Rig Veda 7.16.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 16, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.16
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स योजते अरुषा विश्वभोजसा स दुद्रवत्स्वाहुतः । सुब्रह्मा यज्ञः सुशमी वसूनां देवं राधो जनानाम् ॥
sa yójate aruṣā viśvábhōjasā sá dudrávat svā́hutaḥ | subráhmā yajñáḥ suśámī vásūnāṃ deváṃ rā́dho jánānām ||
यह अग्नि जो सब चीज़ों को अपने में ले लेता है, उससे जोड़ता है। जब हविष दिया जाता है, वो आगे बढ़ने लगता है। यज्ञ एक ऐसी शक्ति बन जाता है जो अच्छा काम करता है। यह सब लोगों के लिए धरम का काम करता है और भगवान जैसी शक्ति देता है।
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- योजते
- yokes / harnesses (himself)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot युज् (योजने)
- अरुषाः
- the ruddy ones (reddish horses/flames)Adjective (used substantively) / Nounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वभोजसाः
- all-nourishing / having all sustenanceAdjective (bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa usage)पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot विश्व-भोजस् (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दुद्रवत्
- ran forth / spedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot द्रु (गत्यर्थे)
- स्वाहुतः
- well-invoked / well-offered (with oblations)Adjective / Past participleपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सु-आहुत (कृदन्त; √हु ‘to offer/sacrifice’ with उपसर्ग सु-)
- सुब्रह्मा
- having good sacred formulation / good priestly powerAdjective (used substantively) / Nounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सु-ब्रह्मन् (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञः
- the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुशमी
- very gracious / most kindlyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम् (विशेषण-रूपेण) अथवा अव्ययीभाववत् विशेषणम्Role KarmaRoot सु-शमी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good/beneficent, bringing peace’)
- वसूनाम्
- of the goods / richesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवम्
- the godNounपुंलिङ्गः द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- राधः
- bounty / giftNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot राधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनानाम्
- of the peoplesNounपुंलिङ्गः षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विच्छेद): सः | योजते | अरुषाः | विश्वभोजसाः | सः | दुद्रवत् | स्वाहुतः | सुब्रह्मा | यज्ञः | सुशमी | वसूनाम् | देवम् | राधः | जनानाम् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) स + योजते → सः योजते (विसर्ग-सन्धि) । (2) दुद्रवत् + स्वाहुतः → दुद्रवत्स्वाहुतः (त् + स् → त्स्) । (3) वसूनाम् + देवम् → वसूनां देवम् (म् + द् → ं द्; अनुस्वार) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, when offered rightly, yokes his ruddy powers and rushes forward; the yajña becomes well-formulated, harmonizing the riches and giving divine abundance to the peoples.
Inner meaning
When the inner Fire (divine will) is rightly kindled and “offered” (consecrated), it harnesses the red-gold forces of life-energy and aspiration (aruṣāḥ) that can enjoy and utilize all experiences (viśvabhojasā). Then the will runs forward in progress (dudravat), and the inner sacrifice becomes a clear, true-formulated movement of mantra and intention (subrahmā yajñaḥ). This produces suśamī—an inward pacification/settling that organizes the ‘vasūni’ (inner riches: powers, capacities, luminous possessions) into harmony, resulting in devaṃ rādhaḥ—divine plenitude—distributed across the “peoples” (janānām = the many parts and movements of our nature).
Universal truth
Rightly aligned will, guided by truth-formulation and consecration, converts raw energies into harmonious inner wealth and shared abundance across the whole personality.
Themes
Agni as inner will, yoking of powers, sacrifice as inner transformation, plenitude/grace (rādhas), harmonisation of the being
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.2, RV 7.3, RV 7.15, RV 7.18
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha family hymns of Mandala 7 emphasize Agni as inner guide, protector of ṛta, and establisher of harmony in the being.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision often stresses ordered luminous action (ṛta) and the priestly power of right speech (brahman) to transform life-force into divine harmony.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- aruṣa (ruddy), svāhuta (well-offered), subrahmā (rightly formulated through brahman)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Vasus, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Divine mediator and transformer: carries offerings to the gods, kindles growth, and establishes the forward movement of the sacrifice.
Inner power
The awakened will and aspiration that organizes energies, purifies motives, and drives progress toward illumination and plenitude.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-kindling and opening invocations in soma and non-soma śrauta rites
स यो॑जते अरु॒षा वि॒श्वभो॑जसा॒ स दु॑द्रव॒त्स्वा॑हुतः । सु॒ब्रह्मा॑ य॒ज्ञः सु॒शमी॒ वसू॑नां दे॒वं राधो॒ जना॑नाम् ॥
सः । यो॒ज॒ते॒ । अ॒रु॒षा । वि॒श्वऽभो॑जसा । सः । दु॒द्र॒व॒त् । सुऽआ॑हुतः । सु॒ऽब्रह्मा॑ । य॒ज्ञः । सु॒ऽशमी॑ । वसू॑नाम् । दे॒वम् । राधः॑ । जना॑नाम् ॥
saḥ | yojate | aruṣā | viśva-bhojasā | saḥ | dudravat | su-āhutaḥ | su-brahmā | yajñaḥ | su-śamī | vasūnām | devam | rādhaḥ | janānām
44
4 padas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, expansive cadence suited to dynamic invocation and inner ascent.
Builds momentum and confident aspiration; supports a ‘rushing forward’ feel aligned with dudravat.
- aruṣā
- Literal: ruddy, red-golden (horses/powers/flames). Symbolic: vital-energies and dynamic forces of aspiration harnessed by the inner Fire
- viśvabhojasā
- Literal: enjoying/possessing all things. Symbolic: capacity to assimilate all experience for growth; integrative enjoyment in consciousness
- svāhutaḥ
- Literal: well-offered with svāhā. Symbolic: right consecration; self-giving that makes the force effective
- subrahmā
- Literal: having good brahman (formulation/prayer). Symbolic: true mantra-intelligence; right word/thought that shapes the sacrifice
- yajñaḥ
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: inner offering—self-consecration and disciplined transformation
- suśamī
- Literal: good quieting, appeasement, pacification. Symbolic: harmonizing peace that settles competing impulses into ordered strength
- vasūnām
- Literal: of the riches (Vasus). Symbolic: inner treasures—powers of being, luminous resources
- rādhaḥ
- Literal: gift, bounty, plenitude. Symbolic: divine fullness of force/joy/attainment bestowed in consciousness
- janānām
- Literal: of the peoples. Symbolic: the many ‘tribes’ in us—senses, mind, life, heart, will—made to share one abundance
Agni praise/invocation in Soma-sacrifice settings; applicable to kindling and offering sequences (general śrauta usage rather than a single fixed rite).
At the start/rekindling of fire and during agni-stuti sequences to establish effective offering
Kindling, offering ghee with svāhā, recitation to strengthen Agni as carrier of oblations
Use as a consecration mantra before meditation/work: align intention (subrahmā) and offer the day’s energies to the inner Fire for harmonization (suśamī).
Key terms: yojate (√yuj ‘to yoke/join’ middle voice: self-integration; the Flame ‘yokes’ powers into a single working). aruṣā (adj. ‘ruddy, shining’; Vedic often denotes luminous rays/energies). viśva-bhojasā (bhojas from √bhuj ‘enjoy, partake, nourish’; suggests universal enjoyment/sustenance—powers that can take up and transform all). dudravat (aor./perf. nuance from √dru ‘run’ with intensifying reduplication: swift, eager movement—Agni as forward-driving will). svāhutaḥ (su + āhuta from √hu ‘to pour/offer, sacrifice’: rightly offered invocation/oblation). subrahmā (su + brahman: well-formed mantric force; brahman as shaping word/thought-power). suśamī (su + śam from √śam ‘to quiet, pacify’: establishing inner peace/order). rādhaḥ (from √rādh ‘to succeed, accomplish’: fulfilment, effective grace rather than mere gift).
Ṛta (right ordering through yoking/integration), Brahman (mantric formative power), Śam (inner peace/harmony as a condition for plenitude)
Agni as the executor of ṛta: he yokes forces into ordered progress.
subrahmā indicates truth-made speech/thought that shapes reality.
Transformation of raw energies into divine plenitude through consecrated action.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindo): yajña as evolutionary inner discipline; brahman as formative consciousness-power.
dawn-to-morning (suggested by ‘ruddy’ and forward surge)
Fire = will; ruddy glow = life-force/aspiration; smoke rising = thoughts/offerings ascending; sun-imagery = illumination and plenitude.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the yoked charioteer/driver of luminous powers: the divine Flame harnesses the ‘aruṣā’ (ruddy radiances) and then ‘runs forward’. Mythically this is the forward-leading messenger-force; psychologically it is the awakened will that integrates the energies of consciousness and advances the sadhaka toward fulfilment (rādhas).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ aligns with PIE *yeug- (Lat. iugum ‘yoke’, Eng. yoke), supporting the sense of ‘joining’ as ordering. √bhuj in bhojas relates to Indo-European notions of partaking/enjoying (cf. semantic field of ‘use/benefit’), here extended to universal assimilation (‘viśva-’). The reduplicated form in dudravat reflects an intensifying verbal strategy also found across early Indo-European poetics for vivid action.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet presents the sacrifice as a reciprocal interface: when the offering is ‘svāhuta’ (rightly given) and the brahman is ‘subrahmā’ (well-shaped), Agni responds by establishing ‘suśamī’ (harmonising peace) and manifesting ‘devam rādhaḥ’ (divine fulfilment). The exchange is not transactional but transformative: correct inner offering yields ordered consciousness (ṛta) and plenitude.
Consecrate the life-force to the inner will; let right thought/mantra (subrahmā) organize energies into calm power (suśamī).
maṇipūra (fire/will) with ascent toward anāhata (harmonizing peace)
moderate ujjāyī or steady nāḍī-śodhana; on exhale, inwardly ‘offer’ restlessness into Agni
Active concentration moving into settled, luminous composure.
Begin by sensing ‘ruddy energies’ (drive, desire, effort). Mentally yoke them to a single aim. Offer that aim with sincerity (svāhuta). Notice the forward push; then allow a quiet harmony to spread through all parts (‘janānām’).
Vedic accents as in Śākala tradition: maintain udātta peaks on accented syllables; svarita as falling tone after udātta; anudātta low baseline (exact svara requires pada-svara notation).
Hold udātta slightly higher and clearer; do not over-musicalize—keep a restrained tri-tone contour.
aruṣā: ‘ru’ short, ‘ṣ’ retroflex, viśvabhojasā: split vi-śva-bho-ja-sā; keep ‘śv’ cluster crisp, svāhutaḥ: ‘svā’ long ā; ‘h’ audible, subrahmā: ‘br’ cluster; long ā at end, suśamī: ‘ś’ palatal; long ī
bright, steady, forward-placing (as if feeding a flame)
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