Rig Veda 3.1.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 1, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.1
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
बभ्राणः सूनो सहसो व्यद्यौद्दधानः शुक्रा रभसा वपूंषि । श्चोतन्ति धारा मधुनो घृतस्य वृषा यत्र वावृधे काव्येन ॥
babhrāṇáḥ sū́no sahaso vy àdyaut dádhānaḥ śukrā́ rabhasā́ vapū́ṃṣi | ścótanti dhā́rā mádhuno ghṛtásya vṛ́ṣā yátra vāvṛdhé kā́vyena ||
燃え輝く者よ、力の子よ、彼は広く閃き、明るく激しい姿を担う。蜜と酥（ギー）の流れは滴り落ちる——そこにて雄牛は、詩聖の霊感の技（カーヴィヤ）によって増し育つ。
Word by Word
- बभ्राणः
- being tawny/brown(-hued)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः) विशेषणम्Root बभ्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘भूरा/ताम्रवर्ण’) + क्त (कृदन्त) → बभ्राण
- सूनो
- O sonNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहसः
- of might/strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘सहसः सूनो’Root सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- अद्यौत्
- shone forthVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (अग्निः कर्ता)Root द्युत् (धातु)
- दधानः
- bearing, holdingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः) विशेषणम्Root धा (धातु) → शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त) दधान
- शुक्रा
- bright, shiningAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वपूंषि इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (वपूंषि) विशेषणम्Root शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- रभसा
- impetuous, vigorousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वपूंषि इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (वपूंषि) विशेषणम्Root रभस (प्रातिपदिक)
- वपूंषि
- forms, bodies, appearancesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्चोतन्ति
- they drip, they trickleVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot श्चुत्/च्युत् (धातु; ‘टपकना/स्रवणे’)
- धाराः
- streamsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुनः
- of honey/sweetnessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — धाराः कस्य?Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतस्य
- of ghee (clarified butter)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — मधुनः घृतस्यRoot घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषा
- the bull (virile one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः) / विशेषणरूपेणRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) / वृषा (निपातित-प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot यत्र (अव्यय)
- वावृधे
- has grown, has become strongVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot वृध् (धातु)
- काव्येन
- by poetic skill / by the seer’s artNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot काव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: बभ्राणः | सूनो | सहसः | वि | अद्यौत् | दधानः | शुक्रा | रभसा | वपूंषि | श्चोतन्ति | धाराः | मधुनः | घृतस्य | वृषा | यत्र | वावृधे | काव्येन । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) व्यद्यौत् = वि + अद्यौत् (उपसर्ग-सन्धि; इ + अ → य). (2) श्चोतन्ति: पदपाठे ‘श्चोतन्ति’ इति
- मूलतः ‘श् + चोतन्ति’ (उपसर्ग/प्रत्ययजन्य संयुक्ताक्षर), व्यवहारतः ‘चोतन्ति/श्चोतन्ति’ रूपं वैदिकपाठे स्थिरम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, son of force, glows and flashes wide, bearing bright impetuous forms. Streams drip honey and ghee where the Bull grows by the seer’s art.
Inner meaning
The divine Will, born of spiritual force (sahasaḥ sūnu), expands and breaks out in wide manifestation (vy adyaud), taking up luminous and dynamic forms (śukrā rabhasā vapūṃṣi). As this inner Fire grows, the currents of bliss and clarified light (madhu, ghṛta) begin to drip and flow—signs of a matured consciousness. The ‘Bull’ (vṛṣā) is the strong, fertilizing power of Agni that increases through inspired seeing and right formulation (kāvya), i.e., mantra-consciousness and intuitive artistry.
Universal truth
When will is illumined and guided by inspired intelligence, it becomes a strong creative power; from that growth arise spontaneous clarity and joy.
Themes
illumination, increase by inspiration, outpouring of delight
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.1.1-9
Family tradition
Mantric mastery: kāvya as a spiritual technology for growth of Agni within.
Significance
Highlights the role of inspired formulation (kāvya) in increasing the inner fire into a strong creative power.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- sūnu sahasaḥ (son of force), vṛṣā (bull), babhrāṇa (glowing), kavi
- Related deities
- Soma (madhu), Indra (expansive illumination), Sarasvatī (kāvya/word-power)
Cosmic role
Expansive illuminator and energizer; converts force into luminous forms and releases blissful currents.
Inner power
Luminous dynamism: swift energy disciplined into inspired action; growth through mantra-consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise during offerings; strengthening the fire with ghee
ब॒भ्रा॒णः सू॑नो सहसो॒ व्य॑द्यौ॒द्दधा॑नः शु॒क्रा र॑भ॒सा वपूं॑षि । श्चोत॑न्ति॒ धारा॒ मधु॑नो घृ॒तस्य॒ वृषा॒ यत्र॑ वावृ॒धे काव्ये॑न ॥
ब॒भ्रा॒णः । सू॒नो॒ इति॑ । स॒ह॒सः॒ । वि । अ॒द्यौ॒त् । दधा॑नः । शु॒क्रा । र॒भ॒सा । वपूं॑षि । श्चोत॑न्ति । धाराः॑ । मधु॑नः । घृ॒तस्य॑ । वृषा॑ । यत्र॑ । व॒वृ॒धे । काव्ये॑न ॥
babhrāṇaḥ | sūno iti | sahasaḥ | vi | adyaut | dadhānaḥ | śukrā | rabhasā | vapūṃṣi | ścotanti | dhārāḥ | madhunaḥ | ghṛtasya | vṛṣā | yatra | vavṛdhe | kāvyena
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4×11
Energetic and expansive; strong lift on the opening pāda matching ‘flashing wide’.
Invigorates will and confidence; stimulates a bright, upward-moving force.
- सहसः सू॑नु (sahasaḥ sūnu)
- Literal: son of force. Symbolic: will born of tapas/spiritual energy
- वि अद्यौत् (vy adyaud)
- Literal: flashed forth widely. Symbolic: sudden expansion/illumination in consciousness
- शुक्रा (śukrā)
- Literal: bright. Symbolic: luminous forms of thought and action
- रभसा (rabhasā)
- Literal: impetuous, swift. Symbolic: dynamic life-force harnessed by the divine will
- वपूंषि (vapūṃṣi)
- Literal: forms/bodies. Symbolic: configurations of inner power expressing outwardly
- धाराः (dhārāḥ)
- Literal: streams. Symbolic: continuous flows of energy/insight
- मधु (madhu)
- Literal: honey. Symbolic: ananda, sweetness of realization
- घृत (ghṛta)
- Literal: ghee. Symbolic: clarified light-substance
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: potent creative force; victorious strength
- काव्य (kāvya)
- Literal: seer-poetry, inspired art. Symbolic: mantric intuition shaping consciousness
Agni praised as the luminous carrier of offerings in Soma liturgy; mantra emphasizes the dripping ghṛta/madhu in oblation and its inner counterpart (increase of inspired power).
When invoking Agni’s growth and potency; during ājya oblations.
Offer ghṛta while affirming the flow of madhu/ghṛta as inner and outer prosperity.
Use before creative work or disciplined action to align speed (rabhas) with light (śukra) and inspiration (kāvya).
babhrāṇa (from √bhṛ/√babh? traditional epithet for ruddy shining; denotes Agni’s tawny blaze). sahas (PIE *seǵʰ- ‘to have power’ in sense family; Vedic sahas = might, force). adyaut (aorist of √dyut ‘to shine, flash’). śukra (√śuc ‘to shine, be bright/pure’). dhārā (√dhṛ ‘to hold’ → ‘that which is held/continuous stream’). vṛṣan ‘bull’ (√vṛṣ ‘to rain, be virile/pour’), linking ‘bull’ with ‘outpouring’ power; supports psychological reading of fertilizing force.
Tapas/force (sahas), Mantra-kāvya as formative vision, Ananda (madhu)
Kāvya implies right formulation—speech aligned to ṛta—by which Agni grows rightly, not chaotically.
Inspired seeing shapes force into truth-forms.
Growth of the creative fire releases honeyed streams—bliss as a sign of right manifestation.
Mantra-yoga / integral psychology of speech and will.
Bull = potent will; Streams = continuous energy; Honey/ghee = bliss and clarified light; Flashing wide = expansion of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as ‘Son of Force’ who grows as a Bull through kāvya (inspired speech) while the sweet streams drip: the mythic pattern is the strengthening of the divine fire by the seer’s mantra, yielding an outpouring of delight (madhu) and clarified light (ghṛta).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dyut ‘shine’ aligns with IE brightness vocabulary (cf. Latin iubar ‘radiance’ in semantic field; Germanic *teut?—general IE shine roots), while madhu is direct PIE *médʰu. vṛṣā from √vṛṣ ‘to rain/pour’ preserves an old metaphor: virility = raining/pouring, widespread in IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s kāvya is not ornament but a catalytic force: inspired formulation ‘feeds’ Agni, and Agni responds by widening his light and releasing the sweet/clarified streams—an explicit reciprocity between human vision and divine increase.
Transforming raw drive into illumined action; invoking inspired speech (kāvya) to guide energy.
Maṇipūra (power) rising toward Ājñā (inspired seeing).
Kapalabhāti (light, brief) followed by calm chanting; stop if agitating—aim for ‘rabhasā’ under control.
Dynamic, uplifted, creatively focused.
Chant, then write or speak one clear intention (kāvya) for the day; feel a bright force expanding around the head and chest while sweetness settles in the heart.
Let the opening ‘babhrāṇaḥ’ rise cleanly; keep udatta prominence on sahasaḥ, śukrā, dhārāḥ, madhu, ghṛtasya, vṛṣā, kāvyena.
Mark the energetic break after vy adyaud; give a strong, steady emphasis to vṛṣā yatra vāvṛdhe.
babhrāṇaḥ: aspirate bhr; long ā, sahasaḥ: h clear, not dropped, vy adyaud: separate vy-a- lightly, avoid merging into ‘vyad-’ too hard, rabhasā: retroflex/aspiration clear, ścotanti: initial śc cluster clean, kāvyeṇa: long ā; retroflex ṇ
Bright, vigorous, controlled projection.
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