Rig Veda 6.2.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 2, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.2
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
ऋधद्यस्ते सुदानवे धिया मर्तः शशमते । ऊती ष बृहतो दिवो द्विषो अंहो न तरति ॥
ṛ́dhad yás te sudā́nave dhiyā́ mártaḥ śáśamate | ūtī́ ṣá bṛható divó dvíṣo áṃho ná tarati ||
जो इंसान तुम्हे ध्यान से पूजा करता है, वो बड़ा बन जाता है। वो आसमान की मदद से दुश्मनों से बच जाता है। उसको कोई ताकत नहीं गिरा सकती। वो मुसीबत में नहीं पड़ता क्योंकि ऊपर से उसे साथ मिलता है।
Word by Word
- ऋधद्यः
- prospering; thrivingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot ऋध् (वर्धने) / ऋध (प्रातिपदिक-आधारः) + यस्-प्रत्यय
- ते
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुदानवे
- to the good-giver (Agni)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot सु-दानु (प्रातिपदिक) / दानु (gift) + सु-
- धिया
- with thought; by devotion/insightNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तः
- a mortalNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- शशमते
- has come to rest; becomes calm/satisfiedVerbपरस्मैपदम्, लिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root शम् (शमने/शान्तौ) → शशम् (परिपूर्ण-आवृत्तिः) / शशम्-धातु-आधारित-रूप
- ऊती
- help; aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Karaṇa (सहायक-भावे) / साधनRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)
- ष
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role KartāRoot स (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एन्क्लिटिक)
- बृहतः
- of the greatAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven; of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root दिव्/द्यौः (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ)
- द्विषः
- of the hater; of the enemyNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (वेदिके—अत्र ‘द्विषः’ = ‘द्विषः/द्विषः’ शत्रोः)Role Apādāna (यतः-भावे) / सम्बन्धRoot द्विष् (प्रातिपदिक: द्विष् ‘enemy/one who hates’)
- अंहः
- distress; sin; narrownessNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिपातः (निषेध/उपमा-प्रयोगः सन्दर्भानुसार)Role (अव्यय)Root न (अव्यय)
- तरति
- crosses over; overcomesVerbपरस्मैपदम्, लट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root तॄ (तरणे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ऋधद्यः ते सुदानवे धिया मर्तः शशमते । ऊती ष बृहतः दिवः द्विषः अंहः न तरति ॥ 1) ‘ऊती ष’ इति: ऊती + स(एन्क्लिटिक) → ऊती ष (वेदिक-उच्चारण/पदपाठ-परम्परा)
- 2) ‘दिवो’ (संहितापाठ) = ‘दिवः’ (पदपाठ) षष्ठी-एकवचनम्
- 3) ‘अंहो’ (संहितापाठ) = ‘अंहः’ (पदपाठ) नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचनम्
- 4) ‘द्विषो’ (संहितापाठ) = ‘द्विषः’ (पदपाठ) षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (शत्रोः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The mortal who serves Agni with thought grows and attains mastery. By the vast help of high heaven he does not fall into distress brought by hostile forces.
Inner meaning
Growth (ṛdhat) comes when the human being approaches Agni the generous (sudānave) with dhī—consecrated understanding and intention. Such a person gains inner mastery (śaśamate: comes to composure/strength). Supported by the ‘vast heaven’ (bṛhat divah—wide consciousness), one does not cross into aṃhas (constriction, sin/distress) produced by dviṣ (hostile movements: doubt, denial, inertia, jealousy).
Universal truth
Sincere, intelligent consecration to the inner flame makes consciousness widen; in that wideness, hostile pressures lose their power to drive us into suffering and constriction.
Themes
protection from hostility, growth through dhī, crossing motif, spiritual mastery
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.1, RV 6.2, RV 6.16
Family tradition
Emphasis on dhī and right service as the means of growth and protection; a practical yoga of inner discipline.
Significance
Bharadvāja presents a clear law: dhī + service to Agni yields wideness (bṛhat) and immunity from hostile constriction.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- sudānu (generous giver)
- Related deities
- Dyaus/Div (heaven), Indra (victory over hostile), Varuṇa/Mitra (order and protection)
Cosmic role
Bestower of increase; protector through alliance with the vast heaven.
Inner power
Transformative discipline that widens consciousness and neutralises hostile movements.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Agni-stuti within rites seeking protection and increase
ऋध॒द्यस्ते॑ सु॒दान॑वे धि॒या मर्त॑: श॒शम॑ते । ऊ॒ती ष बृ॑ह॒तो दि॒वो द्वि॒षो अंहो॒ न त॑रति ॥
ऋध॑त् । यः । ते॒ । सु॒ऽदान॑वे । धि॒या । मर्तः॑ । श॒शम॑ते । ऊ॒ती । सः । बृ॒ह॒तः । दि॒वः । द्वि॒षः । अंहः॑ । न । त॒र॒ति॒ ॥
ṛdhat | yaḥ | te | su-dānave | dhiyā | martaḥ | śaśamate | ūtī | saḥ | bṛhataḥ | divaḥ | dviṣaḥ | aṃhaḥ | na | tarati
24
3×8 (approx.)
Firm, didactic, stabilising—apt for stating an inner law of growth and protection.
Grounds the mind; fosters confidence and steadiness against inner negativity.
- ऋधत् (ṛdhat)
- Literal: growing, prospering. Symbolic: increase of being; expansion of consciousness and capacity
- सुदानु (sudānu)
- Literal: good giver, generous. Symbolic: the divine will that freely bestows strength and clarity
- धि (dhī)
- Literal: thought, insight. Symbolic: illumined understanding; right intention in yoga
- शशमते (śaśamate)
- Literal: comes to mastery/quieting. Symbolic: inner mastery—calm strength, self-rule
- ऊति (ūti)
- Literal: help, protection. Symbolic: supporting grace-force from higher consciousness
- बृहत् दिवः (bṛhat divaḥ)
- Literal: of the vast heaven. Symbolic: wideness of mind-spirit; higher plane of luminous consciousness
- द्विष् (dviṣ)
- Literal: hater, hostile. Symbolic: inner hostile formations—negation, resistance, devouring impulses
- अंहस् (aṃhas)
- Literal: distress, sin, narrowness. Symbolic: constriction and suffering born of obscurity
Didactic assurance within Agni hymn: defines the fruit of right worship—growth, mastery, and protection from hostile constriction.
After kindling, as a protective affirmation; also in moments of perceived opposition
Praise and offering accompanied by resolve (dhī)
Use as a protective mantra during stress: widen awareness (‘bṛhat’), offer the distress into Agni, refuse entry into aṃhas.
√ṛdh 'grow, prosper' (PIE *h₁erHdʰ- proposed) supports inner 'increase of being'. dhī is inspired intelligence (root √dhī/√dhyai 'think, contemplate'). aṃhas often 'narrowness, distress' → psychological constriction opposed to bṛhat (the Vast). √tṛ crossing motif again: the protected one does not enter the constricted field created by dviṣ.
Bṛhat vs aṃhas (vastness vs constriction), protective help (ūti), dhī (inspired intelligence)
Right service aligns the mortal with cosmic order; protection is a consequence of alignment.
Dhī as truth-seeking intelligence; wideness as truth’s natural space.
Evolutionary increase (ṛdh) through tapas of consecrated thought.
Vedic-psychological doctrine of widening consciousness; anticipates Upanishadic ‘mahat’/vastness themes.
Heaven is wide awareness; hostility is narrowing pressure; Agni is the heat that expands and purifies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic structure is the protected crossing: aided by the Vast Heaven, the worshipper avoids the aṃhas laid by enemies. Innerly, it is the avoidance of constricted states produced by hostile tendencies when one grows by dhī and disciplined service to Agni.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The crossing verb √tṛ (tarati) and the opposition of vastness vs narrowness are common Indo-European poetic binaries. The moral-psychological 'aṃhas' as constriction parallels other IE traditions where sin/distress is conceptualized as narrowing or binding.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is addressed as sudānav—generous giver—yet the gift emphasized is protective wideness (ūti of bṛhat div). The rishi teaches that right relation to Agni through dhī yields inner growth and immunity to hostile constriction.
Widen into ‘bṛhat’ awareness; offer hostile thoughts into the heart-fire; cultivate mastery (śama).
anahata (widening)
long exhale breathing (4 in / 8 out) to dissolve aṃhas (constriction)
wide, calm, resilient
When hostility arises (inner or outer), pause, widen attention to the periphery, then bring a steady inner flame to the center; repeat the mantra and feel the ‘vast heaven’ above the head as a protective expanse.
Ṛgvedic accent system applies; precise svaras not provided.
Let ṛ́dhat and ś carry a gentle lift; keep bṛható divó as spacious and unhurried; end with firm closure on tárati.
ṛdhat: vocalic ṛ at start; avoid adding ‘i’., sudānave: long ā; ‘na’ light., śaśamate: palatal ś; keep three syllables śa-śa-ma-te., aṃho: anusvāra ‘ṃ’ before ‘h’—nasalize lightly.
deep, reassuring, spacious phrasing
21
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
