Rig Veda 4.3.1: Mandala 4, Sukta 3, Mantra 1
Sukta 4.3
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
आ वो राजानमध्वरस्य रुद्रं होतारं सत्ययजं रोदस्योः । अग्निं पुरा तनयित्नोरचित्ताद्धिरण्यरूपमवसे कृणुध्वम् ॥
ā vo rājānam adhvarásya rudráṃ hotā́raṃ satyá-yajaṃ rodasyoḥ | agníṃ purā tanayitnór acittā́d híraṇya-rūpam ávase kṛṇudhvam ||
यज्ञ के राजा रुद्र को लाओ। वो दोनों दुनिया के सच्चे पुजारी हैं। अग्नि को सोना जैसा बना दो जो हमारे काम आए। वो पुराना है और शक्ति से पैदा हुआ है। जो छुपा है उसे भी जगा दो।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थः ‘आ’ = towards, hither)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वः
- for you; of youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन (enclitic) ‘of you/for you’Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद्
- राजानम्
- the kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot राजन्
- अध्वरस्य
- of the sacrifice (adhvara)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root अध्वर
- रुद्रम्
- RudraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (apposition to राजानम्)Root रुद्र
- होतारम्
- the Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (apposition)Root होतृ
- सत्ययजम्
- the true sacrificerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (विशेषणम्; राजानम्/रुद्रम्/होतारम् इत्यस्य)Role Karma (qualifier)Root सत्य-यज (प्रातिपदिक; ‘true’ + ‘sacrificing’)
- रोदस्योः
- of Heaven and EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्व-भावः), षष्ठी द्विवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root रोदसी (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; ‘heaven-and-earth’)
- अग्निम्
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अग्नि
- पुरा
- formerly, of oldIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (temporal)Root पुरा
- तनयित्नोः
- of the begetter/offspring (tanayitnu)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot तनयित्नु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘offspring/lineage’/‘begetting’ sense, Vedic)
- अचित्तात्
- from the unperceived/unknown (state/source)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (Vedic usage), पञ्चमी एकवचन (ablative)Role ApādānaRoot अ-चित्त (प्रातिपदिक; ‘unperceived/unknown’)
- हिरण्यरूपम्
- golden-formedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (अग्निम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (qualifier)Root हिरण्य-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; ‘golden-formed’)
- अवसे
- for help, for protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole Sampradāna (purpose/benefit)Root अवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘aid, protection’)
- कृणुध्वम्
- make (him), establish; doVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot कृ (करणे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | वः | राजानम् | अध्वरस्य | रुद्रम् | होतारम् | सत्ययजम् | रोदस्योः || अग्निम् | पुरा | तनयित्नोः | अचित्तात् | हिरण्यरूपम् | अवसे | कृणुध्वम् । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) राजानम् + अध्वरस्य → राजानमध्वरस्य (अ + अ = अ; लेखने संधि-लोपः)। (2) अचित्तात् + हिरण्यरूपम् → अचित्ताद्धिरण्यरूपम् (त् + ह → द्ध; परसवर्ण/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Bring forward the king of the sacrifice, the Rudra as hotṛ who truly sacrifices for the two worlds. Make Agni—ancient, born of the thunder/fostering energies—golden-formed for our help, awakening even from what is unperceived.
Inner meaning
Agni is invoked as rājā of the adhvara: the sovereign directing the inner journey. Rudra here is a force-aspect within Agni—fierce purifying power that can cut through falsehood and heal by truth—serving as the true hotṛ (satyayajam) in both worlds (rodasyoḥ): the inner (subjective) and outer (objective) planes. Agni is ‘ancient’ (purā), rooted in the eternal principle, and born of tanayitnu—fostering/energizing powers (also resonant with thunder: the shock that awakens). He is to be made hiraṇyarūpa—golden-formed: a luminous, sattvic, supramentalizing will. Crucially, he awakens from acittāt—out of the unperceived/unconscious: bringing light into subconscient layers and making them a power of help (avase).
Universal truth
The guiding fire of transformation must become sovereign and truthful in all planes of life. When the purifying force (Rudra) is integrated into the will, even unconscious parts can awaken and serve the truth.
Themes
Agni as inner priest, consecration of the sacrifice, awakening from unconsciousness, luminous transformation
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.3.2, RV 4.3.3, RV 4.3.4
Family tradition
In RV 4.3 the Vāmadeva line continues Agni’s inner kingship and introduces Rudra-aspect: purification and awakening from hidden layers.
Significance
The rishi frames Agni as a total transformer across ‘two worlds’ and explicitly includes the awakening of what is unconscious (acittāt), anticipating later yogic psychology.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (as king; Rudra-force as aspect)
- Epithets
- Rājā of adhvara, Hotṛ, Satyayaj, Hiraṇyarūpa, Purā (ancient)
- Related deities
- Rudra, Indra (awakening shock/illumination), Uṣas (illumination)
Cosmic role
Sovereign priest-power that governs the sacrifice across heaven and earth; purifies and heals through Rudra-force; awakens hidden layers into conscious offering.
Inner power
Royal will and truth-guided invocation; fierce clarity that cuts obstruction and converts darkness into luminous force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation at the start of a rite; calling Agni as hotṛ/king for correct performance.
आ वो॒ राजा॑नमध्व॒रस्य॑ रु॒द्रं होता॑रं सत्य॒यजं॒ रोद॑स्योः । अ॒ग्निं पु॒रा त॑नयि॒त्नोर॒चित्ता॒द्धिर॑ण्यरूप॒मव॑से कृणुध्वम् ॥
आ । वः॒ । राजा॑नम् । अ॒ध्व॒रस्य॑ । रु॒द्रम् । होता॑रम् । स॒त्य॒ऽयज॒म् । रोद॑स्योः । अ॒ग्निम् । पु॒रा । त॒न॒यि॒त्नोः । अ॒चित्ता॑त् । हिर॑ण्यऽरूपम् । अव॑से । कृ॒णु॒ध्व॒म् ॥
ā | vaḥ | rājānam | adhvarasya | rudram | hotāram | satya-yajam | rodasyoḥ | agnim | purā | tanayitnoḥ | acittāt | hiraṇya-rūpam | avase | kṛṇudhvam
44
4 × ~11
Regal and declarative; strong syntactic weight suited to kingship and invocation of sovereign power.
Instills authority and protection; evokes a ‘descending command’ that awakens dullness and stabilizes truth-guided action.
- राजानम् (rājānam)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: sovereign governing power of the inner sacrifice
- अध्वरस्य (adhvarasya)
- Literal: of the sacrifice/journey. Symbolic: the unbroken path of yoga and inner offering
- रुद्रम् (rudram)
- Literal: Rudra. Symbolic: fierce purifying-healing force; remover of inner disorder
- होतारम् (hotāram)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: the power in us that calls and mediates between human and divine
- सत्ययजम् (satyayajam)
- Literal: true-sacrificing. Symbolic: action aligned to truth (satya) and right order
- रोदस्योः (rodasyoḥ)
- Literal: of the two worlds (heaven and earth). Symbolic: higher and lower planes; inner and outer consciousness
- पुरा (purā)
- Literal: ancient. Symbolic: eternal principle, original fire in the being
- तनयित्नोः (tanayitnoḥ)
- Literal: of fostering energies / thunder-bearing. Symbolic: nurturing dynamic forces; awakening shock-power that brings birth
- अचित्तात् (acittāt)
- Literal: from the unperceived, from non-awareness. Symbolic: from subconscient/inconscient layers
- हिरण्यरूपम् (hiraṇyarūpam)
- Literal: golden-formed. Symbolic: luminous, purified, higher-nature formation of will-consciousness
- अवसे (avase)
- Literal: for help. Symbolic: effective inner aid: protection, guidance, strength
Agni-invocation in Soma and Haviryajña contexts; usable as an āhavana-oriented call to establish the hotṛ/Agni as leader of the rite (general śrauta employment rather than a single fixed viniyoga).
Opening of an adhvara sequence; when establishing the priestly function and truth-alignment of the sacrifice.
Invite Agni to the altar; establish sacred space; offerings begin under his ‘kingship’.
Use when needing firm truth-guided action and purification: before difficult conversations/work, invoke the ‘Rudra-hotṛ’ aspect to cut confusion and awaken unconscious resistances.
Key terms: (1) adhvará-: traditionally ‘sacrifice/rite’; often analyzed as a- + dhvara (‘broken/violent’), hence ‘unbroken’, indicating an integral offering-movement. (2) rudrá-: from root rud- (‘to cry/roar’) + -ra; signifies vehement force that both smites and heals; here an epithet of the kingly power of the rite. (3) hotṛ́: from √hu ‘to pour/offer/invoke’; the invoking function, psychologically the flame that calls down higher powers. (4) satyá-yajam: satyá ‘true’ (from sat ‘being’) + yaja (from √yaj ‘to worship/sacrifice’): offering that expresses the truth of being. (5) hiraṇya: ‘golden, shining’ from a ‘to move’/hira ‘swift’ traditions; in RV usage strongly connotes radiance (not merely metal). (6) aváse: dative of avas ‘help, protection’ from √av ‘to protect/aid’. (7) kṛṇudhvam: imperative middle of √kṛ ‘to make/do’, emphasizing the participants’ active formation of the inner state.
Satya (truth of being), Rita (implicit via satya-yaj and ordered sacrifice), two-world integration (rodasī as higher/lower harmonization)
Agni as true hotṛ maintains right order between higher and lower planes.
Truth-guided sacrifice: actions become offerings aligned with inner truth rather than ego.
Awakening from acittā: bringing light into the unmanifest/hidden—microcosmic evolution.
Bridging Vedic yajña and yogic evolutionism: awakening inconscient layers through the golden fire of truth.
Thunder = awakening shock of force; gold = purified higher consciousness; two worlds = inner/outer integration; fire = sovereign transforming will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The enthronement/installation of Agni as king and hotṛ of the sacrifice: the mythic act is the ‘bringing forward’ of the divine fire that mediates between the two worlds (rodasī). Psychologically, it is the establishment of the guiding will and luminous priesthood in the human vessel, capable of drawing help even from the unlit (acitta) layers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- hotṛ́ derives from √hu ‘to pour, offer, invoke’, aligning with PIE *ǵʰew- ‘to pour, libate’ (cf. Greek χέω khéō ‘I pour’). satyá from sat ‘being’ relates to PIE *h₁es- ‘to be’ (cf. Latin est, English is). These preserve the Indo-European sacral lexicon: being/truth and libation/invocation as core ritual-psychological operators.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer does not merely praise; he instructs the collective offerers (‘kṛṇudhvam’) to actively form Agni into a golden, helpful presence. The reciprocity is functional: humans shape the right conditions of offering (satyá-yaj), and Agni, as king-hotṛ, governs the ascent and brings protective efficacy (avás) across both planes (rodasī).
Install the inner Fire as sovereign guide; invoke the Rudra-force to purify and awaken unconscious resistances into conscious offering.
Maṇipūra (sovereign will) with descent into Mūlādhāra/subconscient layers (acittāt)
Kapalabhāti light version (if suitable) to awaken dullness, followed by slow grounding breaths; otherwise steady diaphragmatic breathing with a firm exhale.
Commanding, truth-aligned, purifying; integration across inner/outer life.
Begin by affirming truth-intent (satyayajam). Visualize a golden flame at the navel rising as a kingly pillar through the spine, touching ‘two worlds’ (earth and sky). Then direct its light downward into dim areas (acittāt) to awaken them without fear.
Tri-svara; emphasize udātta on rājānam, rudram, hotāram, agnim, hiraṇyarūpam (confirm with svara text).
Keep dignified pacing; allow a slight lift on ‘ā vo’ and ‘ā…kṛṇudhvam’ framing the invocation.
Pronounce rodasyoḥ with clear retroflex ḍ? (it is dental d here: ro-da-syoḥ); keep sandhi smooth., In hiraṇyarūpam: articulate ṇy cluster carefully (hi-ra-ṇya-rū-pam)., Maintain aspirate th in adhvarasya (not ‘advar’).
Regal, steady, slightly grave; allow a contained intensity on ‘rudram’.
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