Rig Veda 2.2.9: Mandala 2, Sukta 2, Mantra 9
Sukta 2.2
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एवा नो अग्ने अमृतेषु पूर्व्य धीष्पीपाय बृहद्दिवेषु मानुषा । दुहाना धेनुर्वृजनेषु कारवे त्मना शतिनं पुरुरूपमिषणि ॥
evā́ no agne amṛ́teṣu pū́rvya dhī́ḥ pīpāya bṛhád-diveṣu mā́nuṣā | dúhānā dhenúr vṛ́janeṣu kā́rave tmánā śatínaṃ puru-rū́pam íṣaṇi ||
ಹೀಗೆ, ಓ ಅಗ್ನೇ, ಅಮೃತಲೋಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಓ ಪುರಾತನನೇ, ಮಾನವನ ವಿಶಾಲ ದಿವ್ಯವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಧೀ (ಚಿಂತಾಶಕ್ತಿ)ಯನ್ನು ಪೋಷಿಸು. ನಮ್ಮ ಕರ್ಮಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಲು ದೋಹುವ ಧೇನುವಿನಂತೆ, ಅವಳು (ಧೀ/ವಾಣಿ) ತನ್ನದೇ ಶಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಕರ್ತನಿಗೆ ಶತಗುಣ ಪೋಷಣೆಯನ್ನು ದೋಹಲಿ—ಬಹುರೂಪ, ವೃದ್ಧಿಗೆ ಪ್ರೇರಕ ಇಷಣಾ.
Word by Word
- एवा
- thus, just soIndeclinableनिपात; अव्ययRoot एव (निपात) + आ (प्रगृह्य/निपात-प्रयोग)
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (possessive)Root अस्मद्
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
- अमृतेषु
- among the immortalsNoun/Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (loc.), बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot अमृत
- पूर्व्य
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचन (अग्ने विशेषण)Role सम्बोधन-विशेषणRoot पूर्व्य (पूर्व-प्रातिपदिक से)
- धीः
- insight, prayer-thoughtNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nom.), एकवचनRole कर्तृ (स्तुत्यर्थे/प्रेरक-वाक्ये विषय)Root धी (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
- पीपाय
- make (it) swell/strengthen; cause to thriveVerbलोट्/आज्ञार्थ-प्रयोग; परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पा (पिबति/पाययति) → पीपाय (वेद. रिडुप्लिकेटेड परस्मैपद)
- बृहद्दिवेषु
- in the lofty heavens / in great days (heavenly realms)Compound (Adj+N) used as Nपुं/नपुं (प्रयोगानुसार); सप्तमी (loc.), बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot बृहत् (विशेषण) + दिव (दिव्/द्यौः-सम्बद्ध प्रातिपदिक) → बृहद्-दिव
- मानुषा
- the human (folk), mortalsAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nom.), बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (सहभागी/सम्बद्ध)Root मानुष
- दुहाना
- milking, yieldingVerbal adjective (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त; आत्मनेपद-भाव; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (धेनुः सह)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot दुह् (दोग्धि) → दुहाना
- धेनुः
- the cow (giver)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nom.), एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot धेनु
- वृजनेषु
- in the settlements/clansNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (loc.), बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot वृजन
- कारवे
- to the singer/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (dat.), एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot कारु
- त्मना
- by itself; of its own accordNoun (instrumental of manner)नपुंसक/पुं (वेद.); तृतीया (inst.), एकवचनRole करण (रीति/स्वभावेन)Root त्मन् (स्व/आत्मन्-सम्बद्ध प्रातिपदिक)
- शतिनम्
- hundredfold, very abundantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (acc.), एकवचन (इषणिम् विशेषण)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot शतिन् (शति-सम्बद्ध प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुरूपम्
- many-formed, manifoldAdjective/Compoundनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (acc.), एकवचन (इषणिम् विशेषण)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot पुरु + रूप
- इषणिम्
- impulse, refreshment; nourishing bountyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (acc.), एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इषणी (इष् ‘to seek/impel’ से; ‘impulsion/refreshment’)
Sandhi Notes
- संधि-विच्छेद (मुख्य): बृहद्दिवेषु = बृहद् + दिवेषु (द् + द् → द्द्)
- पुरुरूपमि॒षणि॑ = पुरुरूपम् + इषणिम् (म् + इ → मि; पदान्त-अनुस्वार/मकार-समास-संधि)
- अन्य पद प्रायः पदपाठानुसार असंधित/प्रगृह्य (एवा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Agni, ancient one, nourish our thought in the immortal ranges and wide heavens of the human; like a milch-cow in the fields of labor, may she milk out a hundredfold nourishment, manifold in form, an impulse of increase for the doer.
Inner meaning
Agni is invoked to feed (pīpāya) our dhī—illumined understanding—so it can breathe in the ‘wide heavens’ within the human (expanded inner mind-space). The image of the milch-cow (dhenu) is not cattle but the luminous streams of knowledge and inspiration that yield in the ‘fields’ of practice (vṛjaneṣu: arenas of effort and formation). When Agni is established, the inner Light spontaneously gives a hundredfold nourishment—many-formed capacities and right impulses (iṣaṇi) for growth and action.
Universal truth
When the inner will nourishes higher understanding, knowledge becomes productive: inspiration yields practical strength and many-formed nourishment for life’s work.
Themes
nourishing thought, cow as knowledge-stream, abundance and manifoldness, inner increase
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu/Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.2.1-12 (Agni hymn sequence)
Family tradition
A seer-line attentive to dhī (illumined thought) and the productive yield of inner sacrifice—knowledge that becomes force.
Significance
He links Agni with the nourishment of dhī and the ‘cow of light’ motif—knowledge as a yielding power in the labor of transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- pūrvya (ancient), amṛta-range dweller (implied)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (as inspiration/flow, thematic), Bṛhaspati (illumined thought)
Cosmic role
Sustains the ascent from human to immortal ranges; feeds the seer-mind; releases the streams of increase.
Inner power
The transformative heat that turns insight into a living, yielding abundance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within Soma-related sequences; general invocation for prosperity and increase
ए॒वा नो॑ अग्ने अ॒मृते॑षु पूर्व्य॒ धीष्पी॑पाय बृ॒हद्दि॑वेषु॒ मानु॑षा । दुहा॑ना धे॒नुर्वृ॒जने॑षु का॒रवे॒ त्मना॑ श॒तिनं॑ पुरु॒रूप॑मि॒षणि॑ ॥
ए॒व । नः॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अ॒मृते॑षु । पू॒र्व्य॒ । धीः । पी॒पा॒य॒ । बृ॒हत्ऽदि॑वेषु । मानु॑षा । दुहा॑ना । धे॒नुः । वृ॒जने॑षु । का॒रवे॑ । त्मना॑ । श॒तिन॑म् । पु॒रु॒ऽरूप॑म् । इ॒षणि॑ ॥
eva | naḥ | agne | amṛteṣu | pūrvya | dhīḥ | pīpāya | bṛhat-diveṣu | mānuṣā | duhānā | dhenuḥ | vṛjaneṣu | kārave | tmanā | śatinam | puru-rūpam | iṣaṇi
44
4 × ~11
Expansive with a ‘milking’ flow in the latter half; balances loftiness (amṛta, bṛhatdiva) with productivity (dhenu).
First half lifts upward into wide space; second half pours downward as nourishment—felt as descent of force into work.
- अमृतेषु (amṛteṣu)
- Literal: in the immortal (realms). Symbolic: Higher planes of consciousness beyond decay and ignorance
- पूर्व्य (pūrvya)
- Literal: ancient, primal. Symbolic: Primordial will/fire present from the beginning in the soul
- धीः (dhīḥ)
- Literal: thought, insight. Symbolic: Illumined intelligence; intuitive discernment
- बृहद्दिवेषु (bṛhaddiveṣu)
- Literal: in wide heavens. Symbolic: Expanded inner mind-space; higher mental/vital ranges
- धेनुः (dhenuḥ)
- Literal: milch-cow. Symbolic: Rays/streams of knowledge and inspiration yielding abundance
- वृजनेषु (vṛjaneṣu)
- Literal: in the fields/enclosures. Symbolic: Domains of practice; formed nature where work is done
- कारवे (kārave)
- Literal: to the doer, maker. Symbolic: The practitioner who shapes life by conscious effort
- शतिनम् (śatinam)
- Literal: hundredfold. Symbolic: Abundant, multiplied nourishment and capacities
- पुरुरूपम् (pururūpam)
- Literal: many-formed. Symbolic: Diverse expressions of one light: skills, powers, insights
- इषणि (iṣaṇi)
- Literal: impulsion, seeking. Symbolic: Right urge of growth; divine prompting in action
Used where nourishment of dhī (inspired intelligence) is sought—recitation contexts emphasizing brahman, insight, and abundance of iṣ (impulsion) for the sacrificer.
During hymns seeking nourishment, inspiration, and increase for the sacrificer.
Recitation accompanying offerings to sustain ‘dhī’ and obtain iṣ (nourishment/impulse).
Use when beginning study, creative work, or sadhana—asking for dhī to be nourished and to yield many-formed capacities.
dhī is inspired vision (not discursive mind). pīpāya is an intensive/cause-like form from √pā ‘drink’ → ‘make drink/nourish’, hence ‘make the thought swell with sustenance’. iṣaṇi from √iṣ ‘seek/impel’ gives the sense of an inner urge of increase. dhenu as ‘milker’ supports the symbolic ‘streams of knowledge/light’ yielding nourishment in the field of practice (vṛjana).
dhī (inspired intelligence), amṛta (immortal plane), iṣ (impulsion of growth), bṛhat (vastness)
Right impulsion (iṣaṇi) is growth according to ṛta, not desire-driven expansion.
Dhī is nourished toward truth-perception in ‘wide heavens’.
Abundance as emanation: knowledge-streams ‘milk out’ forms and powers into the human field.
Vedic psychology of dhī and iṣ: cognition and force as one movement under Agni.
Fire = tapas/will; wide heavens = expanded consciousness; cow/milk = luminous knowledge-streams; fields = embodied practice where results must appear.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘milking of the cow’ as release of nourishment/knowledge: dhenu yields hundredfold, many-formed increase to the kāru (doer/poet). Mythically, it is the recovery and extraction of luminous abundance from the field of effort.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The cow-as-abundance image is pan-Indo-European. √pā ‘drink’ relates to PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’. √iṣ (impel/seek) corresponds to IE desiderative/impulse semantics seen in cognate traditions as ‘seeking/striving’ for gain.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Agni to nourish dhī in the wide heavens of the human being; the divine response is figured as the cow of illumination yielding abundant, manifold increase to the creative doer—Agni as the enabler of that inner milking.
Nourish dhī: hold a question or aspiration in the quiet mind and invite Agni to feed it with luminous clarity.
Ājñā (dhī) supported by Maṇipūra (Agni)
Nadi shodhana 6 rounds; then rest attention in brow; on inhale ‘receive’, on exhale ‘offer’ into Agni.
From mental wideness to inspired productivity.
After chanting, sit 3 minutes: feel a wide inner sky; then imagine ‘streams of light’ descending into the day’s work as right impulses (iṣaṇi).
Rigvedic accents; give clear lift on ‘agne’, ‘amṛteṣu’, ‘dhīḥ’.
Sustain ‘bṛhaddiveṣu mānuṣā’ with spaciousness; let the ‘dhenu’ phrase flow smoothly like pouring.
Amṛteṣu: keep ṛ short and clear., Dhīṣ: long ī; final ṣ crisp., Bṛhaddiveṣu: geminate dd lightly, don’t overhit., Pururūpam: roll the r lightly; keep long ū.
Spacious and flowing; softer in the ‘milking’ imagery to evoke descent of nourishment.
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