Rig Veda 3.4.10: Mandala 3, Sukta 4, Mantra 10
Sukta 3.4
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni with Vanaspati invoked as ritual support
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वनस्पतेऽव सृजोप देवानग्निर्हविः शमिता सूदयाति । सेदु होता सत्यतरो यजाति यथा देवानां जनिमानि वेद ॥
vánaspáte’vá sṛjópa devā́n agnír havíḥ śamitā́ sūdayāti | séd u hotā́ satyátaro yajāti yáthā devā́nāṃ jánimāni véda ||
Wahai Vanaspati (Tuan Hutan, kayu suci), lepaskanlah dan dekatkanlah para dewa; Agni, penyedia yang mahir, menyiapkan persembahan (havis). Maka sungguh Hotṛ, yang lebih benar, melaksanakan yajña, karena ia mengetahui kelahiran-kelahiran (asal-usul dan tata cara yang tepat) para dewa.
Word by Word
- वनस्पते
- O lord of the wood (O Vanaspati)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वनस्-पति (प्रातिपदिक) < पति
- अव
- down; forth; away (directive particle)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot अव (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- सृज
- release; let go; send forthVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √सृज् (सृजति)
- उप
- towards; near; up toIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हविः
- the oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा/द्वितीया समानम्)Role कर्मRoot हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शमिता
- the preparer/arranger (of the offering)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (अग्नेः विशेषण-रूपेण)Root शमितृ (प्रातिपदिक) < √शम्/√शम (शमयति) ‘to prepare/arrange/quiet’
- सूदयाति
- impels; sets in motion; brings (it) onVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम-एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √सूदय्/√सूद् (सूदयति) ‘to impel, set in motion, bring on’
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इदु
- indeed; justIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इदु (निपात; emphatic)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (सः = होता)Root होतृ (प्रातिपदिक) < √हु (जुहोति)
- सत्यतरः
- truer; most true (more true)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole विशेषण (होतुः)Root सत्यतर (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित-तरा, comparative of सत्य)
- यजाति
- worships; performs sacrificeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम-एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √यज् (यजति)
- यथा
- as; in such a way thatIndeclinableअव्ययRoot यथा (अव्यय)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनिमानि
- births; begettings; originsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot जनिमन् (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन् (जनति/जायते) ‘to be born’
- वेद
- knowsVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परस्मैपद; perfect with present sense), प्रथम-एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √विद् (वेद) ‘to know’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वनस्पते | अव | सृज | उप | देवान् | अग्निः | हविः | शमिता | सूदयाति || सः | इदु | होता | सत्यतरः | यजाति | यथा | देवानाम् | जनिमानि | वेद || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) वनस्पतेऽव = वनस्पते + अव (ए + अ → एऽ)
- (2) अग्निर्हविः = अग्निः + हविः (विसर्गः + ह → र्)
- (3) सेदु = सः + इदु (ः + इ → ए; ‘स’ → ‘से’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Invocation to Vanaspati (lord of the forest/wood) to release and bring the gods near; Agni as the skilled preparer readies the offering; the Hotṛ performs truly because he knows the births/origins of the gods.
Inner meaning
Vanaspati is the living substance of growth (the ‘wood’ of our nature) offered to the fire of aspiration. The prayer asks that the very energies of embodied life open and ‘let the gods come near’—i.e., make higher states accessible. Agni as śamitā is the inner purifier and ‘cooker’ who prepares experience into oblation. The true Hotṛ is the awakened will of consecration that knows ‘the births of the gods’: it recognizes how each divine power arises in us (Indra as illumination, Soma as bliss, etc.) and therefore can invoke them rightly.
Universal truth
Spiritual practice succeeds when our raw life-material is offered and refined; then the higher powers can manifest in their proper way, because we understand the conditions of their arising within consciousness.
Themes
preparation of offering, invocation mechanics, knowledge-based sacrifice, truth-aligned action
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.4, RV 3.5, RV 3.62
Family tradition
Mantras of effective invocation: the seer stresses correct calling (hotṛ) and right preparation (śamitā) so the gods can manifest.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s yoga is precision in inner sacrifice—knowing the ‘janman’ (law of manifestation) of each divine power in the psyche.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Vanaspati as support)
- Epithets
- śamitā (preparer), hotā (invoker), dūta (implied messenger), satyataraḥ (more true)
- Related deities
- Vanaspati, Viśve Devāḥ, Soma
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; transforms offering and establishes communion; Vanaspati provides the living fuel/substance.
Inner power
Capacity to purify, ripen, and rightly direct energies; knowledge of how divine states are generated in consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yāga / Agni rite with Vanaspati as sacrificial post/wood invoked
वन॑स्प॒तेऽव॑ सृ॒जोप॑ दे॒वान॒ग्निर्ह॒विः श॑मि॒ता सू॑दयाति । सेदु॒ होता॑ स॒त्यत॑रो यजाति॒ यथा॑ दे॒वानां॒ जनि॑मानि॒ वेद॑ ॥
वन॑स्पते । अव॑ । सृ॒ज॒ । उप॑ । दे॒वान् । अ॒ग्निः । ह॒विः । श॒मि॒ता । सू॒द॒या॒ति॒ । सः । इत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । होता॑ । स॒त्यऽत॑रः । य॒जा॒ति॒ । यथा॑ । दे॒वाना॑म् । जनि॑मानि । वेद॑ ॥
vanaspate | ava | sṛja | upa | devān | agniḥ | haviḥ | śamitā | sūdayāti | saḥ | it | oṃ iti | hotā | satya-taraḥ | yajāti | yathā | devānām | janimāni | veda
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Declarative and ritual-precise; balanced cadence supporting ‘preparation’ and ‘right knowledge’.
Creates a sense of ordered invocation; steadies attention and clarifies intention before offering.
- वनस्पति (vanaspati)
- Literal: lord of the forest/trees; sacred wood. Symbolic: the life-substance and growth-energy that becomes fuel for transformation
- अव सृज (ava sṛj)
- Literal: release, let down. Symbolic: remove inner blockages; allow descent/approach of higher consciousness
- उप देवान् (upa devān)
- Literal: near the gods. Symbolic: bringing divine powers into proximity of active life
- अग्निः शमिता (agniḥ śamitā)
- Literal: Agni the preparer/cooker. Symbolic: the purifier who ripens experience into offering
- हविः (haviḥ)
- Literal: oblation. Symbolic: consecrated energies, thoughts, emotions given to the inner fire
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: the conscious will that calls and establishes divine workings
- देवानां जनिमानि (devānāṃ janimāni)
- Literal: births/origins of the gods. Symbolic: the inner genesis and right mode of manifestation of divine powers
Kindling and offering-preparation segment of the yajña: Vanaspati (fuel/post) enables the rite; Agni as śamitā prepares havis; Hotṛ function invokes devas with correct knowledge of their ‘janima’ (proper forms).
At moments of calling the gods and preparing havis; associated with fuel/wood and altar readiness
Placing/activating wood; preparing oblation; invoking Agni as Hotṛ to call devas
Before meditation or service: consciously ‘offer’ the day’s energies; ask the inner fire to refine them and invite higher guidance.
vanaspáti ‘lord of the forest/wood’ (vana ‘wood’ + pati ‘lord’) points to the ritual fuel/post/tree; inwardly the living support of the fire-force. √sṛj ‘release, send forth’ (PIE *sregʰ ‘let go/loosen’ debated) expresses opening channels for descent. hotā from √hu ‘to call/invoke’ (with agent suffix -tṛ) is the calling power. janímāni from √jan ‘be born’ (PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget’): not genealogy but ‘modes of arising’—how each deva manifests in consciousness. satyátara (comparative) emphasizes increasing alignment with satya (truth-being).
satya (truth), vidyā/veda (true knowing as basis of right action), correct manifestation (janima) of divine powers
Knowing the ‘janman’ of the gods is knowing ṛta—the lawful emergence of truth-powers in the being.
‘Satyatara’ indicates increasing truthfulness of the invoking consciousness as it aligns with inner law.
The gods are ‘born’ in us through yajña: divine qualities come into manifestation by right offering.
Integral-psychological interpretation: deities as functional powers, their ‘births’ as stages of inner realization.
Wood = embodied life-energy and habits; Fire = transformative aspiration; ‘bringing gods near’ = opening to higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rite as a controlled ‘summoning’ of gods through proper supports: wood releases the gods; Agni prepares the offering; the Hotṛ sacrifices by knowledge of divine manifestations. Mythically, the gods arrive when the right medium (fuel/fire/word) is correctly arranged; psychologically, higher powers descend when the seeker’s vital-material base is ordered and the will-fire can transform the offered energies.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yaj ‘sacrifice’ is Indo-Iranian (cf. Avestan yaz- ‘worship’), reflecting a shared sacral lexicon. √vid ‘know’ continues PIE *weid- (cf. Latin vidēre, English wit), linking ‘knowledge’ to ‘seeing’; thus the Hotṛ’s efficacy depends on vision-knowledge of the gods’ janima.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi emphasizes competence and truth: the divine responds to correct preparation (śamitā) and correct knowledge (veda). The relation is pedagogic and operative: Agni/Hotṛ is asked to act as the knowledgeable priest within the human, ensuring the sacrifice is not mechanical but guided by insight into each deva’s proper mode of action.
Offer the ‘wood’ of the day—sensations, emotions, impulses—into Agni; contemplate how divine qualities are ‘born’ through steady practice.
anāhata (offering/devotion) and maṇipūra (transformative fire)
Gentle ujjāyī or slow diaphragmatic breathing; exhale as ‘haviḥ’ is offered inwardly.
Quietly luminous, methodical, receptive to higher descent.
When a surge of emotion arises, treat it as fuel: do not suppress—offer it; let Agni ‘cook’ it into clarity and strength.
Triṣṭubh with Vedic accents; keep udātta prominent on invocatives and verbs (sṛja, sūdayāti, yajāti).
Clear breaks at pāda ends; emphasize ‘vanaspate’ opening; keep ‘satyataro’ steady and slightly lifted.
vanaspate: short a’s, crisp ‘sp’ cluster, śamitā: palatal ś, light aspiration on ‘tā’ length, janīmāni: long ī; avoid ‘jani’ shorting
Even, priestly, composed; brightness on ‘Agni’ phrases.
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