Rig Veda 6.8.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 8, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.8
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स जायमानः परमे व्योमनि व्रतान्यग्निर्व्रतपा अरक्षत । व्यन्तरिक्षममिमीत सुक्रतुर्वैश्वानरो महिना नाकमस्पृशत् ॥
sá jā́yamānaḥ paramé vyòmani vratā́ny agnír vratapā́ arakṣata | vy àntárikṣam amimīta sukrátur vaiśvānaráḥ mahínā nā́kam aspṛśat ||
彼は最高の広き天空に生まれ、アグニ（Agni）—誓戒を守る者、法の護持者—は諸々の掟（vratāni）を守り保った。賢き力（sukratu）をもって中空を量り定め、ヴァイシュヴァーナラ（Vaiśvānara）はその偉大さにより天の頂（nāka）に触れた。
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- जायमानः
- being born, coming into beingParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शानच्)Role KartāRoot √जन् (जने) + शानच् (वर्तमानकाले) → जायमान
- परमे
- in the highestAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे (व्योमन्-सम्बन्धे), सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot परम (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- व्योमनि
- in the sky, in the highest heavenNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot व्योमन् (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- व्रतानि
- vows, ordinances, sacred lawsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्रत (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अग्नि (पुं-प्रातिपदिक)
- व्रतपा
- guardian of ordinancesNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot व्रत + पा (पुं-प्रातिपदिक; ‘व्रतं पाति’ इति बहुव्रीहिः/उपपद-समासः)
- अरक्षत
- protected, guardedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √रक्ष् (रक्षणे)
- वि
- apart, asunder; widelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- अन्तरिक्षम्
- the mid-air, atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अन्तरिक्ष (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- अमिमीत
- measured outVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्षभूत; वैदिक-प्रयोगः), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √मा (माने/मितौ ‘to measure’)
- सुक्रतुः
- of good resolve/wise in purposeNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सु + क्रतु (पुं-प्रातिपदिक)
- वैश्वानरः
- Vaiśvānara (Agni as belonging to all men)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वैश्वानर (पुं-प्रातिपदिक; ‘सर्व-नर-सम्बन्धी’)
- महिना
- by greatness, with mightNoun (instrumental of manner)नपुंसकलिङ्गे/भावे, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot महिन्/महिना (नपुंसक/पुं भाव-प्रातिपदिक; ‘महत्त्व’)
- नाकम्
- heaven, celestial realmNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot नाक (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्पृशत्
- touched, reachedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √स्पृश् (स्पर्शने)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसनम्): स जायमानः परमे व्योमनि व्रतानि अग्निः व्रतपा अरक्षत । वि अन्तरिक्षम् अमिमीत सुक्रतुः वैश्वानरः महिना नाकम् अस्पृशत् ॥ प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) व्रतान्यग्निः = व्रतानि + अग्निः (इ→अ संधि: इ + अ → य)
- (2) अग्निर्व्रतपा = अग्निः + व्रतपा (विसर्ग-लोप/रेफः: ः + व → र्)
- (3) व्यन्तरिक्षम् = वि + अन्तरिक्षम् (इ + अ → य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Born in the highest space, Agni the guardian of vows protected the vows. With wise power he measured the mid-region; Vaiśvānara by greatness touched heaven.
Inner meaning
When the inner fire is born in the highest wideness (the summit consciousness), it spontaneously guards the soul’s laws of right working (vrata-pā). Then it measures the ‘antarikṣa’—the intermediate field between earthly embodiment and heavenly mind: the vital-mental region where most struggle occurs. By its greatness, the universal will touches ‘nāka’—the luminous heaven-plane—bringing the seeker into contact with higher truth.
Universal truth
Spiritual birth in the higher consciousness establishes an innate ethical-spiritual order, then reorganizes the difficult intermediate nature, and finally connects the human with the luminous summit.
Themes
Cosmic architecture, Law-guarding, Spiritual ascent
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 6.8.1, Rig Veda 6.7.6-7
Family tradition
Aṅgirasa line: ascent through ordered planes; Agni as builder of the path and keeper of the law.
Significance
This verse is a concise yoga of ascent: birth above, ordering of the mid-nature, and contact with heaven—central to Aurobindo’s psychological reading of Vedic symbolism.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Epithets
- Vratapā, Sukratu, Vaiśvānara
- Related deities
- Indra (illumination in midspace), Vāyu (life-force in antarikṣa), Savitar (impulsion from above)
Cosmic role
Born in the highest; guardian of cosmic ordinances; measurer of the midspace; toucher of heaven.
Inner power
Establishes inner discipline effortlessly from above; transforms the intermediate nature; creates a stable link to higher consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation affirming guardianship of vrata and cosmic measurements; suitable in śrauta fire rites
स जाय॑मानः पर॒मे व्यो॑मनि व्र॒तान्य॒ग्निर्व्र॑त॒पा अ॑रक्षत । व्य१॒॑न्तरि॑क्षममिमीत सु॒क्रतु॑र्वैश्वान॒रो म॑हि॒ना नाक॑मस्पृशत् ॥
सः । जाय॑मानः । प॒र॒मे । विऽओ॑मनि । व्र॒तानि॑ । अ॒ग्निः । व्र॒त॒ऽपाः । अ॒र॒क्ष॒त॒ । वि । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । अ॒मि॒मी॒त॒ । सु॒ऽक्रतुः॑ । वै॒श्वा॒न॒रः । म॒हि॒ना । नाक॑म् । अ॒स्पृ॒श॒त् ॥
saḥ | jāyamānaḥ | parame | vi-omani | vratāni | agniḥ | vrata-pāḥ | arakṣata | vi | antarikṣam | amimīta | su-kratuḥ | vaiśvānaraḥ | mahinā | nākam | aspṛśat
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4 pādas × 11 syllables
Ascending, step-like progression across pādas (birth → guarding → measuring → touching heaven).
Gives a felt sense of climbing and establishment; stabilizes will and aspiration.
- parame vyomani
- Literal: in the highest wide space. Symbolic: summit plane of consciousness; vast inner openness
- vratapā
- Literal: protector/keeper of vows. Symbolic: the inner law-guardian ensuring right action and fidelity to truth
- antarikṣa
- Literal: mid-region. Symbolic: intermediate vital-mental field, arena of mixed forces and transformation
- amimīta
- Literal: measured out. Symbolic: re-ordered and proportioned the intermediate nature
- mahinā
- Literal: by greatness. Symbolic: by expansive divine power, not by ego effort
- nāka
- Literal: heaven, luminous vault. Symbolic: luminous mind/supramental openness; higher truth-plane
- aspṛśat
- Literal: touched, reached. Symbolic: attained contact, established conscious linkage
Used to affirm Agni as vratapā (guardian of correct performance) and cosmic measurer; supports consecration/maintenance of rite as ṛta-action.
When consecrating the fire and affirming right order; also in rites emphasizing cosmic regions (earth–mid–heaven)
Kindling/feeding Agni with clarified offering; recitation aligning three worlds
As a ‘three-level alignment’ practice: center above (wideness), harmonize mid-nature (emotions/vital), then open to higher light.
vrata from √vṛ ‘choose/will/hold’ → a chosen law, a steadfast mode of action; hence ‘inner discipline’ as well as cosmic ordinance. vyoman ‘wide space’ from vi- + √vā/√vyā semantic of widening. nāka often ‘heaven’ but psychologically ‘the summit-plane’ contacted when Agni awakens.
Vrata (law/discipline), Ṛta-maintenance, ascent to the summit (nāka-sparśa)
Vrata guarded in the highest indicates ṛta descending as stable law into the being.
Contact with nāka signifies access to higher truth-light.
Agni as world-builder: establishing relations among highest, mid, and heaven.
Integral-Vedic: descent/ascent interplay; transformation of the intermediate nature.
Highest sky = highest consciousness; atmosphere = vital-mental field; heaven = luminous truth-plane; fire = transformative will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- ‘Birth of Agni in the highest space’ and his establishment of order: the awakened flame guards the vratas and measures the midworld, culminating in contact with nāka. Mythically it is cosmogonic stabilization; psychologically it is the ignition of inner fire that secures discipline and enables ascent.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √spṛś ‘touch’ is cognate within Indo-Iranian (Avestan) and reflects a widespread IE semantic of contact/reaching; it supports the experiential nuance (not mere location). √mā ‘measure’ again signals an inherited IE cosmogonic motif: the world is ‘measured out’ rather than manufactured.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents Agni as the inner guarantor of right working (vratapā). The human counterpart is adherence to vrata; the divine counterpart is protection and the opening of the path from the mid-region of mixed movements to the summit (nāka).
Establish the ‘highest wideness’ above the head; let Agni guard inner discipline; then harmonize the mid-nature and open to heaven-light.
sahasrāra (parame vyomani) → anāhata/maṇipūra (mid-nature ordering)
Inhale: feel wideness above; hold 2 counts: ‘vratapā’; exhale: let breath smooth the chest-belly midspace; pause: sense touch of light above.
Strong, ordered, ascending openness.
Chant 3 times slowly; after each, scan the ‘mid-region’ (emotions, impulses) and gently ‘measure’ them into right proportion; end by resting awareness in a quiet luminous space above the head.
Keep pāda-to-pāda ascent: slightly lift on parame vyomani, stabilize on vratapā, broaden on antarikṣam, brighten on nākam aspṛśat.
Mark the transition ‘vy antarikṣam’ with a clear break; culminate gently on ‘aspṛśat’ (touch).
vyomani: pronounce ‘vyo’ as one glide, vratapā: keep dental ‘t’; long ‘ā’, antarikṣam: tight ‘kṣ’ cluster, aspṛśat: syllabic ‘ṛ’ clear; final ‘t’ crisp
steady and ascending; finish with a soft, luminous release.
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