Rig Veda 3.1.7: Mandala 3, Sukta 1, Mantra 7
Sukta 3.1
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स्तीर्णा अस्य संहतो विश्वरूपा घृतस्य योनौ स्रवथे मधूनाम् । अस्थुरत्र धेनवः पिन्वमाना मही दस्मस्य मातरा समीची ॥
stīrṇā́ asya saṃható viśvarū́pā ghṛtásya yónau sraváthe mádhūnām | ásthur átra dhenávaḥ pínvamānā mahī́ dasmásya mā́tarā samīcī́ ||
उसके लिए बहुत सारी शक्तियाँ फैली हुई हैं, सब मिलकर। चमकते प्रकाश के गर्भ में मीठा रस बहता है। यहाँ पोषक धारें खड़ी हैं, बरकत से भरी हुई। ये दोनों बड़ी माएँ चमत्कार करने वाले की साथ में चलती हैं।
Word by Word
- स्तीर्णाः
- spread out, strewnAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (with implied ‘are’ describing the subject)Root √स्तॄ (स्तरणे) / स्तीर्ण (PPP)
- अस्य
- of him/itPronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive: ‘of him/it’)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- संहतः
- compacted, joined togetherAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of an implied masculine subject, e.g., अग्निः)Root सम्-√हन् (हनने) / संहत (PPP)
- विश्व-रूपाः
- of all forms, manifoldAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (co-referential with ‘स्तीर्णाः’)Root विश्व + रूप (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतस्य
- of ghee, clarified butterNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive: ‘of ghee’)Root घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- योनौ
- in the womb/source/receptacleNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्रवथे
- in the flowing/streaming (place/state of flow)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot √स्रु (स्रवणे) / स्रवथ (नाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मधूनाम्
- of sweet juices, of honeyed (liquids)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive: ‘of honeys/sweet juices’)Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्थुः
- they stood/they have taken their standVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role Kriyā (finite verb)Root √स्था (तिष्ठति) — Vedic aorist form
- अत्र
- hereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक-अव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अत्र (अव्यय)
- धेनवः
- milch-cows (cows)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिन्वमानाः
- being made to swell, being stimulated/impelled (to give milk)Participle (Adjectival)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (धेनवः इति सह)Role Kartā (with धेनवः; participle describing the subject)Root √पिव्/पि (प्रीणने/पिन्वने) — पिन्वमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय, आत्मनेपद)
- मही
- great, mightyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘मातरा’ as a dual pair conceived as a great one/majestic)Root मही (प्रातिपदिक)
- दस्मस्य
- of the wondrous/skillful one (Agni)Noun/Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive: ‘of the wondrous one’)Root दस्म (प्रातिपदिक; epithet)
- मातरा
- the two mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role KartāRoot मातर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- समीची
- facing/coming together, united, meetingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘मातरा’)Root समीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): स्तीर्णाः | अस्य | संहतः | विश्वरूपाः | घृतस्य | योनौ | स्रवथे | मधूनाम् || अस्थुः | अत्र | धेनवः | पिन्वमानाः | मही | दस्मस्य | मातरा | समीची || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) स्तीर्णा अस्य → स्तीर्णाः अस्य (आ + अ = आः, विसर्ग)
- (2) संहतो विश्वरूपा → संहतः विश्वरूपाः (ओ + व् → अः व्; पदान्त-ओ का विसर्ग/रूपान्तरण)
- (3) स्रवथे मधूनाम्: पदान्त-ए + म् आरम्भ, संधि न होकर पदविभाग रखा गया
- (4) अस्थुरत्र → अस्थुः अत्र (र्-लोप/विसर्ग-रूप; पदान्त-र् का वैदिक रूपान्तरण)
- (5) धेनव: पिन्वमाना → धेनवः पिन्वमानाः (विसर्ग; तथा स्त्री-प्रथमा-बहुवचन सामंजस्य)
- (6) मातरा समीची: द्विवचन-प्रथमा में विशेषण का सामंजस्य
The meaning
Outer meaning
The many-formed powers are spread out and gathered for him; in the womb of ghee the sweetnesses flow. Here the nourishing cows/streams stand swelling; two great Mothers of the Wonder-Worker move together.
Inner meaning
When Agni is established, the diverse energies of the being (viśvarūpā powers) are arranged and unified (saṃhata) for the inner work. In the ‘womb of ghṛta’—the clarified light (luminous substance of consciousness)—the honeyed delights (madhūnām) begin to flow: joy and sweetness born of purification. The ‘cows’ (dhenavaḥ) are not cattle but nourishing streams/rays of knowledge and life-force that increase (pinvamānāḥ). The ‘two Mothers’ are the paired foundations—Heaven and Earth, or inner Mind and Life (or Knowledge and Power)—that support the ‘wonder-worker’ Agni’s transformative action in harmony (samīcī).
Universal truth
When our scattered powers are gathered into a single aspiration, clarity becomes a womb for joy; knowledge and life-energy then nourish the growth of the divine work in us.
Themes
Agni-kindling, cosmic nourishment, inner sacrifice (yajña as psychology), harmonization of powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.4, RV 3.5
Family tradition
A tradition of mantric power and inner conquest; emphasizes gathering forces for the divine work.
Significance
Shows the inner yajña as integration: the many become one field where sweetness and increase naturally arise.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- dasma (wonder-worker), kavi (seer), jātavedas
- Related deities
- Soma (madhu/bliss), Dyaus-Pr̥thivī (two Mothers), Sarasvatī (nourishing flow)
Cosmic role
Unifier of powers; establishes the luminous womb (ghṛta) where bliss can flow.
Inner power
Transformative will that integrates faculties and releases ananda (madhu) through clarified consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni establishment and offerings with ghṛta (ghee)
स्ती॒र्णा अ॑स्य सं॒हतो॑ वि॒श्वरू॑पा घृ॒तस्य॒ योनौ॑ स्र॒वथे॒ मधू॑नाम् । अस्थु॒रत्र॑ धे॒नव॒: पिन्व॑माना म॒ही द॒स्मस्य॑ मा॒तरा॑ समी॒ची ॥
स्ती॒र्णाः । अ॒स्य॒ । स॒म्ऽहतः॑ । वि॒श्वऽरू॑पा । घृ॒तस्य॑ । योनौ॑ । स्र॒वथे॑ । मधू॑नाम् । अस्थुः॑ । अत्र॑ । धे॒नवः॑ । पिन्व॑मानाः । म॒ही इति॑ । द॒स्मस्य॑ । मा॒तरा॑ । स॒मी॒ची इति॑ स॒म्ऽई॒ची ॥
stīrṇāḥ | asya | sam-hataḥ | viśva-rūpā | ghṛtasya | yonau | sravathe | madhūnām | asthuḥ | atra | dhenavaḥ | pinvamānāḥ | mahī iti | dasmasya | mātarā | samīcī itisam-īcī
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4×11
Balanced and architectonic; conveys gathering and harmonious accord.
Stabilizes attention; evokes a sense of collectedness and sweet clarity.
- वि॒श्वरू॑पा (viśvarūpā)
- Literal: many-formed. Symbolic: multiple faculties/energies of the being
- संहतः (saṃhataḥ)
- Literal: gathered together. Symbolic: integration and concentration of forces
- घृत (ghṛta)
- Literal: ghee. Symbolic: clarified light; luminous substance of consciousness
- योनि (yoni)
- Literal: womb, source. Symbolic: matrix of manifestation in clarified awareness
- मधु (madhu)
- Literal: honey, sweetness. Symbolic: bliss/joy as a flow of realized consciousness
- धेनवः (dhenavaḥ)
- Literal: nourishing cows. Symbolic: streams of increase: rays of knowledge and sustaining life-forces
- पिन्वमानाः (pinvamānāḥ)
- Literal: swelling, increasing. Symbolic: growing energies under right order
- मातरौ (mātarau)
- Literal: two mothers. Symbolic: dual foundations (Heaven–Earth / Mind–Life) harmonized for the work
- दस्म (dasma)
- Literal: wonder-worker. Symbolic: Agni as master of transformation
Agnyādhāna / daily Agnihotra and general Agni-invocation in Soma rites as the kindling of the inner and outer fire (hotṛ-function: establishing the divine Will in the offering).
During ghee offerings and praise of Agni’s nourishing aspect.
Ājyabhāga-like ghee oblations; invoking increase (pinv) and harmony of supports.
Chant before meditation to collect scattered energies; useful for restoring harmony between thought and feeling.
Key terms: stīrṇāḥ (PPP of √stṛ ‘to spread, strew’), indicating a prepared extension of forces. saṃ-hataḥ (PPP of √han with saṃ ‘to smite/press together’ → ‘compacted, integrated’). viśva-rūpa (karmadhāraya: ‘having all forms’). ghṛta (from √ghṛ ‘to shine/sprinkle’; Vedic ghṛta often denotes a clarified luminous essence, not merely butter). yoni (√yu/√yā? traditional: ‘womb, source’), here ‘matrix of manifestation’. sravathe (middle, √sru ‘to flow’). madhu (PIE *médʰu ‘honey/sweet’; inner sense: delight, sweetness of the offering/illumination). dhenú (√dhā ‘to nurse, bestow’; ‘nourisher’ → streams/cows as givers of rays). pinvamānāḥ (present middle participle of √pinv ‘to swell, set in motion, make abound’). samīcī (from sam-√añc ‘to turn/face toward’; ‘converging, harmonious’).
Ṛta as ordered harmony (samīcī—forces moving in right alignment), Ananda (madhu—sweetness as delight), Bṛhat/mahī (wideness, vastness of being)
The gathered many-formed powers imply forces aligned to right order, enabling steady flow of sweetness.
Clarity (ghṛta) as truth-substance supporting true delight.
From clarified light arises the flow of honeyed bliss; dual supports uphold manifestation.
Integral yoga reading: integration of nature (mind-life) around the psychic/fire.
Ghṛta = clarified mind-light; Madhu = ananda; Cows = rays/streams that nourish; Two Mothers = foundational duality harmonized.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘milch-cows/streams’ (dhenavaḥ) standing and swelling in the ‘womb of ghṛta’ frames the classic mythologem of the release and right-stationing of the luminous plenty: the powers of nourishment (often figured as cows/waters) become available to Agni once the field is ‘spread out’ and ‘integrated’. Psychologically, the rays/energies of knowledge and delight take their station in the clarified inner source when the will (Agni) is firmly established.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu ‘honey/sweetness’ continues PIE *médʰu (cf. English mead, Greek méthy ‘wine’), supporting an inherited Indo-European poetic symbol of sweetness/intoxication → delight. √sru ‘to flow’ has IE cognate patterns (cf. ‘stream’ semantics across IE). The imagery ‘sweetnesses flow’ thus marries inherited diction (flow + honey) with specifically Vedic sacrificial-psychological mapping (madhu as inner ananda).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse presents the rishi’s vision of reciprocity as alignment: when Agni (dasma, the skillful Wonder-Worker) is established, the ‘two Mothers’ (paired supporting principles) move samīcī—harmoniously—so that the sweet outflow (madhu) can occur. The human seeker’s act (spreading/preparing and integrating the energies) evokes the divine response (the streaming of delight and nourishment), completing the yajña as an inner contract of right order (ṛta).
Integration (saṃhati) of faculties; resting in clarified awareness (ghṛta) and allowing joy (madhu) to flow.
Anāhata (sweetness/accord) supported by Maṇipūra (Agni).
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to ‘gather’ powers; chant on the exhale.
Collected, harmonized, quietly joyful.
Visualize a golden clarified light in the heart-space; invite scattered parts of you to assemble there; let a gentle sweetness spread without grasping.
Keep udatta peaks clear on viśvarūpā, ghṛtasya, madhūnām, dhenavaḥ; maintain even triṣṭubh pacing.
Slightly weight the caesura after viśvarūpā; let ‘ghṛtasya yónau’ be smooth and luminous; ‘mahī…mātarā’ broad and steady.
stīrṇāḥ: retroflex ṇ, long ī, saṃhataḥ: nasal ‘ṃ’ before h, ghṛtasya: vocalic ṛ; gh aspirated, sravathe: ‘sr’ cluster clear, dhenavaḥ: dh aspirated, not d, samīcī: long ī, palatal c
Warm, even, nurturing resonance.
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