Rig Veda 8.39.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 39, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.39
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स चिकेत सहीयसाग्निश्चित्रेण कर्मणा । स होता शश्वतीनां दक्षिणाभिरभीवृत इनोति च प्रतीव्यं नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥
sá ciketa sahī́yasā agníś citréṇa kármaṇā | sá hotā́ śáśvatīnām dákṣiṇābhir abhí-vṛta inóti ca pratīvyám nabhantām anyaké samé ||
अग्नि बड़ी ताकत से सब जानता है, अपने काम से। वो हमेशा के यज्ञों का पुरोहित है। सही ऑफरिंग के साथ वो आगे बढ़ता है। दुश्मन ताकतें कहीं और भाग जाएँ।
Word by Word
- स
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सः)
- चित्
- indeed, evenIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root चित्
- केत
- he perceived/understoodVerb (finite, Vedic injunctive/aorist-like)लुङ्/इञ्जङ्क्टिव-प्रयोगः, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot चित् (धातु) / केत (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहीयसा
- with greater strengthAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे साधारण-प्रयोगः, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (तुलनात्मकः: ‘more powerful’)Role KaraṇaRoot सहस्/सह (प्रातिपदिक: सहीयस्)
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अग्नि
- चित्रेण
- with brilliant/wondrousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot चित्र
- कर्मणा
- deed, ritual actNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot कर्मन्
- स
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सः)
- होता
- Hotṛ-priest, invokerNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot होतृ
- शश्वतीनाम्
- of the everlasting/continual (ones)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Root शश्वत्
- दक्षिणाभिः
- with priestly gifts (dakṣiṇās)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot दक्षिणा
- अभीवृतः
- surrounded, encompassedParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अभि-√वृ (वृणोति/वृ) → वृत (कृदन्त)
- इनॊति
- he sets in motion, impelsVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √इ (इणोति)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-निपातःRoot च
- प्रतीव्यम्
- in return, correspondinglyIndeclinable (adverbial)अव्ययम् (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root प्रति-इव (अव्यय-समास/निपात-योगः)
- नभन्ताम्
- let them burst forth/shineVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, तृतीयपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot √नभ्
- अन्यके
- in/at another (place/way)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे साधारण-प्रयोगः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्यक
- समे
- in sameness, in union/meetingNoun/Adjective (used adverbially)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सम
Sandhi Notes
- पाठे ‘सही॑यसा॒ग्निश्चि॒त्रेण॒’ इति संधिः: सहीयसा + अग्निः → सहीयसाग्निः (अ-आ संधिः), तथा अग्निः + चित्रेण → अग्निश्चित्रेण (विसर्ग-लोपः/श्च्-आदेशः)
- ‘दक्षि॑णाभिर॒भीवृ॑त’ इति: दक्षिणाभिः + अभीवृतः → दक्षिणाभिरभीवृतः (विसर्गस्य रुत्वम्)
- ‘प्रती॒व्यं१॒॑’ पदं प्रतीव्यम् इति अव्ययवत् (प्रति + इव) ग्रहणम्
- ‘नभ॑न्तामन्य॒के’ इति: नभन्ताम् + अन्यके → नभन्तामन्यके (अ-आ संधिः/स्वर-समासः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni knows by a mightier power through his wondrous action. He is the priest of the everlasting movements; surrounded by right-giving offerings, he drives forward the opposing front—let the hostile powers be driven away elsewhere.
Inner meaning
Agni is not a blind impulse; he “ciketa” (perceives, is conscious) by a superior force (sahīyasā)—the divine Will carries knowledge within its action. His “citra karma” is the many-sided, skillful working of transformation in the being. As hotā of the “śaśvatīnāṃ” (the eternal or continuous movements), he presides over repeated inner processes—purification, illumination, integration—across time. When the seeker offers “dakṣiṇā” (right-giving: sincerity, right discernment, right exchange), Agni becomes ‘encompassed’ by these supports and can press forward against the resistant formation (pratīvyaṃ), the confronting wall of habit and obscurity. The refrain again seals the work by casting hostile forces out of the inner field.
Universal truth
True power is conscious power: when will acts with knowledge and sincerity supports the process, obstacles become movable and the forward evolution becomes continuous and enduring.
Themes
Agni as knower, Wondrous work, Overcoming opposition
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.39.4, Rig Veda 8.39.6, Rig Veda 8.39.7, Rig Veda 8.39.8
Significance
The mantra reads like a practical yogic instruction: establish conscious will, support it with right-giving, and press steadily through resistance.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- ciketa (the knower), citra-karman (wondrous worker), hotā śaśvatīnām (priest of the everlasting)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (breaker of obstacles by word/illumination), Indra (force that slays the coverer)
Cosmic role
Organizer of sacrifice across time; the power that makes evolution continuous rather than episodic.
Inner power
Illumined will: the capacity to act with insight and to break the ‘front’ of resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stotra / protective formula within fire rites; also suitable as a ‘nivāraṇa’ (obstacle-removal) utterance
स चि॑केत॒ सही॑यसा॒ग्निश्चि॒त्रेण॒ कर्म॑णा । स होता॒ शश्व॑तीनां॒ दक्षि॑णाभिर॒भीवृ॑त इ॒नोति॑ च प्रती॒व्यं१॒॑ नभ॑न्तामन्य॒के स॑मे ॥
सः । चि॒के॒त॒ । सही॑यसा । अ॒ग्निः । चि॒त्रेण॑ । कर्म॑णा । सः । होता॑ । शश्व॑तीनाम् । दक्षि॑णाभिः । अ॒भिऽवृ॑तः । इ॒नोति॑ । च॒ । प्र॒ती॒व्य॑म् । नभ॑न्ताम् । अ॒न्य॒के । स॒मे॒ ॥
saḥ | ciketa | sahīyasā | agniḥ | citreṇa | karmaṇā | saḥ | hotā | śaśvatīnām | dakṣiṇābhiḥ | abhi-vṛtaḥ | inoti | ca | pratīvyam | nabhantām | anyake | same
32
4 × ~8, with closing refrain
Compact and assertive; the middle pādas feel like a steady push, mirroring ‘impels forward’.
Strengthens resolve and clarity; ends with a protective, expulsive cadence.
- चिकेत (ciketa)
- Literal: he knows, perceives. Symbolic: conscious will; action that carries light
- सहीयसा (sahīyasā)
- Literal: by a stronger/mightier (power). Symbolic: higher force than ego-effort; divine reinforcement
- चित्रेण कर्मणा (citreṇa karmaṇā)
- Literal: by wondrous/varied action. Symbolic: multiform inner workings of transformation
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: priest. Symbolic: inner officiant coordinating offerings and results
- शश्वतीनाम् (śaśvatīnām)
- Literal: of the everlasting. Symbolic: continuous disciplines and recurring movements of yoga
- दक्षिणाभिः (dakṣiṇābhiḥ)
- Literal: with dakṣiṇās (fees/offerings). Symbolic: right-giving: sincerity, gratitude, right discernment and ethical support
- प्रतीव्यं (pratīvyaṃ)
- Literal: the opposing front. Symbolic: the resistant formation facing the seeker (habit, doubt, inertia)
Agni as hotṛ with dakṣiṇā emphasis; aligns with priestly economy of Śrauta where dakṣiṇā completes the rite; psychologically, stresses right discernment and right exchange.
Before or during offerings when seeking successful progression of the rite against impediments
Recitation with dakṣiṇā/offerings; intention to overcome opposing influences
Use before challenging tasks: affirm ‘conscious might’ and ‘wondrous working’; dedicate ethical support (dakṣiṇā as integrity) and then do a brief release/banishing at the end.
sahas ‘strength’ from √sah ‘overcome, be able’ (PIE *seh₂gʰ- ‘conquer/prevail’). karma from √kṛ ‘do, make’ (PIE *kwer- ‘make’). hotṛ from √hu ‘pour/sacrifice’ with agentive; dakṣiṇā from dakṣiṇa ‘right/south/skillful’—symbolically the ‘right-hand’ faculty of discernment and right distribution in the being. √in (inoti) conveys impulsion/drive.
Sahas (spiritual strength), Dakṣiṇā as right discernment and right giving, Overcoming resistance (prati-)
Śaśvatī movements suggest ṛta as a continuous law of progress upheld by Agni.
Ciketa: truth as conscious seeing embedded in will.
Evolution as repeated inner sacrifice—each cycle presses the frontier of resistance.
Integral-psychological Vedism (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): gods as faculties/powers.
Fire = illumined will; ‘front’ = psychological resistance line; dakṣiṇā = ethical-sattvic support that stabilizes progress.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the knowing priest whose wondrous work impels and breaks the ‘opposing front’ (pratīvyam). The mythic pattern is the advance of the sacrificial fire/light against resistance, enabling the rite’s continuity (‘śaśvatīnām’).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- karma (√kṛ) continues PIE *kwer- ‘make/do’. The semantic polarity of prati- (‘against’) is a common IE preverb system mapping spatial opposition onto moral/cosmic opposition.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Agni as the inner hotṛ who requires dakṣiṇā—outerly gifts, inwardly the right-handed discernment and right exchange. When the being is ‘encompassed’ by this right-giving, Agni’s impulsion can press back the resistances.
Unite will and knowledge: feel a brighter force behind effort; let action become ‘citra’—skillful, adaptive, and calm.
Manipura (will) refined by Ajna (clear seeing).
Brisk-energetic for 1–3 minutes: inhale ‘sa ciketa’, exhale ‘inoti…’; then one slow cycle for ‘nabhantām…’.
Dynamic concentration; ‘forward drive’ without agitation.
Before acting, pause and invoke conscious will; offer a dakṣiṇā of sincerity (drop self-deception); then take one clear step forward, imagining the ‘opposing front’ yielding.
Follow saṃhitā accent marks (udatta etc.); keep ‘ciketa’ clear and slightly lifted on the accented syllable; end refrain evenly and firmly.
Let ‘sahīyasā’ carry a gentle swell; ‘pratīvyaṃ’ should sound like a forward thrust; do not rush the final refrain.
ciketa: ‘ci’ palatal, not ‘si’., sahīyasā: long ī; keep ‘y’ light., citreṇa: retroflex ‘ṭ’ not present—use clear ‘tr’., dakṣiṇābhir: retroflex ‘ṣ’; ‘bh’ aspirated., pratīvyaṃ: keep ‘vya’ as a conjunct, not separated.
Clear, bright, slightly martial; refrain spoken as a sealing command.
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