Rig Veda 5.28.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 28, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.28
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
समिद्धस्य प्रमहसोऽग्ने वन्दे तव श्रियम् । वृषभो द्युम्नवाँ असि समध्वरेष्विध्यसे ॥
sámiddhasya prámahaso ’gné vánde táva śríyam | vṛṣabhó dyumnávāṃ asi sám adhvaréṣv idhyase ||
अग्नि, जब तू बड़ी ताकत से जलता है तो मैं तेरी चमक और खूबसूरती को नमस्ते करता हूँ। तू एक बैल की तरह ताकतवाला है, चमक से भरा हुआ। यज्ञ में जब तुझे जलाया जाता है तो सब ठीक हो जाता है।
Word by Word
- समिद्धस्य
- of the kindled (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitival relation to अग्ने)Root सम्-इध् (dhātu) → समिद्ध (PPP prātipadika)
- प्रमहतः
- of the very-greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitival epithet of अग्ने)Root प्र- मह् (dhātu ‘to be great’) → प्रमहत् (present participle/adj. stem)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (voc. sg.)Role सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- वन्दे
- I praise / I saluteVerbलट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया) / कर्ता = अहम् (implicit)Root वन्द् (dhātu ‘to praise, salute’)
- तव
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी-एकवचन (gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (pronominal base) → त्वद्
- श्रियम्
- splendour, gloryNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (acc. sg.)Role कर्म (object of वन्दे)Root श्री (prātipadika)
- वृषभः
- bull (mighty one)Noun (used as epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (nom. sg.)Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (predicate-nominative to असि)Root वृषभ (prātipadika)
- द्युम्नवान्
- possessing brillianceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (nom. sg.)Role कर्तृ/विशेषण (to implied ‘त्वम्’)Root द्युम्न (prātipadika) + वत् (possessive suffix) → द्युम्नवत्
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (copula); कर्ता = त्वम् (implicit)Root अस् (dhātu ‘to be’)
- समध्वरेषु
- in the well-ordered sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-बहुवचन (loc. pl.)Role अधिकरण (locus: ‘in/at the rites’)Root अध्वर (prātipadika ‘sacrifice/rite’) with preverb सम्- (as lexical compound) → समध्वर
- इध्यसे
- you are kindled / you blazeVerbलट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया; कर्ता = त्वम् (implicit)Root इध् (dhātu ‘to kindle, blaze’)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved: प्रमहसोऽग्ने → प्रमहतः + अग्ने (o = aḥ + a, with avagraha). समध्वरेष्वि॑ध्यसे → समध्वरेषु + इध्यसे (u + i → v i). Other words are already in padapāṭha-like form
- accents retained as in saṃhitā but not re-marked per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
I adore the radiance of Agni, kindled in great might. You are a bull of force, full of splendor; in the sacrifices you are kindled into harmony.
Inner meaning
The seeker bows to Agni’s śrī—his radiance, beauty, and victorious grace—when the inner Fire is fully kindled in its great potency (pramahas). Agni is the vṛṣabha, the strong generative force: the will-power that can carry and fertilize transformation. In the adhvara (the ‘unhurt’ path of offering), he is kindled ‘sam’—into harmony—meaning the energies of the being are brought into a unified, rightly tuned movement under the divine Will.
Universal truth
Reverence for the inner divine Force awakens its grace; when will is aligned with a sincere path of offering, life’s energies come into harmony and gain luminous strength.
Themes
praise, splendor, harmonized sacrifice, Agni as force
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Atri-family attribution)
- Lineage
- Atri
- Other hymns
- RV 5.1, RV 5.4, RV 5.11
Family tradition
Atri hymns often include direct adoration (vande) as a yogic key: bhakti supporting tapas.
Significance
This verse foregrounds śrī as an inner radiance born of kindled will—devotion and strength united, leading to harmonization of the sacrifice (life-yoga).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- samiddha (kindled), pramahas (of great might), vṛṣabha (bull of force), dyumnavān (splendid)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (harmony/flow of inspiration), Bṛhaspati (right word/ordering), Indra (force of victorious illumination)
Cosmic role
Power that energizes and integrates the sacrifice; bestows śrī (radiant harmony and fortune).
Inner power
Transformative will-force that unifies scattered energies into a coherent upward movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Short adoration verse in Agni worship; suitable as an opening/closing refrain in fire offerings.
समि॑द्धस्य॒ प्रम॑ह॒सोऽग्ने॒ वन्दे॒ तव॒ श्रिय॑म् । वृ॒ष॒भो द्यु॒म्नवाँ॑ असि॒ सम॑ध्व॒रेष्वि॑ध्यसे ॥
सम्ऽइ॑द्धस्य । प्रऽम॑हसः । अ॒ग्ने॒ । वन्दे॑ । तव॑ । श्रिय॑म् । वृ॒ष॒भः । द्यु॒म्नऽवा॑न् । अ॒सि॒ । सम् । अ॒ध्व॒रेषु॑ । इ॒ध्य॒से॒ ॥
sam-iddhasya | pra-mahasaḥ | agne | vande | tava | śriyam | vṛṣabhaḥ | dyumna-vān | asi | sam | adhvareṣu | idhyase
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3 pādas of ~8 syllables (approx.)
Compact, devotional, mantra-like; easy to repeat.
Quickly gathers attention and devotion; supports japa-style repetition and inner centering.
- प्रमहस् (pramahas)
- Literal: great might, great power. Symbolic: intensified spiritual force of will; tapas-powered flame
- श्रि (śrī)
- Literal: splendor, beauty, fortune. Symbolic: radiant grace of realized force; harmony and victory in the being
- वृषभ (vṛṣabha)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: dynamic generative strength; master-force of action
- द्युम्नवत् (dyumnavat)
- Literal: possessing splendor. Symbolic: filled with illumined power; effective clarity
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: sacrifice (unharmed/unhurt). Symbolic: the right path of offering that does not injure the being; integral yoga-process
- सम् (sam)
- Literal: together, harmoniously. Symbolic: integration; right consonance of mind-life-body under the psychic will
Praise during kindling; inner ritual: recognition that Agni’s śrī (harmonizing splendor) manifests when the will is kindled and aligned (sam) in the adhvara—disciplined offering.
At kindling or when offering ghee; also as a praise-verse during homa.
Offer ghee while saluting Agni’s śrī and invoking harmonious kindling.
As a brief daily invocation before meditation: ‘I bow to the radiance of the inner Fire; kindle harmony in me.’
śrī from √śri/√śray 'to lean on, rest in, prosper' → that which supports and shines as harmony and prosperity. vṛṣabha 'bull' from √vṛṣ 'to rain/sprinkle, be virile'—symbolically the fertilizing power of the flame. adhvara possibly from a-dhvara 'non-injurious' (folk etymology) or a ritual term for sacrifice-path.
śrī as harmonizing radiance, mahas (greatness) as expansive power
‘Sam’ kindling in adhvara indicates alignment with ṛta—integrated right movement.
Dyumna as truth-light that manifests as effective power.
Integration: the scattered becomes one around the central fire.
Bhakti-tapas synthesis (Aurobindonian): adoration intensifies the force that transforms nature.
Bull = concentrated vital force under divine direction; fire = will; harmony in sacrifice = integrated psycho-physical rhythm.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The kindling-myth: when Agni is awakened, his greatness and śrī appear; he becomes the virile bull-force within the sacrifice. Inner reading: awakened will-power reveals a harmonizing radiance and organizes the offering.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vand 'praise' has Indo-Iranian parallels; √idh 'kindle' is archaic and ritual. dyu/dyumna again reflects PIE *dyew- light vocabulary, showing the inheritance of 'light-as-power' semantics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers reverence (vande) and in return beholds śrī—Agni’s supportive splendor. The reciprocity is experiential: worship/kindling aligns the human with Agni’s harmonizing force active in the sacrifice.
Adoration of the inner radiance (śrī) to kindle integrated will; feel the central fire unify the being.
maṇipūra (fire) harmonized with anāhata (devotion/śrī)
Slow inhale to the navel center, slow exhale with ‘vande tava śriyam’ mentally; 9 cycles.
Collected, luminous, harmonized.
Use as a short japa: on each repetition, offer one scattered tendency into the central flame and feel a ‘sam’ (togetherness) arise.
Rigvedic accents as marked; keep ‘samíddhasya’ lifted on the acute; ‘vánde’ clear and devotional.
Because the verse is short, maintain one continuous flow; pause lightly at the | (hemistich) boundary.
pramahaso: keep ‘pra-’ distinct; avoid swallowing the h., vṛṣabho: retroflex ṛ; ṣ retroflex; bh aspirated., adhvareṣu: dhv cluster; do not insert extra vowel., idhyase: pronounce dhy clearly.
Warm, devotional, steady; avoid sharpness.
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