Rig Veda 3.28.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 28, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.28
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अग्ने वीहि पुरोळाशमाहुतं तिरोअह्न्यम् । सहसः सूनुरस्यध्वरे हितः ॥
ágné vīhí puroḷā́śam āhútam tiró-ahnyam | sáhasaḥ sūnúr asy adhvaré hitáḥ ||
ອັຄນີເຈົ້າ, ຂໍໃຫ້ພຣະອົງມາຮັບປະທານເຂົ້າຫນົມບູຊາທີ່ຖືກສະເຫນີ, ເຄື່ອງບູຊາທີ່ວາງໄວ້ພົ້ນຈາກວັນທຳມະດາ. ພຣະອົງເປັນບຸດແຫ່ງພະລັງ, ທີ່ຖືກວາງໄວ້ໃນພິທີບູຊາເປັນການສະຫນັບສະຫນູນອັນລັບ.
Word by Word
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (address)Root अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वीहि
- carry / convey (hither)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आह्वान/आज्ञा)Root √वह् (वहति) + वि-
- पुरोळाशम्
- the puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पुरोळाश- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आहुतम्
- offered / oblatedParticiple (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (पुरोळाशम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root आ-√हु (जुहोति) → आहुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
- तिरोअह्न्यम्
- (cake) kept/placed ‘behind/throughout the day’ (i.e., reserved for the rite)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (पुरोळाशम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root तिरस् (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + अह्न्य- (प्रातिपदिक, ‘दिवससम्बन्धिन्’)
- सहसः
- of might / of strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root सहस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सूनुः
- sonNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of implied ‘is/has been’)Root सूनु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- you areVerbलट्; मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (copula)Root √अस् (अस्ति)
- अध्वरे
- in the sacrifice / riteNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अध्वर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हितः
- placed / stationedParticipleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; (अग्ने/सूनुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicative)Root √धा (दधाति) → हित (कृदन्त, क्त; ‘placed’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अग्ने | वीहि | पुरोळाशम् | आहुतम् | तिरोअह्न्यम् | सहसः | सूनुः | असि | अध्वरे | हितः । Sandhi: (1) तिरः + अह्न्यम् → तिरोअह्न्यम् (विसर्गस्य ओ-आदेशः ‘o’ before vowel)
- (2) सू॒नुर॑स्यध्व॒रे → सूनुः असि अध्वरे (ः + अ → र्/उर्-आदेशः: सूनुः + असि = सूनुरसि; then written with following word: सूनुरस्यध्वरे)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is invited to come and partake of the offered puroḷāśa, an oblation set beyond the ordinary day. Agni is called the Son of Force, placed in the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the inner Fire to ‘enter’ the field of practice and enjoy the oblation that transcends habitual time-consciousness (tiraḥ-ahnyam). When Agni is awake as Sahasaḥ Sūnuḥ—born of spiritual force—he becomes the hidden support installed in the adhvara (the journeying sacrifice), sustaining the whole movement of transformation.
Universal truth
When the will is rooted in a deeper force than habit, it carries consciousness beyond routine time and becomes the stable foundation of inner work.
Themes
Agni-as-guest, Sacred-time, Agni-installed-in-rite
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Kauśika line associated with Viśvāmitra)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.28.2, Rig Veda 3.28.4, Rig Veda 3.28.5
Family tradition
A tradition of forceful aspiration: the hymns teach how the inner fire is established as the operative power of yoga/sacrifice.
Significance
The seer emphasizes Agni not merely as ritual flame but as the ‘installed’ divine energy that makes the whole sādhanā possible.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Sahasaḥ Sūnu (Son of Force)
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts, Soma
Cosmic role
The empowering principle that makes the sacrifice effective; the ‘mouth of the gods’ receiving oblations.
Inner power
Dynamic will-force that breaks inertia, enters the system, and sustains practice beyond ordinary rhythms.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invitation to Agni to partake of puroḷāśa within a Soma-sacrifice sequence
अग्ने॑ वी॒हि पु॑रो॒ळाश॒माहु॑तं ति॒रोअ॑ह्न्यम् । सह॑सः सू॒नुर॑स्यध्व॒रे हि॒तः ॥
अग्ने॑ । वी॒हि । पु॒रो॒ळाश॑म् । आऽहु॑तम् । ति॒रःऽअ॑ह्न्यम् । सह॑सः । सू॒नुः । अ॒सि॒ । अ॒ध्व॒रे । हि॒तः ॥
agne | vīhi | puroḷāśam | āhutam | tiraḥ-ahnyam | sahasaḥ | sūnuḥ | asi | adhvare | hitaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Invitational opening with strong mid-line lift; anchoring close that ‘places’ Agni firmly.
Creates a felt ‘arrival’ and then stabilization; helpful for invoking steady will before deeper practice.
- वीहि / vīhi
- Literal: come, approach. Symbolic: descent/arrival of the divine Will into active awareness
- आहुतम् / āhutam
- Literal: offered, poured into fire. Symbolic: consecrated act; surrendered energy
- तिरोअह्न्यम् / tiraḥ-ahnyam
- Literal: beyond/over the day. Symbolic: beyond ordinary mental time; entry into sacred, widened consciousness
- सहसः सूनुः / sahasaḥ sūnuḥ
- Literal: son of force. Symbolic: will born of tapas and divine strength, not ego-effort
- अध्वरे हितः / adhvare hitaḥ
- Literal: placed in the sacrifice. Symbolic: installed as the secret support in the inner journey (adhvara)
Invitation (āvāhana) to Agni to partake of offerings; frames Agni as installed in the rite, supporting the sacrificial process
At the moment of presenting the cake/oblation; as an āvāhana (invitation) tone
Calling Agni, offering, and affirming his seat in the rite
Use as a pre-meditation invocation: ‘Come, inner Fire; take this offering; support this practice beyond my ordinary day.’
vīhi ‘come!’ related to √i ‘to go’ with vi-; an invitational liturgical imperative. tiró-ahnyam: tiras ‘across, beyond’ + ahan ‘day’ (PIE *h₂egʷʰ-?; ‘day’ cognate set includes Latin dies from *dyew-; Vedic is separate but within Indo-European temporal lexicon). sahas ‘force’ (also ‘victory-power’), frequently linked with Agni/Indra as dynamic tapas. adhvara is traditionally explained as a-sacrificial rite ‘not crooked/broken’ (a-dhvara), emphasizing ṛta-like correctness.
Tapas/Śakti (sahas as force-power), Ṛta (unbroken sacrifice/adhvara)
Agni ‘hitaḥ’ indicates the right placing of power in the right order—ṛta becomes effective when force is seated correctly.
True will is not mood-based; it is installed as a constant support.
The divine force enters the formed world and holds it from within—immanence as support.
Integral-yogic psychological reading (Agni as operative will in evolution)
day (as symbol of ordinary consciousness)
‘Beyond the day’ = beyond surface waking mind into luminous wideness; fire = transformative will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the ‘installed son of force’ within the sacrifice: the divine fire is not merely lit but enthroned as the rite’s indwelling power. Psychologically, it is the establishment of a steady will-flame that carries consciousness beyond habitual time into consecrated awareness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sūnú- ‘son’ reflects PIE *suHnús (cf. Old Irish suth, German Sohn). √i ‘go’ is PIE *h₁ey- ‘go’ (cf. Greek eîmi ‘I go’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi invites Agni to ‘come and partake’—a hospitality formula that is also an inner consent: the human vessel offers a prepared substance; Agni, as sahas-born power, stabilizes the adhvara (inner discipline) by being ‘hita’—firmly set within.
Invoke the ‘Son of Force’—feel will as a stable support in the inner rite.
maṇipūra
Inhale with ‘vīhi’ (inviting); exhale with ‘juṣasva’ (offering).
Energized steadiness; beyond-habit attention.
When inertia appears, repeat ‘agne vīhi’ softly; then offer the resisted part as ‘āhutam’ and feel Agni seated as inner support.
Udātta emphasis on vocatives and imperatives; maintain clear pitch rise on ‘ágne’ and ‘vī́hi’.
Let ‘tiraḥ-ahnyam’ be slightly elongated to suggest ‘beyond the day’; land firmly on ‘hitaḥ’.
Keep ‘tiraḥ’ with visarga aspiration before vowel in connected chant., ‘sahasaḥ’—distinct h sound; avoid softening., ‘adhvare’—dh is aspirated; not d.
Invocatory and strong, then grounded at the end.
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.
