Rig Veda 3.31.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 31, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.31
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
न जामये तान्वो रिक्थमारैक्चकार गर्भं सनितुर्निधानम् । यदी मातरो जनयन्त वह्निमन्यः कर्ता सुकृतोरन्य ऋन्धन् ॥
ná jāmáye tā́nvo rিকthám āraik cakā́ra gárbhaṃ sanitúr nidhā́nam | yadī́ mā́taro janáyanta váhnim anyáḥ kartā́ sukŕtōr anyá ṛ́ndhan ||
उसने शरीर को रिश्तेदारों के लिए नहीं छोड़ा। उसने गर्भ को धन की खजाना बना दिया। जब माँ लोग अग्नि को जनाती हैं, एक अच्छा काम करता है, दूसरा उसे और बढ़ाता है।
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- जामये
- to a kinsman / to one of the same stockNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot जामि
- तान्वः
- bodies, personsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot तनू
- रिक्थम्
- inheritance, patrimonyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रिक्थ
- आरैक्
- left, abandonedVerbलुङ् (आorist); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot रिच् (रिक्) / रेक् (वेद.)
- चकार
- made, didVerbलिट् (परिप्र.)/परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRoot कृ
- गर्भम्
- embryo, womb-childNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गर्भ
- सनितुः
- of the gaining/winning (one), of acquisitionNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRoot सनि
- निधानम्
- a deposit, placing, storeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot निधान
- यदि
- if, whenIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/शर्त (if/when)Root यदि
- मातरः
- mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot मातृ
- जनयन्त
- beget, generateVerbलट्; प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot जन् (जनयति)
- वह्निम्
- Agni / the carrier (fire-priest)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वह्नि
- अन्यः
- anotherPronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot अन्य
- कर्ता
- maker, doerNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्तृ-प्रत्यय (तृच्)Role KartāRoot कृ (कर्तृ)
- सुकृतोः
- of good deed / of meritNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेद.); षष्ठी-एकवचनRoot सुकृत
- अन्यः
- anotherPronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot अन्य
- ऋन्धन्
- thriving, prospering; succeedingVerbशतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त); प्रथमा-एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गRoot ऋध्/ऋन्ध् (वेद.)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): न | जामये | तान्वः | रिक्थम् | आरैक् | चकार | गर्भम् | सनितुः | निधानम् | यदि | मातरः | जनयन्त | वह्निम् | अन्यः | कर्ता | सुकृतोः | अन्यः | ऋन्धन् । प्रमुख संधि: (1) तान्वो॑ = तन्वः (उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न सहित पाठ) (2) आरैक्चकार = आरैक् + चकार (व्यञ्जन-संधि; क् + च → क्च) (3) सनि॒तुर्नि॒धानम् = सनितुः + निधानम् (विसर्ग-संधि: ः + न → र् + न, लिखित रूप: -ुर्-) (4) यदी॑ = यदि (दीर्घ/प्लुति-प्रयोग सहित वैदिक पाठ) (5) जनयन्त॒ वह्नि॑म्: पदान्त-स्वर/छन्दस के कारण पृथक्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
He did not leave the body as inheritance to the kinsman; he made the womb a hidden treasure of winning. When the Mothers beget the carrier-flame, one is maker of the good work, another kindles and increases it.
Inner meaning
The true work is not to hand over the given nature (tanu, the body-personality) as a fixed inheritance to habitual kinship (jāmaye: the familiar lower formations). Instead, the ‘womb’ (garbha) is made a secret treasury (nidhāna) of conquest (sanituḥ): the inner depth becomes a place where the new consciousness is formed. The ‘Mothers’ are the formative powers (often the Waters, the energies of Nature, the multiple faculties) that bring forth Agni, the carrier-will. In the yoga, one power ‘makes’ the right formation (kartā sukṛtoḥ), while another ‘kindles/increases’ it (ṛndhan): formation and intensification—structure and fire—work together to establish the divine action.
Universal truth
Real change is not repetition of inherited patterns; it is a re-gestation in the depths, where supportive powers form and intensify a new will aligned with the good work.
Themes
cosmic birth imagery, inner inheritance, formation and increase, Agni as carrier
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina (circle attribution)
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.31.1, RV 3.31.3 (contextual continuation in hymn), RV 3.30
Family tradition
Kuśika contemplative strain that treats birth imagery as the inner generation of Agni (will) by multiple mother-powers (energies of nature and consciousness).
Significance
The seer points to a key yogic move: refuse the inertia of inherited nature and allow a deeper re-birth—Agni generated by the Mothers—so the good work becomes both well-formed and powerfully kindled.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Vahni (carrier), Garbha (embryonic fire—common Vedic motif), Jātavedas (knower of births—aligned with generative imagery)
- Related deities
- Āpas (Waters/Mothers), Aditi (vast mother principle—conceptual kin), Soma (supporting delight that feeds the flame)
Cosmic role
Born from the Waters/Mothers; establishes sacrifice and transformation; holds the hidden treasure of power in the womb of existence.
Inner power
The evolving flame of will and aspiration, formed in the depths and intensified until it can govern life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-birth/kindling themes in fire-ritual contexts; hymns used to affirm Agni’s generation and increase
न जा॒मये॒ तान्वो॑ रि॒क्थमा॑रैक्च॒कार॒ गर्भं॑ सनि॒तुर्नि॒धान॑म् । यदी॑ मा॒तरो॑ ज॒नय॑न्त॒ वह्नि॑म॒न्यः क॒र्ता सु॒कृतो॑र॒न्य ऋ॒न्धन् ॥
न । जा॒मये॑ । तान्वः॑ । रि॒क्थम् । अ॒रै॒क् । च॒कार॑ । गर्भ॑म् । स॒नि॒तुः । नि॒ऽधान॑म् । यदि॑ । मा॒तरः॑ । ज॒नय॑न्त । वह्नि॑म् । अ॒न्यः । क॒र्ता । सु॒ऽकृतोः॑ । अ॒न्यः । ऋ॒न्धन् ॥
na | jāmaye | tānvaḥ | riktham | araik | cakāra | garbham | sanituḥ | ni-dhānam | yadi | mātaraḥ | janayanta | vahnim | anyaḥ | kartā | su-kṛtoḥ | anyaḥ | ṛndhan
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Grave, formative rhythm; feels like ‘building’ and ‘kindling’ in alternating pulses.
Supports inner re-patterning: first breaks identification with inherited habit, then concentrates force in the depths.
- तान्वः (tānvaḥ)
- Literal: body, self, substance. Symbolic: the formed personality-nature; embodied habit-structure
- जामये (jāmaye)
- Literal: to the kinsman/relative. Symbolic: to the familiar lower nature; habitual affiliations
- रिक्थम् (riktham)
- Literal: inheritance. Symbolic: handed-down patterns; mechanical continuity
- गर्भम् (garbham)
- Literal: womb, embryo. Symbolic: inner depth where new consciousness is formed
- निधानम् (nidhānam)
- Literal: hidden deposit, treasury. Symbolic: secret store of power; latent potential
- सनितुः (sanituḥ)
- Literal: of winning, conquest. Symbolic: attainment through inner victory
- मातरः (mātaraḥ)
- Literal: mothers. Symbolic: formative cosmic energies (waters, faculties, nature-powers) that birth the flame
- वह्निम् (vahnim)
- Literal: carrier-flame (Agni). Symbolic: divine will that carries the sacrifice and transformation
- कर्ता (kartā)
- Literal: maker. Symbolic: the forming intelligence/power that shapes right action
- सुकृतोः (sukṛtoḥ)
- Literal: of the good deed/work. Symbolic: right formation aligned with ṛta; effective spiritual practice
- ऋन्धन् (ṛndhan)
- Literal: kindling, increasing. Symbolic: intensifying the flame; augmenting force and continuity
Agni-generation/installation theme; suitable for rites emphasizing kindling and increase of the sacrificial fire and its inner counterpart (tapas/tejas).
During kindling or when emphasizing Agni’s origin from the Mothers and his increase through offering.
Recitation while establishing/feeding the fire; symbolically ‘forming’ and ‘increasing’ Agni.
For habit-change and inner renewal: chant to shift from inherited patterns to a deeper re-gestation of will.
√ric (ar-aik) ‘leave, empty’ contrasts with ni-dhāna ‘deposit’ from ni- + √dhā ‘place’: the true legacy is not bodily (tānū) but the inner garbha as store of sanitu (winning). √jan ‘generate’ (PIE *ǵenh₁-). √ṛdh ‘grow, prosper’ (cf. Sanskrit ṛddhi). su-kṛti ‘well-done action’ from su- + √kṛ; indicates right formation aligned with ṛta.
inner treasure (nidhāna), right action (su-kṛti), growth/increase (√ṛdh)
Sukṛta is right formation in accord with ṛta; Agni is generated and increased to execute that order.
Truth is preserved as a ‘hidden treasury’ in the womb-depth until it can emerge as effective will.
Creation as gestation: the womb holds a secret deposit; multiple mothers generate the transforming fire.
Vedic embryology of consciousness (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): inner birth of the will-flame through nature-powers.
night-to-dawn transition (symbolic gestation to birth)
spring (symbolic of birth and increase)
Gestation = incubation in the subconscient/inner depth; mothers = supportive energies and faculties; kindling = tapas that increases the flame of will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘hidden treasure in the womb’: the true store of victory (sanitu) is placed as garbha-nidhāna, not as external inheritance. The ‘Mothers’ generating Agni encode the arising of divine Will from foundational powers of nature/consciousness; one forms the right work, another increases/kindles it.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan (PIE *ǵenh₁-) and kinship term jāmi- (‘kinsman’) reflect inherited social vocabulary used for metaphysical meanings. The opposition ‘inheritance (riktha) vs. hidden deposit (nidhāna)’ shows a Vedic semantic shift from social property to inner spiritual capital.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi articulates an initiatic law: the divine work is produced by differentiated powers (maker vs. increaser). The seeker is invited to value inner formation (su-kṛti) and growth (ṛdh) over external continuity; Agni is the central instrument of that inner work.
Re-gestation of will: move attention from surface habit to the ‘womb’ of the heart-belly depth and kindle a new intention.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (creative womb-energy) supporting Maṇipūra (kindled will) and Anāhata (heart-flame)
Deep diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale feel ‘gathering’ into the womb-depth, on exhale softly chant to kindle warmth.
Incubative, inward, steadily intensifying—quiet heat (tapas) without strain.
Choose one inherited pattern to not ‘bequeath’ to tomorrow. Chant, feeling the pattern dissolve into a deeper space (garbha). Then sense two operations: (1) a clear form of right action (kartā sukṛtoḥ), (2) the energy to sustain it (ṛndhan). End by writing one concrete act that expresses the new formation.
Ṛgvedic accents; keep clarity on long compounds; allow a softer svarita glide where marked, sustaining the ‘incubative’ mood.
First half more contemplative (refusal of inheritance); second half slightly stronger on ‘janayanta vahnim’ to feel the birth/kindling.
riktham: clear kh (aspirated); short a, āraik: keep diphthong ai; final k audible, nidhānam: long ā; dental n and dh, ṛndhan: syllabic ṛ; retroflex ṇ; keep ‘dh’ aspirated
Low, warm, womb-like resonance; let the sound ‘glow’ rather than project.
5
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
