Rig Veda 7.1.6: Mandala 7, Sukta 1, Mantra 6
Sukta 7.1
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
उप यमेति युवतिः सुदक्षं दोषा वस्तोर्हविष्मती घृताची । उप स्वैनमरमतिर्वसूयुः ॥
úpa yám eti yuvatíḥ su-dákṣaṃ doṣā́ vástoḥ havíṣmatī ghṛtā́cī | úpa svā́ enam arámatir vasūyúḥ ||
彼に近づくは若き花嫁――夜と曙――供物を携え、酥油のごとく甘く流れ、巧みなる者に寄り添う。さらに彼に近づくはアラマティ（Aramati）、われら自身の霊の富を求むる志。
Word by Word
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/निपात)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यम्
- whom/which (him)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग?; द्वितीया-एकवचन (enclitic acc. sg.)Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एति
- goes, approachesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot इ (धातु)
- युवतिः
- the young womanNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot युवति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुदक्षम्
- very capable, well-skilledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (यम् इति सर्वनाम्नः विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot सु-दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- दोषा
- NightNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot दोषा (प्रातिपदिक)
- वस्तोः
- of Dawn / of daybreakNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक), षष्ठी-एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot वस्तु/वस्तु (वस्तु ‘daybreak/dawn’ as Vedic noun; prātipadika: वस्तु/वस्तु-)
- हविष्मती
- possessing oblation (havis)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (दोषा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot हविष्मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृताची
- with ghee as her garment/covering; ghee-cladAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (दोषा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot घृताची (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/निपात)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्वेनम्
- with/by her own (power/means)Pronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (instrumental sg.)Role KaraṇaRoot स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अरमतिः
- Aramati (personified devotion/zeal), readinessNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot अरमति (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसूयुः
- desiring wealth/goodsAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (अरमतिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वसूयु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उप | यम् | एति | युवतिः | सुदक्षम् | दोषा | वस्तोः | हविष्मती | घृताची | उप | स्वेनम् | अरमतिः | वसूयुः । Sandhi: (1) यमेति = यम् + एति (म् + ए → मे)
- (2) वस्तोर्हविष्मती = वस्तोः + हविष्मती (ः + ह → र्ह, visarga before h)
- (3) उप स्वैनम् = उप + स्वेनम् (no further change; pada-text shows स्वैनम् as the accented form of स्वेनम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
To Agni comes near the young bride—Night and Dawn—bringing offerings, moving with ghee-like sweetness; and near him comes Aramati, our own seeking of riches.
Inner meaning
Night and Dawn are not merely times but alternating inner states: obscurity and illumination, rest and awakening. Both approach the ‘skillful’ Agni (sudakṣa)—the will that knows how to work in every condition—bringing the offering (haviṣ) of our experience. Their ‘ghṛtācī’ movement is the smooth, luminous flow of clarified consciousness. Aramati (right-minded devotion, patient aspiration) also approaches: the soul’s steady inclination toward inner riches (vasu), completing the circle of disciplined practice across changing states.
Universal truth
Spiritual practice must be continuous through inner night and inner dawn; devotion and right-minded perseverance turn every phase into an offering that feeds growth.
Themes
Daily approach of powers, Offering and sweetness, Steadfast devotion, Rhythm of inner practice
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.77 (Uṣas hymns in RV 7: related atmosphere), RV 7.86-7.89 (ṛta and inner sincerity themes)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha often integrates attendant powers around Agni—showing a complete inner ecology where time-powers (Night/Dawn) and devotion (Aramati) serve the central fire.
Significance
The seer highlights continuity of the sacrifice across changing states—an important yogic key: offering persists through both obscurity and illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Doṣā, Uṣas/Vastor, and Aramati as attendant powers)
- Epithets
- sudakṣa (skillful), ghṛtācī-associated (receives clarified offering)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Rātri (Night), Aditi (right wideness), Sarasvatī (inspiration—adjacent in function to dhī)
Cosmic role
Agni as the receiver-transformer; Night and Dawn as time-powers regulating manifestation; Aramati as the power of consecration and right attitude.
Inner power
Capacity to work in both darkness and light; to turn all experience into fuel; devotion that keeps the approach constant.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning/evening fire offerings (Agnihotra) suggested by Night/Dawn imagery
उप॒ यमेति॑ युव॒तिः सु॒दक्षं॑ दो॒षा वस्तो॑र्ह॒विष्म॑ती घृ॒ताची॑ । उप॒ स्वैन॑म॒रम॑तिर्वसू॒युः ॥
उप॑ । यम् । एति॑ । यु॒व॒तिः । सु॒ऽदक्ष॑म् । दो॒षा । वस्तोः॑ । ह॒विष्म॑ती । घृ॒ताची॑ । उप॑ । स्वा । ए॒न॒म् । अ॒रम॑तिः । व॒सु॒ऽयुः ॥
upa | yam | eti | yuvatiḥ | su-dakṣam | doṣā | vastoḥ | haviṣmatī | ghṛtācī | upa | svā | enam | aramatiḥ | vasu-yuḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Gentle approach and return; flowing imagery balanced by steady cadence.
Creates a sense of cyclical continuity—good for evening/morning practice transitions.
- युवतिः (yuvatiḥ)
- Literal: young woman/bride. Symbolic: ever-renewing power that approaches union; freshness of awakening
- दोषा वस्तोः (doṣā vastoḥ)
- Literal: Night and Dawn. Symbolic: alternation of obscurity and illumination; subconscious and conscious opening
- हविष्मती (haviṣmatī)
- Literal: bearing the oblation. Symbolic: states that bring material for transformation—experience offered to the fire
- घृताची (ghṛtācī)
- Literal: moving with ghee; ghee-tongued. Symbolic: smooth, clarified, luminous movement of consciousness; sweetness of offering
- सुदक्षम् (sudakṣam)
- Literal: skillful, capable. Symbolic: Agni as wise will: right discernment in action
- अरमतिः (aramatiḥ)
- Literal: Aramati (a goddess); right-mindedness, devotion. Symbolic: patient aspiration, obedient intelligence, the power of consecration
- वसूयुः (vasūyuḥ)
- Literal: desiring riches. Symbolic: seeking spiritual wealth: light, strength, joy, truth
Daily-cycle invocation (evening/morning) with offerings; integrates cosmic rhythms (Night/Dawn) into the maintenance of Agni.
At dusk and dawn; also whenever transitioning between rest and activity
Offering ghee; invoking continuity of sacred attention across time
Use as a bridge mantra at bedtime and upon waking: offer the day’s experiences into Agni; renew aspiration with Aramati (patient devotion).
(doṣā́) night; vastoḥ (vástōḥ) dawn/daybreak-related. (ghṛta) from √ghṛ ‘to sprinkle’ but Vedic symbol: clarified light/intelligence; ghṛtācī ‘moving in ghṛta’ = flowing in luminous sweetness. Aramati from ara- (fitting, right) + mati (thought from √man): right-ordered thinking/devotion; later one of the Ādityas/earthly steadfastness. vasu-yu (vasūyú) ‘desiring vasu’: aspiration for essential plenitude.
Dakṣa (skill in right formation), Ghṛta as clarified light of understanding, Aramati as steadfast right-thought/devotion
Rhythmic alternation of Night/Dawn expresses ṛta; right practice aligns with these cycles inwardly.
Ghṛta symbolizes clarified truth-substance; offerings become luminous when purified.
Daily re-creation: dawn as renewal; night as incubation—both serve the growth of consciousness.
Integral Vedic yoga: transformation of all states (waking/dream/sleep analogues) into sacrifice.
dusk and dawn
Night = subconscious inertia/hidden processing; Dawn = awakening illumination; ghee = clarified mind-substance; fire = transforming will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Night and Dawn as the ‘young bride’ approach Agni with offerings, and Aramati comes near as the spirit’s right-minded devotion. Mythically, cosmic times serve the fire; psychologically, alternating states (darkness and awakening) bring oblation to the inner will, supported by steadfast aspiration for true riches.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mati ‘thought’ from √man continues PIE *men- ‘think’ (Greek μένος, Latin mens). The pairing of Night/Dawn reflects an inherited Indo-European poetic binary of darkness/light cycles, encoded in formulaic collocations across IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Agni is portrayed as the skilled center whom cosmic rhythms and inner virtues naturally approach. The rishi’s stance is to align daily consciousness (night-to-dawn transitions) and devotion (Aramati) so the inner fire receives constant, sweetened offering and grows in ordered power.
Offer both clarity and confusion to the inner fire; cultivate Aramati—patient, right-minded devotion.
Anāhata (devotion/Aramati) with support to Ājñā (dawn-illumination)
Evening: lengthen exhale to release into Night; morning: slightly lengthen inhale to invite Dawn; mentally repeat ‘upa yam eti’.
Continuity across transitions; receptive, consecrated attention.
At day’s end, review experiences without judgment and offer them to Agni; on waking, kindle a small intention and let Aramati sustain it through the day.
Precise svara requires the accent-marked saṃhitā of the śākhā; keep a gentle rise on ‘upa’ invocations and maintain smoothness on ‘ghṛtācī’.
Do not rush the compound ‘doṣā vastoḥ’; keep it as a paired unity. Slight caesura after ‘ghṛtācī’.
(yuvatiḥ): clear ‘yu’ glide, (sudakṣam): retroflex ṣ; ‘kṣ’ cluster crisp, (ghṛtācī): ghṛ with vocalic ṛ; long ī, (aramatiḥ): light ‘r’, clear short vowels
Soft, flowing, devotional; like an approach rather than a command.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
