Rig Veda 5.11.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 11, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.11
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अग्निर्नो यज्ञमुप वेतु साधुयाग्निं नरो वि भरन्ते गृहेगृहे । अग्निर्दूतो अभवद्धव्यवाहनोऽग्निं वृणाना वृणते कविक्रतुम् ॥
agnír no yajñám úpa vetu sādhu-yā́gníṃ náro ví bharante gṛhé-gṛhe | agnír dūtó abhavad havya-vā́hano ’gníṃ vṛṇānā́ vṛṇate kaví-kratum ||
अग्नि को हमारी पूजा तक सीधा रास्ते बुलाते हैं। हर घर में लोग अग्नि को रखते हैं। अग्नि पैगम बन गया है और जो चढ़ाया जाता है उसे लेकर जाता है। अग्नि को चुनते हैं तो वो बुद्धि चुनते हैं जो सही काम करने का तरीका जानती है।
Word by Word
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice, ritualNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableउपसर्ग (गत्यर्थ/समीपार्थ)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वेतु
- may (he) come/approachVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √वे (वेञ् गतौ/विन्दते इत्यादि; here ‘to go/come’)
- साधु
- well, rightlyIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Root साधु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नरः
- men, worshippersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot नर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (विभाग/विशेषार्थ)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भरन्ते
- they bear/bring (for themselves), they carryVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot √भृ (भृञ् धारणे)
- गृहे
- in (the) houseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot गृह- (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृहे
- in each houseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति)Role अधिकरणRoot गृह- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- दूतः
- messengerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण (विशेषण/उपपद)Root दूत- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभवत्
- becameVerbलुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/आओरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √भू (भू सत्तायाम्)
- हव्यवाहनः
- carrier of oblationsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण (अग्नि-विशेषण)Root हव्य- + वाहन- (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृणानाः
- choosingParticipleवर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (नरः/जनाः implied)Root √वृ (वृञ् वरणे) → वृणान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; here शानच्)
- वृणते
- they chooseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot √वृ (वृञ् वरणे)
- कविक्रतुम्
- him whose resolve is that of a sage / the wise-minded (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कवि- + क्रतु- (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अग्निः नः यज्ञम् उप वेतु साधु । अग्निम् नरः वि भरन्ते गृहे गृहे । अग्निः दूतः अभवत् हव्यवाहनः । अग्निम् वृणानाः वृणते कविक्रतुम् ॥ प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) अग्निर्नो॑ = अग्निः + नः (विसर्ग-रेफ) । (2) य॒ज्ञमुप॑ = यज्ञम् + उप (म् + उ → मुप्) । (3) साधुयाग्निं = साधु + अग्निम् (उ + अ → वा/य-प्रवेश; संहितायां ‘साधुय्’ रूप) । (4) गृहेगृहे = गृहे + गृहे (पुनरुक्ति-संहिता) । (5) अग्निर्दूतः = अग्निः + दूतः । (6) अभवद्धव्यवाहनः = अभवत् + हव्यवाहनः (त् + ह → द्ध) । (7) हव्यवाहनोऽग्निम् = हव्यवाहनः + अग्निम् (विसर्ग + अ → ’/ओऽ) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer that Agni may approach the sacrifice by a good path; people maintain Agni in every home; Agni is the messenger and carrier of oblations; by choosing Agni they choose a wise, effective will.
Inner meaning
Agni is the awakened divine Will in the seeker. The “good path” is the right movement of aspiration and sincerity (sādhu-yā). To “bear Agni in every home” means to establish the flame of conscious offering in every part of the being—body, life-force, mind—so the yoga is not occasional but integral. As dūta (messenger), Agni carries our inner offerings (intention, effort, self-giving) to the higher powers and brings back their answer as intuition, strength, and right impulse. Choosing Agni is choosing kavikratu—illumined will that knows the true way to act, replacing impulsive desire with inspired discernment.
Universal truth
Transformation begins when the will becomes consecrated and intelligent. A life becomes unified when every ‘room’ of the psyche participates in the offering; then aspiration becomes a reliable bridge between human effort and higher guidance.
Themes
Agni as messenger, Agni as carrier of offerings, household-to-cosmic ritual bridge, seer-will (kavi-kratu)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra (Mānava/Vasiṣṭha lineage in later tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 5.1, RV 5.2, RV 5.3, RV 5.11, RV 5.12, RV 7.33
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭhas—priest-seers of Agni and Ṛta; guardians of inner and outer right order; associated with the solar/ṛta tradition and the ‘straight path’.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision repeatedly emphasizes ṛta (truth-right order) and the disciplined, luminous will (Agni) as the means for inner harmony and victorious progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- sādhuyā (of the good path), dūta (messenger), havyavāhana (carrier of the offering), kavikratu (seer-will)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind responding to Agni’s kindling), Soma (bliss poured into the flame), Uṣas (dawn-illumination that Agni prepares)
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; establishes the sacrifice; conveys offerings to the gods and brings their powers into manifestation.
Inner power
Awakened aspiration and will that becomes intuitive and rightly effective; the psychic fire that organizes the being around truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnyādhāna/Agnihotra orientation; general āhavanīya invocatory usage in soma and iṣṭi rites
अ॒ग्निर्नो॑ य॒ज्ञमुप॑ वेतु साधु॒याग्निं नरो॒ वि भ॑रन्ते गृ॒हेगृ॑हे । अ॒ग्निर्दू॒तो अ॑भवद्धव्य॒वाह॑नो॒ऽग्निं वृ॑णा॒ना वृ॑णते क॒विक्र॑तुम् ॥
अ॒ग्निः । नः॒ । य॒ज्ञम् । उप॑ । वे॒तु॒ । सा॒धु॒ऽया । अ॒ग्निम् । नरः॑ । वि । भ॒र॒न्ते॒ । गृ॒हेऽगृ॑हे । अ॒ग्निः । दू॒तः । अ॒भ॒व॒त् । ह॒व्य॒ऽवाह॑नः । अ॒ग्निम् । वृ॒णा॒नाः । वृ॒ण॒ते॒ । क॒विऽक्र॑तुम् ॥
agniḥ | naḥ | yajñam | upa | vetu | sādhu-yā | agnim | naraḥ | vi | bharante | gṛhe--gṛhe | agniḥ | dūtaḥ | abhavat | havya-vāhanaḥ | agnim | vṛṇānāḥ | vṛṇate | kavi-kratum
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, declarative, suited to invocation and resolve
Builds a sense of steady ascent and purposeful movement—appropriate for ‘approach by the good path’ and for establishing the inner fire.
- अग्निः (agniḥ)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will, conscious force leading the inner sacrifice
- यज्ञम् (yajñam)
- Literal: sacrifice/ritual. Symbolic: inner offering of energies, thoughts, and actions to the Divine
- साधुया (sādhuyā)
- Literal: by the good path. Symbolic: right inner movement: sincerity, straightness, harmony of means
- गृहेगृहे (gṛhe-gṛhe)
- Literal: in every house. Symbolic: in every part and level of the being; constant practice
- दूतः (dūtaḥ)
- Literal: messenger. Symbolic: mediating power carrying aspiration upward and bringing inspiration downward
- हव्यवाहनः (havyavāhanaḥ)
- Literal: carrier of offerings. Symbolic: the force that translates human effort into spiritual gain
- कविक्रतुम् (kavikratum)
- Literal: seer-skilled in action. Symbolic: illumined will; intelligence of right works (inspired effective action)
Domestic and śrauta continuity: gṛhe-gṛhe supports the idea of Agni as household fire (Gārhapatya) extended into sacrificial fires; also used as an invocation for Agni’s approach and mediation (dūta, havya-vāhana).
At the beginning of offerings/invocations; when kindling or establishing Agni
Kindling, inviting Agni, placing offerings; affirming Agni as dūta and havyavāhana
Use as a daily ‘inner kindling’ mantra before meditation or work: offer the day’s actions into the flame of conscious will in every ‘home’ (life-domain).
sādhu-yā: sādhu ‘good/right’ + yā ‘going/way’ (√yā ‘to go’) → ‘right path’, psychologically the straight movement of aspiration. gṛhá from √gṛh ‘to seize/hold’ → ‘house’; extended as ‘domain/field’ of life. dūtá ‘messenger’ from √dū ‘to send/commission’ (semantic: envoy). havya ‘to be offered’ (from √hu) + vāhana ‘carrying’ (√vah ‘to carry’, PIE *weǵh- cf. Latin vehere). vṛṇ- from √vṛ ‘to choose’ (PIE *wel- ‘to wish/choose’ is often compared). krátu as will/intelligence-power; kavi-kratu is a compound indicating inspired efficacy rather than mere ritual skill.
right path (sādhu-yā) as alignment with R̥ta, mediation between human and divine (dūta), choice (√vṛ) as deliberate inner assent
Agni as the guide on the straight path of ṛta—right movement rather than crooked desire.
Choosing kavikratu aligns action with truth-consciousness (satya) rather than egoic impulse.
Agni as the first awakener who opens the way for manifestation of divine powers in the human field.
Proto-Vedāntic and yogic psychology (as read by Sri Aurobindo): ascent/descent via inner sacrifice.
Fire = will/aspiration; path = right inner method; home/hearth = embodied life and its compartments to be consecrated.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine envoy: the mythic mediator who carries offerings from the human realm to the gods and returns with their powers. The ‘in every house’ motif universalizes the altar as the whole life-field; the messenger-fire is installed everywhere so the divine commerce becomes continuous.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāhana (√vah ‘carry’) corresponds to PIE *weǵh- ‘convey’ (Latin vehere, English way via related motion roots). √yā ‘go’ is an old IE motion root (cf. Greek ἰέναι ‘to go’). These inherited roots anchor the verse in an archaic Indo-European poetic register of ‘path, carrying, mediation’ central to sacrifice.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi asks Agni to ‘come by the good path’—not merely to arrive physically, but to enter the being through right alignment. Humans ‘choose’ Agni: the relationship is elective and reciprocal—by choosing the divine will, they receive a kavi-kratu, an inspired capacity to act rightly; Agni in turn becomes the messenger who makes the inner offering effective.
Kindle the inner flame of will and offer thoughts/actions into it; cultivate ‘kavikratu’—quiet, luminous discernment in action.
Manipura (fire/will) with support from Anahata (offering/devotion)
Even-count breathing (e.g., 4–4 or 6–6) while visualizing a steady flame rising centrally
Collected, aspiring, action-ready stillness (śānta-vīra)
Before tasks, pause and ‘invite Agni by the good path’: choose one right motive, one right act; extend the offering to each life-area (‘gṛhe-gṛhe’).
Use Vedic svara as per śākhā tradition; maintain clear udatta peaks on key invocatory words (agníḥ, yajñám), with smooth svarita falls at phrase ends.
Keep a slight lift on udatta syllables; avoid flattening compounds like havyavāhanaḥ; pause lightly at the | and settle at ||.
Pronounce ṛ in kavi-kratu as a crisp vocalic ‘r̥’ (not ‘ri’)., Maintain retroflex ṇ in vṛṇānāḥ and dental t in dūtaḥ distinctly., gṛhe-gṛhe: articulate the aspirate gh and the short e clearly; keep the reduplication even.
Bright, steady, ‘kindling’ tone—firm but not harsh
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