Rig Veda 10.88.8: Mandala 10, Sukta 88, Mantra 8
Sukta 10.88
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सूक्तवाकं प्रथममादिदग्निमादिद्धविरजनयन्त देवाः । स एषां यज्ञो अभवत्तनूपास्तं द्यौर्वेद तं पृथिवी तमापः ॥
sūktavākaṃ prathamam ād id agnim ād id havir ajanayanta devāḥ | sa eṣāṃ yajño abhavat tanūpās taṃ dyaur veda taṃ pṛthivī tam āpaḥ ||
पहले सीधा बोलना ज़रूरी है। उसी से भगवान लोग अग्नि को पैदा किए, और उसी से यह बलि का काम शुरू हुआ। यह उनका यज्ञ बन गया, जिससे सब ठीक चलने लगा। आसमान, धरती और पानी, तीनों जानते हैं कि यह अग्नि क्या है।
Word by Word
- सूक्तवाकम्
- the well-spoken utterance / hymn-wordNoun (compound)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सूक्त-वाक (प्रातिपदिक; सूक्त < √वच् ‘to speak’ + वाक् ‘speech’)
- प्रथमम्
- firstAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग (गत्यर्थ/समन्तात्-आगमनार्थ)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- आदित्
- indeed, thenIndeclinableनिपात (एव/खलु/ह्यर्थे; ‘indeed, just then’)Root आ + इत् (निपात; emphatic particle)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (fire)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग)
- आदित्
- indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic)Root आ + इत् (निपात)
- हविः
- oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजनयन्त
- they produced / generatedVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचन (causative: ‘caused to be born/produced’)Root √जन् (जनयति; causative stem जनय-)
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- he / that (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of अभवत्) / विषयःRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एषाम्
- of these (of them)Pronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग; here gen. pl.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञः
- sacrifice, riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of अभवत्) / predicate-nounRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभवत्
- became, came to beVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √भू
- तनूपाः
- body-guardians; protectors of the person (epithet of gods/Adityas)Noun (compound epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (of वेद) / appositionRoot तनू-पाः (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष; तनू ‘body, person’ + पा ‘protector’)
- तम्
- him / thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यौः
- Heaven (Dyaus)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके प्रायः), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वेद
- knowsVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √विद्
- तम्
- him / thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद्
- पृथिवी
- EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- him / thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद्
- आपः
- the WatersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आप् (प्रातिपदिक; pluralia tantum)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: सूक्तवाकं → सूक्तवाकम्
- प्रथ॒ममादिद॒ग्निमादिद्ध॒विर॑जनयन्त → प्रथमम् + आ + इत् + अग्निम् + आ + इत् + हविः + अजनयन्त
- दे॒वाः preserved
- स ए॑षां → सः + एषाम्
- य॒ज्ञो अ॑भवत् → यज्ञः + अभवत्
- तनू॒पास्तं → तनूपाः + तम्
- द्यौर्वे॑द → द्यौः + वेद
- तं पृ॑थि॒वी → तम् + पृथिवी
- तमाप॑: → तम् + आपः. Accent marks in the prompt are noted but not re-encoded per pada
The meaning
Outer meaning
The well-spoken word came first; from it the gods brought forth Agni, and from it they brought forth the offering. That became their yajña, guarding the being; Heaven, Earth, and the Waters know him.
Inner meaning
In the inner genesis, Truth-speech (sūkta-vāk) precedes manifestation: when intention becomes luminous and exact, the will-to-transform (Agni) is born, and with it the capacity to offer (havis)—to consecrate life-movements. This ordered process is itself yajña: a disciplined exchange between higher and lower. The witnesses—Heaven (higher mind), Earth (physical foundation), and Waters (life-energy/flowing consciousness)—‘know’ this Fire, meaning all planes can participate in and attest the transformation.
Universal truth
Right speech and right intention are creative. When expression aligns with truth, it generates transformative will and the ability to give oneself; then the whole of existence—mind, body, and life—recognizes and supports the process.
Themes
cosmogony, mantra-first doctrine, triadic cosmology
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.88.7-11 (cluster on speech, Agni, and cosmogony)
Significance
The seer emphasizes Vāk as originative: a psychology of manifestation where truth-speech calls forth divine will and the practice (yajña) that guards and perfects the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (born of Sūkta-Vāk; witnessed by Dyauḥ, Pṛthivī, Āpaḥ)
- Epithets
- yajña (as the sacrifice itself, functionally), tanūpā (guardian of the being)
- Related deities
- Vāk, Viśve Devāḥ, Dyauḥ, Pṛthivī, Āpaḥ
Cosmic role
First manifested power through which offering and order are established across planes.
Inner power
Mantric will: when speech becomes true, it becomes force and creates the path of transformation.
In ritual
Where it is used
General śrauta Agni establishment and offering rationale (speech → Agni → havis → yajña)
सू॒क्त॒वा॒कं प्र॑थ॒ममादिद॒ग्निमादिद्ध॒विर॑जनयन्त दे॒वाः । स ए॑षां य॒ज्ञो अ॑भवत्तनू॒पास्तं द्यौर्वे॑द॒ तं पृ॑थि॒वी तमाप॑: ॥
सू॒क्त॒ऽवा॒कम् । प्र॒थ॒मम् । आत् । इत् । अ॒ग्निम् । आत् । इत् । ह॒विः । अ॒ज॒न॒य॒न्त॒ । दे॒वाः । सः । ए॒षा॒म् । य॒ज्ञः । अ॒भ॒व॒त् । त॒नू॒ऽपाः । तम् । द्यौः । वे॒द॒ । तम् । पृ॒थि॒वी । तम् । आपः॑ ॥
sūkta-vākam | prathamam | āt | it | agnim | āt | it | haviḥ | ajanayanta | devāḥ | saḥ | eṣām | yajñaḥ | abhavat | tanū-pāḥ | tam | dyauḥ | veda | tam | pṛthivī | tam | āpaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Measured and foundational—like a cosmogonic statement of first principles.
Stabilizes mind; evokes a sense of ‘first cause’ clarity and orderly unfolding.
- सूक्तवाकम् (sūktavākam)
- Literal: the well-spoken word. Symbolic: truth-aligned mantra/intention as creative power
- प्रथमम् (prathamam)
- Literal: first. Symbolic: primacy of consciousness/speech in manifestation
- अजनयन्त (ajanayanta)
- Literal: they generated. Symbolic: evocation/bringing forth of inner powers by illumined faculties
- हविः (havis)
- Literal: oblation. Symbolic: capacity for self-offering of energies and works
- यज्ञः (yajñaḥ)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: integral practice of exchange: consecration and transformation
- द्यौः (dyauḥ)
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined consciousness
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: body and stable foundation of practice
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: life-force, flowing feelings, subtle currents of consciousness
Meta-liturgical statement on mantra generating rite: supports the doctrine that correct speech precedes and founds effective yajña
At didactic moments in ritual recitation; suitable for brahmodya-style reflection on origins.
Mantra recited to affirm the primacy of sūkta and the legitimacy of offering.
Use as a vow of right speech: begin practice by aligning words with truth; then offer breath/thought into inner fire.
The verse asserts a cosmogonic priority of vāk/mantra (sūkta-vāk) as first principle—speech as creative ordering. ajanayanta is causative plural of √jan, ‘cause to be born’. veda from √vid (PIE *weyd-). pṛthivī from pṛthu ‘broad’ (√pṛth/√pṛthu), Earth as wideness/foundation. The triad dyauḥ–pṛthivī–āpaḥ forms a cosmological totality (above, below, and the mediating flows).
primacy of Vāk, cosmic order through yajña, witnessing knowledge (veda) across planes
Yajña is ṛta enacted; right speech establishes right order.
Sūkta-vāk as satya-vāk—speech that becomes effective force.
Cosmogony through Word: manifestation begins with luminous articulation.
Early Vedic ‘logos’ doctrine; bridges toward Upaniṣadic vāk/prāṇa cosmology.
Heaven=clarity; Earth=embodiment; Waters=life-flow; Fire=transforming will born from true speech.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Creation-through-Word: the gods generate Agni and the oblation from the ‘well-spoken word’, and this becomes yajña itself. Innerly, truth-speech (aligned thought and utterance) first establishes the will-flame and then releases the offering-energy; the entire cosmos (heaven, earth, waters) ‘knows’ this law because it is a universal principle of manifestation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The prominence of √vid (veda) and √bhū (abhavat) reflects core PIE verbal roots *weyd- and *bʰuH-. The formulaic repetition (tam… tam… tam…) is an archaic poetic device for totalization and emphasis, paralleled in other early IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi reveals the inner technology: to approach Agni effectively one begins with sūkta-vāk—rightly formed speech arising from right vision. The devata responds not as an external boon-giver but as a law: Agni and havis arise when speech becomes true and ordered.
Observe speech: let words arise only from clarity; feel that clarity kindle inner fire.
Vishuddha (speech-truth) feeding Manipura (will-fire)
Nadi-shodhana (gentle) then one slow recitation on a single exhale per pāda.
Witness-consciousness with precise intention; a ‘clean channel’ feeling.
Keep a short pause before speaking in daily life; inwardly repeat ‘sūkta-vāk’ and offer the impulse into Agni before expression.
Three-tone Vedic chant framework; precise svaras depend on recensional svara text.
Give clear lift on ‘prathamam’ and ‘agnim’; keep ‘āpaḥ’ crisp with long ā.
sūktavākam: long ū; conjunct kt; avoid dropping t, ād id: separate vowels cleanly (ā + id), ajanayanta: ‘ya’ light; dental n, tanūpās: long ū; final ās length
Even, contemplative, as if stating a law of inner life.
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