Rig Veda 5.17.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 17, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.17
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अस्य हि स्वयशस्तर आसा विधर्मन्मन्यसे । तं नाकं चित्रशोचिषं मन्द्रं परो मनीषया ॥
ásya hí sváyaśas-tara āsā́ ví-dharman mányase | táṃ nā́kaṃ citrá-śociṣaṃ mandráṃ paró manīṣáyā ||
अग्नि की खुद की चमक है, किसी और की नहीं। वो आग वाला भगवान जो ऊपर बैठता है, उसकी ज्योति अलग-अलग रंगों में चमकती है। जो लोग समझदार हैं, वो उससे अंदर से महसूस करते हैं। वो खुशी देता है।
Word by Word
- अस्य
- of him/this (of this one)Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्य
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- स्वयशस्तरः
- more self-glorious / more famed by himselfAdjectiveपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ/विषय-सम्बन्ध)Root स्वयशस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तरप् (तुलनार्थक-प्रत्यय)
- आस
- was / has beenVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- विधर्मन्
- the ordinance / the (special) lawNounनपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वि-धर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; धर्मन् ‘धर्म/नियम’)
- मन्यसे
- you think, you deemVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot मन् (धातु) → मन्यते
- तम्
- himPronounपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → तम्
- नाकम्
- heaven, the celestial realmNounपुं/नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (गत्यर्थ/प्राप्त्यर्थ-भावे)Root नाक (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्रशोचिषम्
- bright-flamed, of variegated radianceAdjectiveपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्म)Root चित्र-शोचिस् (प्रातिपदिक; शोचिस् ‘ज्योतिः/तेजस्’)
- मन्द्रम्
- gladdening, pleasant (to invoke/chant)Adjectiveपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्म)Root मन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- परः
- farther, beyond; supremeAdjectiveपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ/विषय-सम्बन्ध)Root पर (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनीषया
- with thought, with insightNounस्त्री, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अस्य | हि | स्वयशस्तरः | आस | विधर्मन् | मन्यसे | तम् | नाकम् | चित्रशोचिषम् | मन्द्रम् | परः | मनीषया । 1) आसा → आस (अस्-धातोः लिट् 3sg; पदान्त ‘आस’ इति)
- 2) तं नाकं → तम् नाकम् (अनुस्वार/परसवर्ण-सन्धि)
- 3) चि॒त्रशो॑चिषं → चित्रशोचिषम् (अन्त्य -म्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You consider him of self-born greater glory, O one who discerns the law; that heaven-high Agni with variegated flame, the delight-giver, is held as supreme by inspired thought.
Inner meaning
Agni is perceived as svayaśastara—self-manifesting and increasingly glorious: the inner fire does not depend on outer circumstance when the law (dharma/ṛta) is discerned. ‘Vi-dharman’ points to the faculty that distinguishes the true law from mixed movements—an inner judge of right order. Agni rises to nāka (the heaven-plane of mind) with citra-śociṣ (many-colored flames): diverse illuminations adapted to different parts of the being. He is mandra—giver of inner delight, the joy that accompanies truth. ‘Paro manīṣayā’ indicates that by the illumined intelligence (manīṣā) one holds Agni as the highest principle in the journey—will and aspiration enthroned above mental debate.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on recognizing the self-luminous principle within (the flame of truth-will) as supreme; discernment of right law allows the inner light to diversify into many forms of understanding while remaining rooted in delight.
Themes
Agni’s self-born glory, illumination in many forms, higher mind recognition
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 5.17.1, Rig Veda 5.17.3, Rig Veda 7.1, Rig Veda 7.2
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha style often couples dharma/ṛta-discrimination with the ascent to higher mind (nāka), presenting Agni as both law and delight.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s seership highlights that the divine Will is self-luminous and becomes supreme when the intellect is converted into manīṣā (illumined thinking).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Svayaśas (self-glorious), Citraśociṣ (many-flamed), Mandra (delight-giver), Nāka-stha (heaven-high)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (truth-word), Indra (illumination)
Cosmic role
Uplifts the sacrifice to the heaven-world; manifests as diverse lights in the worlds; establishes the law of right progression.
Inner power
Discriminating flame that clarifies dharma and releases a joyful energy of truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise-stanza within Agni hymn recitation
अस्य॒ हि स्वय॑शस्तर आ॒सा वि॑धर्म॒न्मन्य॑से । तं नाकं॑ चि॒त्रशो॑चिषं म॒न्द्रं प॒रो म॑नी॒षया॑ ॥
अस्य॑ । हि । स्वय॑शःऽतरः । आ॒सा । वि॒ऽध॒र्म॒न् । मन्य॑से । तम् । नाक॑म् । चि॒त्रऽशो॑चिषम् । म॒न्द्रम् । प॒रः । म॒नी॒षया॑ ॥
asya | hi | svayaśaḥ-taraḥ | āsā | vi-dharman | manyase | tam | nākam | citra-śociṣam | mandram | paraḥ | manīṣayā
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4 x ~11
Elevating, with a ‘rising’ contour that suits nāka imagery.
Lifts attention upward; encourages clear discrimination and a quiet joy.
- स्वयशस्तरः (svayaśastaraḥ)
- Literal: more glorious by itself. Symbolic: self-born luminosity of awakened consciousness
- वि-धर्मन् (vi-dharman)
- Literal: discerner of the law. Symbolic: inner discrimination that separates truth from mixture
- नाकम् (nāka)
- Literal: heaven, upper world. Symbolic: higher mind-plane, clarified mental sky
- चित्रशोचिषम् (citraśociṣam)
- Literal: variegated-flamed. Symbolic: multiple modes of illumination (insight, intuition, inspiration)
- मन्द्रम् (mandram)
- Literal: pleasant, delight-giving. Symbolic: ananda that accompanies true flame
- मनीषया (manīṣayā)
- Literal: by inspired thought. Symbolic: illumined intelligence that can ‘hold’ the higher truth
Agni praised as heavenly flame and law-discerner; used to establish the rite’s alignment with dharman/ṛta through inspired thought (manīṣā)
During stotra/śastra praising Agni’s forms and powers; suitable when seeking clarity of right law in the rite.
Eulogy (stuti) emphasizing Agni’s glory and heavenly stature.
For decision-making and ethical clarity: chant to invoke vi-dharma (discernment) and mandra (calm delight) rather than anxiety.
sváyaśas ‘self-fame/self-glory’ (sva + yaśas); yaśas from √yaś ‘fame, glory’. vi-dhárman: dhárman from √dhṛ ‘to hold’ (PIE *dʰer- ‘hold’), with vi- indicating distribution/discernment—one who holds/sets the differentiated law (ṛta in forms). citrá-śociṣ again uses √śuc ‘shine’; citra ‘variegated, bright-patterned’ suggests multiple modes of illumination. mandrá ‘gladdening’ (often of Soma/Agni), indicating the affective power of truth. manīṣā from √man ‘think’ (PIE *men-), but in Vedic specifically ‘inspired cognition'.
dharman/ṛta (vi-dharman), inspired cognition (manīṣā), transcendence (paraḥ)
Agni as the enforcer and revealer of ṛta through discernment (vi-dharman).
Satya as self-luminous glory (svayaśas) recognized by manīṣā.
Ascent of fire from earth to heaven mirrors ascent of consciousness from vital/physical to higher mind.
Integral Vedism: manīṣā as a bridge faculty toward higher illumination (over-mental anticipation).
night_to_dawn_transition (suggested by ‘flame rising to heaven’)
Sky = higher mind-space; many-colored flame = differentiated insights; delight = inner ananda accompanying truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the heavenly, many-flamed power recognized by inspired mind: the mythic action is ‘recognition’ (manīṣā) of the transcendent fire that carries law (dharman) in differentiated forms—Agni as mediator between higher heaven (nāka) and human understanding.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold’ (dharman) continues PIE *dʰer- ‘hold, support’ (cf. Greek thronos in a broader holding-support semantic field; more direct: Germanic ‘to bear/hold’ via other roots, but *dʰer- is well-attested). √men (manīṣā) continues PIE *men- ‘think’ (Latin mens, English ‘mind’). yaśas aligns with the IE poetic concern with fame (kleos/śravas), though via different roots.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions manīṣā (inspired intelligence) as the faculty that can hold Agni ‘beyond’ (paraḥ) while still invoking him: the relationship is cognitive-devotional—Agni is praised as self-luminous and as the very principle that makes right discernment (vi-dharman) possible.
Discrimination (viveka-like): hold one question in mind; invoke Agni as vi-dharman; wait for ‘many-colored’ insights without forcing.
ājñā (discernment) supported by maṇipūra (will)
nāḍī-śodhana (6–6) to balance and allow manīṣā to arise
Illumined thinking—clear, quiet, subtly joyful.
On ‘citraśociṣam’, visualize multiple rays lighting different inner rooms; on ‘mandram’, let the heart relax into a gentle gladness that confirms truth.
Maintain clear udātta on key descriptive compounds (svayaśastaraḥ, citraśociṣam) as per recensional marks; avoid flattening the compound accents.
Keep compound integrity: svayaśas-taraḥ; citra-śociṣam. Slight pause after manyase to reset for the descriptive surge.
Pronounce dh in dharman as aspirated dental, not retroflex., Keep nākam with long ā., citraśociṣam: ‘śo’ long ‘o’ and ṣ as retroflex ‘sh’.
Clear, upward-leaning tone; end with a soft, satisfied cadence on manīṣayā.
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