Rig Veda 5.10.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 10, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.10
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वं नो अग्न एषां गयं पुष्टिं च वर्धय । ये स्तोमेभिः प्र सूरयो नरो मघान्यानशुः ॥
tváṃ no agna eṣā́ṃ gáyaṃ púṣṭiṃ ca vardhaya | yé stómebhiḥ prá sūŕayo náro maghā́ny ānaśúḥ ||
अग्नि, उन लोगों की खुशी और उनकी बढ़ोतरी बढ़ा दे। यह वो लोग हैं जो स्त्रोत गाके बड़े-बड़े लोगों से तोहफे पाते हैं। इनकी रोशनी और इनकी ग्रोथ दोनों को आगे बढ़ा।
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou (you)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- एषाम्
- of these (men/people)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गयम्
- life-force / vital powerNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गय (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुष्टिम्
- nourishment, prosperityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) ← √पुष् (पोषणे)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- वर्धय
- increase, make growVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √वृध् (वर्धने)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोमेभिः
- with hymns / praisesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, stronglyIndeclinableप्रवृत्त्यर्थक निपात (intensifier/forward)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- सूरयः
- patrons, bountiful lordsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- नरः
- menNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (सूरयः के?)Root नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- मघान्यानशुः
- have attained (bounties/benefactions)Verb (with object-compound)लिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; पदरूपम्: आनशुःRole क्रियाRoot मघान्य- (प्रातिपदिक) + √नश् (अश्ने/प्रापणे) [Vedic: ‘आनशुः’ = perf. 3pl]
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वम् | नः | अग्ने | एषाम् | गयम् | पुष्टिम् | च | वर्धय | ये | स्तोमेभिः | प्र | सूरयः | नरः | मघान्य-आनशुः । 1) ‘अग्न’ + ‘एषाम्’ → ‘अग्न एषाम्’ (विसर्गाभावः/पदविरामः; संहितायां ‘अग्न एषाम्’). 2) ‘मघान्य’ + ‘आनशुः’ → ‘मघान्यानशुः’ (य् + आ → या; संधिः). 3) ‘स्तोमेभिः:’ इति पाठे विसर्गचिह्नः पदविरामसूचकः
- रूपं ‘स्तोमेभिः’ (तृतीया बहुवचन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is asked to increase for us their joy of being (gaya) and their nourishment/prosperity (puṣṭi) — of those heroic/luminous men who by hymns have won the gifts (maghāni) of the Great Ones.
Inner meaning
Agni is invoked as the increaser of inner ‘gaya’—the gladness of existence that comes when the psychic being consents to the divine working. Puṣṭi is not mere material prosperity but growth of the substance of consciousness: steadiness, capacity, and wideness. The ‘sūrayaḥ naraḥ’ are the illumined seekers whose speech of aspiration (stoma) has opened them to the ‘maghāni’—the largesses of the higher powers. The mantra asks Agni to consolidate and expand the attained gains so realization becomes stable growth, not passing experience.
Universal truth
Genuine spiritual progress must ripen into increased joy and enduring growth; what is won by aspiration should be strengthened into a stable nourishment of life.
Themes
Increase of life and plenitude, Fruit of hymnic offering, Community welfare
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 5.11 (growth through Agni), RV 1.31 (Agni as increaser of riches—inner/outer), RV 3.1 (Agni fostering the seers)
Family tradition
Atri hymns frequently speak of growth (vardhana) and the securing of divine gifts through stoma (mantric affirmation), aligning with a yoga of aspiration and consolidation.
Significance
The seer emphasizes the ‘after-gain’ phase of yoga: Agni must increase and stabilize joy and growth for those who have already opened by mantra—suggesting a progressive, evolutionary sādhanā.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- vardhayitṛ (increaser; implied), naraśaṃsa (praiser of men; thematic), giver of puṣṭi (nourishment)
- Related deities
- Soma (delight that supports gaya), Bṛhaspati (power of mantra/stoma), Indra (victorious attainment of gifts)
Cosmic role
Fosterer of growth in beings; distributor of divine bounty through the sacrificial exchange.
Inner power
Power of assimilation: converts experiences and illuminations into stable joy and strengthened nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise for increase of prosperity and strength of the sacrificers; part of routine invocations in śrauta sequences.
त्वं नो॑ अग्न एषां॒ गयं॑ पु॒ष्टिं च॑ वर्धय । ये स्तोमे॑भि॒: प्र सू॒रयो॒ नरो॑ म॒घान्या॑न॒शुः ॥
त्वम् । नः॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । ए॒षा॒म् । गय॑म् । पु॒ष्टिम् । च॒ । व॒र्ध॒य॒ । ये । स्तोमे॑भिः । प्र । सू॒रयः॑ । नरः॑ । म॒घानि॑ । आ॒न॒शुः ॥
tvam | naḥ | agne | eṣām | gayam | puṣṭim | ca | vardhaya | ye | stomebhiḥ | pra | sūrayaḥ | naraḥ | maghāni | ānaśuḥ
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4 x 11 (approx.)
Supportive and expansive; the cadence ‘vardhaya’ naturally lengthens the feeling of increase.
Encourages consolidation: a steady, nourishing rhythm that leaves a residue of calm strength.
- गयम् (gayam)
- Literal: joy, delight of life. Symbolic: psychic gladness; soul’s consent and well-being
- पुष्टिम् (puṣṭim)
- Literal: nourishment, thriving. Symbolic: increase of inner substance; growth of consciousness-force
- स्तोमेभिः (stomebhiḥ)
- Literal: by hymns/praises. Symbolic: mantric aspiration and rightly formed thought-speech
- सूरयः (sūrayaḥ)
- Literal: luminous ones, seers/wise. Symbolic: those governed by inner light (sūrya-quality)
- नरः (naraḥ)
- Literal: men, heroes. Symbolic: the human being as warrior of the inner field
- मघानि (maghāni)
- Literal: gifts, bounties. Symbolic: powers/attainments granted by higher planes
Community-oriented increase formula: prosperity of the hymn-offerers; can function as a closing/benefit verse (phala-śruti-like) within Agni hymns.
When seeking flourishing of the yajamāna and the ‘company of seers’ (participants) through successful praise.
Recitation with offering to Agni for increase (vardhana) of boons.
Use after meditation/insight to ‘seal’ the gain: recite to increase joy, nourishment, and stability of the new state in daily life.
vardhaya from √vṛdh ‘grow, increase’ (PIE *werdh- ‘grow’). puṣṭi from √puṣ ‘thrive’. sūri- ‘seer’ related to sūra ‘luminous/strong’ (often tied to √svar/√sū ‘shine’ semantic field). ānaśuḥ from √naś ‘reach, attain’ (PIE *nek- ‘reach’ possible), a common RV attainment verb. gaya- in RV denotes ‘life, house, joy of life’; here rendered as ‘joy of being’ to preserve inner sense.
growth (vṛddhi) as result of right praise, boons (maghāni) as spiritual endowments, seerhood (sūri) as awakened consciousness
Vardhana (increase) is meaningful only when aligned with ṛta—right measure and right direction of growth.
Gifts won by true stoma (truth-speech) become stable in Agni’s keeping.
Evolutionary increase: consciousness grows by receiving higher gifts and assimilating them into life.
Integral yoga reading: growth of being (puṣṭi) and delight (gaya) as signs of psychic and spiritual integration.
Nourishment = assimilation of higher energies; growth = expansion of capacities; joy = psychic delight that indicates right progress.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘gifts won by hymn’—the idea that true speech (stoma) compels/opens divine giving. Innerly, it is the acquisition of spiritual endowments through rightly formed aspiration and praise.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh (vardhaya) reflects PIE *werdh- ‘grow’. The prosperity lexicon (puṣṭi, maghāni) forms a typical archaic cluster where ‘increase’ and ‘gift’ are linked by formulaic diction, comparable to other Indo-European praise traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is asked to intensify the already-won attainments of the hymn-makers. The relationship is cumulative: past right invocation (stomebhiḥ… ānaśuḥ) establishes a claim; Agni is requested to convert that claim into sustained growth (gaya, puṣṭi).
Assimilation and stabilization: feel Agni digesting experiences into calm joy (gaya) and steady growth (puṣṭi).
Svadhisthana (joy/flow) supported by Manipura (digestive fire)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; brief pause after exhale to feel ‘assimilation’ before next inhale.
Restful integration.
Repeat 12 times after practice; then sit quietly and sense what needs to be ‘nourished’ (a new habit, insight, or calm). Avoid forcing; let growth be organic under the inner fire.
Udātta prominence on ‘tvaṃ’, ‘agne’, and verbs like ‘vardhaya’; keep compounds (stomebhiḥ, maghāni) clean and even.
Let ‘gayaṃ puṣṭiṃ ca vardhaya’ be slightly elongated to embody increase; maintain steadiness on the relative clause ‘ye… ānaśuḥ’.
eṣāṃ: long ē/ai nuance; keep retroflex ṣ, gayaṃ: nasal ‘ṃ’ audible but light, puṣṭiṃ: retroflex ṣṭ, stomebhiḥ: ‘bh’ aspirated, ānaśuḥ: long ā; ‘ś’ palatal
Warm, nourishing, unhurried.
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