Rig Veda 7.14.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 14, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.14
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
वयं ते अग्ने समिधा विधेम वयं दाशेम सुष्टुती यजत्र । वयं घृतेनाध्वरस्य होतर्वयं देव हविषा भद्रशोचे ॥
vayáṃ te agne sam-ídhā vidhema vayáṃ dāśema suṣṭutī́ yajatra | vayáṃ ghṛténa adhvarásya hotar vayáṃ deva havíṣā bhadra-śoce ||
Kami hendak menyalakan Engkau, wahai Agni; kami hendak melayani-Mu dengan pujian yang tepat, wahai yang patut dipuja. Kami, wahai Hotar dari yajña yang menempuh perjalanan, akan menuangkan ghṛta (mentega suci yang dijernihkan) bagi-Mu; kami akan mempersembahkan kepada-Mu, wahai dewa, dengan havis—wahai yang nyalanya membawa berkah.
Word by Word
- वयम्
- wePronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → वयम्
- ते
- to youPronounत्रिलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → ते
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिधा
- with kindling/fuel-stickNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विधेम
- may we perform/offerVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-
- वयम्
- wePronounत्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् → वयम्
- दाशेम
- may we offer/presentVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root दाश् (धातु) ‘to give/offer, worship’
- सुष्टुतीः
- good praises/hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot सु- + स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
- यजत्र
- O worship-worthy oneAdjective (used as vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot यजत्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘worthy of worship’)
- वयम्
- wePronounत्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् → वयम्
- घृतेन
- with gheeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वरस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- होतर्वयम्
- O Hotar (priest), weNoun + Pronounहोतृ: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; वयम्: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधन + कर्तृRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्मद् → वयम्
- देव
- O godNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- हविषा
- with oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भद्रशोचे
- O you of auspicious flameAdjective (bahuvrīhi epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot भद्र- + शोचि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘flame/light’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): वयम् | ते | अग्ने | समिधा | विधेम || वयम् | दाशेम | सुष्टुतीः | यजत्र || वयम् | घृतेन | अध्वरस्य | होतः | वयम् || देव | हविषा | भद्रशोचे || विशेष-सन्धि: (1) घृतेना॑ध्वरस्य = घृतेन + अध्वरस्य (अ + अ → आ). (2) होतर्व॒यं = होतः/होतर् (सम्बोधन) + वयम्
- पदपाठ-परम्परया ‘होतः’ (voc.) + ‘वयम्’ इति विग्रहः, संहितायां ‘होतर्वयम्’ (र्-आगम/रेफ-सन्धि) रूपेण दृश्यते
The meaning
Outer meaning
We will kindle you, Agni; we will give to you with good praise, adorable one. We will pour ghee for you, Hotar of the moving sacrifice; we will offer oblation to you, god of auspicious flame.
Inner meaning
The repeated ‘vayaṃ’ is a vow of integral participation: the seeker consents with the whole being. Kindling (samidhā) is sustained effort; ‘suṣṭutī’ is right articulation—truthful praise that aligns mind with the divine movement. ‘Ghṛta’ is clarified light (luminous substance of understanding) poured into the adhvara, the journeying sacrifice—our life-march toward the Truth. Agni as Hotar is the inner priest who selects, offers, and translates human movements into divine substance. ‘Bhadraśoce’ indicates a flame that is not merely intense but auspicious—purifying without violence, strengthening without agitation.
Universal truth
Transformation requires repeated consent and right practice: effort, truthful speech, luminous understanding, and steady offering into the inner guide that translates life into progress.
Themes
Kindling and offering, Right praise, Agni as Hotar, Clarified light (ghṛta) symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.14.1, RV 7.14.3, RV 7.15.1
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 7’s Vasiṣṭha line stresses the ‘adhvara’ as a guided journey—Agni as Hotar who makes the path non-injuring and effective.
Significance
The verse models the fourfold inner act: kindle (tapas), praise (right thought/word), pour ghṛta (illumined understanding), offer havis (life-energies)—a complete yoga of works.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Hotar)
- Epithets
- Hotar, Yajatra, Bhadraśoci
- Related deities
- Soma, Indra, Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Priest of the sacrifice, mediator who invokes and carries offerings; establishes the rite’s right movement.
Inner power
Discriminating will that selects what to offer, purifies motives, and turns understanding (ghṛta) into effective force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni offerings within soma and iṣṭi rites; also general fire-kindling and praise sequences.
व॒यं ते॑ अग्ने स॒मिधा॑ विधेम व॒यं दा॑शेम सुष्टु॒ती य॑जत्र । व॒यं घृ॒तेना॑ध्वरस्य होतर्व॒यं दे॑व ह॒विषा॑ भद्रशोचे ॥
व॒यम् । ते॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । स॒म्ऽइधा॑ । वि॒धे॒म॒ । व॒यम् । दा॒शे॒म॒ । सु॒ऽस्तु॒ती । य॒ज॒त्र॒ । व॒यम् । घृ॒तेन॑ । अ॒ध्व॒र॒स्य॒ । हो॒तः॒ । व॒यम् । दे॒व॒ । ह॒विषा॑ । भ॒द्र॒ऽशो॒चे॒ ॥
vayam | te | agne | sam-idhā | vidhema | vayam | dāśema | su-stutī | yajatra | vayam | ghṛtena | adhvarasya | hotaḥ | vayam | deva | haviṣā | bhadra-śoce
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Resolute and vow-like; the repetition of ‘vayaṃ’ creates a marching cadence.
Strengthens resolve and disciplined devotion; stabilizes the will for sustained practice.
- वयम् (vayam)
- Literal: we. Symbolic: integral assent of the being; coordinated parts of nature offering together
- समिधा (samidhā)
- Literal: kindling. Symbolic: sustained energizing effort
- सुस्तुती (suṣṭutī)
- Literal: good praise. Symbolic: right formulation of thought/mantra; truthful alignment
- यजत्र (yajatra)
- Literal: worthy of sacrifice/adorable. Symbolic: the Divine as the true object of offering and self-giving
- घृत (ghṛta)
- Literal: ghee. Symbolic: clarified light, luminous intelligence poured into the work
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: sacrifice/ritual journey. Symbolic: the non-injuring (a-dhvara) path; the life-journey of transformation
- होतृ (hotar)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: inner priest-power that offers and calls down higher forces
- हविष् (haviṣ)
- Literal: oblation. Symbolic: offered energies of life, mind, and heart
- भद्रशोचि (bhadraśoci)
- Literal: of auspicious flame. Symbolic: beneficent purification; luminous, orderly ardor
Hymn for sustaining Agni through praise and ghṛta-offering in Soma rites and domestic fire-rituals; emphasizes Hotar-function (invocation)
During offering and praise to Agni as Hotar; before/while pouring ghṛta and presenting havis.
Offer samidh; recite stuti; pour ghṛta; make oblation.
A ‘fourfold offering’ practice: (1) attention (samidh), (2) truthful affirmation (suṣṭutī), (3) illumined understanding (ghṛta), (4) surrendered action (havis).
vidhema: from √dhā ‘to place’ with vi- ‘apart, in order’ → ‘to arrange/serve ritually’, inwardly ‘to set the consciousness in right order’. adhvara: traditionally ‘sacrifice’; often derived as a-dhvara ‘unbroken/non-injurious’ (folk-etymology), but in inner reading it is the continuous movement of offering. ghṛta: from √ghṛ ‘to shine/sprinkle’ (semantic overlap of unctuousness and brightness); used symbolically as clarified mental light. hotṛ: from √hu ‘to call’ → the invoker.
Ṛta as right ordering (vidhema), Tapas as luminous force, Brahman as well-formed praise (suṣṭuti)
‘Adhvara’ as right journey implies alignment of works with ṛta; Agni as Hotar maintains order in the offering.
Suṣṭutī is satya in speech/thought; ghṛta is satya in light-substance of mind.
The sacrifice is the means by which consciousness evolves; offerings transmute nature into divine form.
Karma-yoga prototype within Vedic symbolism; integral transformation through works and light.
Ghee = clarified luminous mind; journey = progressive unfolding; fire = transformative will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as Hotar of the adhvara: the divine Fire leads the sacrificial journey and makes the invocation effective. Inwardly, awakened will and aspiration conduct the ascent, carrying the clarified mental light (ghṛta) upward.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- hotar (√hu ‘call’) aligns with archaic Indo-European priestly calling; √dhā ‘place’ is PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Greek títhēmi). The verse’s repeated vayam forms an anaphoric structure typical of Indo-European hymn style, emphasizing collective agency in the rite.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers a fourfold reciprocity—kindling, praise, ghṛta, havis—seeking Agni’s reciprocal action as leader-invoker. The relationship is pedagogic: the deity is the method (how to offer) as much as the recipient.
Strengthen the inner priest: offer restless impulses into Agni; pour ‘ghṛta’ by bringing a clear, luminous understanding to the day’s work.
Manipura (will) + Ajna (clarity/ghṛta).
Brisk-then-calm: 9 rounds of kapalabhati (gentle), then slow exhale recitation to settle into bhadraśoci.
Active, disciplined, illumined action.
Repeat ‘vayaṃ’ with full consent; visualize a steady golden flame; on ‘ghṛtena’ imagine liquid light filling the mind and flowing into the heart’s offering.
Recite with clear udātta on key vocatives (agné, yajatra, hotar) and maintain even svarita transitions; avoid flattening repeated ‘vayaṃ’.
Let each ‘vayaṃ’ begin slightly lifted, then resolve into the offering phrase; keep caesura after ‘vidhema/dāśema’.
‘suṣṭutī’ keep long ī; ṣṭ cluster crisp, ‘ghṛtena’ = ghṛ-te-na (vocalic ṛ), ‘bhadraśoce’ = bha-dra-śo-ce (clear ś)
Firm and warm; luminous on ‘ghṛta’.
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