Rig Veda 8.43.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 43, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.43
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अप्स्वग्ने सधिष्टव सौषधीरनु रुध्यसे । गर्भे सञ्जायसे पुनः ॥
apsv àgne sadhíṣ ṭáva sá oṣádhīr ánu rudhyase | gárbhe sán jāyase púnaḥ ||
अग्नि, पानी में तेरा स्थान है। वहाँ तू पेड़-पौधों को पकड़ लेता है। तू गर्भ में फिर से पैदा होता है। यह अग्नि ज़िन्दगी के अंदर छुपा होता है और बार-बार उग आता है।
Word by Word
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot अप्- (प्रातिपदिक ‘जल/आपः’)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सधिष्ठव
- sit/abide together (with us)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (समास/संयोगरूप: सधि + स्थव < स्था-धातोः लोट् 2sg ‘स्थ’ का वैदिक रूप ‘स्थव’)Role (क्रिया—आह्वान)Root सधि- (अव्यय ‘सह/साकम्’) + स्था (धातु ‘स्था’)
- सौषधीः
- the good herbs/plantsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot ओषधि- (प्रातिपदिक) + सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) → सौषधि-
- अनु
- along, after, followingIndeclinableअव्ययRole (उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण)Root अनु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- रुध्यसे
- you are held back/you are enclosedVerbलट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root रुध् (धातु ‘रुध्’ = अवरुद्ध/निरुद्ध/बद्ध ‘to be checked/held back; to be enclosed’)
- गर्भे
- in the womb/embryo-stateNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot गर्भ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सञ्जायसे
- you are born/come to birthVerbलट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root जन् (धातु ‘जन्’ = to be born) + सम् (उपसर्ग) → सञ्जन्
- पुनः
- againIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root पुनः (अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: अप्सु | अग्ने | सधिष्ठव | सौषधीः | अनु | रुध्यसे | गर्भे | सञ्जायसे | पुनः । 1) ‘अप्स्वग्ने’ = अप्सु + अग्ने (उकारान्त ‘अप्सु’ + स्वरादि ‘अग्ने’ → ‘अप्स्वग्ने’)
- 2) ‘सौषधी॒रनु॑’ = सौषधीः + अनु (विसर्गस्य रुत्व/रेफादेश: -ीः + अ- → -ीर-)
- 3) ‘सञ्जायसे’ में ‘सम्’ उपसर्ग का नासिक्य-सन्धि: सम् + जायसे → सञ्जायसे
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the waters is your seat, O Agni; you take hold of the plants. In the womb you are born again.
Inner meaning
Agni is hidden in the waters (apsu): in the deep flow of life and the subconscient ocean. From there he seizes the oṣadhīs—life’s growth-powers—and organizes them. The ‘womb’ (garbha) is the secret chamber of becoming where the divine Will is constantly re-born as aspiration, discernment, and transformative heat within embodied existence.
Universal truth
The transforming power is not imported from outside; it is latent within the depths of life. When contacted, it is repeatedly born in us as a new beginning of consciousness.
Themes
latent Agni, womb symbolism, waters and life, rebirth
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1 (Agni hidden in wood/waters motifs), RV 10.45 (Agni’s births)
Significance
This is a classic inner-Agni doctrine: the fire is occultly present in the waters of existence and is continually reborn—central to psychological interpretation of Vedic ‘births of Agni’.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Apām Napāt / latent fire in waters motif)
- Epithets
- Apām Napāt (offspring of waters, related motif), Garbha (embryonic fire), Jātavedas
- Related deities
- Apas (Waters), Soma, Varuṇa (cosmic ocean/order)
Cosmic role
Hidden divine energy in the waters of creation; initiator of manifestation by bringing heat/light into life.
Inner power
Awakening will arising from the subconscient; power to organize life-growth into conscious evolution.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as latent in waters: used conceptually in kindling rites; also resonates with purification (water) and ignition (fire) sequences
अ॒प्स्व॑ग्ने॒ सधि॒ष्टव॒ सौष॑धी॒रनु॑ रुध्यसे । गर्भे॒ सञ्जा॑यसे॒ पुन॑: ॥
अ॒प्ऽसु । अ॒ग्ने॒ । सधिः॑ । तव॑ । सः । ओष॑धीः । अनु॑ । रु॒ध्य॒से॒ । गर्भे॑ । सन् । जा॒य॒से॒ । पुन॒रिति॑ ॥
ap-su | agne | sadhiḥ | tava | saḥ | oṣadhīḥ | anu | rudhyase | garbhe | san | jāyase | punariti
4 pādas (probable), with a calm, deep cadence fitting ‘waters/womb’ imagery
More flowing and womb-like; less percussive than the forest verse; suggests depth and recurrence.
Draws awareness inward and downward (to depth), then upward (rebirth of flame).
- अप्सु (apsu)
- Literal: in the waters. Symbolic: subconscient depth, life-ocean, causal flow of becoming where fire is hidden
- सधिः (sadhiḥ)
- Literal: seat/abode. Symbolic: stable foundation of the inner flame in the depths of being
- ओषधीः (oṣadhīḥ)
- Literal: plants. Symbolic: vital growths, healing powers, evolving tendencies
- अनु रुध्यसे (anu rudhyase)
- Literal: you follow and restrain/hold fast. Symbolic: Agni’s grasp: disciplined will that takes up nature’s growth and directs it
- गर्भे (garbhe)
- Literal: in the womb. Symbolic: secret inner chamber (heart/depth) where new consciousness is formed
- पुनः (punaḥ)
- Literal: again. Symbolic: perpetual rebirth of the flame—renewed aspiration after each obscuration
Meditation on Agni’s hidden presence in waters and plants; supports rites emphasizing Agni’s re-kindling and the continuity of the sacrificial fire.
During preparation/establishment of fire and contemplations on Agni’s ‘births’
Consecration and recognition of Agni’s hidden presence; offerings that ‘awaken’ the fire
Meditation for those feeling ‘no fire’—contact the depth (waters) to reawaken aspiration; useful in burnout recovery.
ap- ‘water’ (apsu loc. pl.) is a major Vedic symbol for the flowing life-substance and the subconscient. garbha ‘womb’ from √gṛbh/√grab ‘to seize, contain’ (semantic ‘container/matrix’): Agni is repeatedly ‘contained’ and ‘born’ from hidden matrices. rudh- ‘to obstruct/enclose’ in middle can suggest ‘to be hemmed in’ or ‘to attach oneself’—apt for fire latent in moisture/vegetation and psychologically for the will latent in life.
rebirth/renewal of consciousness, hidden divine in the subconscient (apsu, garbha), ṛta as cyclic manifestation
Agni’s seat in the waters indicates the ordered emergence of fire from the ocean of being—Ṛta as lawful manifestation.
The truth that the divine is already present in the depths, even when not seen.
Fire born from waters; embryo of light forming within the womb of existence.
Vedic creation symbolism aligned with later Upaniṣadic ‘inner fire/tejas’ teachings.
Waters = subconscient life-depth; plants = evolving tendencies; womb = secret psychic formation; rebirth = renewed aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The hidden fire in waters and womb: Agni is seated in the waters and reborn from a matrix. Innerly, the divine will is concealed in life’s depths and repeatedly re-emerges as aspiration and clarity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ap- ‘water’ corresponds to PIE *h₂ep- ‘water’ (cf. Latin aqua via a different development; also Germanic *ahwō- ‘river’ is often compared). The inherited lexeme underpins the archaic cosmology of waters as primal substrate.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks Agni not only in overt flame but in concealed supports (waters, womb). The relationship becomes initiatic: the hymn teaches where to find the divine force when it is not yet visible.
Rest attention in the ‘waters’ of breath and feeling; wait for a small warmth of aspiration to appear; protect it like an embryo.
Svadhisthana (waters) integrating into Manipura (fire)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; slight pause after inhale to sense warmth; avoid force
Introversive depth leading to rekindled will.
When motivation is absent, do not strain. Enter stillness (apas), sense the subtle spark in the navel/heart, then offer one small act of sincerity—this is Agni’s ‘rebirth’.
Maintain smooth svara transitions; keep the line flowing like water, with gentle lifts on udātta.
Do not punch consonants too hard; let ‘apsv agne’ be soft and deep; brighten slightly on ‘jāyase punaḥ’.
: ap-su (clear cluster ps), : sa-dhiḥ (voiced dh), : sau-ṣa-dhīḥ (au diphthong, retroflex ṣ), : ru-dhya-se (cluster dhy), : sañ-jā-ya-se (palatal ñ, long ā)
Deep, resonant, inward; minimal harshness.
21
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.
