Rig Veda 3.15.6: Mandala 3, Sukta 15, Mantra 6
Sukta 3.15
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
प्र पीपय वृषभ जिन्व वाजानग्ने त्वं रोदसी नः सुदोघे । देवेभिर्देव सुरुचा रुचानो मा नो मर्तस्य दुर्मतिः परि ष्ठात् ॥
prá pī́paya vṛṣabha jínva vā́jān agne tváṃ rodasī naḥ su-dóghē | devébhir deva su-rúcā rucānó mā́ no mártasya dur-matíḥ pári ṣṭhāt ||
अग्नि, तू बलवान है, हमारी बड़ाई कर। हमारे लिए शक्ति और खुशी ला। तू दुनिया को हमारे लिए ऐसा बना जैसे गाय दूध देती है। देवियों के बीच तू चमकता है। हमें कोई बुरा खयाल नहीं पकड़ना चाहिए।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- पीपय
- make (him/it) drink; cause to swell/refreshVerbImperative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRole (verb; governs कर्म)Root √पा (पिबति/पाययति) → causative √पा (पाययति); Vedic intensive/causative form
- वृषभ
- O bull (strong one)NounMasculine, vocative singularRole Sambodhana (addressed)Root वृषभ (prātipadika)
- जिन्व
- impel, quicken, set in motionVerbImperative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRole (verb; governs कर्म)Root √जिव्/√जिन्व् (जिन्वति)
- वाजान्
- prizes; strengths; (winning) powersNounMasculine, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot वाज (prātipadika)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounMasculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- त्वम्
- thouPronoun1st/2nd-person pronoun: nominative singular (2nd person)Role KartāRoot युष्मद् (pronoun stem)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)NounFeminine (Vedic dual), accusative dualRole KarmaRoot रोदसी (dual stem; from रोदस्)
- नः
- of us; ourPronounGenitive plural (enclitic)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot अस्मद् (pronoun stem)
- सुदोघे
- well-milking, bountiful (two)Adjective (used substantively)Feminine, accusative dual (agreeing with रोदसी)Role Karma (viśeṣaṇa of रोदसी)Root सुदोघ (su-doha) (prātipadika)
- देवेभिः
- with the godsNounMasculine, instrumental pluralRole Karaṇa / SahakārīRoot देव (prātipadika)
- देव
- O godNounMasculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot देव (prātipadika)
- सुरुचा
- with beautiful radianceAdjectiveMasculine, instrumental singular (agreeing with implied त्वया / or as adjectival instrument)Role Karaṇa (manner/means: ‘with fair light’)Root सुरुच्/सुरुचा (su-ruc) (prātipadika)
- रुचानः
- shining, gleamingParticipleMasculine, nominative singular, ātmanepada (present participle)Role Kartā (agreeing with त्वम्/अग्निः)Root √रुच् (रुचते) → present middle participle
- मा
- do notIndeclinableprohibition with injunctive/imperative senseRoot मा (prohibitive particle)
- नः
- usPronounAccusative plural (enclitic)Role KarmaRoot अस्मद्
- मर्तस्य
- of a mortalNounMasculine, genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot मर्त (prātipadika)
- दुर्मतिः
- evil thought; ill intentNounFeminine, nominative singularRole Kartā (of परि…ष्ठात्)Root दुर्मति (dur-mati) (prātipadika)
- परि
- around, aboutIndeclinablepreverb/adverbRoot परि (upasarga)
- ष्ठात्
- may it stand/come upon; may it besetVerbInjunctive/aorist (Vedic), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole (verb; takes कर्म = नः)Root √स्था (तिष्ठति) with preverb परि-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: वाजा॒नग्ने॒ → वाजान् + अग्ने (final -न् before vowel; pada-sandhi)
- रोद॑सी नः सु॒दोघे॑ kept as separate padas: रोदसी (acc. du.) + नः (gen. pl. enclitic) + सुदोघे (acc. du. agreeing with रोदसी)
- दे॒वेभि॑र्देव → देवेभिः + देव (visarga before voiced dental becomes र्)
- रुचा॒नो → रुचानः (nom. sg. m. participle; Vedic accent/ending)
- परि॑ ष्ठात् treated as परि + (√स्था) ष्ठात् (Vedic aorist/injunctive form with preverb)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Increase us, O bull; quicken the plenitudes of force. Agni, you make the two worlds yield good milk for us. Shining with fair light among the gods, let not the evil thought of the mortal encompass us.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks Agni to ‘increase’ (pra pīpaya) the being—growth of consciousness and capacity. ‘Quicken vājas’ means energize the effective powers needed for realization. ‘Two worlds yielding good milk’ (rodasī sudoghe) signifies that both higher mind (heaven) and embodied nature (earth) begin to pour nourishing energies—light, strength, joy—when the divine will is active. ‘Surucā rucānaḥ’ emphasizes purity of illumination: Agni shines rightly among the gods (higher faculties) so the ascent is not distorted. The final prayer is crucial psychologically: do not let ‘durmati’ (perverse/false thought) of the mortal nature wrap around us—i.e., prevent the encircling suggestions of ego, fear, cynicism, and desire from enclosing the consciousness.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth needs both increase of force and protection from distorted thinking. When the inner will is luminous and aligned with higher powers, both spirit and life become nourishing instead of conflicting.
Themes
increase and energizing, abundance from the two worlds, protection from wrong thought, Agni among the gods
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina
- Other hymns
- RV 3.15.4, RV 3.15.5, RV 3.15.7, RV 3.16.1
Family tradition
Mandala 3: emphasis on force (vāja), victory, and protection from coverings—psychological warfare for illumination.
Significance
The seer balances power with purity: increase of energy must be guarded from durmati—an early Vedic recognition of psychological distortion.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- vṛṣabha (bull), sudogha (maker of good-milking), deva among devas, surucā rucāna (shining with fair light)
- Related deities
- Indra (force and victory), Aditi (wide protection), Sarasvatī/Iḷā (nourishment and inspiration)
Cosmic role
Energizer of worlds; purifier of thought; protector of the sacrificer; awakener of the gods in man.
Inner power
Dynamic tapas that increases capacity and simultaneously purifies the mind from false formations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and prospering invocation in Agni rites; accompaniment to offerings seeking increase (puṣṭi)
प्र पी॑पय वृषभ॒ जिन्व॒ वाजा॒नग्ने॒ त्वं रोद॑सी नः सु॒दोघे॑ । दे॒वेभि॑र्देव सु॒रुचा॑ रुचा॒नो मा नो॒ मर्त॑स्य दुर्म॒तिः परि॑ ष्ठात् ॥
प्र । पी॒प॒य॒ । वृ॒ष॒भ॒ । जिन्व॑ । वाजा॑न् । अग्ने॑ । त्वम् । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । नः॒ । सु॒दोघे॒ इति॑ सु॒ऽदोघे॑ । दे॒वेभिः॑ । दे॒व॒ । सु॒ऽरुचा॑ । रु॒चा॒नः । मा । नः॒ । मर्त॑स्य । दुः॒ऽम॒तिः । परि॑ । स्था॒त् ॥
pra | pīpaya | vṛṣabha | jinva | vājān | agne | tvam | rodasī iti | naḥ | sudogheitisu-doghe | devebhiḥ | deva | su-rucā | rucānaḥ | mā | naḥ | martasya | duḥ-matiḥ | pari | sthāt
44
4 × ~11
Strong imperative rhythm with a protective closing cadence (mā… pari ṣṭhāt).
Invokes strength and expansion, then seals the aura with a protective negation; good for clearing mental negativity.
- प्र पीपय (pra pīpaya)
- Literal: cause to swell/increase. Symbolic: expand consciousness; intensify growth of the being
- जिन्व (jinva)
- Literal: quicken, impel. Symbolic: activate dormant energies; dynamic tapas
- वाज (vāja)
- Literal: force, plenitude, prize. Symbolic: effective powers for realization and right action
- रोदसी सुदोघे (rodasī sudoghe)
- Literal: the two worlds good-milking. Symbolic: higher and lower nature becoming mutually nourishing; descent of support
- सुरुच (suruc)
- Literal: fair light. Symbolic: right illumination, pure discernment
- दुर्मति (durmati)
- Literal: evil/bad thought. Symbolic: egoic distortion, negative suggestion, subconscient sabotage
- परि स्थात् (pari ṣṭhāt)
- Literal: encompass, surround. Symbolic: encirclement of consciousness by lower formations
Prayer for increase (puṣṭi), energizing vāja, and protection from hostile thought; suitable in rites seeking prosperity and safe conduct of the yajña
During sequences asking for vāja/puṣṭi and warding off inauspicious influences.
Āhuti with intent of growth and protection; apotropaic (warding) conclusion.
Use when starting a new discipline or recovery from fatigue: energize vāja; end by rejecting negative self-talk (durmati).
: causative/intensive from √pī ‘to swell, be full’ → foster fullness. : from √jinv ‘to set in motion, invigorate’ (Vedic). : su- ‘good’ + dogha ‘milking’ (√duh ‘to milk’) → abundance that yields nourishment; psychologically the worlds yield their energies to the seeker. : dur- ‘bad’ + mati ‘thought’ (√man ‘think’) → perverted mentality; request for protection from enclosing hostile mind-forces.
purification of mind (removal of durmati), harmonious abundance (sudogha)
Right increase is increase under ṛta: force guided by luminous order (suruc).
Suruc implies truth-light; durmati is falsehood-covering that must not surround.
Nourishment from both realms when the mediator (Agni) is active—descent-ascent reciprocity.
Psychological Veda: purification of thought-forms as essential to growth of force.
Milk = nourishing energies (light, strength, joy) flowing from higher and lower nature when harmonized by Agni.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘milking of the worlds’ (rodasī as su-doghe): the cosmos yields its nourishing energies when Agni is active. Inner sense: when the divine will is kindled, both higher and lower planes pour their sustenance into the sadhana.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √duh ‘milk’ continues PIE *dʰewgʰ- ‘produce, be effective; milk’ (cf. Germanic ‘dug’ in ‘do good/avail’ debated; Indo-Iranian has strong milking lexicon). √sthā ‘stand’ is PIE *steh₂- (Eng. stand, Lat. stō), used here in the common IE metaphor of ‘enclosing/standing around’ as hostile containment.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seeker asks Agni to actively cultivate inner fullness (pīpaya) and to animate the powers of attainment (vājān jinva). In return, Agni is invoked as protector against the mortal’s distortion (durmati), establishing a guarded field where abundance can descend without being perverted by lower mentality.
Invoke growth-force; feel a nourishing descent from above and support from below; practice vigilance against negative formations.
Maṇipūra (increase/force) supported by Mūlādhāra (earth support) and Sahasrāra/Ājñā (higher light).
Bhastrikā-light or Kapālabhāti-gentle (if suitable) for ‘jinva vājan’; then slow exhale with ‘mā…’ protective settling.
Dynamic uplift → steady luminous clarity → protected quiet strength.
On inhale: ‘pra pīpaya’; feel expansion. On exhale: release fatigue. Then visualize two streams (sky/earth) nourishing the heart. End with firm inner boundary: ‘Let no durmati surround me.’
Triṣṭubh with clear udātta rises on key imperatives; keep the ‘mā’ clause low and firm, ending with a decisive cadence.
Emphasize imperatives ‘pra pīpaya’ and ‘jinva’; then slow slightly at ‘mā no…’ to mark the protective turn.
pīpaya: long ī; avoid shortening, jinva: clear j; do not read as ‘jinba’, sudoghe: aspirate dh; long o? (as written) keep syllable weight, durmatiḥ: pronounce ṛ in dur-; keep tiḥ crisp
Bright and strong in first half; firm, sealing tone in last pāda.
3
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