Rig Veda 6.16.11: Mandala 6, Sukta 16, Mantra 11
Sukta 6.16
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तं त्वा समिद्भिरङ्गिरो घृतेन वर्धयामसि । बृहच्छोचा यविष्ठ्य ॥
táṃ tvā samíd-bhir aṅgiro ghṛténa vardhayāmasi | bṛhác-chocā yaviṣṭhya ||
अंगिरस, हम तुम्हे लकड़ी से सुलगा रहे हैं और घी डाल रहे हैं। तुम्हारी आग को और बड़ा रहे हैं। तुम सबसे नए हो, बड़ी आग से चमको। इतनी बड़ी चमक कि सब कुछ फैल जाए।
Word by Word
- तम्
- him (that one; Agni)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (स्तुत्य/आह्वेय देवता-अग्निः)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (यम् वर्धयामसि)Root युष्मद् (अस्मद्-युष्मद् सर्वनाम)
- समिद्भिः
- with kindling-sticks (fuel)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot समिध् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- अङ्गिरः
- O Angiras (Agni as Angiras)Noun (vocative) / Proper nounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (वैदिक रूप: अङ्गिरः)Role सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root अङ्गिरस् (ऋषि-नाम/गोत्र-नाम प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतेन
- with gheeNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role करणRoot घृत (नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्धयामसि
- we cause (you) to grow; we strengthenVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; causative (णिच्): वर्धय-Role क्रिया (कर्तृ: वयम्; कर्म: त्वा)Root वृध् (वर्धते/वर्धयति)
- बृहत्
- great, loftyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (छोचा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (छोचा—यत् विधेयम्/आह्वेयम्)Root बृहन्त् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- शोचा
- O blazing one; O flameNounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (वैदिक सम्बोधन-रूप)Role सम्बोधन (अग्नेः विशेषण-रूपेण आह्वान)Root शोच (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ज्वाला/दीप्ति’ अर्थे)
- यविष्ठ्य
- O youngest (most youthful)Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot यविष्ठ्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘यविष्ठ’ = ‘युवतम/अत्यन्त-युवा’ इत्यस्य वैदिक रूप)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तम् | त्वा | समिद्भिः | अङ्गिरः | घृतेन | वर्धयामसि | बृहत्-शोचा | यविष्ठ्य । 1) बृहच्छोचा = बृहत् + शोचा (त् + श् → च्छ्; वैदिक संधि)
- 2) तं त्वा: अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-संधि के साथ ‘तम्’ का रूप ‘तं’ (पदपाठे तम्)
- 3) अङ्गिरो: संहिता-पाठ में ओ-कार (अङ्गिरो) पदपाठे सम्बोधन ‘अङ्गिरः’ (वैदिक)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With kindling sticks and ghee, the worshippers increase Agni; they ask him to blaze broadly, O youngest.
Inner meaning
Samidh (kindlings) are the deliberate acts and disciplines that feed the inner flame; ghṛta (clarified butter) is the purified essence of mind/heart—luminous understanding and consent. By these, the seeker increases Agni’s force. ‘Blaze vast’ is the widening of consciousness into bṛhat (the Vast), and ‘yaviṣṭhya’ (youngest) points to Agni as ever-new, ever-renewing power of transformation in each moment.
Universal truth
Spiritual fire grows by conscious practice and purified intention; when it grows, it widens the being beyond narrow limits into the Vast.
Themes
kindling and increase of Agni, Angiras tradition, vast illumination, purification
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.16, RV 6.14, RV 6.15
Family tradition
Āṅgirasa heritage: discovery of hidden light, kindling of the inner fire, and widening into bṛhat.
Significance
The seer emphasizes method: feed Agni rightly (samidh/ghṛta) so the consciousness can widen and illumine.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Aṅgiras, Yaviṣṭha
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Indra, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
First born in sacrifice yet ever young; awakener of light; receiver of ghee and kindlings.
Inner power
Psychic fire that renews aspiration and opens the Vast; seer-force that brings illumination from within.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni kindling (samidh-ādhāna) and ghee offerings (ājyabhāga).
तं त्वा॑ स॒मिद्भि॑रङ्गिरो घृ॒तेन॑ वर्धयामसि । बृ॒हच्छो॑चा यविष्ठ्य ॥
तम् । त्वा॒ । स॒मित्ऽभिः॑ । अ॒ङ्गि॒रः॒ । घृ॒तेन॑ । व॒र्ध॒या॒म॒सि॒ । बृ॒हत् । शो॒च॒ । य॒वि॒ष्ठ्य॒ ॥
tam | tvā | samit-bhiḥ | aṅgiraḥ | ghṛtena | vardhayāmasi | bṛhat | śoca | yaviṣṭhya
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4 × ~11
Constructive and expansive; the second half ‘bṛhac chocā’ naturally opens the breath.
Builds heat and wideness; good for energizing concentration and invoking expansion.
- समिद्भिः (samidbhiḥ)
- Literal: with kindling sticks. Symbolic: disciplines, right actions, steady practices that feed the inner fire
- घृतेन (ghṛtena)
- Literal: with ghee. Symbolic: clarified mind-substance; luminous devotion/understanding offered without impurity
- वर्धयामसि (vardhayāmasi)
- Literal: we increase. Symbolic: we consciously strengthen the transformative force through sustained offering
- बृहत् (bṛhat)
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: the wideness of higher consciousness (Bṛhat)
- यविष्ठ्य (yaviṣṭhya)
- Literal: O youngest. Symbolic: ever-new flame—Agni’s perpetual rebirth in the evolving being
- अङ्गिरः (aṅgiraḥ)
- Literal: O Angiras (of the Angiras). Symbolic: Agni as the seer-power that brings hidden light out of darkness
Kindling and feeding Agni with samidh and ghṛta; inner practice: intensifying the flame through disciplined fuel and clarified mental substance.
During kindling and while strengthening the fire before main offerings.
Add samidh, pour ghee, recite to intensify the fire.
As a practice-mantra: pair with lighting a lamp; offer a clear intention (ghṛta) and a concrete discipline (samidh) to strengthen inner will.
samídh: from sam- + √idh 'kindle' (PIE *h₁eydʰ- 'kindle' often cited). ghṛtá: 'clarified' (from √ghṛ/√ghr̥ 'sprinkle/shine' debated); ritual substance symbolizing purified essence. vardhayāmasi < √vṛdh 'grow' (PIE *werdh-). śoca < √śuc 'shine' (brightness semantics). yaviṣṭha: superlative of 'young' (yuvan); Agni as the youngest god.
bṛhat (the Vast), purification (clarified essence), ever-renewed divine birth (yaviṣṭha)
Right feeding of Agni = right order of inner growth; expansion occurs through lawful practice.
Ghṛta as clarified truth-substance offered to the flame.
From fed fire arises widening—microcosmic creation of a vast inner space.
Aurobindonian symbolism: tapas → widening (bṛhat) → illumination.
Wood = effort/practice; ghee = purified essence; blaze = awakened tapas; vast flame = expanded consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The nourishment and magnification of Agni through samidh and ghṛta so he may blaze vastly. Innerly: aspiration and clarified consciousness intensify the will-flame into bṛhat illumination.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh 'grow' reflects PIE *werdh-. √śuc 'shine' continues an IE brightness lexicon. The imperative + instrumental construction encodes the means by which divine force is strengthened—typical IE ritual grammar.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Humans actively 'increase' Agni through offerings; Agni reciprocates by expanding into vast light. It is a co-working: the seeker provides purified fuel; the deity provides transformative blaze.
Strengthen the inner flame by two offerings: (1) one concrete discipline today (samidh), (2) one clarified intention free of agitation (ghṛta).
manipura (primary), anahata (supporting)
Brisk-energetic but controlled: 12 slow ‘kapālabhāti-light’ pulses optional, then chant to stabilize; avoid strain.
Heated clarity and widening; a sense of inner growth.
After chanting, sit 2–3 minutes sensing expansion around the heart and above the head; let thoughts ‘melt’ into a broad luminous field.
Keep the expansion phrase ‘bṛhac chocā’ with a clear udatta rise and sustained vowel; allow svarita to fall gently to ‘yaviṣṭhya’.
táṃ tvā | samídbhir aṅgíro | ghṛténa vardhayāmasi || bṛhác chóca | yaviṣṭhya || (open the ‘bṛhat’).
śoca: pronounce ś as palatal; keep o long-ish as per recitation style., aṅgiraḥ: nasal ṅ before g; do not split., samidbhiḥ: keep dbh cluster clear, with light aspiration.
Warm, bright, expanding; avoid harshness—aim for ‘vast’ resonance.
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