Rig Veda 10.46.6: Mandala 10, Sukta 46, Mantra 6
Sukta 10.46
- Devata
- Agni with Trita as an inner-fire motif
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
नि पस्त्यासु त्रितः स्तभूयन्परिवीतो योनौ सीददन्तः । अतः संगृभ्या विशां दमूना विधर्मणायन्त्रैरीयते नॄन् ॥
ní pastyā́su tritáḥ stabhūyán parivī́to yónau sīdad antáḥ | átaḥ saṅgṛ́bhyā viśā́ṁ damūnā́ vidhármaṇā yántrair ī́yate nṝ́n ||
घरों में त्रित ने उसे पक्का किया। वो अंदर बैठा हुआ था, जैसे किसी कोख में लपेटा हुआ हो। वहाँ से लोगों को इकठ्ठा करके, घर का मालिक लोगों को सही काम में लगाता है। वो उन्हे सही ढंग से काम कराता है, जैसे किसी गाड़ी में घोड़े को जूत में डाल के चलाया जाए।
Word by Word
- नि
- down; in; intoIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- पस्त्यासु
- in the dwellings / homesteadsNounf., locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पस्त्य (prātipadika)
- त्रितः
- Trita (a Vedic figure)Nounm., nominative singularRole KartāRoot त्रित (proper name/prātipadika)
- स्तभूयन्
- propping up; supporting; making firmVerb (participle)present active participle (śatṛ), m. nom. sg.Role Kartā (with त्रितः)Root स्तभ् (dhātu) + यन् (śatṛ)
- परिवीतः
- wrapped around; encompassed; enclosedVerb (participle)past passive participle (kta), m. nom. sg.Role Kartā (apposition to त्रितः)Root परि-√वे (वे/वय् ‘to weave, wrap’) → वीत (kta)
- योनौ
- in the womb; in the seat/abodeNounm./f., locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot योनि (prātipadika)
- सीदत्
- sits; settles downVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole Kriyā (of त्रितः)Root सद् (dhātu) (सीदति)
- अन्तः
- within; insideIndeclinable (adverbial) / Noun-formadverb ‘within/inside’Role Adhikaraṇa (adverbial)Root अन्तर् (prātipadika used adverbially)
- अतः
- from there; thenIndeclinableablatival adverb ‘from there/thereupon’Root अतः (indeclinable)
- संगृभ्य
- having seized; having grasped togetherVerb (gerund)absolutive (gerund), indeclinableRole Kriyā (prior action)Root सम्-√ग्रह् (dhātu) → गृभ्य (absolutive/gerund)
- विशाम्
- of the clans/settlements; of the peopleNounf., genitive pluralRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot विश् (prātipadika)
- दमूना
- the house-lord; the one of the house (epithet)Noun/Adjective (epithet)m., nominative singularRole KartāRoot दमून (prātipadika; epithet ‘house-lord/house-dweller’)
- विधर्मणायन्त्रैः
- by means of devices/contrivances for (special) ordinance/orderNoun (compound)instrumental plural (of the final member यन्त्र), compound used instrumentallyRole KaraṇaRoot वि-धर्मन् (prātipadika) + यन्त्र (prātipadika)
- ईयते
- goes; advances; sets in motionVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepadaRole KriyāRoot ई (dhātu) / इ (dhātu) ‘to go, move’ (Vedic: īyate)
- नॄन्
- men; heroesNounm., accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot नृ (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution (major points): (1) स्तभूयन् + परि-वीतः → स्तभूयन् परिवीतः (no external sandhi change beyond close junction)
- (2) सीदद् + अन्तः → सीददन्तः, resolved as सीदत् अन्तः (final -t before vowel often appears as -d in saṃhitā)
- (3) विधर्मणाय + यन्त्रैः → विधर्मणायन्त्रैः (vowel coalescence at -ā + y-; treated here as a compound/junction)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the dwellings Trita, making firm, sits within, wrapped in the womb. From there the house-lord gathers the peoples and moves men by yokes of right law into ordered action.
Inner meaning
Trita represents the deep inner being that stabilizes the flame in embodied life (pastyāsu). Agni/Trita sits ‘within the womb’ (yonau)—the secret matrix of our nature—becoming firm (stabhūyan): establishing a stable inner seat rather than a flickering enthusiasm. From that interior center, the damūnā (lord of the house—Agni as indweller) gathers the scattered ‘peoples’ (viśāṃ: our many parts, impulses, subpersonalities; also the collective) and guides ‘men’ (nṝn: active faculties) by ayantraiḥ—yokes/controls—of vidharman (right law, right functioning). The mantra describes inner governance: the indwelling fire organizing life by the discipline of ṛta.
Universal truth
Lasting change comes when the center is established inwardly; then the inner guide can harmonize the many parts of us and lead action through a living law rather than external compulsion.
Themes
hidden fire, inner stationing, gathering of powers, right order through discipline
The seer
- Lineage
- Āptya (traditional association)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.105 (Trita and inner release), RV 10.8 (Agni in the womb/waters imagery), RV 1.70 (Agni as indweller/house-lord themes)
Family tradition
Trita as inner stabilizer and hidden worker; Agni as damūnā (indweller) who organizes the household/being by ṛta.
Significance
Spiritual life must be ‘seated’ in the womb of nature—stable and inward—so that the indwelling fire can integrate and govern the whole being.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (as Damūnā; with Trita as inner-seat motif)
- Epithets
- damūnā (house-lord), antar (indwelling), stabhūyan (stabilizing)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (law/ṛta guardian), Mitra (harmonizing order), Indra (force to break resistances to order)
Cosmic role
Indwelling ruler who orders the human field according to ṛta; establishes stable centers in the worlds.
Inner power
Integrative governance: gathers parts, disciplines energies, and directs action by living dharma.
In ritual
Where it is used
Domestic hearth stabilization; prayers for household order and right conduct (general)
नि प॒स्त्या॑सु त्रि॒तः स्त॑भू॒यन्परि॑वीतो॒ योनौ॑ सीदद॒न्तः । अत॑: सं॒गृभ्या॑ वि॒शां दमू॑ना॒ विध॑र्मणाय॒न्त्रैरी॑यते॒ नॄन् ॥
नि । प॒स्त्या॑सु । त्रि॒तः । स्त॒भु॒ऽयन् । परि॑ऽवीतः । योनौ॑ । सी॒द॒त् । अ॒न्तरिति॑ । अतः॑ । स॒म्ऽगृभ्य॑ । वि॒शाम् । दमू॑ना । विऽध॑र्मणा । अ॒य॒न्त्रैः । ई॒य॒ते॒ । नॄन् ॥
ni | pastyāsu | tritaḥ | stabhu-yan | pari-vītaḥ | yonau | sīdat | antariti | ataḥ | sam-gṛbhya | viśām | damūnā | vi-dharmaṇā | ayantraiḥ | īyate | nṝn
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Grounding and directive; inward settling in first half, outward ordering in second.
Promotes inner steadiness and a sense of being governed from within; supports discipline without strain.
- पस्त्यासु (pastyāsu)
- Literal: in dwelling-places. Symbolic: in embodied life; the stations of our nature
- स्तभूयन् (stabhūyan)
- Literal: making firm, stabilizing. Symbolic: establishing steady inner seat; consolidation of tapas
- परिवीतः (parivītaḥ)
- Literal: wrapped around, enveloped. Symbolic: protected and inwardly contained power, not dissipated outward
- योनौ (yonau)
- Literal: in the womb. Symbolic: secret matrix of nature; causal depth where transformation is gestated
- अन्तः (antaḥ)
- Literal: within. Symbolic: inward turn; psychic interiorization
- दमूना (damūnā)
- Literal: lord of the house. Symbolic: indwelling Agni governing the being (the true master within)
- सम्गृभ्य (saṃgṛbhya)
- Literal: gathering together. Symbolic: integration of scattered parts into unity
- विधर्मणा (vidharmaṇā)
- Literal: by right law/true dharma. Symbolic: ṛta as functional harmony; right movement of energies
- अयन्त्रैः (ayantraiḥ)
- Literal: with yokes/reins. Symbolic: disciplines and controls that guide energy without suppression
- ईयते नॄन् (īyate nṝn)
- Literal: moves/sets men in motion. Symbolic: directs active faculties into ordered work
Domestic and śrauta layering: Agni as household lord; also supports the soma-sacrifice psychology where inner powers are gathered and yoked to ṛta/dharma
When establishing/maintaining household fire; also in rites emphasizing order, vows, and disciplined action.
Seating the fire, maintaining enclosure, offering with intention of harmony and right governance.
A mantra for habit formation and self-regulation: invoke the indwelling guide; practice ‘gathering’ scattered attention and acting by a chosen dharma.
√stambh ‘to prop, make firm’ → stabhūyán (Vedic desiderative/participial formation indicating sustained stabilizing). √sad ‘sit, settle’ → sīdat. damūnā ‘of the house’ from dáma ‘house, seat’ (Agni as domestic/indwelling). dharma from √dhṛ ‘hold, sustain’ → that which holds the right order; vidhármaṇa highlights differentiated ordering. yantra from √yam ‘to restrain, yoke’ → disciplines/harnessings.
dharma/ṛta as ordering principle, interiorization (antaḥ) and manifestation (ataḥ), discipline/yoking (yantra)
Vidharman yokes are mechanisms by which ṛta becomes operative in human action.
Inner seating (antaḥ) supports truthful action: when centered, one acts from what is real rather than reactive.
Gestation in the womb: transformation ripens in the causal depth before manifesting as ordered life.
Ethical-yogic governance of the being; anticipates Upaniṣadic ‘inner ruler’ (antaryāmin) theme.
Womb = causal depth; house = embodied system; yoke = discipline; gathering = integration of inner multiplicity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Trita ‘seated within the womb’ is the myth of the hidden/third fire confined in the depths and then operative: from the inner yoni the indwelling lord gathers the ‘peoples’ (viśaḥ = parts/energies) and drives them by yokes of right order—an image of the concealed divine force organizing the human multiplicity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dharma from √dhṛ corresponds to PIE *dʰer- ‘to hold, support’ (cf. Greek thronos in the broader ‘support’ semantic sphere; Germanic ‘to endure’ as distant semantic parallel). yantra from √yam reflects PIE *yem- ‘to hold, restrain’ (cf. Latin iugum ‘yoke’ is from *yeug-, but the functional field of yoking/constraint is shared across PIE poetics).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet does not merely invoke an outer rite; he maps an inner practice: the human dwelling becomes the yoni where the divine fire is stationed. The rishi’s role is to consent to gathering and yoking; Agni/Trita’s role is to move the inner ‘men’ (energies) according to vidhárma—so the sacrifice becomes an inward ordering of life by truth-law.
Stabilizing the inner fire in the ‘womb’ (deep center) and allowing it to govern actions by right law.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (womb matrix) leading to Maṇipūra (governance of action)
Long exhale practice (1:2 inhale:exhale) to encourage inward settling; pause after exhale to feel ‘seated within’.
Dhyāna with inner containment; emergence of self-regulation from quiet center.
1) Sit and feel ‘wrapped in the womb’: attention contained inside the torso. 2) Let the breath make the center firm (stabhūyan). 3) ‘Gather the peoples’: name 3 scattered impulses and bring them to one intention. 4) Choose one ‘yoke of right law’ (a simple rule) and act by it for the next hour.
Maintain clear accent on ní (opening), yónau, ántaḥ, and damū́nā; let the second half flow as ‘governance’.
ní pastyā́su tritó… | parivītó yónau sīdad ántaḥ | átaḥ saṃgṛ́bhya… | vidhármaṇā́yantrair ī́yate nṝ́n.
pastyāsu: palatal ‘sty’ cluster—keep clean (pas-tyā-su)., stabhūyan: aspirated bhū (bhū)., parivīto: long ī., ayantraiḥ: ai diphthong; final ḥ light.
Low, steady, containing; minimal vibrato; emphasize inwardness in first half.
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