Rig Veda 4.3.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 3, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.3
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Bhayankara
कथा ह तद्वरुणाय त्वमग्ने कथा दिवे गर्हसे कन्न आगः । कथा मित्राय मीळ्हुषे पृथिव्यै ब्रवः कदर्यम्णे कद्भगाय ॥
kathā́ ha tád váruṇāya tvám agne kathā́ divé garhase kán na ā́gaḥ | kathā́ mitrā́ya mīḷhúṣe pṛthivyái brávaḥ kád aryamṇé kád bhágāya ||
अग्नि, वरुण तुमसे क्या कहेगा? आसमान तुम्हे क्यों डाँट रहा है, हमने क्या गलती की? मित्र और धरती तुमसे क्या बोलेंगे? अर्यमन और भग तुम्हे क्या कहेंगे?
Word by Word
- कथा
- how?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययRoot कथा (प्रश्नाव्यय)
- ह
- indeed; surelyIndeclinableनिपात (उपपद/अनुनासिक बलार्थ)Root ह (निपात)
- तत्
- that (deed/thing)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणाय
- to VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot वरुण (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot अग्नि (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कथा
- how?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययRoot कथा (प्रश्नाव्यय)
- दिवे
- to Heaven; to the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ)
- गर्हसे
- you reproach/blameVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot गर्ह् (धातु)
- कन्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (वैदिक: कन् = किम्)Role KarmaRoot किम् (सर्वनाम; वैदिक रूप)
- नु
- now? then? (particle)Indeclinableनिपात (प्रश्न/अन्वय/अनुशासनार्थ)Root नु (निपात)
- आगः
- sin; offenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot आगस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कथा
- how?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययRoot कथा (प्रश्नाव्यय)
- मित्राय
- to MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मित्र (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मीळ्हुषे
- to the gracious/bountiful oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मीळ्हु (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक विशेषण)
- पृथिव्यै
- to EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रवः
- you say/speakVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (वैदिक रूप: ब्रवः = ब्रवीषि)Root ब्रू (धातु)
- कद्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (वैदिक: कद् = किम्)Role KarmaRoot किम् (सर्वनाम; वैदिक रूप)
- अर्यम्णे
- to AryamanNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अर्यमन् (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कद्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot किम् (सर्वनाम; वैदिक रूप)
- भगाय
- to BhagaNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot भग (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- मुख्य संधि-विच्छेद: (1) तद्वरुणाय → तत् + वरुणाय (द् + व → द्व). (2) कन्नु → कन् + नु (नकार-संयोग). (3) कद् + अर्यम्णे → कदर्यम्णे (द् + अ → द + अ, पद-संयोग). (4) कद् + भगाय → कद्भगाय (द् + भ → द्भ). अन्य पद यथारूपेण। वैदिक रूप: कन्/कद् = किम्
- ब्रवः = ब्रवीषि (ब्रू धातोः वर्तमान 2sg वैदिक)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet asks Agni: how will you answer to Varuṇa, how are you reproached before Heaven—what is our fault? What will you say to Mitra the gracious, to Earth, to Aryaman, to Bhaga?
Inner meaning
Agni as inner mediator must ‘speak for us’ before the great cosmic powers of order and harmony (Ādityas). The seeker confronts inner guilt/discord (āgaḥ) and asks: what in me is out of alignment with Truth (Varuṇa), with harmony and right relation (Mitra), with the vast witness-consciousness (Dyaus/Heaven), with the grounded field of embodiment (Pṛthivī), with noble law and right belonging (Aryaman), and with the right distribution of delight and gifts (Bhaga)? The verse is a psychological confession and a call for rectification through the divine Will.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires honest self-audit before the laws of truth, harmony, and right share; the transforming will must mediate, correct, and restore alignment so that life can stand un-reproached in the light.
Themes
self-examination, restoring right relation, Āditya framework, ethical-psychological purification
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.3.4, Rig Veda 4.3.6
Family tradition
The Gautamas often integrate ethical-psychological scrutiny with invocation; Vāmadeva’s questioning style reveals a mature inner accountability.
Significance
A pivotal moment of self-examination: the sacrifice is not only offering but correction—bringing the being into right standing before cosmic truth-powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- dūta (messenger), hotṛ (invoker), kavi (seer-poet)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dyaus, Pṛthivī
Cosmic role
Spokesman between human and gods; purifier who makes the offering acceptable to the cosmic law.
Inner power
The conscience-fire and executive will that can present our aspiration truthfully and burn away fault.
In ritual
Where it is used
Prāyaścitta-like introspective questioning within Agni praise (not a fixed expiation formula, but thematically aligned)
क॒था ह॒ तद्वरु॑णाय॒ त्वम॑ग्ने क॒था दि॒वे ग॑र्हसे॒ कन्न॒ आग॑: । क॒था मि॒त्राय॑ मी॒ळ्हुषे॑ पृथि॒व्यै ब्रव॒: कद॑र्य॒म्णे कद्भगा॑य ॥
क॒था । ह॒ । तत् । वरु॑णाय । त्वम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । क॒था दि॒वे ग॒र्ह॒से॒ । कत् । नः॒ । आगः॑ । क॒था । मि॒त्राय । मी॒ळ्हुषे॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्यै । ब्रवः॑ । कत् । अ॒र्य॒म्णे । कत् । भगा॑य ॥
kathā | ha | tat | varuṇāya | tvam | agne | kathā dive garhase | kat | naḥ | āgaḥ | kathā | mitrāya | mīḷhuṣe | pṛthivyai | bravaḥ | kat | aryamṇe | kat | bhagāya
44
4 × ~11
Interrogative and judicial; repeated kathā/kad gives a probing cadence.
Brings moral clarity and sincerity; induces introspection and readiness for purification.
- Varuṇa
- Literal: Āditya deity of cosmic law. Symbolic: vast truth-order, conscience of the infinite; the power that binds to truth
- Dyaus (dive)
- Literal: Heaven/sky. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous witness-consciousness
- garhase
- Literal: are reproached/blamed. Symbolic: inner sense of disharmony exposed by higher light
- āgaḥ
- Literal: fault, sin, error. Symbolic: misalignment, false movement, egoic distortion
- Mitra
- Literal: deity of friendship/contract. Symbolic: harmony, right relation, benevolence in the being
- mīḻhuṣe
- Literal: gracious, bountiful. Symbolic: the forgiving harmonizer that restores balance
- Pṛthivī
- Literal: Earth. Symbolic: embodied nature; stability and receptivity
- Aryaman
- Literal: Āditya of nobility/companionship. Symbolic: noble law, right belonging, disciplined social/inner order
- Bhaga
- Literal: dispenser of shares, fortune. Symbolic: right allotment of joy, energy, and results according to truth
Confessional/reflective segment within Agni hymn: used to remove obstacles (āgas) and restore alignment with Āditya-law in the rite.
When seeking removal of fault/obstacle and right relation with Āditya powers.
Confessional recitation accompanying offerings for reconciliation with cosmic order.
Use as a reflective mantra before journaling/confession: identify misalignments with truth, harmony, embodiment, and right use of energy.
ā́gas ‘offense’ from √aṅh/√ag? RV āgas denotes moral/ritual fault—psychologically misalignment. Varuṇa from √vṛ ‘to cover/encompass’ → the all-encompassing law; Mitra from √mi ‘to bind’ → alliance/harmony (PIE *mei- ‘to exchange/bind’). Bhaga from PIE *bʰag- ‘to apportion’ (cf. Slavic bogŭ ‘god’ via ‘dispenser’). Aryaman connected with arya ‘noble’ and ordering of belonging.
Rita and moral order (Varuṇa), harmony/contract (Mitra), right share and fortune (Bhaga), fault and purification (āgas)
Ādityas maintain ṛta; the verse asks how one stands before that order.
Varuṇa represents uncompromising truth; Agni must align speech/action to it.
Ethical-psychological Vedism: ‘sin’ as ignorance/misalignment rather than mere ritual error.
Heaven = higher mind/witness; Earth = body-nature; Fire = mediator that reconciles the two under truth-law.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘trial before the Ādityas’: the sacrificer’s state is measured against Varuṇa’s law, Mitra’s harmony, Aryaman’s noble order, and Bhaga’s right allotment. Psychologically it is conscience before cosmic truth—seeking to correct deviation so the inner fire can mediate without reproach.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Bhaga continues PIE *bʰag- ‘to apportion’ (cf. Avestan baga ‘god’, Old Church Slavonic bogŭ). Mitra aligns with Indo-Iranian *mitra- ‘contract, alliance’ (Avestan miθra). These preserve an IE sacral-legal lexicon embedded in the hymn’s moral inquiry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is treated as inner advocate and messenger: the rishi asks how Agni will ‘speak’ on behalf of the human to the cosmic powers. The reciprocity is purification-based: by acknowledging āgas and seeking right speech/action, the human enables Agni to represent them in truth.
Inner alignment audit before truth-powers: Where am I out of harmony with truth (Varuṇa), relationship (Mitra), embodiment (Pṛthivī), and right share (Bhaga)?
Maṇipūra (will/ethics)
Long exhale with silent ‘kathā…’ to release defensiveness; brief stillness to feel truth without self-justification.
Sincere, transparent, accountable; readiness for purification rather than self-condemnation.
Chant once, then name one ‘āgaḥ’ as a pattern (not a story). Offer it to Agni with a concrete correction for the next 24 hours.
Keep kathā…kathā… as clear interrogatives; do not sing—recite with solemn steadiness.
Stress the deity names distinctly: varuṇā́ya, divé, mitrā́ya, pṛthivyái, aryamṇé, bhagā́ya.
kathā: aspirated ‘th’ (not ‘t’), garhase: ‘rh’ cluster—keep ‘r’ light, ‘h’ audible, mīḻhuṣe: careful with retroflex ‘ḻ’, aryamṇe: nasal cluster ‘mṇ’—keep both sounds
Low, steady, confessional; allow brief silence after each question.
1
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
