Rig Veda 10.7.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 7, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.7
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
द्युभिर्हितं मित्रमिव प्रयोगं प्रत्नमृत्विजमध्वरस्य जारम् । बाहुभ्यामग्निमायवोऽजनन्त विक्षु होतारं न्यसादयन्त ॥
dyúbhir hitáṃ mitrám iva práyogaṃ pratnám ṛtvíjam adhvarásya jārám | bāhúbhyām agním ā́yavo 'jananta víkṣu hótāraṃ ny àsādayanta ||
अग्नि को रोशनी में बिठाया, जैसे कोई दोस्त आगे बढ़ता है। यह पुराना पंडित है, यज्ञ का प्रिय है। आयु लोगों ने अपने हाथों से उसे पैदा किया। फिर उसे लोगों के बीच बिठाया, भगवान की मर्ज़ी को लोगों के घर में।
Word by Word
- द्युभिः
- with the heavens / with the lights (of heaven)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot द्यु (प्रातिपदिक) / दिव् (धातु, ‘दीप्तौ/द्युतौ’)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- हितम्
- placed, setAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (अग्निम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)Root धा (धातु) → हित (कृदन्त, क्त) / ‘स्थापित/निहित’
- मित्रम्
- (like) a friend / MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole Karma (उपमान-शब्दः, इव-योगे)Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमार्थक-अव्ययRoot इव (उपमा-अव्यय)
- प्रयोगम्
- the yoking/setting in motion; the application (ritual employment)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot प्र-युज् (धातु) → प्रयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रत्नम्
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (ऋत्विजम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)Root प्रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋत्विजम्
- the officiating priest (ṛtvij)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक; ऋतु + विज्/यज्-सम्बन्धः ‘ऋतौ यजति’)
- अध्वरस्य
- of the sacrifice (adhvara)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- जारम्
- the lover / intimate (epithet of Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot जार (प्रातिपदिक)
- बाहुभ्याम्
- with (their) two armsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; द्विवचनRole KaraṇaRoot बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (the fire)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयवः
- the Āyus / men (the people)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आयु/आय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘जीवन/आयु’ से; RV में ‘आयवः’ = मनुष्याः/जनाः) অথবা ‘आयु’ जन-नाम
- अजनन्त
- they generated, producedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचनRoot जन् (धातु) + अ (अङ्-आगम) → अजनन्
- विक्षु
- among the clans/settlementsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot विś् (प्रातिपदिक ‘जन/कुल/ग्राम’) → विक्षु (सप्त. बहु.)
- होतारम्
- the Hotṛ-priest / invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, into positionIndeclinableउपसर्ग (अव्यय)Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- असादयन्त
- they caused (him) to sit; they installedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; णिच् (causative) प्रयोगRoot सद् (धातु ‘सीदति/उपवेशन’) + नि/आ (अर्थानुसार) → असादयत् (णिच्)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: द्युभिः + हि + हितम्
- मित्रम् + इव
- (प्रयोगं प्रत्नम् ऋत्विजम् अध्वरस्य जारम्) as a sequence of accusatives with genitive अध्वरस्य
- बाहुभ्याम् + अग्निम्
- आयवः + अजनन्त (no sandhi)
- विक्षु + होतारम्
- नि + असादयन्त (written as न्यसादयन्त with y-glide: नि + असादयन्त → न्यसादयन्त). Accent marks are retained from the Saṃhitā text but not separately encoded per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, set in the lights like a friend in the advance, the ancient priest and beloved of the sacrifice, is brought forth by the Āyus with their arms and seated as Hotṛ among the clans.
Inner meaning
Agni is ‘placed in the dyu’—established in luminous consciousness—so he can lead like Mitra, the harmonizing Friend, in the forward movement (prayoga) of the journey. As pratna ṛtvij, he is the timeless inner priest who knows the right seasons and moments of offering. The ‘Āyus’ (life-powers / descendants of Āyu) symbolize the evolving human being who, by conscious effort (‘with their arms’), generates the flame of aspiration and installs it among the diverse movements of the nature (vikṣu: clans/parts). Thus the divine Will becomes the organizing Hotṛ within the human system.
Universal truth
Progress becomes safe and effective when an inner principle of truth-guided will is consciously established and allowed to officiate among all parts of one’s life.
Themes
origin of ritual fire, Agni installed among peoples, divine will embodied, ancient priesthood
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.7 (Agni as established among peoples; inner priesthood)
Significance
The verse bears a ‘foundational yoga’ motif: the human being must actively bring forth and enthrone Agni—an early statement of conscious collaboration with the divine Will.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- pratna (ancient), ṛtvij (season-priest), hotṛ (invoker), adhvarasya jāra (beloved of the sacrifice), mitram iva (like a Friend/Mitra)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Uṣas, Indra, Soma
Cosmic role
Kindles the rite, leads the forward march, and mediates the descent of divine powers into human collectivity.
Inner power
Organizing will that harmonizes (Mitra-quality) and officiates across all parts of the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni establishment/maintenance; general Agni praise in śrauta contexts
द्युभि॑र्हि॒तं मि॒त्रमि॑व प्र॒योगं॑ प्र॒त्नमृ॒त्विज॑मध्व॒रस्य॑ जा॒रम् । बा॒हुभ्या॑म॒ग्निमा॒यवो॑ऽजनन्त वि॒क्षु होता॑रं॒ न्य॑सादयन्त ॥
द्युऽभिः॑ । हि॒तम् । मि॒त्रम्ऽइ॑व । प्र॒ऽयोग॑म् । प्र॒त्नम् । ऋ॒त्विज॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒रस्य॑ । जा॒रम् । बा॒हुऽभ्या॑म् । अ॒ग्निम् । आ॒यवः॑ । अ॒ज॒न॒न्त॒ । वि॒क्षु । होता॑रम् । नि । अ॒सा॒द॒य॒न्त॒ ॥
dyu-bhiḥ | hitam | mitram-iva | pra-yogam | pratnam | ṛtvijam | adhvarasya | jāram | bāhu-bhyām | agnim | āyavaḥ | ajananta | vikṣu | hotāram | ni | asādayanta
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Processional and स्थापक (establishing) in feel—good for ‘enthroning’ imagery.
Creates a sense of installing a stable center; encourages disciplined effort and harmonized action.
- द्युभिः (dyubhiḥ)
- Literal: by/within the lights. Symbolic: in states of illumination where the will is clarified
- हितम् (hitam)
- Literal: placed, set. Symbolic: firmly established as a stable inner function
- मित्रम् (mitram)
- Literal: friend, Mitra. Symbolic: harmonizing power; friendly guidance that maintains right relation
- प्रयोगम् (prayogam)
- Literal: advance, setting forth, application. Symbolic: the forward movement of sādhanā; practical deployment of will
- प्रत्नम् (pratnam)
- Literal: ancient, primeval. Symbolic: the perennial Agni present in all ages of the soul
- ऋत्विजम् (ṛtvijam)
- Literal: season-priest. Symbolic: knower of right time and rhythm in inner offering
- अध्वरस्य (adhvarasya)
- Literal: of the sacrifice/rite. Symbolic: of the journey/work that should be ‘uninjured’ (adhvara) by falsehood
- जारम् (jāram)
- Literal: lover, beloved. Symbolic: the intimate delight of sacrifice—will wedded to aspiration
- बाहुभ्याम् (bāhubhyām)
- Literal: with the arms. Symbolic: conscious effort, capacity for action and endurance
- आयवः (āyavaḥ)
- Literal: the Āyus (people of Āyu). Symbolic: life-nature evolving toward the divine; powers of embodied life
- विक्षु (vikṣu)
- Literal: among the clans/settlements. Symbolic: among the many parts of nature—mind, life, body, impulses
- होतारम् (hotāram)
- Literal: Hotṛ, invoker-priest. Symbolic: the inner voice that calls down higher powers into the system
Kindling/establishing Agni as Hotṛ in the community—conceptually aligned with agnyādhāna (establishment of sacred fires) and opening praises in soma rites.
At the consecration/rekindling of fire; at points emphasizing Hotṛ’s seat and priestly function
Seating/establishing fire, invoking Agni as Hotṛ among the community
A mantra for ‘setting the inner fire’: before work, study, or practice, mentally ‘seat’ Agni among all life-activities.
√jan (ajananta ‘generated’); viś ‘clan/settlement’ (PIE *weik- ‘clan, settlement’ cf. Latin vicus); mitra ‘friend/contract’ (Indo-Iranian Mitra); √sad (asādayanta ‘they seated/established’). The verse encodes a cultural-theogonic motif: humans ‘bring forth’ Agni and install him as Hotṛ—psychologically, aspiration kindles the divine Will and stabilizes it in collective life.
friendship/harmony principle (Mitra-like), right season/order (ṛtu, ṛtvij), incarnation of divine power in human collectives (viś)
Agni as ṛtvij implies a cosmic timing—right order and right moment in manifestation.
Light-established Agni indicates truth-conscious will rather than impulsive action.
From luminous planes (dyu) the organizing fire is installed into the human multiplicity (vikṣu), mirroring descent of order into life.
Integral yoga psychology: descent/ascent interplay; harmonization (Mitra) with will (Agni).
Light = clarity; arms = capacity/effort; clans = sub-personalities; Agni seated = stable aspiration governing the system.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘birth and installation of Agni’: the ancestors (Āyavaḥ) generate Agni and seat him as Hotṛ among the clans. Mythically it is the domestication/enshrinement of divine fire; inwardly it is the establishment of the guiding Will in the human collectivity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- viś ‘settlement’ aligns with PIE *weik- (vicus). mitra continues Indo-Iranian sacral vocabulary. The causative/establishing sense of ni-√sad is a common inherited construction for ‘installing’ a sacral presence.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi remembers and reenacts the foundational reciprocity: humans actively ‘generate’ and ‘seat’ Agni through effort (bāhubhyām), and Agni reciprocates by becoming the priestly mediator—friendlike in the advance—who carries the sacrifice and the inner progress forward.
‘Seat Agni among the vikṣu’: unify scattered life-movements around a single aspiration.
Maṇipūra (will/organization)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for steadiness, then chant once per exhale
Collected force with friendly harmony; readiness for sustained practice.
Visualize a small steady flame in the navel/solar region, then expand it upward into the heart and head ‘set in lights’. Offer one habitual movement (a ‘clan’) into that flame each repetition.
Default Vedic accenting; confirm exact udatta positions from a svara-pāṭha source for RV 10.7.5.
Keep compounds clear: ‘mitram iva’, ‘pratnam ṛtvijam’, ‘adhvarasya jāram’. Pause lightly at pāda breaks.
prayogam: pra-yo-gam (clear ‘yo’), ṛtvijam: vocalic ṛ, not ‘ri’, āyavo: long ā; avoid ‘ai’ diphthong
Bright, forward, but controlled; articulate consonant clusters.
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