Rig Veda 10.69.9: Mandala 10, Sukta 69, Mantra 9
Sukta 10.69
- Rishi
- Vādhryaśva
- Devata
- Agni with praise of Vādhryaśva’s greatness in relation to Agni’s power
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
देवाश्चित्ते अमृता जातवेदो महिमानं वाध्र्यश्व प्र वोचन् । यत्सम्पृच्छं मानुषीर्विश आयन्त्वं नृभिरजयस्त्वावृधेभिः ॥
devā́ś cit te amṛ́tā jātavedo mahimā́naṃ vādhryaśva prá vocan | yát sampṛ́cchaṃ mā́nuṣīr víśa ā́yan tváṃ nṛ́bhir ajayas tvā́vṛdhebhiḥ ||
जातवेदस, देवता भी तेरे बारे में बड़ी बातें करते हैं। वाध्र्यश्व, जब लोग तुझसे सवाल करने आए थे, तूने उन लोगों के साथ जीत लिया। यह वो लोग थे जो तुझसे स्ट्रॉन्ग बनते थे।
Word by Word
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक) < दिव् (दीप्तौ)
- चित्
- indeed, evenIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic)Root चित् (निपात)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृताः
- immortal (ones)Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (देवाः इति विशेषणम्)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- जातवेदः
- O Jātavedas (Agni)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास)
- महिमानम्
- greatness, majestyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाध्र्यश्व
- O VādhryaśvaProper Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वाध्र्यश्व (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषि-नाम)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वोचन्
- they proclaimed, spokeVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot वच् (वक्तृ)
- यत्
- when; that whichPronoun/Conjunctionसम्बन्धक-निपात (relative ‘when/that’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्पृच्छम्
- I asked, I inquiredVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), आत्मनेपद, 1 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot सम् + प्रच्छ् (प्रश्ने)
- मानुषीः
- human (women), belonging to humansAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (स्त्रियः/नारीः इति अध्याहार्य)Root मानुषी (प्रातिपदिक)
- विशः
- the clans, the peoplesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयन्
- they cameVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot इ (गत्यर्थे) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नृभिः
- with men, by menNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजयः
- you conquered, you wonVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot जि (जय) + अ (उपसर्ग)
- त्वा
- you (as object); youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आवृधेभिः
- with the strengthened ones, with the increasersAdjective (instrumental plural)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot आ-वृध् (वर्धने) → आवृध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ‘grown/strengthened’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: देवाः चित् ते अमृताः जातवेदः महिमानम् वाध्र्यश्व प्र वोचन् । यत् सम्पृच्छम् मानुषीः विशः आयन् त्वम् नृभिः अजयः त्वा आवृधेभिः ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) देवाः+चित् → देवाश्चित् (विसर्ग-लोप/श्च्-आदेशः)
- (2) चित्+ते → चित्ते (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
- (3) यत्+सम्पृच्छम् → यत्सम्पृच्छम् (त् + स → त्स्)
- (4) मानुषीः+विशः → मानुषीर्विशः (ः + व → र्; विसर्गस्य रुत्व)
- (5) विशः+आयन् → विश आयन् (पदपाठे पृथक्; संहितायां ‘विश आयन्’)
- (6) अजयः+त्वा → अजयस्त्वा (ः + त → स्त्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The immortal gods have proclaimed Agni Jātavedas’ greatness; when human clans came to inquire, Agni won with men who increase by him.
Inner meaning
Higher powers of consciousness (the ‘immortals’) affirm the supremacy of the inner fire’s knowledge and transformative capacity. When the human collectivity (varied parts of our nature) comes with questioning and seeking, Agni leads to victory—through those faculties that consent to grow by the flame (tvāvṛdhebhiḥ), i.e., that allow will and aspiration to increase them.
Universal truth
True guidance is confirmed by the higher light within us; sincere inquiry coupled with growth-oriented effort allows the inner will to win against confusion and resistance.
Themes
proclamation of greatness, communal seeking, divine-human reciprocity, victory through inner increase
The seer
- Rishi
- Vādhryaśva
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.69.1-11
Family tradition
This verse explicitly links the seer’s utterance with divine confirmation: the rishi speaks as the channel through which higher powers affirm Agni’s mahimā (greatness).
Significance
The rishi portrays the spiritual method: inquiry (sampṛccham) answered by the inner fire, leading to victory when the human instruments consent to growth.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Jātavedas)
- Epithets
- Jātavedas, mahimān
- Related deities
- Indra (victory/illumination), Bṛhaspati (right inquiry and word)
Cosmic role
Witness and knower in beings; the power that mediates between immortals and mortals; conqueror on behalf of the seeker.
Inner power
Psychic fire that answers inquiry with discernment and strengthens the instruments that align with it.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise within Agni-lit rites; affirmation of Agni’s supremacy when inviting divine powers
दे॒वाश्चि॑त्ते अ॒मृता॑ जातवेदो महि॒मानं॑ वाध्र्यश्व॒ प्र वो॑चन् । यत्स॒म्पृच्छं॒ मानु॑षी॒र्विश॒ आय॒न्त्वं नृभि॑रजय॒स्त्वावृ॑धेभिः ॥
दे॒वाः । चि॒त् । ते॒ । अ॒मृताः॑ । जा॒त॒ऽवे॒दः॒ । म॒हि॒मान॑म् । वा॒धि॒ऽअ॒श्व॒ । प्र । वो॒च॒न् । यत् । स॒म्ऽपृच्छ॑म् । मानु॑षीः । विशः॑ । आय॑न् । त्वम् । नृऽभिः॑ । अ॒ज॒यः॒ । त्वाऽवृ॑धेभिः ॥
devāḥ | cit | te | amṛtāḥ | jāta-vedaḥ | mahimānam | vādhi-aśva | pra | vocan | yat | sam-pṛccham | mānuṣīḥ | viśaḥ | āyan | tvam | nṛ-bhiḥ | ajayaḥ | tvāvṛdhebhiḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Proclamatory and testimonial; suited to declaring greatness and victory.
Instills faith and conviction; supports an inner turn from doubt to confident seeking.
- देवाः अमृताः (devāḥ amṛtāḥ)
- Literal: immortal gods. Symbolic: higher planes/powers of consciousness that do not fall into ignorance
- महिमानम् (mahimānam)
- Literal: greatness. Symbolic: vast effective power of the psychic/divine fire to transform nature
- संपृच्छम् (sampṛccham)
- Literal: questioning, consulting. Symbolic: earnest inner inquiry; turning of the mind toward truth-seeking
- मानुषीः विशः (mānuṣīḥ viśaḥ)
- Literal: human clans/peoples. Symbolic: multiplicity of human impulses, thoughts, and subpersonalities seeking integration
- अजयः (ajayaḥ)
- Literal: thou didst conquer/win. Symbolic: established mastery over inner confusion/resistance
- त्वावृधेभिः (tvāvṛdhebhiḥ)
- Literal: with those who increase thee / who grow by thee. Symbolic: faculties that are strengthened by aspiration and strengthen it in return
Praise-affirmation used to establish authority of the invocation: divine powers themselves ‘proclaim’ the greatness; supports communal rites where clans gather and inquire (sampṛcch).
During recitation sequences that magnify Agni before offerings; when seeking auspicious confirmation
Stuti (praise) and invocation; aligning the sacrificer with the ‘immortals’ who uphold the rite
Use when seeking guidance: chant, then journal one sincere question; sit for quiet listening for the ‘answer’ as clarity/resolve rather than mental noise.
mahimā from mah- ‘great’ expresses the ‘bṛhat’ dimension; √prach ‘ask’ indicates the seeking mind; √vṛdh ‘grow’ indicates the reciprocal augmentation: those who serve Agni are ‘grown by him’ and become fit instruments for victory.
growth by divine increase (vṛddhi through Agni), knowledge by inquiry (prach), interworld affirmation (gods and humans)
Inquiry becomes effective when aligned to Ṛta; Agni ‘wins’ by restoring right order among the clans of nature.
The immortals’ proclamation symbolizes truth’s self-authentication in higher consciousness.
Evolutionary growth: instruments of nature increase by the divine fire’s increase.
Integral yoga resonance: higher planes confirm; human parts must consent to transformation.
Fire as inner guide; proclamation as intuition from higher mind; clans as inner multiplicity seeking unity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘divine attestation’: the gods themselves proclaim the greatness that the human seeker then verifies through inquiry and victorious practice. It encodes initiation—humans come to question; victory comes with those ‘grown by’ the divine fire.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √prach ‘ask’ relates to inquiry verbs across Indo-European (cf. Latin precor ‘pray’, though not exact cognate; the semantic field converges in request/invocation). √vṛdh ‘grow’ has Indo-Iranian strength; mah- ‘great’ connects with PIE *megʰ-.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi situates his proclamation within a larger chorus: immortals and human clans both participate. Agni empowers a group of practitioners (tvāvṛdhebhiḥ) whose growth is the condition for conquest—devata increases the rishi’s human instruments.
‘Sampṛccham’ practice: hold one question in silence before the inner flame; wait for a calm, luminous response.
Ājñā (inquiry/vision) supported by Maṇipūra (will)
Silent kumbhaka after inhale for a few seconds while placing the question; slow exhale releasing mental agitation
Receptive clarity; faith grounded in inner confirmation.
Chant once; write a single question; sit 8–12 minutes focusing on a steady inner flame. Accept as ‘answer’ whatever increases sincerity, courage, and order—discard what flatters ego or excites restlessness.
Triṣṭubh; maintain clear udātta on invocatives (jātavedaḥ) and emphatic particles (cit) as accented in the text tradition.
Let ‘devāś cit te amṛtā’ be slightly lifted and expansive; keep the second half more decisive on ‘ajayaḥ’.
amṛtā: clear ‘ṛ’, mahimānam: long ‘ā’ in hi-mā, sampṛccham: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘p’, and ‘ṛcch’ cluster clean, tvāvṛdhebhiḥ: long ‘tvā’, vocalic ‘ṛ’, and ‘dh’ aspirated
Clear, testimonial tone; firm cadence on the victory statement.
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