Rig Veda 7.42.6: Mandala 7, Sukta 42, Mantra 6
Sukta 7.42
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
एवाग्निं सहस्यं वसिष्ठो रायस्कामो विश्वप्स्न्यस्य स्तौत् । इषं रयिं पप्रथद्वाजमस्मे यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
evā́gniṁ sahasyàṁ váṣiṣṭho rāyáskāmo viśvápsnyasyá staut | íṣaṁ rayíṁ paprathád vā́jam asmè yūyáṁ pāta svastíbhíḥ sadā́ naḥ ||
वशिष्ठ ने अग्नी की तारीफ की है, वो अमीर बनाना चाहते थे। उन्होंने कहा अग्नी बहुत ताकतवर है, सब काम कर सकता है। वो हमारे लिए पैसा और ताकत बढ़ा दें। आप लोग हमेशा हमारे लिए अच्छे रहो।
Word by Word
- एव
- thus, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic particle)Root एव
- अग्निम्
- Agni (the Fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अग्नि
- सहस्यम्
- mighty, powerful (lit. ‘of strength’)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (अग्निम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot सहस्य
- वसिष्ठः
- VasiṣṭhaNoun (proper name)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot वसिष्ठ
- रायस्कामः
- desiring wealthAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (वसिष्ठः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot रायस्-काम
- विश्वप्स्न्यस्य
- of all-encompassing/omni-working (Agni)Adjective (genitival)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (अग्नेः)Role Sambandha (genitive)Root विश्वप्स्न्य
- स्तौत्
- praisedVerbलुङ् (aorist); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRoot स्तु
- इषम्
- refreshment, nourishmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इष्/इषा
- रयिम्
- wealthNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रयि
- पप्रथत्
- has spread forth, has extendedVerbलिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRoot प्र-प्रथ्
- वाजम्
- prize, strength, (victory-)bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वाज
- अस्मे
- for us, to usPronounउभयलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (वेदिक-प्रयोगे दत्तिवत्); बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounप्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद्
- पात
- protectVerbलोट् (imperative); परस्मैपद; 2 पुरुष; बहुवचनRoot पा
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with well-being, with blessingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्वस्ति
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableकालाव्ययRoot सदा
- नः
- usPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया; बहुवचन (अत्र: ‘अस्मान्’/‘अस्माकम्’—प्रयोगे ‘us’)Role KarmaRoot अस्मद्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): एव + अग्निम् (no change)
- अग्निम् + सहस्यम् (no change)
- सहस्यम् + वसिष्ठः (no change)
- वसिष्ठः + रायस्कामः (visarga before r: phonetic, written as is)
- रायस्कामः + विश्वप्स्न्यस्य (visarga before v: phonetic, written as is)
- विश्वप्स्न्यस्य + स्तौत् (no change)
- स्तौत् । इषम् (pada break)
- पप्रथत् + वाजम् (no change)
- वाजम् + अस्मे (no change)
- यूयम् + पात (no change)
- स्वस्तिभिः + सदा (no change)
- सदा + नः (no change). Accent marks in the source are preserved in the Saṃhitā text
- pada-forms here are given in unaccented Devanāgarī for morphological clarity
The meaning
Outer meaning
Thus Vasiṣṭha, desiring riches, has praised powerful Agni of all-effective works. May he widen for us impulsion, wealth, and force; you Powers, protect us always with well-being.
Inner meaning
The rishi declares the accomplished act of praise: a deliberate formation of mantric force. ‘Sahasya’ Agni is the mighty will capable of breaking resistance; ‘viśvapsnya’ is the fire whose workings are effective in every plane of the being. The prayer is not for outer gain alone but for iṣa (right impulsion/inner drive), rayi (substance of being—inner richness), and vāja (victorious force/energy of achievement). The concluding ‘yūyam pāta’ widens the field: all assisting powers of the Truth are invoked to guard the sadhana with swasti—harmonious well-being.
Universal truth
Right praise and aspiration align us with a universal Force that expands our capacity, resources, and effective power, while protective harmonies sustain the journey.
Themes
Agni-invocation, Inner prosperity, Protection-benediction (svasti), Psychological yajña
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vāsiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.12, RV 7.15, RV 7.32, RV 7.88
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s hymns often end with a broad protective benediction, extending from Agni to the totality of divine helpers—suggesting an integral, communal yoga of forces.
Significance
This verse summarizes the inner aim: expansion of right impulsion, inner wealth, and victorious force—guarded by swasti, the harmony of the Truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with concluding appeal to the assisting Powers)
- Epithets
- Sahasya, Viśvapsnya
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Ādityas (as powers of swasti, implied)
Cosmic role
Universal worker: establishes sacrifice, distributes powers, and enlarges the human field toward divine effectiveness.
Inner power
Mighty transforming will; awakens right initiative (iṣ), consolidates inner richness (rayi), and grants victorious energy (vāja).
In ritual
Where it is used
Closing/summary praise and benediction within an Agni hymn; prayer for prosperity and protection
ए॒वाग्निं स॑ह॒स्यं१॒॑ वसि॑ष्ठो रा॒यस्का॑मो वि॒श्वप्स्न्य॑स्य स्तौत् । इषं॑ र॒यिं प॑प्रथ॒द्वाज॑म॒स्मे यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
ए॒व । अ॒ग्निम् । स॒ह॒स्य॑म् । वसि॑ष्ठः । रा॒यःऽका॑मः । वि॒श्वऽप्स्न्य॑स्य । स्तौ॒त् । इष॑म् । र॒यिम् । प॒प्र॒थ॒त् । वाज॑म् । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
eva | agnim | sahasyam | vasiṣṭhaḥ | rāyaḥ-kāmaḥ | viśva-psnyasya | staut | iṣam | rayim | paprathat | vājam | asme iti | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Conclusive, summarizing triṣṭubh; strong opening assertion, then expansive blessings, ending with protective cadence.
Seals the practice with confidence; leaves a resonant sense of protection and widened capacity.
- सहस्य (sahasya)
- Literal: mighty, of strength. Symbolic: Agni as forceful will that overcomes inertia and obstruction
- विश्वप्स्न्य (viśvapsnya)
- Literal: of all-effective workings. Symbolic: divine will acting across mind, life, and body
- रायस्काम (rāyaskāma)
- Literal: desiring riches. Symbolic: aspiration for fullness of being (not mere possession)
- स्तोत् (staut)
- Literal: has praised. Symbolic: mantric articulation that builds a bridge to the divine
- इष् (iṣ)
- Literal: impulsion, refreshment. Symbolic: right drive, inspired initiative
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: inner substance: light, joy, capacities, stable abundance
- वाज (vāja)
- Literal: prize, strength, force. Symbolic: victory-power, effective energy of realization
- स्वस्ति (svasti)
- Literal: well-being. Symbolic: harmonious protection, integral health of the being
- यूयम् (yūyam)
- Literal: you (plural). Symbolic: the collective divine powers aiding transformation
Agni-praise within the daily/seasonal soma-and-fire liturgies; suitable for Agni-invocation and protective benediction (svasti) segments in Śrauta performance (general application rather than a single exclusive rite).
At the end of a hymn/section to ‘seal’ the rite with boons and swasti
Final stotra; request widening of gifts; collective protective invocation
End-of-meditation dedication: ask for expanded right initiative, inner resources, and effective energy; conclude with a ‘swasti’ intention for the day.
Key terms: sahasyám < sahas ‘strength, might’ (n.) → ‘powerful’; viśvápsnyasya: viśva ‘all’ + apsnyá (epithet indicating effective activity/working; related to √āp/aps ‘to obtain/reach’ and the semantic field of ‘activity/attainment’ in Vedic epithet formation); íṣ- ‘impulsion/nourishment’ (Vedic iṣáḥ as energizing drive); rayí- ‘richness, abundance’ extended here to inner plenitude; paprathád from √prath ‘to broaden, spread’ (causative/iterative sense in perfect/aorist usage: effect of the hymn/sacrifice is expansion); vā́ja- ‘strength, victorious force, plenitude’ (later concretized as prize/food); svastí- su ‘good’ + astí ‘being’ → ‘well-being’, ‘right-going auspiciousness’.
Rayi (plenitude of being), Iṣ (impulsion/inner nourishment), Svasti (harmonious well-being), Expansion of consciousness (√prath)
Swasti implies harmony with ṛta; viśvapsnya suggests ordered effectiveness of divine works.
True ‘wealth’ is fullness of being aligned to truth, not mere accumulation.
Agni as universal worker expands the ‘field’ (pṛth) of life—microcosm echoing cosmic expansion.
Integral/Vedāntic tendency: gifts as powers of consciousness (iṣ, rayi, vāja) rather than external rewards.
Flame = transformative will; widening = growth of consciousness; swasti = balanced integration of energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic action is the ‘kindling and widening’ performed by Agni: the divine Fire, praised by the seer, expands iṣ (impulsion) and rayi (plenitude) and vāja (victorious force) within the human field. This is not a narrative combat-myth but a core Vedic mythologem of Agni as the opener/expander of the inner worlds—he makes the being broad enough to receive the Truth and its riches.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘protect’ matches PIE *peh₂- ‘to protect, shepherd’ (cf. Latin pāstor ‘shepherd’). √prath ‘spread, broaden’ aligns with PIE *pleth₂- / *pl̥th₂- ‘broad, flat’ (cf. Greek πλατύς platýs ‘broad’). svastí (su- + astí ‘being’) parallels Indo-European compositional patterns of ‘good + being’ (cf. Greek εὖ eu- ‘well’ + existential roots), showing inherited formulaic benediction structure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Vasiṣṭha’s praise (staut) is presented as an efficacious act that triggers Agni’s widening of inner goods (iṣ, rayi, vāja). The reciprocity is explicit: the seer offers the formed word/hymn; the deity responds by enlarging the sacrificer’s inner capacities and by ongoing protection through svasti. The closing ‘yūyam pāta’ broadens the reciprocity into a communal guardianship by the assisting divine powers.
Expansion mantra: invite Agni to widen right initiative, inner abundance, and effective force; end with protective harmony.
manipura
Bhastrikā (light, short) to awaken vāja, then slow exhale with ‘svasti’ feeling to integrate.
Strong, luminous, integrated; readiness for action as offering.
After practice, feel the inner fire consolidating gains; ask for iṣ (right impulse) before decisions, rayi (inner resources) for stability, vāja (effective energy) for execution; rest in swasti as balanced harmony.
Maintain udātta prominence on ‘agniṃ’, ‘staut’, and the boon-words ‘iṣam rayim vājam’.
Let the first pāda be firm; slightly broaden on the three boons; soften and stabilize on ‘svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ’.
‘evāgniṃ’: keep ‘vā’ long; do not drop the nasal in ‘agniṃ’., ‘viśvapsnyasya’: articulate ‘psn’ cluster carefully (viś-vap-snya)., ‘paprathat’: aspirated ‘th’, not ‘t’., ‘svastibhiḥ’: keep ‘sv’ conjunct clear; final visarga light but audible.
Steady, confident, concluding warmth.
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.
