Rig Veda 10.45.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 45, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.45
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
विद्मा ते अग्ने त्रेधा त्रयाणि विद्मा ते धाम विभृता पुरुत्रा । विद्मा ते नाम परमं गुहा यद्विद्मा तमुत्सं यत आजगन्थ ॥
vidmá te agne tredhā́ trayā́ṇi vidmá te dhā́ma vibhṛ́tā purutrā́ | vidmá te nā́ma paramáṃ guhā́ yád vidmá tám útsaṃ yáta ājágántha ||
अग्नि, हम जानते हैं कि तुम तीन जगह हो, तीन रूप में। तुम्हारे ठिकाने कई जगह हैं, हम जानते हैं। तुम्हारा सबसे बड़ा नाम छुपा है, हम वो भी जानते हैं। हम जानते हैं तुम कहाँ से आए हो।
Word by Word
- विद्मा
- we knowVerbलिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) मुख्य क्रियाRoot √विद् (विद् ‘जानने’)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of you/your’Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त्वद्
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि-
- त्रेधा
- in three waysIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (रीति/प्रकार)Root त्रिधा (अव्यय; ‘तीन प्रकार से’)
- त्रयाणि
- three (things)Adjective (numeral) / Noun-likeनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (विद्मा—‘we know three…’)Root त्रि- (संख्या) → त्रय-
- विद्मा
- we knowVerbलिट्, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) मुख्य क्रियाRoot √विद्
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् → त्वद्
- धाम
- abode / station / ordinanceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: धाम < धामन्)Role कर्मRoot धामन्- (नपुंसक) ‘धाम/स्थान/तेज’
- विभृताः
- distributed / borne apartAdjective (past passive participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Ppp: ‘borne/distributed’)Role विशेषण (धाम्नः/धामानि—अर्थतः ‘विभृत’)Root वि-√भृ (भृ ‘धारणे’) → विभृत (कृदन्त)
- पुरुत्रा
- in many placesIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण/देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणRoot पुरुत्रा (अव्यय) < पुरु ‘बहु’ + -त्रा
- विद्मा
- we knowVerbलिट्, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) मुख्य क्रियाRoot √विद्
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् → त्वद्
- नाम
- nameNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: नाम < नामन्)Role कर्मRoot नामन्-
- परमम्
- highest / supremeAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (नाम)Root परम- (श्रेष्ठ/उत्तम) सुपरलेटिव
- गुहा
- in secret / hiddenIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (स्थानवाचक) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot गुहा (अव्यय/निपात; ‘गुप्ते/अन्तः’)
- यत्
- that whichPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विद्मा—‘we know that…’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम) / यत् (सम्बन्धबोधक)
- विद्मा
- we knowVerbलिट्, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) मुख्य क्रियाRoot √विद्
- तम्
- him / thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विद्मा—‘we know him/that’)Root तद् (सर्वनाम)
- उत्सम्
- spring / sourceNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विद्मा—‘we know the source’)Root उत्स- (पुं) ‘स्रोत/उद्गम’
- यत्
- that which / whenPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म/सम्बन्ध (यत्—‘that which/when’)Root यद्
- आजगन्थ
- you have come / you arrivedVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) — सम्बद्ध उपवाक्यRoot आ-√गम् (गम् ‘गत्यर्थे’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक संधि-विच्छेद): विद्मा ते अग्ने | त्रेधा त्रयाणि | विद्मा ते धाम विभृताः पुरुत्रा | विद्मा ते नाम परमम् गुहा यत् | विद्मा तम् उत्सम् यत् आजगन्थ || 1) ‘यद्विद्मा’ = ‘यत् + विद्मा’ (द् + व् संयोग)
- 2) ‘तमुत्सं’ = ‘तम् + उत्सम्’ (म् + उ-)
- 3) ‘ते’ एन्क्लिटिक षष्ठी-एकवचन (त्वद्)
- 4) ‘धाम, नाम’ वैदिक नपुंसक-एकवचन रूप (धामन्/नामन् से)
- 5) ‘विभृताः’ अर्थतः ‘धाम(नि)’ के साथ बहुवचन विशेषण—ऋग्वैदिक शैली में संख्या/वचन का शिथिल सामञ्जस्य सम्भव।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speakers declare knowledge of Agni’s threefold forms, his many abodes, his supreme hidden name, and the source-spring from which he came.
Inner meaning
This is a mantra of inner recognition: the seeker affirms experiential knowledge (vidmā) of Agni’s triple manifestation (higher, human, and in the waters), his many stations in the being (purutrā dhāma—mind, life, body, and subtle layers), the ‘supreme name’ hidden in the cave (guhā)—the secret essence of the divine Will—and the ‘spring’ (utsa) of his origin: the transcendent consciousness from which aspiration descends. The repeated ‘we know’ is not intellectual but initiatic—knowledge as realized contact.
Universal truth
Spiritual practice matures into recognition: one comes to know the divine power in its levels, its workings in many places, its secret essence, and its origin. True knowledge is intimate and transformative, not merely conceptual.
Themes
gnosis of Agni, secret name, triple cosmology, inner revelation
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.45.1-6
Significance
A compact Vedic ‘gnosis formula’: vidmā repeated as a mantra of remembrance, aligning the practitioner to recognize Agni’s workings and recover the hidden Name in the heart-cave.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Tridhātu/threefold (implied), Guhya-nāma (of hidden supreme name, implied), Utsa-ja (spring-born, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma (secret delight in the cave), Bṛhaspati (finder of the hidden name by the word), Uṣas (illumination that reveals the cave)
Cosmic role
Secret power in all worlds; bearer of divine identity through ‘name’; establishes connection to the source.
Inner power
Capacity to recognize and invoke the true vibration of will; uncovering the hidden flame in the heart-cave.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within fire rituals; also a declaration of priestly knowledge in śrauta context
वि॒द्मा ते॑ अग्ने त्रे॒धा त्र॒याणि॑ वि॒द्मा ते॒ धाम॒ विभृ॑ता पुरु॒त्रा । वि॒द्मा ते॒ नाम॑ पर॒मं गुहा॒ यद्वि॒द्मा तमुत्सं॒ यत॑ आज॒गन्थ॑ ॥
वि॒द्म । ते॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । त्रे॒धा । त्र॒याणि॑ । वि॒द्म । ते॒ । धाम॑ । विऽभृ॑ता । पु॒रु॒ऽत्रा । वि॒द्म । ते॒ । नाम॑ । प॒र॒मम् । गुहा॑ । यत् । वि॒द्म । तम् । उत्स॑म् । यतः॑ । आ॒ऽज॒गन्थ॑ ॥
vidma | te | agne | tredhā | trayāṇi | vidma | te | dhāma | vi-bhṛtā | puru-trā | vidma | te | nāma | paramam | guhā | yat | vidma | tam | utsam | yataḥ | ājagantha
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4 × ~11
Incantatory and affirmational through repetition (vidmā…vidmā…); steady unveiling rhythm.
Strengthens memory of inner experience; induces a ‘recognition-state’ and inward turning toward the guhā.
- विद्मा (vidmā)
- Literal: we know. Symbolic: realized knowledge; direct seeing/gnosis
- त्रेधा त्रयाणि (tredhā trayāṇi)
- Literal: threefold, the three. Symbolic: three births/forms of Agni across planes
- धाम (dhāma)
- Literal: abode, seat. Symbolic: stations of the flame in different parts of being
- विभृता पुरुत्रा (vibhṛtā purutrā)
- Literal: distributed in many places. Symbolic: Agni’s presence in multiple centers and functions
- नाम परमम् (nāma paramam)
- Literal: supreme name. Symbolic: essential vibration/secret identity of the divine Will
- गुहा (guhā)
- Literal: cave, secret place. Symbolic: heart-cave; hidden inner chamber of consciousness
- उत्सम् (utsam)
- Literal: spring, wellhead. Symbolic: origin-source in higher truth-consciousness
- आजगन्थ (ājagantha)
- Literal: thou hast come. Symbolic: descent/emanation into manifestation
Mantra of recognition/gnosis within Agni worship; supports contemplative identification of Agni’s three seats and secret name in ritual and meditation.
During Agni-stotra sequences; at moments emphasizing Agni’s secret nature (guhya)
Recitation while tending fire; mentally ‘placing’ Agni in three loci
Use as a contemplative japa for self-inquiry: ‘Where is the flame now? What is its hidden name in me?’
vidma from √vid ‘know’ (PIE *weid-). dhāman from √dhā ‘place, set’ → ‘seat, abode, power’. guhā ‘cave/secret’ from √guh ‘hide’. utsa ‘spring’ possibly from ud-√sad/√sṛ semantic field ‘rise up/outflow’ (traditional: ‘fountain, source’), functioning here as metaphysical origin.
secret name (nāma) as essence-vibration, guhā as hidden heart/subconscient, triple worlds and triple Agni
Knowing Agni’s dhāmas is knowing the ordered operations of consciousness across planes.
The ‘parama nāma’ signifies the truth-vibration behind outer forms.
Emanation from a spring-source into many distributed stations; the One in the many.
Vedic esotericism leading toward Upanishadic ‘name-and-form’ inquiry (nāma-rūpa) and the heart-cave doctrine.
Cave→heart’s hidden chamber; spring→source-consciousness; distributed abodes→chakric/psychic centers and functions.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The initiatory claim of knowing Agni’s triple form, manifold abodes, secret supreme name, and originating spring—an esoteric disclosure motif. Inwardly it signals that progress depends on integral knowledge of the divine power’s stations and the hidden key (name) lodged in the guhā.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Repeated vidma (anaphora) is an archaic poetic device; √vid (PIE *weid-) is pan-IE. dhāman from √dhā (PIE *dʰeh₁-) is also pan-IE. The semantic pairing of ‘name’ and ‘secret’ reflects IE sacral language where the true name is a power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Rather than petition, the rishi asserts an achieved relation: knowledge of Agni’s inner keys. This ‘knowing’ is itself an offering—recognition that allows Agni to act more fully because the human consciousness has found the right correspondences (threefoldness, dhāman, guhā, utsa).
Recognition (smṛti) of Agni’s three forms and discovery of the hidden ‘name’ as a felt inner vibration.
Anahata (guhā/heart-cave) primarily; Ajna for ‘knowing’
Slow exhale japa on ‘vidmā’; brief pause after each pāda to ‘listen inward’
Pratyāhāra-like inwardness; quiet certainty
Chant once, then sit and locate three flames: above-head light, heart flame, navel/waters warmth. Then ask inwardly for the ‘parama nāma’—the simplest felt wordless impulse of true will—and rest there.
Repetitive ‘vidmā’ phrases should keep consistent svara contour; avoid drifting pitch across repetitions.
Give ‘vidmā’ a clear onset each time; slight emphasis on guHĀ and UTsaṃ; keep long vowels sustained (trēdhā, nāma, paramaṃ).
tredhā: retroflex ḍh; long ē, vibhṛtā: vocalic ṛ; aspirated bh, guhā: hard ‘g’; long ā, ājagantha: nasal ‘ntha’ cluster clean, not ‘nda’
Hushed, intimate, as if speaking a secret; steady and even.
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