Rig Veda 3.3.11: Mandala 3, Sukta 3, Mantra 11
Sukta 3.3
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
वैश्वानरस्य दंसनाभ्यो बृहदरिणादेकः स्वपस्यया कविः । उभा पितरा महयन्नजायताग्निर्द्यावापृथिवी भूरिरेतसा ॥
vaiśvānarásya daṃsanā́bhyo bṛhád áriṇād ékaḥ su-apasyáyā kavíḥ | ubhā́ pitárā maháyann ajāyatāgnír dyāvā́pṛthivī́ bhū́ri-retasā ||
वैश्वानर के काम से एक बड़ा रिशि पैदा हुआ। उसने अपनी कला से सब कुछ जाना। दोनों माता-पिता, स्वर्ग और धरती, की बड़ाई की। अग्नि पैदा हुआ, जो हर चीज़ से भरा हुआ था।
Word by Word
- वैश्वानरस्य
- of Vaiśvānara (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root वैश्वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
- दंसनाभ्यः
- from the wondrous deeds/powersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-बहुवचनRole अपादानRoot दंसना (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहत्
- great, loftyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः)Role कर्म/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव (to the implied act of sounding/roaring)Root बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरिणात्
- he set in motion/raised; he made resoundVerbलङ् (imperfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ऋ (ऋणाति/अरिणाति)
- एकः
- alone, oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot एक (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वपस्यया
- by skillful service/active devotionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot स्वपस्या (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good work/skillful service’)
- कविः
- the seer, sage (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- उभा
- bothAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-द्विवचन (RV usage: ‘both’)Role कर्मRoot उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पितरा
- the two parentsNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-द्विवचन (Vedic form पितरा = acc. du.)Role कर्मRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- महयन्
- magnifying, exaltingVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘while magnifying’Role कर्तृ (सहक्रिया/भाव)Root √मह् (महयति)
- अजायत
- was born, came to beVerbलङ् (imperfect); आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √जन् (जायते)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यावापृथिवी
- Heaven-and-EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्व); प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole कर्म/अधिकरण (as the pair being ‘made great’/as the cosmic domain)Root द्यावापृथिवी (द्वन्द्व-समास; द्यौ/दिव् + पृथिवी)
- भूरि
- much, abundantAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन (अव्ययवत् ‘much’)Role कर्म/परिमाणRoot भूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- रेतसा
- with seed/seminal power, generative forceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): वैश्वानरस्य | दंसनाभ्यः | बृहत् | अरिणात् | एकः | स्वपस्यया | कविः | उभा | पितरा | महयन् | अजायत | अग्निः | द्यावापृथिवी | भूरि | रेतसा । 1) द्यावा-पृथिवी → द्यावापृथिवी (द्वन्द्व-समास, संधि)
- 2) अग्निः + द्यावापृथिवी → अग्निर्द्यावापृथिवी (विसर्ग-रेफ संधि: ः + द् → र्द्)
- 3) अजायत + अग्निः → अजायताग्निः (अ + अ → आ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
From the mighty works of Vaiśvānara, the One, vast, the seer, is born by perfect skill. Agni is born magnifying the two Parents, Heaven and Earth, rich in abundant seed.
Inner meaning
From the effective workings (daṃsanābhiḥ) of the universal Fire arises the One Power in us—ekaḥ—experienced as a vast consciousness (bṛhat) and as kavi, the illumined seer-intelligence. This birth is not accidental but by svapasyā: a right and skillful inner action, the art of sacrifice. As Agni grows, he ‘magnifies the two Parents’—the higher and lower hemispheres (mind and embodied nature), reconciling them and making them fruitful (bhūriretasā): abundant in creative seed, i.e., energies and formations that can manifest the higher light in life.
Universal truth
When the will of consecration works rightly, a unified and spacious seeing consciousness is born; it harmonizes spirit and nature and makes life creatively fertile for truth-manifestation.
Themes
cosmogony via Agni, unity-to-manifestation, seerhood and right workmanship, widening of the supports
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina line)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.3.1, RV 3.3.2, RV 3.3.6, RV 3.4.1
Family tradition
A lineage stressing the conquest of higher knowledge through disciplined force; hymns often show the ‘birth’ of divine powers in the human vessel.
Significance
This verse crystallizes Viśvāmitra’s yoga: from Agni’s works arises the One vast seer-power that reconciles the higher and lower worlds.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Epithets
- Ekaḥ, Bṛhat, Kavi, Bhūriretas, Dyāvāpṛthivī-mahayan (magnifier of the Two Parents)
- Related deities
- Dyāvā-Pṛthivī, Indra, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Birth-power that mediates between Heaven and Earth and makes creation fruitful; establishes unity and vastness in the worlds.
Inner power
Unifying will that births illumined intelligence and harmonizes mind-life-body into a creative vessel.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling and praising Agni as cosmic-born priest; used in Agni sequences within Soma and fire rites.
वै॒श्वा॒न॒रस्य॑ दं॒सना॑भ्यो बृ॒हदरि॑णा॒देक॑: स्वप॒स्यया॑ क॒विः । उ॒भा पि॒तरा॑ म॒हय॑न्नजायता॒ग्निर्द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी भूरि॑रेतसा ॥
वै॒श्वा॒न॒रस्य॑ । दं॒सना॑भ्यः । बृ॒हत् । अरि॑णात् । एकः॑ । सु॒ऽअ॒प॒स्यया॑ । क॒विः । उ॒भा । पि॒तरा॑ । म॒हय॑न् । अ॒जा॒य॒त॒ । अ॒ग्निः । द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी इति॑ । भूरि॑ऽरेतसा ॥
vaiśvānarasya | daṃsanābhyaḥ | bṛhat | ariṇāt | ekaḥ | su-apasyayā | kaviḥ | ubhā | pitarā | mahayan | ajāyata | agniḥ | dyāvāpṛthivī iti | bhūri-retasā
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Expansive, declarative cadence; emphasizes ‘birth’ and ‘vastness’.
Supports emergence of a unified, spacious state; feels like an upsurge followed by stabilization.
- दंसना (daṃsanā)
- Literal: wondrous deeds, mighty workings. Symbolic: effective operations of the divine force in the inner sacrifice
- एकः (ekaḥ)
- Literal: the One. Symbolic: unified consciousness/power emerging from divided nature
- बृहत् (bṛhat)
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: spaciousness of awakened being (the Vast)
- स्वपस्या (svapasyā)
- Literal: good workmanship, perfect skill. Symbolic: right inner practice; intelligent tapas that builds the yoga
- कविः (kaviḥ)
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: illumined intelligence that directly knows
- उभा पितरा (ubhā pitarā)
- Literal: the two parents. Symbolic: heaven and earth as mind and body/life; spirit and nature
- भूरिरेतसा (bhūriretasā)
- Literal: rich in much seed. Symbolic: abundant creative potency; fertile energies for manifestation
Cosmic affirmation of Agni’s birth and expansion; used where Agni is established as the first-born priestly power supporting the sacrifice by widening heaven-and-earth (mind-and-body supports).
At invocation when establishing Agni’s universal form and his mediation of Heaven-Earth.
Praise while offering ghee; affirming Agni’s birth and cosmic function.
Meditate on the ‘One vast seer’ arising from inner practice; use as affirmation for integration of spirituality with daily life.
daṃsana: from √daṃs ‘to accomplish wondrously/skillfully’ → miraculous efficacy. bṛhat: from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ → the Vast (also a key RV triad term with satyam-ṛtam-bṛhat). apas: ‘work’ (possibly √ap ‘to attain’ in semantic development), here ‘right action/skill’. kavi: seer (linked to √ku/√kav ‘to see/poetize’ in Vedic usage). retas: ‘seed’ from √ri ‘flow’ → flowing generative essence; psychologically creative impulsion of consciousness.
the One (ékaḥ) behind manifestation, bṛhat (the Vast), creative energy (retas)
Right working (svapasyā) is action aligned with ṛta that births unity.
The kavi-seeing is truth-seeing, not mental conjecture.
Birth of the One from divine workings; fertilization of Heaven-Earth for abundance.
Integral Vedantic tendency: unity-consciousness manifesting through right action in nature.
Seed = creative spiritual potency; Heaven/Earth = mind and embodied life; Fire = tapas that unifies and makes manifestation fertile.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘birth of the One/Vast’ from divine efficacies, and Agni’s birth magnifying Heaven and Earth. Mythically: Fire arises as seer and increases the cosmic parents; psychologically: the inner fire awakens the unified vast consciousness (bṛhat/éka) and enlarges the supporting duality (higher mind and embodied nature) to hold greater light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bṛhat from √bṛh corresponds to PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise, grow’ (cf. English ‘burgeon’ via Romance, and other IE growth lexemes). pitár- ‘father’ continues PIE *ph₂tḗr (Latin pater). These deep inheritances support the archaic Indo-European cosmogonic idiom of ‘parents’ and ‘growth/expansion’ as world-making.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi reads Agni not merely as ritual fire but as kaví—the inner seer-power born of ‘good workmanship’ (su-apasyā). The reciprocity is aspirational: by cultivating right inner work, the seeker participates in Agni’s widening action, allowing the Vast (bṛhat) to be born in consciousness.
Birth of unified spacious awareness (ekaḥ bṛhat kaviḥ) through right inner action.
Anahata (integration) rising toward Ajna (seer-vision).
Box-breath (equal inhale-hold-exhale-hold) to cultivate ekatva; mentally repeat ‘ekaḥ… bṛhat… kaviḥ’.
Unification and wideness with illumined discernment.
Begin with a clear intention of consecration (svapasyā). Offer scattered thoughts into the inner fire; wait for a single, wide, quiet ‘seer’ poise to emerge; then extend it downward into body and action as ‘fertile seed’ for the day.
Rigvedic accenting with clear udātta rises on marked syllables (e.g., vaiśvānarásya).
Keep pāda breaks clean; emphasize ‘ekaḥ’ and ‘bṛhat’ with firm but not loud stress aligned to udātta.
daṃsanābhyaḥ: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘s’; long ā, ariṇāt: retroflex ṇ; long ā at end, svapasyayā: keep ‘yā’ long; avoid collapsing syllables, dyāvāpṛthivī: long ā in dyāvā; pṛthivī with ṛ vowel
Warm, expansive resonance; slightly uplift on ‘bṛhat’.
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