Rig Veda 5.3.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 3, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.3
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
तव श्रिया सुदृशो देव देवाः पुरू दधाना अमृतं सपन्त । होतारमग्निं मनुषो नि षेदुर्दशस्यन्त उशिजः शंसमायोः ॥
táva śriyā́ su-dṛ́śo deva devā́ḥ purū́ dádhānā amṛ́taṃ sapanta | hótar amagníṃ mánuṣo ní ṣeduḥ daśasyánta uśíjaḥ śáṃsam āyóḥ ||
देवा, तेरी चमक से सारे देवता अच्छे लगने लगते हैं। वो अमृत के रूप लेते हैं, कई तरह से। लोगों ने अग्नि को अपने पास बिठा लिया है जो हवन करता है। जो लोग इच्छुक हैं वो अच्छी प्रार्थना के लिए उसकी सेवा करते हैं और आशीर्वाद पाते हैं।
Word by Word
- तव
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रिया
- by (your) splendor / gloryNounतृतीया (instr.), एकवचनRole करणRoot श्री (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
- सुदृशः
- fair to see / of good appearanceAdjectiveप्रथमा (nom.), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot सु-दृश् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- देव
- O godNoun (vocative)सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बोधनRoot देव (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाः
- the godsNounप्रथमा (nom.), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot देव (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरू
- many / muchIndeclinable (quantifier)अव्ययRole विशेषण (quantifying)Root पुरु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; RV indeclinable use)
- दधानाः
- bearing / placing / bestowingParticipleवर्तमान (pres.) कर्तरि शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय, प्रथमा बहुवचन पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot धा (धातु) → दधाना (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अमृतम्
- immortality / ambrosiaNounद्वितीया (acc.), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot अमृत (नपुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- सपन्त
- they follow / attendVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot सप् (धातु; ‘to follow/attend’ in Vedic) अथवा √सप्/√सप्- (Vedic present)
- होतारम्
- the Hotṛ-priest / invokerNounद्वितीया (acc.), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot होतृ (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- AgniNounद्वितीया (acc.), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्म (apposition to होतारम्)Root अग्नि (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- मनुषः
- of Manu / of man (the progenitor)Nounषष्ठी (gen.), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बन्धRoot मनु (पुं. प्रातिपदिक) → मनुष् (gen. sg. in RV usage)
- नि
- down; in; firmlyIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (directional)Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- षेदुः
- they have sat down / took their seatVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot सद् (धातु) + नि → नि-षद्
- दशस्यन्तः
- worshipping / servingParticipleवर्तमान कर्तरि शतृ, प्रथमा बहुवचन पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (to implied verb of praising)Root दशस्य (denom. from दशस्/दशस्य ‘to worship, serve’)
- उशिजः
- the zealous ones / eager priestsNounप्रथमा (nom.), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot उशिज् (पुं. प्रातिपदिक; ‘eager/zealous worshipper’, esp. priests)
- शंसमायोः
- of the two praisers / of (those) two who praiseNoun/Adjective (compound member)षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन? (Vedic dual ending -योः), द्विवचनRole सम्बन्ध/अधिकारण (contextual)Root शंस (धातु √शंस् ‘to praise’) → शंसमाय (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘praising’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): तव | श्रिया | सुदृशः | देव | देवाः | पुरू | दधानाः | अमृतम् | सपन्त । होतारम् | अग्निम् | मनुषः | नि | षेदुः | दशस्यन्तः | उशिजः | शंसमायोः ॥ विशेष: ‘नि षेदुः’ = नि + षेदुः (< नि-षद्, लिट् 3pl). ‘शंसमायोः’ RV-प्रयोगे -योः द्विवचन-सम्बन्धरूपम्
- पदपाठ-परम्परायां एतत् द्वय-सम्बन्धं सूचयति।
The meaning
Outer meaning
By Agni’s splendor the gods become beautiful to see, taking on many forms of immortality. Humans have seated Agni the Hotṛ; eager seekers, desiring right praise, serve him for gain of abundance.
Inner meaning
When the inner Agni shines, the divine powers in us (devaḥ) become ‘fair to behold’: our faculties take on their true luminous forms and participate in amṛta—deathless consciousness. The human being ‘seats’ the Hotṛ within: establishes the priestly flame in the heart/mind as the one who calls the gods and offers our works upward. Those who are uśij—ardent, eager for the true—serve by right speech (śaṃsa) and aspiration for āyuḥ (plenitude of life-force and duration), i.e., a widened, sustained spiritual living.
Universal truth
Inner immortality is approached when the divine fire is enthroned within; then the powers of consciousness assume their luminous forms, and right aspiration and truthful expression become the means to abundance of being.
Themes
Agni as Hotṛ, establishing inner fire, right praise, immortality participation
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.3, RV 7.4
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s tradition emphasizes Agni as the organizer of divine powers and the establisher of ṛta in the human vessel.
Significance
The seer presents a core yogic act: enthroning the inner Hotṛ so the ‘gods’ in us can assume immortal forms.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Hotṛ)
- Epithets
- deva (god), hotṛ (invoking priest), śrīmat (splendid, implied)
- Related deities
- All Devas (as powers), Sarasvatī/Vāc (as right speech, implied through śaṃsa)
Cosmic role
Priest of the sacrifice; transformer who enables the gods to take their immortal stations in manifestation.
Inner power
Capacity to invoke higher consciousness and transmute human faculties into luminous, deathless modes.
In ritual
Where it is used
Installation of Agni as Hotṛ in shrauta rites; general Agni invocation at the beginning of offerings.
तव॑ श्रि॒या सु॒दृशो॑ देव दे॒वाः पु॒रू दधा॑ना अ॒मृतं॑ सपन्त । होता॑रम॒ग्निं मनु॑षो॒ नि षे॑दुर्दश॒स्यन्त॑ उ॒शिज॒: शंस॑मा॒योः ॥
तव॑ । श्रि॒या । सु॒ऽदृशः॑ । दे॒व॒ । दे॒वाः । पु॒रु । दधा॑नाः । अ॒मृत॑म् । स॒प॒न्त॒ । होता॑रम् । अ॒ग्निम् । मनु॑षः । नि । से॒दुः॒ । द॒श॒स्यन्तः॑ । उ॒शिजः॑ । शंस॑म् । आ॒योः ॥
tava | śriyā | su-dṛśaḥ | deva | devāḥ | puru | dadhānāḥ | amṛtam | sapanta | hotāram | agnim | manuṣaḥ | ni | seduḥ | daśasyantaḥ | uśijaḥ | śaṃsam | āyoḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables
Steady, declarative; supports ‘installation’ and sustained service.
Grounding and centering; helps establish the sense of inner seat/altar and steady aspiration.
- श्रिया (śriyā)
- Literal: by splendor. Symbolic: by the radiance of awakened inner fire
- देवाः (devāḥ)
- Literal: gods. Symbolic: powers/faculties of consciousness
- अमृतम् (amṛtam)
- Literal: immortality, nectar. Symbolic: deathless consciousness, undying delight/being
- होतारम् (hotāram)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: inner voice of aspiration that calls higher powers
- नि षेदुः (ni ṣeduḥ)
- Literal: they have seated/installed. Symbolic: established firmly within the being
- उशिजः (uśijaḥ)
- Literal: eager ones. Symbolic: ardent seekers, inner energies that yearn for the true
- शंसम् (śaṃsam)
- Literal: praise, recitation. Symbolic: true mantra-speech; right expression of aspiration
- आयोः (āyoḥ)
- Literal: of āyuḥ (life, vitality, duration). Symbolic: plenitude of life-force and a larger life in truth
Hotṛ-seating formula: establishes Agni at the ritual center; supports correct recitation (śaṃsa) and attainment of āya (increase) through worship.
At opening of yajña or when reaffirming the Hotṛ’s role; also suitable at daily household fire worship.
Kindling, seating the fire, reciting praises to empower correct mantra and invite the gods.
A short ‘inner seating’ practice: place attention in the heart, kindle warmth, then speak one truthful intention (śaṃsa) and offer the day’s actions into it.
śrī is splendor that makes the gods ‘su-dṛśaḥ’—perceptible as luminous powers. ni-√sad repeats the key motif of establishing Agni within. √daś ‘honor’ indicates service as inner worship. āyu/āya is ‘increase, gain’ (not merely material), here read as growth of fullness through right praise (śaṃsa).
immanence of immortality in human practice, seating of the inner priest, increase (āya) as growth of being
Hotṛ function is ṛta in action: correct calling and offering align human life with cosmic order.
Śaṃsa as true speech; splendor makes the gods ‘sudṛśaḥ’—truth becomes visible form.
Devas taking ‘many forms’ of immortality suggests manifestation of higher states into multiple faculties.
Integral/psychological Veda: deities as powers realized as states of consciousness.
Fire seated within = stable aspiration; beauty/visibility = clarity of awakened faculties; immortality = continuity of consciousness beyond fluctuation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The seating of the divine priest: humans enthrone Agni as Hotṛ, enabling the gods’ immortality to become visible and operative. Mythically it is the installation of the sacrificer’s mediator; psychologically it is establishing the flame of aspiration so the divine powers can be ‘seen’ and embodied.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sad ‘sit’ and √dṛś ‘see’ are ancient IE (cf. English sit; Greek dérkomai is different but ‘see’ roots are widespread). The priestly title Hotṛ (from √hu ‘invoke’) is Indo-Iranian and reflects the archaic IE institution of the invoker/poet-priest.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames a mutuality: by Agni’s śrī the gods become luminous; by humans seating Agni within, the divine can act. The exchange is praise and service (śaṃsa, daśasya) for āya—an increase of inner plenitude and participation in amṛta.
Enthrone the inner Hotṛ: let aspiration become the invoking voice that calls higher powers into daily life.
anahata
Gentle coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min) while repeating ‘hotāram agnim’ mentally.
Centered, devotional, quietly luminous.
Before chanting, feel the ‘seat’ in the heart. Chant once; then offer three movements—thought, emotion, action—into the flame. End by speaking one sentence of truthful intention (śaṃsa) for the day.
Recitative with clear udatta on key openings (táva, śriyā́, hotā́ram, agním).
Give a slight settling pause after ‘amṛtaṃ sapanta’ then emphasize ‘hotāram agnim’ as the pivot.
sudṛśo: dental ‘d’, retroflex ‘ṛ’., ni ṣeduḥ: keep ṣ clear; do not merge into ‘nisheduh’., uśijaḥ: palatal ‘ś’, soft ‘j’.
Warm, steady, inward; avoid sharpness—let the cadence ‘seat’ the mind.
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