Rig Veda 3.17.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 17, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.17
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्रीण्यायूंषि तव जातवेदस्तिस्र आजानीरुषसस्ते अग्ने । ताभिर्देवानामवो यक्षि विद्वानथा भव यजमानाय शं योः ॥
trī́ṇy āyū́ṃṣi táva jā́tavedas tisrá ājā́nīr uṣásas te agne | tā́bhir devā́nām ávo yakṣi vidvā́n áthā bhava yajamā́nāya śáṃ yóḥ ||
ジャータヴェーダスよ、汝の生命の力は三つ。アグニよ、汝には三つのウシャス（暁）があり、汝の近き生まれの縁者である。彼女らとともに、知りつつ諸神の加護を得るために祭祀せよ。しかして祭主に、安らぎと吉祥なる広がりとなれ。
Word by Word
- त्रीणि
- threeAdjective (numeral)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (आयूंषि-विशेषणम्)Root त्रि- (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- आयूंषि
- lifetimes; vital spansNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (यक्षि इत्यस्य) / विषयःRoot आयुस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जातवेदः
- O Jātavedas (Agni), knower of birthsNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot जातवेदस्- (प्रातिपदिक; जात- + वेदस्)
- तिस्रः
- threeAdjective (numeral)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (उषसः-विशेषणम्)Root त्रि- (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- आजानीः
- well-born; nobleAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (उषसः-विशेषणम्)Root आजानी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषसः
- dawnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (भव इत्यस्य) / विषयःRoot उषस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ताभिः
- with those (three dawns)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (अवस्-सम्बन्धः)Root देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवः
- help; favorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अवस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यक्षि
- worship; offer (sacrifice)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot यज् (धातु)
- विद्वान्
- knowing; wiseParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तृ-विशेषणम्)Role Kartā-विशेषणRoot विद् (धातु) → विद्वस्- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अथा
- then; thusIndeclinableRole सम्बन्ध/अन्वय (क्रमसूचक)Root अथ (अव्यय)
- भव
- become; beVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot भू (धातु)
- यजमानाय
- for the sacrificerNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot यजमान- (प्रातिपदिक)
- शम्
- well; auspiciouslyIndeclinableRole कर्मप्रवचनीय-भाव/विशेषणRoot शम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- योः
- welfare; prosperityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (RV-प्रयोगः) / अव्ययीभाववत् स्थिरप्रयोगः ‘शं योः’Role Karma (भव इत्यस्य फलम्)Root योस्- (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व-भावः ‘योः’ = ‘यौ’ इति न, किन्तु ‘योस्’ ‘welfare, prosperity’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: त्रीण्य् + आयूंषि → त्रीणि आयूंषि
- जातवेदस् + तिस्रः → जातवेदः तिस्रः (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि)
- उषसः + ते → उषसः ते
- ताभिः + देवानाम् → ताभिः देवानाम्
- देवानाम् + अवः → देवानाम् अवः
- अवः + यक्षि → अवः यक्षि
- यजमानाय + शम् → यजमानाय शम्. Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are not re-assigned here
- pada-forms given are sandhi-resolved lexical padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
Three are your life-powers, O Jātavedas; three are the dawns, your near-born kin, O Agni. With them, knowing, sacrifice to win the gods’ help; then become for the sacrificer peace and a happy wideness.
Inner meaning
Agni has ‘three life-powers’—a triple force of the divine will operating in the being (often experienced as physical steadiness, vital dynamism, and mental clarity; or as aspiration, purification, and illumination). The ‘three dawns’ (uṣasas) are recurring illuminations—openings of consciousness—closely allied to Agni because the awakened will naturally brings dawns of insight. With these allied illuminations, Agni should perform the inner yajña ‘knowing’ (vidvān): not by impulse but by discriminating guidance, so that the higher powers grant protection/help (avaḥ). The fruit is śam and yoḥ: peace and a wide, happy release—an inner spaciousness beyond constriction.
Universal truth
When will is integrated in all parts of our life-force and supported by repeated illuminations, effort becomes intelligent and protected; the result is peace plus wideness, not strain.
Themes
triple dawns, Agni-Ushas alliance, divine help, felicity formula
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina line)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.17, RV 3.62, RV 3.1
Family tradition
Vision of coordinated powers: Agni (will) allied with Uṣas (illumination) to secure divine help and wideness.
Significance
Highlights a characteristic Vedic psychology: progress is rhythmic (dawns recur), and the will has multiple ‘lives’ or modes that must be harmonized.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with allied Uṣas)
- Epithets
- Jātavedas, Vidvān (knowing)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Aśvins (as bringers of dawn help), Indra
Cosmic role
Sustains life-forces and brings dawns; performs sacrifice that wins divine protection.
Inner power
Triple will-force integrated with illumination; capacity to turn insight into effective offering and peace.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation within soma/oblation contexts; also suitable when seeking protection (avaḥ) and auspiciousness for the yajamāna.
त्रीण्यायूं॑षि॒ तव॑ जातवेदस्ति॒स्र आ॒जानी॑रु॒षस॑स्ते अग्ने । ताभि॑र्दे॒वाना॒मवो॑ यक्षि वि॒द्वानथा॑ भव॒ यज॑मानाय॒ शं योः ॥
त्रीणि॑ । आयूं॑षि । तव॑ । जा॒त॒ऽवे॒दः॒ । ति॒स्रः । आ॒ऽजानीः॑ । उ॒षसः॑ । ते॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । ताभिः॑ । दे॒वाना॑म् । अवः॑ । य॒क्षि॒ । वि॒द्वान् । अथ॑ । भ॒व॒ । यज॑मानाय । शम् । योः ॥
trīṇi | āyūṃṣi | tava | jāta-vedaḥ | tisraḥ | ājānīḥ | uṣasaḥ | te | agne | tābhiḥ | devānām | avaḥ | yakṣi | vidvān | atha | bhava | yajamānāya | śam | yoḥ
44
4×11 syllables
Balanced and enumerative; the triadic counting gives a measured, harmonizing beat.
Stabilizes and integrates; the repeated ‘three’ imprints order and wholeness, ending in a soothing cadence (śam, yoḥ).
- त्रीणि आयूंषि (trīṇi āyūṃṣi)
- Literal: three life-powers/lifetimes. Symbolic: triple prāṇic-psychic force; integrated energy across levels
- तिस्रः उषसः (tisra uṣasaḥ)
- Literal: three dawns. Symbolic: recurrent illuminations: openings, insights, new beginnings
- आजानीः (ājānīḥ)
- Literal: near-born kin. Symbolic: intimate allied powers—illumination naturally born to awakened will
- अवः (avaḥ)
- Literal: help, protection. Symbolic: supporting grace of higher faculties when the inner rite is right
- शम् (śam)
- Literal: peace. Symbolic: settled harmony, quietude of the being
- योः (yoḥ)
- Literal: well-being, happy wideness. Symbolic: spacious joy, release into vast consciousness
Invocatory verse aligning Agni with dawn-powers; supports morning pressing contexts and general auspicious beginnings.
Mid-invocation, when aligning Agni with dawn/illumination powers for successful rite.
Offer ghee/havis while praying for coordinated powers and auspicious fruit.
Use when beginning a new phase (project, healing, habit change): invoke ‘three dawns’—repeatable fresh starts—so the will stays renewed and peaceful.
āyus: life-force < √i ‘go’ (life as movement/continuance). uṣas: dawn < √vas/√uṣ ‘shine, burn’ (radiant emergence). ājānīḥ: from ā-√jan ‘be born near/within’ → intimate kinship of dawns with Agni (both ‘born’ as light). śam/yoḥ: set formula for peace and well-being.
triple principle (threefold powers), emergence of light from obscurity, peace/well-being (śam-yoḥ)
The dawns are rhythmic expressions of ṛta; aligning will with them harmonizes action.
vidvān implies truth-conscious performance rather than blind effort.
Illumination (Uṣas) emerges as kin to awakened fire; order unfolds in triads.
Vedic symbolic psychology (Aurobindo): triple principle of being and recurrent illumination leading to wideness.
Dawn (explicit)
Dawn = awakening insight; three dawns = repeated breakthroughs; three life-powers = integrated prāṇa/energy across levels.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The triple dawns as allied births of light: Agni is linked to recurring emergences (uṣas), suggesting a law of periodic illumination. Psychologically, repeated dawns are successive unveilings of consciousness that support the sacrificer’s progress.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- uṣás ‘dawn’ has clear IE cognates: Greek Ēṓs, Latin Aurōra (via *h₂éwsōs). This is a classic Indo-European dawn-myth inheritance, here integrated with the Agni-cult.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests Agni to use his own triple powers (āyūṃṣi) and the allied dawn-forces to secure divine ‘avaḥ’ (aid) and to become a direct state of peace/well-being for the yajamāna.
Integrate energy in three layers (body–life–mind) and invite repeated dawns of clarity; offer each layer into Agni.
Maṇipūra (fire) supported by Sahasrāra/Ājñā (dawn of insight)
Three-part breath awareness (lower/middle/upper), then a single inward offering on exhale.
Quietly luminous; receptive to recurring insights without agitation.
When clarity comes (a ‘dawn’), immediately align one action with it. Repeat across days—three dawns symbolize persistence until the new consciousness stabilizes into peace and wideness.
Observe accents especially on the triadic enumerations; keep the final blessing (śaṃ yoḥ) gently resolved.
Give clear weight to: trīṇy āyūṃṣi, jātavedaḥ, tisra uṣasaḥ, vidvān, śaṃ yoḥ.
uṣasas: pronounce ‘u-ṣa-sas’ with retroflex ṣ., Keep ‘ā’ length in trīṇi, tisra., śaṃ: nasal anusvāra should be soft but audible before pause.
Warm, integrating tone; soften at the end to convey peace.
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