Rig Veda 8.71.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 71, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.71
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
नहि मन्युः पौरुषेय ईशे हि वः प्रियजात । त्वमिदसि क्षपावान् ॥
náhi manyúḥ paúruṣeya í̄śe hí vaḥ priyajāta | tvám íd asi kṣapā́vān ||
कोई इंसान का गुस्सा तुमपे राज नहीं कर सकता। तुम प्यारे से पैदा हुए हो। तुम अकेली रात के मालिक हो, अंधेरे में भी रास्ता दिखाते हो।
Word by Word
- नहि
- indeed not / surely notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थ-अव्ययम् (emphatic negation: ‘not indeed’)Root नहि (न + हि)
- मन्युः
- wrath, anger, fierce spiritNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (वाक्यस्य कर्ता)Root मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पौरुषेयः
- human, belonging to a man / of human originAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (मन्युः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root पौरुषेय (पुरुष + एय, तद्धित-प्रातिपदिक)
- ईशे
- rules, has power overVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot ईश् (धातु)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableनिपातः (कारण/बलार्थकः: ‘for/indeed’)Root हि
- वः
- of you (your)Pronounषष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्; वैदिक-रूपम् ‘वः’ = ‘युष्माकम्/युष्मान्’ (contextually genitive ‘of you’)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रियजात
- O dear-born / O beloved-born (epithet)Noun (vocative epithet)सम्बोधन-एकवचनम् (हे प्रियजात)Role सम्बोधनRoot प्रियजात (प्रिय + जात), समास-प्रातिपदिक
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातः (एव/खलु-अर्थे: emphasis ‘indeed/just’)Root इत्/इद् (निपात; वैदिक ‘इद्’)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- क्षपावान्
- night-possessing; having nights (i.e., enduring/abiding through nights)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (त्वम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root क्षपावन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; -वन् प्रत्ययः)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: न॒हि | म॒न्युः | पौरु॑षेयः | ईशे॒ | हि | वः | प्रियजात | त्वम् | इत् | असि | क्षपा॑वान् । Sandhi: (1) त्वमिद॑सि = त्वम् + इत् + असि (m + i → mid; वैदिक निपात ‘इद्/इत्’). Accent note (brief): उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्नाः मन्त्रपाठानुसारं
- पदच्छेदे स्वरचिह्नाः सामान्यतः न दर्शिताः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Human anger or personal impulse cannot rule you, O beloved-born; you alone are kṣapāvān, master/possessor of the nights.
Inner meaning
Agni is not governed by the rajasic ‘manyu’ (human anger/impulse). The divine Will is impersonal, luminous, and steadfast; it burns without ego. ‘Kṣapāvān’ indicates the power that holds and traverses the nights—periods of obscurity, trial, and inner silence—guiding the seeker through subconscious resistance. The mantra teaches reliance on the divine Fire rather than emotional force.
Universal truth
Lasting transformation is not achieved by reactive emotion; it is carried by an impersonal, enduring will that can pass through darkness without losing direction.
Themes
inner-discipline, ego-vs-divine-will, night-as-ignorance, Agni-as-guide
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.71.1, Rig Veda 8.71.3, Rig Veda 8.71.4, Rig Veda 8.71.5
Significance
The seer emphasizes a key yogic discrimination: divine will is not emotional intensity. This is a hallmark of inner Vedic psychology—separating Agni (true force) from manyu (reactive force).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (implicit)
- Epithets
- Priyajāta, Kṣapāvān
- Related deities
- Uṣas (Dawn), Sūrya, Indra
Cosmic role
Fire that persists through night; guardian of the rite across time; knower of cycles of light/dark.
Inner power
Steady psychic endurance; the will-to-progress that remains lit in periods of doubt, depression, or obscurity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Night-maintenance of sacred fire; protective/steadfastness invocation
न॒हि म॒न्युः पौरु॑षेय॒ ईशे॒ हि व॑: प्रियजात । त्वमिद॑सि॒ क्षपा॑वान् ॥
न॒हि । म॒न्युः । पौरु॑षेयः । ईशे॑ । हि । वः॒ । प्रि॒य॒ऽजा॒त॒ । त्वम् । इत् । अ॒सि॒ । क्षपा॑ऽवान् ॥
nahi | manyuḥ | pauruṣeyaḥ | īśe | hi | vaḥ | priya-jāta | tvam | it | asi | kṣapāvān
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Approx. 4 pādas (11 syllables each)
Restraining, clarifying rhythm—cuts through emotional turbulence.
Down-regulates agitation; fosters equanimity and endurance during ‘night’ phases of sadhana.
- मन्युः (manyuḥ)
- Literal: anger, wrath, impulse. Symbolic: Rajasic reactivity; ego-driven force that distorts will
- पौरुषेयः (pauruṣeyaḥ)
- Literal: human, personal. Symbolic: Limited personality-nature; the ‘small self’ trying to govern the path
- ईशे (īśe)
- Literal: rules, is lord. Symbolic: Claims of the ego to control the inner process
- प्रियजात (priyajāta)
- Literal: beloved-born, dear-born. Symbolic: Agni born from the soul’s consent/aspiration; the intimate divine presence
- क्षपावान् (kṣapāvān)
- Literal: possessing nights; enduring through nights. Symbolic: Capacity to hold consciousness through obscurity; guide through subconscious and ignorance
General Agni-invocation for protection and right guidance of the sacrificer; suitable to household and soma contexts where Agni is invoked as guardian and conveyor of offerings.
Evening or night-linked recitations; when sustaining fire between offerings
Affirming Agni’s lordship beyond human moods; maintaining continuity of the rite
Use when emotionally disturbed: recite to shift from anger-driven effort to steady aspiration; helpful before sleep as a ‘night-guard’ mantra.
(manyú-) from √man ‘to think’ with a semantic drift to ‘mental heat/ardour/anger’; in Vedic it can denote a force of will when purified. (pauruṣeya-) ‘human’ from púruṣa ‘man/person’. is middle 3sg of √īś ‘to be master of’. (kṣápā-) ‘night’ (Vedic), with -vant forming a possessive adjective: ‘endowed with nights’, i.e., able to contain and govern obscurity.
R̥ta (right order opposed to egoic impulse), tapas (inner heat transformed from anger to spiritual force), protection through the dark (guidance in obscurity)
Agni maintains ṛta through the alternation of day and night—symbolically, through clarity and obscurity in consciousness.
Truth is not altered by moods; the divine will remains sovereign.
Evolution through alternating illumination and concealment; progress safeguarded by an enduring flame.
Integral Yoga resonance: ‘night’ as the subconscious/ignorance through which the psychic fire leads.
night
Night = periods of ignorance, depression, or subconscious surfacing; ember = persistent aspiration that does not go out.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the sovereign guide through ‘night’: the deity is not ruled by human manyu (egoic passion) but rules the dark intervals (kṣapā). Mythically this is the Fire/Seer-power that leads the sacrificer through obscurity; psychologically it is the inner divine will that masters the subconscious darkness rather than being driven by personal rage.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- īśe (√īś ‘to rule/own’) aligns with Indo-European notions of sovereignty/possession (cf. semantic field of ‘own/rule’). pauruṣeya ‘human’ from púruṣa ‘person’ parallels broad IE ‘person/man’ categories. kṣapā ‘night’ belongs to the archaic Vedic lexicon for darkness; the possessive -vant formation is a common inherited adjectival strategy (PIE *-went-).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet positions the community (‘vaḥ’) as dependent on Agni’s true lordship: not the worshipper’s personal emotion but the deity’s governance must lead. The reciprocity is implicit: by rejecting egoic manyu and affirming Agni’s mastery of night, the sacrificer aligns with R̥ta, inviting Agni’s protective guidance through inner darkness.
Witness anger/impulse; re-center in the impersonal flame of will that can hold the night.
Manipura (steady will) and Ajna (governance/clarity)
Lengthen exhale to calm manyu; mentally repeat ‘nahi manyuḥ… tvam it asi kṣapāvān’ on exhale
Equanimous endurance; quiet mastery over reactive nature.
When ‘night’ comes (doubt, heaviness), do not force with anger; kindle a small, steady inner flame; practice patient repetition until calm strength returns.
Svara marks not provided; chant with a calming downward contour at phrase ends; keep ‘kṣapāvān’ weighty and sustained.
Distinctly articulate consonant clusters: pauruṣeya, priyajāta; keep long vowels clear.
nahi: light ‘h’, manyuḥ: ‘ny’ palatal; final ḥ audible, pauruṣeyaḥ: ‘ṣ’ retroflex; ‘au’ diphthong, īśe: long ī, priyajāta: ‘jā’ long ā, kṣapāvān: ‘kṣ’ cluster; long ā; nasal ‘ān’
Low, steady, inward; like tending an ember.
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