Rig Veda 10.6.1: Mandala 10, Sukta 6, Mantra 1
Sukta 10.6
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अयं स यस्य शर्मन्नवोभिरग्नेरेधते जरिताभिष्टौ । ज्येष्ठेभिर्यो भानुभिॠषूणां पर्येति परिवीतो विभावा ॥
ayáṃ sá yásya śármann ávobhir agnér édhaté jaritā́bhiṣṭau | jyéṣṭhebhir yó bhānúbhir ṛṣūṇā́ṃ páryeti párivīto vibhā́vā ||
यह अग्नि है। उसकी शरण में जो गाता है वो अपना काम ठीक से करता है। अग्नि की चमक इतनी है कि वो सबसे बड़ी रोशनी है। वो रिशियों के पास अपनी किरणों से चलता है। वो ऐसे है जैसे कोई चमकता हुआ दीपक सब जगह फैल जाए।
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यस्य
- whosePronoun (relative)पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्मन्
- shelter, protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (object of ‘find/obtain’ implied) / Adhikaraṇa (as ‘in protection’ by sense)Root शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवोभिः
- with helps, with favorsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्नेः
- of AgniNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- एधते
- grows, prospers, is kindledVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot एध् (धातु)
- जरिता
- the singer, praiserNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तृ-नाम)
- अभिष्टौ
- in/at the invocation (praise)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अभिष्टु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘invocation/praise’)
- ज्येष्ठेभिः
- with the eldest/foremost (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भानुभिः
- with beams, with raysNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋषूणाम्
- of the seersNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root ऋषु (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role Upasarga/AdverbialRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- एति
- goesVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot इ (धातु)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role Upasarga/AdverbialRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वीतः
- surrounded, encompassedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः)Role Kartā (as predicate of ‘यः’) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot वि + इ (धातु) → वीत (कृदन्त; PPP)
- विभावा
- all-shining, radiantAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (apposition to ‘यः’) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot वि + भा (धातु) → विभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (key points): (1) शर्मन्नवोभिः = शर्मन् + अवोभिः (final -न् + initial अ-; written with doubled nasal in saṃhitā)
- (2) अग्नेरेधते = अग्नेः + एधते (visarga before vowel → र्)
- (3) जरिताभिष्टौ = जरिता + अभिष्टौ (ā + a → ā; vowel coalescence)
- (4) भानुभिॠषूणाम् = भानुभिः + ऋषूणाम् (visarga before ऋ → र्; orthography shows ॠ)
- (5) पर्येति = परि + एति (i + e → ye)
- (6) परिवीतो = परि + वीतः (prefix + participle; external sandhi gives -o in saṃhitā for -aḥ/-a + following? here treated as pada: परि | वीतः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The worshipper prospers in the desired offering to Agni under the deity’s shelter and protections. Agni, all-illumining, moves around the seers with his eldest (foremost) rays, enveloping them in light.
Inner meaning
Agni is the awakened Divine Will in the seeker. When the consciousness abides in Agni’s “śarman” (inner refuge), the jaritā (aspiring soul-voice) grows in the right offering—i.e., in self-giving of mind, life, and body into the flame of aspiration. Agni then surrounds the ṛṣis (the inner seer-faculties) with his ‘eldest rays’—the most original and sovereign illuminations—so that intuition and inspiration are held within a field of steady light (parivīta) and become capable of true seeing.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on a protected inner refuge and a steady central will for the truth. When the will to the Divine is kindled and maintained, higher illumination naturally encircles and uplifts the discerning faculties, making insight stable rather than intermittent.
Themes
Agni-praise, Inner protection, Illumination, Aspiration
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.6.2, Rig Veda 10.6.3, Rig Veda 10.6.4, Rig Veda 10.6.5
Significance
The hymn-voice is that of a late Rigvedic seer-poet emphasizing Agni as the inner protector and illuminator of the inspired faculties—aligned with the psychological reading where the ‘singer’ is the aspiring consciousness and the ‘seers’ are awakened inner powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Vibhāvā (all-illumining)
- Related deities
- Indra, Uṣas, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; carrier of offerings; awakener of light and order in the worlds.
Inner power
Divine Will and aspiration that kindles growth, gathers protections, and surrounds the mind with illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra/Agniṣṭoma-related invocations (general Agni praise)
अ॒यं स यस्य॒ शर्म॒न्नवो॑भिर॒ग्नेरेध॑ते जरि॒ताभिष्टौ॑ । ज्येष्ठे॑भि॒र्यो भा॒नुभि॑ॠषू॒णां प॒र्येति॒ परि॑वीतो वि॒भावा॑ ॥
अ॒यम् । सः । यस्य॑ । शर्म॑न् । अवः॑ऽभिः । अ॒ग्नेः । एध॑ते । ज॒रि॒ता । अ॒भिष्टौ॑ । ज्येष्ठे॑भिः । यः । भा॒नुऽभिः॑ । ऋ॒षू॒णाम् । प॒रि॒ऽएति॑ । परि॑ऽवीतः । वि॒भाऽवा॑ ॥
ayam | saḥ | yasya | śarman | avaḥ-bhiḥ | agneḥ | edhate | jaritā | abhiṣṭau | jyeṣṭhebhiḥ | yaḥ | bhānu-bhiḥ | ṛṣūṇām | pari-eti | pari-vītaḥ | vibhāvā
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Firm, forward-driving cadence suited to invocation and expansion.
Builds a sense of protected strength and widening light; supports steady concentration and uplift.
- शर्मन् (śarman)
- Literal: shelter, refuge, protection. Symbolic: inner sanctuary of the Divine Presence; a protected poise of consciousness
- अवोभिः (avobhiḥ)
- Literal: by helps/protections. Symbolic: supporting forces of grace and right guidance that guard the sādhanā
- एधते (edhate)
- Literal: grows, increases, is kindled. Symbolic: the inner fire of aspiration and capacity for offering intensifies
- अभिष्टौ (abhiṣṭau)
- Literal: in the desired (act/aim), in the wished-for offering. Symbolic: the soul’s chosen movement toward the Divine; consecrated intention
- भानुभिः (bhānubhiḥ)
- Literal: with rays, beams. Symbolic: streams of illumination—intuitions, inspirations, discernments
- ज्येष्ठेभिः (jyeṣṭhebhiḥ)
- Literal: with the eldest/foremost. Symbolic: the highest, most authoritative lights (supramental-like precedence)
- ऋषूणाम् (ṛṣūṇām)
- Literal: of the seers. Symbolic: inner seer-powers: intuition, revelation, inspired hearing
- पर्येति (paryeti)
- Literal: moves around, encompasses. Symbolic: illumination pervades and organizes the consciousness
- परिवीतः (parivītaḥ)
- Literal: enwrapped, encompassed. Symbolic: held within a mantle of light—protection against obscurity
- विभावा (vibhāvā)
- Literal: all-shining, manifold-luminous. Symbolic: Agni as the power that manifests light in many planes of being
Agni-stotra for strengthening the sacrificer’s inner and outer prosperity; suitable for Agni’s praise at opening of offerings.
At the kindling/praise of Agni at the opening of rites; also as a general Agni-stuti.
Kindling and offering with recitation to establish Agni as hotṛ and protector.
Use as a pre-meditation invocation to establish inner refuge (śarman) and call protective clarity before japa or contemplative practice.
√idh (edhate) ‘to kindle, prosper’ (PIE *h₁eydʰ- ‘to kindle’). bhānu ‘ray’ from √bhā ‘to shine’ (PIE *bʰeh₂- ‘shine’). pari-√i (paryeti) ‘go around’ expresses pervasion/protection. śarman ‘shelter’ denotes a settled peace/wideness granted by the deity.
protection (avaḥ), growth by kindling (√idh), seerhood sustained by light (bhānu)
Agni’s illumination organizes the seer-faculties according to ṛta—right arrangement of consciousness.
The ‘eldest rays’ suggest a precedence of truth-light over mixed mental constructions.
Light emerging by the kindling of the inner fire; the seerhood is ‘encircled’ and stabilized by luminous order.
Proto-Vedāntic / Yogic psychology (Aurobindonian reading of Veda as inner sacrifice)
Fire = will/aspiration; rays = illuminations that surround and protect the intuitive mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the circling guardian-light: he encompasses the seers with ‘eldest rays’ and causes the worshipper to grow under his shelter. The mythic action is protective pervasion—Agni as the luminous circumference that keeps the seekers within a safeguarded field of ascent.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- edhate from √idh aligns with PIE *h₁eydʰ- ‘kindle’; bhānu from √bhā aligns with PIE ‘shine’ roots. The frequent instrumental plurals (avobhiḥ, bhānubhiḥ) show an archaic poetic syntax emphasizing means/powers rather than abstract qualities.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The jaritṛ (singer) ‘grows’ through Agni’s protections: the human offering (abhiṣṭu) is met by divine shelter (śarman) and illumination (bhānu). Reciprocity is pedagogic: Agni increases the aspirant’s capacity to offer and to see.
Establish the inner refuge (śarman) and feel Agni as a steady flame in the heart or navel, then invite a mantle of light around the mind.
Manipura (kindling will) and Anahata (inner refuge)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow 1:1 breathing while visualizing a flame brightening with each exhale.
Collected, protected, luminous vigilance (steady aspiration without strain).
Begin by offering one thought, one emotion, one action-intent into the inner fire; then rest as if surrounded by ‘eldest rays’—a calm, authoritative clarity that orders the mind.
Use Vedic three-tone contour as indicated by śākhā tradition (udātta/anudātta/svarita); key lifts often occur on vocatives/agent nouns like agne and vibhāvā.
Keep udātta syllables slightly raised in pitch; svarita as a gentle fall; avoid melodic singing—maintain recitative clarity.
Hold long vowels: ā ī ū e ai o au distinctly (e.g., vibhāvā)., Pronounce ṛ clearly in ṛṣūṇām (a vocalic ‘r’)., Keep consonant clusters clean: paryeti (par-ye-ti), parivītaḥ (pa-ri-vī-taḥ)., Anusvāra/ṅ nasalization as per sandhi; do not over-nasalize.
Clear, bright, steady—like a controlled flame; avoid harshness.
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