Rig Veda 3.1.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 1, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.1
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
मयो दधे मेधिरः पूतदक्षो दिवः सुबन्धुर्जनुषा पृथिव्याः । अविन्दन्नु दर्शतमप्स्वन्तर्देवासो अग्निमपसि स्वसॄणाम् ॥
máyo dadhé médhiraḥ pūtádakṣo diváḥ subándhur jánuṣā pṛthivyā́ḥ | avíndann u darśatám apsv àntar devā́so agním apási svasṝ́ṇām ||
彼はわれらのうちに歓喜を据えた――賢者にして、浄められた洞察を具え、地より生まれて天の真の縁者となる。神々は、水のうち、姉妹たちの働きの中に、内に隠れた見ゆるアグニ（Agni）を見いだした。
Word by Word
- मयः
- joy, benefit, delightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अव्यक्त-रूप: ‘मयः’)Role कर्म (दधे इति क्रियायाः)Root मयस् (प्रातिपदिक) < √मि (मिनोति) / PIE *mei- (to change/soften; semantic: delight/benefit)
- दधे
- he has placed/establishedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √धा (दधाति) धारणे/निधाने
- मेधिरः
- wise, intelligentAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः—अध्याहृतः—विशेषणम्)Root मेधिर (प्रातिपदिक) < मेधा
- पूतदक्षः
- of purified power/skillAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः—अध्याहृतः—विशेषणम्)Root पूत-दक्ष (समास) = पूत (√पू ‘to purify’, क्त) + दक्ष (दक्ष ‘skill/power’)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः); षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (सु-बन्धुः इत्यस्य)Root दिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘heaven’
- सुबंधुः
- good kinsman/true allyNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः—अध्याहृतः—विशेषणम्)Root सु-बन्धु (समास) = सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय ‘good’) + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनुषा
- by birth, by originNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करण/हेतु (जात्या/जन्मना)Root जनुष् (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन् (to be born)
- पृथिव्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (जनुषा इत्यस्य: ‘of earth’)Root पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अविन्दन्
- they foundVerbलङ् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √विद् (विन्दति) ‘to find/obtain’
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableनिपातRole सम्बन्ध/प्रयोगसूचकRoot नु (अव्यय)
- दर्शतम्
- beautiful, worthy to be seenAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (अग्निम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root दर्शत (प्रातिपदिक) < √दृश् ‘to see’ (अर्हे/योग्ये: ‘worth seeing’)
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘waters’
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableउपपद/अव्यय (स्थानवाचक)Role अधिकरण (अप्सु इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अन्तः (अव्यय)
- देवासः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (fire)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपसि
- in the work/ritual actNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अप्/अपस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘work, deed’ (RV usage)
- स्वसॄणाम्
- of the sistersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (अपसि इत्यस्य: ‘of the sisters’)Root स्वसृ (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sister’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): मयो॑→मयः
- दधे॒
- मेधि॑रः
- पू॒तद॑क्षः
- दि॒वः
- सु॒बन्धु॑ः
- ज॒नुषा॑
- पृथि॒व्याः । अवि॑न्दन्+नु
- दर्श॒तम्
- अ॒प्सु+अन्तः (अप्स्व१॒॑न्तः = अप्सु अन्तः)
- दे॒वासः
- अ॒ग्निम्
- अ॒पसि॒
- स्वसॄ॑णाम् । (उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न मूलपाठानुसार; पदरूपे सामान्यतः अनुदात्त-चिह्न न दर्शितः)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, wise and with purified powers, has placed delight. He is kin of heaven, born of earth. The gods found the visible Agni hidden within the waters, in the work of the Sisters.
Inner meaning
Agni is the secret flame in embodied existence: born of Earth (the physical), yet kin to Heaven (higher consciousness). When the will is purified (pūtadakṣa) and made wise (medhira), it establishes ‘mayo’—a gladness/benign delight—in the being. The ‘waters’ are life-waves and subconscient streams; Agni is hidden there as potential aspiration and psychic heat. The ‘Sisters’ (often the waters, or the seven streams/energies) are the harmonized powers of nature whose right work (apasi) reveals the concealed fire. This is the discovery of the inner Agni: not manufactured, but found by the gods (higher powers) within our depths.
Universal truth
The transforming fire is already present within life and body, concealed in the depths. Purification and wise discernment reveal it, and with it arises a stable delight that connects earth-life to heaven-light.
Themes
Hidden-fire, Revelation, Waters-symbolism, Delight-consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1.1, RV 3.1.4, RV 3.2
Family tradition
Vision of Agni as both cosmic and psychological principle—hidden, then discovered and made operative through tapas and right action.
Significance
This verse is a key Vedic psychology statement: the divine will is concealed in the waters of life and must be found and made ‘visible’ (darśatam) by higher help and inner purification.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- medhira, pūtadakṣa, darśata (visible, beautiful—here as ‘darśatam’ Agni), subandhu (true kin)
- Related deities
- Āpas (Waters), Soma (delight), Aśvins (helpers in emergence)
Cosmic role
Hidden fire in waters; link between earth and heaven; revealer of delight.
Inner power
Psychic fire that emerges from life-depths, bringing purified discernment and stable joy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni installation/rekindling themes; mythic recollection used to strengthen rite
मयो॑ दधे॒ मेधि॑रः पू॒तद॑क्षो दि॒वः सु॒बन्धु॑र्ज॒नुषा॑ पृथि॒व्याः । अवि॑न्दन्नु दर्श॒तम॒प्स्व१॒॑न्तर्दे॒वासो॑ अ॒ग्निम॒पसि॒ स्वसॄ॑णाम् ॥
मयः॑ । द॒धे॒ । मेधि॑रः । पू॒तऽद॑क्षः । दि॒वः । सु॒ऽबन्धुः॑ । ज॒नुषा॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । अवि॑न्दन् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । द॒र्श॒तम् । अ॒प्ऽसु । अ॒न्तः । दे॒वासः॑ । अ॒ग्निम् । अ॒पसि॑ । स्वसॄ॑णाम् ॥
mayaḥ | dadhe | medhiraḥ | pūta-dakṣaḥ | divaḥ | su-bandhuḥ | januṣā | pṛthivyāḥ | avindan | oṃ iti | darśatam | ap-su | antaḥ | devāsaḥ | agnim | apasi | svasṝṇām
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Balanced, revelatory; strong mid-line turns suited to ‘hidden → found’ imagery.
Invokes inward discovery; a feeling of unveiling and quiet joy.
- mayo
- Literal: delight, gladness, beneficence. Symbolic: inner Ananda that supports endurance and harmony
- medhira
- Literal: wise, intelligent. Symbolic: illumined intelligence guiding will
- pūtadakṣa
- Literal: with purified skill/powers. Symbolic: purified functioning of faculties; refined will and discernment
- divaḥ subandhuḥ
- Literal: well-kin of heaven. Symbolic: intrinsically related to higher consciousness
- januṣā pṛthivyāḥ
- Literal: by birth of earth. Symbolic: incarnate flame in the physical nature
- apsu antar
- Literal: within the waters. Symbolic: hidden in life-streams/subconscient movements
- apasi
- Literal: in the work. Symbolic: right functioning/practice that reveals the secret
- svasṝṇām
- Literal: of the sisters. Symbolic: harmonized powers/streams (energies) that cooperate in manifestation
Recited in Agni praise sequences; mythic recollection of Agni’s concealment and discovery supports the ignition/manifestation of inner fire during rite.
When contemplating Agni’s origin and calling the hidden fire to manifest.
Kindling with awareness of the ‘hidden fire’ principle; water-libations can accompany as symbolic ‘waters’.
Guided meditation on finding the ‘fire in the waters’: observe life-emotions as waters; locate the quiet will-flame within them.
mayaḥ ‘delight’ is a key psychological marker (not mere pleasure). dakṣa ‘skill/power of effective discernment’ is ‘purified’ (pūta) indicating refinement of capacity. apas ‘work’ (PIE *h₂ep- ‘work, labor’ often compared with Latin opus) supports the reading of creative action. ‘Agni in the waters’ is a classic Vedic image: hidden fire in life-streams, to be discovered by the gods/seers.
Delight (mayaḥ) as spiritual affect, Purified discernment (pūta-dakṣa), Hidden divinity revealed (Agni in apsu)
Right work (apasi) reveals the hidden order: Agni becomes darśata when aligned with ṛta.
Truth is the unveiling of what is concealed; the visible Agni is satya made operative.
Classic Vedic creation motif: fire hidden in waters, found by the gods—emergence of consciousness from the undifferentiated.
Sāṃkhya-like emergence imagery (prakṛti-waters) integrated with Vedantic inner fire; proto-yogic revelation.
Waters = life/subconscient; fire = psychic will; earth = body; heaven = higher mind; sisters/streams = coordinated energies (often sevenfold).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hidden Agni’ mythologem: divine fire concealed in the waters/life-streams is discovered through the creative work (apas) of the sister-powers—an archetype for awakening will and illumination from within the subconscient vitality.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- apas ‘work’ is frequently compared with Latin opus (PIE *h₃ep- / *h₂ep- complex), reflecting an Indo-European concept of efficacious labor as sacred. The semantic pairing of ‘find/know’ (√vid) suggests the IE linkage between knowledge and discovery.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recounts the divine origin-story to activate it in the present: as the gods found Agni within the waters, so the practitioner is to find the visible flame of will/knowledge within the moving life-forces, establishing delight (mayaḥ) and purified capacity (pūta-dakṣa).
Discover the will-flame within the waters of emotion and life-force; let it establish ‘mayo’ (benign joy).
Svādhiṣṭhāna (waters/emotion) transformed by Maṇipūra (fire/will)
Slow breathing with attention moving from lower abdomen (waters) to navel flame; exhale softly on ‘agniṃ’.
From diffuse life-movements to a centered, luminous will and quiet delight.
When emotion rises, do not suppress it—see it as ‘waters’. Search within it for the steady intent to be true. Feed that intent; let it become visible and benevolent.
Maintain Vedic accents per Śākala svara; let the cadence ‘apsv antar’ be clearly articulated to mark concealment.
Highlight contrast: ‘divaḥ subandhuḥ’ (uplift) and ‘apsv antar’ (inward). Slightly widen tone on ‘darśatam’.
medhiraḥ: aspirated dh, pūtadakṣo: long ū; retroflex kṣ, subandhuḥ: clear ndh cluster, avindann u: keep sandhi ‘nn u’ smooth, apsv antar: ‘psv’ cluster—do not insert a vowel, svasṝṇām: long ṝ; retroflex ṣ; nasalization minimal
Revelatory, inward, with a gentle brightness on ‘mayo’.
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