’ क्रम. 4) ‘हवन्त॒ मर्त्या॑:’ = ‘हवन्त’ + ‘मर्त्याः’ (विसर्ग-रूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Being praised and aging in wisdom, You are thoroughly kindled for the sake of the Gods, O Carrier of the Offering. To You, the mortals call out.
Inner meaning
The Divine Will (Agni) is ignited within the aspirant through the process of constant adoration and spiritual maturity (jaramāṇaḥ). As the inner flame grows, it becomes the vehicle (Havyavāhana) that carries the soul's surrender and experiences upward to the Divine Powers (Devebhyaḥ). The mortal consciousness invokes this Will to bridge the gap to immortality.
Universal truth
Evolution requires a conscious active force (Will) to transmute human potential into divine realization.
Themes
Invocation, Agni as messenger, Growth of the flame
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as havyavāhana in offering sequences; emphasizes Agni’s mediating role between human and divine.
जर॑माण॒: समि॑ध्यसे दे॒वेभ्यो॑ हव्यवाहन । तं त्वा॑ हवन्त॒ मर्त्या॑: ॥
जर॑माणः । सम् । इ॒ध्य॒से॒ । दे॒वेभ्यः॑ । ह॒व्य॒ऽवा॒ह॒न॒ । तम् । त्वा॒ । ह॒व॒न्त॒ । मर्त्याः॑ ॥
jaramāṇaḥ | sam | idhyase | devebhyaḥ | havya-vāhana | tam | tvā | havanta | martyāḥ
Agni as havyavāhana in offering sequences; emphasizes Agni’s mediating role between human and divine.
√idh 'kindle' (idhyase) is central to Agni as awakened will. havyavāhana: √vah 'carry' (PIE *weǵh- 'convey') makes Agni the mediator. jaramāṇa- here best taken as 'waxing/increasing' (not merely aging), matching the ritual growth of flame and the inner growth of aspiration.
mediation between mortal and divine, growth of inner fire (tapas → aspiration)
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the ever-growing messenger: kindled for the gods, he becomes the channel by which human offering reaches the divine powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah 'carry' reflects PIE *weǵh- (cf. Latin vehō). √hu 'call' is Indo-Iranian (Avestan zaoθra contexts differ; but invocation vocabulary is shared).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi positions mortals as dependent on Agni’s mediation: humans invoke; Agni carries; the gods receive—psychologically, aspiration is carried upward by awakened will.
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