Rig Veda 5.28.6: Mandala 5, Sukta 28, Mantra 6
Sukta 5.28
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ जुहोता दुवस्यताग्निं प्रयत्यध्वरे । वृणीध्वं हव्यवाहनम् ॥
ā́ juhotā duvasyatā́gníṃ prayaty adhvaré | vṛṇīdhváṃ havya-vā́hanam ||
आओ, अग्नि को हवन में समर्पित करो। यह यज्ञ आगे बढ़ रहा है, इसलिए पूरा ध्यान दो। अग्नि को चुनो, क्योंकि वोह जो भी भगवान के लिए चढ़ाया जाता है, उसे ले जाता है।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; forthIndeclinableupasarga/avyaya (directional: ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (upasarga) / ā (avyaya)
- जुहोत
- offer; pour (oblations)Verbloṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, parasmaipada; Vedic injunctive/imperative form ‘juhota’Role (with implied) Kartā: ‘you (priests)’Root हु (जुहोति) ‘to sacrifice, offer’
- दुवस्यत
- worship; serveVerbloṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, parasmaipada; Vedic form ‘duvasyata’Role Kartā: ‘you’Root दुवस् (noun ‘service, worship’) → denominative verb दुवस्यति ‘to serve/worship’
- अग्निम्
- Agni (the Fire-god)Nounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- प्रयत्य
- being intent; activelyParticiplepresent active participle (śatṛ), nominative masculine singular (agreeing with implied ‘you’/ritual agent) used adverbially: ‘while being intent/active’Role Kartā (qualifier of the agent) / adverbial to the actionRoot प्र + यत् (यतते/यच्छति) ‘to strive, be active/intent’ → kṛdanta
- अध्वरे
- in the sacrifice; at the riteNounmasculine, locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अध्वर (prātipadika) ‘sacrifice, rite’
- वृणीध्वम्
- choose; selectVerbloṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, ātmanepada (ending -ध्वम्)Role Kartā: ‘you’Root वृ (वृणोति/वृणीते) ‘to choose’
- हव्यवाहनम्
- the oblation-carrier (Agni)Noun/Adjective (epithet)masculine, accusative singular (agreeing with अग्निम्; apposition)Role Karma (appositional to ‘Agni’)Root हव्य-वाहन (compound: हव्य ‘oblation’ + वाहन ‘carrier’, from √वह ‘to carry’)
Sandhi Notes
- Padaccheda: आ | जुहोत | दुवस्यत | अग्निम् | प्रयत्य | अध्वरे | वृणीध्वम् | हव्यवाहनम् ।
- ‘प्रयत्य’ is a kṛdanta used adverbially with the locative ‘अध्वरे’. ‘हव्यवाहनम्’ is a tatpuruṣa compound in apposition to ‘अग्निम्’
The meaning
Outer meaning
An invitation to the worshippers: “Come, make the offering; serve Agni with devotion in the forward-moving sacrifice. Choose Agni as the carrier of the oblation.”
Inner meaning
A call to begin the inner yajña: awaken the flame of conscious Will (Agni) and actively “offer” into it one’s energies, intentions, and resistances. The sacrifice is “forward-moving” (pra-yati): a progressive ascent of consciousness. To “choose” Agni is to take the Divine Will as the leader of the sādhanā so that all inner offerings are carried upward and transmuted toward the divine fulfillment.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires an awakened guiding principle of will and aspiration. When the will is consecrated and steady, it becomes the vehicle that lifts every experience—work, struggle, desire, and thought—into a higher consummation.
Themes
injunction, devotional service, selection of Agni, progressive sacrifice
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 5.28 (Agni hymn, same sūkta context)
Significance
The anonymity of the seer highlights a recurring Vedic fact: the mantra’s efficacy rests less on personality than on the impersonal vision of Agni as the universal initiator of the inner sacrifice.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Havyavāhana (oblation-bearer), Hotṛ (invoker/priest, implied by juhota), Prayati-adhvara-netā (leader of the advancing sacrifice, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma (bliss that fuels offering), Indra (illumined mind that receives uplifted force), Uṣas (awakening that kindles Agni)
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; establishes the link by carrying offerings to the gods and bringing back powers and boons.
Inner power
Flame of aspiration and discernment; the will that purifies, organizes, and uplifts the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / general Agni-invocation within Soma-less offerings; also applicable to opening of a śrauta rite as an Agni-call.
आ जु॑होता दुव॒स्यता॒ग्निं प्र॑य॒त्य॑ध्व॒रे । वृ॒णी॒ध्वं ह॑व्य॒वाह॑नम् ॥
आ । जु॒हो॒त॒ । दु॒व॒स्यत । अ॒ग्निम् । प्र॒ऽय॒ति । अ॒ध्व॒रे । वृ॒णी॒ध्वम् । ह॒व्य॒ऽवाह॑नम् ॥
ā | juhota | duvasyata | agnim | pra-yati | adhvare | vṛṇīdhvam | havya-vāhanam
Two pādas shown in citation
Imperative, rallying cadence—short commands that generate momentum.
Energizes will and readiness; creates a sense of ‘setting out’ on an inner journey.
- आ (ā)
- Literal: come, towards. Symbolic: turning of consciousness toward the Divine; the inward approach
- जुहोत (juhota)
- Literal: offer, pour into fire. Symbolic: consecration; self-offering of energies into the psychic flame
- दुवस्यत (duvasyata)
- Literal: serve, honor, be devoted. Symbolic: bhakti as disciplined service; sustained reverence in practice
- अग्निम् (agnim)
- Literal: Agni, fire. Symbolic: Divine Will; inner flame; priest of the sacrifice
- प्रयति (pra-yati)
- Literal: going forward, advancing. Symbolic: evolutionary movement; ascent and progress of the yoga
- अध्वरे (adhvare)
- Literal: in the sacrifice (adhvara). Symbolic: the path/rite of inner offering; journey of transformation
- वृणीध्वम् (vṛṇīdhvam)
- Literal: choose, select. Symbolic: deliberate alignment; choosing the Divine lead over lower impulses
- हव्यवाहनम् (havyavāhanam)
- Literal: carrier of the oblation. Symbolic: power that conveys aspiration and offering to higher planes; mediator-fire
Direct liturgical instruction to the officiants/participants: offer and attend Agni; inner application: consciously choose the awakened will as the carrier of one’s energies toward the gods.
At the commencement of offering sequences—when the fire is invoked as Hotṛ and carrier.
Invitation to pour oblations and establish Agni as the mediator.
Use as a daily ‘opening mantra’ before meditation/work: mentally offer breath, thoughts, and intention into an inner flame, reaffirming Agni as guide.
juhota from √hu 'pour/offer' (ritual verb). vṛṇīdhvam from √vṛ 'choose' (PIE *wel- 'to want/choose' possible; cf. English 'will'—not a strict cognate chain but same semantic domain). pra-yati from √i 'go' (PIE *h₁ey- 'go'). duvasyatā from duvas 'service, worship' (an Indo-Iranian cultic term).
choice (vṛ) as decisive inner act, forward movement (pra-yati) as progress of sādhanā
Agni is the executor of ṛta: he sets the right movement of offering and ascent.
Choosing Agni aligns action with truth-intent; the offering moves toward satya-siddhi (truth-fulfillment).
Fire as first awakener—igniting the evolutionary ascent from inertia to conscious order.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo): sacrifice as inner transformation rather than mere rite.
Dawn or ritual beginning (implied by ‘come, offer’ initiation)
Fire = awakened will; oblation = consecrated energies; forward sacrifice = progressive inner ascent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of 'choosing the priestly fire': the community selects Agni as messenger to carry offerings. Inner sense: the aspirant must choose the will-flame as the vehicle for transformation; without it, offerings do not reach the higher powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √i 'go' (yati) corresponds to PIE *h₁ey-; √vah 'carry' corresponds to PIE *weǵh- 'convey' (cf. Latin vehō). The imperative plural forms reflect archaic injunctive/command style typical of inherited Indo-European ritual speech.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks as ritual-guide: humans must act (offer, serve, choose) so that Agni can function as carrier. The divine-human relation is cooperative—divine mediation requires human preparation and consent.
Kindle the inner flame of will; offer one by one: breath, thought-stream, desire, fear—into a steady aspiration.
Manipura (fire/will center)
Gentle kapalabhati-like warming optional; otherwise slow nasal breathing with mental offering on exhale.
Active collectedness—quiet intensity rather than passive calm.
Begin sessions by inwardly saying ‘ā’ (turning toward), then ‘juhota’ (offer): feel a flame in the navel/heart; let Agni ‘carry’ the offering upward as clarity and strength.
Use Vedic-style three-tone contour where known; in absence of full svara notation, chant with a gentle rise on key imperatives (juhota, vṛṇīdhvam) and settle on cadential endings.
Stress clarity on long vowels: ā; keep consonant clusters clean in prayaty-adhvare.
(juhota): ‘ju-ho-ta’ with clear ‘h’, (duvasyata): ‘du-va-sya-ta’ (palatal ‘sya’), : link as ‘pra-yaty adhvare’ without swallowing ‘tya’, (havyavāhanam): ‘hav-ya-vā-ha-nam’, long ‘vā’
Bright, kindling tone; steady and forward-driving.
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