Rig Veda 4.3.10: Mandala 4, Sukta 3, Mantra 10
Sukta 4.3
ऋतेन हि ष्मा वृषभश्चिदक्तः पुमाँ अग्निः पयसा पृष्ठ्येन । अस्पन्दमानो अचरद्वयोधा वृषा शुक्रं दुदुहे पृश्निरूधः ॥
ṛténa hí ṣmā vṛṣabháś cid aktáḥ pumā́ṃ agníḥ páyasā pṛṣṭhyéna | áspandamāno acarad vayo-dhā́ vṛ́ṣā śukráṃ duduhé pṛ́śnir ū́dhaḥ ||
Sebab oleh Ṛta sungguh bahkan Sang Banteng pun diurapi: Agni, sang jantan, dengan susu di punggungnya. Tanpa terguncang ia bergerak—pemberi kelimpahan; Sang Banteng memerah keluar yang cemerlang, dan yang belang mengulurkan ambingnya.
Consecration and empowerment of Agni; imagery aligns with anointing (ghṛta/payas) and extraction of luminous essence—supporting the rite’s aim of stable, fruitful force.
Rita as consecrating law, stability (aspandamāna) in sādhanā, plenitude of life-force (vayas)
Ṛta is the consecrator: it ‘anoints’ even the strongest force so it acts rightly, not violently.
Śukra (bright) as satya-light extracted from mixture; truth clarified.
From mixed nature (pṛśni) the luminous essence is drawn—inner creation by purification.
Psychological Veda: consecrated will (Agni) as the engine of evolution of consciousness.
Bull = strong will; Milk = nourishing essence; Dappled = mixed prakṛti; Fire = tapas transforming mixture into clarity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The consecrated Bull who milks out brightness from Nature: a mythic image of potent divine force extracting luminous essence from the mixed manifestation (pṛśni). Psychologically, Agni stabilized in ṛta becomes unwavering will and draws out pure light and vital plenitude from the embodied field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ū́dhar ‘udder’ reflects PIE *h₁udʰr- (English udder, German Euter). vṛṣ- (bull/virile, rain-force) belongs to an archaic IE complex of fertility and showering potency; the bull-as-force metaphor is widespread across Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents Agni as the empowered inner agent: once anointed ‘by ṛta’, Agni becomes stable and productive, extracting śukra (pure light) and granting vayas (plenitude of vital force). The human aspiration seeks this consecrated stability so the life-nature yields its highest essence.
Consecrate will to Ṛta; cultivate unshaken steadiness; draw clear light from mixed experience.
Maṇipūra (will/tapas)
Moderate ujjāyī to build steadiness; feel ‘milk on the back’ as a supportive cool nourishment along the spine.
Firm, steady, luminous strength.
When scattered, repeat mentally ‘aspandamāna’ and feel the spine steady; offer agitation into Agni; wait for ‘śukra’ clarity to emerge from the mixed field.
Rigvedic accents; keep the long compounds flowing without breaking the meter.
Stress the steadiness on ‘aspandamānaḥ’; give weight to ‘vṛṣabha’ and ‘śukram’.
vṛṣabha: vocalic ‘ṛ’ and clear ‘ṣ’, aspandamānaḥ: cluster ‘sp’ then ‘nd’—articulate cleanly, pṛṣṭhyena: retroflex ‘ṣṭh’, pṛśniḥ: ‘śn’ cluster, short iḥ ending
Full, steady, slightly deeper register; avoid wavering vibrato to embody ‘unshaking’.
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