Rig Veda 10.92.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 92, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.92
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इममञ्जस्पामुभये अकृण्वत धर्माणमग्निं विदथस्य साधनम् । अक्तुं न यह्वमुषसः पुरोहितं तनूनपातमरुषस्य निंसते ॥
imám añjaspā́m ubháye akṛṇvata dharmā́ṇam agníṃ vidáthasya sā́dhanam | aktúṃ na yahvám uṣásaḥ puróhitaṃ tanūnapātam aruṣásya niṃsate ||
अग्नि इतना तेज है कि सब कुछ रोशन कर देता है। धरती और आसमान दोनों ने उसे अपना बनाया है क्योंकि वो धरम को संभालता है। जैसे सुबह होने वाली है, वैसे ही वो आगे आगे चलता है। वो अपनी जगह पकड़ के बैठा है।
Word by Word
- इमम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अञ्जस्पा
- straightforward/protecting the straight (i.e., direct, true)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अग्निम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot अञ्जस् (अव्यय/नाम ‘straight, direct’) + पा (प्रातिपदिक ‘protector/keeper’)
- उभये
- both (two)Pronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role KartāRoot उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अकृण्वत
- they madeVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्), परस्मैपदम्, ३ पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root कृ (करणे)
- धर्माणम्
- (as) law/ordinance; established orderNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot धर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (Fire)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विदथस्य
- of the assembly/ritual gatheringNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- साधनम्
- accomplisher; means of accomplishmentNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अग्निम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot साधन (प्रातिपदिक; from √साध ‘to accomplish’)
- अक्तुम्
- night; darknessNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Upamāna (in simile, with न)Root अक्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातःRoot न (अव्यय)
- यह्वम्
- mighty; impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (तनूनपातम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot यह्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषसः
- of DawnNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरोहितम्
- placed in front; household priestNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (तनूनपातम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पुरोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
- तनूनपातम्
- Tanūnapāt (Agni as ‘offspring of himself/embodied’)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तनूनपात् (प्रातिपदिक; epithet of Agni)
- अरुषस्य
- of the ruddy one; of the red (steed/flame)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root अरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- निंसते
- is set/installed; is assigned (as)Verbलट् (प्रेसेंट्), आत्मनेपदम्, ३ पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root निस् + √अंस्/अञ्ज् (वेद. ‘to set/put, install, assign’; class uncertain in Vedic usage)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (resolved): इमम् | अञ्जस्पा | उभये | अकृण्वत | धर्माणम् | अग्निम् | विदथस्य | साधनम् || अक्तुम् | न | यह्वम् | उषसः | पुरोहितम् | तनूनपातम् | अरुषस्य | निंसते || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) इमम्+अञ्जस्पा → इममञ्जस्पा (अनुस्वार/मकार-सन्धि)
- (2) अञ्जस्पा+उभये → अञ्जस्पामुभये (आ-उ → आमु)
- (3) पुरोहितम्+तनूनपातम् → पुरोहितं तनूनपातम् (म्→ं परे त)
- (4) तनूनपातम्+अरुषस्य → तनूनपातमरुषस्य (म् + अ → म)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Both (heaven and earth / the two sides) made this Agni—swift to anoint with brightness—the upholder of dharma, the accomplisher of the assembly. Like a flame in the night, the impetuous one is set in front by the Dawns; Tanūnapāt of the Ruddy One is established.
Inner meaning
Agni is born from the double foundation—above and below, spirit and nature—so that transformation can operate integrally. ‘Anointing with brightness’ points to Agni’s power to spread luminous clarity through the being. As dharmāṇam, he upholds the law of the truth-nature in us; as vidathasya sādhanam, he accomplishes the inner assembly—harmonizing mind, life, and body around the soul’s intent. Though he is ‘night-flame’ (active even in obscurity), the Dawns (Uṣas: illuminations) place him in front: each new awakening makes aspiration the leader. Tanūnapāt indicates Agni as the inborn divine child in the body (tanū), established in the ruddy life-force (aruṣa) yet turning it toward the light.
Universal truth
Transformation becomes stable when the inner fire is established as the front leader of life, upheld by both higher aspiration and grounded embodiment, and renewed by recurring illuminations.
Themes
installation, dharma/ṛta support, dawn-led awakening, inner fire in the body
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.92.2 (within hymn to Agni/Tanūnapāt)
Significance
The seer’s vision stresses embodiment: the divine is not only ‘above’ but established as Tanūnapāt within the bodily-vital field—central to an integral yoga reading.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Tanūnapāt aspect; set by Uṣas)
- Epithets
- dharmāṇam (upholder of law), vidathasya sādhanam (accomplisher of the assembly), yahva (impetuous), purohita (placed in front), tanūnapāt
- Related deities
- Uṣas
Cosmic role
Maintains the law/order in the worlds; establishes the sacrificial work as an effective harmony; renews with dawn-illumination.
Inner power
Inborn transformative heat that organizes the being and spreads luminous clarity quickly.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni installation/renewal; Tanūnapāt-related invocations in soma ritual sequences
इ॒मम॑ञ्ज॒स्पामु॒भये॑ अकृण्वत ध॒र्माण॑म॒ग्निं वि॒दथ॑स्य॒ साध॑नम् । अ॒क्तुं न य॒ह्वमु॒षस॑: पु॒रोहि॑तं॒ तनू॒नपा॑तमरु॒षस्य॑ निंसते ॥
इ॒मम् । अ॒ञ्जः॒ऽपाम् । उ॒भये॑ । अ॒कृ॒ण्व॒त॒ । ध॒र्माण॑म् । अ॒ग्निम् । वि॒दथ॑स्य । साध॑नम् । अ॒क्तुम् । न । य॒ह्वम् । उ॒षसः॑ । पु॒रःऽहि॑तम् । त॒नू॒ऽनपा॑तम् । अ॒रु॒षस्य॑ । निं॒स॒ते॒ ॥
imam | añjaḥ-pām | ubhaye | akṛṇvata | dharmāṇam | agnim | vidathasya | sādhanam | aktum | na | yahvam | uṣasaḥ | puraḥ-hitam | tanū-napātam | aruṣasya | niṃsate
44
4 x 11 (approx.)
Balanced yet forceful; alternating establishment (akṛṇvata/niṃsate) with swift motion (añjaspām/yahvam).
Gives a sense of ‘installing’ Agni firmly while keeping a quick luminous energy—good for centering before practice.
- उभये (ubhaye)
- Literal: both (two). Symbolic: heaven-and-earth; higher and lower nature integrated
- अञ्जस्पाम् (añjaspām)
- Literal: swift to anoint/smear. Symbolic: rapid diffusion of brightness; quick illumination
- धर्माणम् (dharmāṇam)
- Literal: upholder of dharma/law. Symbolic: support of truth-order in the being (ṛta-dharma)
- विदथ (vidatha)
- Literal: assembly/meeting. Symbolic: inner council of powers; coordinated yoga-work
- साधन (sādhana)
- Literal: accomplisher. Symbolic: effective force that makes realization concrete
- अक्तुम् (aktum)
- Literal: night. Symbolic: periods of obscurity; subconscient cover
- उषसः (uṣasaḥ)
- Literal: dawns. Symbolic: repeated illuminations/awakenings
- पुरोहित (purohita)
- Literal: placed in front; household priest. Symbolic: leader of inner sacrifice; foremost guiding will
- तनूनपात् (tanūnapāt)
- Literal: child of the body/self. Symbolic: indwelling divine fire in embodied nature
- अरुष (aruṣa)
- Literal: ruddy/red. Symbolic: vital force, red energy; dynamic life-power turned upward
Agni’s installation as purohita in the rite; Tanūnapāt invoked in contexts emphasizing immanent fire and self-born purity within the offering.
At establishing Agni as purohita; dawn rites (prātaḥ-savana) resonances due to Uṣas
Kindling/placing fire in the front; invoking Agni as dharma-holder
Morning meditation: place aspiration in front; reaffirm inner law (dharma) and harmonize the ‘inner assembly’ of parts.
dharmán- from √dhṛ ‘hold’ (PIE *dʰer- ‘hold, support’) → ‘that which upholds order’ (ṛta-dharma overlap). vidátha is an archaic term for ritual assembly/occasion of knowing and offering. puróhita ‘placed in front’ marks Agni as leader. tanū-napāt ‘offspring of the body’ expresses immanent fire: the divine born in embodied nature. uṣas ‘dawn’ (PIE *h₂eusōs) is the IE Dawn goddess complex, here as illuminations setting Agni ahead.
Dharma as support of right order (ṛta), immanent divinity (Tanūnapāt), leadership of the awakened will (purohita)
Explicit through dharmāṇam and Agni as supporter of the right order.
Illumination (uṣas) establishes truth in front as guiding principle.
Indwelling fire-child established in the ruddy life-force—spirit entering and transforming matter.
Integral/psychological Veda: descent and establishment of divine in embodied nature.
dawn (with night contrast)
Dawn = awakening insight; night = obscurity; red = vital energy; fire-child = psychic flame in the body.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cosmic founding: ‘both’ make Agni the dharman and sādhanam of vidatha, and the Dawns set him in front. Mythically, the worlds establish Fire as the principle that upholds order and leads emergence from night to dawn—innerly, the embodied flame (Tanūnapāt) is installed as leader of transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- uṣas continues PIE *h₂eusōs (IE Dawn). dharman from √dhṛ reflects PIE *dʰer- ‘hold’. The compound tanū-napāt uses napāt ‘offspring’ (PIE *népōt-) seen across IE (Latin nepos), preserving an archaic kinship metaphor for divine emanation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns with a cosmic precedent: Agni is not merely summoned but recognized as already constituted by the worlds and dawns. The seer’s role is assent and installation; Agni’s role is to accomplish the rite and uphold dharma/ṛta within the practitioner.
Establish the inner fire as purohita: let aspiration lead before thought and action.
anahata
Ujjayi-light or slow coherent breathing; on inhale ‘uṣas’ (awakening), on exhale ‘purohita’ (placing in front).
Quietly luminous; ordered, harmonized inner field.
At dawn: 1) recall two supports—above (peace) and below (body), 2) kindle a small inner flame at the heart/navel, 3) invite it to ‘anoint with brightness’ the mind, 4) feel all parts assemble around it for 5 minutes.
Use the marked accents; keep ‘uṣasaḥ’ and ‘tanūnapātam’ clearly articulated with proper pitch emphasis per śākhā tradition.
Distinct pāda pauses after sādhanam and purohitam; lift on उ॒षसः॑ and तनूऽनपा॑तम.
añjaspām: pronounce ‘ñj’ cluster cleanly (a-ñja-), dharmāṇam: retroflex ṇ, vidathasya: ‘dh’ aspirated, uṣasaḥ: retroflex ṣ, tanūnapātam: long ū; separate na-pā-tam
Clear, installing tone; slightly softer on ‘night’ imagery, brighter on ‘uṣas’ words.
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