Rig Veda 6.48.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 48, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.48
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
महो देवान्यजसि यक्ष्यानुषक्तव क्रत्वोत दंसना । अर्वाचः सीं कृणुह्यग्नेऽवसे रास्व वाजोत वंस्व ॥
mahó devā́n yajasi yákṣy ānuṣák tava krátvotá daṃsanā́ | arvā́caḥ sīṃ kṛṇuhy agné ’váse rā́sva vā́jot́á vaṃsva ||
अग्नि, तुम बड़े भगवानों की पूजा करते हो। तुम उनको सही तरीके से भोग लगाते हो। अपनी शक्ति से तुम देवताओं को यहाँ बुला लाओ। हमें मदद दो और शक्ति दो। जो चाहिए वो पाने में मदद करो।
Word by Word
- महो
- greatly; greatAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः) अथवा विशेषणरूपेणRole कर्म (यजसि इत्यस्य कर्मविशेषणम्) / विशेषणRoot महत्
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot देव
- यजसि
- you worship/sacrifice toVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot यज्
- यक्षि
- worship!; offer sacrifice!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: यक्षि = यज)Role क्रियाRoot यज्
- अनुषक्त
- closely attached; following in due orderParticipleभूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे अग्ने प्रति)Role कर्तृविशेषणRoot अनु-षञ्ज्
- क्रत्वा
- with (your) resolve/ritual powerNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot क्रतु
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableनिपातRole समुच्चयRoot उत
- दंसना
- with (your) wondrous power/deedsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (वैदिक)Role करणRoot दंसन
- अर्वाचः
- towards here; hitherAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (सीम् इत्यस्य कर्मविशेषणम्)Role कर्म (सीम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अर्वाच्
- सीम्
- her/it (the offering/attention)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम; ‘her/it’)Role कर्मRoot सि (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / एनम्-समूह
- कृणुहि
- make; doVerbलोट्; परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot कृ
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
- अवसे
- for help/protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अवस्
- रास्व
- grant; giveVerbलोट्; परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot रा (दाने) / रास् (वैदिक)
- वाज
- prize; strength; bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वाज
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableनिपातRole समुच्चयRoot उत
- वंस्व
- win; obtainVerbलोट्; आत्मनेपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन (वैदिक आज्ञार्थ)Role क्रियाRoot वस् (वसँ निवासे/वसँ प्राप्तौ; वैदिक: ‘win, obtain’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धिविच्छेद): महो देवान् यजसि | यक्षि अनु-षक्त क्रत्वा उत दंसना | अर्वाचः सीम् कृणुहि अग्ने अवसे | रास्व वाजम् उत वंस्व || 1) दे॒वान्यज॑सि → देवान् + यजसि (न् + य → न्य). 2) यक्ष्या॑नु॒षक्तव॒ → यक्षि + अनुषक्त (इ + अ → या; संहितायां ‘यक्ष्या…’). 3) क्रत्वो॒त → क्रत्वा + उत (आ + उ → ओ). 4) अग्नेऽवसे → अग्ने + अवसे (ए + अ → एऽ). 5) वाजो॒त → वाज(म्) + उत
- संहितायां अकारलोप/स्वर-सन्धिना ‘वाजोत’ (पदपाठे सामान्यतः वाजम् उत)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni worships the great gods in proper sequence by his will and skill; he is asked to turn them toward us for help, to give plenitudes of strength and win them for us.
Inner meaning
Agni as inner priest organizes the movements of consciousness “in due sequence” (ānuṣak): aspiration calls and aligns the higher powers (devāḥ) one by one—illumination, wideness, harmony, delight—according to the need of the sadhana. Kratu (purposeful will) and daṃsanā (effective capacity) are the disciplined intelligence of the flame that knows how to invoke, combine, and apply these powers. The prayer is for a descent: make the gods ‘turn inward’ toward our being (arvācaḥ), bringing vāja (force of accomplishment) and establishing lasting gain.
Universal truth
Right progress is not random intensity but ordered invocation: when will is intelligent and skillful, higher capacities become available and cooperate, yielding strength and effective fulfillment.
Themes
Invocation of gods, Mediation, Boons as inner conquest
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.48.1, RV 6.48.3, RV 6.48.5, RV 6.16
Family tradition
Bharadvāja’s Agni is not only fire but the master of the inner rite who summons and coordinates the divine powers for human perfection.
Significance
The seer highlights kratu—intelligent will—as the key to a successful inner yajña: the psychic flame becomes the organizer of the ascent and the inviter of divine help.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- yajñiya (fit for sacrifice, implicit), kratumat (possessing kratu, implied), daṃsanāvān (skilled/effective, implied)
- Related deities
- All Devāḥ (collective), Indra (illumined mind), Varuṇa-Mitra (harmony/order), Soma (bliss)
Cosmic role
Hotṛ and messenger who brings the gods to the sacrifice; establishes communion between human and divine worlds.
Inner power
Coordinator of inner faculties; the flame of discernment + will that calls down higher forces and integrates them.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation of Agni as Hotṛ to call the devāḥ during iṣṭi/soma rites
म॒हो दे॒वान्यज॑सि॒ यक्ष्या॑नु॒षक्तव॒ क्रत्वो॒त दं॒सना॑ । अ॒र्वाच॑: सीं कृणुह्य॒ग्नेऽव॑से॒ रास्व॒ वाजो॒त वं॑स्व ॥
म॒हः । दे॒वान् । यज॑सि । यक्षि॑ । आ॒नु॒षक् । तव॑ । क्रत्वा॑ । उ॒त । दं॒सना॑ । अ॒र्वाचः॑ । सी॒म् । कृ॒णु॒हि॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अव॑से । रास्व॑ । वाजा॑ । उ॒त । वं॒स्व॒ ॥
mahaḥ | devān | yajasi | yakṣi | ānuṣak | tava | kratvā | uta | daṃsanā | arvācaḥ | sīm | kṛṇuhi | agne | avase | rāsva | vājā | uta | vaṃsva
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4×11 (with Vedic metrical flexibility)
Directive and organizing; a ‘ritual march’ rhythm appropriate to sequencing (ānuṣak).
Creates a sense of order and invocation; supports mental clarity and deliberate aspiration.
- महः (mahaḥ)
- Literal: great, vast. Symbolic: the wideness of higher consciousness; the ‘great gods’ as large powers
- देवान् (devān)
- Literal: the gods. Symbolic: luminous faculties/powers of consciousness
- यजसि / यक्षि (yajasi/yakṣi)
- Literal: you worship/sacrifice. Symbolic: inner offering and consecration; aligning nature to the higher powers
- आनुषक् (ānuṣak)
- Literal: in proper order, sequentially. Symbolic: gradual, orderly ascent; right arrangement of inner disciplines
- क्रतु (kratu)
- Literal: will, resolve, intelligence. Symbolic: purposeful, discerning will that guides the sacrifice
- दंसना (daṃsanā)
- Literal: skill, effective power. Symbolic: capacity to make the inner action succeed; practical spiritual efficacy
- अर्वाचः (arvācaḥ)
- Literal: hitherward, toward us. Symbolic: descent/turning of higher powers into the embodied being
- वाज (vāja)
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: force of realization; victorious energy and capacity
Hotṛ/Agni mediation: calling the gods to the sacrifice; formula for inviting the devāḥ and securing vāja (power-plenitudes) in soma and non-soma offerings.
Before/while inviting deities to the altar; in praises that emphasize Agni’s priestly function.
Calling the gods, offering oblations, requesting boons (vāja).
As a meditation on ‘right order’: invoke higher qualities sequentially—peace, light, strength, joy—asking them to turn inward and act in life.
kratu is ‘will with intelligence’—a decisive, formative intention that aligns action to R̥ta. daṃsana denotes effective, wondrous workings (not magic but skill of divine operation). √van ‘win’ frames boons as conquests of consciousness, not passive gifts.
kratu (formative will aligned to R̥ta), vāja (plenitude of force), divine cooperation (calling powers hither)
Ānuṣak implies ṛta as ordered progression; Agni enforces right sequence in the sacrifice and in growth.
Truth manifests as effective action (daṃsanā) when will is aligned to the higher order.
Descent and integration: higher powers are turned toward embodiment to build a diviner life.
Integral yoga resonance: invocation + descent + integration as a single movement.
Fire = will; gods = higher faculties; turning hither = descent into the embodied mind-life-body; vāja = effective force in action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine priest who can summon the gods and secure their powers for the human seeker. The mythic action is ‘bringing the gods hither’; inwardly, it is the concentration of will (kratu) that calls higher faculties into the field of practice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yaj (sacrifice) is Indo-Iranian-specific development of older IE sacral exchange patterns; √kṛ ‘make’ and √van ‘win’ are ancient IE roots. The syntax of imperatives to the mediator deity reflects a shared IE ritual pragmatics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi treats Agni as an active collaborator: Agni’s kratu/daṃsana are acknowledged, and he is requested to turn the powers toward the human aim, granting and ‘winning’ vāja—effective force for the path.
Invoke inner Agni to call higher qualities in order; feel them ‘turn toward’ the heart and mind for aid.
Manipura (will/kratu) with ascent to Ajna (ordered clarity)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally repeating arvācaḥ…kṛṇuhi to ‘draw in’ the powers.
Organized aspiration; receptive strength.
Name 3–5 inner ‘gods’ (peace, light, strength, joy, wideness) and invite them sequentially; end by offering actions of the day into Agni.
Tri-svara; emphasize the imperative contours on kṛṇuhi, rāsva, vaṃsva; keep ānuṣak clearly articulated.
Mark phrase breaks at |; keep ‘tava kratvā ut daṃsanā’ as a single coherent unit with steady rise-fall.
maho: long o, yakṣy: cluster kṣy—keep crisp, ānuṣak: retroflex ṣ, kratu: short a, clear t, arvācaḥ: v as semi-vowel; final ḥ light
Clear, directive, priestly—more articulated than forceful.
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