Rig Veda 10.3.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 3, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.3
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
कृष्णां यदेनीमभि वर्पसा भूज्जनयन्योषां बृहतः पितुर्जाम् । ऊर्ध्वं भानुं सूर्यस्य स्तभायन्दिवो वसुभिररतिर्वि भाति ॥
kṛṣṇā́ṁ yád enī́m abhí várpasā bhū́j janáyan yóṣāṁ bṛhatáḥ pitúr jā́m | ūrdhváṁ bhānúṁ sū́ryasya stabhā́yan divó vásu-bhir aratír ví bhā́ti ||
जब वो अंधेरा को अपने रूप से देखता है, तब एक चमकता हुआ बच्चा पैदा होता है। यह बड़े पिता का बेटा है। वो सूरज की किरण को सीधा करता है। आसमान के खजाने से यह शक्ति चमक कर सामने आती है।
Word by Word
- कृष्णाम्
- the dark (one)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कृष्ण- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध/यद्-तद्-सम्बन्ध)Role कर्मRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एनीम्
- the swift one / the doe (metaph. dawn/cow)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot एनी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/पूर्वपदRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वर्पसा
- with (his) form/beauty, by radianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot वर्पस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूत्
- became, came to beVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot भू (धातु)
- जनयन्
- generating, producingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot जन्/जनय् (धातु; causative)
- योषाम्
- the young woman / maiden (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot योषा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहतः
- of the greatAdjectiveपुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot बृहत्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पितुः
- of the fatherNounपुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot पितृ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जाम्
- the daughter/offspringNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्ध्वम्
- upwardsAdverb/Adjectiveअव्यय (दिशा/रीति)Root ऊर्ध्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भानुम्
- the beam, radianceNounपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भानु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सूर्यस्य
- of the SunNounपुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सूर्य- (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तभायन्
- propping, supporting, making firmVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot स्तभ् (धातु)
- दिवः
- of heaven/skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot द्यौ/दिव्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसुभिः
- with the Vasus (bright gods/wealths)Nounपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot वसु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरतिः
- the wheel/going (course), the chariot-motionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अरति- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/पूर्वपदRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भाति
- shines, appearsVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot भा (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): कृष्णाम् | यत् | एनीम् | अभि | वर्पसा | भूत् | जनयन् | योषाम् | बृहतः | पितुः | जाम् || ऊर्ध्वम् | भानुम् | सूर्यस्य | स्तभायन् | दिवः | वसुभिः | अरतिः | वि | भाति । प्रमुख संधि: (1) वर्पसा + भूत् → वर्पसा भूज्ज्… (ज्-आगम/उच्चारण-परिवर्तन; संहितापाठ-विशेष) (2) स्तभायन् + दिवः → स्तभायन्दिवः (न् + द → न्द) (3) अरतिः + वि → अरतिर्वि (ः + व → र्व)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, by his own radiance, confronts the black darkness and brings to birth the bright maiden/young radiance, the child of the Vast Father; he upholds the Sun’s beam and the moving Power shines widely with heaven’s riches.
Inner meaning
The awakened psychic Fire (Agni as inner Will) meets the subconscious obscurity (kṛṣṇā) with its own formed power (varpas). From that confrontation is born the luminous awakening (yoṣā)—a new, fresh illumination in the being—called the child of the Vast Father (Bṛhat, the infinite consciousness). Agni ‘sets upright’ the solar ray: the higher mind’s truth-light becomes stable and vertical in the inner world, and the dynamic executive force (arati) begins to move freely, distributing the ‘riches of heaven’ (vasu)—clarities, powers, and wideness.
Universal truth
Transformation begins when conscious will meets inner darkness directly; from that contact a new light is born. When truth-light is made steady, life-force becomes a wide, beneficent power that carries higher riches into action.
Themes
raising-the-solar-ray, birth-of-radiance, establishing-truth-light, Agni-as-illuminer
The seer
- Rishi
- Kumāra (Skanda) tradition / unknown in Anukramaṇī for this hymn (RV 10.3)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.1, Rig Veda 10.2, Rig Veda 10.3, Rig Veda 10.4
Significance
Book 10 hymns often universalize earlier Agni symbolism; the seer-voice here emphasizes Agni as inner leader who births illumination from darkness—close to the Aurobindonian reading of Agni as the psychic will opening the higher light.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Sūrya as associated power of illumination)
- Epithets
- śiva (gracious) implied in the sequence, devatama (most divine) in the hymn context, rocamāna (shining), bṛhat (vast) imagery
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Uṣas, Indra, Varuṇa (ṛta-guardian)
Cosmic role
Mediator who brings the solar light into manifestation, establishes the order of ascent, and distributes the ‘vasu’ of heaven.
Inner power
Psychic will and transformative heat that confronts obscurity and makes the truth-ray stable in mind and life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-kindling and praise in soma-less or general agni-stotra contexts (non-specific)
कृ॒ष्णां यदेनी॑म॒भि वर्प॑सा॒ भूज्ज॒नय॒न्योषां॑ बृह॒तः पि॒तुर्जाम् । ऊ॒र्ध्वं भा॒नुं सूर्य॑स्य स्तभा॒यन्दि॒वो वसु॑भिरर॒तिर्वि भा॑ति ॥
कृ॒ष्णाम् । यत् । एनी॑म् । अ॒भि । वर्प॑सा । भूत् । ज॒नय॑न् । योषा॑म् । बृ॒ह॒तः । पि॒तुः । जाम् । ऊ॒र्ध्वम् । भा॒नुम् । सूर्य॑स्य । स्त॒भा॒यन् । दि॒वः । वसु॑ऽभिः । अ॒र॒तिः । वि । भा॒ति॒ ॥
kṛṣṇām | yat | enīm | abhi | varpasā | bhūt | janayan | yoṣām | bṛhataḥ | pituḥ | jām | ūrdhvam | bhānum | sūryasya | stabhāyan | divaḥ | vasu-bhiḥ | aratiḥ | vi | bhāti
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Strong, ascending cadence with a ‘lifting’ feel (fits ūrdhvam ‘upright’).
Energizes the will and clarifies perception; suitable for establishing inner steadiness and upward aspiration.
- कृष्णाम् (kṛṣṇām)
- Literal: blackness, dark (f.). Symbolic: subconscient obscurity, the covering resistance
- वर्पसा (varpasā)
- Literal: form, lustre, outward radiance. Symbolic: self-manifesting power of consciousness; formed divine energy
- योषाम् (yoṣām)
- Literal: young woman, maiden. Symbolic: new-born illumination; dawn-like radiance in the mind
- बृहतः पितुः (bṛhataḥ pituḥ)
- Literal: of the Vast Father. Symbolic: infinite consciousness (Bṛhat) as source of the higher light
- भानुम् सूर्यस्य (bhānum sūryasya)
- Literal: the Sun’s beam. Symbolic: supramental/illumined mind-ray; truth-perception
- स्तभायन् (stabhāyan)
- Literal: propping, setting upright. Symbolic: stabilising the higher light so it governs the being
- वसु॑भिः (vasubhiḥ)
- Literal: with riches, goods. Symbolic: heavenly treasures: luminous faculties, right powers
- अरतिḥ (aratiḥ)
- Literal: moving power, active impulse. Symbolic: dynamic executive force of Agni in life and works
Agni hymn emphasizing the raising of light (bhānu) and establishment of the solar ray; suitable to rites where the kindled fire is identified with solar ascent (pravargya-like symbolic register), and inwardly for ‘raising the beam’ of truth in meditation.
At the lighting/strengthening of the sacred fire; also as contemplative recitation at dawn or before work.
Invoking Agni to dispel darkness and establish the solar ray; offering ghee/oblations as outer support.
Use before meditation or demanding tasks: ‘set upright’ the inner sun-ray—stabilize clarity before action.
Key roots: varpas ‘form/splendour’ relates to √/√ ‘to shape/cover’ (semantic: embodied appearance). stabhāyan from √ ‘to support, make firm’—psychologically the stabilizing of the sun-beam (truth-light) in the ascending consciousness (ūrdhvam). vasu ‘wealth’ from √ ‘to dwell/abide’ → that which is stable substance/possession; inwardly the settled riches of heaven (divó vasubhiḥ).
Satyam-Ritam-Bṛhat (implicit via bṛhat and solar bhānu), ascent (ūrdhva), heavenly riches (vasu as plenitude)
Agni establishes ṛta by making the solar truth-ray firm against the covering.
Truth becomes effective when stabilized (stabhāyan) and made operative in the moving power (arati).
Birth of light from darkness; manifestation of the solar principle through Agni.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral (Aurobindonian) psychology of ascent from subconscient to illumined mind.
dawn-transition (night to sunrise)
Dawn-like emergence of higher perception when the psychic fire meets subconscious resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni confronts the ‘black’ and generates the radiant maiden/offspring; he establishes the sun’s beam upright. Mythically, this is the recovery/installation of light (knowledge) against darkness—Agni as the agent who makes the solar truth effective in the world.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Sūrya is Indo-Iranian (Av. hvar ‘sun’) from PIE *seh₂u-el- ‘sun’. bhānu (beam) from √ ‘shine’ (PIE *bʰeh₂-). The shared IE poetics equates solar shining with knowing and ordering—here made explicit by ‘setting firm’ (√) the beam.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi describes Agni’s action as the inner technique: by kindling and embodying the fire (varpasā), the practitioner confronts obscurity, brings forth a new luminous consciousness, and stabilizes the truth-ray so that heavenly plenitudes (vasu) can descend and abide.
Bring attention to the inner flame (will) and let it meet any ‘black’ knot of inertia; invite a new clear light to be born and stand upright in the mind.
ājñā (solar ray/clarity) and anāhata (psychic fire)
Nadi-śodhana 6–12 rounds, then gentle kumbhaka while visualizing an upright sun-ray in the brow.
From tamasic clouding → illumined steadiness (dhī) → dynamic wideness in action.
Name the obscurity without fear; kindle steady aspiration; hold a vertical axis of light from heart to brow; act from that clarity.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita as per śākala tradition; key lifts often on सूर्यस्य / भानुम् / ऊर्ध्वम्.
Keep udatta crisp on content-words (,,,, ); do not over-stress enclitics (,, ).
kṛṣṇāṃ: retroflex ṛ and ṣ; nasalized āṃ, enīm: long ī; avoid ‘eniim’ diphthong, stabhāyan: clear aspirate bh; keep ‘st’ cluster clean, aratir: flap ‘r’ lightly; short i, bhāti: long ā
Bright, steady, slightly upward-moving in tone; end with a widening resonance on ‘vi bhāti’.
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