Rig Veda 4.5.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 5, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.5
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मा निन्दत य इमां मह्यं रातिं देवो ददौ मर्त्याय स्वधावान् । पाकाय गृत्सो अमृतो विचेता वैश्वानरो नृतमो यह्वो अग्निः ॥
mā́ nindata yá imā́ṃ máhyaṃ rātíṃ devó dadā́u mártyāya sva-dhā́vān | pā́kāya gṛ́tso amṛ́to ví-cetā vaiśvānaráḥ nṛ́-tamo yahvó agníḥ ||
Janganlah mencela Dewa yang telah menganugerahkan kepadaku persembahan ini, kepada seorang fana yang menegakkan hukum-dayanya sendiri (svadhāvān). Bagi jiwa yang sedang masak, Agni—yang bergelora, paling jantan, Vaiśvānara—menjadi Yang Abadi yang arif membeda, sang pencari ilham yang mengetahui jalan-jalan kesadaran.
Word by Word
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक कण (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध) अव्यय
- निन्दत
- (you all) should blame / revileVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ-आदेशः) / संबोधित-कर्तृRoot निन्द्
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (ददौ) / सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमाम्
- thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (रा॒तिम्) विशेषणRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मह्यम्
- to mePronounचतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रातिम्
- gift, bountyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot राति (स्त्री) < √रा (दा/प्रदानार्थ) / रा-प्रातिपदिक
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव
- ददौ
- gaveVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot दा
- मर्त्याय
- to a mortalNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (प्रयोजन/लाभार्थ) / अधिकरण-भावRoot मर्त्य
- स्वधावान्
- possessing svadhā (inherent power/ritual potency)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (देवः इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot स्वधा + वत् (मतुप्-प्रत्यय)
- पाकाय
- to the simple/innocent one (or: to the ripened/wise one, context-dependent)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot पाक
- गृत्सः
- Gṛtsa (name/epithet of the seer)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/सम्बन्ध (अग्निः इति समनाधिकरण)Root गृत्स
- अमृतः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (गृत्सः/अग्निः)Root अमृत
- विचेता
- discerning, wiseAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot वि + चेत (प्रातिपदिक: विचेतस्/विचेता)
- वैश्वानरः
- Vaiśvānara (Agni as belonging to all men)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः इति समनाधिकरण)Root वैश्वानर
- नृतमः
- most manly / best among menAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot नृतम (नृ + तमप्)
- यह्वः
- mighty, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot यह्व
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/सम्बन्ध (समनाधिकरण-समूहः)Root अग्नि
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-style): मा | निन्दत | यः | इमाम् | मह्यम् | रातिम् | देवः | ददौ | मर्त्याय | स्वधावान् || पाकाय | गृत्सः | अमृतः | विचेता | वैश्वानरः | नृतमः | यह्वः | अग्निः । प्रमुख संधि: (1) निन्दत॒ य → निन्दत | यः (visarga restored in pada)
- (2) रा॒तिं दे॒वो → रातिम् | देवः (m→ṃ before d; o is sandhi outcome of aḥ + vowel in saṃhitā)
- (3) द॒दौ मर्त्या॑य unchanged
- (4) य॒ह्वो अ॒ग्निः → यह्वः | अग्निः (o from aḥ + a; visarga restored)
- Accent marks in saṃhitā retained in citation but pada-forms given without explicit accent annotation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Do not blame the god who gave me this gift; for the ripening one, Agni Vaiśvānara—eager, most manly—becomes an immortal, discerning knower.
Inner meaning
The rishi defends the divine giving against the outer mind’s envy or doubt: the ‘gift’ is an inner attainment—fire of will and discernment granted to the mortal who accepts svadhā (one’s true law/power). For the pākāya—one who is being cooked/ripened by tapas—Agni becomes amṛta, the immortal consciousness in us: gṛtsaḥ (inspired, ardent seeker) and vicetāḥ (discerning intelligence). The verse marks the transition from human effort to divine agency working within.
Universal truth
Spiritual gifts are not to be judged by surface appearances; when one consents to inner discipline, the divine force turns human life into a vessel of discernment and immortality.
Themes
Divine grace (rāti), Inner maturation, Discriminative knowledge, Agni as immortal in man
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.5.1, RV 4.5.3, RV 4.5.4, RV 4.5.5
Family tradition
A line emphasizing inner sacrifice and the transformation (‘cooking’) of the human into the divine through Agni and the law of ṛta.
Significance
The seer speaks from lived experience of grace: the divine gift is justified by its power to ripen the soul and awaken immortal discernment.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Epithets
- Svadhāvān, Amṛta, Vicetā, Nṛtama, Yahva
- Related deities
- Soma (bliss as reward), Indra (illumined mind), Mitra-Varuṇa (law and harmony)
Cosmic role
Agni as the universal mediator who carries offerings and returns boons; awakens the immortal principle in mortal life.
Inner power
Transformative heat (tapas) that ripens nature; heroic will that becomes discerning intelligence.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise in soma-sacrifice context; also protective/justificatory recitation when questioned about a boon
मा नि॑न्दत॒ य इ॒मां मह्यं॑ रा॒तिं दे॒वो द॒दौ मर्त्या॑य स्व॒धावा॑न् । पाका॑य॒ गृत्सो॑ अ॒मृतो॒ विचे॑ता वैश्वान॒रो नृत॑मो य॒ह्वो अ॒ग्निः ॥
मा । नि॒न्द॒त॒ । यः । इ॒माम् । मह्य॑म् । रा॒तिम् । दे॒वः । द॒दौ । मर्या॑य । स्व॒ऽधावा॑न् । पाका॑य । गृत्सः॑ । अ॒मृतः॑ । विऽचे॑ताः । वै॒श्वा॒न॒रः । नृऽत॑मः । य॒ह्वः । अ॒ग्निः ॥
mā | nindata | yaḥ | imām | mahyam | rātim | devaḥ | dadau | maryāya | sva-dhāvān | pākāya | gṛtsaḥ | amṛtaḥ | vi-cetāḥ | vaiśvānaraḥ | nṛ-tamaḥ | yahvaḥ | agniḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Assertive, admonitory opening moving into a strong laudatory cadence.
Cuts through doubt; installs confidence in grace and inner discipline.
- mā nindata
- Literal: do not blame/censure. Symbolic: do not let the judging mind reject grace; suspend envy and doubt
- rāti
- Literal: gift, boon. Symbolic: inner opening: strength of will, insight, or a descent of higher force
- svadhāvān
- Literal: possessed of svadhā (own power/law). Symbolic: one aligned to the soul’s true law; self-existent inner authority rather than ego impulse
- pākāya
- Literal: for the ripening/cooking one. Symbolic: the being transformed by tapas; maturation of nature into soul-instrument
- gṛtsaḥ
- Literal: eager, ardent, wise/seeker. Symbolic: the inspired aspiration that presses toward truth
- amṛtaḥ
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless consciousness; the divine element awakened in the mortal
- vicetāḥ
- Literal: discerning, clear-knowing. Symbolic: illumined discrimination; right seeing of paths
- nṛtamaḥ
- Literal: most manly/most heroic. Symbolic: the strongest force of action and courage in the inner battle
- yahvaḥ
- Literal: impetuous, ardent, swift. Symbolic: the flame that rushes upward—quick response of aspiration
Defense of divine gifting and affirmation of Agni’s grace; suitable where the sacrificer asserts legitimacy of received boon and calls Agni as inner discerner
During Agni invocations or when affirming legitimacy of the offering and divine favor
Recitation with offering; reaffirming the deity’s right giving
For practitioners facing self-doubt or social discouragement: recite to reaffirm that inner progress is valid and grace is real when matched by discipline.
rāti: from √rā 'to give, grant' → gift/grace. svadhā: sva- 'own' + dhā 'placing/holding' → one's own law/energy; in Vedic also a power of self-sustenance. pāka: from √pac 'to cook, ripen' → maturation (psychological ripening). vi-cetā: vi- + √cit 'notice, discern' → discriminative consciousness. nṛ-tama: superlative of nṛ 'man' → most manly/most effective in human sphere. yahva: from √yah/√yabh? traditional 'swift, impetuous'; inner: dynamic upward-pressing force.
Svadhā (self-law, inherent power), Amṛta (immortality), Ripening (pāka) as inner transformation
Svadhā aligned with ṛta: the right law in the individual that matches cosmic order.
The divine gift is ‘true’ when it produces discernment and transformation.
Alchemy of mortal into immortal through inner fire.
Integral/psychological Vedism: immortality as awakened consciousness, not mere post-mortem reward.
Cooking = tapas transforming raw impulses into luminous will; gift = descent of force; fire = awakened soul-power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The descent of a divine gift into mortality and the revelation of the immortal Fire within the mortal: a core RV pattern where the god installs deathless power (amṛta) as an inner guide (vi-cetā) for the ripening aspirant.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dā 'give' is a classic PIE inheritance (*deh₃- 'give'). √pac 'cook/ripen' continues an old metaphor of transformation by heat. vi-√cit 'discern' aligns with PIE *ḱeyt- 'notice' (cognate semantic field), showing archaic cognitive vocabulary embedded in ritual-poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi defends the legitimacy of the boon and reframes it as an inner empowerment: Agni grants not external reward alone but the immortal discerning flame that matures the human being according to svadhā.
Receive grace without self-criticism; cultivate discernment (vicetā) and heroic will (nṛtama).
manipura (transformative fire)
Kapalabhati-light (if suitable) or steady diaphragmatic breathing; feel heat rise to clear seeing
From doubt to confident aspiration; emergence of discriminating light
On inhale, affirm svadhā—your true inner law; on exhale, offer confusion into Agni. If judgment arises (‘blame’), return to felt sincerity and the tangible signs of ripening: steadier will, clearer perception, kinder strength.
Tri-svara with emphatic udātta on key negation/affirmation points (mā́, devó, amṛ́taḥ).
Let the opening ‘mā nindata’ be firm but not harsh; keep compound accents clear: vaiśvānaro nṛtamo.
svadhāvān: dh aspirated, not ‘d’; long ā maintained, amṛto: vocalic ṛ clean; avoid ‘amrito’, vicetā: palatal c, not ‘s’, yahvo: keep hv cluster distinct
Clear, resolute, slightly brighter on laudatory epithets
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