Rig Veda 5.20.1: Mandala 5, Sukta 20, Mantra 1
Sukta 5.20
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gayatri
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यमग्ने वाजसातम त्वं चिन्मन्यसे रयिम् । तं नो गीर्भिः श्रवाय्यं देवत्रा पनया युजम् ॥
yám agne vājasātama tváṃ cit mányase rayím | táṃ no gīrbhíḥ śravā́yyaṃ devatrā́ panayā́ yújam ||
अग्नि, जो धन तुम अपने हिसाब से सबसे अच्छा समझो, वो हमे दे दो। हमारी दुआ से वो धन आए जो लोग सुनने के लायेक हो। वो धन देवताओं के साथ जुड़ा हो और खुशी भरा हो।
Word by Word
- यम्
- whom/whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजसातम
- O most prize-winning (bestower of victory)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (अग्ने इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot वाज-सातम (प्रातिपदिक; वाज ‘prize/strength’ + सातम ‘most winning’)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त्व
- चित्
- indeed/evenIndeclinable (particle)अव्ययRoot चित् (निपात/अव्यय)
- मन्यसे
- you think/deemVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole कर्तृ (त्वम्)Root √मन् (मन्यते) ‘to think, deem’
- रयिम्
- wealth, bountyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- that (wealth)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (रयिम् इत्यस्य निर्देशः)Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त
- नः
- to us/for usPronounषष्ठी (सम्बन्धे) / चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदानार्थे) बहुवचन; अत्र दातृ-सम्बन्धे ‘to us/for us’Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम) → नः
- गीर्भिः
- with hymns/songsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot गीर् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘song, hymn’)
- श्रवाय्यम्
- famed, worthy of hearingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (तम्/रयिम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot श्रवाय्य (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु ‘to hear’ → ‘worthy to be heard, famed’)
- देवत्रा
- in a divine way/among the godsIndeclinable (adverb)अव्ययRoot देवत्रा (अव्यय; देव + -त्रा ‘among/with the gods; in divine manner’)
- पनया
- with winning skill/with admiration (as manner)Noun (instrumental of manner)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot पनय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘admiration, praise/skill, winning manner’)
- युजम्
- yoked, joined (well-linked)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (तम्/रयिम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot युज् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘yoked, joined’; from √युज् ‘to yoke, join’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यम् | अग्ने | वाजसातम | त्वम् | चित् | मन्यसे | रयिम् | तम् | नः | गीर्भिः | श्रवाय्यम् | देवत्रा | पनया | युजम् || 1) यम॑ग्ने = यम् + अग्ने (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: म् + अ → म; लेखने ‘मग्ने’)
- 2) चि॒न्मन्य॑से = चित् + मन्यसे (त् + म → न्म; ‘चिन्मन्यसे’)
- 3) नो॑ गी॒र्भिः = नः + गीर्भिः (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + ग → ओ ग; ‘नो गीर्भिः’)
- 4) देव॒त्रा प॑नया॒ = देवत्रा + पनया (सन्धि-परिवर्तन नहीं; पद-सीमा पर विराम)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, winner of plenitude, bring us the wealth you yourself deem best—by our hymns—wealth famed, yoked to the gods, rich in delight.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the inner Fire to choose and deliver the right ‘wealth’ (rayi)—not material gain but the plenitude of consciousness and capacity. The means is gīrbhiḥ: inspired speech/mantra that aligns the human with the divine rhythms. ‘Devatrā yujam’ indicates a state where energies are yoked upward, allied with the gods (higher powers) rather than with lower desire; ‘panayā’ becomes the delight/beauty of the offering—Soma-like sweetness in the act of aspiration.
Universal truth
The highest gain is what the awakened inner intelligence selects as truly beneficial. When speech becomes inspired and aligned with the higher law, life is ‘yoked to the gods’ and naturally grows in plenitude and delight.
Themes
Prayer for Right Wealth, Alignment with the Gods, Mantric Efficacy
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.20.2, RV 5.20.3, RV 5.1
Family tradition
Atri hymns often ask Agni for the true ‘rayi’—the inner riches that support ṛta and growth of consciousness.
Significance
Atri’s vision emphasizes that the divine gives not what the ego wants, but what the soul needs for progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Vājasātama, Devatra-yuj (he who yokes us to the gods, implied)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech, conceptual), Soma (delight), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Bringer of divine riches; awakener of aspiration through mantra; establisher of right linkage between planes.
Inner power
Discerning will that selects the right growth; transforms speech into a channel of power.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stotra style invocation at the start of offering; general Agni praise in household and śrauta settings.
यम॑ग्ने वाजसातम॒ त्वं चि॒न्मन्य॑से र॒यिम् । तं नो॑ गी॒र्भिः श्र॒वाय्यं॑ देव॒त्रा प॑नया॒ युज॑म् ॥
यम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । वा॒ज॒ऽसा॒त॒म॒ । त्वम् । चि॒त् । मन्य॑से । र॒यिम् । तम् । नः॒ । गीः॒ऽभिः । श्र॒वाय्य॑म् । दे॒व॒ऽत्रा । प॒न॒य॒ । युज॑म् ॥
yam | agne | vāja-sātama | tvam | cit | manyase | rayim | tam | naḥ | gīḥ-bhiḥ | śravāyyam | deva-trā | panaya | yujam
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3 pādas of 8 syllables (subject to saṃhitā counting)
Compact, bright, mantra-like; quick ignition of intention.
Centers the mind rapidly; good for daily recitation to invoke ‘right wealth’ and alignment.
- वाजसातम (vājasātama)
- Literal: best winner of strength/prize. Symbolic: Agni as the supreme increaser of power and effective capacity
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: plenitude of being—light, force, joy, and right results
- गीर्भिः (gīrbhiḥ)
- Literal: by hymns/words. Symbolic: mantric speech; inspired vibration that opens channels
- श्रवाय्य (śravāyya)
- Literal: worthy to be heard of. Symbolic: true inner attainment that resounds and stabilizes in consciousness
- देवत्रा (devatrā)
- Literal: toward/with the gods. Symbolic: orientation of life-energy toward higher powers
- युजम् (yujam)
- Literal: yoked, harnessed. Symbolic: integration—energies disciplined into a single upward movement
- पनय (panayā)
- Literal: delightful/pleasant (also ‘skillful’ nuance). Symbolic: Soma-toned sweetness in aspiration; charm of right offering
Agni hymn for gaining rayi/vāja in Soma and domestic rites; innerly, mantra for aligning aspiration with what the divine Will ‘deems’ right.
Morning/evening kindling; before study, work, or meditation as a request for right resources.
Offer ghee or attention into the inner flame while reciting; conclude with a brief silence to ‘receive’ rayi.
Set intention: ‘May the best growth you know for me come through my speech and practice’; use before journaling, teaching, or mantra japa.
vāja from strength/plenitude field; sāta ‘winning’ from √san/√sā?; rayi ‘wealth’ (often spiritual fullness); manyase < √man ‘think’; gīr ‘song’ (speech-power); śravāyya from √śru ‘hear’ + desiderative/qualifying suffix ‘worthy to be heard’; yujam from √yuj ‘yoke, join’ (PIE *yeug-; cf. Latin iugum, English yoke). Inner sense: prayer for the divinely-approved rayi—resources aligned to gods (devatrā) and yoked to delight (panaya) rather than egoic acquisition.
Rayi (fullness of being), Vāja (plenitude of force), Yuj (yoking—discipline, integration)
Wealth that is ‘yoked to the gods’ is wealth aligned with ṛta, not egoic accumulation.
The true good is determined by a higher knowledge than personal preference.
Increase and formation of capacities through right invocation.
Integral Yoga-style reading: aspiration + higher selection yields integral plenitude (rayi).
Fire = aspiration; wealth = inner resources (light/force/joy); yoking = integration of energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is Agni as the ‘best winner of vāja’ who selects and delivers the true rayi. Innerly, it is the doctrine of right acquisition: only what the divine Will approves becomes stable wealth—yoked to the gods and resonant in consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- yujam < √yuj continues PIE *yeug- ‘yoke/join’ (wide IE presence). śravāyya relates to √śru and PIE *ḱlew- (fame/hearing). These preserve the IE poetic linkage of ‘hearing’ with ‘glory’ and efficacy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts the choice of wealth to Agni (‘which you deem’), offering gīr as the means of approach; Agni is asked to deliver a divinely-yoked rayi. Reciprocity: human speech aligns with divine discernment, producing right plenitude.
Offer speech and intention into Agni; ask for the ‘best rayi’—the next true capacity to develop.
Viśuddha (speech/mantra) supported by Maṇipūra (will/fire)
Gentle ujjāyī or slow nasal breathing; recite on exhale to ‘yoke’ prāṇa with mantra.
Receptive aspiration—quietly uplifted.
Before chanting, inwardly ask: ‘Choose for me what is truly best.’ After chanting, listen for the subtle sense of right direction rather than mental demands.
Standard Vedic accentuation with udātta peaks on marked syllables (e.g., यम॑, मन्य॑से).
Keep Gāyatrī crisp: 3 equal pulses; avoid dragging the second pāda.
vājasātama: keep long ā in vāja and sātama, manyase: palatal ny feel; do not split as n-ya, śravāyyaṃ: gemination feel in -yya-; keep ś palatal, devatrā: retroflex ṛ is tapped; keep long ā
Clear, steady, devotional; slight brightness on udātta.
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