Rig Veda 6.16.10: Mandala 6, Sukta 16, Mantra 10
Sukta 6.16
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अग्न आ याहि वीतये गृणानो हव्यदातये । नि होता सत्सि बर्हिषि ॥
agná ā́ yāhi vītáye gṛṇānó havya-dā́taye | ní hótā satsi bárhiṣi ||
अग्नि, यहाँ आओ। हम तुम्हारी तारीफ कर रहे हैं और भगवान के लिए सामग्री दे रहे हैं। तुम यज्ञ के मैं पुजारी बन के बैठो। अपने आप को उस पवित्र जगह पे सेट कर लो।
Word by Word
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग (आगमनार्थे)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- याहि
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु; गत्यर्थ)
- वीतये
- for the enjoyment/feasting (i.e., for the rite)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वीति- (प्रातिपदिक; √वे/वी ‘to pursue, enjoy, seek’ से)
- गृणानः
- being praised / praisedParticiple (Adjective) / Kṛdantaवर्तमान शतृ-प्रत्यय (परस्मैपदी); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ता (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Root √गॄ/गृ (स्तुतौ) → गृणान- (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- हव्यदातये
- for the giving of oblationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot हव्य-दाति- (समास; हव्य ‘oblation’ + दाति ‘giving’ < √दा ‘to give’)
- नि
- down, in placeIndeclinableउपसर्ग (न्यवस्थान/निवेशनार्थे)Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ता (याहि/सत्सि-क्रिययोः)Root होतृ- (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to sacrifice’ से)
- सत्सि
- you sitVerbलट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √सद् (उपवेशने/आसने)
- बर्हिषि
- on the sacred grass (barhis)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot बर्हिस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अग्ने | आ | याहि | वीतये | गृणानः | हव्यदातये | नि | होता | सत्सि | बर्हिषि । 1) अग्न॒ आ → अग्ने + आ (सम्बोधन-रूप ‘अग्ने’ के बाद अव्यय ‘आ’)। 2) गृणा॒नो → गृणानः (विसर्ग-लोप/पदपाठानुसार रूप; संहिता में -ओ ध्वनि)। 3) होता॑ सत्सि: संहिता में संयोग, पर पदच्छेद में ‘होता | सत्सि’।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is invited to come for the ‘vīti’ (participation/feast), praised as giver of the offering; he is asked to sit as Hotṛ on the barhis (sacred grass seat).
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the inner Fire to enter the field of practice (vīti as conscious communion). Praise (gṛṇānaḥ) is the act of attunement; Agni as havyadātā is the power that converts our oblations—thought, breath, desire—into offerings acceptable to the higher consciousness. ‘Sitting on the barhis’ is Agni stabilizing in a prepared, purified foundation of mind (a luminous seat of receptivity).
Universal truth
Spiritual work becomes effective when the transforming force is invited, honored, and given a stable base in consciousness; then it can truly ‘give’ the offering—turn life into sacrament.
Themes
invitation (ā yāhi), establishing Agni, hotṛ function, offering-distribution
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.16, RV 6.14, RV 6.15
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya insight: disciplined invocation and right speech that seats Agni within the human instrument.
Significance
The Bharadvāja approach is practical: call, seat, and stabilize the inner flame so the sacrifice becomes continuous.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Agne, Hotṛ, Havyadātā
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Indra, Soma
Cosmic role
Summoner of gods; receiver and transmitter of offerings; establisher of the sacrificial session (vīti).
Inner power
Power of consecration: makes the psyche a fit altar and turns aspiration into effective force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āvāhana (invitation) of Agni and seating of Hotṛ; associated with iṣṭi/soma sequences.
अग्न॒ आ या॑हि वी॒तये॑ गृणा॒नो ह॒व्यदा॑तये । नि होता॑ सत्सि ब॒र्हिषि॑ ॥
अग्ने॑ । आ । या॒हि॒ । वी॒तये॑ । गृ॒णा॒नः । ह॒व्यऽदा॑तये । नि । होता॑ । स॒त्सि॒ । ब॒र्हिषि॑ ॥
agne | ā | yāhi | vītaye | gṛṇānaḥ | havya-dātaye | ni | hotā | satsi | barhiṣi
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4 × ~11
Invocatory and processional; strong imperative openings (ā yāhi, ni satsi).
Creates a sense of ‘arrival’ and settling; supports concentration and inner seating of force.
- आ याहि (ā yāhi)
- Literal: come here. Symbolic: descent/entry of the divine force into the present consciousness
- वीतये (vītaye)
- Literal: for participation/feast. Symbolic: inner communion—shared delight and exchange between human aspiration and divine powers
- गृणानः (gṛṇānaḥ)
- Literal: being praised. Symbolic: mantric attunement that opens receptivity
- हव्यदातये (havya-dātaye)
- Literal: to the giver of the oblation. Symbolic: Agni as converter and distributor of our energies into divine substance
- बर्हिषि (barhiṣi)
- Literal: on the sacred grass. Symbolic: on the prepared seat—purified mind-field/support of concentration
Formal invitation for Agni to take the hotṛ-seat on the barhis in a Soma rite; inner application: establish the flame steadily in the prepared field of consciousness.
At the moment of calling Agni to the rite and establishing him on the barhis/vedi.
Invite, praise, then seat; prepare barhis and kindle fire; begin offerings.
Use as a short invocation before japa/meditation: ‘Come, settle in my prepared mind; transform my breath and thought into offering.’
yāhi < √yā 'go' (PIE *h₁ey- 'go'). gṛṇāna < √gṛ 'sing/praise' (praise as formative speech). havya 'to be called/invoked' + dātaye (dat.) from √dā 'give'. satsi < √sad 'sit' (PIE *sed-). barhís: ritual seat; psychologically the 'spread' basis (cf. √bṛh/√barh 'to expand/spread' semantic field).
stability of will (ni...satsi), prepared receptivity (barhis as inner foundation), communion (vīti)
Barhis as ordered foundation; Agni seated = ṛta established in the instrument.
True praise aligns speech with the real presence; the offering becomes ‘satya’ when Agni carries it.
Descent and establishment of divine force in a prepared seat—microcosmic creation of a sacred world within.
Integral Yoga hermeneutic: invocation → descent → stabilization → transformation.
Fire = will; barhis = purified mental/vital ground; vīti = exchange of energies between planes.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The epiphany of Agni invited to the seat of sacrifice, becoming the distributor of offerings and caller of gods. Innerly: the will is summoned, praised, and fixed in the being so it can mediate exchange with higher powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The verb √sad 'sit' directly reflects PIE *sed-. The ritual syntax (come → partake → sit) is an IE liturgical sequence encoding arrival, participation, and enthronement of the deity/power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s praise (gṛṇānaḥ) is the means of attraction; Agni’s response is to 'sit'—to become stable and operative. The reciprocity is: right speech establishes right presence.
Feel Agni ‘arrive’ and sit: shift from seeking to presence; let the will become steady and luminous.
manipura (navel fire)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) gently; on exhale, ‘ni hotā satsi barhiṣi’ to settle awareness.
Receptive stability; inner altar prepared and inhabited.
Before work or study, chant once or thrice; then pause and sense a stable heat in the navel/heart that organizes attention.
Maintain Rigvedic udatta peaks on imperatives (ā yāhi, satsi) with controlled svarita fall; keep each pāda balanced.
agná ā yāhi | vītáye gṛṇānáḥ | havyádātaye || ní hotā | sátsi barhíṣi || (lift on ā yāhi; settle on ní…sátsi).
Keep consonant clusters clean: gṛṇānaḥ (ṛ as syllabic), havyadātaye (yva smooth)., barhiṣi: pronounce ṣ as retroflex; short i at end.
Inviting then settling—start brighter, end grounded and even.
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