Rig Veda 5.3.7: Mandala 5, Sukta 3, Mantra 7
Sukta 5.3
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
यो न आगो अभ्येनो भरात्यधीदघमघशंसे दधात । जही चिकित्वो अभिशस्तिमेतामग्ने यो नो मर्चयति द्वयेन ॥
yó na ā́go abhy éno bhárāty ádhīd aghám aghaśáṃse dadhāta | jahī́ cikitvo abhíśastim etā́m agne yó no marcáyati dvayéna ||
जो हमारे ऊपर पाप और दोष डालता है, और बुरी बात करने वाले को बुरा लगाता है, ऐसे लोग को मार डाल, अग्नि। जो लोग छुप के या सामने से हमारे पे वार करते हैं, उनको कचरा कर दे।
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आगः
- sin, offenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot आगस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, againstIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अभि
- एनः
- guilt, sinNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भराति
- bears, bringsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √भृ (भरणे)
- अधी
- upon, overIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि
- दघम्
- harm, injury (evil)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot दघ (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक) / दघन्-सम्बद्धम्
- अघशंसे
- in/at the evil-speaker (slanderer)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अघशंस (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधात
- puts, placesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √धा (धारणे/स्थापने)
- जही
- strike down, slayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot √हन् (हिंसायाम्)
- चिकित्वः
- O wise one, O discerning (Agni)Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot चिकित्वस् (प्रातिपदिक; √चित् ‘to perceive/know’ से)
- अभिशस्तिम्
- imprecation, hostile accusationNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अभिशस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- एताम्
- thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- usPronounद्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role KarmaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्चयति
- harms, afflictsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √मृच्/मर्च् (हिंसायाम्/पीडने; वैदिक)
- द्वयेन
- with a twofold (means), in two waysNoun (instrumental) / Adjectival nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): यः | नः | आगः | अभि | एनः | भराति | अधि | दघम् | अघशंसे | दधात । जही | चिकित्वः | अभिशस्तिम् | एताम् | अग्ने | यः | नः | मर्चयति | द्वयेन ॥ मुख्य सन्धि-निर्णय: (1) न॒ आगो॑ → नः + आगः (विसर्ग-लोप/प्रगृह्य-प्रभाव; संहितायां ‘न’ इति दृश्यते) । (2) अ॒भ्येनो॒ → अभि + एनः (इ + ए → ये; ‘अभ्येनः’) । (3) भरा॒त्यधीद॒घम् → भराति + अधि + दघम् (इ + अ → य; ‘भरात्यधि’) । (4) अ॒घशं॑से दधात → अघशंसे + दधात (सन्धि-विशेष नहीं) । (5) ज॒ही चि॑कित्वो → जही + चिकित्वः (ओ/अन्त्य-स्वर का पदान्त रूप; सम्बोधन) । (6) अ॒भिश॑स्तिमे॒ताम् → अभिशस्तिम् + एताम् (म् + ए → मे; ‘अभिशस्तिमेताम्’) । (7) अग्ने॒ यो → अग्ने + यः (ए + य → एय्; संहिता में ‘अग्ने यो’) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Agni to strike down whoever loads the worshippers with sin/guilt, fixes evil upon the evil-speaker, or harms them openly or secretly through hostile imprecation.
Inner meaning
Agni as the awakened divine Will is invoked to cut off hostile formations in consciousness: the forces that project guilt, self-accusation, and destructive suggestion (abhiśasti) into the mind and vital. The “double way” points to both overt attacks (conscious negativity, external opposition) and covert attacks (subconscient sabotage, hidden impulses). The mantra asks for lucid discrimination (cikitvaḥ) and a purifying combustion that returns falsehood to its source.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires vigilant purification: inner fire must discern and dissolve both visible and hidden resistances—especially the psychological mechanisms of guilt, slander, and subconscious self-harm—so that the path of truth can proceed unobstructed.
Themes
protection from curse, purification of guilt, combat against hostile forces
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.1, RV 5.2, RV 5.3, RV 5.4, RV 5.5
Family tradition
Atri lineage emphasizing Agni as inner guide and purifier; hymns often turn ritual language into a psychology of illumination and protection.
Significance
Atri’s vision frequently invokes the “seer's fire” that detects falsehood and clears the path for ṛta; here the seer calls for the removal of hostile mental-vital formations.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- cikitvaḥ (the discerning), yaviṣṭha (the youngest/fresh), dūta (messenger)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Varuṇa, Mitra, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; carrier of offering; guardian of the rite; power that establishes order by burning impurity.
Inner power
Psychic fire of aspiration and will—illumining discernment, purifying guilt, and repelling hostile suggestions.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Agni invocation within soma/yajña settings; also used as a general apotropaic (warding) formula in recitation.
यो न॒ आगो॑ अ॒भ्येनो॒ भरा॒त्यधीद॒घम॒घशं॑से दधात । ज॒ही चि॑कित्वो अ॒भिश॑स्तिमे॒तामग्ने॒ यो नो॑ म॒र्चय॑ति द्व॒येन॑ ॥
यः । नः॒ । आगः॑ । अ॒भि । एनः॑ । भरा॑ति । अधि॑ । इत् । अ॒घम् । अ॒घऽशं॑से । द॒धा॒त॒ । ज॒हि । चि॒कि॒त्वः॒ । अ॒भिऽश॑स्तिम् । ए॒ताम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । यः । नः॒ । म॒र्चय॑ति । द्व॒येन॑ ॥
yaḥ | naḥ | āgaḥ | abhi | enaḥ | bharāti | adhi | it | agham | agha-śaṃse | dadhāta | jahi | cikitvaḥ | abhi-śastim | etām | agne | yaḥ | naḥ | marcayati | dvayena
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (with Vedic resolution/variation possible)
Forceful, martial cadence suited to protection and cutting through resistance.
Builds inner heat and courage; supports decisive rejection of intrusive thoughts and hostile impulses.
- āgaḥ
- Literal: sin, fault. Symbolic: deviation from the soul’s truth; misalignment of will with the inner law
- enaḥ
- Literal: guilt, offense. Symbolic: the burdening impression of error that clouds clarity and drains force
- agha
- Literal: evil, harm. Symbolic: destructive vibration in mind/vital that opposes growth
- aghaśaṃsa
- Literal: evil-speaker, slanderer. Symbolic: the voice of false suggestion—inner or outer—that speaks against the truth
- abhiśasti
- Literal: imprecation, hostile spell/curse. Symbolic: projected negativity; fixed adverse thought-formation attacking the sadhaka
- cikitvaḥ
- Literal: discerning, intelligent. Symbolic: Agni’s luminous discrimination in the will
- dvayena
- Literal: in two ways. Symbolic: open/conscious and hidden/subconscient modes of attack
Apotropaic use: protection against curses, hostile speech, and guilt; suitable in rites seeking removal of enas/āgas and warding off abhiśasti.
During offerings to Agni for safeguarding the sacrificer and rite; when obstacles or ill-will are feared.
Oblation with protective intent; verbal “striking” of abhiśasti through mantra.
Use as a daily psychic-protection chant: before meditation, name the ‘double way’ (overt/hidden) disturbances and offer them into inner fire for transformation.
(ā́gas) ‘offence’ and (énas) ‘guilt’ are paired ethical terms: āgas as act of deviation, enas as resultant stain/bondage. (abhi-śasti) from abhi- ‘against’ + √śas ‘to declare, recite, praise’: hostile formulation—speech as force. (cikitvaḥ) from √cit ‘to perceive’ with intensive/reduplicated formation: ‘the keenly aware’. (dvaya) ‘twofold’ from numeral base; indicates duplicity of attack (seen/unseen).
ṛta vs. anṛta (right order vs. deviation) implied by āgas/enas, power of speech (vāc) as creative/destructive force
Agni defends ṛta by burning false formations and restoring right movement.
Discerning intelligence (cikitvaḥ) aligns perception with truth and exposes hidden harm.
Purification as a prerequisite for manifestation of higher order in the being.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent through purification and illumination.
Fire = awakened will and aspiration; smoke/obscuration = hostile suggestion; heat = tapas that dissolves impurity and fear.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the purifier-warrior who destroys hostile ‘word-weapons’ (abhiśasti) and removes the imposed burden of guilt (enas). The mythic action is the burning away of darkness that enters through wrongful speech and hostile intention.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ (bharāti) is PIE *bher- ‘to carry’ (cf. English ‘bear’). √han (jahi) aligns with PIE *gwhen- ‘to strike, slay’ (Skt han-, Av jān-). The prominence of speech-acts (√śas) reflects the Indo-European poetic ideology where utterance has effective power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts Agni with moral-psychological defense: Agni is invoked not merely to burn offerings but to burn hostile formations (curse, harm) and restore the seeker’s alignment with ṛta.
Offer guilt, self-accusation, and fear into the inner flame; cultivate cikitva—quiet discernment that detects covert sabotage.
maṇipūra (fire/will)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana 6–6–6 (inhale-hold-exhale) before chanting; then natural breath with emphasis on exhale during ‘jahī’.
Protective concentration with illumined vigilance; steady, upright will.
Identify ‘double-way’ attacks: (1) external conflict/words, (2) inner doubt/compulsion. Chant once, pause, feel heat in the navel/heart, then mentally consign the formation to Agni for transmutation—not repression.
Use Vedic-style recitation with udatta peaks on key verbs (bharāti, dadhāta, jahī, marcayati) and careful handling of svarita at sandhi; exact svara requires śākhā-specific notation (not provided).
Emphasize imperative ‘jahī’ and vocative ‘agne’; keep ‘dvayena’ clearly articulated to mark the twofold sense.
Keep retroflex ṛ in ‘marcayati’ clear (mar-ca-ya-ti)., Differentiate ś/ṣ/s: ‘a-gha-śaṃ-se’ with śa., Pronounce ‘abhiśastim’ with clean consonant cluster: a-bhi-śas-tim., Hold ‘agne’ as ag-ne (not ag-nee).
Firm, bright, protective; avoid harshness—let force come from clarity.
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