Rig Veda 10.140.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 140, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.140
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
पावकवर्चाः शुक्रवर्चा अनूनवर्चा उदियर्षि भानुना । पुत्रो मातरा विचरन्नुपावसि पृणक्षि रोदसी उभे ॥
pāvakávarcāḥ śukrávarcā́ anū́navarcā́ úd iyarṣi bhānúnā | putró mātárā vicárann úpāvasi pṛṇákṣi ródasī ubhé ||
अग्नि, तुम साफ करने वाली चमक के साथ उगते हो। तुम्हारी रोशनी इतनी चमकदार है। तुम कभी कम नहीं होते। जैसे बेटा अपनी दो माओं के बीच चलता है, वैसे तुम आसमान और धरती के बीच आते हो हमारे काम आने के लिए। तुम दोनों दुनिया को भर देते हो।
Word by Word
- पावकवर्चाः
- having purifying radianceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचन (बहुव्रीहिः: ‘पावकं वर्चो यस्य सः’)Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य)Root पावक-वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक) < पावक (पुं) + वर्चस् (नपुं)
- शुक्रवर्चाः
- having bright radianceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचन (बहुव्रीहिः)Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य)Root शुक्र-वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक) < शुक्र + वर्चस्
- अनूनवर्चाः
- with undiminished radianceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचन (बहुव्रीहिः)Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य)Root अनून-वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक) < अनून ‘अल्परहित/अपूर्णरहित’ + वर्चस्
- उद्
- up, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role क्रियाविशेषणम्Root उद् (उपसर्ग)
- ईयर्षि
- you rise/move forthVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तरि)Root ईर्/ईर् (धातु; ‘गत्यर्थः/प्रेरणे’)
- भानुना
- with (your) beam/lightNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणम्Root भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुत्रः
- the sonNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मातरौ
- the two mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचन (RV प्रयोगे ‘मातरौ’ = ‘मातरम्’ इति द्वयम्; उभे रोदसी इत्यर्थे)Role कर्मRoot मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- विचरन्
- moving about, roamingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृविशेषणम्Root वि-चर् (धातु)
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role क्रियाविशेषणम्Root उप (उपसर्ग)
- आवसि
- you dwell/abideVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तरि)Root वस् (धातु; ‘निवासे/वसने’) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- पृणक्षि
- you fill, you make fullVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तरि)Root पृ (धातु; ‘पूरणे’)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole कर्मRoot रोदसी (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; द्यावा-पृथिव्यौ) < रुद्/रोदस् (वैदिक)
- उभे
- bothAdjective/Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole विशेषणम् (रोदसी)Root उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्य): पावक-वर्चाः | शुक्र-वर्चाः | अनून-वर्चाः | उद् ईयर्षि भानुना | पुत्रः मातरौ विचरन् उप आवसि | पृणक्षि रोदसी उभे । 1) ‘उदि॑यर्षि’ = ‘उद् + ईयर्षि’ (उद्-उपसर्गस्य दकारः स्वरादौ लोप/सन्धिः; लेखने ‘उदि-’)
- 2) ‘विचरन्नुपावसि’ = ‘विचरन् + उप + आवसि’ (न् + उ → न्नु; ‘उपावसि’ = उप + आवसि)
- 3) ‘पावकवर्चाः/शुक्रवर्चाः/अनूनवर्चाः’ त्रयः बहुव्रीहयः (वर्चस्-समासान्त ‘-वर्चाः’ RV-प्रयोगे प्रथमा एकवचन पुं.)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni rises upward with purifying, bright, unfailing splendour by his beam. Like a son moving between two Mothers (Heaven and Earth), he comes near to help and fills both worlds.
Inner meaning
The inner Fire (Agni)—the awakened divine Will and aspiration—ascends in consciousness by its own luminous ray (bhānu). Moving between the “two Mothers” (the higher and lower nature: mind/heaven and life-body/earth), it mediates and harmonizes them. When Agni is kindled in the seeker, it enlarges both planes: it illumines the mind and purifies/energizes the vital and physical, making the whole being a single field for the Yoga of the sacrifice.
Universal truth
True transformation occurs when an inner flame of will-to-truth rises steadily and connects the higher and lower in us; then light becomes constant (anūna) and the whole life is filled—thought and action, aspiration and embodiment.
Themes
Agni as mediator, purifying ascent, cosmic pervasion, heaven-earth unity
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.140.1, Rig Veda 10.140.3, Rig Veda 10.140.4, Rig Veda 10.140.5, Rig Veda 10.140.6
Significance
The anonymity fits the psychological universality of the hymn: the ‘seer’ is the awakened aspiration itself. In Sri Aurobindo’s reading, such Agni hymns often speak from the standpoint of the inner sacrificer rather than a personal lineage.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- pāvaka (purifier), śukra (bright), anūna-varcas (undiminished splendour), putra (son/offspring of the worlds)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Indra, Soma, Dyāvā-Pṛthivī (Heaven-Earth)
Cosmic role
Mediator between Heaven and Earth; carrier of offering; awakener of light and order in the worlds.
Inner power
The psychic flame and divine Will that ascends, purifies, and unifies higher knowledge with embodied life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra/Agni-kindling and general Agni praise (front-placing of Agni)
पा॒व॒कव॑र्चाः शु॒क्रव॑र्चा॒ अनू॑नवर्चा॒ उदि॑यर्षि भा॒नुना॑ । पु॒त्रो मा॒तरा॑ वि॒चर॒न्नुपा॑वसि पृ॒णक्षि॒ रोद॑सी उ॒भे ॥
पा॒व॒कऽव॑र्चाः । शु॒क्रऽव॑र्चाः । अनू॑नऽवर्चाः । उत् । इ॒य॒र्षि॒ । भा॒नुना॑ । पु॒त्रः॑ । मा॒तरा॑ । वि॒ऽचर॑न् । उ॒प॑ । अ॒व॒सि॒ । पृ॒णक्षि॑ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । उ॒भे इति॑ ॥
pāvaka-varcāḥ | śukra-varcāḥ | anūna-varcāḥ | ut | iyarṣi | bhānunā | putraḥ | mātarā | vi-caran | upa | avasi | pṛṇakṣi | rodasī iti | ubhe iti
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (with late-hymn flexibility)
Ascending, forward-driving cadence suitable for ‘rising’ imagery.
Builds a felt upward movement in the listener; supports concentration on ascent and inner widening.
- pāvakavarcāḥ
- Literal: having purifying splendour. Symbolic: the cleansing light of inner fire that burns obscurity and ego-mixture
- śukravarcāḥ
- Literal: having bright/white splendour. Symbolic: clarity of illumined intelligence; stainless perception
- anūnavarcāḥ
- Literal: of undiminished splendour. Symbolic: steady, unfailing spiritual light (not intermittent inspiration)
- ud iyarṣi
- Literal: thou risest up. Symbolic: ascent of consciousness; uplifting of the being
- bhānunā
- Literal: by the beam/radiance. Symbolic: the directed ray of discernment and intuitive light
- putraḥ
- Literal: son. Symbolic: the manifested flame born of the two planes; the psychic fire as mediator
- mātarā
- Literal: two mothers. Symbolic: Heaven & Earth; mind & body; higher and lower nature
- rodasī ubhe
- Literal: both worlds (Heaven and Earth). Symbolic: the total field of consciousness from mental to physical being
- upāvasi
- Literal: thou comest near for help. Symbolic: the Divine Will’s intimate presence supporting effort and progress
Kindling and elevation of Agni: used to affirm Agni’s ascent and pervasion of the two worlds; supports rites where Agni is invoked as mediator between heaven and earth.
At the lighting/invocation of the sacred fire; also as a contemplative recitation for inner kindling.
Kindling, offering (āhuti), and establishing Agni as leader of the rite.
Use as a dawn or pre-meditation invocation to ‘ignite’ aspiration and harmonize mind-body before practice.
pāvaka from √pū ‘purify’ → purifying. śukra ‘bright’ from √śuc ‘shine/be pure’. pṛṇakṣi from √pṛ ‘fill’ (PIE *pleh₁- ‘fill’, cf. English full). The ‘two Mothers’ is a classic Vedic dyad (Dyāvā-Pṛthivī), psychologically the higher and lower hemispheres of consciousness.
purification (pāvaka), ascent (ut), pervasion and fullness (pṛ)
Agni’s ascent establishes right relation between the higher and lower worlds—order in consciousness.
Undiminished splendour points to truth-light that does not wane with moods or circumstances.
Agni as the child/offspring mediating the two cosmic parents; creation as a linkage of planes through light.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): ascent and integration of planes.
Dawn (suggested by ‘rising upward’ and beams)
The rising flame is the soul’s will-to-awaken; the beam is focused insight; Heaven-Earth are mind-body that must be jointly filled with consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the ‘son of the two Mothers’ (Heaven and Earth) who moves between them and fills both. Psychologically, the inner fire rises with an undiminishing beam, mediating between higher light and earthly nature, and making the whole being full of conscious force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pū ‘purify’ and √śuc ‘shine/pure’ encode the old IE link between brightness and purity. √pṛ ‘fill’ corresponds to PIE *pleh₁- (full). The dyadic cosmology ‘two worlds’ is a shared Indo-European poetic structure, where a mediating fire/light traverses and unites them.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls Agni not only to rise but to approach ‘for help’ (avasi): the divine fire’s ascent is meant to become an active aid within the practitioner, filling both the higher and lower ranges of the being with purified light.
Ascent of the inner flame and integration of mind-body through steady illumination.
Anāhata (psychic fire) with upward movement toward Ājñā (beam of insight).
Gentle ujjāyī or slow nasal breathing; inhale ‘ud iyarṣi’ (rise), exhale ‘pṛṇakṣi rodasī ubhe’ (fill the whole).
Uplifted, clarified, quietly radiant awareness.
Begin with a few minutes of heart-centered warmth; visualize a white-gold flame rising through the spine, then spreading light into thoughts (heaven) and sensations/actions (earth).
Vedic svara as in Śākala tradition: udatta/anudatta/svarita distributed per pada; preserve marked accents (e.g., pāvakavarcā́ḥ, śukrávarcā́, anū́navarcā́).
Keep the accented syllable clear and slightly raised; avoid flattening compounds like -varcāḥ. Maintain caesura after bhānunā |.
pāvakavarcāḥ: keep long ā in pā-, and -rcāḥ with clear ‘r’ + ‘cāḥ’, śukravarcā: śu-kra (not ‘shoo’), crisp ‘kr’ cluster, anūna-: long ū sustained, ud iyarṣi: separate ud | iyarṣi lightly (sandhi-aware), rodasī: retroflex ‘ḍ’ not present; it is dental ‘d’ (ro-da-sī), long ī at end
Bright, steady, slightly ascending contour to mirror ‘ud iyarṣi’.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
