Rig Veda 5.10.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 10, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.10
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
त्वं नो अग्ने अद्भुत क्रत्वा दक्षस्य मंहना । त्वे असुर्यमारुहत्क्राणा मित्रो न यज्ञियः ॥
tváṃ no agne adbhuta krátvā dákṣasya maṃhánā | tvé asuryàm ā́ aruhat krāṇā́ mitró na yajñíyaḥ ||
अग्नि, तेरी इच्छा और तेरी कला दोनों कमाल की है। तू जो देता है, वो भी ज़बर्दस्त है। तुझमें वो आसुरी ताकत चढ़ती है और बढ़ती रहती है। तू मित्र जैसा है, यज्ञ के लायक, क्योंकि तू सबको साथ ला देता है।
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक); बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुं; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्भुत
- wonderful, marvelousAdjectiveपुं; सम्बोधन; एकवचन (अग्ने इति सम्बोधितस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रत्वा
- by (your) resolve/insightNounपुं; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दक्षस्य
- of skill/abilityNounपुं; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- मंहना
- by (your) bounty/munificenceNounस्त्री; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot मंहना (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मंह्/मंह्’ शीघ्र-बल-दानार्थक-भाव)
- त्वे
- in youPronounसप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot त्वद्/युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- असुर्यम्
- the asuric (power/force)Adjectiveनपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचन (कर्मपदम्)Role कर्मRoot असुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, upIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आ-)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- अरुहत्
- mounted, ascendedVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √रुह् (रुहँ आरोहणे)
- क्राणा
- doing, accomplishing; activeParticiple (Adjective)पुं; प्रथमा; एकवचन (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot √कृ (कृञ् करणे) → क्राण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमार्थेRoot न (निपात/उपमा)
- यज्ञियः
- worthy of worship/sacrificeAdjectiveपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचन (मित्रः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वम् | नः | अग्ने | अद्भुत | क्रत्वा | दक्षस्य | मंहना | त्वे | असुर्यम् | आ | अरुहत् | क्राणा | मित्रः | न | यज्ञियः । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) त्वं नो॑ → त्वम् + नः (अनुस्वार/परसवर्णः)
- (2) त्वे अ॑सुर्यम् → त्वे + असुर्यम् (स्वर-सन्धिः न, केवलं पदसंयोगः)
- (3) मारु॑हत् → आ + अरुहत् (उपसर्ग-समास/संयोगः; ‘आ’ उपसर्गः क्रियायोगे)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is praised as wonderful in will (kratu) and in the strong bounty of skill (dakṣa). In him the Asurya power rises upward, growing; like Mitra he becomes worthy of sacrifice through harmonizing mastery.
Inner meaning
Agni is the marvel of conscious will (adbhuta kratvā): not blind impulse but a divinely guided intention. Dakṣa is the skilled intelligence in works; its ‘impetuous bounty’ (maṃhanā) is the generous outflow of effective capacity when the inner fire is kindled. ‘Asuryam’ here is the lordly, sovereign power of consciousness (not demonized): the inner rulership that ascends in Agni as aspiration grows (āruhat krāṇā). Like Mitra, Agni becomes ‘yajñiya’ by establishing harmony—uniting parts of the being into a luminous concord so the sacrifice (inner offering) can be rightly done.
Universal truth
When will is illumined and skill is generous, a sovereign power awakens within and rises; harmony is not opposed to force—true mastery is harmonizing mastery.
Themes
Agni’s marvellous will, Sovereign power rising, Harmony and sacrifice-worthiness
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 5.4 (Agni as wise worker), RV 1.96 (Agni and dakṣa), RV 3.3 (Agni’s wondrous powers)
Family tradition
Atri tradition often links Agni with dakṣa (skill) and ṛta (right working), emphasizing mastery through harmony rather than mere force.
Significance
The seer articulates a key psychological doctrine: the ascent of ‘lordliness’ (asuryam) occurs when will and skill are purified and harmonized—Agni becomes Mitra-like inside the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Mitra-comparison)
- Epithets
- adbhuta (wonderful), kratumat (possessing will), dakṣasya maṃhanā (bounteous in skill), mitro na (like Mitra), yajñiya (sacrificially worthy)
- Related deities
- Mitra (harmony), Varuṇa (vast law; implicit in āsurya/sovereignty), Indra (ascent through illumination; complementary)
Cosmic role
Divine artisan of the sacrifice; awakener of sovereign power (āsurya) in the cosmos; establisher of harmony that allows the gods to descend.
Inner power
Conscious will that becomes skilled action; harmonizing flame that integrates mind-life-body into a single upward movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise of Agni as competent leader of the rite; used in śrauta contexts to affirm successful performance and harmony of the offering.
त्वं नो॑ अग्ने अद्भुत॒ क्रत्वा॒ दक्ष॑स्य मं॒हना॑ । त्वे अ॑सु॒र्य१॒॑मारु॑हत्क्रा॒णा मि॒त्रो न य॒ज्ञिय॑: ॥
त्वम् । नः॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अ॒द्भु॒त॒ । क्रत्वा॑ । दक्ष॑स्य । मं॒हना॑ । त्वे इति॑ । अ॒सु॒र्य॑म् । आ । अ॒रु॒ह॒त् । क्रा॒णा । मि॒त्रः । न । य॒ज्ञियः॑ ॥
tvam | naḥ | agne | adbhuta | kratvā | dakṣasya | maṃhanā | tve iti | asuryam | ā | aruhat | krāṇā | mitraḥ | na | yajñiyaḥ
44
4 x 11 (approx.)
Ascending and architectonic; clauses stack like steps (āruhat, krāṇā), supporting the sense of upward mounting.
Encourages inner alignment: the rhythm steadies the will while giving a subtle lift toward ascent.
- अद्भुत (adbhuta)
- Literal: wonderful, marvelous. Symbolic: the suprarational marvel of awakened conscious will
- क्रतु (kratu)
- Literal: will, intention, resolve. Symbolic: directive power of consciousness; purposeful aspiration
- दक्ष (dakṣa)
- Literal: skill, competence. Symbolic: intelligent capacity to organize inner and outer works
- मंहना (maṃhanā)
- Literal: impetuous bounty, generous giving. Symbolic: overflow of power when aligned with the divine working
- असुर्यम् (asuryam)
- Literal: asuric/lordly power. Symbolic: sovereign consciousness-force, inner rulership (āsurya as ‘lordliness’) rising upward
- आ रुहत् (āruhat)
- Literal: has mounted, ascended. Symbolic: ascent of consciousness beyond habitual limitation
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: Mitra (friend, harmonizer). Symbolic: power of harmony, right relation, luminous concord
- यज्ञियः (yajñiyaḥ)
- Literal: worthy of sacrifice. Symbolic: fit to receive/lead the inner offering because harmony is established
Praise of Agni’s kratu and dakṣa; suited to rites emphasizing correct performance and the priestly fire’s ‘skill’ (hotṛ function), though exact śrauta mapping not specified.
During establishment/praise of Agni, especially when seeking faultless rite (dakṣa) and concord among officiants/powers.
Recitation with offerings to strengthen Agni’s ‘skill’ and ensure the rite proceeds in harmony.
Before collaborative work or inner integration practice: recite to invoke skillful will and harmonizing mastery (Mitra-quality) so energy rises without conflict.
kratu- ‘will, inspired intelligence’ (cognate field includes resolve/plan). dakṣa- ‘skill, competence’ from √dakṣ ‘to be able, be strong, be competent’ (PIE *dek- ‘take, receive, be suitable’ proposed in some treatments; at least an old Indo-Iranian formation). maṃhana- from √maṃh ‘to gladden, to be liberal/strong’ expressing forceful generosity. asurya- from asura ‘lord’ (asu ‘life-breath’ + -ra? traditional), in early RV often ‘sovereign power’; here an inner ascending lordliness. ā-aruhat: aorist of √ruh ‘rise, mount’ (PIE *h₁reudh- ‘red?/rise’ debated; but Indo-Iranian √ruh is stable). yajñiya- from yajña (√yaj ‘to worship, sacrifice’) + -iya ‘worthy of’.
Kratu (effective will), Dakṣa (skill/competence in ṛta), Asurya (sovereign inner power) as ascending consciousness, Mitra principle (harmony) as condition of yajña-worthiness
Mitra-like harmony is a face of ṛta; Agni’s dakṣa is ṛta made operative in works.
Adbhuta kratu indicates truth-will—will that expresses a deeper reality rather than ego impulse.
Ascent of āsurya: the sovereign principle rises from concealed state to manifest rulership through Agni’s awakening.
Integral Vedic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap): āsurya as divine lordship; Mitra as harmonizing consciousness.
Flame’s upward leap = ascent of consciousness; growth = expansion of inner sovereignty; harmony = balanced functioning of faculties.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ascent of ‘asurya’ in Agni: the lordly power rises and grows within the fire. This is the mythic image of divine sovereignty awakening in the sacrificial flame; psychologically, it is the uprising of masterful consciousness through disciplined will (kratu) and skill (dakṣa).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The semantic pairing kratu–dakṣa mirrors archaic Indo-European praise-diction: ‘will/plan’ plus ‘skill/capacity’ as twin requisites of effective action. The ‘worthy-of’ adjective yajñiya uses an inherited adjectival suffix (-iya) to mark fitness, a common Indo-Iranian morphological strategy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Agni not merely as flame but as conscious mastery: wonderful by kratu and dakṣa. By affirming this inner sovereignty, the seeker aligns with Agni’s ascending asurya, enabling the sacrifice (inner offering) to become harmonious (Mitra-like) and therefore efficacious.
Unite will (kratu) and skill (dakṣa): feel a calm, luminous intention organizing thoughts and actions.
Anahata (Mitra-harmony) with support from Manipura (will)
Sama-vṛtti (equal breathing) 4-4 or 6-6 to build harmony; then mantra on natural breath.
Harmonized ascent: steady uplift without strain.
Repeat 6–12 times; then observe where inner conflict dissipates. Offer one habitual discord into Agni; invite Mitra-like concord so energy can rise cleanly.
Udātta emphasis on vocatives and key nouns (agne, adbhuta, kratvā, dakṣasya, asuryam, mitro); maintain clear svarita falls at phrase junctions per RV style.
Keep ‘tvaṃ no agne’ as a single addressed unit; slightly lift on adbhuta/kratvā; give ‘asuryam āruhat’ a rising contour to mirror ascent.
adbhuta: cluster ‘dbh’ articulated (ad-bhu-ta), kratvā: retroflex ṭv cluster; long ā, dakṣasya: retroflex kṣ; avoid ‘daksasya’, asuryam: clear ‘su’ and ‘rya’ glide, yajñiyaḥ: palatal ‘jñ’ (yaj-ñi-yaḥ)
Clear, even, harmonizing tone; less martial, more poised.
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