Rig Veda 5.25.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 25, Mantra 2

Sukta 5.25

Devata

Agni

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

स हि सत्यो यं पूर्वे चिद्देवासश्चिद्यमीधिरे । होतारं मन्द्रजिह्वमित्सुदीतिभिर्विभावसुम् ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 5.25.2

Transliteration

sá hí satyó yáṃ pū́rve cid devā́saś cid yám ī́dhire | hótāraṃ mandrájihvam ít sudītíbhir vibhā́vasum ||

Translation

वो सच है, उसे पुराने भगवान भी जलाते थे। वो आग है जो बुलाता है, उसकी जीभ खुशी देती है। वो चमकता है और सबको रोशनी देता है, आग के साथ।

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Word by Word

सः

hePronoun · पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (वाक्य-विषयः) / निर्देश्यः · Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स

हि

indeed, forIndeclinable · निपातः (अव्ययम्)Root हि (निपात)

सत्यः

true, truthfulAdjective · पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सः इति सह विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम् · Root सत्य (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + य) अथवा √अस् (सत्)

यम्

whomPronoun · पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (ईधिरे इत्यस्य) · Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

पूर्वे

the former ones, the ancientsAdjective (used substantively) · पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (ईधिरे इत्यस्य) · Root पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

चित्

evenIndeclinable · अव्ययम् (बलवर्धक/अपि-अर्थे)Root चित् (निपात)

देवासः

the godsNoun · पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (ईधिरे इत्यस्य; पूर्वे इत्यस्य समन्वयः) · Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)

चित्

evenIndeclinable · अव्ययम्Root चित् (निपात)

यम्

whomPronoun · पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (पुनरुक्त-सम्बन्धः; यं… यम्)Role कर्म (ईधिरे इत्यस्य) · Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

ईधिरे

they kindled, they set ablazeVerb · लिट् (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (कर्तृ: पूर्वे देवासः; कर्म: यम्) · Root √इध् (इधँ दीप्तौ/समिद्धौ)

होतारम्

the Hotar (sacrificial priest)Noun · पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (स्तुति/आह्वान-प्रसङ्गे ‘him as Hotar’) · Root होतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to sacrifice’ → होतृ)

मन्द्रजिह्वम्

with gladdening/pleasant tongueAdjective (bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa compound used as epithet) · पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (होतारम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणम् · Root मन्द्र + जिह्व (समासः; जिह्वा-प्रातिपदिक)

इत्

indeed, justIndeclinable · अव्ययम् (एव/खलु-अर्थे)Root इत् (निपात; emphatic)

सुदीतिभिः

with bright splendoursNoun (instrumental plural; abstract/collective) · स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करण (विभावसुम् इत्यस्य/ईधिरे इत्यस्य साधनम्: ‘with bright splendours’) · Root सु + दीति (प्रातिपदिक; √दी ‘to shine’ → दीति ‘splendour/brightness’)

विभावसुम्

the radiant one (Agni)Noun/Adjective (epithet) · पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अग्नि-विशेषणम्; होतारम् इत्यस्य समन्वयः)Role कर्म (स्तुत्य/आह्वेयः) · Root विभावसु (प्रातिपदिक; वि + भावसु ‘shining, radiant’)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः: सः | हि | सत्यः | यम् | पूर्वे | चित् | देवासः | चित् | यम् | ईधिरे | होतारम् | मन्द्रजिह्वम् | इत् | सुदीतिभिः | विभावसुम् । 1) स हि → सः हि (विसर्ग-सन्धिः)
• 2) चिद्देवासः → चित् देवासः (त् + द → द्द)
• 3) चिद्यमीधिरे → चित् यम् ईधिरे (त् + य → द्य; संहितायां ‘चिद्यम्’; ‘यम्’ कर्म, ‘ईधिरे’ क्रिया)
• 4) मन्द्रजिह्वमित्सुदीतिभिः → मन्द्रजिह्वम् इत् सुदीतिभिः (म् + इ → मि; निपात ‘इत्’ पृथक्)

The meaning

Outer meaning

Agni is the true one, whom even the ancient gods kindled: the Hotṛ with rapturous tongue, the all-illumining Vibhāvasu with bright kindlings.

Inner meaning

The inner Fire is ‘true’ (satyaḥ) because it is a direct power of the Truth-consciousness, not a mental construction. It is kindled by the ‘ancient gods’—the perennial divine powers already established in the depths of being—indicating that Agni is awakened when higher faculties consent and participate. As Hotṛ, he is the invoking priest: the power that calls down and articulates (mandrajihva) the right vibrations; as Vibhāvasu, he spreads illumination through ‘bright kindlings’ (sudītibhiḥ): pure thoughts, sincere offerings, and clarified energies that feed the flame.

Universal truth

What is most true in us is awakened by alliance with higher powers; when speech and thought become luminous offerings, consciousness naturally becomes all-illumining.

Themes

primordial Agni, truth and illumination, Agni as Hotar, inspired speech

The seer

Rishi

Atri (Ātreya) (hymn-level attribution for RV 5.25)

Lineage

Ātreya

Other hymns

RV 5.25 (whole sūkta)

Family tradition

Ātreya hymns often foreground Agni as the inspired priest (hotṛ) and bringer of illumination, linking truth (satya/ṛta) with effective mantra.

Significance

Atri’s voice here emphasizes that Agni is not merely lit by human effort but by the cooperation of the ‘gods’—suggesting integral practice where higher consciousness actively participates in the awakening.

The deity

Devata

Agni (as Hotṛ, Vibhāvasu)

Epithets

Satyaḥ, Hotṛ, Mandrajihva, Vibhāvasu

Related deities

Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (mantric power), Uṣas (illumination)

Cosmic role

Priest of the cosmic sacrifice; awakener of divine powers; diffuser of light through the worlds.

Inner power

Mantric speech-force and luminous discernment that spreads clarity throughout the being.

In ritual

Where it is used

Hotṛ-centered Agni praise in soma/oblation contexts

Accents and Padapatha

Chandas Analysis

Key Symbols

Ritual Application

Etymology

Philosophical Concepts

Vedic Cosmology

Natural Symbolism

Academic Analysis

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes