Rig Veda 3.4.1: Mandala 3, Sukta 4, Mantra 1
Sukta 3.4
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
समित्समित्सुमना बोध्यस्मे शुचाशुचा सुमतिं रासि वस्वः । आ देव देवान्यजथाय वक्षि सखा सखीन्त्सुमना यक्ष्यग्ने ॥
samít-samit su-mánā bodhy asmé śucā́śucā su-matíṃ rāsi vásvaḥ | ā́ deva devā́n yajáthāya vakṣi sakhā́ sakhī́n su-mánā yakṣy agne ||
हर लकड़ी से आग जल और हमारे अंदर जाग जा। साफ मन से हमें अच्छी सोच दे, जो धन में रहता है। हे भगवान, भगवानों को यज्ञ के लिए ला। दोस्तों का दोस्त बन के खुशी से यज्ञ करो, हे अग्नि।
Word by Word
- समित्
- kindling-stick, fuelNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole अधिकारण (हेतौ/निमित्ते) / कर्म (यक्ष्य-प्रसङ्गे)Root सम्-इध् (इन्ध्) / समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
- समित्
- kindling-stick (again; distributive emphasis)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति)Role अधिकारण/कर्मRoot समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमना
- good-minded, graciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot सु-मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- बोधि
- be awake; take noticeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root बुध्
- अस्मे
- to us / for usPronounउभयलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी; बहुवचन (वेदिके ‘अस्मे’ = ‘अस्मभ्यं/अस्माकम्’)Role सम्प्रदान (to us) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- शुचा
- with brightness, with flame/purityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot शुच् (प्रातिपदिक ‘शुचि/शुच्’)
- अशुचा
- with (even) non-brightness/soot; with the dark (i.e., amid smoke)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot अ-शुच् (नञ्-पूर्वक)
- सुमतिम्
- good thought, good counsel, favorNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सु-मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- रासि
- grant, giveVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्राय (वेदिक आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root रा (दा-अर्थे ‘to give, grant’)
- वस्वः
- of wealth; of richesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive of possession/abundance)Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towards; (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-)Role (क्रियाविशेषण) —Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- देव
- O god (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- यजथाय
- for the worship; for the sacrificeNounपुं/नपुंसक-प्राय; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (for the worship/rite)Root यजथ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘यजथ’ = worship/service; also ‘यजथ’ as act of worship)
- वक्षि
- bring, conveyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root वह् (वहति) with preverb आ (आ-वह्) in sense ‘bring/convey’
- सखा
- friendNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन/प्रथमा; एकवचन (अग्नेः)Role सम्बोधनRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सखीन्
- friends (companions)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमना
- good-minded, kindlyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषणम्; पुनरुक्ति)Role सम्बोधनRoot सु-मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यक्षि
- sacrifice; worshipVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (वेदिक रूप ‘यक्षि’)Role (क्रिया) —Root यज्
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): समित्समित्सुमना → समित् + समित् + सुमना
- बोध्यस्मे → बोधि + अस्मे
- शुचाशुचा → शुचा + अशुचा
- रासि वस्वः (पद-सीमा)
- देवान्यजथाय → देवान् + यजथाय
- वक्षि सखा (पद-सीमा)
- सखीन्त्सुमना → सखीन् + सुमना
- यक्ष्यग्ने → यक्षि + अग्ने. उच्चारणचिह्न (॒ ॑) मूलपाठानुसार
- पदच्छेदे सामान्यतः अनुदात्त/स्वरित-परिवर्तन सम्भव।
The meaning
Outer meaning
At every kindling-stick, awaken for us with a gracious mind; O pure one, grant us good thought and riches. Bring the gods for the sacrifice; as friend of friends, with glad mind, sacrifice, O Agni.
Inner meaning
Each time the fuel is placed—each act of offering and self-giving—Agni is asked to awaken within us (bodhi asme) not as harsh austerity but as sumanā: a luminous, benevolent will. ‘Pure with the pure’ (śucā-śucā) signals purification by like—truth-kindling by truth-response. Agni grants sumati: the right thought and right orientation of mind that can carry the yoga. As inner Hotṛ, he summons the ‘gods’—higher powers of light, harmony, strength—into the field of consciousness. As sakhā sakhīn, he becomes the intimate ally of all allied movements in us, coordinating them into a glad, effective inner sacrifice.
Universal truth
Repeated sincere offerings awaken an inner guiding force that purifies, brings right understanding, and gathers higher capacities into a harmonious action.
Themes
invocation and enkindling, Agni as friend and mediator, purity and right mind, bringing divine powers into the inner rite
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina line)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.4.2, RV 3.4.3, RV 3.4.4
Family tradition
Hymns of kindling and guidance: Agni as awakener of right thought and inviter of the divine powers.
Significance
The seer frames the ritual as a repeatable inner discipline: each offering awakens the divine will and calls higher powers into the yoga.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Hotṛ / inviter)
- Epithets
- Śuci, Vasvaḥ, Deva, Sakhā-sakhīn, Hotṛ (implied)
- Related deities
- All Devas (collective), Indra, Soma, Mitra-Varuṇa
Cosmic role
Priest of the gods; awakener and purifier; messenger who convenes divine powers for the sacrifice.
Inner power
Capacity for purification and right thought; power to assemble higher faculties into coordinated action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni kindling and opening invocation in soma/fire rites; calling devas to the yajña.
स॒मित्स॑मित्सु॒मना॑ बोध्य॒स्मे शु॒चाशु॑चा सुम॒तिं रा॑सि॒ वस्व॑: । आ दे॑व दे॒वान्य॒जथा॑य वक्षि॒ सखा॒ सखी॑न्त्सु॒मना॑ यक्ष्यग्ने ॥
स॒मित्ऽस॑मित् । सु॒ऽमनाः॑ । बो॒धि॒ । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । शु॒चाऽशु॑चा । सु॒ऽम॒तिम् । रा॒सि॒ । वस्वः॑ । आ । दे॒व॒ । दे॒वान् । य॒जथा॑य । व॒क्षि॒ । सखा॑ । सखी॑न् । सु॒ऽमनाः॑ । य॒क्षि॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ ॥
samit-samit | su-manāḥ | bodhi | asme iti | śucāśucā | su-matim | rāsi | vasvaḥ | ā | deva | devān | yajathāya | vakṣi | sakhā | sakhīn | su-manāḥ | yakṣi | agne
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Invocatory and steady; combines tenderness (sumanā) with directive force (vakṣi, yakṣi).
Kindles aspiration and clarity; stabilizes the mind into a cooperative, devotional focus.
- समित् (samit)
- Literal: fuel-stick, kindling. Symbolic: repeated offerings/acts of consecration that feed the inner fire
- बोधि (bodhi)
- Literal: awake!. Symbolic: awaken the divine will and conscious force in the seeker
- सुमनाः (sumanāḥ)
- Literal: good-minded, gracious. Symbolic: benevolent luminous will; glad aspiration free of violence
- शुचाशुचा (śucā-śucā)
- Literal: pure with the pure. Symbolic: purification by truth; inner clarity responding to sincere clarity
- सुमतिम् (sumatim)
- Literal: good thought, right understanding. Symbolic: right mental formation aligned to ṛta; guidance-intelligence
- वस्वः (vasvaḥ)
- Literal: rich one; wealth-dweller. Symbolic: holder of inner riches—energies, joys, powers
- देवान् वक्षि (devān vakṣi)
- Literal: bring the gods. Symbolic: call down higher faculties/powers into the consciousness
- सखा सखीन् (sakhā sakhīn)
- Literal: friend of friends. Symbolic: inner ally coordinating all supportive parts of the being
Opening/enkindling function: appropriate at Agnyupasthāna and Soma-yajña invitations, where Agni is asked to awaken, bring the gods, and conduct the offering.
At the start of offerings when Agni is fed and asked to invite the gods.
Feeding fire with samit and ghee; recitation to awaken Agni and commence offerings.
Use as a daily ‘inner kindling’ mantra before work/meditation: awaken goodwill, clarity, and invite higher qualities into action.
√budh (bodhi) ‘awaken’ (PIE *bʰewdʰ- ‘be aware’). √śuc ‘shine, be pure’ indicates both physical brightness and ethical/psychic clarity. su-mati: su ‘good’ + mati from √man ‘think’ → right formation of mind. √vah (vakṣi) ‘carry’ (PIE *weǵʰ- ‘convey’). √yaj (yakṣi) ‘sacrifice, worship’ (PIE *h₁yeh₁g- debated; Indo-Iranian ritual lexicon).
awakening (bodhi) as inner illumination, sacrifice as exchange (yaj), right thought (su-mati)
Sumati is thought aligned to ṛta; Agni convenes devas as ordered powers.
Śuci symbolizes truth-purity that burns falsehood.
Ongoing creation through repeated kindling—renewal of consciousness.
Karmayoga-like Vedic psychology: consecrated action as the path to inner awakening.
Fuel = daily acts of offering; ghee = clarified essence (refined emotion/energy) sustaining the flame of will and discernment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the awakened priest-mediator who ‘brings the gods’ and performs the offering. Mythically: the fire-priest invites the pantheon to the rite; psychologically: the inner flame, rekindled at each effort, summons higher powers into the mind and offers the human energies upward.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ (vakṣi) reflects PIE *weǵʰ- ‘convey’ (Latin vehere). The formulaic pairing of awakening (√budh) and purity (√śuc) echoes an IE poetic link between light and knowledge—divinity as luminous cognition rather than genealogy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Direct reciprocity: the rishi supplies fuel/effort (samit-samit) and shaped invocation; Agni responds by awakening within (asmé), granting right mind (su-mati), and mediating the descent/arrival of divine powers for transformation.
Daily re-kindling of aspiration; cultivating sumanā (goodwill) and sumati (right thought).
Anahata (sakhā—friendliness) with support of Manipura (kindling will).
Simple mantra-breath: inhale ‘sumanā bodhi’, exhale ‘sumatiṃ rāsi’; repeat steadily.
Calm, receptive, cooperative devotion with clear intention.
Before practice, make one small offering: release a worry, a desire, or a self-judgment into the inner fire. Ask for sumati—one right thought for the next step. Then invite the ‘devas’: clarity, courage, harmony, joy to take their places in the mind.
Rigvedic accents as marked; keep clear udātta on syllables with acute (e.g., samít-, sumánā).
Observe caesura after each pāda; articulate imperatives (bodhi, rāsi, vakṣi, yakṣi) distinctly without harshness.
samit-samit: crisp dental ‘t’; don’t drop final consonant, śucāśucā: maintain long ā; ‘ś’ palatal, yajathāya: ‘j’ soft; long āyā, sakhā sakhīn: long ā in sakhā; long ī in sakhīn
Clear, warm, inviting; keep a ‘smiling’ tone to match sumanā.
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