Rig Veda 6.7.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 7, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.7
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
नाभिं यज्ञानां सदनं रयीणां महामाहावमभि सं नवन्त । वैश्वानरं रथ्यमध्वराणां यज्ञस्य केतुं जनयन्त देवाः ॥
nā́bhiṃ yajñā́nāṃ sádanaṃ rayīṇā́ṃ mahā́m āhāváṃ abhí sám navanta | vaiśvānaráṃ rathyám adhvarā́ṇāṃ yajñásya ketúṃ janayanta devā́ḥ ||
神々はヴァイシュヴァーナラを、祭祀の臍、豊穣の座、偉大なる呼びかけとして据えた。さらに、供犠の旅路の車道として、祭祀の旗印・徴（しるし）――その導きの光として生み出した。
Word by Word
- नाभिम्
- navel; hub (central point)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot नाभि- (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *néh₂bʰ- ‘navel, hub’
- यज्ञानाम्
- of the sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive) / विशेषण-सम्बन्धRoot यज्ञ- (प्रातिपदिक) < √यज् ‘to worship, sacrifice’
- सदनम्
- seat; abodeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole Karma (समनाधिकरण/अप्पोज़िशन to नाभिम्)Root सदन- (प्रातिपदिक) < √सद् ‘to sit’
- रयीणाम्
- of richesNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root रयि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘wealth, bounty’
- महाम्
- greatAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (वेदिक रूप; महतीम् अपेक्षित, परन्तु पदे ‘महाम्’)Role Karma (विशेषण of आहावम्)Root महत्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘great’
- आहावम्
- contest; summons; call-to-battle (ritual contest)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot आहाव- (प्रातिपदिक) < आ-√ह्वा/√हू ‘to call, summon’ → ‘challenge, contest, invocation’
- अभि
- towards; uponIndeclinableRole उपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण; ‘towards/over’)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सम्
- together; completelyIndeclinableRole उपसर्ग (intensive/collective)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नवन्त
- they praise; they extolVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √नु/नव् (धातु; वेदिक) ‘to praise, extol’
- वैश्वानरम्
- Vaiśvānara (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole Karma (of जनयन्त)Root वैश्वानर- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘Vaiśvānara (Agni as belonging to all men)’
- रथ्यम्
- chariot-worthy; fit for the chariot/roadAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (विशेषण of वैश्वानरम्)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root रथ्य- (प्रातिपदिक) < रथ ‘chariot’
- अध्वराणाम्
- of the rites (adhvaras)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root अध्वर- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sacrificial rite’
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root यज्ञ- (प्रातिपदिक) < √यज्
- केतुम्
- banner; signal; radiant signNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole Karma (समनाधिकरण to वैश्वानरम्)Root केतु- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘banner, sign; light; intelligence’
- जनयन्त
- they generate; they bring forthVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (णिच् causative)Role Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √जन् (धातु) ‘to beget, produce’ (causative) → √जनय्
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘god’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): नाभिम् | यज्ञानाम् | सदनम् | रयीणाम् | महाम् | आहावम् | अभि | सम् | नवन्त । वैश्वानरम् | रथ्यम् | अध्वराणाम् | यज्ञस्य | केतुम् | जनयन्त | देवाः । मुख्य संधि: (1) नाभिं यज्ञानाम्: -म् + य- → अनुस्वार (ं) लेखन। (2) रयीणां महाम्: -म् + म- → अनुस्वार। (3) आहावम् अभि: -म् + अ- → अनुस्वार। (4) सं नवन्त: सम् + न- → ‘सं’ (अनुस्वार) + न-। (5) वैश्वानरं रथ्यम्: -म् + र- → अनुस्वार। (6) अध्वराणां यज्ञस्य: -म् + य- → अनुस्वार। (7) केतुं जनयन्त: -म् + ज- → अनुस्वार। स्वर/उदात्त-चिह्न: मूल पाठ में नाभिं॑, सद॑नम्, रयी॒णाम्, म॒हामा॑हा॒वम्, न॑वन्त, र॒थ्य॑म्, अध्व॒राणां॑, य॒ज्ञस्य॑, के॒तुम्, दे॒वाः—ये वैदिक उच्चारण-चिह्न पदच्छेद के बाद भी यथास्थान ग्राह्य।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The gods fashioned Vaiśvānara as the navel of sacrifices, the home of riches, the great call of invocation; they brought forth him as the chariot-course of the offerings’ journeys, the banner-sign (guiding light) of the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The ‘navel’ (nābhi) is the central hub where all movements of the inner yajña converge: aspiration, offering, purification, and reception. Vaiśvānara becomes the stable seat (sadana) of rayi—inner plenitudes of light, strength, joy. As mahān āhāva (great summons), he is the powerful inward call that gathers the gods (higher powers) into action. As rathya (chariot-path) of adhvara (the journeying sacrifice), he provides the ordered track along which consciousness can travel safely through inner transitions. As ketu (banner/sign), he is the perceptible guiding light—clear indication in experience that the sacrifice is moving rightly.
Universal truth
Transformation requires a living center. When the inner fire becomes the hub of our practice, it organizes the journey, calls higher capacities into play, and provides unmistakable guidance through signs of growing clarity, strength, and harmony.
Themes
Center-of-sacrifice, Guidance-sign (ketu), Plenitude-seat (rayi-sadana), Yajña-as-journey
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja lineage seers (specific rishi uncertain)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.7.1 (installation of Vaiśvānara), RV 6.7.3 (birth of vipra and heroes from Agni), RV 6.7.4 (Agni between the two parents)
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns often map yajña onto an inner journey, with Agni as hub and guide; this verse explicitly uses ‘hub/road/banner’ imagery for inner organization.
Significance
A concise psychology of practice: establish the center (nābhi), the dwelling of plenitudes (sadana), the aspiration-call (āhāva), the path (rathya), and the guidance-sign (ketu).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Epithets
- nābhi of yajñas, sadana of rayi, mahān āhāva, rathya of adhvara, ketu of yajña
- Related deities
- Maruts (dynamic life-forces), Indra (illumination-force), Soma (delight that sustains the journey)
Cosmic role
Central fire of the cosmic sacrifice; organizer of movements; luminous standard that leads evolution.
Inner power
Integrator: gathers scattered parts into a single oriented offering; provides a ‘track’ for prāṇa and thought; reveals guidance through inner signs.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise in the unfolding of yajña; may accompany establishing the fire as central to the rite
नाभिं॑ य॒ज्ञानां॒ सद॑नं रयी॒णां म॒हामा॑हा॒वम॒भि सं न॑वन्त । वै॒श्वा॒न॒रं र॒थ्य॑मध्व॒राणां॑ य॒ज्ञस्य॑ के॒तुं ज॑नयन्त दे॒वाः ॥
नाभि॑म् । य॒ज्ञाना॑म् । सद॑नम् । र॒यी॒णाम् । म॒हाम् । आ॒ऽहा॒वम् । अ॒भि । सम् । न॒व॒न्त॒ । वै॒श्वा॒न॒रम् । र॒थ्य॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒राणा॑म् । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । के॒तुम् । ज॒न॒य॒न्त॒ । दे॒वाः ॥
nābhim | yajñānām | sadanam | rayīṇām | mahām | āhāvam | abhi | sam | navanta | vaiśvānaram | rathyam | adhvarāṇām | yajñasya | ketum | janayanta | devāḥ
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4 x ~11 syllables
Processional, journey-like movement; suitable for ‘road/chariot’ imagery.
Creates inner coherence and forward momentum; helps the mind feel ‘on track’ rather than dispersed.
- नाभि (nābhi)
- Literal: navel, hub. Symbolic: central organizing point of the sadhana; convergence of energies
- यज्ञानाम् (yajñānām)
- Literal: of sacrifices. Symbolic: all acts of consecration—thought, breath, work, emotion offered upward
- सदनम् (sadanam)
- Literal: seat, home. Symbolic: stable inner station where plenitudes can dwell
- रयीणाम् (rayīṇām)
- Literal: of riches/treasures. Symbolic: inner wealth: rays of knowledge, powers, harmonies
- आहाव (āhāva)
- Literal: call, summons, invocation. Symbolic: the strong aspiration that calls the higher forces
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: sacrificial journey/rite. Symbolic: the progressive path of transformation through stages
- रथ्य (rathya)
- Literal: fit for chariot-road; chariot-course. Symbolic: ordered channel for energies; disciplined path
- केतु (ketu)
- Literal: banner, sign, light. Symbolic: guiding light and experiential indication of right movement
Defines Agni as the central principle of yajña; applicable as a doctrinal/structural verse in the setting of sacrificial fire and in emphasizing the rite as guided journey.
During invocations describing Agni’s centrality and guidance in the sacrifice
Circumambulation/attention to the āhavanīya fire; oblations while reciting praise
Use when beginning a meditation session or a demanding life-task: ‘make the inner fire the hub’ before proceeding.
nābhi ‘navel’ is the central binding point: psychologically the integrative center where energies converge. ketu ‘sign/banner’ also ‘ray’—a luminous marker that guides the sacrifice’s progress. adhvara is traditionally ‘non-injured/unbroken’ (a-dhvara) and suggests a continuous inner movement. ‘rathya’ (chariot-course) makes the sacrifice a journey with right tracks, i.e., Ṛta-directed progression.
Yajña as integrative practice, Ketu as guiding light of consciousness, Ṛta as ordered course (rathya/adhvara)
The ‘chariot-course’ implies ṛta as the right track of becoming; Agni embodies that track.
Ketu as truthful indication—clear seeing of what is aligned vs. distorted.
Creation as a journey guided by a luminous standard; the gods ‘fashion’ the organizing principle.
Integral yoga hermeneutics: inner yajña as evolutionary method; signs (ketu) as experiential confirmations.
Centering fire = psychic focus; road = disciplined practice; banner = intuitive guidance/inner certainty.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the navel/center and banner-sign of the sacrifice: the mythic structuring of yajña around a central fire that both gathers plenitudes and provides the guiding signal for the journey of offering.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nābhi ‘navel’ relates to widespread IE terms for the hub/center (cf. Latin umbilicus is different lexeme, but the ‘navel as center’ motif is pan-IE). The ‘chariot-way’ metaphor is deeply IE, reflecting shared heroic-ritual poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges Vaiśvānara as the organizing center of spiritual practice; by aligning with this center (nābhi), the seeker gains access to rayi (plenitude) and a clear ketu (inner guidance) for the sacrificial journey.
Establish a central inner flame; let all thoughts and breaths ‘orbit’ and offer into it; watch for ketu—clear signs of right alignment (calm clarity, steady will, spontaneous goodwill).
Maṇipūra (hub of will) integrated with Anāhata (offering)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for centering, then natural breath while visualizing a small steady flame at the navel/solar plexus.
Collected, directed, and quietly courageous; sense of a guided journey.
Chant 3 times, then sit: feel the ‘hub’ at the navel; on each exhale, offer one distraction into the flame; note one ‘ketu’—a subtle sign of increased clarity.
Needs śākhā svara for exactness; maintain crisp udātta peaks especially on key nouns (nābhi, ketu) without melodic drift.
Mark the caesura after each pāda; keep ‘vaiśvānaraṃ’ clear and even; avoid swallowing ‘adhvarāṇām’.
‘nābhiṃ’: nasal ‘ṃ’ light, not heavy hum, ‘āhāvam’: long ā in both positions; h aspirated, ‘rathyam’: dental ‘thya’ cluster clean (rath-ya), ‘ketum’: keep short ‘e’ and dental ‘t’
Forward-moving, steady; slightly more energetic than 6.7.1 to match ‘journey/road’ imagery.
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