Rig Veda 3.3.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 3, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.3
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni Jātavedas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
विश्पतिं यह्वमतिथिं नरः सदा यन्तारं धीनामुशिजं च वाघताम् । अध्वराणां चेतनं जातवेदसं प्र शंसन्ति नमसा जूतिभिर्वृधे ॥
viśpátiṃ yahvám atíthiṃ nárāḥ sádā yantā́raṃ dhīnā́m uśíjaṃ ca vāghátām | adhvarā́ṇāṃ cétanaṃ jāta-védasaṃ prá śaṃsanti námasā jūtí-bhir vṛdhé ||
लोग हमेशा जातवेदस की प्रशंसा करते हैं। वो अपने समझ का मालिक है, मेहमान की तरह आता है। अच्छी सोच चलाता है, गाने वाले का तेज़ अग्नि है। यज्ञ के रस्तों को जगाता है, उसकी बड़ाई के लिए।
Word by Word
- वि॒श्पतिम्
- the lord of the clan/peopleNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वि॒श्-पति (प्रातिपदिक) < विश् (जन/कुल) + पति
- य॒ह्वम्
- mighty, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विश्पतिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot य॒ह्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अति॑थिम्
- the guestNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
- नरः
- menNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारण (काल)Root सदा (अव्यय)
- यन्तारम्
- the restrainer/guideNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तरि-नृ प्रत्ययः) < √यम् (यच्छति/नियच्छति)
- धी॒नाम्
- of thoughts/insightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root धी (प्रातिपदिक)
- उ॒शिजम्
- the eager one; the zealous (priestly) oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot उशिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च (अव्यय)
- वा॒घताम्
- of the singers/praisersNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वाघत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वराणाम्
- of the sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- चेतनम्
- the inspirer/impeller; the conscious oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot चेतन (प्रातिपदिक) < √चित् (चेतयति/अवबोध)
- जातवेदसम्
- Jātavedas (Agni), knower of all that is bornNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय) < जात + वेदस्
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableअव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- शंसन्ति
- they praiseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √शंस् (स्तुति/कथन)
- नमसा
- with reverence, with homageNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- जू॒तिभिः
- with swift impulses/speedingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot जूति (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृधे
- for growth/increase (for the thriving one)Noun (verbal noun)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वृध् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √वृध् ‘वर्धते’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (RV pada-style) के अनुसार मुख्यतः संधि-भंग: विश्पतिं | यह्वम् | अतिथिम् | नरः | सदा | यन्तारम् | धीनाम् | उशिजम् | च | वाघताम् । अध्वराणाम् | चेतनम् | जातवेदसम् | प्र | शंसन्ति | नमसा | जूतिभिः | वृधे । यहाँ ‘नरः’ विसर्ग-रूप है
- ‘प्र’ उपसर्ग क्रिया ‘शंसन्ति’ के साथ अर्थ-संबद्ध है
- अन्यत्र बाह्य-संधि न्यून/पदपाठानुसार पृथक्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Men always praise with reverence and swift offerings Jātavedas—lord of the clan, mighty guest, driver of inspirations, eager flame of singers; the awakener of sacrificial paths—for his increase.
Inner meaning
Agni Jātavedas is the knower of all births—consciousness present in every becoming. As viśpati he is lord of the inner community (the faculties of the being); as atithi he is the divine Guest in the human house, strong and moving (yahva). He is yantā of dhīnāṃ—he harnesses and directs inspired thoughts; uśij of vāghatām—ardor in the mantra-singers. As cetana of adhvaras, he awakens the ‘paths’ of the inner sacrifice: the sequences of offering, purification, and ascent. The verse is fundamentally about conscious invocation and increase (vṛdhe) of this inner guide.
Universal truth
When we treat the divine presence within as the honored guest and leader, inspiration becomes directed power, and the inner path awakens naturally.
Themes
Agni-as-guest, guidance-of-thought, community-lordship, growth-and-increase
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Kauśika lineage in later tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.3.1-9, RV 3.1-3.12
Family tradition
Mantra-craft and inner governance; emphasis on welcoming the divine Guest and organizing the inner ‘clan’.
Significance
Viśvāmitra frames Agni as the indwelling leader of a collective inner ecology—faculties, inspirations, and mantra-powers unified for the ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Jātavedas
- Epithets
- viśpati (lord of the clan), atithi (guest), yahva (mighty/active), yantā dhīnām (driver of inspirations), uśij (eager flame), cetana adhvarāṇām (awakener of paths)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired word), Sarasvatī (dhī), Indra (illumination), Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Omniscient fire present in all births; awakener of the ritual-path; leader of the inner household.
Inner power
Conscious guidance—turning inspiration into directed movement; awakening dormant pathways of transformation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise in opening of rites; hospitality-to-fire motif in domestic and śrauta settings.
वि॒श्पतिं॑ य॒ह्वमति॑थिं॒ नर॒: सदा॑ य॒न्तारं॑ धी॒नामु॒शिजं॑ च वा॒घता॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒राणां॒ चेत॑नं जा॒तवे॑दसं॒ प्र शं॑सन्ति॒ नम॑सा जू॒तिभि॑र्वृ॒धे ॥
वि॒श्पति॑म् । य॒ह्वम् । अति॑थिम् । नरः॑ । सदा॑ । य॒न्तार॑म् । धी॒नाम् । उ॒शिज॑म् । च॒ । वा॒घता॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒राणा॑म् । चेत॑नम् । जा॒तऽवे॑दस॑म् । प्र । शं॒स॒न्ति॒ । नम॑सा । जू॒तिऽभिः॑ । वृ॒धे ॥
viśpatim | yahvam | atithim | naraḥ | sadā | yantāram | dhīnām | uśijam | ca | vāghatām | adhvarāṇām | cetanam | jāta-vedasam | pra | śaṃsanti | namasā | jūti-bhiḥ | vṛdhe
11
4 pādas × ~11; laudatory enumerations create a rolling, expansive list-form.
Proclamatory and processional; builds by epithets toward the climactic function (awakener of paths).
Invokes reverence and readiness; awakens a sense of inner ceremony and conscious welcome.
- जातवेदसम् (jātavedasam)
- Literal: knower of births/creatures. Symbolic: consciousness aware through all becomings; inner omniscience
- विश्पतिम् (viśpatim)
- Literal: lord of the clan/settlement. Symbolic: governor of inner faculties; organizer of the being
- अतिथिम् (atithim)
- Literal: guest. Symbolic: indwelling Divine to be welcomed and fed
- यह्वम् (yahvam)
- Literal: mighty, moving. Symbolic: strong progressive force in sadhana
- यन्तारम् (yantāram)
- Literal: driver, controller. Symbolic: harnessing and steering of thoughts/energies
- धीनाम् (dhīnām)
- Literal: of inspirations. Symbolic: illumined thoughts (dhī)
- उशिजम् (uśijam)
- Literal: eager, ardent. Symbolic: flame of aspiration in the singer
- वाघताम् (vāghatām)
- Literal: of the chanters/singers. Symbolic: powers of mantra and expression
- अध्वराणाम् (adhvarāṇām)
- Literal: of sacrifices/paths. Symbolic: inner processes of offering and transformation
- चेतनम् (cetanam)
- Literal: awakener, one who makes conscious. Symbolic: that which brings awareness and right movement on the path
- जूतीभिः (jūtibhiḥ)
- Literal: with swift impulses/offerings. Symbolic: quick, sincere movements of giving and assent
Agni as guest and clan-lord in domestic and soma rites; praised for growth with namas and jūti (swift oblations). Inwardly, receiving Agni as a guest-power that guides thoughts and awakens the sacrificial movement.
When lighting the household fire and offering first oblations; also in formal soma rites as Agni is invited.
Welcoming Agni as guest; offering ghee/grains; recitation of praise for increase.
Use as a ‘welcome practice’—begin meditation by inviting the inner Guest, offering breath and attention.
viśpáti ‘lord of the settlement’ => Agni as social/collective center; atíthi as sacred guest => ever-renewed divine arrival; yantṛ from √yam ‘rein/guide’ => governance of dhī; cétana from √cit ‘know’ => awakening consciousness in adhvara; jāta-védas (jāta ‘born’ + √vid ‘know’) => knower of all becomings; jūti as speed/impulsion => swift offerings as inner quickenings.
guidance of dhi (yantā dhīnām), consciousness-awakening (cetana), omniscience in becoming (jātavedas)
Agni as cetana of adhvaras: awakens the right pathways of ṛta in action.
Jātavedas implies knowledge that accompanies all births—truth-awareness within becoming.
Fire as the conscious principle guiding evolution through successive births/forms.
Psychological Veda: inner household (viś) organized around the indwelling conscious fire.
The hearth within becomes a guest-hall; the flame awakens inner pathways like roads lighting up in the night.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as atithi (guest) and viśpati (clan-lord), the awakener of the adhvara: the mythic action is hospitality to the divine fire who then guides and enlivens the rite. Psychologically, welcoming the inner flame allows it to steer inspired thoughts and quicken the path of transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid in vedas reflects PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’; √yam ‘rein/control’ reflects PIE *yem- ‘hold, restrain’ (cf. Latin emere? debated; clearer in Indo-Iranian and some IE control verbs); √vṛdh ‘grow’ aligns with PIE *werdʰ- ‘grow’ (cf. English ‘worth’ is different, but growth roots are widespread).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Humans praise and offer swiftly (jūti) with reverence (namasā) so that Agni may ‘grow’—i.e., increase in presence and efficacy. In return, Agni becomes the yantā of dhī and the cetana of adhvara: he governs thought and awakens the transformative movement of the inner sacrifice.
Welcome the indwelling fire as honored guest; ask it to steer inspirations and awaken the inner path.
anāhata (inner shrine/guest-house)
Inhale ‘welcome’; exhale ‘offer’—a simple 6-6 rhythm; feel warmth at the heart-hearth.
Reverent, receptive, quietly guided.
Begin japa by mentally offering three things: breath, attention, and intention; then chant this verse 9 times to ‘seat’ Agni as viśpati.
Keep the epithets clearly segmented; preserve udatta peaks on key nouns (viśpatim, jātavedasam) as marked in śākhā tradition.
Chant as a litany: each epithet slightly separated, then gather energy on ‘adhvarāṇāṃ cetanam’.
: ‘śp’ cluster; do not say ‘vish-pati’ with extra vowel, : dental ‘t’ clear, : nasal ‘n’ before ‘t’, : long ā; ‘veda’ with soft ‘d’
Reverent, clear diction; slightly brighter tone on epithets, softer on ‘namasā’.
9
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