Rig Veda 10.79.6: Mandala 10, Sukta 79, Mantra 6
Sukta 10.79
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Karuna (compassion)
किं देवेषु त्यज एनश्चकर्थाग्ने पृच्छामि नु त्वामविद्वान् । अक्रीळन्क्रीळन्हरिरत्तवेऽदन्वि पर्वशश्चकर्त गामिवासिः ॥
kíṁ devéṣu tyája énaś cakartha ágne pṛcchāmi nú tvām ávidvān | ákrīḷan krī́ḷan hárir áttave ’dan ví parva-śáś cakarta gā́m iva ásiḥ ||
अग्नि, देवता लोगों में क्या गलती हो गई तुझसे? मैं नहीं जानता, इसलिए पूछ रहा हूँ। तू खेलता भी है और नहीं भी, और तू काट देता है जैसे छुरी माँस को तोड़-तोड़ के काटती है। सही रास्ता चाहिए, वरना तू बुरा काम भी कर सकता है।
Word by Word
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot किम् (प्रश्न-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवेषु
- among the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्यजः
- you abandon / you leaveVerbलट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot त्यज् (धातु)
- एनः
- sin, offenseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चकार्थ
- you have done / you madeVerbलिट् (परिप्रश्न/परोक्शभूत; परिपूर्णभूत); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot कृ (धातु)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृच्छामि
- I askVerbलट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot प्रच्छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु)
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root नु (निपात)
- त्वाम्
- youPronounद्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अविद्वान्
- not knowing, ignorantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √विद्) + अ- (निषेध)
- अक्रीळन्
- they did not playVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/इम्परफेक्ट); तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot क्रीळ् (धातु)
- क्रीळन्
- they playedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/इम्परफेक्ट); तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot क्रीळ् (धातु)
- हरिः
- the tawny one (steed/horse)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अत्तवे
- to eatVerbal noun (Infinitive)तवेन्-प्रत्ययान्त (इन्फिनिटिव); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगRole PrayojanaRoot अद् (धातु) → अत्तु (तुमुन्/तवेन्-इन्फिनिटिव)
- अदन्
- they ateVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/इम्परफेक्ट); तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot अद् (धातु)
- वि
- apart, asunderIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पर्वशः
- joint by joint, limb by limbNoun (adverbial)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणवत्); एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चकर्त
- he cut / he carvedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्णभूत); तृतीयपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot कृत्/कृन्त् (धातु; ‘to cut’)
- गाम्
- a cowNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- इवासिः
- you are as if / likeIndeclinable + Verbइव (अव्यय) + असि: लट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot इव (निपात) + असि (√अस्, धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): किम् | देवेषु | त्यजः | एनः | चकार्थ (= चकार + थ) | अग्ने | पृच्छामि | नु | त्वाम् | अविद्वान् | अक्रीळन् | क्रीळन् | हरिः | अत्तवे | अदन् | वि | पर्वशः | चकर्त | गाम् | इव | असिः
- देवनागरी-पाठे ‘अत्तवेऽदन्’ = अत्तवे + अदन् (अ + अ → ’)
- ‘गामि॑वा॒सिः’ को ‘गाम् इव असिः’ इति पदच्छेदः (इव + असिः → इवासिः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speaker asks Agni what offence of abandonment among the gods he has done. The tawny one, not playing yet playing, to eat, has cut joint by joint like a knife a cow.
Inner meaning
A crisis of sadhana: the seeker senses a deviation (tyaja enaḥ) in the divine operation—Agni’s force seems to turn from harmonious play into harsh consumption. The same energy that should ‘play’ in right movement can, when misaligned with ṛta, become a dissecting, dismembering power—breaking experience ‘joint by joint’ (parvaśaḥ). The verse warns: inner fire without right guidance can over-consume, producing fragmentation; hence the need to question, purify motive, and restore right direction.
Universal truth
Power without alignment to truth can become destructive; sincere inquiry and correction are part of spiritual growth. Even divine energies in us must be rightly oriented to integrate rather than fragment life.
Themes
Expiation and inquiry, Ambivalence of power, Dismemberment vs. discrimination, Restoring right order
The seer
Significance
A rare introspective, almost confessional tone: the rishi models the yogic act of questioning the inner force when it appears distorted—turning ritual language into psychological diagnosis.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (in a potentially misdirected or over-consuming mode)
- Epithets
- haríḥ (tawny, dynamic)
- Related deities
- Rudra (fierce purifying force, thematic), Mitra (restorer of harmony, thematic), Varuṇa (restorer of ṛta through correction, thematic)
Cosmic role
Transformer who can purify or burn away; when not harmonized, becomes a devouring fire that separates rather than builds.
Inner power
Discernment as ‘knife’: needed for right separation; but warns against excessive cutting that fragments the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Expiatory/clarificatory questioning within Agni rites (thematic; not a standard standalone prayāścitta formula)
किं दे॒वेषु॒ त्यज॒ एन॑श्चक॒र्थाग्ने॑ पृ॒च्छामि॒ नु त्वामवि॑द्वान् । अक्री॑ळ॒न्क्रीळ॒न्हरि॒रत्त॑वे॒ऽदन्वि प॑र्व॒शश्च॑कर्त॒ गामि॑वा॒सिः ॥
किम् । दे॒वेषु॑ । त्यजः॑ । एनः॑ । च॒क॒र्थ॒ । अग्ने॑ । पृ॒च्छामि॑ । नु । त्वाम् । अवि॑द्वान् । अक्री॑ळन् । क्रीळ॑न् । हरिः॑ । अत्त॑वे । अ॒दन् । वि । प॒र्व॒ऽशः । च॒क॒र्त॒ । गाम्ऽइ॑व । अ॒सिः ॥
kim | deveṣu | tyajaḥ | enaḥ | cakartha | agne | pṛcchāmi | nu | tvām | avidvān | akrīḷan | krīḷan | hariḥ | attave | adan | vi | parva-śaḥ | cakarta | gām-iva | asiḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Interrogative and tense; sharper breaks mirror ‘joint-by-joint’ cutting.
Brings alertness and self-scrutiny; suitable for diagnosing agitation and restoring right intention.
- tyaja
- Literal: abandonment, leaving off. Symbolic: deviation from right law; loss of integral orientation
- enaḥ
- Literal: offence, fault. Symbolic: misalignment, error in movement of force
- avidvān
- Literal: not knowing. Symbolic: the seeker’s honest ignorance; opening to guidance
- haríḥ
- Literal: tawny, golden (one). Symbolic: the dynamic vital-fire/force (Agni’s active aspect) that can delight or devour
- akrīḻan krīḻan
- Literal: not playing—playing. Symbolic: paradox of force: outwardly rigid/compulsive yet driven by an inner impulse; loss of spontaneous harmony
- attave/adan
- Literal: to eat/eating. Symbolic: over-assimilation; consuming experience for energy without integration
- vi parvaśaḥ
- Literal: apart joint by joint. Symbolic: fragmentation of consciousness; dissecting analysis or violent vital action
- asiḥ
- Literal: knife, sword. Symbolic: sharp separating power—discernment when right, destruction when wrong
- gām iva
- Literal: like a cow. Symbolic: the ‘cow’ as rays/knowledge (go): the force cuts up light/knowledge into fragments instead of releasing it whole
Confessional/inquisitive tone fits expiatory reflection within ritual: inquiry into ‘enaḥ’ and restoration of right alignment (ṛta) so the sacrificial fire acts as purifier, not destroyer.
When signs/omens or inner state suggest disorder in the rite; also as reflective recitation during corrective offerings.
Inquiry, confession of not-knowing, renewed offering for right alignment.
Use when practice becomes harsh, compulsive, or fragmenting: pause, ask what is misaligned, and re-consecrate the force to harmony.
Key roots/terms: (1) tyajaḥ from √tyaj ‘abandon’ → ‘deviation/dereliction’ in divine economy. (2) enaḥ ‘fault’ (moral/ritual/ontic) = misfit with ṛta. (3) akrīḷan/krīḷan juxtaposition expresses paradox: the same force can be right-play (līlā-like) or wrong/joyless movement. (4) parva-śaḥ ‘by joints’ (parvan ‘joint, node’) indicates progressive dismemberment. (5) asi ‘knife’ (cf. Iranian as- ‘sword’ in some attestations) as emblem of discriminative cutting—either liberative or destructive.
enaḥ as deviation from ṛta, discernment vs. destruction, divine play (krīḍ) and its perversion
The ‘offence’ implies a falling away from ṛta; correction is restoration of right rhythm.
Truth requires admitting ignorance (avidvān) and seeking the right working.
Misused formative power dismembers instead of forming; right creation is integrative.
Yogic-ethical psychology: power must be governed by truth and harmony (Mitra/Varuṇa principles).
Fire is transformative energy; knife is discriminative capacity; cow/go is light-knowledge—here threatened by fragmentation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘power turned wrong’: Agni, normally the purifier and right guide, is queried for a fault (enaḥ) that results in dismembering consumption ‘joint by joint’. It dramatizes the necessity of ṛta-guided kindling: the same divine force can liberate by cutting away darkness or, if misaligned, fragment the life.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √kṛ ‘do/make’ (cakartha) reflects PIE *kwer-? (Indo-Iranian specialization; broader IE comparisons are complex), while √ad ‘eat’ is clear PIE *h₁ed-. The parvan ‘joint’ imagery resonates with Indo-European sacrificial butchery language, where segmentation is a technical ritual act—here interiorized into stages of experience.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi adopts a diagnostic stance: acknowledging ignorance (avidvān), he questions Agni to restore harmony between human practice and divine operation. The bond is corrective reciprocity—human inquiry and realignment invite the Devatā to return to his true function as vi-cetāḥ (discerning purifier) rather than blind consumer.
Observe where inner energy has become compulsive or cutting; return it to a luminous, integrative will.
Maṇipūra (power) with regulation from Anāhata (harmony)
Lengthen exhale; add brief pause after exhale to cool over-activity; then gentle inhalation to re-ignite calmly.
From agitation/fragmentation to sober discrimination and re-alignment.
If practice feels like it ‘cuts you up,’ reduce force, increase clarity and kindness; ask inwardly for Agni-as-vicetā (right discernment), not Agni-as-devourer.
Interrogative opening benefits from clear udātta on kím, devéṣu, ágne; maintain crisp svarita turns on compounds; avoid dragging the line to keep ‘cutting’ clarity.
Let the first pāda sound like a genuine question; intensify articulation on ‘vi parvaśaḥ’.
kím (short i), tyaja (palatal j), enaś (ś, not s), pṛcchāmi (ṛ + cch cluster), akrīḻan/krīḻan (ḻ retroflex lateral—careful; many reciters approximate; keep distinct from l), haríḥ (clear visarga), parvaśaḥ (ś), gām iva (long ā), asiḥ (short i; visarga)
Focused, slightly sharper consonants; not loud, but incisive.
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