Rig Veda 3.54.21: Mandala 3, Sukta 54, Mantra 21
Sukta 3.54
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सदा सुगः पितुमाँ अस्तु पन्था मध्वा देवा ओषधीः सं पिपृक्त । भगो मे अग्ने सख्ये न मृध्या उद्रायो अश्यां सदनं पुरुक्षोः ॥
sadā́ su-gáḥ pitu-mā́m̐ astu pánthā mádhvā devā́ oṣádhīḥ sáṃ pipṛkta | bhágo me agne sakhyé ná mṛdhyā údrāyo aśyāṃ sádanaṃ puru-kṣóḥ ||
रास्ता ऐसा हो कि हमेशा अच्छा लगे और खाना मिलता रहे। देवता लोग हर्ब्स को ठीक करें जो हमारे लिए अच्छे हैं। अग्नि भगवान, दोस्ती में मत टूटना। मैं बड़े लोगों के पास पहुँच जाऊँ जहाँ सब कुछ मिले।
Word by Word
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्यय (नित्यत्वे)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सदा (अव्यय)
- सु-गः
- easy-going, having good passageAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (पन्थाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot ग (√गम्) / सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद)
- पितु-मान्
- having nourishment/refreshmentAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (पन्थाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot पितु (पान/भोजन) + -मान् (मतुप्)
- अस्तु
- let there beVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अस्
- पन्थाः
- the pathNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot पथिन्/पन्था (प्रातिपदिक)
- मध्वा
- with sweetness / with honeyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- ओषधीः
- plants, herbsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (सम्यक्/संयोगार्थे)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पिपृक्त
- has mixed/combinedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (वेदिक-प्रयोगः; ‘सम् पिपृक्त’ = ‘सम्यक् मिश्रयतु/संयोजयतु’ इत्यर्थे)Root √पृच् (पृणक्ति/पृचति) + सम्
- भगः
- Bhaga (the distributor of fortune) / fortuneNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot भग (प्रातिपदिक)
- मे
- for me / myPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अहम् (अस्मद्)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्ये
- in friendshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक; सखि-भाव)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न (अव्यय)
- मृध्याः
- be hostile / harmVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (वेदिक; ‘मा मृध्याः’ प्रकारेण—यहाँ ‘न’ सह: ‘do not be hostile / do not injure’)Root √मृध् (हिंसार्थ/विरोधे) / मृध् (प्रातिपदिक ‘वैर/हानि’)
- उद्रा-यः
- waters/streams (udrāyas)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot उद्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘उद्र’ = जल/तरंग/उद्गम-सम्बद्ध) + -य (बहुवचन-प्रत्यय)
- अश्याम्
- may I attainVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अश् (व्याप्तौ/प्राप्नोति) अथवा √अश् (अश्नुते ‘attain’)
- सदनम्
- seat, dwelling, abodeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरु-क्षोः
- of wide/abundant habitationAdjective (compound)षष्ठी, एकवचन (समासान्त-रूप; सदनम् इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे ‘of the wide/abundant dwelling’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पुरु (बहु) + क्षु/क्षो (प्रातिपदिक; ‘क्षो’ = निवास/आश्रय/क्षय-सम्बद्ध, वेदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: सुगः (सु + गः)
- पितुमाँ (पितु + मान्)
- पन्था मध्वा → पन्थाः मध्वा (visarga before voiced consonant often written without explicit ḥ in saṃhitā)
- देवा ओषधीः → देवाः ओषधीः (aḥ + o → ā o)
- सं पिपृक्त → सम् पिपृक्त (anusvāra before labial)
- मे अग्ने → मेऽग्ने (e + a)
- सख्ये न → सख्ये न (no change)
- पुरुक्षोः treated as tatpuruṣa compound puru- + kṣoḥ
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer that the path be always easy and full of sustenance; that the gods blend the herbs with sweetness; and that Agni, as Bhaga, not fail in friendship, granting ascent into riches and a wide dwelling.
Inner meaning
The ‘path’ is the inner passage of yoga—its ease (sugaḥ) comes when the being is harmonized. ‘Pitumān’ is true nourishment: the soul’s food of right experience and strength. ‘Madhu’ (sweetness) is a symbol of delight and harmonious taste in the life-force; the ‘herbs’ (oṣadhīḥ) become inner healing powers—purified capacities of the nature. Agni is invoked not only as flame but as Bhaga: the bestower of right enjoyment and share—he distributes the divine gain in the sacrifice. Friendship with Agni is the constant companionship of the divine Will; through it one rises (ud) into ‘rāyaḥ’—plenitudes of being—and reaches the ‘sadanam purukṣoḥ’, the wide dwelling of a more spacious consciousness.
Universal truth
When the will is aligned with the divine, the journey becomes naturally supported: healing forces integrate, sweetness returns to life, and consciousness expands into a larger home of being.
Themes
path of yoga/progress, healing and integration, friendship with Agni, plenitude and vast dwelling
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Kauśika lineage in later tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.3, RV 3.54, RV 3.62
Family tradition
Viśvāmitra’s hymns frequently frame life as a journey guided by Agni, moving from struggle to wide luminous fulfillment.
Significance
The seer’s emphasis on the ‘path’ and ‘wide dwelling’ reflects the psychological crossing from limited ego-life to a vaster divine habitation (Aurobindo’s ‘wide’ consciousness).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (as Bhaga-function); Devāḥ (supporting powers)
- Epithets
- Agni—hotṛ (priest, implied), Agni—sakhā (friend, implied), Bhaga (dispenser of the share)
- Related deities
- Bhaga, Aśvins (healing), Soma (sweet delight), Ādityas (right law)
Cosmic role
Agni is mediator and leader of the sacrifice, carrying offerings and bringing down the gods’ powers; as Bhaga he apportions the right delight and gain.
Inner power
Awakened will that integrates the nature (oṣadhīḥ) into sweetness (madhu) and lifts the being into plenitude (rāyas).
In ritual
Where it is used
General Agni-invocation within soma/oblation sequences; also suitable as a benedictory ‘path’ verse.
सदा॑ सु॒गः पि॑तु॒माँ अ॑स्तु॒ पन्था॒ मध्वा॑ देवा॒ ओष॑धी॒: सं पि॑पृक्त । भगो॑ मे अग्ने स॒ख्ये न मृ॑ध्या॒ उद्रा॒यो अ॑श्यां॒ सद॑नं पुरु॒क्षोः ॥
सदा॑ । सु॒ऽगः । पि॒तु॒ऽमान् । अ॒स्तु॒ । पन्था॑ । मध्वा॑ । दे॒वाः॒ । ओष॑धीः । सम् । पि॒पृ॒क्त॒ । भगः॑ । मे॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । स॒ख्ये । न । मृ॒ध्याः॑ । उत् । रा॒यः । अ॒श्या॒म् । सद॑नम् । पु॒रु॒ऽक्षोः ॥
sadā | su-gaḥ | pitu-mān | astu | panthā | madhvā | devāḥ | oṣadhīḥ | sam | pipṛkta | bhagaḥ | me | agne | sakhye | na | mṛdhyāḥ | ut | rāyaḥ | aśyām | sadanam | puru-kṣoḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Journeying cadence—supplicatory opening, then a strong upward lift on ‘ud rāyo’.
Creates a felt sense of forward motion and ascent; stabilizes resolve and evokes sweetness rather than strain.
- पन्था (panthā)
- Literal: path. Symbolic: inner path of growth; progression of consciousness
- सुगः (sugaḥ)
- Literal: easy to go, good-going. Symbolic: smooth movement when parts of the being are harmonized
- पितुमान् (pitumān)
- Literal: having food/sustenance. Symbolic: true nourishment—strength of soul-experience and right energy
- मधु (madhu), मध्वा (madhvā)
- Literal: honey/sweetness. Symbolic: delight, harmonious rasa in life and mind
- ओषधीः (oṣadhīḥ)
- Literal: herbs, healing plants. Symbolic: inner healing capacities; purifying and restorative forces
- सम् पिपृक्त (sam pipṛkta)
- Literal: mix/blend together. Symbolic: integration of powers into a single harmonious functioning
- भगः (bhagaḥ)
- Literal: dispenser, lord of shares; Bhaga. Symbolic: right enjoyment and distribution of divine gain; fortunate portion of the sacrifice
- अग्ने सख्ये (agne sakhye)
- Literal: O Agni, in friendship. Symbolic: companionship with the divine Will guiding life
- उद् रायः (ud rāyaḥ)
- Literal: up into riches. Symbolic: ascent into plenitudes of consciousness and power
- सदनं पुरुक्षोः (sadanam purukṣoḥ)
- Literal: dwelling of wide extension. Symbolic: vast inner home—expanded being/consciousness
Prayer for safe progress and plenitude; suitable to rites seeking kṣema and rāyas, and to Agni-offerings where the ‘path’ of the sacrifice is to be made su-gá.
Before undertaking rites, travel, or transitions; within offerings to Agni for well-being and successful attainment.
Āśīrvāda and saṃyoga (integration) prayer—harmonizing inner ‘herbs’/powers and seeking Agni’s faithful companionship.
Chant before beginning work/creative practice or healing routines; set intention for an ‘easy path’ and integrated energies, invoking Agni as the steady inner friend.
: ‘path’ (PIE *pent(h)- ‘path’, cf. Greek póntos ‘sea’ as ‘way’, German Pfad via different development). : ‘honey/sweetness’ (PIE *médʰu, cf. English mead). : oṣa- (burning/quickening) + √dhā ‘to place’ (traditional); denotes healing growths. : from √bhaj ‘to share, apportion’ → ‘dispenser of fortune/delight’. : from √rā ‘to give’ → ‘gift, wealth’, inwardly ‘given plenitude’.
delight as power (madhu), integral harmony (sam pipṛkta), rāyas as spiritual plenitude
‘Sugaḥ panthā’ implies alignment with the right-going path of ṛta—effort becomes smoother when in order.
Friendship with Agni implies fidelity to truth of aspiration; failure (mṛdhyāḥ) is refusal of falsehood in the will.
Integration (sam pipṛkta) as a creative act—many powers blended into one harmonious functioning.
Integral-Vedantic (Aurobindonian): will (Agni) + delight (madhu) + wideness (purukṣa) leading to plenitude.
Path = progressive movement of consciousness; honey = delight; herbs = healing faculties; fire = divine will transforming and guiding.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘journey on the path’ mythic pattern: the seeker asks for an easy, nourishing way, for the gods to compound the healing forces, and for Agni-as-Bhaga to grant ascent into plenitude and a wide settled abode—an inward pilgrimage from difficulty to vastness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu ‘sweet’ is a classic PIE inheritance (*médʰu). panthā ‘path’ reflects PIE *pent(h)-. These inherited terms anchor a shared Indo-European poetic metaphor: life/spiritual progress as a ‘path’ sustained by ‘sweetness’ and ‘portion’ (bhaga).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is invoked as an intimate ally (sakhye) who must not ‘fail’ the seeker; the relationship is covenantal—human aspiration and offering answered by divine guidance, healing integration, and the granting of plenitude (rāyas) and stable realization (sadana).
Feel the inner ‘path’ through the spine and breath; invite sweetness into the life-force; rest in Agni as the faithful friend.
Maṇipūra (Agni/will) integrating with Anāhata (sweet harmony)
Gentle ujjāyī or coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min) while repeating ‘sadā sugaḥ…’.
Harmonized forward movement—calm aspiration with subtle delight.
On each repetition, imagine obstacles dissolving into ease; then visualize inner healing powers aligning; finally sense an upward lift into a wide, luminous inner ‘dwelling’.
Maintain Vedic accents; emphasize long vowels in pitumān and madhvā; keep Triṣṭubh pacing with a clear lift at ‘ud rāyo’.
Do not clip consonant clusters: sam pipṛkta; keep ‘mṛdhyāḥ’ crisp (ṛ + dhy).
pítumān: nasalization on ān (m̐) if following tradition., oṣadhīḥ: retroflex ṣ; long ī; light visarga ḥ., mṛdhyāḥ: vocalic ṛ; aspirated dhyāḥ without inserting extra vowel., purukṣoḥ: keep kṣ conjunct; long oḥ ending.
Warm, encouraging, forward-moving; brighten on ‘bhago me agne’.
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