Rig Veda 1.76.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 76, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.76
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यथा विप्रस्य मनुषो हविर्भिर्देवाँ अयजः कविभिः कविः सन् । एवा होतः सत्यतर त्वमद्याग्ने मन्द्रया जुह्वा यजस्व ॥
yáthā víprasya mánuṣo havírbhir devā́m̐ áyajaḥ kavíbhiḥ kavíḥ sán | evā́ hotaḥ satyátara tvám adyā́gne mandráyā júhvā yajasva ||
かつて汝は、詩聖たちの中の詩聖として、供物を携える啓明の人のために神々を祭った。そのように今も、最も真実なる祭官（ホートリ）よ、アグニよ、歓びの祭杓（ジュフー）をもって今日祭れ。
Word by Word
- यथा
- just asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थ अव्यय (यथा = ‘as, just as’)Root यथा (अव्यय)
- विप्रस्य
- of the inspired priest/sageNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनुषः
- of Manu (the man/ancestor)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root मनुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- हविर्भिः
- with oblationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करण (instrument)Root हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्म (object)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अयजः
- you worshipped/sacrificedVerbलुङ् (अङ्गिरूप/आorist); मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot यज् (धातु)
- कविभिः
- with poets/seersNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करण (instrument/association)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- कविः
- a seer/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ता (subject complement)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्
- beingParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन (कविः सन् = ‘being a seer’)Role कर्ता (participial, qualifying the subject)Root अस् (धातु) → सन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- एवा
- thus, in the same wayIndeclinableनिश्चय/उपमानार्थ अव्यय (eva = ‘thus, just so’)Root एव (अव्यय)
- होतः
- O Hotar (invoking priest)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vedic voc.)Role सम्बोधनRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सत्यतर
- more true/most trueAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (comparative: ‘more true’)Role सम्बोधन-विशेषणRoot सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तुलनाप्रत्यय)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today/nowIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरण (time)Root अद्य (अव्यय)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्द्रया
- with the gladdening/joyousAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (जुह्वा-विशेषण)Role करण (instrument, as qualifier)Root मन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुह्वा
- with the ladle (sacrificial spoon)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot जुहू (प्रातिपदिक)
- यजस्व
- worship! perform the sacrifice!Verbलोट् (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot यज् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): यथा | विप्रस्य | मनुषः | हविर्भिः | देवान् | अयजः | कविभिः | कविः | सन् | एवा | होतः | सत्यतर | त्वम् | अद्य | अग्ने | मन्द्रया | जुह्वा | यजस्व । Notable: हविः + भिः → हविर्भिः (visarga→r before voiced bh)
- देवान् (acc.pl.) before vowel in अयजः
- एवा hoतः: metrical/phonetic juncture without change
- मन्द्रया जुह्वा: adjective agrees with instrumental singular
The meaning
Outer meaning
As Agni once sacrificed to the Gods for the inspired mortal with offerings, being a seer among seers, so now, O most true Hotṛ, sacrifice today with the gladdening ladle.
Inner meaning
The mantra recalls an archetypal precedent: Agni has already done this work in the past for the ‘vipra manuṣa’—the illumined human who becomes capable of offering. Agni is ‘kaviḥ san’—a seer-consciousness, not a mechanical flame. The seeker appeals to that perennial capacity: ‘evā… tvam adya’—do it again now, in this present moment. ‘Satyatara hotā’ points to Agni as the most truth-effective mediator: he makes the offering real, not symbolic. The ‘mandrayā juhvā’ is the glad ladle: the instrument of will that offers with joy, not strain. Psychologically, it is the joyful, consenting will that pours the purified energies into the divine work.
Universal truth
The Divine Will is timelessly available; when we align with it in the present, our offering becomes truth-effective, and sacrifice turns from burden into glad self-giving.
Themes
primordial precedent, truth-guided sacrifice, seerhood of Agni, joyful offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.76, Rig Veda 1.77
Family tradition
A lineage that trusts in Agni’s perennial priesthood: the same inner Fire that served the ancient seers serves the modern seeker when invoked rightly.
Significance
Establishes continuity of inner realization: the Vedic yajña is repeatable now as a psychological process—Agni as kavi guides the offering toward truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Kaviḥ, Satyatara Hotā, Mandrā-juhū-yukta (offering with glad ladle, implied)
- Related deities
- Vishve Devāḥ (the Gods)
Cosmic role
Priest of the sacrifice across ages; knower of the right ways of offering; awakener of gods through true oblation.
Inner power
Intuitive will that knows what to offer and how; transforms effort into glad consecration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as Hotṛ invoked to perform offerings; could accompany oblation sequences in śrauta rites
यथा॒ विप्र॑स्य॒ मनु॑षो ह॒विर्भि॑र्दे॒वाँ अय॑जः क॒विभि॑: क॒विः सन् । ए॒वा हो॑तः सत्यतर॒ त्वम॒द्याग्ने॑ म॒न्द्रया॑ जु॒ह्वा॑ यजस्व ॥
यथा॑ । विप्र॑स्य । मनु॑षः । ह॒विःऽभिः॑ । दे॒वान् । अय॑जः । क॒विऽभिः॑ । क॒विः । सन् । ए॒व । हो॒त॒रिति॑ । स॒त्य॒ऽत॒र॒ । त्वम् । अ॒द्य । अग्ने॑ । म॒न्द्रया॑ । जु॒ह्वा॑ । य॒ज॒स्व॒ ॥
yathā | viprasya | manuṣaḥ | haviḥ-bhiḥ | devān | ayajaḥ | kavi-bhiḥ | kaviḥ | san | eva | hotariti | satya-tara | tvam | adya | agne | mandrayā | juhvā | yajasva
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Narrative-evocative in first half (‘yathā…’), then immediate imperative in second (‘tvam adya… yajasva’).
Builds faith through remembrance, then concentrates will into present action; ends with a decisive offering-movement.
- विप्र (vipra)
- Literal: inspired sage. Symbolic: the awakened mental being open to higher intuition
- मनुष (manuṣa)
- Literal: mortal human. Symbolic: the human instrument capable of evolution through offering
- हविर्भिः (havirbhis)
- Literal: with oblations. Symbolic: offered energies—thought, emotion, action consecrated
- कविभिः कवीः (kavibhiḥ kaviḥ)
- Literal: seer among seers. Symbolic: Agni as supramental/intuitional discernment guiding the sacrifice
- होता सत्यतर (hotā satyatara)
- Literal: Hotṛ most true. Symbolic: the mediator whose action actualizes truth in the being
- मन्द्रया (mandrayā)
- Literal: gladdening, delightful. Symbolic: joyous will; offering without inner violence
- जुह्वा (juhvā)
- Literal: with the ladle. Symbolic: the directed instrument of will and discernment that pours the offering
Recollection of Agni’s archetypal priesthood ‘for Manu’ as precedent; exhortation to perform the present offering—typical of hymns that align current rite with primordial model.
At moments of reaffirming Agni’s priestly action and the correctness of offering
Recitation while making/visualizing an offering into fire
A ‘renewal’ mantra: recall past moments of guidance, then offer today’s practice with joy rather than struggle.
vipra: from √vip ‘to tremble/vibrate’ → inspired, ‘vibrant’ consciousness. kavi: from √kū/√kav ‘to see/know’ in Vedic usage: the luminous knower. satya-tara: satya (from sat ‘being’) indicates truth as accordance with being; comparative intensifies Agni’s reliability as guide in ṛta. juhū: the offering-ladle also ‘tongue’—psychologically the instrument by which will offers movements into the fire for transformation. mandra: gladdening—links sacrifice with delight rather than grim compulsion.
Satya (truth of being), continuity of tradition (primordial Manu-model), kavi (seer-knowledge), delight in sacrifice (mandra)
Agni as kavi knows ṛta—right measure and right order of offering.
Satyatara: truth-effective action; not merely belief but operative truth in consciousness.
The repetition ‘adya’ (today) emphasizes continual re-creation of the inner sacrifice in time.
Aurobindonian: Agni as psychic being/Divine Will leading evolution; sacrifice as progressive self-offering.
Fire = will/psychic flame; ladle = focused intention; offerings = transformed energies; gladness = Soma-tone of delight entering action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Manu precedent’: Agni as the ancient priest who first established the human-divine exchange. The mythic memory legitimizes the present rite; psychologically it asserts that the same inner Fire that once opened the path for humanity can do so now if invoked as satya-tara (most true).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- manuṣa relates to the Manu figure from PIE *manu- ‘man’ (cf. Germanic *mann-). satya from PIE *h₁es- ‘to be’ via Sanskrit sat ‘being’. √yaj is Indo-Iranian ritual lexicon with Avestan yasna (cognate). These show a shared Indo-Iranian sacrificial register built on older IE ‘being/truth’ vocabulary.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to Agni’s own remembered identity as kavi and Hotṛ: ‘as you did then, do now.’ The relationship is pedagogical and covenantal—Agni is invoked as the truest guide; the human side provides offerings and the glad instrument (mandrā juhū), seeking a sacrifice that is aligned with satya/ṛta.
Invoke Agni as intuitive guide; offer today’s thoughts and actions with glad consent.
Anāhata
Slow inhale on ‘yathā…’, slow exhale on ‘evā… yajasva’; feel release and offering on exhale.
Quiet confidence; joyful surrender of effort into a truer will.
Remember one concrete instance where inner guidance helped you. Chant, then make a small ‘today-offering’: one habit, one fear, one desire—poured into the inner flame with mandra (glad) consent.
Tri-svara; keep a gentle lift on ‘yathā’ clause, and a clear udātta emphasis on ‘adya’ and ‘yajasva’ as marked by tradition/text accents.
Do not rush the comparative structure ‘yathā… evā…’; pause slightly after the first half to let the ‘then→now’ transition register.
viprasya: ‘vi-pra-sya’ crisp ‘pr’., manuṣo: retroflex ‘ṣ’ (mu-nu-ṣo)., kavibhiḥ: final visarga audible; keep ‘bh’ aspirated., satyatara: dental ‘t’, roll the ‘r’ lightly., mandrayā: ‘ndr’ cluster clear; long ‘ā’., juhvā: aspirated ‘hv’ cluster; long ‘ā’ at end.
Warm, devotional, steady; end with a gentle firmness on ‘yajasva’.
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