Rig Veda 5.43.6: Mandala 5, Sukta 43, Mantra 6
Sukta 5.43
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni with Aramati as invoked goddess/faculty
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ नो महीमरमतिं सजोषा ग्नां देवीं नमसा रातहव्याम् । मधोर्मदाय बृहतीमृतज्ञामाग्ने वह पथिभिर्देवयानैः ॥
ā́ no mahī́m arámatim sajóṣā gnā́ṃ devī́ṃ námasā rātáhavyām | mádhormádāya bṛhatī́m ṛtajñā́m ā́gne vaha pathíbhiḥ devayā́naiḥ ||
अग्नि, तुम हमारे लिए अरमति देवी को लाओ जो बहुत बड़ी है। वो देवी है, भगवान की तरह, जो हमारे भेंट को उठा के लाती है। हमारे साथ मिल के आओ, उस्को सही रास्ते से लाओ जहाँ भगवान चलते हैं। यह खुशी वाली देवी है जो सच को जानती है।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग (preverb)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- नः
- for us; to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? बहुवचन (enclitic ‘nas’ = ‘to/for us’ in Vedic usage)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (pronoun)
- महीम्
- the great (lady)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मही (स्त्री) / mahī-
- अरमतिम्
- Aramati (a goddess/personified devotion/rightness)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अरमति (स्त्री) / aramati-
- सजोषाः
- in companionship; together; of one accordAdjective(प्रायः अव्ययीभाव/विशेषणरूप) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन—‘सजोषाः’ (Vedic acc. sg. used with following object)Role KarmaRoot सजोषस् (adj.) / sa-joṣas-
- ग्नाम्
- the divine woman; ladyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ग्ना (स्त्री) / gnā-
- देवीम्
- the goddessNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot देवी (स्त्री) / devī-
- नमसा
- with reverence; by homageNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot नमस् (नपुं) / namas-
- रातहव्याम्
- whose oblation is given/offered; receiving offered havisAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (देवीम्/ग्नाम् का विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot रात-हव्य (adj.) / rāta-havya-
- मधोः
- of sweetness; of soma/honeyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRoot मधु (नपुं) / madhu-
- मदाय
- for exhilaration; for intoxication/raptureNounपुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मद (पुं) / mada-
- बृहतीम्
- the lofty; the greatAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (देवीम् का विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot बृहती (स्त्री) / bṛhatī-
- ऋतज्ञाम्
- knowing ṛta (cosmic order); truth-knowingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (देवीम् का विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot ऋत-ज्ञ (adj.) / ṛta-jña-
- आग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot अग्नि (पुं) / agni-
- वह
- carry; convey (hither)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot वह् (धातु) / vah-
- पथिभिः
- by paths; with pathsNounपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot पथि (पुं/नपुं) / pathi- (path)
- देवयानैः
- by god-going (divine) [paths]; on the ways of the godsAdjectiveपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (पथिभिः का विशेषण)Role KaraṇaRoot देव-यान (adj./n.) / deva-yāna-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: आ नो॑ → आ + नः
- म॒हीम॒रम॑तिं → महीम् + अरमतिम्
- स॒जोषा॒ ग्नां → सजोषाः + ग्नाम् (final -āḥ before g-; Vedic orthography)
- दे॒वीं नम॑सा → देवीम् + नमसा
- रा॒तह॑व्याम् unchanged (compound)
- मधो॒र्मदा॑य → मधोः + मदाय (visarga before m-)
- बृह॒तीमृ॑त॒ज्ञाम् → बृहतीम् + ऋतज्ञाम्
- आग्ने॑ unchanged (voc.)
- प॒थिभि॑र्देव॒यानै॑: → पथिभिः + देवयानैः (visarga before d-). Accent marks are preserved from the saṃhitā text
- pada-forms given without explicit accent annotation beyond the original orthography
The meaning
Outer meaning
Bring to us the great Aramati, harmonious—the divine Lady—reverently, she who bears the offering. For the ecstasy of honeyed delight, O Agni, carry her by the god-travelling paths—vast, knowing ṛta.
Inner meaning
Aramati is the power of right-mindedness and devoted, patient intelligence—often a form of the Divine Mother’s practical wisdom. She is ‘rātahavyā’—one who brings/holds the offering: the capacity in us that can steadily present our works and aspiration to the higher powers. Agni, the inner Flame (divine Will), is asked to bring this faculty along the devayāna paths—channels of ascent—so that honeyed Ananda (madhu) becomes a vast, truth-knowing (ṛtajñā) joy rather than a restless excitement.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress needs not only aspiration, but the Mother-power of steady right understanding and practical harmony, carried by the flame of will along true paths.
Themes
Inner guidance, Truth-order, Agni as carrier, Devayāna paths
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.43, RV 5.42 (adjacent thematic field of right action and invocation)
Family tradition
Ātreyas frequently invoke supportive goddesses/faculties (mati, dhī, aramati) as indispensable to the sacrifice of transformation.
Significance
Atri’s yoga is not only forceful (Agni/Indra) but also harmonizing: Aramati represents the stabilizing wisdom that prevents spiritual energy from becoming unbalanced.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (carrier) with Aramati (invoked)
- Epithets
- devayāna (moving on god-paths), ṛtajña (knower of ṛta—applied to Aramati here), mahī/bṛhatī (vast—applied to Aramati)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspirational flow), Iḷā/Bhāratī (speech/formation powers), Aditi (vastness)
Cosmic role
Agni mediates between human and divine, carrying offerings upward and bringing powers downward; Aramati stabilizes and orders the movement in ṛta.
Inner power
Agni: will-to-transform; Aramati: harmonizing intelligence and devoted steadiness that can hold the offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as hotṛ/vehicle; inviting supportive goddess into the rite
आ नो॑ म॒हीम॒रम॑तिं स॒जोषा॒ ग्नां दे॒वीं नम॑सा रा॒तह॑व्याम् । मधो॒र्मदा॑य बृह॒तीमृ॑त॒ज्ञामाग्ने॑ वह प॒थिभि॑र्देव॒यानै॑: ॥
आ । नः॒ । म॒हीम् । अ॒रम॑तिम् । स॒ऽजोषाः॑ । ग्नाम् । दे॒वीम् । नम॑सा । रा॒तऽह॑व्याम् । मधोः॑ । मदा॑य । बृ॒ह॒तीम् । ऋ॒त॒ऽज्ञाम् । आ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । व॒ह॒ । प॒थिऽभिः॑ । दे॒व॒ऽयानैः॑ ॥
ā | naḥ | mahīm | aramatim | sa-joṣāḥ | gnām | devīm | namasā | rāta-havyām | madhoḥ | madāya | bṛhatīm | ṛta-jñām | ā | agne | vaha | pathi-bhiḥ | deva-yānaiḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Processional and elevating; suited to ‘bringing’ and ‘carrying’ motions.
Creates a feeling of guided ascent—will carrying harmony into higher alignment.
- अरमति (aramati)
- Literal: devotion/right-mindedness (a goddess). Symbolic: patient, harmonious intelligence; Mother-power organizing life for truth
- मही (mahī)
- Literal: great. Symbolic: wide sustaining capacity in nature for right arrangement
- सजोषाः (sajoṣāḥ)
- Literal: in harmony, together. Symbolic: integration of parts of being; concord with the divine working
- ग्ना (gnā)
- Literal: lady, divine woman. Symbolic: the Shakti aspect—executive wisdom and care
- रातहव्या (rātahavyā)
- Literal: bringing/bearing the offering. Symbolic: the faculty that can offer works rightly and consistently
- मधोः मदाय (madhoḥ madāya)
- Literal: for honey’s ecstasy. Symbolic: Ananda as sweetness that uplifts without disorder
- ऋतज्ञा (ṛtajñā)
- Literal: knowing ṛta. Symbolic: intuitive discernment of right order and timing
- देवयान (devayāna)
- Literal: god-going paths. Symbolic: inner channels of ascent; movements aligned to higher consciousness
Agni as conveyor of invoked powers in sacrifice; calling Aramati/right-mindedness to establish ṛta-aligned ecstasy (madhu-mada) in the practitioner.
At offerings where Agni is asked to convey invoked powers; hymns for successful rite and right action
Invocation + offering with Agni as messenger
For daily practice: invoke Aramati before meditation/work to establish calm order, patience, and right timing.
Arámatī is a key inner faculty: ‘right-mindedness/true disposition’ (often linked to devotion and ordered thought), later also an Avestan cognate Armaiti (Spenta Ārmaiti), indicating an Indo-Iranian shared concept of holy right-mindedness. ṛta-jñā ‘knowing ṛta’ ties the goddess to cosmic order and truth. Agni as carrier (√vah) moves powers along deva-yāna ‘god-paths’: inner channels of ascent.
Aramati (right-mindedness/devoted thought), Ṛta (cosmic order), Bṛhat (vastness), Madhu/Mada (delight/ecstasy)
Explicit: ṛtajñā—right knowledge of order; the path must be devayāna, not ego-driven wandering.
Right knowledge (ṛtajñā) is Satya in action—truth applied as harmony and timing.
Descent/ascent exchange: invoked powers are brought into the human field and carried upward through Agni.
Integral Vedic psychology: Shakti-faculties (mati/aramati) as operative powers of consciousness.
Fire = transforming will; path = channels of consciousness; honey = sweet Ananda that results from right order.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the carrier on divine paths bringing the goddess Aramati: the mythic action is ‘conveyance’ of a divine power into the human sphere. Innerly, the awakened will (Agni) brings right-mindedness that knows ṛta, enabling honeyed ecstasy without disorder.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Aramati has a close Indo-Iranian cognate in Avestan (Spenta Ārmaiti), supporting a shared mythic-ethical concept. √vah is PIE *weǵʰ-/*wegʰ- (Lat. vehō). ṛta is often connected to PIE *h₂r-to- ‘fitted, ordered’ (cf. Avestan aša), a major Indo-Iranian inheritance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks not only boons but the installing of a governing inner faculty (Aramati) that keeps experience aligned with ṛta. Agni mediates—human aspiration becomes a divine conveyance, and the goddess arrives as an organizing consciousness.
Invoke Aramati: ‘Let my mind be patient, harmonious, and true-order knowing; let my will carry it upward.’
Anāhata (devotion/harmony) and Ājñā (right discernment)
Lengthened exhale to settle; inhale visualizing a golden path rising with Agni-flame; mentally repeat ‘ṛta’ on the pause.
Quiet harmony; steady aspiration without strain.
If practice feels scattered, call Aramati first: slow down, arrange posture/breath, simplify intention. Then kindle Agni (will) and move along one clear inner path.
Honor accents on key invocations ‘ā no… aramatiṃ’ and ‘agne vaha’; keep svarita transitions smooth.
Pause after ‘rātahavyām’; let ‘devayānaiḥ’ close with a clear cadence.
aramatiṃ: single tap ‘r’, clear short a’s, sajoṣā: long ā; ṣ retroflex, ṛtajñām: vocalic ṛ; jñ as ‘gya/nya’ cluster depending on style, keep compact, devayānaiḥ: ai diphthong clean; final visarga soft
Warm, reverent, steady—like carrying a lamp.
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