Rig Veda 6.15.17: Mandala 6, Sukta 15, Mantra 17
Sukta 6.15
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
इममु त्यमथर्ववदग्निं मन्थन्ति वेधसः । यमङ्कूयन्तमानयन्नमूरं श्याव्याभ्यः ॥
imám u tyám atharva-vád agníṃ manthanti vedhásaḥ | yám aṅkūyántam ā́ anayan amū́raṃ śyāvyā́bhyaḥ ||
यह अग्नि को रिशियों ने पैदा किया, जैसे अथर्वन ने किया था। वो उसे मंथन करके निकालते हैं, ऐसे जैसे मक्खन निकलता है। जब वो चमकता है और बढ़ता है, तब वो उसे अंधेरे से बाहर लाते हैं। बिना किसी गलती के, साफ-साफ बाहर लाते हैं।
Word by Word
- इमम्
- this (him/it)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तु
- but/indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot तु (निपात)
- त्यम्
- that (yonder)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot त्य (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अथर्ववत्
- in Atharvan’s manner / like AtharvanAdjectiveअव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (वत्-प्रत्ययान्तः), क्रियाविशेषणभावेनRoot अथर्ववत् (प्रातिपदिक; अथर्वन् + वत्)
- अग्निम्
- Agni, the fireNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्थन्ति
- they churn/produce by churningVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनRoot मन्थ् (धातु)
- वेधसः
- the wise/skillful ones (priests)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यम्
- whom/whichPronounपुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अङ्कूयन्तम्
- (him) bending/curving, crouchingParticipleवर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अङ्कूय् (धातु; कृत्-प्रत्यय: शतृ) / अङ्कूयन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- आनयन्
- they brought (towards)Verbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनRoot आ-नी (धातु)
- अमूरम्
- unfoolish, not dull; unerringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अमूर (प्रातिपदिक; न- + मूर/मूढ ‘stupid’ इत्यादि-सम्बद्ध) अथवा ‘अमूर’ विशेषण
- श्या॒व्या॑भ्यः
- from the dark/black (ones) (i.e., from the dark sticks/woods)Noun/Adjective (f.)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी?—यहाँ पञ्चमी बहुवचन (अभ्यः)Role अपादानRoot श्या॒व्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘श्याव’/‘श्याम’ वर्णसम्बद्ध)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इमम् | तु | त्यम् | अथर्ववत् | अग्निम् | मन्थन्ति | वेधसः || यम् | अङ्कूयन्तम् | आनयन् | अमूरम् | श्याव्याभ्यः || 1) इममु त्यम् → इमम् + तु + त्यम् (उ/त्-सन्धि; पदपाठानुसार ‘तु’ निपात पृथक्)
- 2) अथर्ववदग्निम् → अथर्ववत् + अग्निम् (त् + अ → द्; जश्त्व)
- 3) यमङ्कूयन्तमानयन् → यम् + अङ्कूयन्तम् + आनयन् (म् + अ → म्; संयोग)
- 4) आनयन्नमूरम् → आनयन् + अमूरम् (न् + अ → न्न; अनुस्वार/द्वित्व)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The knowers churn out this Agni as Atharvan did. As he grows during the churning, they bring him forward, unbewildered, out of the dark coverings.
Inner meaning
Atharvan represents the archetypal discoverer of the inner fire—one who first established the method of kindling consciousness from inertia. The ‘knowers’ (vedhasaḥ) churn Agni: by disciplined friction—concentration, mantra, and persistent effort—they evoke the flame from within matter and habit. As the fire ‘grows’ in the churning (aṅkūyantam), the seeker steadily brings it forward into waking life. ‘Amūra’ (unbewildered) indicates clear discernment: true kindling dispels confusion. ‘From the dark coverings’ (śyāvyābhyaḥ) is the central psychological image: the fire is released from subconscient obscurity, tamas, and veiling formations. This is the Vedic method of inner awakening: not importing light from outside, but drawing it out from concealed depths.
Universal truth
Awakening is a craft: through steady practice and discernment, the concealed flame emerges from darkness and becomes a guiding power in life.
Themes
birth of Agni, Atharvan fire-finding, light from darkness, initiation of inner practice
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.15, RV 6.16
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya; integrates ancient discovery (Atharvan) into ongoing practice—kindling Agni repeatedly from obscurity.
Significance
By invoking Atharvan, Bharadvāja links personal sadhana to the primordial Vedic realization: the fire is ‘found’ again and again by right method, not merely inherited belief.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Imam tyam (this very, that divine), Amūra (unbewildering/clarifying)
- Related deities
- Atharvan (seer-prototype of fire-kindling)
Cosmic role
Hidden in the dark; brought forth by the seers as the first power of sacrifice and awakening.
Inner power
Ignition of consciousness from tamas; clarity born of tapas (friction).
In ritual
Where it is used
Araṇi-manthana (fire churning) for producing sacrificial fire; remembrance of Atharvan’s method.
इ॒ममु॒ त्यम॑थर्व॒वद॒ग्निं म॑न्थन्ति वे॒धस॑: । यम॑ङ्कू॒यन्त॒मान॑य॒न्नमू॑रं श्या॒व्या॑भ्यः ॥
इ॒मम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । त्यम् । अ॒थ॒र्व॒ऽवत् । अ॒ग्निम् । म॒न्थ॒न्ति॒ । वे॒धसः॑ । यम् । अ॒ङ्कु॒ऽयन्त॑म् । आ । अन॑यन् । अमू॑रम् । स्या॒व्या॑भ्यः ॥
imam | oṃ iti | tyam | atharva-vat | agnim | manthanti | vedhasaḥ | yam | aṅku-yantam | ā | anayan | amūram | syāvyābhyaḥ
32
4 pādas of ~8 syllables
Compact, narrative, ‘instructional’ rhythm; feels like a practical aphorism.
Grounding and methodical; supports steady practice and clarity.
- अथर्ववत् (atharva-vat)
- Literal: like Atharvan. Symbolic: according to the primal method of kindling inner fire; archetypal seer-technique
- मन्थन्ति (manthanti)
- Literal: they churn/produce by friction. Symbolic: disciplined practice generating inner heat and awakening
- वेधसः (vedhasaḥ)
- Literal: knowers, wise artisans. Symbolic: yogic practitioners shaping consciousness skillfully
- अङ्कूयन्तम् (aṅkūyantam)
- Literal: growing, swelling (in churning). Symbolic: emergence and intensification of the inner flame
- अमूरम् (amūram)
- Literal: not bewildered, not confused. Symbolic: clear discrimination; steady lucidity
- श्या॒व्या॑भ्यः (śyāvyābhyaḥ)
- Literal: from the dark coverings. Symbolic: from tamas, subconscient veils, inert habits
Fire-kindling (agnimanthana) imagery; applicable to rites of producing/renewing fire and to invocations emphasizing awakening of Agni.
When generating fire by friction or praising Agni’s discovery/manifestation.
Churning fire; bringing forth flame from kindling sticks.
A mantra for ‘kindling practice’: use before pranayama/meditation to evoke inner heat and lucidity from lethargy or depression.
(manth-) from √ ‘to churn, rub by friction’—ritual and psychological: eliciting latent fire. (vedhas) connected with √/ ‘to pierce’ (and semantic proximity to √ ‘know’ in RV epithet usage): the seer who penetrates. (śyāvya) from śyāva ‘dark, blackish’: darkness as covering power; hence inner obscurity.
awakening the hidden will/fire, knowledge as ‘piercing’ (vedhas), emergence from obscurity
Right method (ṛta) in practice yields reliable emergence of Agni from concealment.
Amūra: truth manifests as non-confusion and discernment.
Fire hidden in matter is released—microcosmic echo of cosmic manifestation from concealment.
Vedic tapas doctrine; psychological evolution from tamas to luminous will.
pre-dawn or early morning (symbolically: emergence from night)
Friction corresponds to sustained effort; wood corresponds to embodied nature; darkness corresponds to subconscient inertia; flame corresponds to awakened will and insight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The primordial discovery/production of Agni by Atharvan: the fire hidden in the wood (or in the human substance) is churned out by the knowers. Mythically it is the ‘bringing of light’ from dark coverings; psychologically it is the evocation of the conscious will from the subconscient.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √manth ‘churn’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan manth-/math- type), reflecting an inherited ritual technology and metaphor of extraction. The darkness/light polarity is a common IE poetic structure, though specific lexemes vary.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns himself with the vedhas tradition: Agni is not merely invoked but actively ‘brought out’ through disciplined action. The devata appears as a latent power that responds to right method and knowledge, emerging ‘amūra’—clear and undeluded—when called by the true workers.
Kindle inner fire from inertia: feel a subtle friction at the point of attention until warmth and clarity arise.
maṇipūra
brisk_energetic bhastrika-light or fast diaphragmatic breathing for 20–30 breaths, then stillness to ‘bring forward’ the flame (only if suitable for the practitioner).
From tamasic heaviness to clear, steady wakefulness.
Start in stillness; repeat the mantra while imagining two inner forces rubbing (aspiration and discipline). When warmth arises, rest in lucidity (amūra) and let one dark pattern be ‘brought out’ into awareness without judgment.
Anuṣṭubh with Ṛgvedic accents; keep narration crisp; udatta on key nouns/verbs (agním, manthanti, vedhasaḥ).
Make the second line slightly more ‘revealing’ in tone, especially on ‘amūram’ and ‘śyāvyābhyaḥ’.
atharvavad: keep ‘rv’ cluster clear; not ‘atharavad’, manthanti: nasal + aspirate ‘nth’, amūram: long ū, śyāvyābhyaḥ: palatal śy, long ā, and final ḥ as light breath
clear, practical, slightly percussive to mirror ‘friction’.
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