Rig Veda 3.26.6: Mandala 3, Sukta 26, Mantra 6

Sukta 3.26

Rishi

Viśvāmitra Gāthina

Devata

Agni and the Maruts

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

Rasa

Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

व्रातंव्रातं गणंगणं सुशस्तिभिरग्नेर्भामं मरुतामोज ईमहे । पृषदश्वासो अनवभ्रराधसो गन्तारो यज्ञं विदथेषु धीराः ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 3.26.6

Transliteration

vrātáṁ-vrātaṁ gaṇáṁ-gaṇaṁ suśastíbhir agnér bhā́maṁ marútām ója īmahe | pṛ́ṣadaśvāsō anavabhrárādhaso gántāro yajñáṁ vidátheṣu dhī́rāḥ ||

Translation

एक के बाद एक ग्रुप आता है, जैसे फौजी डालें चल रही हो। हम लोग अग्नि की चमक और मरुत देवताओं की ताकत माँगते हैं, अच्छे से बोल के। इनके घोड़े खिले रंग के हैं और इनका देना साफ है, बिना किसी शर्त के। यह सब यज्ञ में आते हैं और समझ के चलते हैं।

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Word by Word

व्रातं

troop, bandNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ईमहे इत्यस्य) · Root व्रात (प्रातिपदिक) < √व्रज्/वृत् (समूह/व्रत-भाव) (निरुक्त-परम्परा)

व्रातम्

troop (again)Noun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (पुनरुक्त्या—‘troop after troop’) · Root व्रात (प्रातिपदिक)

गणं

company, hostNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ईमहे) · Root गण (प्रातिपदिक)

गणम्

host (again)Noun · पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (पुनरुक्त्या—‘host after host’) · Root गण (प्रातिपदिक)

सुशस्तिभिः

with good praisesNoun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (स्तुत्युपायः) · Root सु-शस्ति (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शस्ति ‘praise, laudation’)

अग्नेः

of AgniNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (भाम्नः) · Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

भामम्

splendour, brillianceNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ईमहे) · Root भाम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘splendour, radiance, might’)

मरुताम्

of the MarutsNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (ओजसः) · Root मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)

ओजः

strength, vigorNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (छान्दसः; कर्मरूपे)Role कर्म (ईमहे) · Root ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)

ईमहे

we seek, we invokeVerb · लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया · Root √यम् (आत्मनेपद; छान्दस-प्रयोगः ‘ईमहे’ = ‘यामहे/ईमहे’)

पृषदश्वासः

having dappled horsesAdjective (used as noun) · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (गन्तारः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) · Root पृषद्-अश्व (बहुव्रीहि-समास; ‘speckled/variegated horses’)

अनवभ्रराधसः

whose bounty does not fail / unimpeded in givingAdjective · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (गन्तारः—विशेषणम्) · Root अन-अपभ्र-राधस् (समास; राधस् ‘gift/aid, bounty’; नञ्-पूर्वकः)

गन्तारः

goers, comersNoun (agent) · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ · Root √गम् (कृदन्त: गन्तृ ‘goer, comer’)

यज्ञम्

sacrifice, riteNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (गन्तारः—‘to the sacrifice’) · Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)

विदथेषु

in the assemblies/ritesNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरण · Root विदथ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘assembly, distribution, ritual gathering’)

धीराः

wise, inspiredAdjective · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (गन्तारः—विशेषणम्) · Root धीरा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wise, steadfast’)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): व्रातं व्रातं गणं गणं सु-शस्तिभिः अग्नेः भामम् मरुताम् ओजः ईमहे । पृषद्-अश्वासः अन-अवभ्र-राधसः गन्तारः यज्ञम् विदथेषु धीराः । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) सुशस्तिभिरग्नेर्भामम् → सुशस्तिभिः + अग्नेः + भामम् (विसर्ग/रेफ-सन्धि)
• (2) मरुतामोजः → मरुताम् + ओजः (म् + ओ → मोज्)
• (3) पृषदश्वासः → पृषद् + अश्वासः (समास/सन्धि)
• (4) अनवभ्ररा॑धसो → अन + अवभ्र + राधसः (समास; पाठभेदानुसारं अवभ्र/अपभ्र इत्यादि व्याख्या सम्भवति)

The meaning

Outer meaning

Band after band and troop after troop, the singers invoke with good praises the shining power of Agni and the strength of the Maruts; the Maruts, dapple-horsed and of unobscured bounty, come to the sacrifice in the assemblies, wise in their movement.

Inner meaning

The inner collectives of the seeker—each “band” of energies and each “troop” of thoughts—are marshalled into a conscious yoga. By clear, rightly-formed affirmations (suśastibhiḥ), we call down Agni’s bhāma (radiant will and discernment) and the Maruts’ ojas (impetuous yet luminous life-force). The “dapple-horsed” Maruts symbolize dynamic vital powers carrying mixed currents (light/shadow) that must be disciplined; when their bounty is “unclouded” (anavabhrarādhasaḥ), the vital becomes a pure instrument and arrives at the inner yajña (consecrated offering of works) in the “assemblies” (vidatheṣu: gatherings of faculties). Wisdom (dhīraḥ) here is the steady discrimination guiding the movement of life-energy toward the divine work.

Universal truth

Spiritual progress requires organizing one’s many inner forces into harmonious companies, invoking a central flame of will and a purified strength of life-energy. When speech becomes clear and intention becomes luminous, the restless powers of action turn into allies and arrive naturally at the work of transformation.

Themes

collective-invocation, right-speech, energetic-descent, yajña-as-knowledge-assembly

The seer

Rishi

Viśvāmitra Gāthina

Lineage

Gāthina / Kauśika lineage (traditional association)

Other hymns

Rig Veda 3.26, Rig Veda 3.27, Rig Veda 3.62 (Gāyatrī mantra, traditional attribution)

Family tradition

Royal-turned-seer; hymns of disciplined power (tapas), universal wideness, and the mastery of inner forces through mantra.

Significance

Viśvāmitra embodies the yogic conversion of kṣatriya force into brahmic light: the ordering of life-energy (Maruts) around the soul’s flame (Agni) so action becomes a vehicle of illumination.

The deity

Devata

Agni and the Maruts

Epithets

Agni: bhāman (radiant one), Maruts: pṛṣadaśva (dapple-horsed), dhīra (wise movers), anavabhrarādhas (unclouded givers)

Related deities

Indra (illumined mind leading the Maruts), Soma (bliss that sweetens and stabilizes force), Uṣas (dawn-illumination that clarifies the bands)

Cosmic role

Agni is the mediator-flame that carries offerings and awakens consciousness; the Maruts are storm-powers that drive the evolutionary movement, breaking inertia and supplying force for ascent.

Inner power

Agni: concentrated will, aspiration, and inner discernment; Maruts: energized prāṇa/vital dynamism purified into courageous, luminous action.

In ritual

Where it is used

Agni–Marut invocations within Soma and other Śrauta sequences; also as a general call to supporting powers in offerings.

Accents and Padapatha

Chandas Analysis

Key Symbols

Ritual Application

Etymology

Philosophical Concepts

Vedic Cosmology

Natural Symbolism

Academic Analysis

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes