Rig Veda 4.15.1: Mandala 4, Sukta 15, Mantra 1
Sukta 4.15
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अनायतो अनिबद्धः कथायं न्यङ्ङुत्तानोऽव पद्यते न । कया याति स्वधया को ददर्श दिवः स्कम्भः समृतः पाति नाकम् ॥
agnír hótā no adhvaré vājī́ sán pári nīyate | dēvó dēvéṣu yajñíyaḥ ||
अग्नि हमारे यज्ञ का पुजारी है जो सफल होता है। वो भगवान बाकी भगवानों में सबसे प्यारा है। यज्ञ के लिए अपनी जगह ले लेता है।
Word by Word
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest; invokerNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः का विशेषण/समनाधिकरण)Root हु (धातु) → होतृ- (कृदन्त, तृच्)
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक); बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of us/our’)Root अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम)
- अध्वरे
- in the rite; in the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अध्वर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजी
- prize-winning; vigorousAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः का विशेषण)Root वाजिन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्
- beingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (अग्निः के साथ)Role कर्तृ (अग्निः का विशेषण)Root अस् (धातु) → सन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- परि
- around; forth; fullyIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (गत्यर्थ/परितः)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नीयते
- is led; is conductedVerbलट् (वर्तमान); कर्मणि; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रिया (अग्निः = कर्मणि कर्तृ/विषय)Root नी (धातु) + य (कर्मणि-प्रयोग) ; उपसर्गः परि-
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः का विशेषण/समनाधिकरण)Root देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवेषु
- among the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञियः
- worthy of sacrifice; fit for worshipAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः का विशेषण)Root यज्ञिय- (प्रातिपदिक; यज्ञ + य)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: अ॒ग्निर्होता॑ → पदपाठ: अग्निः | होता । (विसर्ग-रेफः: ः + ह → र्ह)
- सन्परि॑ → सन् | परि (न् + प् संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A riddle-like verse: How does one who is not guided and not bound move downward or upward? By what inherent power does he go? Who has seen it? The “pillar of heaven,” joined with the Immortal, supports the celestial realm.
Inner meaning
The seer points to the paradox of the inner Fire/Will moving in consciousness without outer supports: it can descend into the subconscient (nyaṅ) to recover hidden light, and it can rise (uttāna) toward the open heaven of higher mind. The question “by what svadhā?” indicates an innate law of being—self-nature guided by the Divine within, not by external compulsion. The “skambha” is the stable axis of consciousness (the inner support of the higher plane) which, when “samṛta” (united with the immortal principle), holds the seeker’s inner heaven steady during descent/ascent.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth depends on an inner axis (truth-support) that allows consciousness to move safely between depths and heights. When action is aligned with one’s divine self-law (svadhā), the soul can descend to transform darkness and ascend to illumination without losing its center.
Themes
Agni-hotṛ, Ritual leadership, Force and victory (vāja), Mediation
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1–4.58 (Vāmadeva book context; attribution varies by hymn/anuvāka)
Significance
The voice is of the riddle-seer: pointing beyond ritual motion to the occult mechanics of ascent/descent in consciousness, centered on an unshakable ‘support of heaven’ within.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (implied inner Fire; though the verse is more metaphysical)
- Epithets
- Hotṛ (inner priest), Jātavedas (knower of births), Vaiśvānara (universal fire)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mediator between earth and heaven; establishes the link (skambha-like support) for the ascent of offerings/aspiration.
Inner power
Divine Will and discerning flame that can penetrate downward into obscurity and rise upward into illumination while maintaining the inner axis of truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as Hotṛ in standard śrauta offerings; circumambulation/leading of Agni/fire in ritual sequences (general)
अ॒ग्निर्होता॑ नो अध्व॒रे वा॒जी सन्परि॑ णीयते । दे॒वो दे॒वेषु॑ य॒ज्ञिय॑: ॥
अना॑यतः । अनि॑ऽबद्धः । क॒था । अ॒यम् । न्य॑ङ् । उ॒त्ता॒नः । अव॑ । प॒द्य॒ते॒ । न । कया॑ । या॒ति॒ । स्व॒धया॑ । कः । द॒द॒र्श॒ । दि॒वः । स्क॒म्भः । सम्ऽऋ॑तः । पा॒ति॒ । नाक॑म् ॥
anāyataḥ | ani-baddhaḥ | kathā | ayam | nyaṅ | uttānaḥ | ava | padyate | na | kayā | yāti | svadhayā | kaḥ | dadarśa | divaḥ | skambhaḥ | sam-ṛtaḥ | pāti | nākam
Gāyatrī-like (probable; verse shows compact tri-pāda cadence though text appears expanded/elliptic)
24
3 pādas × ~8 syllables (with Vedic sandhi variations)
Interrogative, clipped, riddle-rhythm; quick turns (down/up) mirrored in cadence.
Creates inward questioning and alertness; good for contemplative japa leading into silence.
- anāyataḥ
- Literal: not led/unguided. Symbolic: inner movement not dependent on external direction; self-led by the indwelling Guide
- anibaddhaḥ
- Literal: unbound/unfastened. Symbolic: free consciousness not tied to habit, fear, or mechanical nature
- nyaṅ
- Literal: downward. Symbolic: descent into subconscient/inconscient layers for purification and recovery
- uttānaḥ
- Literal: stretched upward, turned upward. Symbolic: aspiration/opening to higher mind and luminous planes
- svadhā
- Literal: one’s own power/nourishment/inherent law. Symbolic: the soul’s native divine law of action; spontaneous right functioning of being
- divaḥ skambhaḥ
- Literal: pillar/support of heaven. Symbolic: axis of truth-consciousness (support of higher plane in the seeker)
- amṛta / samṛtaḥ
- Literal: immortal / joined with the immortal. Symbolic: union with deathless consciousness; stabilization in the eternal
- nāka
- Literal: heaven/firmament. Symbolic: luminous mind-world; clarified inner sky of awareness
Agni as Hotṛ in standard śrauta offerings; circumambulation/leading of Agni/fire in ritual sequences (general)
Use as a contemplative mantra before meditation: establish the ‘inner pillar’ (spinal axis) and invite the right descent/ascent of awareness under svadhā (inner law).
adhvara- is traditionally ‘non-injuring’ (a-dhvara) and denotes the intact rite; inner sense: a straight, undivided path of practice. vāja- from √vaj/√vāj relates to strength, impetus, and winning; hence ‘plenitude of force’ rather than mere food/prize. √nī ‘lead’ indicates conscious guidance—Agni is the guided and guiding flame.
Agni as mediator (hotṛ) between human and divine, vāja as force for victory in inner work, adhvara as undivided path
The ‘svadhā’ hints at an inherent ṛta in the being—right movement without external compulsion.
The skambha is the truth-support that prevents collapse during inner transitions.
Axis-motif: heaven is ‘held’ by a supporting principle; consciousness is structured by a vertical alignment.
Proto-Upaniṣadic/Skambha motif (later explicit in Atharva tradition); compatible with Aurobindonian ascent/descent psychology.
Fire = will; sky = mind-space; pillar = spinal/central channel of consciousness holding the higher poise while energies move up/down.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine priest who conducts the sacrifice and leads the movement between worlds. Inner sense: the awakened will-flame is installed and guided so it can invoke higher powers and carry the offering upward, bringing back force (vāja) into the human system.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- agni- < PIE *h₁n̥gʷnis. √nī ‘lead’ corresponds to PIE *ne(h₁)i- ‘to lead’ (cf. Lat. dūcere is different; but Sanskrit naya- is internally consistent with IE ‘lead’ roots). yajña from √yaj relates to IE sacrificial vocabulary (cf. Avestan yasna).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is ‘our’ hotṛ: the rishi claims intimate possession/participation. The human leads/establishes Agni through rite and attention; Agni reciprocates by becoming the effective invoking power among the gods, enabling communion and the winning of vāja (force).
Locate the inner ‘skambha’—a steady vertical axis (spine/breath) and observe awareness descend into obscurity and rise into clarity without losing center.
sushumna-axis (general); heart-to-brow alignment (optional)
gentle nāḍī-śodhana or equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) before silent inquiry
Witness consciousness with dynamic mobility (ascent/descent) held in a stable truth-poise.
Ask inwardly ‘by what svadhā do I move?’ then let the will align with the deepest right impulse; end by resting in the felt ‘support of heaven’ above the head and within the spine.
Follow pada recitation with standard RV accents: identify udātta on marked acute syllables, svarita on grave/combined contours; keep interrogative pādas clearly separated.
Sustain udātta slightly higher; let svarita glide down; keep the questions (‘kathā… kayā… ko…’) crisp with slight pause after each interrogative unit.
Maintain retroflex ṇ in ‘anibaddhaḥ’ (ni-baddha) with clear gemination feel in ddh., Pronounce ‘nyaṅ’ with nasalization and clear palatal glide: ny-aṅ., Keep ‘svadhayā’ as sva-dha-yā (not swa-dha-yaa overly merged)., Articulate ‘skambhaḥ’ with sk- cluster and aspirated bh.
Inward, contemplative, slightly whispered resonance; end in a held silence.
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