Rig Veda 10.45.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 45, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.45
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
समुद्रे त्वा नृमणा अप्स्वन्तर्नृचक्षा ईधे दिवो अग्न ऊधन् । तृतीये त्वा रजसि तस्थिवांसमपामुपस्थे महिषा अवर्धन् ॥
samudré tvā nṛmánā apsv àntar nṛcákṣā īdhe divó agna ū́dhan | tṛtī́ye tvā rájasi tasthivā́ṃsam apā́m upásthe mahiṣā́ avardhan ||
समुंदर के पानी में लोग तुम्हे जलाते हैं। अग्नि, तुम आसमान का दूध हो, रिशियों को तुम दिखते हो। आसमान और धरती के बीच तुम खड़े हो। पानी की गोद में बड़े लोग तुम्हे बढ़ाते हैं।
Word by Word
- समुद्रे
- in the oceanNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- you (Agni)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नृमणाः
- men (the man-minded/heroic ones)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot नृमणा (प्रातिपदिक; नृ + मना)
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तः
- withinIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारणRoot अन्तः (अव्यय)
- नृचक्षाः
- men-seeing ones (seers/men with vision)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot नृचक्षा (प्रातिपदिक; नृ + चक्षस्/चक्षा)
- ईधे
- is kindled / is kindled forVerbलट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRoot इध् (धातु)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव् ‘sky, heaven’)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊधन्
- udder; swelling source (of nourishment)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role कर्म (उपमान/विशेष्य-रूपेण)Root ऊधन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तृतीये
- in the thirdAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रजसि
- in the region/space (rajas)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तस्थिवांसम्
- standing / having stoodParticipleपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot स्था (धातु) → तस्थिवांस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट्-भागवत्)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उपस्थे
- in the lap/bosomNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- महिषाः
- buffaloes; mighty onesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवर्धन्
- they increased / made growVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचनRoot वृध् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): समुद्रे | त्वा | नृमणाः | अप्सु | अन्तः | नृचक्षाः | ईधे | दिवः | अग्ने | ऊधन् || तृतीये | त्वा | रजसि | तस्थिवांसम् | अपाम् | उपस्थे | महिषाः | अवर्धन् । मुख्य सन्धयः: (1) अप्स्वन्तः → अप्सु + अन्तः (उ/व्-आगमः)
- (2) दिवो अग्ने → दिवः + अग्ने (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ओ/अग्ने इति संहिता-पाठ)
- (3) अपामुपस्थे → अपाम् + उपस्थे (म् + उ → मुप्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the ocean-waters the human will kindles Agni within; Agni is the udder of heaven, seen by seer-sight. In the third realm of the midspace, standing firm, in the lap of the waters the great ones increase him.
Inner meaning
Agni is kindled in the ‘ocean’ of life-energies (samudra/āpas) by human aspiration (nṛmaṇā) within the depths. He is the ‘udder of heaven’ (divo ūdhan): the nourishing source through which higher consciousness feeds the embodied being—Agni becomes a channel of supramental milk, i.e., sustaining light and strength. ‘Seen by seer-sight’ (nṛcakṣāḥ) indicates an awakened inner vision that perceives the flame in the depths. In the ‘third realm’ (tṛtīye rajasi)—the midworld between heaven and earth—Agni stands established; then the ‘great ones’ (mahiṣāḥ) increase him: greater powers of the being (and/or divine forces) intensify the flame when it is firmly founded in the life-plane.
Universal truth
The higher nourishment reaches us when the inner fire is lit within life itself. Spiritual vision discovers the hidden flame; then greater powers can build it into a stable presence that mediates heaven’s sustenance into daily existence.
Themes
Agni in waters, cosmic nourishment, hidden fire, supporting powers
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.45.1-6, Rig Veda 1.95 (Agni in waters)
Significance
This verse gives the operative secret: kindle Agni in the waters (life-depths), then heaven’s nourishment flows; stabilization in the midrealm allows higher powers to enlarge the flame.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Divo ūdhan (udder of heaven), Apsu-antaḥ (within the waters), Tasthivāṃsam (standing firm)
- Related deities
- Āpas (waters), Soma (nourishing delight; ‘milk’ of heaven), Uṣas (seer-sight awakening)
Cosmic role
Hidden fire in waters; mediator that draws down heavenly nourishment; establishes a stable link in the midspace.
Inner power
Transformative will within life-energy; capacity to convert emotions/desires into luminous fuel; inner vision that perceives and tends the flame.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni hymns in soma/fire rituals; symbolic of kindling fire with water-associated materials and establishing fire in altar
स॒मु॒द्रे त्वा॑ नृ॒मणा॑ अ॒प्स्व१॒॑न्तर्नृ॒चक्षा॑ ईधे दि॒वो अ॑ग्न॒ ऊध॑न् । तृ॒तीये॑ त्वा॒ रज॑सि तस्थि॒वांस॑म॒पामु॒पस्थे॑ महि॒षा अ॑वर्धन् ॥
स॒मु॒द्रे । त्वा॒ । नृ॒ऽमनाः॑ । अ॒प्ऽसु । अ॒न्तः । नृ॒ऽचक्षाः॑ । ई॒धे॒ । दि॒वः । अ॒ग्ने॒ । ऊध॑न् । तृ॒तीये॑ । त्वा॒ । रज॑सि । त॒स्थि॒ऽवांस॑म् । अ॒पाम् । उ॒पऽस्थे॑ । म॒हि॒षाः । अ॒व॒र्ध॒न् ॥
samudre | tvā | nṛ-manāḥ | ap-su | antaḥ | nṛ-cakṣāḥ | īdhe | divaḥ | agne | ūdhan | tṛtīye | tvā | rajasi | tasthi-vāṃsam | apām | upa-sthe | mahiṣāḥ | avardhan
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4 × ~11
Deep and swelling; imagery moves from depth (ocean) to height (heaven) to stable midspace.
Induces depth-contact and then uplift; good for bringing meditation from head to whole being.
- समुद्रे (samudre)
- Literal: in the ocean. Symbolic: vast life-field; subconscient reservoir
- अप्सु अन्तः (apsu antaḥ)
- Literal: within the waters. Symbolic: within life-energies and depths of feeling
- नृमणा (nṛmaṇā)
- Literal: by human will. Symbolic: aspiration/effort that kindles transformation
- नृचक्षा (nṛcakṣā)
- Literal: seen by human-seers. Symbolic: inner seeing faculty awakened
- दिवो ऊधन् (divo ūdhan)
- Literal: udder of heaven. Symbolic: channel of higher nourishment; flow of light-force into the being
- तृतीये रजसि (tṛtīye rajasi)
- Literal: in the third midspace. Symbolic: intermediate plane: vital-mental field where transformation must stabilize
- अपाम् उपस्थे (apām upasthe)
- Literal: in the lap of the waters. Symbolic: supported by life-nature once purified
- महिṣāḥ (mahiṣāḥ)
- Literal: the great ones, mighty beings. Symbolic: greater powers/faculties (divine or inner) that augment Agni
Agni hymn linking waters and fire (pravargya-like imagery is later; here primarily cosmological/psychological): used to affirm Agni’s hidden seat and nourishment by higher light.
During Agni invocations emphasizing hidden fire and nourishment; can accompany libations and kindling
Offerings with water/clarified butter; tending fire while reciting; inwardly, invoking flame within emotional life
For emotional purification: chant when overwhelmed; then sit with feelings as ‘waters’ and kindle a calm will within them.
samudra ‘gathering of waters’ (sam- + udra/ud ‘water’ complex). īdhe from √idh ‘to kindle’ (PIE *h₁eydʰ-). ū́dhan ‘udder’ is a concrete image for a yielding source; in RV often transferred to cosmic sources. mahiṣa ‘great/strong’ from mah- ‘great’ (PIE *megʰ-).
Agni hidden in life-currents, descent of heavenly light as nourishment, support by ‘great ones’ (higher powers) in the mid-region
Right order requires the flame to be founded in the intermediate plane, not only as an idea above or impulse below.
Heaven’s ‘udder’ implies truth-nourishment descending as sustaining force when Agni mediates it.
Interpenetration of opposites—fire in water—producing growth; ascent supported by depth.
Integral transformation doctrine: spiritual realization must enter life (waters) and stabilize in the vital-mental midspace.
Ocean/waters→emotional-vital and subconscient depths; udder/milk→higher nourishment (light, strength, joy); rajas (midspace)→vital-mental field where will must stand firm.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The paradox of fire in the waters and Agni as ‘udder of heaven’: a cosmogonic image of the hidden flame nourished by higher light and grown by mighty powers. Inwardly it is the awakening of will-fire within the life-ocean, drawing down luminous sustenance and becoming established in the dynamic mid-plane.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √idh ‘kindle’ is archaic and widely cognate in IE fire/ignite semantics. mah- ‘great’ (mahiṣa) aligns with PIE *megʰ-. The concrete-to-cosmic metaphor (ūdhan) is a hallmark of early IE poetics: bodily images mapped onto cosmology and psychology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions human will (nṛmanā) as co-agent: it kindles Agni within the waters. The deity reciprocates by becoming a yielding source of heavenly light (ūdhan), while higher powers (mahiṣāḥ) assist the growth—an integrated yoga of human effort and divine increase.
Kindle will within the ‘waters’ of emotion; receive descending nourishment from above; stabilize in the midspace of daily action.
Svadhisthana (waters/emotion), Manipura (kindling), Sahasrara (heavenly nourishment)
Cooling inhale (through nose) + long warming exhale; on exhale, feel a small flame steady in the lower abdomen; then sense a gentle ‘milk of light’ descending on inhale
From emotional turbulence to luminous steadiness; from depth to height integration
1) Sit and notice the ‘ocean’—your current emotional field. 2) Chant once slowly. 3) Place attention in lower abdomen; kindle a calm resolve. 4) Feel a soft descending sweetness from above (divo ūdhan). 5) End by standing inwardly ‘firm’ in the day’s midspace—actions done from that flame.
Keep steady tonal rise on key images (samudre, divo ūdhan, tṛtīye); avoid rushing consonant clusters.
Pause slightly after ‘apsv antaḥ’; broaden ‘divo agna ūdhan’; articulate ‘tṛtīye tvā rajasi’ with measured gravity.
samudre: ‘d’ dental, not retroflex, nṛcakṣā: vocalic ṛ; ‘kṣ’ as one cluster, ūdhan: long ū; ‘dh’ aspirated, upasthe: ‘sth’ cluster clear
Deep, resonant, oceanic; let the tone ‘carry’ as if rising from within water.
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