Rig Veda 3.6.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 6, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.6
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उरौ वा ये अन्तरिक्षे मदन्ति दिवो वा ये रोचने सन्ति देवाः । ऊमा वा ये सुहवासो यजत्रा आयेमिरे रथ्यो अग्ने अश्वाः ॥
uráu vā yé antárikṣe mádanti divó vā yé rócane sánti devā́ḥ | ūmā́ vā yé suhavā́so yájatrā āyemiré rathyó agne áśvāḥ ||
कुछ देवता बीच वाली दुनिया में रहते हैं, कुछ ऊपर आसमान में। सब आसानी से बुलाए जाते हैं। अग्नि, तुम्हारे लिए घोड़े और रथ तैयार हो गए हैं। यज्ञ का काम शुरू करने को सब तैयार है।
Word by Word
- उरौ
- in the wide (space)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचन (अधिकरण) — ‘उरु’ का लोक. (वेदे ‘उरौ’ = loc.sg.)Role अधिकारणRoot उरु
- वा
- or / indeedIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक निपातRoot वा
- ये
- who (those who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)Role कर्तृRoot यद्
- अन्तरिक्षे
- in the mid-airNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot अन्तरिक्ष
- मदन्ति
- rejoice / exultVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot मद्
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दिव्
- वा
- or / indeedIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक निपातRoot वा
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद्
- रोचने
- in the shining realm (luminous region)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot रोचन
- सन्ति
- areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot अस्
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव
- ऊमाः
- helpers / alliesNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (RV: ‘ऊमाः’ = ‘सहायाः/मित्राः’ इत्यर्थे)Role कर्तृRoot ऊमा
- वा
- or / indeedIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक निपातRoot वा
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद्
- सुहवासः
- easy to invoke / of good callAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः/तत्पुरुषः: ‘सु’+‘हवस्’ (सु-आह्वान/सु-हवनीय)Role कर्तृRoot सु-हवस्
- यजत्राः
- worthy of worshipAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot यजत्र
- आ
- towards / hitherIndeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-)Root आ
- आयेमिरे
- have come / came hitherVerbलिट् (परिप्रास/परिपूर्ण भूत), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा पुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग ‘आ-’ सहित: ‘आ-इ’ → ‘आयेमिरे’Root इ
- रथ्यः
- chariot-going / belonging to the chariotAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘रथ’ सम्बन्धीRole कर्तृRoot रथ्य
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
- अश्वाः
- horsesNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अश्व
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): उरौ | वा | ये | अन्तरिक्षे | मदन्ति | दिवः | वा | ये | रोचने | सन्ति | देवाः || ऊमाः | वा | ये | सुहवासः | यजत्राः | आ | आयेमिरे | रथ्यः | अग्ने | अश्वाः || 1) ‘आयेमिरे’ = आ- (उपसर्ग) + इ (धातु) लिट् आत्मनेपद 3pl
- आ + इ → आय् (यण्-सन्धि) । 2) ‘सुहवासः’ = सु + हवस् (समास), पदान्त ‘-as’ प्रथमा बहुवचन। 3) ‘दिवो’ पाठे ‘दिवः’ (षष्ठी एकवचन) — पदान्त ओ/ः वैदिक-पाठभेद/स्वर-प्रभाव से।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whether the gods rejoice in the wide mid-world or dwell in the luminous heaven—those adorable, easy-to-invoke powers— for them, O Agni, the chariot-horses have been yoked, ready to carry the offering.
Inner meaning
The divine powers operate across levels of our being: in the mid-region (antarikṣa: life-mind interchange) and in the luminous heaven (rocana: illumined mind). Agni, as the summoning will, yokes the ‘horses’—vital energies and dynamic faculties—so the movement of offering (yajña) can travel rightly toward the gods and bring their forces into us.
Universal truth
Spiritual work succeeds when our energies are harnessed and aligned; then help can come from every level of consciousness, near and far, subtle and luminous.
Themes
invitation across cosmic realms, readiness of the inner chariot, gods as helpers and adorables
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina
- Other hymns
- RV 3.6.1, RV 3.6.2, RV 3.6.3, RV 3.6.4, RV 3.6.5, RV 3.6.6, RV 3.6.7
Family tradition
A lineage of mantra-seers emphasizing effective invocation (havana) and the conquest of obscurity through luminous powers.
Significance
The hymn sequence trains the practitioner to call powers from all planes; Viśvāmitra’s voice is that of a will organizing the whole being for ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (as summoner of the gods across realms)
- Epithets
- Purohita, Hotṛ, Dūta (messenger), Jātavedas
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Indra, Maruts (atmospheric powers), Ādityas (luminous law-powers)
Cosmic role
Links atmospheric and heavenly realms; mobilizes divine forces to the sacrifice.
Inner power
Capacity to gather scattered energies, yoke them, and direct them toward illumination and right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-invocation within invitations to the Viśve Devāḥ (all-gods)
उ॒रौ वा॒ ये अ॒न्तरि॑क्षे॒ मद॑न्ति दि॒वो वा॒ ये रो॑च॒ने सन्ति॑ दे॒वाः । ऊमा॑ वा॒ ये सु॒हवा॑सो॒ यज॑त्रा आयेमि॒रे र॒थ्यो॑ अग्ने॒ अश्वा॑: ॥
उ॒रौ । वा॒ । ये । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षे । मद॑न्ति । दि॒वः । वा॒ । ये । रो॒च॒ने । सन्ति॑ । दे॒वाः । ऊमाः॑ । वा॒ । ये । सु॒ऽहवा॑सः । यज॑त्राः । आ॒ऽये॒मि॒रे । र॒थ्यः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अश्वाः॑ ॥
urau | vā | ye | antarikṣe | madanti | divaḥ | vā | ye | rocane | santi | devāḥ | ūmāḥ | vā | ye | su-havāsaḥ | yajatrāḥ | āyemire | rathyaḥ | agne | aśvāḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Alternation of breadth (urau) and height (divo rocane) gives a ‘two-level’ cadence
Creates a sense of spanning planes; ends with readiness and forward motion (yoked horses).
- urau
- Literal: wide, vast. Symbolic: the expansive field of life-consciousness when freed from constriction
- antarikṣa
- Literal: mid-world, atmosphere. Symbolic: intermediate plane: vital mind, emotions, prāṇic currents, formative thought
- rocana (divo rocane)
- Literal: luminous realm of heaven. Symbolic: illumined mind; clarified consciousness beyond the ordinary mental haze
- madanti
- Literal: rejoice, take delight. Symbolic: powers become active and supportive when the offering is glad and true
- suhavāsaḥ
- Literal: easy to call. Symbolic: inner powers respond readily to sincere aspiration and clarity
- yajatrāḥ
- Literal: worthy of worship. Symbolic: forces of truth/harmony that deserve our conscious alignment
- rathyaḥ aśvāḥ
- Literal: chariot-horses. Symbolic: vital energies and action-forces disciplined for the journey of yoga/offerings
- āyemire
- Literal: have come into harness/arrangement. Symbolic: energies gathered, yoked, and prepared for right movement
Universal invitation (sarvadevatya tendency): calling gods from antarikṣa and dyu, with Agni preparing the ‘vehicle’ of the rite.
When calling deities from different cosmic regions to attend the rite
Āvāhana (invitation) and preparation of offering; mental ‘yoking’ of faculties parallels ritual yoking
Before work or study: recite to align breath, attention, and energy; set an intention that your ‘horses’ serve a higher aim.
antarikṣa ‘between’ (antar) + ‘space’ (ikṣa/īkṣ?)—traditional formation; denotes intermediate realm. mad (√mad ‘to rejoice, be exhilarated, be strong’) indicates inspired force/rapture. rocaná from √ruc ‘shine’. su-havāsa: su ‘good/easy’ + havāsa from √hū/√hu ‘call/invoke’. yajatra from √yaj ‘to worship/sacrifice’. aśva ‘horse’ (PIE *h₁éḱwos; cf. Latin equus).
many planes of being (earth/mid/heaven), divine accessibility (su-havāsaḥ), joy/force (mada) as divine mode
The ‘easy-to-call’ gods respond when movement is in harmony with ṛta; yoking the horses symbolizes ordered force.
The rocana is the realm of truth-light; invocation aims to bring that light into the mid-region.
Bridging levels—mid to heaven—through a prepared vehicle (ratha) of disciplined energies.
Integral psychological interpretation: planes of consciousness and their cooperation.
Atmosphere = affective-vital mind; heaven = illumined mind; horses = prāṇa/drive; chariot = organized personality moving toward the goal.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘calling of the gods from the three worlds’ and the ‘ready chariot’ motif. Inner sense: the seeker calls upon higher powers from multiple planes; Agni organizes the energies (aśvāḥ) so the consciousness can travel and receive the gods’ influx.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva ‘horse’ is a classic PIE inheritance (*h₁éḱwos), showing shared Indo-European poetic technology (chariot/horse imagery). √yaj is Indo-Iranian central ritual lexicon; √mad expresses ecstatic strength found widely in Indo-European religious diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions Agni as mediator across planes: gods may be ‘there’ (antarikṣa/rocana), but they become ‘here’ through Agni’s prepared movement. The human call (havana) meets divine readiness (su-havāsaḥ), producing a cooperative descent.
Unify scattered energies; call higher supports from ‘mid’ and ‘heaven’ within.
maṇipūra (will/drive) coordinated with ājñā (guiding light)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to ‘yoke’ the prāṇa; keep it gentle
Collected, ready, upward-oriented
Name the two regions: (1) your restless mid-region (emotions/thoughts), (2) your luminous aspiration above; with each pāda, feel alignment; end by offering one action as the ‘journey’.
Tri-svara (udatta/anudatta/svarita) as per Vedic accent; preserve caesura after |.
Give slight lift on key invocatory words (agne, devāḥ); keep long compounds flowing without breaking sandhi excessively.
antarikṣe: keep kṣ as a clear conjunct (k+ṣa), rocane: ‘c’ as ‘ch’ in classical Sanskrit? (Vedic recitation often closer to ‘c’); keep consistent with your śākhā, aśvāḥ: pronounce śv cluster cleanly; final visarga audible
Bright and mobilizing; steady pulse like hoofbeats
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