Rig Veda 4.5.4: Mandala 4, Sukta 5, Mantra 4
Sukta 4.5
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
प्र ताँ अग्निर्बभसत्तिग्मजम्भस्तपिष्ठेन शोचिषा यः सुराधाः । प्र ये मिनन्ति वरुणस्य धाम प्रिया मित्रस्य चेततो ध्रुवाणि ॥
prá tā́m̐ agnír babhasat tigmá-jambhas tápiṣṭhena śocíṣā yáḥ su-rā́dhāḥ | prá ye minánti váruṇasya dhā́ma priyā́ mitrásya cétato dhruvā́ṇi ||
अग्नि बड़ा तेज है, आग से भरा है। वो अपनी सबसे बड़ी आग से दुश्मनों को जला देता है। वो लोगों को मारता है जो गलत काम करते हैं। मित्र और वरुण के नियम को तोड़ते हैं। वो पकड़े जाते हैं।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- तान्
- those (them)Pronounmasculine accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot तद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- अग्निः
- Agni (Fire-god)Nounmasculine nominative singularRole KartāRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- बभसत्ति
- crushes, smitesVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot भस् (धातु; Vedic present)
- तीग्मजम्भः
- sharp-jawed, with fierce teethAdjectivemasculine nominative singular (agreeing with अग्निः)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root तीग्म-जम्भ (prātipadika; bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa compound)
- तपिष्ठेन
- with the hottestAdjectiveneuter instrumental singular (used adverbially/with शोचिषा)Role KaraṇaRoot तपिष्ठ (superlative adj. from तप्/तपस्)
- शोचिषा
- with flame, with blazing lightNounneuter instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot शोचिस् (prātipadika)
- यः
- whoPronounmasculine nominative singularRole Kartā (relative)Root यद् (relative pronoun)
- सुराधाः
- of good bounty, beneficentAdjectivemasculine nominative singular (agreeing with यः/अग्निः)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root सु-राधस् (prātipadika; bahuvrīhi)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- ये
- who (those who)Pronounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot यद् (relative pronoun)
- मिनन्ति
- they violate, they transgressVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot मि (धातु; ‘to diminish/violate’)
- वरुणस्य
- of VaruṇaNounmasculine genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot वरुण (prātipadika)
- धाम
- abode, ordinance, domainNounneuter accusative singular (Vedic: acc. sg. = धाम)Role KarmaRoot धामन् (prātipadika)
- प्रियाणि
- dear (things), cherished (ordinances)Adjectiveneuter accusative pluralRole Karma (with understood noun ‘things’)Root प्रिय (prātipadika)
- मित्रस्य
- of MitraNounmasculine genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot मित्र (prātipadika)
- चेततः
- of the observing/attentive (one)Adjective/Participlemasculine genitive singular (agreeing with मित्रस्य)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot चेतत् (present participle from चित् ‘to perceive/notice’)
- ध्रुवाणि
- firm, fixed, steadfastAdjectiveneuter accusative plural (agreeing with प्रियाणि)Role Karma (qualifier)Root ध्रुव (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved: ताँ → तान् (acc. pl. of तद्)
- अग्निर्बभसत्ति → अग्निः बभसत्ति (visarga before voiced consonant)
- तिग्मजम्भस्तपिष्ठेन → तीग्मजम्भः तपिष्ठेन (visarga before voiceless dental)
- शोचिषा यः (no change)
- सुराधाः (pada as given)
- वरुणस्य धाम (Vedic acc. sg. धाम < धामन्)
- मित्रस्य चेततो → मित्रस्य चेततः (gen. sg. of present participle चेतत्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, keen-jawed, blazes against them with his hottest flame, he of perfect works; he strikes those who damage Varuṇa’s abode of law and disturb Mitra’s dear, firm harmonies that awaken consciousness.
Inner meaning
The inner Fire becomes a force of purification and battle: with ‘keen jaws’ he consumes false movements and hostile formations. Those who ‘impair Varuṇa’s dhāma’ are impulses that violate the vast law of truth and right order; those who disturb Mitra’s ‘dear firm’ harmonies are forces of division that break inner concord and the awakened relational intelligence. Agni’s burning is not wrath for its own sake but surādhāḥ—perfect in working: a precise transformative heat restoring ṛta in the psyche.
Universal truth
Illumined will must actively purify what violates truth and harmony; spiritual growth requires both warmth of concord and fire of correction.
Themes
Ethical purification, Law and harmony (Varuṇa–Mitra), Destruction of violators, Agni as enforcer of ṛta
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.5.1, RV 4.5.2, RV 4.5.3, RV 4.5.5
Family tradition
Hymns often integrate ethical-cosmic powers (Mitra-Varuṇa) with Agni’s transformative action, showing spirituality as restoration of ṛta in life.
Significance
The seer frames inner struggle as protection of truth (Varuṇa) and harmony (Mitra) through Agni’s purifying force.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Purifier within the Mitra–Varuṇa frame)
- Epithets
- Tigmajambha, Tapiṣṭhaśociṣ, Surādhāḥ
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Mitra, Indra
Cosmic role
Executor of ṛta: burns away disorder and guards the domains of truth and harmony.
Inner power
Psychic fire that detects and consumes distortions; restores ethical-spiritual alignment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Agni recitation within larger rites; expiation/purification contexts
प्र ताँ अ॒ग्निर्ब॑भसत्ति॒ग्मज॑म्भ॒स्तपि॑ष्ठेन शो॒चिषा॒ यः सु॒राधा॑: । प्र ये मि॒नन्ति॒ वरु॑णस्य॒ धाम॑ प्रि॒या मि॒त्रस्य॒ चेत॑तो ध्रु॒वाणि॑ ॥
प्र । तान् । अ॒ग्निः । ब॒भ॒स॒त् । ति॒ग्मऽज॑म्भः । तपि॑ष्ठेन । शो॒चिषा॑ । यः । सु॒ऽराधाः॑ । प्र । ये । मि॒नन्ति॑ । वरु॑णस्य । धाम॑ । प्रि॒या । मि॒त्रस्य॑ । चेत॑तः । ध्रु॒वाणि॑ ॥
pra | tān | agniḥ | babhasat | tigma-jambhaḥ | tapiṣṭhena | śociṣā | yaḥ | su-rādhāḥ | pra | ye | minanti | varuṇasya | dhāma | priyā | mitrasya | cetataḥ | dhruvāṇi
44
4×11 (approx.)
Combative and corrective; strong stresses suit denunciation of violators.
Energizes inner purification; evokes protective vigilance and moral clarity.
- tigmajambha
- Literal: sharp/keen-jawed. Symbolic: power that decisively ‘bites through’ falsehood and resistance
- tapiṣṭha śociṣ
- Literal: most burning flame. Symbolic: intense tapas that purifies and transforms
- surādhāḥ
- Literal: of good/perfect workings. Symbolic: divine precision in action; right force, not impulsive anger
- Varuṇasya dhāma
- Literal: Varuṇa’s abode/domain. Symbolic: the inner law of vast truth, conscience, and right order
- Mitrasyа priyā dhruvāṇi
- Literal: Mitra’s dear firm (things). Symbolic: stable harmonies of mutuality—inner concord of parts and luminous friendliness
- cetataḥ
- Literal: of the one who is conscious/awakening. Symbolic: the awakening being; the consciousness that begins to perceive ṛta
Protective-ethical formula: Agni invoked to burn forces that violate cosmic law (Varuṇa) and social/spiritual harmony (Mitra)
When warding off hostile influences or re-establishing correctness of rite
Recitation with intensified fire; symbolic ‘burning away’ of faults
Use when correcting a recurring harmful habit: invoke Agni’s precise heat to restore truthfulness and inner harmony.
tigma-jambha: jambha 'jaw' + tigma 'sharp' → devouring incisive power. tapas/tapiṣṭha: from √tap 'heat, ardour' → purifying intensity. √min 'diminish, injure'. dhāman: from √dhā 'place' → established seat/abode. mitra/varuṇa dyad encodes harmony (contract) and vast moral order; dhruva from √dhru 'be firm'.
Varuṇa’s dhāman (law-abode of ṛta), Mitra’s dhruvāṇi (stable harmonies), Tapas as purifying force
Explicit: those who disturb ṛta-domains are opposed; Agni restores right order.
Varuṇa’s dhāma as satya-ground; falsehood cannot stand before Agni.
Maintenance of cosmic order through purification; the ‘guardian fire’ principle.
Dharma-ṛta continuum: spiritual realization includes ethical alignment and harmonious integration.
Heat = tapas; consuming jaws = discriminative destruction of false movements; domains of Varuṇa/Mitra = inner conscience and integrative harmony.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the punishing purifier who attacks violators of Varuṇa’s order and Mitra’s harmonies: a mythic-juridical motif where fire enforces ṛta by consuming the forces of breach.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The Varuṇa–Mitra pairing parallels Indo-European dual sovereignty themes (juridical/moral order and contract/harmony). Lexically, √tap (heat) and √dhru (firmness) encode archaic physical-to-ethical metaphors: heat → purification; firmness → truth stability.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns with cosmic ethics: he calls Agni not only for personal protection but as an inner-external agent who maintains the soul’s fidelity to Varuṇa’s purity and Mitra’s concord.
Purify falsehood and disharmony; strengthen inner truth-sense and integrative goodwill.
manipura (purification)
Slow inhale; stronger, steady exhale imagining Agni burning distortion; optional bhrāmarī afterward to re-establish Mitra-like harmony
Vigilant clarity; cathartic purification leading to calm order
Name one pattern that violates your truth (Varuṇa) and one that breaks inner harmony (Mitra). Offer both into the heart-fire; feel a clean, precise burning—not agitation. End by affirming a firm, gentle harmony in speech and action.
Tri-svara; emphasize udātta on ‘agnír’, ‘tigmajambhaḥ’, ‘varuṇasya’, ‘mitrasya’.
Let ‘pra’ openings be crisp; keep the second hemistich slightly more measured to convey ‘dhruvāṇi’ firmness.
tigmajambhaḥ: pronounce jh aspirate clearly, tapiṣṭhena: retroflex ṭh, not dental, varuṇasya: retroflex ṇ, dhruvāṇi: dhru cluster clean; long ā
Focused and forceful, but controlled; avoid shouting—think ‘purifying flame’
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.
