Rig Veda 10.19.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 19, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.19
- Rishi
- As RV 10.19 complex
- Devata
- Indra and Agni
- Chandas
- Likely Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
पुनरेना नि वर्तय पुनरेना न्या कुरु । इन्द्र एणा नि यच्छत्वग्निरेना उपाजतु ॥
púnar enā ní vartaya púnar enā níyā́ kuru | índra enā ní yacchatv agnír enā upā́jatu ||
इन चीज़ों को वापस लाओ और सही जगह पर रख दो। इंद्र उन्हे वापस रोके और अग्नि उन्हे फिर से पास लाए।
Word by Word
- पुनः
- again, backIndeclinableअव्यय (no gender/case/number)Role Adhikaraṇa (temporal: ‘again’)Root पुनर् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *pen-/*pun- (again/back)
- एना
- by/with thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः; तृतीया एकवचनम् (instrumental singular): ‘by/with this (one/thing)’Role KaraṇaRoot एना (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; instr. sg. of एतद्/इदम् in Vedic usage)
- नि
- down, back; (as preverb) back/intoIndeclinableउपसर्गः (preverb) with verb वर्तयRoot नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वर्तय
- turn back!, bring back!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; causative sense ‘make turn/bring back’Role Kriyā (addressed action)Root √वृत्/√वर्त् (वर्तते/वर्तयति) ‘to turn, set in motion’
- पुनः
- againIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (temporal)Root पुनर् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
- एना
- by/with thisPronounतृतीया एकवचनम् (instrumental singular)Role KaraṇaRoot एना (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; instr. sg.)
- न्य्
- down/back (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गः ‘नि’ → ‘न्य्’ before initial vowel (आ-)Root नि (उपसर्ग) + य् (sandhi remnant before vowel)
- आ
- towards, unto; (as preverb) back/again, fullyIndeclinableउपसर्गः with √कृRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- कुरु
- do!, make!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role KriyāRoot √कृ (करोति) ‘to do, make’
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्द्र (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एना
- by/with thisPronounतृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot एना (instr. sg.)
- नि
- down, back; (as preverb) restraininglyIndeclinableउपसर्गः with √यम्Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यच्छतु
- let him restrain/hold backVerbलोट् (imperative/benedictive force), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role Kriyā (with Indra as kartā)Root √यम् (यच्छति) ‘to hold, restrain, check’
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अग्नि (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एना
- by/with thisPronounतृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot एना (instr. sg.)
- उप
- towards, near; (as preverb) up toIndeclinableउपसर्गः with √अज्Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- आजतु
- let him drive/bring (hither)Verbलोट् (imperative/benedictive), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role Kriyā (with Agni as kartā)Root √अज् (अजति) ‘to drive, lead, bring’
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved: (1) पुन॑रेना॒ → पुनः + एना (visarga before vowel; RV often writes -र्- for -ः- in saṃhitā). (2) न्या → नि + आ (i + ā → yā; written as न्या). (3) इन्द्र॑ एणा॒ → इन्द्रः + एना (ḥ before vowel). (4) य॑च्छत्व॒ग्निरे॑ना → यच्छतु + अग्निः + एना (u + a → va in saṃhitā: -त्वग्नि- reflects junction; also agniḥ before vowel loses visarga in saṃhitā spelling). Accent marks in the prompt are saṃhitā accents
- pada-forms given here are unaccented lexical padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
Turn these back again; set them down again. Let Indra restrain them; let Agni bring them near again.
Inner meaning
A precise psychological operation on wandering forces (‘these’): thoughts, energies, faculties, or scattered gains. ‘Turn back’ and ‘set down’ means restore them to their proper station in the being. Indra (illumined mind) restrains the outgoing turbulence; Agni (will) brings the recovered energies near to the inner altar for transformation and right use.
Universal truth
Recovery is not vague wishing: it is reorientation (return), re-placement (integration), illumination’s restraint (Indra), and will’s re-appropriation (Agni). Consciousness grows by repeatedly reclaiming what escapes and re-seating it in order.
Themes
recall-and-restraint, indra-agni-cooperation, recollection, protective-command
The seer
- Rishi
- RV 10.19 seer attribution to be verified per anukramaṇī/edition.
- Other hymns
- RV 10.19.1-4
Significance
The rishi functions as inner ritualist: commanding return and reintegration of faculties, using Indra-Agni as complementary powers—mental governance and will-led assimilation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra and Agni (functional dual invocation)
- Epithets
- Indra: Vṛtrahan (implied restrainer of the coverer), Agni: Hotṛ/Netṛ (implied leader and bringer-near)
- Related deities
- Soma (often paired with Indra for delight that supports illumination), Vāyu (movement of prāṇa, to be regulated)
Cosmic role
Indra governs luminous mentality and releases blocked powers; Agni mediates, purifies, and carries offerings—here, the ‘offerings’ are reclaimed energies.
Inner power
Indra: decisive clarity that checks dispersal; Agni: harnessing will that re-collects and re-consecrates energies.
In ritual
Where it is used
Restorative/protective formula within the 10.19 sequence.
पुन॑रेना॒ नि व॑र्तय॒ पुन॑रेना॒ न्या कु॑रु । इन्द्र॑ एणा॒ नि य॑च्छत्व॒ग्निरे॑ना उ॒पाज॑तु ॥
पुनः॑ । ए॒नाः॒ । नि । व॒र्त॒य॒ । पुनः॑ । ए॒नाः॒ । नि । आ । कु॒रु॒ । इन्द्र॑ । ए॒नाः॒ । नि । य॒च्छ॒तु॒ । अ॒ग्निः । ए॒नाः॒ । उ॒प॒ऽआज॑तु ॥
punaḥ | enāḥ | ni | vartaya | punaḥ | enāḥ | ni | ā | kuru | indra | enāḥ | ni | yacchatu | agniḥ | enāḥ | upa-ājatu
32
4 × ~8; repetitive ‘punar’ gives a mantra-like drumbeat.
Incantatory and directive; the repetition builds a turning motion and re-centering.
Useful for ‘collecting’ the mind: repetition induces return from distraction and strengthens executive control.
- punar
- Literal: again. Symbolic: recovery, re-establishment after loss
- enāḥ / etāḥ (these)
- Literal: these (entities/forces). Symbolic: scattered powers: attention, prāṇa, joy, insights, or protective energies
- ni vartaya
- Literal: turn back (cause to return). Symbolic: reverse outward leakage; bring back to the inner field
- ny ā kuru
- Literal: set down, place back. Symbolic: integration—restore to right function/location
- indra ni yacchatu
- Literal: let Indra restrain. Symbolic: illumined mind controlling turbulence, checking compulsions
- agnir upājatu
- Literal: let Agni bring near. Symbolic: aspiring will draws the recovered force to the inner sacrifice for use and purification
Nīvartana/recall formula: for retrieving lost cattle/wealth outwardly and, inwardly, for recalling scattered energies and prosperity into the settled field.
When faculties feel scattered—after shock, illness, distraction, or anxiety; also before study/meditation.
Command-return + invoke Indra for restraint and Agni for re-approach to the center.
A practical ‘reset’ mantra: use between tasks, after doom-scrolling, or when attention is fragmented.
upa-√aj (upā́jatu) from √aj ‘drive’ (PIE *h₂eǵ- ‘drive’, cf. Latin agere). √kṛ ‘do/make’ (kuru) from PIE *kwer-/*ker- semantic field of making/doing (Indo-Iranian *kar-). Indra as restrainer here complements Agni as bringer-near: restraining dispersion and re-collecting energies.
restoration (punar), restraint vs. attraction (ni-yam / upa-āj), recollection of dispersed powers
The mantra restores the right arrangement (ṛta) of inner movements.
Indra’s restraint is the enforcement of truth against misleading impulses.
Re-integration as inner creation: placing energies into a stable pattern.
Vedic psychological functionalism: deities as operative principles of consciousness.
Lightning-like clarity restrains; fire-like will gathers and assimilates—together reversing outward drift.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The return of lost ‘cows/wealth/powers’ by divine action: Indra restrains the forces that carry them away; Agni drives them back near. Mythically, it is the reversal of theft/dispersal; psychologically, the recovery of scattered energies into the conscious order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The drive/lead verb √aj (agere-family) is a classic IE action verb in ritual commands. The turn-back √vṛt (PIE *wert-) and make/do √kṛ (Indo-Iranian *kar-) show inherited imperative formula style: short commands coordinating divine agencies.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi issues direct operative speech (imperatives) as a technology of ṛta: divine powers are invoked to act in complementary modes—Indra to restrain, Agni to attract—so the human field is restored to wholeness.
Recollection (saṅgraha): bring back scattered attention and energies to the heart-flame.
Ājñā (Indra/illumined mind) + Maṇipūra (Agni/will).
3 rounds: inhale ‘punar’, exhale ‘ni vartaya’; then a gentle hold invoking ‘indra… ni yacchatu’; exhale ‘agnir… upājatu’.
Dhāraṇā strengthening: executive attention becomes stable.
Name what is scattered (‘these’), then command return. Use Indra for clear limits (stop the leak), then Agni to assimilate what returns (put it to right use).
Recite with correct Vedic accents per your text; keep repeated ‘punar’ consistent in pitch contour to build mantra-force.
Slightly emphasize ‘punar’ and the verbs ‘vartaya / kuru / yacchatu / upājatu’.
punar: clear dental n; light flap r, enāḥ: long ā; visarga ḥ audible but soft, ny ā: keep separation—nyā as connected glide, indra: retroflex ṛ not present; keep ‘dr’ cluster clear, yacchatu: geminate cch audible, upājatu: long ā; j as voiced palatal
Commanding but not harsh; steady intensity.
54
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.
