Rig Veda 5.50.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 50, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.50
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni/Vahni as carrier
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यत्र वह्निरभिहितो दुद्रवद्द्रोण्यः पशुः । नृमणा वीरपस्त्योऽर्णा धीरेव सनिता ॥
yátra váhnir abhíhito dudrávad droṇyàḥ paśúḥ | nṛmánā vīrápastyó 'rṇā́ dhī́revá sánitā ||
जहाँ यह भगवान के लिए चला जाता है, जैसे कोई जानवर दौड़ा जाता है। वहाँ इंसान की सोच और हिम्मत से नदियाँ मिल जाती हैं। जैसे कोई शांत दिमाग समझदारी से पा पाता है।
Word by Word
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot यत्र (avyaya-prātipadika)
- वह्निः
- the fire / the bearer (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot वह्नि- (prātipadika)
- अभिहितः
- having been invoked/placed (upon), addressedParticipleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (‘having been placed/appointed/uttered over’)Role Kartā (as predicate to वह्निः)Root √धा (धातु) with अभि-; kta (past passive participle)
- दुद्रवत्
- ran forth / spedVerbअकर्मक; लङ्/इञ्जङ्क्टिव-सदृश प्राचीनरूप; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRole Kartā (वह्निः as subject)Root √द्रु (धातु) ; reduplicated imperfect/aoristic injunctive-type form
- द्रोण्याः
- of/from the trough (wooden vessel)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole Apādāna (source: ‘from the trough’)Root द्रोणी- (prātipadika)
- पशुः
- a beast (metaphorically)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to वह्निः, metaphor)Root पशु- (prātipadika)
- नृमणाः
- of manly spiritAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (adjectival to implied subject, or apposition)Root नृमण- (prātipadika; ‘manly-minded/with manly spirit’)
- वीरपस्त्यः
- having heroic followers/householdAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (adjectival to implied subject)Root वीरपस्त्य- (prātipadika; ‘having heroes as household/retinue’)
- अर्णाः
- a flood / surgeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Vedic often); प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (as a predicative/appositional image)Root अर्ण- (prātipadika; ‘flood, wave, surge’)
- धीरेव
- like a wise manAdjective + Indeclinableधीरा-: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; इव: उपमा-अव्ययRole Kartā (simile marker)Root धीरा- (prātipadika) + इव (avyaya)
- सनिता
- winner / gainerNoun (agent) / Participle-likeपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot √सन्/√सनी (धातु ‘to win, gain’) ; agent noun in -तृ/-ता (Vedic)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: यत्र | वह्निः | अभिहितः | दुद्रवत् | द्रोण्याः | पशुः | नृमणाः | वीरपस्त्यः | अर्णाः | धीरः-इव → धीरेव | सनिता । ‘पस्त्योऽर्णा’ इत्यत्र: पस्त्यः + अर्णाः (अ + अ → ’; Vedic sandhi with avagraha in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Where the offering-bearer, set in front, runs swiftly like a trough-fed creature; there the man-minded, hero-working winner gains the streams like a steady, wise one who knows how to win.
Inner meaning
Agni as Vahni—carrier of the oblation—when placed ‘in front’ (abhihitaḥ: established as the leading fire/will), moves swiftly through the channels of the being, eager for the offering like a living force. Then nṛmanā (the consciousness that thinks and intends in the human) becomes vīrapastya (heroic in works), and wins the arṇāḥ (streams: currents of light, force, delight) by the steadiness of dhī (illumined intelligence). The verse describes a yogic mechanism: when the will-fire leads, the human mentality is converted into a heroic effective power that can seize the luminous currents previously withheld.
Universal truth
When the will is consecrated and put in the lead, energy becomes swift and rightly directed; then steady intelligence can win the deeper currents of life—clarity, power, and joy—rather than being driven by appetite and habit.
Themes
Ritual efficacy interiorized, Inspired intelligence, Attainment, Flow of force
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 5.1 (Agni themes in Atri corpus, general), Rig Veda 5.51
Family tradition
Ātreya vision often links Agni’s right placement with the awakening of dhī (illumined mind) and effective heroic action.
Significance
Atri here gives a practical inner psychology: establish Agni in front, convert appetite-driven vitality into offering-driven energy, and win the streams through steady dhī.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni as Vahni (the Carrier)
- Epithets
- vahni (carrier), purohita (placed in front, implied), sanitā-kṛt (maker of winning, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma (streams of delight), Indra (breaker of obstructions to the streams), Sarasvatī/Āpas (waters as inspiration)
Cosmic role
Mediator between worlds; sets movement in the sacrifice; opens the paths for the streams (waters) of truth.
Inner power
Consecrated will and aspiration that transforms vital impulse into effective tapas and releases higher currents.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni’s placement at the forefront of the rite; imagery fits soma pressing/offering sequences where Agni carries oblations.
यत्र॒ वह्नि॑र॒भिहि॑तो दु॒द्रव॒द्द्रोण्य॑: प॒शुः । नृ॒मणा॑ वी॒रप॒स्त्योऽर्णा॒ धीरे॑व॒ सनि॑ता ॥
यत्र॑ । वह्निः॑ । अ॒भिऽहि॑तः । दु॒द्रव॑त् । द्रोण्यः॑ । प॒शुः । नृ॒ऽमनाः॑ । वी॒रऽप॑स्त्यः । अर्णाः॑ । धीरा॑ऽइव । सनि॑ता ॥
yatra | vahniḥ | abhi-hitaḥ | dudravat | droṇyaḥ | paśuḥ | nṛ-manāḥ | vīra-pastyaḥ | arṇāḥ | dhīrāiva | sanitā
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Kinetic, image-rich; a surge-and-release rhythm mirroring ‘running’ and ‘winning the streams’.
Energizes the will; evokes swift inner movement followed by steady mastery.
- वह्नि (vahni)
- Literal: carrier (of offering), fire. Symbolic: Agni as divine Will carrying aspiration/oblation upward and bringing powers down
- अभिहितः (abhihitaḥ)
- Literal: placed in front, set forth. Symbolic: will established as leader of life; Agni made purohita in the being
- दुद्रवत् (dudravat)
- Literal: ran swiftly. Symbolic: rapid movement of consecrated energy through inner channels
- द्रोण्यः पशुः (droṇyaḥ paśuḥ)
- Literal: a trough-creature/animal of the trough. Symbolic: vital energy that normally runs to its feed; here transformed to run to the offering
- नृमणाः (nṛmanāḥ)
- Literal: human-minded. Symbolic: mental being capable of intention; the human thinker turned toward the divine work
- वीरपस्त्यः (vīrapastyaḥ)
- Literal: hero-working, having heroic deeds. Symbolic: effective tapas—courageous, persistent action in sādhanā
- अर्णाः (arṇāḥ)
- Literal: floods/streams. Symbolic: streams of illumination, force, and bliss released in consciousness
- धीरा इव (dhīrā iva)
- Literal: like the steady/wise one. Symbolic: stable illumined intelligence (dhī) that knows how to acquire the truth
- सनिता (sanitā)
- Literal: winner, acquirer. Symbolic: the victorious consciousness that gains the hidden riches
Imagery ties to Soma preparation (droṇī ‘vat/trough’) and the swift functioning of the offering-carrier; used to affirm efficacy of the rite as inner and outer process.
When establishing Agni and invoking effective movement of the offering and the release of ‘waters’ (benefits).
Recitation with setting/strengthening the fire and offering; mentally ‘placing Agni in front’ of action.
As a pre-practice energizer: kindle will, convert restless drive into purposeful offering, then sit for steady meditation.
vahni ‘carrier’ relates to √vah ‘to carry’ (PIE *wegh- ‘transport’; cf. English ‘weigh/wagon’ distant cognates). dudravat from √dru ‘run’ (rapid motion). dhīra from dhī ‘thought, insight’ (√dhī ‘to think’). sanita from √san ‘to win, gain’—a key RV root for attainment of the light/boon.
Dhī (inspired intelligence) as the true winner, Rightly placed will-fire (vahni) enabling attainment, Gaining (san) as realization of the sought light/force
Agni in front establishes right movement; the streams are won when action conforms to ṛta.
Dhīra (steady intelligence) acquires what is true and lasting rather than transient impulse.
Release of the waters/streams—classic Vedic motif of unveiling concealed plenitudes.
Aurobindo-style inner sacrifice: waters as consciousness-currents; Agni as will leading transformation.
Fire = will/aspiration; trough-animal = vital appetite; streams = released currents of inspiration, power, and joy once the will is consecrated.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘the swift carrier set in front’ enabling the winning of the streams: once the offering-force (vahni/Agni) is rightly installed, the heroic, man-minded power gains the flowing riches (arṇāḥ)—psychologically, the will aligned with dhī wins currents of inspiration and force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ continues PIE *wegh-; √san ‘gain’ reflects a widespread IE attainment lexicon. The imagery of ‘streams’ and ‘winning’ is part of an inherited Indo-European poetic economy where flow = abundance and victory = acquisition of light/wealth.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi describes the condition for divine functioning: he ‘sets’ the carrier-force (vahni) in the right place; then the divine process of gaining begins. The devatā is not merely petitioned but activated through correct placement and inner steadiness (dhīra).
Kindle the will in front; let energy run to the offering, not to habit; then stabilize in dhī.
Manipura (will-fire) leading to Ajna (steady dhī).
Kapalabhati (mild, 30–60 strokes) to kindle, then slow exhale with silent ‘vahni’ to stabilize.
Dynamic concentration moving into steady luminous intelligence.
Begin with a clear sankalpa (offering). Feel a flame at the navel rising to the heart; redirect any ‘trough-running’ cravings into the upward movement; then sit and watch the ‘streams’—fresh insights and calm force—arrive without grasping.
Accents per saṃhitā; keep the ‘dudravat’ phrase lively while preserving pitch rules.
Do not over-speed the whole verse; let only the ‘running’ image accelerate slightly, then settle on ‘dhīreva sanitā’.
Retroflex ‘ṇ’ in ‘droṇyaḥ’., Long vowels: ‘arṇā’ (ā), ‘dhīrā’., Consonant cluster: ‘vīrapastyaḥ’ articulate vi-ra-pas-tyaḥ.
Bright, energized, then calm and steady in the closing cadence.
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