Rig Veda 2.7.1: Mandala 2, Sukta 7, Mantra 1
Sukta 2.7
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
श्रेष्ठं यविष्ठ भारताग्ने द्युमन्तमा भर । वसो पुरुस्पृहं रयिम् ॥
śréṣṭhaṃ yaviṣṭha bhāratā́gne dyumántam ā́ bhara | váso puruspṛ́haṃ rayím ||
ພຣະອັງຄະນີແຫ່ງຊາວພາຣາຕ, ພຣະຜູ້ນິລະນະໃໝ່ແລະດີເລີດ, ຂໍພຣະອົງຈົ່ງນຳຄວາມຮັ່ງມີທີ່ເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍແສງສະຫວ່າງມາສູ່ພວກຂ້ານ້ອຍ, ພຣະຜູ້ດີ, ຄວາມສົມບູນທີ່ຫຼາຍຄົນປາຖະໜາ.
Word by Word
- श्रेष्ठम्
- the bestAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्मणि विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि/श्रय् ‘to lean on, excel’ > श्रेयस्/श्रेष्ठ superl.)
- यविष्ठ
- O youngest (most youthful)Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (Sambodhana; संबोधितः)Root यविष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; युवा/युवन् ‘young’ का superl. ‘youngest/most youthful’)
- भारत
- O Bhārata (Agni of the Bharatas)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (Sambodhana; संबोधितः)Root भारत (प्रातिपदिक; भरत-वंश/भरत-सम्बन्धी; अग्नेः विशेषणम्)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (Sambodhana; संबोधितः)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यु॒मन्तम्
- splendid, radiantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (रयिम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) अथवा ‘श्रेष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य सहविशेषणम्Role KarmaRoot द्यु॒मन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; द्युमत् ‘bright, splendid’ < द्युत्/द्युत् ‘to shine’)
- आ
- hither, towards (us)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (√भृ इत्यस्य सह) ‘towards, hither’Role (क्रियाविशेषण; दिशासूचक)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- भर
- bring!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया; आज्ञा)Root √भृ (भरणे)
- वसो
- O good one / O wealthy oneNoun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (Sambodhana; संबोधितः)Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुस्पृहम्
- much-coveted, greatly desiredAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (रयिम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पुरु- + स्पृह (प्रातिपदिक; स्पृह ‘desire/longing’ < √स्पृह् ‘to desire’) → पुरुस्पृह ‘much-desired’
- रयिम्
- wealth, bountyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: श्रेष्ठम् | यविष्ठ | भारत | अग्ने | द्युमन्तम् | आ | भर | वसो | पुरुस्पृहम् | रयिम् । 1) ‘भार॒ताग्ने॑’ = ‘भारत अग्ने’ (सम्बोधन-द्वयम्; संहितायां अ + अ → आ)
- 2) ‘द्यु॒मन्त॒मा भ॑र’ = ‘द्युमन्तम् आ भर’ (म् + आ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘मा’ इव दृश्यते)
- 3) ‘र॒यिम्’ इति पदान्ते अनुस्वार/म् संहितालक्षणम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni of the Bharatas, youngest and best, is asked to bring luminous wealth, abundant and greatly desired.
Inner meaning
Agni as divine Will is invoked to bring dyumant rayi—luminous plenitude: clarity, force, and right enjoyment that support the inner sacrifice. ‘Bhāratāgne’ points to the warrior-soul (bhārata) that bears and carries the light; Agni is the flame of that striving lineage in us. The ‘wealth’ is not mere possessions but the many-sided richness of consciousness (powers, joys, knowledges) that the seeker needs for integral growth.
Universal truth
True prosperity is luminous: when the will is aligned with the divine, it brings a wealth of clarity, strength, and fulfilled capacity that many desire but few seek in the right way.
Themes
Request for luminous wealth, Clan Agni (Bhārata), Plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.7.3, Rig Veda 2.7.4, Rig Veda 2.7.5
Family tradition
Fire-seer line emphasizing Agni as giver of riches—read inwardly as giver of luminous capacities.
Significance
Gṛtsamada links Agni to dyu (light) and rayi (plenitude), a key Aurobindonian theme: illumination brings true abundance of being.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- bhāratāgne, yaviṣṭha, śreṣṭha, vasu
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind), Soma (bliss), Uṣas (awakening)
Cosmic role
Best bringer of boons; awakener who leads the people (clan) toward light and prosperity.
Inner power
Power that converts aspiration into luminous capacity—energizing, clarifying, and enriching the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Prayer for rayi during Agni rites; asking Agni to bring prosperity to the sacrificer/clan.
श्रेष्ठं॑ यविष्ठ भार॒ताग्ने॑ द्यु॒मन्त॒मा भ॑र । वसो॑ पुरु॒स्पृहं॑ र॒यिम् ॥
श्रेष्ठ॑म् । य॒वि॒ष्ठ॒ । भा॒र॒त॒ । अग्ने॑ । द्यु॒ऽमन्त॑म् । आ । भ॒र॒ । वसो॒ इति॑ । पु॒रु॒ऽस्पृह॑म् । र॒यिम् ॥
śreṣṭham | yaviṣṭha | bhārata | agne | dyu-mantam | ā | bhara | vaso iti | puru-spṛham | rayim
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3×8
Invocatory and generous; forward-moving ‘ā bhara’ (bring).
Elicits confidence and uplift; supports a sense of receiving light and strength.
- भा॒र॒ताग्ने (bhāratāgne)
- Literal: Agni of the Bharatas. Symbolic: fire of the soul that ‘bears’ the light; heroic striving nature
- श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha)
- Literal: best. Symbolic: highest functioning will—choosing the true over the pleasant
- द्यु॒मन्त (dyumant)
- Literal: luminous, radiant. Symbolic: illumined consciousness; light-bearing abundance
- वसु (vasu)
- Literal: good one; wealth. Symbolic: essential richness of being; supportive resources for sadhana
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: plenitude of powers—knowledge, force, joy, harmony
Agni hymn opening request for luminous rayi; clan-Agni (Bhārata) in domestic and śrauta invocations
In praise sections seeking boons after establishing Agni’s presence.
Stuti with request for gifts; offerings accompany the ask.
Use when beginning work or study: invoke ‘luminous wealth’ as clarity, skill, and right energy rather than mere outcome.
√bhṛ ‘to bear/bring’ (bhara) is a key ‘descent’ verb: bringing higher goods into the human field. dyu ‘sky/light’ + -mant ‘possessing’ → dyumant ‘luminous’. rayi ‘wealth’ in RV often indicates abundance of powers and felicity, not merely material riches. puru ‘many’ + spṛh ‘desire’ (√spṛh) highlights the universal human seeking for plenitude.
Rayi as fullness of being, Light (dyu) as consciousness
Luminous wealth is the fruit of living in right order; Agni leads toward ṛta by right will.
Dyumant rayi as truth-lit abundance, not ego-driven acquisition.
Light (dyu) as creative principle that manifests plenitude (rayi) in ordered life.
Vedic integralism: prosperity as a sign of harmonized consciousness (not denial, but transfiguration).
dawn-to-morning (dyu-luminosity)
Sun-like radiance = illumination; wealth = capacities and harmonized energies gathered around the soul-fire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘bringing of luminous wealth’ mythologem: Agni is asked to carry dyumant rayi into the human sphere. Inwardly: the inner fire draws down radiance and plenitude, making the being rich in light and capacity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu- connects to PIE *dyew- (sky/daylight/divinity), anchoring the equation of light with the divine. √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ is PIE *bʰer- (English bear, Latin ferre), a deep IE verb used for ritual ‘bringing’ of gifts and powers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi addresses Agni as the community’s intimate divine power (Bhārata-Agni) and asks for a specific boon: luminous rayi. The reciprocity is aspirational: the human calls; Agni ‘brings’ and establishes the desired plenitude.
Receive ‘dyumant rayi’: invite clarity in mind, strength in life-force, warmth in heart.
Manipura (power) with Ajna (clarity)
Inhale imagining golden light filling the head and chest; exhale offering inertia; repeat with ‘ā bhara’.
Energized, luminous, capable.
Define ‘wealth’ as inner resources (patience, insight, courage). After chanting, write one concrete action that expresses luminous will today.
Keep udātta emphasis on ‘śreṣṭhaṃ’, ‘yaviṣṭha’, ‘bhāratāgne’, and ‘dyumantam’.
Make ‘ā bhara’ a clear imperative; slight lift then release on ‘rayim’.
śreṣṭham: ṣṭh crisp, retroflex ṣ, bhāratāgne: long ā; agne with nasal ng, dyumantam: ‘dyu’ as dyu (not ju); keep ‘manta’ smooth, puru-spṛham: spṛh has vocalic ṛ; keep it short and clear, rayim: ai diphthong clear
Bright, confident, forward-moving.
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