Rig Veda 10.85.39: Mandala 10, Sukta 85, Mantra 39
Sukta 10.85
- Rishi
- sūryāsāvitrī
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- anuṣṭup
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
पुनः पत्नीमग्निरदादायुषा सह वर्चसा । दीर्घायुरस्या यः पतिर्जीवाति शरदः शतम् ॥
púnaḥ pátnīm agnír adād ā́yuṣā saha várcasā | dīrghā́yur asyā́ yáḥ pátir jī́vāti śarádaḥ śatám ||
अग्नि ने पत्नी वापस दी है, और साथ में लंबी उम्र और ताकत भी। पति का जीना लंबा होता है। वो सौ साल तक जीता है।
Word by Word
- पुनः
- again, backIndeclinableअव्यय (no gender/case/number)Role Adhikaraṇa (काल/पुनरावृत्ति-अर्थे)Root पुनर् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *pen-? (back/again)
- पत्नीम्
- the wifeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पत्नी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- Agni (the fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अदात्
- gaveVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root दा (दाने) धातु
- आयुषा
- with life(-span), with longevityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot आयुस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सह
- together withIndeclinableअव्यय; governs instrumentalRole (सह-योगे) Karaṇa-संबन्धीRoot सह (अव्यय/उपसर्गीय-निपात)
- वर्चसा
- with splendor, radianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot वर्चस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीर्घायुः
- long-livedAdjective (used predicatively)(स्त्रीलिङ्गे ‘अस्या’ इत्यन्वयात्) प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole (विशेषण/विधेय) —Root दीर्घायु- (दीर्घ + आयुस्; प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्या
- of herPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole (सम्बन्ध) —Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्या
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पतिः
- husbandNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole Kartā (यः…पतिः) सह-कर्तृभावेRoot पति- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जीवाति
- livesVerbलट् (present); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root जीव् (जीवने) धातु
- शरदः
- autumns, yearsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (काल-परिमाणे)Role Karma (काल-परिमाण/अवधि) अथवा Adhikaraṇa (कालार्थे)Root शरद्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- शतम्
- a hundredNumeral/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (परिमाण-विशेषणम्)Role (परिमाण-विशेषण) —Root शत- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: पुनः | पत्नीम् | अग्निः | अदात् | आयुषा | सह | वर्चसा | दीर्घायुः | अस्या | यः | पतिः | जीवाति | शरदः | शतम् । (1) ‘पुन॒:’ = ‘पुनः’ (विसर्गः; ऋग्वैदिक-स्वरचिह्नयुक्त). (2) ‘अग्निर॑दा॒द’ इति संहितायां ‘अग्निः + अदात्’ → ‘अग्निरदात्’ (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः स्वरादौ). (3) ‘पत्नीम्’ कर्मपदम्
- ‘आयुषा सह वर्चसा’ तृतीया-योगः ‘सह’ इत्यव्ययेन. (4) ‘दीर्घायुः’ ‘अस्या’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण (स्त्रीलिङ्गान्वयः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni again has given the wife with life and radiance; long-lived is her husband—he lives a hundred autumns.
Inner meaning
When the union is sealed by Agni, it returns endowed with āyus (life-force, sustained vitality) and varcas (luminous energy, spiritual-mental splendor). The ‘hundred autumns’ indicates a full rhythm of maturation—time becomes an ally when life is aligned to the inner fire and its right order.
Universal truth
Consecrated union yields not merely duration but quality: life-force plus radiance. Longevity is the stability of a rhythm in harmony with truth and disciplined will.
Themes
Longevity blessing, Agni as confirmer, Vitality and radiance, Time and order
The seer
- Rishi
- sūryāsāvitrī
- Other hymns
- RV 10.85
Significance
The seer emphasizes Agni’s role as confirmer: what passes through inner fire returns with strengthened vitality and radiance, enabling a long, ripened life-rhythm.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Pāvaka, Jātavedas, Gṛhapati (lord of the house, later usage), Viśpati (lord of the clan, thematic)
- Related deities
- Āyus (as principle), Soma (delight sustaining life), Savitṛ (impeller of life-force)
Cosmic role
Gives form and endurance to life; guardian of the household fire and continuity.
Inner power
Bestows energetic longevity (āyus) and luminous force (varcas) by purifying and harmonizing the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Vivāha blessing for longevity and household strength
पुन॒: पत्नी॑म॒ग्निर॑दा॒दायु॑षा स॒ह वर्च॑सा । दी॒र्घायु॑रस्या॒ यः पति॒र्जीवा॑ति श॒रद॑: श॒तम् ॥
पुन॒रिति॑ । पत्नी॑म् । अ॒ग्निः । अ॒दा॒त् । आयु॑षा । स॒ह । वर्च॑सा । दी॒र्घऽआ॑युः । अ॒स्याः॒ । यः । पतिः॑ । जीवा॑ति । श॒रदः॑ । श॒तम् ॥
punariti | patnīm | agniḥ | adāt | āyuṣā | saha | varcasā | dīrgha-āyuḥ | asyāḥ | yaḥ | patiḥ | jīvāti | śaradaḥ | śatam
32
4×8
Blessing-like, declarative, sealing cadence.
Instills steadiness and reassurance; good for affirmations of health, vigor, and protected continuity.
- अग्निः (agniḥ)
- Literal: Fire. Symbolic: Transforming will that confirms and stabilizes right relation
- आयुस् (āyus)
- Literal: Life, lifespan. Symbolic: Sustaining prāṇic-psychic vitality; continuity of conscious living
- वर्चस् (varcas)
- Literal: Luster, brilliance. Symbolic: Radiant energy of mind/soul; moral-spiritual splendor that protects and empowers
- दीर्घायु (dīrghāyu)
- Literal: Long-lived. Symbolic: Stable endurance of the being in right rhythm
- शरदः शतम् (śaradaḥ śatam)
- Literal: A hundred autumns. Symbolic: Complete cycle of maturation; fulfilled time aligned with ṛta
Longevity and vitality blessing concluding the Agni-mediated restoration: establishes life-duration and luminous strength for the household.
After the giving/receiving of the bride; during benedictions
Declaration of Agni’s gift and prayer/statement of long life
Chant as a sankalpa for resilient partnership, health, and radiant character; also suited for anniversaries and renewal of vows.
āyus from √i ‘to go’ in extended sense of ‘life-course/duration’. varcas from √vṛc/√varc ‘shine’ is effective radiance—psychically, clarity and strength of presence. śarad ‘autumn’ used as a year-count is a time-symbol: living in the rhythm of seasons implies harmony with r̥ta.
Āyus and varcas as spiritual vitality and radiance, R̥ta as harmony with time-cycles, Household stability as ordered continuity
Longevity is portrayed as living within the ordered seasons (śarad) rather than fighting time.
Varcas is the radiance of truth embodied—ethical-spiritual brilliance that sustains life.
Stabilization after transformation: Agni not only changes, but establishes enduring form.
Vedantic-yogic tendency: life-force and radiance as powers of consciousness in embodiment.
autumn (symbolic of ripening)
Autumn = maturity and clarity; ‘hundred autumns’ = long ripening of consciousness under a steady inner flame.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘restoration with endowment’: Agni returns the wife not merely as social status but as a vessel of āyus and varcas. Longevity (‘hundred autumns’) is the sign that the union has been aligned with cosmic order, able to endure through time’s cycles.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The use of seasons as year-count is an archaic poetic chronometry found widely. The radiance lexicon (varcas) belongs to a deep IE preference for ‘light’ as power/authority. √jīv ‘live’ is Indo-Iranian/Vedic specialization but fits common IE life-vocabulary patterns.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is acknowledged as the effective giver (adāt) of life and splendor; the rishi’s role is to articulate the seal of that gift. The relationship is confirmatory: the mantra declares the accomplished divine action so it becomes fixed in the human continuum.
Kindle inner Agni to stabilize vitality (āyus) and radiance (varcas).
maṇipūra (vital fire) and ājñā (luminous clarity/varcas)
Gentle kapalabhāti-like warming (very mild) followed by calm nāḍī-śodhana to ‘seal’ steadiness.
Grounded, luminous, enduring.
Visualize a steady flame in the navel rising as a soft golden sheen around the body; affirm ‘āyus’ as steady prāṇa and ‘varcas’ as clear, truthful presence; live the day in measured rhythm (ṛta).
Vedic accenting per Saṃhitā marks; keep declarative fall at end of each pāda.
Emphasize ‘āyuṣā saha varcasā’ as a paired gift; keep ‘śaradaḥ śatam’ evenly measured.
ৎ: final ‘t’ light, not over-released, : ‘rc’ cluster clear, : lengthen ‘ī’ and ‘āyu’ correctly, : dental ‘d’, : short ‘a’ then light ‘m’
Blessing-tone: calm, resonant, steady.
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