Rig Veda 6.15.19: Mandala 6, Sukta 15, Mantra 19
Sukta 6.15
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
वयमु त्वा गृहपते जनानामग्ने अकर्म समिधा बृहन्तम् । अस्थूरि नो गार्हपत्यानि सन्तु तिग्मेन नस्तेजसा सं शिशाधि ॥
vayám u tvā gṛha-pate janānām agne ákarma samídhā bṛhántam | asthū́ri no gārhapatyā́ni santu tigména nas téjasā sáṃ śiśādhi ||
हमने तुम्हे बड़ा बनाया है, अग्नि। तुम लोगों के घर के मालिक हो। हमारी घर की आग पक्की रहे। अपनी तेज चमक से हमारी ताकत को और तेज करो।
Word by Word
- वयम्
- wePronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- you (thee)Pronounत्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गृहपते
- O lord of the houseNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot गृहपति (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनानाम्
- of the peoplesNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / अधिकरण-सम्बन्धRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अकर्म
- we made / we performedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- समिधा
- with kindling (fuel-stick)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहन्तम्
- great, loftyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (त्वा/अग्निम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot बृहन्त् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्थूरि
- may they stand firm / be establishedVerbवेदिक-लुङ्/अोरिस्ट-प्रयोगः, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; (स्थू/स्था-सम्बद्धः ‘स्थिर/स्थित’ अर्थे)Role क्रियाRoot स्थू (धातु) + (वेदिक-लुङ्/लिट्-प्रयोगः; 3पु.बहु.)
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (दत्त/हितार्थ)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गार्हपतानि
- the Gārhapatya (household-fire) rites/thingsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अस्थूरि इत्यस्य) / विषयRoot गार्हपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्तु
- let them beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/आशीर्लिङ्-समकक्ष), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- तिग्मेन
- with sharpAdjectiveनपुं/पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन; (तेजसा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role करण-विशेषणRoot तिग्म (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तेजसा
- with brilliance, with fiery powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (शिशाधि इत्यस्य)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- शिशाधि
- sharpen / strengthen / make keenVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot शाध् (धातु) [वेदिक रूप: शिशाधि]
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): जनानामग्ने → जनानाम् + अग्ने
- अकर्म समिधा → अकर्म + समिधा (no further change)
- अस्थूरि नो → अस्थूरि + नः
- तिग्मेन नस्तेजसा → तिग्मेन + नः + तेजसा
- सं शिशाधि → सम् + शिशाधि (anusvāra before ś). Accent marks in the input are preserved in the mantra text but not repeated on each pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
We have made you great with kindling, O Agni, house-lord of men. Let our household fires be firmly established; with your sharp radiance, sharpen us/our energies.
Inner meaning
The seeker strengthens Agni by sustained practice (samidhā—fuel as disciplined offering). Agni as gṛhapati is the indwelling master of the ‘house’ (the embodied being). ‘Household fires firmly set’ signifies stable inner centers of aspiration in daily life. With ‘keen tejas’, Agni refines and sharpens the energies—purifying desire into force of right action and intensifying concentration.
Universal truth
Spiritual power grows by steady nourishment; when the inner fire is stabilized in ordinary life, it can refine and concentrate our energies into effective, luminous action.
Themes
Agni as house-lord, stabilization and discipline, intensification of tapas-like force
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.15, RV 6.16
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns often integrate domestic/ritual imagery with a deeper insistence on Agni as organizer of human life and right action.
Significance
Here Bharadvāja emphasizes stability (asthūri) and intensity (tigma tejas) as twin necessities: steadiness of practice and sharpness of discernment.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Gārhapatya aspect)
- Epithets
- gṛhapati, bṛhant, tigma-tejas (by attribute)
- Related deities
- Soma (as bliss to be protected by steady fire), Indra (illumined force sharpened by Agni)
Cosmic role
The settled hearth-fire sustaining order in the human domain; basis of continuity of yajña.
Inner power
Steady inner heat that maintains practice through daily life and refines energies into luminous strength.
In ritual
Where it is used
Gārhapatya establishment and maintenance; domestic fire rites and shrauta tri-fire system (Gārhapatya as the base).
व॒यमु॑ त्वा गृहपते जनाना॒मग्ने॒ अक॑र्म स॒मिधा॑ बृ॒हन्त॑म् । अ॒स्थू॒रि नो॒ गार्ह॑पत्यानि सन्तु ति॒ग्मेन॑ न॒स्तेज॑सा॒ सं शि॑शाधि ॥
व॒यम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । त्वा॒ । गृ॒ह॒ऽप॒ते॒ । ज॒ना॒ना॒म् । अग्ने॑ । अक॑र्म । स॒म्ऽइधा॑ । बृ॒हन्त॑म् । अ॒स्थू॒रि । नः॒ । गार्ह॑पत्यानि । स॒न्तु॒ । ति॒ग्मेन॑ । नः॒ । तेज॑सा । सम् । सि॒शा॒धि॒ ॥
vayam | oṃ iti | tvā | gṛha-pate | janānām | agne | akarma | sam-idhā | bṛhantam | asthūri | naḥ | gārhapatyāni | santu | tigmena | naḥ | tejasā | sam | siśādhi
44
4 pādas × 11 syllables (approx.; Vedic variants possible)
Strong, expansive stride; suited to establishing and fortifying a power.
Builds firmness and uplift; the longer line supports a sense of ‘making great’ and ‘setting firm’.
- gṛhapate
- Literal: lord of the house. Symbolic: indwelling divine will governing the embodied nature
- janānām
- Literal: of men/peoples. Symbolic: within the human collectivity and the individual human nature
- samidhā
- Literal: with kindling/fuel sticks. Symbolic: sustaining practices: attention, offering, discipline that feeds the inner flame
- bṛhantam
- Literal: great, vast. Symbolic: expanded consciousness and potency of will
- gārhapatyāni
- Literal: household fires (Gārhapatya). Symbolic: the steady central fire of daily life; stable inner warmth/continuity of sadhana
- tigmena tejasā
- Literal: with sharp/keen brilliance. Symbolic: discriminating force that cuts through inertia and confusion
- saṃ śiśādhi
- Literal: sharpen, whet, set in order. Symbolic: concentrate and rightly temper the life-force and mind for effective yoga
Gārhapatya (domestic/sustaining fire) stabilization; suitable in agnyādhāna, household fire maintenance, and as a prayer for firmness and disciplined energy.
At kindling/feeding the house-fire; also conceptually whenever stabilizing the sacred fire.
Adding fuel (samidh), tending the hearth, prayers for stability and potency.
Daily ‘hearth practice’: light a lamp/candle, offer breath and intention; request stability of routine and sharpening of focus.
(gṛhapati) = gṛha ‘house’ + pati ‘lord’ (√ ‘protect/rule’): Agni as protector-governor of the embodied life. (samidh) from √ ‘to kindle’ with sam- intensifying: fuel as that which increases flame. (tejas) from √/√ ‘to be sharp’ → ‘brightness, ardor’. from √ ‘to make straight, accomplish, set right’ with intensive nuance: to sharpen/discipline.
stability of the inner foundation (gārhapatya), discipline/intensification of energy (śiśādhi), protection of embodied life (gṛhapati)
Stability of the inner fire makes life’s movements conform to ṛta rather than impulse.
‘Sharpening’ implies truth-discrimination—tejas guided by satya to avoid mere aggression.
The hearth as the perennial center where consciousness is continuously re-formed and sustained.
Integral psychological symbolism: domestic fire = constant yogic aspiration in embodied life.
evening/morning (typical domestic tending; not explicit)
winter imagery resonates (need for steady warmth; not explicit)
Hearth = stable center in the being; fuel = repeated offerings; sharp radiance = discriminative clarity and intensified prāṇa.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as Gṛhapati: the divine fire enthroned in the human ‘house’ as sustaining master. The mythic image is the establishment of a stable sacred hearth that disciplines and empowers the community—psychologically, the steady inner flame that orders life-energy.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati ‘lord’ is a classic PIE inheritance (*pótis), seen in Greek pósis, Latin potis/potens (semantic drift), and Sanskrit pati. tejas from a ‘sharp/pointed’ semantic root parallels IE metaphors of sharpness → brightness/force.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi claims active participation—‘we have made thee great with kindling’—and requests a reciprocal inner effect: stability of the sustaining fires and a disciplined sharpening of human energy. The exchange is transformative: human offering increases Agni; Agni returns as ordered, intensified tejas in the human vessel.
Stabilize daily aspiration; refine and concentrate energy into right action.
Maṇipūra (discipline/heat) stabilizing into Anāhata (steady warmth)
Even-count breathing (e.g., 4-4 or 6-6) to ‘set firm’; then a few sharper exhales to awaken tejas without strain.
Collected, steady, energized; reduced dispersion and procrastination.
Treat your routine as the ‘hearth’: one fixed time daily to kindle attention; offer one habit into the fire; ask Agni to ‘sharpen’ speech and decisions—clear, precise, non-reactive.
Follow Vedic accents as marked in the saṃhitā/padapāṭha tradition; maintain clear udātta on marked syllables (e.g., agne, bṛhantam, tigmena, tejasā).
Triṣṭubh benefits from a firm caesura-like pause; keep pāda endings clean; avoid rushing consonant clusters.
gṛhapate: vocalic ṛ; light aspiration on -pate, janānām: long ā twice, samidhā: clear dental d; long ā, asthūri: long ū; roll into ri lightly (not ‘ree’), tigmena: hard g; short e, śiśādhi: palatal ś; long ā; dh aspirated
Steady and warm with a bright edge on ‘tigmena tejasā’.
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