Rig Veda 1.70.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 70, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.70
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ दैव्यानि व्रता चिकित्वाना मानुषस्य जनस्य जन्म ॥
ā́ daivyā́ni vratā́ cikitvā́n ā́ mā́nuṣasya jánasya jánma ॥
ຮູ້ຈັກກົດໝາຍຂອງພະເຈົ້າ, ພຣະອົງມາສູ່ການເກີດຂອງປະຊາຊົນມະນຸດ, ເຂົ້າສູ່ການກາຍເປັນຂອງພວກເຮົາເພື່ອສ້າງມັນຕາມລະບຽບຂອງພະເຈົ້າ.
Word by Word
- आ
- towards; forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थकः)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- दैव्यानि
- the divine (things/ordinances)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot दैव्य- (< देव-)
- व्रतानि
- vows; ordinances; sacred lawsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot व्रत-
- चिकित्वान
- having understood; knowingParticiple (perfect active, possessive) / Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि—‘one who has known’)Role KartāRoot √चित् (चिती/चेतति ‘to perceive, know’) → क्तवत्-प्रत्यय
- मानुषस्य
- of the humanAdjective (genitival)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root मानुष- (< मनु-)
- जनस्य
- of the people; of the raceNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root जन-
- जन्म
- birth; originNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot जन्मन्- (< √जन् ‘to be born’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | दैव्यानि | व्रतानि | चिकित्वान | मानुषस्य | जनस्य | जन्म । संहितायाम् ‘व्रता’ इति दृश्यते, पदपाठानुसारं नपुंसक-बहुवचनं ‘व्रतानि’ (व्रत + आनि) इति
- ‘चिकित्वाना’ इति संहितारूपं प्रथमा-एकवचन ‘चिकित्वान’ (क्तवत्) इत्यस्य दीर्घस्वर-प्रसार/छन्दोवश-रूपम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, knowing the divine ordinances (vratāni), comes into the birth and world of humankind—entering the human condition in order to shape it according to the gods’ order.
Inner meaning
The divine Will (Agni) descends into our evolving human nature. Because it is already conscious of the higher law (daivya vratāni), it can reorganize the confused human becoming (mānuṣasya janma) into a progressive, disciplined inner sacrifice—thought, life-force, and body aligned to ṛta.
Universal truth
Transformation is possible because the higher consciousness can inhabit the human process from within; true progress comes by aligning personal becoming with universal law (ṛta/vrata), not by mere human preference.
Themes
divine knowledge, descent into humanity, law of order, formation of becoming
The seer
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Vaiśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- RV 1.1, RV 1.2, RV 1.3, RV 1.70, RV 1.71
Family tradition
Viśvāmitra’s lineage; early Rigvedic seers emphasizing the divine Fire as initiator of the inner yajña and opener of the path to illumination.
Significance
Madhucchandas is associated with the primal invocation of Agni: the seer who frames sacrifice as an inner ascent where the divine Power actively enters human birth to found right order.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- cikitvān (the conscious knower), havyavāhana (carrier of the offering), jātavedas (knower of births), ṛtāvān (possessor of ṛta)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; establishes ṛta in the manifest; awakens and carries the offering (aspiration) to the gods.
Inner power
Divine Will and evolutionary flame that discerns the true law and reshapes human nature accordingly.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agniṣṭoma/Soma-yāga opening invocations and general Agni hymns used to establish the sacred fire and right order.
आ दैव्या॑नि व्र॒ता चि॑कि॒त्वाना मानु॑षस्य॒ जन॑स्य॒ जन्म॑ ॥
आ । दैव्या॑नि । व्र॒ता । चि॒कि॒त्वान् । आ । मानु॑षस्य । जन॑स्य । जन्म॑ ॥
ā | daivyāni | vratā | cikitvān | ā | mānuṣasya | janasya | janma
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (with Vedic resolution/variations possible)
Forward-driving, declarative, suited to proclamations of power and law.
Creates a steady ascent-feel: the mind is carried in a firm stride, supportive of resolve and alignment to inner discipline (vrata).
- दैव्यानि व्रता (daivyāni vratā)
- Literal: divine laws/ordinances. Symbolic: the right workings of Truth (ṛta) that govern higher consciousness and the inner sacrifice
- चिकित्वान् (cikitvān)
- Literal: knowing, discerning. Symbolic: the awakened intelligence in the flame—Agni as conscious guide of evolution
- मानुषस्य जनस्य जन्म (mānuṣasya janasya janma)
- Literal: the birth of the human people. Symbolic: our human becoming—psychophysical formation and evolving nature into which the divine enters
- आ (ā)
- Literal: towards, hither; intensifier. Symbolic: descent/approach of the divine power into the field of human life
Invokes Agni’s presence in human ‘birth’—apt for kindling and for rites marking initiation/renewal, emphasizing alignment of human life with divine vratā.
At kindling/establishing Agni; at the beginning of recitation sequences to invoke right functioning of the rite.
Āhavana kindling, oblations (āhuti), recitation to invite Agni as knower of the rite.
Before meditation or purposeful work: recite to invoke inner discipline—‘let the higher law enter my human becoming’.
from √cit: the ‘knower’ aspect of Agni (kavi). janma from √jan: not only physical birth but process of becoming/manifestation. The double ā marks a twofold movement: Agni’s approach from the divine order into human becoming.
divine vratā as r̥ta, incarnation/descent of divine power into human becoming (janma)
Explicit: ‘daivyāni vratā’ are the operative forms of ṛta; Agni is the agent who installs them in human life.
Truth becomes effective in life when embodied as law/discipline (vrata) rather than concept.
Divine descent into human birth as a principle of evolution—conscious force shaping becoming.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic evolutionism (as read by Aurobindo/Kashyap): consciousness-force entering matter-life-mind.
Fire = awakened will; birth = formation of the psychological person; divine laws = rhythms of higher consciousness organizing the lower nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘descent of the knower-fire into human birth’: Agni, bearer of divine laws, enters the human field to govern becoming by r̥ta—an archetype of divine embodiment for transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gen/√jan ‘be born’ is a major IE root (cf. Latin gignō, English kin). √cit ‘perceive/know’ is Indo-Iranian (Avestan cit-) and anchors the cognitive role of the deity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi recognizes Agni not merely as a ritual fire but as a conscious power entering human life to educate it by divine order; the human ‘birth’ becomes a field for divine governance.
Invite the ‘conscious flame’ to enter the day’s actions and reorganize them by a higher standard.
maṇipūra (fire/will center)
Slow nāsikā breathing with a gentle internal ‘kindling’ on exhale; pause briefly to feel order settling in.
Collected, upright, law-aligned awareness (ṛta-cit).
Repeat while recalling one area of life needing order; offer it inwardly to Agni as a vow (vrata) to be reshaped.
Vedic accenting per saṃhitā: maintain udatta peaks on accented syllables; svarita as falling tone after udatta; anudatta as low/level.
Keep ‘daivyā́ni’ and ‘vratā́’ with clear accentual lift; avoid flattening ‘cikitvā́n’—let the ‘-vā́n’ carry the cadence.
: ‘ai’ as in ‘aisle’, not ‘e’, : cluster ‘vr’ cleanly; long ‘ā’ sustained, : retroflex ‘ṭv’ not present—keep ‘tva’ dental; final ‘n’ lightly nasalized, : ‘ṣ’ cerebral, not ‘s’
Clear, steady, slightly ascending on udatta; warm resonance (fire-quality).
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