Rig Veda 2.6.7: Mandala 2, Sukta 6, Mantra 7
Sukta 2.6
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अन्तर्ह्यग्न ईयसे विद्वाञ्जन्मोभया कवे । दूतो जन्येव मित्र्यः ॥
antár hy agna ī́yase vidvā́ñ jánmobháyā kave | dūtó janyéva mitryáḥ ||
Sebab, wahai Agni, engkau bergerak di dalam, mengetahui kedua kelahiran, wahai kawi (sang bijak); sebagai utusan, laksana yang lahir di antara manusia, engkau bersahabat dalam karya-karyamu.
Word by Word
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्यय (स्थानवाचक) ‘भीतर/अन्तर्’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तस् (प्रातिपदिक) / अव्यय-रूप
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अन्वर्थ/उपपद) ‘निश्चय/बल’Root हि (निपात)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईयसे
- you go, you moveVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root इ (धातु) ‘गच्छति’
- विद्वान्
- knowing, wiseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि वर्तमानकृदन्तः ‘जानन्’)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तुः)Root विद् (धातु) → विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- जन्म
- birth, originNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उभया
- both (kinds), twofoldAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (जन्म इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root उभय (प्रातिपदिक)
- कवे
- O sage/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दूतः
- messengerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (उपपद-रूपेण/उपमा-वाक्ये)Root दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
- जन्य
- of the people, belonging to menAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (दूतः इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root जन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक-अव्ययRoot इव (निपात)
- मित्र्यः
- friendly; of Mitra (i.e., Mitra-like)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (दूतः इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root मित्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अन्तः | हि | अग्ने | ईयसे | विद्वान् | जन्म | उभया | कवे | दूतः | जन्यः | इव | मित्र्यः । 1) अन्तर्ह्यग्न ईयसे = अन्तः + हि + अग्ने + ईयसे (अन्तः + हि → अन्तर्हि; अन्तर्हि + अग्ने → अन्तर्ह्यग्ने; पदान्त-ए/अग्ने इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘अन्तर्ह्यग्न’ इव दृश्यते)
- 2) विद्वाञ्जन्मोभया = विद्वान् + जन्म + उभया (न् + ज → ञ्ज; जन्म + उभया → जन्मोभया (अ + उ → ओ))
- 3) जन्येव = जन्यः + इव (ः + इ → ए; ‘एव’ इव संधिरूपम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni moves within, knowing both births; he is a sage, a friendly messenger like one born among men.
Inner meaning
Agni is not only an outer ritual fire but an inward-moving consciousness-force. “Knowing both births” points to his mastery of the twofold genesis: divine and human, or heaven and earth, or the higher and lower formations within us. As kavi (seer-power), Agni discerns the hidden movements and can carry our aspiration safely. “Friendly” (mitryaḥ) indicates that this force works as a harmonizer—building right relations among the parts of the being and between human and divine.
Universal truth
The true guide works from within: a conscious, friendly intelligence in the heart of life that knows both our mortal condition and our divine possibility and can mediate between them.
Themes
Agni as inner fire, Mediator between worlds, Friendliness/harmony
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.6.1, Rig Veda 2.6.2, Rig Veda 2.6.3, Rig Veda 2.6.4, Rig Veda 2.6.5
Family tradition
Bhr̥gu tradition of Agni-knowledge: emphasis on inner fire as knower of paths and secret births.
Significance
The seer stresses Agni’s inwardness and omniscience—supporting a psychological reading where the deity is a conscious force operating inside the seeker.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- antaḥ-īyase (moving within), vidvān, kavi, dūta, mitryaḥ
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Indra, Soma
Cosmic role
Inner and outer mediator; knower of origins; establishes concord (mitra) in the cosmic and human order.
Inner power
Intuitive will with knowledge—able to harmonize conflicting parts and translate aspiration into effective inner action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praised as internal knower during invocations; supports the idea of Agni present in the household and in the sacrificer.
अ॒न्तर्ह्य॑ग्न॒ ईय॑से वि॒द्वाञ्जन्मो॒भया॑ कवे । दू॒तो जन्ये॑व॒ मित्र्य॑: ॥
अ॒न्तः । हि । अ॒ग्ने॒ । ईय॑से । वि॒द्वान् । जन्म॑ । उ॒भया॑ । क॒वे॒ । दू॒तः । जन्या॑ऽइव । मित्र्यः॑ ॥
antaḥ | hi | agne | īyase | vidvān | janma | ubhayā | kave | dūtaḥ | janyāiva | mitryaḥ
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3×8
Inward-turning yet brisk; the first word ‘antaḥ’ sets a contemplative pivot.
Draws attention inward; supports the sense of an indwelling guide and subtle movement.
- अन्तः (antaḥ)
- Literal: within. Symbolic: the inner domain of consciousness where transformation occurs
- ईयसे (īyase)
- Literal: you go/move. Symbolic: the dynamic working of the inner Fire through mind-life-body
- उभया जन्म (ubhayā janma)
- Literal: both births. Symbolic: double origin—human/divine; lower/higher nature; earth/heaven within
- कवि (kavi)
- Literal: sage, seer-poet. Symbolic: illumined discernment guiding the sacrifice
- मित्र्यः (mitryaḥ)
- Literal: friendly, of Mitra. Symbolic: harmonizing power establishing right relation and trust in the path
Doctrinal praise embedded in invocation: establishes Agni’s dual status (human/divine) legitimizing his mediatorship in the rite
During Agni-stutis that establish Agni’s competence and intimacy before offerings.
Stuti (praise) and inner/outer identification of Agni as the rite’s messenger.
Contemplative use: repeat while feeling the flame ‘within’ the chest and observing its intelligent, friendly guidance through the day.
√i ‘to go’ (īyase) is a primary motion root; ‘going within’ marks Agni’s immanence. ubhayá ‘both’ + janma ‘birth’ indicates dual belonging—Agni is both celestial and terrestrial (or both in gods and men). kavi from √ku/√kav ‘to be wise/poetic’ denotes luminous intelligence. mitrya ‘friendly’ connects to Mitra (contract/harmony), suggesting Agni’s mediation is not violent but relational—creating right bonds.
Immanence of the divine (antaḥ), Twofold birth (ubhayā janma), Harmony (Mitra-principle)
Agni’s knowledge of ‘both births’ implies mastery of the ordered transitions between planes—ṛta as the law of passage.
Vidvān-kavi: truth-knowing intelligence within the force of will.
Fire hidden within matter and life—awakening to reveal the divine origin embedded in the human.
Integral Yoga psychology: indwelling divine force as guide (antaryāmin-like intuition, without later technical framing).
Hidden fire = latent aspiration; movement within = subtle working in nerves/mind; ‘both births’ = links between embodied life and supramental/divine source.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘two-born mediator’ mythologem: Agni belongs to both realms and thus can serve as dūta. Inwardly, the divine will is both transcendent (from the gods) and immanent (moving within the human), enabling transformation without rupture.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Mitra-related ‘friendship/contract’ reflects an Indo-Iranian common heritage (Avestan Miθra), pointing to a shared sacral concept of cosmic-social harmony. √i ‘go’ is an old IE motion root, and the immanence metaphor (‘within he goes’) is a characteristic IE poetic turn for divine presence.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Agni as already ‘within’ and ‘knowing’; invocation is thus awakening and collaboration with an indwelling intelligence. The devatā is addressed as kavi and mitrya—one who guides by insight and establishes right relation between human effort and divine influx.
Feel Agni as an intelligent warmth moving within the body, aligning mind and life toward truth.
Anahata (inner presence, friendliness/mitra)
Nadi-shodhana light rounds, then silent repetition on natural breath to sense ‘antaḥ’ (within).
Inward, trusting, quietly luminous.
When conflicted, invoke Agni as mitryaḥ: ask for harmonization of parts. Observe choices from the ‘kavi’ discernment rather than impulsive reaction.
Maintain Vedic accents as in Saṃhitā; emphasize the udātta rise on key words like ‘antaḥ’, ‘agné’, ‘vidvān’, ‘kave’.
Keep flow smooth across consonant clusters; do not over-pause mid-pada; pause only at |.
antaḥ: final ḥ audible but light, agné: e is long/clear; keep nasal ng, vidvān: v soft; final -n light, ubhayā: bh aspirated; yā long, mitryaḥ: tr cluster crisp; final ḥ light
Intimate, inward, steady; slightly softer volume to match ‘within’.
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