Rig Veda 5.7.5: Mandala 5, Sukta 7, Mantra 5
Sukta 5.7
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अव स्म यस्य वेषणे स्वेदं पथिषु जुह्वति । अभीमह स्वजेन्यं भूमा पृष्ठेव रुरुहुः ॥
áva smá yásya véṣaṇe svédam pathíṣu júhvati | abhī́maha svájeniyaṃ bhū́mā pṛṣṭhéva rurúhuḥ ||
जब वो आगे बढ़ते हैं, तो रास्ते में गर्मी फैलती है। हम उसकी शक्ति की तरफ जाते हैं जो खुद को जीता है। धरती अपना पीठ उठा लेती है जैसे कोई बोझ उठा रहा हो। वो इसलिए ताकि यह सफर हो सके।
Word by Word
- अव
- down, away; (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga/avyayaRoot अव (upasarga) / ava (indecl.)
- स्म
- indeed, surely (emphasis)Indeclinableparticle (emphatic/remembering)Root स्म (particle)
- यस्य
- whose, of whomPronounmasc./neut. genitive singularRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root यद् (relative pronoun)
- वेषणे
- in the ‘veṣaṇa’ (covering/garment; figuratively: enclosure/seat)Nounneuter locative singularRole अधिकारणRoot वेषण (prātipadika; from √वेष्/√विश् in sense ‘to clothe/cover; adorn’; noun of instrument/place)
- स्वेदम्
- sweat, perspirationNounmasculine accusative singularRole कर्मRoot स्वेद (prātipadika)
- पथिषु
- on the paths, in the waysNounmasculine locative pluralRole अधिकारणRoot पथिन् (prātipadika)
- जुह्वति
- he offers, he pours (as oblation)Verbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √हु (जुहोति) ‘to pour/offer, sacrifice’
- अभीमह
- we have approached, we have come nearVerbperfect (Vedic), 1st person plural, parasmaipadaRoot अभि (upasarga) + √इ (इमि/एति) ‘to go, approach’
- स्वजेन्यम्
- the kindred/friendly oneAdjectivemasculine accusative singularRole कर्म (object of ‘approach’)Root स्वजेन्य (prātipadika; ‘of one’s own kind/kin’, ‘kindred, friendly’; adj.)
- भूमाः
- the earths/lands; the broad groundsNounmasculine nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot भूमन्/भूम (prātipadika)
- पृष्ठा
- backs, ridges, surfacesNounneuter nominative/accusative plural (Vedic usage)Role कर्तृ (with simile) / or apposition to भूमाःRoot पृष्ठ (prātipadika)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinablecomparative particleRoot इव (particle)
- रुरुहुः
- they have risen/grown up, they have mountedVerbperfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot √रुह् ‘to rise, grow, mount’
Sandhi Notes
- Pada resolution (sandhi-viccheda): अव स्म | यस्य | वेषणे | स्वेदम् | पथिषु | जुह्वति || अ-भीमह (अभि + ईमह) | स्वजेन्यम् | भूमाः | पृष्ठा इव | रुरुहुः. Notes: (1) अ॒भीमह reflects preverb अभि with perfect 1pl of √इ
- the long vowel is from sandhi/strengthening (अभि + ई-). (2) पृष्ठेव = पृष्ठा + इव (vowel sandhi a+i → e)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the act of driving onward (the journey/advance), heat and sweat are cast upon the paths; the singers press forward toward a self-conquering power, and the broad earth rises like a supporting back beneath the load, fit for travel.
Inner meaning
The sādhaka’s inner march descends into embodied life (ava) to transform it. The “heat on the paths” is tapas generated by sustained effort; this heat is offered (juhvati) into Agni, the divine Will, so that the journey through the nerves, habits, and life-roads becomes consecrated. As the will turns toward the “self-conquering” (svajenya—self-mastering victory), the very physical-vital nature (bhūmā, the wide earth) becomes a steady support rather than a drag: the body and life become a strong ‘back’ carrying the yoga forward.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is not escape from embodiment but a disciplined descent of consciousness into life, where effort becomes sacred fire. When aspiration is offered consistently, the material nature reorganizes itself to support the higher aim.
Themes
inner-discipline, tapas-offering, foundation-transformed
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.1, RV 5.2, RV 5.3, RV 5.4, RV 5.5, RV 5.6, RV 5.7, RV 5.8
Family tradition
Ātreya seers are classically associated with the recovery of light and the kindling of Agni as inner guide—Atri’s line often frames tapas as the means to bring illumination into embodied existence.
Significance
Atri symbolizes the concentrated seer-will that endures obscurity and generates inner heat until the hidden light is released; thus his hymns naturally stress consecrated effort and the supportive transformation of the ‘earth’ nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- jātavedas (knower of births), hotṛ (inner priest), vahni (carrier), pāvaka (purifier)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Bhaga, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine, carrier of offerings, awakener of the gods (higher powers) in the sacrifice.
Inner power
Divine Will and aspiration that digests experience, converts effort into illumination, and leads the inner journey through the worlds of consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / Agniṣṭoma contexts (general Agni praise and offering)
अव॑ स्म॒ यस्य॒ वेष॑णे॒ स्वेदं॑ प॒थिषु॒ जुह्व॑ति । अ॒भीमह॒ स्वजे॑न्यं॒ भूमा॑ पृ॒ष्ठेव॑ रुरुहुः ॥
अव॑ । स्म॒ । यस्य॑ । वेष॑णे । स्वेद॑म् । प॒थिषु॑ । जुह्व॑ति । अ॒भि । ई॒म् । अह॑ । स्वऽजे॑न्यम् । भूम॑ । पृ॒ष्टाऽइ॑व । रु॒रु॒हुः॒ ॥
ava | sma | yasya | veṣaṇe | svedam | pathiṣu | juhvati | abhi | īm | aha | sva-jenyam | bhūma | pṛṣṭāiva | ruruhuḥ
44
4 pādas × 11 syllables (typical triṣṭubh cadence; slight Vedic resolution possible)
Forward-driving, march-like; suited to effort, advance, and heroic persistence.
Builds inner momentum and endurance; supports a ‘walking meditation’ feeling—steady propulsion with contained intensity.
- अव (ava)
- Literal: down, downward, into. Symbolic: descent of consciousness into embodied life for transformation
- वेषण (veṣaṇa)
- Literal: driving onward, impelling. Symbolic: the push of aspiration and will that propels sādhanā
- स्वेद (sveda)
- Literal: sweat, heat. Symbolic: tapas—purifying heat of effort and concentration
- पथि (pathi)
- Literal: paths, roads. Symbolic: inner pathways—nervous-vital routes, stages of practice
- जुह्वति (juhvati)
- Literal: they offer into the fire. Symbolic: consecration of effort into Agni; making practice a yajña
- स्वजेनीय (svajenya)
- Literal: self-conquering, winning by oneself. Symbolic: inner victory: mastery over lower nature
- भूम (bhūmā)
- Literal: the wide earth, broad ground. Symbolic: the physical-vital base of being; embodied prakṛti
- पृष्ठ (pṛṣṭha)
- Literal: back, ridge. Symbolic: supporting strength of the body-nature when aligned
Continual offering (juhvati) as sustained sādhanā; in rite, the steady feeding of fire; inwardly, the conversion of effort into clarified force.
Kindling/invocation of Agni; moments emphasizing the ‘path’ of the rite and the carrying of offerings
Offering of ghee/oblations while reciting to strengthen Agni’s carrying power
Use as a mantra of consecrated effort: offer the heat of practice (discipline, discomfort, persistence) into the inner fire before work, study, or sādhanā.
svédam ‘sweat/heat’ signals tapas/exertion; veṣaṇa (driving impulse) relates to dynamic striving; ju(h)vati from √hu ‘offer’ = convert effort into oblation; svajenya built on √ji ‘conquer’ → victory as self-mastery; √ruh ‘rise/grow’ depicts the ‘earth’ (foundation) becoming capable/supportive—psychologically, the bodily/vital base is lifted by disciplined heat.
tapas (heat of effort), self-conquest (svajenya), embodiment transformed (earth rising supportive)
The ‘paths’ are the tracks of ṛta; when tapas is offered rightly, the journey aligns with cosmic order.
Truth is approached by self-conquest—mastery that stabilizes the embodied base.
Transformation of matter: the earth-nature rises to support the divine work when ignited by Agni.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo): ascent and descent as one movement of realization.
Heat = tapas; paths = nāḍī-like routes and life-stages; earth = body-consciousness; fire = will that consecrates and transforms.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘journey-path’ mythologem: progress on the paths requires heat/exertion offered into Agni. The earth rising ‘like a back’ reframes the world-body as a support once the sacrificial discipline is established—matter becomes collaborator rather than obstruction.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ruh ‘to rise/grow’ has clear IE correspondences in the ‘rise/grow’ semantic domain (cf. Germanic *rūh-? not strict; but the growth verb class is ancient). The conquest root √ji is Indo-Iranian productive (cf. Avestan jī- ‘to conquer/live’ in related semantic fields).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi describes an exchange where human exertion (sveda/tapas) becomes an offering (juhvati). Agni’s response is not stated as a gift-object but as a transformation of the ground of being: the foundation (bhūmā) ‘rises’ to support the seeker’s movement.
Offer the felt ‘heat’ of effort into the heart-fire; visualize the body-nature becoming a supportive foundation for ascent/descent.
Anāhata (heart-fire of consecration)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana or steady ujjāyī; on exhale, ‘offer’ strain into Agni; on inhale, receive steadiness of bhūmi.
Collected, persevering, forward-moving stillness.
When resistance appears as fatigue or restlessness, do not fight it mentally—convert it into tapas by consecration: ‘This too is fuel for Agni.’
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita per Śākala tradition; key lifts often on verb-forms (juhvati) and emphatic particles (sma).
Keep ‘ava sma’ light but connected; give clear stress to ‘juhvati’ and ‘svajenyam’; avoid flattening the cadence of triṣṭubh pādas.
veṣaṇe: retroflex ṣ, short e; keep ‘ṇe’ clear, svedam: ‘sv’ cluster clean, no extra vowel, pathiṣu: dental th, retroflex ṣu, pṛṣṭheva: pṛ with vocalic ṛ; ṣṭh cluster articulated, ruruhuḥ: roll/r-tap lightly; final visarga audible
Steady, warm, slightly forceful (as if ‘walking’ the meter).
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