Rig Veda 7.94.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 94, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.94
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indrāgnī
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
शृणुतं जरितुर्हवमिन्द्राग्नी वनतं गिरः । ईशाना पिप्यतं धियः ॥
śṛṇutáṃ jaritúr hávam índrāgnī vánataṃ gíraḥ | īśānā́ pipyataṃ dhíyaḥ ||
इंद्र और अग्नि, हमारी आवाज़ सुनो। हमारी बात सुनो और हाँ करो। तुम लोग शक्ति वाले हो, इसलिए हमारे मन को आगे बढ़ाओ। हमारे दिमाग में अच्छे खयाल लाओ।
Word by Word
- शृणुतम्
- hear (you two)!Verbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole (आह्वान) क्रिया—श्रोता (कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध)Root श्रु (śru) धातु
- जरितुः
- of the singer/praiserNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘of the praiser’Root जरितृ (prātipadika; from √गॄ/गिर् ‘to sing/praise’ → jaritṛ ‘praiser’)
- हवम्
- invocation/callNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot हव (prātipadika; from √हू ‘to call/invoke’)
- इन्द्राग्नी
- O Indra and AgniNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, द्विवचन (देवद्वन्द्व)Role सम्बोधन (आह्वान) / कर्ता (श्रवण-क्रियायाः)Root इन्द्र + अग्नि (समास; द्वन्द्व)
- वनतम्
- be pleased / incline (towards)Verbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole (आह्वान) क्रिया—कर्तृ (इन्द्राग्नी)Root √वन्/वन (to like, to win over, to be pleased; Vedic) धातु
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्ता (वनतम्-क्रियायाः) / विषयः (यासु वननम्)Root गिर् (prātipadika)
- ईशाना
- O you two lords/mighty onesAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, द्विवचन (इन्द्राग्नी-विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (इन्द्राग्नी) / सम्बोधनRoot ईशान (prātipadika; from √ईश् ‘to rule, be master’)
- पिप्यतम्
- grow strong / be filledVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (इन्द्राग्नी)Root √प्याय्/पि (to swell, thrive, be filled; Vedic reduplicated present) धातु
- धियः
- insights/prayersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot धि (prātipadika) / धिया- ‘thought, insight, prayer’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: शृणुतम् | जरितुः | हवम् | इन्द्राग्नी | वनतम् | गिरः | ईशाना | पिप्यतम् | धियः || 1) जरितुः + हवम् → जरितुर्हवम् (रेफ-सन्धि: विसर्ग/रुत्व-प्रभावः; RV संहितायां ‘-र्’ रूपेण संधिः)
- 2) हवम् + इन्द्राग्नी → हवमिन्द्राग्नी (अकार + इकार = ए/यण् न; संहितापाठे साधारण संधिः: m + i → mi)
- 3) वनतम् + गिरः → वनतं गिरः (अनुस्वार-परिवर्तनः: म् + ग् → ङ्/ं)
- 4) गिरः | ईशाना इत्यत्र संधिः न (पदविरामः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra and Agni are asked to hear the singer’s call, accept the words, and as masters, make the thoughts (dhī) swell and increase.
Inner meaning
The seer requests response from the illumined mind and the divine will: not merely to ‘hear’ but to incline toward the mantric formulation so it can become effective. ‘Dhī’ is the inspired intelligence; to ‘swell’ it is to enlarge the capacity of understanding and right discernment until it becomes a full vessel for higher truth and power. The mantra is a prayer for expansion of consciousness—thought becoming luminous and potent.
Universal truth
When will and illumination answer the soul’s call, intelligence grows beyond its limits, becoming a fuller instrument of truth and action.
Themes
invocation, inspiration, speech and hearing
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.10, RV 7.18, RV 7.94.1
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s hymns repeatedly ask the gods to ‘increase’ dhī and protect the path—knowledge and force together.
Significance
This is a quintessential Vedic yoga request: not external gifts but the swelling of dhī—inner capacity for truth and right movement under Indrāgnī.
The deity
- Devata
- Indrāgnī
- Epithets
- īśānā (masters), śrōtārau (hearers, implied), dhī-vardhanā (increasers of intelligence, implied)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (dhī/inspiration), Sarasvatī (speech/flow of inspiration)
Cosmic role
They respond to invocation and empower the seer’s speech, enlarging the inspired intelligence that guides action in the world.
Inner power
Attentive higher guidance: illumination that listens and will that executes; together they make thought a vessel of power.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invitatory praise within Indrāgnī hymn; used to ‘seat’ the gods and empower the recitation
शृ॒णु॒तं ज॑रि॒तुर्हव॒मिन्द्रा॑ग्नी॒ वन॑तं॒ गिर॑: । ई॒शा॒ना पि॑प्यतं॒ धिय॑: ॥
शृ॒णु॒तम् । ज॒रि॒तुः । हव॑म् । इन्द्रा॑ग्नी॒ इति॑ । वन॑तम् । गिरः॑ । ई॒शा॒ना । पि॒प्य॒त॒म् । धियः॑ ॥
śṛṇutam | jarituḥ | havam | indrāgnī iti | vanatam | giraḥ | īśānā | pipyatam | dhiyaḥ
24
3 × ~8
Bright, quick, and concentrative; suited to direct petition and immediate uplift.
Sharpens attention; creates a felt ‘filling’ of the mind-space after repetition.
- śṛṇutam
- Literal: hear. Symbolic: Conscious reception by higher powers; opening of the channel
- havam
- Literal: call, invocation. Symbolic: Soul’s cry/aspiration that initiates descent of help
- vanatam giraḥ
- Literal: incline to the words. Symbolic: Make the mantra effective; align divine force with expressed intention
- īśānā
- Literal: lords, masters. Symbolic: Sovereign powers in consciousness governing right action and insight
- dhiyaḥ
- Literal: thoughts, inspired intelligence. Symbolic: Illumined discernment (dhī) as the main instrument of transformation
- pipyatam
- Literal: make swell, fill, increase. Symbolic: Expansion and plenitude of consciousness; intensification of inspired understanding
Invitatory verse calling the twin gods to attend and to amplify dhī (inspired thought) for the rite and the inner ascent
At the start of recitation or before oblation to request hearing and acceptance
Āvāhana + stuti; energizing the dhī of the chanter/priest
Before learning/teaching/decision-making: recite to invoke attentive clarity and increase of discernment.
√śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear, be famed’; cf. Greek kluō) links hearing and fame (śravas). √pyā ‘swell’ expresses increase of inner substance; dhī is the RV term for inspired intelligence, not merely ‘thought’.
dhī (inspired intelligence), divine attention as grace, increase (pyā) as inner growth
Dhī that swells becomes capable of holding ṛta’s guidance in action.
Acceptance of ‘giraḥ’ implies truth-speech becoming effective when aligned to satya.
Expansion (pipyatam) as a creative principle: consciousness grows to contain higher realities.
Vedic psychology: dhī as supramental/intuitive intelligence in formation; growth through invocation and receptivity.
Hearing = receptivity; swelling = expansion of mind like a vessel filling with light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of divine ‘hearing’ and ‘acceptance’ of the call—gods who turn toward the human voice and then increase the dhī. Psychologically, it is the opening of higher powers to the aspirant’s speech, resulting in expansion of intelligence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ corresponds to PIE *ḱleu- (hear/fame). √īś (rule) reflects an archaic sovereignty vocabulary. The imperative dual forms preserve an old grammatical category with Indo-European parallels (dual number).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers havam and giraḥ (call and words); Indrāgnī are asked to reciprocate by ‘filling’ dhī—granting enlarged inspired intelligence that makes the rite and the inner discipline effective.
Receptivity and expansion of dhī: listen inwardly after chanting as if the gods are ‘hearing back’.
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) 6 rounds, then chant 3 or 9 times; rest in open attention at the brow and heart.
Alert receptivity; luminous enlargement of mind.
Chant once with clear intention (‘hear my call’), then pause a few breaths; repeat and feel the mind ‘fill’—not with thoughts, but with a brighter capacity to know.
Keep the three pādas crisp; raise udātta on ‘indrāgnī’ and ‘īśānā’; let ‘dhiyaḥ’ end softly but clearly.
Articulate imperatives: śṛṇutam / vanatam / pipyatam. Each should feel like a step: hear → accept → increase.
‘śṛṇutam’ with vocalic ṛ (śṛ-), not ‘shri’., ‘jaritur’ with clear -tur ending., ‘dhiyaḥ’ with dh- aspirate and light visarga at end if pausing.
Bright, directive, and clear; avoid heaviness—aim for attentive ‘calling’ tone.
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