Rig Veda 10.20.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 20, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.20
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
जुषद्धव्या मानुषस्योर्ध्वस्तस्थावृभ्वा यज्ञे । मिन्वन्त्सद्म पुर एति ॥
júṣad dhavyā́ mā́nuṣasyordhvás tasthāv ṛ́bhvā yajñé | mínvantsádma purá eti ||
वो लोगों की पूजा से खुश होता है। यज्ञ में वो सीधा खड़ा होता है, बिल्कुल स्ट्रॉन्ग। वो घर को बड़ा करता है और आगे आगे चलता है, सबको साथ ले के चलता है।
Word by Word
- जुषत्
- may (he) gladly accept / be pleased withVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-समकक्षः वैदिके), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √जुष् (सेवने/तोषणे)
- हव्या
- oblationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot हव्य (√हु ‘आह्वाने/होमने’ से निष्पन्न प्रातिपदिक)
- मानुषस्य
- of the human (i.e., of Manu / of men)Adjective (genitival)पुंलिङ्गम्/नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (प्रयोगे ‘यज्ञ’ इत्यस्य), षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मानुष (मनु-सम्बन्धी)
- ऊर्ध्वः
- upright, aloftAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (अग्नि/देवः इत्यादेः विशेषणम्)Root ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- तस्थौ
- stoodVerbलिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √स्था (तिष्ठति)
- ऋभ्वा
- with/through the R̥bhu (R̥bhus)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करण (सह/द्वारा-अर्थे) अथवा सहकारकRoot ऋभु (देवनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञे
- in the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot यज्ञ (√यज्)
- मिन्वन्
- impelling, setting in motionVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा, एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्Role कर्ता (मुख्यक्रियायाः कर्तृविशेषणम्)Root √मिव्/√मिन्व् (प्रेरणे/वर्धने; वैदिक)
- सद्म
- the seat/dwelling (ritual abode)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरः
- forth, forward; in frontIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role अधिकरण (देश/दिशा)Root पुरस् (अव्ययीभाव/अव्ययप्रयोगः)
- एति
- goes, proceedsVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √इ (गत्यर्थः)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: जु॒षद्ध॒व्या = जुषत् + हव्या (त् + ह → द्ध, वैदिक-सन्धि)
- मानु॑षस्यो॒र्ध्वः = मानुषस्य + ऊर्ध्वः (अ + ऊ → ओ)
- त॑स्था॒वृभ्वा॑ = तस्थौ + ऋभ्वा (औ + ऋ → आवृ; संहितायां ‘आ’ आगम/स्वर-संयोगः)
- मि॒न्वन्त्सद्म॑ = मिन्वन् + सद्म (न् + स → न्त्स)
- पु॒र ए॑ति = पुरः + एति (विसर्गलोपः/र्-रूपेण संधिः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni delights in the human offerings; he has stood upright, strong in the sacrifice. Enlarging the home, he goes in front.
Inner meaning
The ‘human offerings’ are our conscious submissions—attention, sincerity, works, and the clarified energies we place into the inner fire. When Agni accepts (juṣat), the will stands ūrdhva—upright: aspiration becomes vertical, no longer dispersed in horizontal desire. ṛbhvā indicates skillful, effective force: Agni makes the sacrifice workable, not merely ideal. By ‘enlarging the home’ (minvan sadma), he expands the inner habitation of the soul—widening capacity, stability, and peace in the being. As puraḥ eti, he goes in front: the divine Will leads action, so life becomes a march of conscious works rather than reactive movement.
Universal truth
When we offer our energies sincerely to a higher will, aspiration becomes upright and effective. Inner capacity expands, and right leadership arises from within, guiding action before impulse can mislead it.
Themes
Agni leadership, Acceptance of offering, Ascent
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.20.1-6
Significance
Emphasizes the practical yoga of works: the inner fire accepts offerings, stands upright, perfects the sacrifice, enlarges the inner dwelling, and leads the life-march.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- juṣat-havya (acceptor of offerings), ūrdhva (upright/ascending), ṛbhvan/ṛbhvā (skillful, effective), puraḥ-etā (leader in front)
- Related deities
- Viṣṇu (as ‘wide steps’/widening), Indra (as leader and victor), Bṛhaspati (as master of the work through word and will)
Cosmic role
Priest and leader of the sacrifice; power that makes works effective and opens the way for divine forces.
Inner power
Executive will that rises upward, perfects action, and widens the being into a stable home for higher consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Fire-offering sequences where Agni is invoked as acceptor and leader (purohita/nete).
जु॒षद्ध॒व्या मानु॑षस्यो॒र्ध्वस्त॑स्था॒वृभ्वा॑ य॒ज्ञे । मि॒न्वन्त्सद्म॑ पु॒र ए॑ति ॥
जु॒षत् । ह॒व्या । मानु॑षस्य । ऊ॒र्ध्वः । त॒स्थौ॒ । ऋभ्वा॑ । य॒ज्ञे । मि॒न्वन् । सद्म॑ । पु॒रः । ए॒ति॒ ॥
juṣat | havyā | mānuṣasya | ūrdhvaḥ | tasthau | ṛbhvā | yajñe | minvan | sadma | puraḥ | eti
44
4 × ~11; strong caesura around ūrdhvas tasthāv
Upward-driving and martial-processional, matching ‘stood upright’ and ‘goes in front’.
Instills readiness and steadiness; supports upright posture and decisive inner leadership.
- जुषत् (juṣat)
- Literal: delighting in; accepting. Symbolic: divine consent—inner fire responds when offering is sincere
- हव्या (havyā)
- Literal: offerings. Symbolic: submitted energies—thought, breath, work, devotion
- मानुषस्य (mānuṣasya)
- Literal: of the human. Symbolic: the embodied seeker; the human field of practice
- ऊर्ध्वः (ūrdhvaḥ)
- Literal: upright, upward. Symbolic: vertical aspiration; ascent of consciousness
- ऋभ्वा (ṛbhvā)
- Literal: skillful, strong, effective. Symbolic: effective force that perfects the work
- यज्ञे (yajñe)
- Literal: in the sacrifice. Symbolic: in the disciplined inner offering-process
- मिन्वन् (minvan)
- Literal: enlarging, increasing. Symbolic: expanding inner capacity and stability
- सद्म (sadma)
- Literal: home, seat, dwelling. Symbolic: inner habitation of the soul; stable consciousness
- पुरः एति (puraḥ eti)
- Literal: goes in front. Symbolic: divine will leads action; right initiative
Agni as leader in yajña: emphasizes acceptance of offerings and upward station; used to affirm successful kindling and forward movement of rite.
At moments of intensifying the rite—when the fire is made to blaze and lead the offering forward.
Offer ghee; visualize the flame standing upright; proceed to next ritual step under Agni’s ‘lead’.
Before starting a demanding task: chant to place the work into the inner fire; adopt an upright posture; let the ‘front-leading’ will guide.
juṣ from √juṣ ‘enjoy, be pleased’. haviṣ/havya from √hu ‘to pour, offer, invoke’. ūrdhva ‘upright’ relates to PIE *h₃erdʰ- ‘up/high’ (semantic). sadman ‘seat, abode’ from √sad ‘sit’. minvan from √mi ‘to fix/establish’ or √min ‘to set in motion/increase’ (Vedic usage: ‘to invigorate/enlarge’).
yajña as inner discipline, growth/enlargement of the inner ‘home’ (sadman)
Agni perfects the yajña by making action conform to right rhythm and order.
Acceptance (juṣat) implies alignment with truth-intention; false offerings do not kindle stable ascent.
Widening of the ‘home’—the being becomes a larger vessel for the divine presence through right works.
Karma-yoga prototype within Vedic symbolism: works offered to the inner Fire become means of ascent and widening.
Upright flame = ascending aspiration; home/hearth = stable inner seat; going in front = guiding initiative of conscious will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘installed fire’ mythologem: Agni accepts human offerings, stands upright in the yajña, and leads from the front—an image of the awakened will guiding the whole movement of transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sadman from √sad ‘sit’ corresponds to PIE *sed- ‘sit’ (Latin sedēre, English sit via Germanic cognates). The ‘seat/abode’ metaphor is a shared Indo-European conceptual pattern for stability and establishment.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasizes mutuality: human beings offer; Agni ‘enjoys’ and thereby becomes active, taking his station and leading. The devatā is not distant—he is the forward-moving executive force within the rite and the seeker.
Offer your day’s actions into Agni; feel the will rising upright; let the next action be ‘led from in front’ by clarity, not compulsion.
Manipura (will/action) with support to Sahasrara directionality (upward orientation)
Inhale—‘offer’; brief hold—‘Agni stands upright’; exhale—‘Agni leads the next step’.
Strong, upright, effective calm.
Practice ‘front-leading’: before speaking/acting, pause one breath, feel the inner flame, and act from that collected center.
Notated svaras not provided; emphasize the lift on ūrdhvaḥ and the forward movement on puraḥ eti.
Keep sandhi clear: mānuṣasyordhvaḥ (do not swallow the junction); articulate ṛbhvā distinctly.
juṣad: retroflex ṣ, short a at end, mānuṣasya: long ā; retroflex ṣ, ūrdhvas: long ū; retroflex ḍh, ṛbhvā: vocalic ṛ; aspirated bh; long ā
Firm, resonant, slightly martial; maintain steadiness rather than speed.
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.
