Rig Veda 1.97.7: Mandala 1, Sukta 97, Mantra 7
Sukta 1.97
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Short meter with refrain
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Bhayankara
द्विषो नो विश्वतोमुखाति नावेव पारय । अप नः शोशुचदघम् ॥
dvíṣo no viśvato-mukhā́ti nā́veva pāraya | ápa naḥ śóśucad aghám ||
ಹೇ ಸರ್ವಮುಖ ಅಗ್ನಿ! ಎಲ್ಲ ದಿಕ್ಕುಗಳಿಂದಿರುವ ಶತ್ರುಗಳಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ನಾವೆಯಂತೆ ಪಾರುಮಾಡು; ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂಟಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಪಾಪವನ್ನು ದಹಿಸಿ ದೂರಮಾಡು.
Word by Word
- द्विषः
- enemies, hatersNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (द्विषः = शत्रून्)Role कर्म (अप/पारय इत्यादि क्रिययोः)Root द्विष् (धातु) / द्विष्- (प्रातिपदिक ‘द्विष्’ = शत्रु/द्वेष्टा)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (enclitic ‘नः’ = our/of us)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वतः
- from all sidesIndeclinableअव्यय (दिशा/परिमाणार्थे) = ‘सर्वतः’Role अधिकारण (दिशा-निर्देशः)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
- मुखात्
- from the front / from the mouth (i.e., from the face/front)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अपादान (यतः-निर्गमन/अपसारण-स्थानम्)Root मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
- इति
- thus / indeed (particle)Indeclinableअव्यय (उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थकः; पदपाठे ‘अति’ इत्यस्य पृथक्करणेन)Root इति (निपात)
- नावेव
- like a boatIndeclinable (compound-like) / Noun+Particleनौ = स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; इव = अव्ययRole उपमान (उपमा-सम्बन्धः)Root नौ (प्रातिपदिक) + इव (उपमा-निपात)
- पारय
- carry across; bring safely overVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (प्रार्थना/आदेशः)Root पॄ/पॄ (धातु ‘पॄ’/‘पार्’ भावे ‘पारयति’ = पारं नयति) → पारय (आदेश)
- अप
- away; offIndeclinableअव्यय; अपसारणार्थकःRoot अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (enclitic ‘नः’ = our/of us)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शोशुचत्
- burning, blazing; fiercely harmfulVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अघम् इति सह—‘शोशुचत् अघम्’)Role विशेषण (अघस्य)Root शुच् (धातु) ‘दीप्तौ/शोचने’ → शुशोच/शोशुच (intensive/iterative)
- अघम्
- evil; sin; harmNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (अप इत्यस्य—‘अघम् अप’ = ‘evil away’)Root अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: ‘विश्वतोमुखाति’ इति दृश्यते। पद-विच्छेदे ‘विश्वतः मुखात् इति’ (मुखात् + इति → मुखाति) इति ग्रहणम्। ‘नावेव’ = ‘नौ + इव’। ‘अप नः’ इत्यत्र ‘नः’ सर्वनाम-षष्ठी (enclitic) पुनरुक्तम्। ‘शोशुचदघम्’ = ‘शोशुचत् अघम्’ (त् + अ → द्-अनुनासिक/संधि-रूपेण ‘द’ लेखनम्)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
From foes on every side, O all-faced Agni, carry us across as in a boat; burn away from us the clinging evil.
Inner meaning
The ‘foes’ (dviṣaḥ) are hostile forces within and around: doubts, cravings, anger, inertia, and adverse suggestions that attack from many angles. Agni, all-aware, becomes the ferrying power—an inner guidance that carries consciousness across the dangerous passage, while simultaneously burning the sticky residue that would pull one back.
Universal truth
In transitions and crises, the safest crossing is guided by a higher will that both protects and purifies; liberation is a passage, not a single act.
Themes
Crossing motif, Protection from enemies, Agni as ferryman of consciousness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.97.4, Rig Veda 1.97.5, Rig Veda 1.97.6, Rig Veda 1.97.8
Significance
A classic inner-protection mantra: it frames sādhanā as a crossing where adversities arise from every side and the inner Fire acts as ferryman.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- viśvatomukha, pāraya (ferrier, implied), śośucat (burning)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of obstruction), Varuṇa (protector by order), Sarasvatī (guiding flow of inspiration)
Cosmic role
Protector and guide through perilous passages; upholder of safe movement (svasti) by fire’s discernment.
Inner power
Psychic guidance that navigates attacks; transformative will that converts adversity into fuel.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective prayer for safe passage (journey, danger, illness); can be used with fire or lamp
द्विषो॑ नो विश्वतोमु॒खाति॑ ना॒वेव॑ पारय । अप॑ न॒: शोशु॑चद॒घम् ॥
द्विषः॑ । नः॒ । वि॒श्व॒तः॒ऽमु॒ख॒ । अति॑ । ना॒वाऽइ॑व । पा॒र॒य॒ । अप॑ । नः॒ । शोशु॑चत् । अ॒घम् ॥
dviṣaḥ | naḥ | viśvataḥ-mukha | ati | nāvāiva | pāraya | apa | naḥ | śośucat | agham
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2 padas; first contains the crossing image; second is refrain
Urgent petition (‘pāraya’) then purifying seal.
Instills courage and a sense of being guided; the boat-image steadies the mind.
- द्विषः (dviṣaḥ)
- Literal: haters/foes. Symbolic: adverse forces; inner resistances and hostile suggestions
- अति (ati)
- Literal: over, beyond, across. Symbolic: crossing beyond limitation; transcendence of the lower state
- नावाइव (nāvā-iva)
- Literal: like a boat. Symbolic: supporting vessel of guidance; steady practice that carries over the flood
- पारय (pāraya)
- Literal: carry across. Symbolic: lead through a passage of transformation
- विश्वतोमुख (viśvatomukha)
- Literal: all-faced. Symbolic: all-sided vigilance and protection
Protective crossing formula: used when seeking safe passage through danger/hostility, ritually and psychologically.
Before travel, during recovery, at liminal moments (moves, exams, new undertakings)
Offer a small oblation; visualize being carried across; conclude with the burn-away refrain
Use during anxiety: name the ‘foe’ (fear, craving, doubt) silently, then chant to cross beyond it.
dvíṣ- from √dviṣ 'hate' (hostility as a force). nā́vā 'boat' (PIE *néh₂us 'ship' cf. Latin nāvis). √pṛ/√par 'to cross, bring over' (PIE *per- 'through, across')—a classic IE crossing motif.
Crossing beyond hostility (dviṣ), Divine guidance as vehicle (nā́vā), Purification from agha
Crossing ‘ati’ signifies moving from disorder to ordered truth-guided life.
Agni’s all-faced seeing prevents being deceived by hostile formations.
The passage from lower to higher being; the ‘ford’ motif of transformation.
Aurobindonian: hostile forces oppose evolution; psychic fire leads safely through.
Waters = life-energy and subconscious depths; boat = disciplined practice/inner support; fire = guiding will and discernment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'crossing in a boat' mythologem: divine power ferries the seeker beyond hostile forces. In inner terms, Agni becomes the conveyance across a perilous psychological flood of opposition.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nā́vā (PIE *néh₂us) and the crossing-verb family (PIE *per-) are pan-Indo-European and appear in many traditions as the metaphor of salvation/passage—here embedded in a succinct Vedic imperative.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts agency to Agni: not merely to destroy obstacles, but to transport the consciousness to the farther shore. The refrain adds the purificatory condition—removal of clinging evil—so the passage is complete.
Crossing practice: feel a ‘threshold’ you must pass; invoke Agni as ferryman.
manipura
Inhale on ‘dviṣo no…’; brief hold on ‘ati’; exhale long on ‘nāvāiva pāraya’; refrain as final purifying exhale.
Courageous, protected, transitioning.
When attacked by repetitive thoughts, do 7 repetitions imagining each as a wave; stay in the ‘boat’ of breath and mantra until the mind quiets.
Rigvedic tones; ‘pāraya’ often takes a pleading prominence; refrain ends with firm cadence.
Keep ‘dviṣo’ clear (dv- cluster); lengthen ‘nāvā’ properly (ā).
dviṣo: pronounce dv as one cluster; ṣ retroflex, viśvatomukhāti: split as viśvato-mukhā-ti; keep long ā in mukhā (sandhi context), nāvāiva: long ā; ‘iva’ light
Protective, commanding; refrain like a decisive ‘cutting off’.
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