Sukta 9
Sukta 3.9
Vasiṣṭha (traditional for RV 3.9)
Apām Napāt (often associated with Agni’s hidden form in waters)
Gāyatrī (probable for opening of RV 3.9; requires metrical verification)
ຄຳສັນລະເສີນນີ້ສັນລະລະນາ ອາປາມ ນາປາດ - ອັຄນີໃນຮູບແບບທີ່ເຊື່ອງຊ້ອນພາຍໃນນໍ້າ - ທີ່ຖືກເລືອກເປັນພັນທະມິດຂອງພະເຈົ້າ ແລະ ຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງມະນຸດ. ມັນລະນຶກເຖິງການກູ້ຄືນ ແລະ ການສ້າງຕັ້ງໄຟສັກສິດຕາມຕຳນານ ໂດຍມາຕາຣິສວັນເປັນຜູ້ນຳມາ, ແລະ ຈົບລົງດ້ວຍວິໄສທາງຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ທີ່ພະອຳນາດຈຳນວນຫຼາຍໄດ້ຮັບໃຊ້ ແລະ ປູຊະນີຍະສັນອັຄນີໃຫ້ນັ່ງບັນລັງເປັນໂຮຕາ.
Mantras
Mantra 1
सखायस्त्वा ववृमहे देवं मर्तास ऊतये । अपां नपातं सुभगं सुदीदितिं सुप्रतूर्तिमनेहसम् ॥
ໃນຖານະພີ່ນ້ອງ, ພວກເຮົາເລືອກເຈົ້າ, ທ່ານເທບບຸລຸດ, ໂອ ມະນຸດທັງຫຼາຍ, ເພື່ອເປັນຜູ້ຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ, ອາປາມນາປາດ, ຜູ້ມີໂຊກ, ຜູ້ຖືກຈຸລະໄຟດີ, ຜູ້ຊະນະດີ, ຜູ້ບໍ່ອິດເມື່ອຍ.
Mantra 2
कायमानो वना त्वं यन्मातॄरजगन्नपः । न तत्ते अग्ने प्रमृषे निवर्तनं यद्दूरे सन्निहाभवः ॥
ເຖິງເຈົ້າຈະເດີນຜ່ານປ່າໄມ້, ເມື່ອເຈົ້າໄປຫາພະມານດາ, ນໍ້າທັງຫຼາຍ, ນີ້ບໍ່ແມ່ນການຫັນກັບຄືນສູ່ເຈົ້າ, ໂອ ອັຄນີ, ບໍ່ແມ່ນການຈາຍໃຈຈາກການກ້າວໄປຂ້າງຫນ້າ: ເຖິງຢູ່ໄກ, ເຈົ້າກໍຍັງຢູ່ທີ່ນີ້.
Mantra 3
अति तृष्टं ववक्षिथाथैव सुमना असि । प्रप्रान्ये यन्ति पर्यन्य आसते येषां सख्ये असि श्रितः ॥
ເຈົ້າໄດ້ນໍາພາພວກເຮົາຂ້າມການຕໍ່ຕ້ານທີ່ໜັກແໜ້ນ; ດ້ວຍເຫດນັ້ນ ເຈົ້າຈຶ່ງກາຍເປັນຄວາມສຸກທີ່ຈະແຈ້ງຢູ່ພາຍໃນ. ບາງຄົນກ້າວໄປຂ້າງຫນ້າໃນຫົນທາງ, ຄົນອື່ນໆ ອ້ອມຮອບແລະປົກປ້ອງຈາກທຸກດ້ານ, ຜູ້ທີ່ໃນສະພາບພີ່ນ້ອງນັ້ນ ເຈົ້າໄດ້ສ້າງຕັ້ງຢູ່.
Mantra 4
ईयिवांसमति स्रिधः शश्वतीरति सश्चतः । अन्वीमविन्दन्निचिरासो अद्रुहोऽप्सु सिंहमिव श्रितम् ॥
ຜູ້ທີ່ກໍາລັງກ້າວໄປຂ້າງຫນ້າ, ພວກເຂົາໄດ້ຕິດຕາມຂ້າມການຂັດຂວາງ ແລະ ຂ້າມຄວາມຕໍ່ເນື່ອງອັນຍາວນານ; ຜູ້ອົດທົນ ແລະ ບໍ່ຫຼອກລວງ ໄດ້ຊອກຫາເຂົາ, ຄືກັບສິງຫາວທີ່ພັກອາໄສໃນນໍ້າ, ຕັ້ງມັ່ນຄົງຢູ່ໃນຄວາມເລິກ.
Mantra 5
ससृवांसमिव त्मनाग्निमित्था तिरोहितम् । ऐनं नयन्मातरिश्वा परावतो देवेभ्यो मथितं परि ॥
ຄືກັບຜູ້ທີ່ໄຫຼໄປຕາມທໍາມະຊາດຂອງຕົນເອງ, ອັຄນີກໍເປັນແບບນັ້ນ, ຊຶ່ງເຊື່ອງຢູ່. ມາຕາຣິສວັນໄດ້ນໍາເຂົາມາຈາກທາງທິດອັນໄກ, ເຊິ່ງຖືກກະທົບອອກມາເພື່ອເທບບຸລຸດ ແລະ ນໍາມາສູ່ທີ່ນີ້.
Mantra 6
तं त्वा मर्ता अगृभ्णत देवेभ्यो हव्यवाहन । विश्वान्यद्यज्ञाँ अभिपासि मानुष तव क्रत्वा यविष्ठ्य ॥
ມະນຸດທັງຫຼາຍໄດ້ຈັບເຈົ້າໄວ້ເພື່ອເທບບຸລຸດ, ໂອ ຜູ້ນໍາເອົາຂອງຖວາຍ. ເພາະເຈົ້າເປັນຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງພິທີບູຊາທັງປວງ, ໂອ ໄຟທີ່ໜ້າສູ່ມະນຸດ, ໂດຍຄວາມປະສົງອັນຮູ້ຜົນຂອງເຈົ້າ, ໂອ ຜູ້ມີພະລັງອ່ອນຫນຸ່ມທີ່ສຸດ.
Mantra 7
तद्भद्रं तव दंसना पाकाय चिच्छदयति । त्वां यदग्ने पशवः समासते समिद्धमपिशर्वरे ॥
ນີ້ແມ່ນຄວາມສະຫວັດດີຂອງພະລັງຂອງເຈົ້າ: ມັນຄຸ້ມຄອຍແມ້ນຜູ້ທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ. ເມື່ອຝູງພະລັງຕ່າງໆ ມາຊຸມກັນຢູ່ທີ່ເຈົ້າ, ໂອ ອັຄນີ, ເມື່ອຖືກຈຸລະໄຟ, ເຈົ້າເປັນທີ່ພັກພໍໃຈແມ້ນໃນບ່ອນປິດລ້ອມທີ່ມືດ.
Mantra 8
आ जुहोता स्वध्वरं शीरं पावकशोचिषम् । आशुं दूतमजिरं प्रत्नमीड्यं श्रुष्टी देवं सपर्यत ॥
ຈົ່ງຖວາຍຂອງຖວາຍໃຫ້ແກ່ທ່ານ, ຜູ້ທີ່ຕັ້ງຢູ່ໄດ້ດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ, ຜູ້ໄວວາ ແລະ ໄຟທີ່ສະອາດ; ຜູ້ສົ່ງສາສະໜາທີ່ໄວ, ຜູ້ບໍ່ອິດເມື່ອຍ, ບູຮານ ແລະ ເໝາະສົມທີ່ຈະປາຖະຫນາສະເໝີ. ດ້ວຍການຟັງຢ່າງເຊື່ອຟັງ, ຈົ່ງບູຊາເທບບຸລຸດ.
Mantra 9
त्रीणि शता त्री सहस्राण्यग्निं त्रिंशच्च देवा नव चासपर्यन् । औक्षन्घृतैरस्तृणन्बर्हिरस्मा आदिद्धोतारं न्यसादयन्त ॥
ສາມຮ້ອຍ, ສາມພັນ, ສາມສິບ ແລະ ເກົ້າ ພະຄຸນທັງຫຼາຍໄດ້ຮັບໃຊ້ອັຄນີ. ເຂົາໄດ້ຊົດເຊີຍພະອົງດ້ວຍນໍ້າມັນຈະແຈ້ງ, ໄດ້ປັດບົດບູຊາສຳລັບພະອົງ, ແລະ ໄດ້ຕັ້ງປະທານະບາດນັ້ນໃນບ່ອນຂອງພະອົງ.
Inside Sukta 9
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
The poets ‘as comrades’ choose Apām Napāt as their divine helper—bright, fortunate, and undefeated.
- Development
Agni’s paradox is unfolded: though hidden, he flows forth by nature; the mythic agent Mātariśvan brings him from the far realm, produced for the gods.
- Climax
A sweeping enthronement scene: vast numbers of divine powers serve Agni, anoint him with ghee, and spread the ritual seat.
- Where it settles
Agni is firmly installed as Hotṛ in his place, securing the rite’s success and the worshippers’ protection through a properly established sacred fire.
The deity: Apām Napāt
- In the VedaDescribed as the ‘Son/Descendant of the Waters,’ shining and well-kindled though concealed, auspicious, victorious, and tireless—an inner fire mysteriously present within the waters and brought forth for the gods.
- Cosmic functionMediates between hidden potential and manifest ritual flame: the latent heat/light in the cosmic waters becomes the sacrificial fire that carries offerings and establishes divine order in the rite.
- Inner significanceRepresents the awakened spark of consciousness emerging from the depths (the ‘waters’ as the subconscious/primordial field), becoming disciplined will and illumination when properly ‘churned’ and enthroned.
The seer
- VasiṣṭhaVasiṣṭha gotra (Āditya/Brāhmaṇa seer-family; traditional Vasiṣṭha lineage) · One of the foremost ṛṣis of the Rig Veda, celebrated for profound Agni hymns and for articulating the Vasiṣṭha vision of ṛta (cosmic order) and inspired speech (vāc).
Famous verses
apāṃ napātaṃ
mātariśvā
त्रीणि शता त्री सहस्राण्यग्निं त्रिंशच्च देवा नव चासपर्यन् । औक्षन्घृतैरस्तृणन्बर्हिरस्मा आदिद्धोतारं न्यसादयन्त ॥Attributes of the deity
- Hidden radiance
- Auspicious helper of mortals
- Unwearied and victorious
- Linked to Agni and the Hotṛ function
- Emergent fire from the waters (latent to manifest)
Also by this seer
- Primary seer of much of Maṇḍala 7 (Vasiṣṭha Maṇḍala)
- Hymns to Agni, Varuṇa, Indra, and the Ādityas across the Rig Veda tradition
- Associated in later tradition with the Vasiṣṭha–Viśvāmitra narrative and the Brahmarṣi ideal
The rite, step by step
- Choose/invite the deity as ally and protector (āvahana/selection of Agni-Apām Napāt).
- Kindle or re-kindle the fire, acknowledging its ‘hidden’ state and its emergence.
- Recite the bringing-forth motif (Mātariśvan leading Agni from afar; churning/producing the fire).
- Anoint/brighten the fire with ghee and establish the ritual seat (barhis).
- Install Agni as Hotṛ and proceed with the main offerings/prayers for help and right order (ṛta).
Offerings
- Ghṛta (clarified butter)
- Samidh (fuel sticks)
- Barhis (sacrificial grass/seat arrangement)
- Optional soma-related oblations in a larger soma context
Frequently Asked Questions
Apām Napāt means “Descendant of the Waters.” In RV 3.9 he is the hidden form of Agni—radiant fire present within the waters—invoked as a powerful helper.
Mātariśvan is the mythic bringer of fire. The hymn recalls how he led Agni from the distant realm and made him available for the gods and for sacrifice.
Establish the sacred fire correctly: kindle and honor Agni with ghee, prepare the ritual seat (barhis), and install him as Hotṛ so the offerings and prayers can reach the gods.
Ask anything about Sukta 9 of the Rig Veda
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