Rig Veda 10.80.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 80, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.80
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अग्नेरप्नसः समिदस्तु भद्राग्निर्मही रोदसी आ विवेश । अग्निरेकं चोदयत्समत्स्वग्निर्वृत्राणि दयते पुरूणि ॥
agnér apnásaḥ samíd astu bhadrā́gnír mahī́ rodasī́ ā́ viveśa | agnír ékaṁ codayat samátsv agnír vṛtrā́ṇi dayate purū́ṇi ||
अग्नि का काम शुरू करो, यह शुभ होगा। अग्नि दोनों बड़ी दुनिया में घुस गया है। यह लड़ाई में एक ताकत को आगे बढ़ाता है। और बहुत सारे रास्ते जो बंद थे, उन्हे तोड़ कर साफ करता है।
Word by Word
- अग्नेः
- of AgniNounMasculine, Genitive, SingularRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root अग्नि-
- अप्नसः
- of the work/deedNounNeuter, Genitive, SingularRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root अप्नस्-
- समिधः
- kindling-sticks, fuelNounFeminine, Nominative, PluralRole Kartā (subject)Root समिध्-
- तु
- indeed, butIndeclinableParticleRoot तु
- भद्रा
- auspicious, goodAdjectiveFeminine, Nominative, Plural (agreeing with समिधः)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root भद्र-
- अग्निः
- AgniNounMasculine, Nominative, SingularRole Kartā (subject)Root अग्नि-
- मही
- greatAdjective (used substantively)Feminine, Accusative, Dual (agreeing with रोदसी)Role Karma (object)Root मही-
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Noun (dual tantum)Feminine, Accusative, DualRole Karma (object)Root रोदसी-
- आ
- unto, intoIndeclinable (preverb)UpasargaRoot आ
- विवेश
- has enteredVerbPerfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, SingularRole (finite verb)Root √विश्
- अग्निः
- AgniNounMasculine, Nominative, SingularRole Kartā (subject)Root अग्नि-
- एकम्
- one (single one/thing)Adjective (used substantively)Neuter, Accusative, SingularRole Karma (object)Root एक-
- चोदयत्
- impelled, urged onVerbImperfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, SingularRole (finite verb)Root √चुद्
- समत्सु
- in the battles/contestsNounMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural (Vedic battle-term)Role Adhikaraṇa (locus)Root समत्सु- (समत्सु < समत्सु < समत्सु; prātipadika: समत्सु/समत्सु- from सम्+अत्सु?)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounMasculine, Nominative, SingularRole Kartā (subject)Root अग्नि-
- वृत्राणि
- obstacles; Vṛtra(-like foes)NounNeuter, Accusative, PluralRole Karma (object)Root वृत्र-
- दयते
- apportions, distributes; (also) breaks upVerbPresent, Ātmanepada, 3rd person, SingularRole (finite verb)Root √दा (दाय्/दा ‘to divide, apportion’ in Vedic usage)
- पुरूणि
- manyAdjective (used substantively)Neuter, Accusative, Plural (agreeing with वृत्राणि)Role Karma (as qualifier)Root पुरु-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolutions applied: अग्नेर् + अप्नसः → अग्नेः अप्नसः (final -र् becomes visarga before vowel)
- समिदः + तु → समिधः तु (final -द् → -ध् before voiceless dental त; written as समिधः)
- भद्रा + अग्निः → भद्रा अग्निः (no further change)
- अग्निर् + मही → अग्निः मही (final -र् → visarga before consonant)
- रोदसी + आ → रोदसी आ (hiatus retained in pada)
- चोदयत् + समत्सु → चोदयत् समत्सु
- अग्निर् + वृत्राणि → अग्निः वृत्राणि
- दयते + पुरूणि → दयते पुरूणि
The meaning
Outer meaning
May the kindling for Agni’s work be auspicious; Agni has entered the vast two worlds (heaven and earth). Agni urges the One in the battles; Agni cuts down many Vṛtras (obstacles).
Inner meaning
Let the right fuel (disciplined offering of energy and attention) be set for the divine Work. The inner Fire establishes itself in both poles of our being—mind and body (or heaven-consciousness and earth-nature). In the inner conflicts it drives forward the single-pointed will-to-victory (ekaṃ), and it breaks many formations of resistance (vṛtrāṇi)—habits, inertia, obscurity—that cover the Truth.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires (1) a rightly prepared offering (consistent practice), (2) an awakening force that permeates all levels of life, and (3) a concentrated aim that can pierce and dismantle multiple layers of resistance.
Themes
Kindling and auspicious work, Agni pervading the worlds, Inner battle, Breaking obstructions
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.80.1, Rig Veda 10.80.3, Rig Veda 10.80.4, Rig Veda 10.80.5, Rig Veda 10.80.6
Significance
The anonymity fits the universalizing tone: Agni is presented less as clan-fire and more as an all-pervading yogic Power entering both worlds and acting as the decisive force in inner battle.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Bhadrāgni (auspicious Fire), Apnasvat (Fire of the Work), Vṛtrahan-like function (breaker of coverers)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined Mind in battle), Uṣas (illumination that follows kindling), Soma (bliss that supports the work)
Cosmic role
Mediator of sacrifice; force that links heaven and earth, carrying the offering upward and bringing powers downward.
Inner power
Divine Will and conscious Force (kratu) that organizes practice, concentrates intention, and breaks resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra/Āhavanīya kindling and general Agni-stuti in soma and non-soma contexts (generalized praise)
अ॒ग्नेरप्न॑सः स॒मिद॑स्तु भ॒द्राग्निर्म॒ही रोद॑सी॒ आ वि॑वेश । अ॒ग्निरेकं॑ चोदयत्स॒मत्स्व॒ग्निर्वृ॒त्राणि॑ दयते पु॒रूणि॑ ॥
अ॒ग्नेः । अप्न॑सः । स॒म्ऽइत् । अ॒स्तु॒ । भ॒द्रा । अ॒ग्निः । म॒ही इति॑ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । आ । वि॒वे॒श॒ । अ॒ग्निः । एक॑म् । चो॒द॒य॒त् । स॒मत्ऽसु॑ । अ॒ग्निः । वृ॒त्राणि॑ । द॒य॒ते॒ । पु॒रूणि॑ ॥
agneḥ | apnasaḥ | sam-it | astu | bhadrā | agniḥ | mahī iti | rodasī iti | ā | viveśa | agniḥ | ekam | codayat | samat-su | agniḥ | vṛtrāṇi | dayate | purūṇ i
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, martial cadence suited to ‘samatsu’ (inner battle) imagery.
Builds resolve and steadiness; the repeated ‘agnir… agnir…’ acts like a mantraic hammer breaking mental inertia.
- समिद् (samid)
- Literal: kindling, fuel-stick. Symbolic: rightly prepared offering; disciplined energies that feed aspiration
- अप्नस् (apnas)
- Literal: work, act, labour. Symbolic: the divine Work (yajña) within: transformation of nature
- भद्रा (bhadrā)
- Literal: auspicious, fortunate. Symbolic: harmonious right condition of the sacrifice; sattvic alignment
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds (heaven & earth). Symbolic: upper and lower nature; mind and embodied life held together by the Fire
- एकम् (ekam)
- Literal: the One, single. Symbolic: single-pointed will; unified intention; integral concentration
- समत्सु (samatsu)
- Literal: in battles. Symbolic: inner struggles where light contends with obscurity
- वृत्राणि (vṛtrāṇi)
- Literal: coverers/obstructions. Symbolic: subconscient resistance, inertia, limiting formations that block truth
- दयते (dayate)
- Literal: cuts, divides, breaks up. Symbolic: discriminating force that cleaves knots and releases blocked energies
Kindling/maintenance of sacrificial fire (samid) with an emphasis on victory over obstacles (vṛtra); applicable in rites seeking protection and success in undertakings.
At kindling/rekindling and as an Agni-invocation before offerings
Placing samid (fuel), kindling, recitation to establish auspiciousness and protection
Use at the start of meditation or before important work to ‘set the fuel’—align posture, breath, and intention; then invoke Agni to enter mind and body and clear resistances.
Key roots: √viś ‘enter’ (viveśa) PIE *weyḱ- ‘settle/enter’ (cognacy complex). vṛtrá from √vṛ ‘cover’ (PIE *wer- ‘cover’) → obstruction/coverer. √cud ‘impel’ conveys activation of the one-pointed force in conflict.
obstruction as covering (vṛtra), single-pointed force (ekam) driven by Agni, auspicious alignment (bhadra)
Agni as the enforcer of ṛta across the two worlds—harmonizing higher truth with embodied life.
Truth is obstructed by vṛtra-formations; Agni’s action cleaves them to reveal satya.
The Fire entering the two worlds echoes the descent of conscious force into matter to effect transformation.
Proto-yogic/psychological reading aligned with Aurobindo’s ‘inner sacrifice’ hermeneutic.
Kindling = disciplined practice; heaven/earth = mind/body; battle = sadhana struggle; cutting vṛtra = removing subconscious knots and habitual obscurity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the obstacle-breaker in the battles: a transposition of the Vṛtra-motif into Agni’s agency—Fire enters the two worlds and cleaves the coverings, enabling the One (single truth-force) to advance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vṛtra- from √vṛ ‘cover’ corresponds to PIE *wer- ‘cover, shut’ (cf. English cover via later developments; Germanic *wer- ‘cover’ appears in various forms). The obstruction-as-covering metaphor is deeply Indo-European and central to Vedic mythopoetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks auspicious kindling of Agni’s operation so that Agni can occupy the whole being (two worlds) and actively drive the seeker’s concentrated will (ekam) through conflicts, removing the many resistances.
Ignite the inner will (Agni) and let it pervade mind and body; concentrate on a single intention (ekam) and offer resistances into the flame.
Manipura (will-fire) with integration into Ajna (single-pointed direction)
Even inhalation to ‘gather fuel’ + steady exhalation imagining obstructions being cut/released into light
Focused, luminous effort (tapas) moving toward calm mastery.
Begin with 3 slow breaths; mentally repeat ‘agnir…’ on exhale. Hold one clear sankalpa. When distractions arise, name them ‘vṛtra’ and return to the single point (ekam).
Vedic accent present in the Saṃhitā text (udātta/anudātta/svarita marked); chant with preserved udātta lifts on accented syllables and svarita glides on marked falls.
Keep a clear rise on marked udātta (e.g., ), avoid flattening the repeated ‘agnir’ openings; maintain pāda breaks after each |.
Hold retroflex ṛ in vṛtrāṇi distinctly., : pronounce ‘ya’ clearly (da-ya-te), not ‘ja’., : long ‘o’, and soft dental ‘d’.
Bright, steady, slightly forceful (like kindling catching).
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