Rig Veda 3.9.7: Mandala 3, Sukta 9, Mantra 7
Sukta 3.9
- Rishi
- Gāthina Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Karuna (compassion)
तद्भद्रं तव दंसना पाकाय चिच्छदयति । त्वां यदग्ने पशवः समासते समिद्धमपिशर्वरे ॥
tád bhadráṃ táva daṃsánā pākā́ya cic chadayati | tvā́ṃ yád agne paśávaḥ samā́sate sámiddham apiśarvaré ||
ນີ້ແມ່ນຄວາມສະຫວັດດີຂອງພະລັງຂອງເຈົ້າ: ມັນຄຸ້ມຄອຍແມ້ນຜູ້ທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ. ເມື່ອຝູງພະລັງຕ່າງໆ ມາຊຸມກັນຢູ່ທີ່ເຈົ້າ, ໂອ ອັຄນີ, ເມື່ອຖືກຈຸລະໄຟ, ເຈົ້າເປັນທີ່ພັກພໍໃຈແມ້ນໃນບ່ອນປິດລ້ອມທີ່ມືດ.
Word by Word
- तत्
- that (this act/thing)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भद्रम्
- auspicious, goodAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दंसना
- wondrous skill/deed, marvelous powerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot दंसना (प्रातिपदिक; वेदिक)
- पाकाय
- to the wise/skillful one (Pāka)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (अव्यय)
- छदयति
- covers, sheltersVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot छद् (धातु)
- त्वाम्
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- when/that whichPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्धसूचक)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पशवः
- the cattle, beastsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- समासते
- sit together, gather aroundVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot सम्-आस् (धातु)
- समिद्धम्
- kindled, well-litParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अग्निम् इति अव्यक्त-सम्बन्ध)Role Karma (of implied verb like ‘approach’/‘surround’)Root सम्-इध् (धातु) → समिद्ध (कृदन्त)
- अपिशर्वरे
- O (Agni) with/through the dark night; night-associated (epithet)Adjective/Epithetपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Role SambodhanaRoot अपि-शर्वर (प्रातिपदिक; वेदिक समास)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तत् भद्रम् तव दंसना पाकाय चित् छदयति । त्वाम् यत् अग्ने पशवः सम्-आसते समिद्धम् अपि-शर्वरे ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: तद्भद्रम् → तत् + भद्रम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: द्/त् + भ्)
- चिच्छदयति → चित् + छदयति (त् + छ → च्छ)
- यदग्ने → यत् + अग्ने (त् + अ → द्/दग्ने रूप-परिवर्तन, संहितायाम्)
- समासते → सम् + आसते (उपसर्ग-संयोग)
- समिद्धमपिशर्वरे → समिद्धम् + अपिशर्वरे (म् + अ → म् अ, संहिता-योग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
This is the blessedness of your power: it covers even the unripe in understanding. When the herds gather to you, O Agni—kindled—you are a shelter even in the dim enclosure.
Inner meaning
Agni’s effective power (daṃsanā) is a protective grace: it ‘covers’ (chadayati) even the pākā—those not yet mature in understanding—by giving them a refuge in the practice and a gradual ripening through contact with the flame. The paśavaḥ are not literal cattle but herds of energies—life-forces, impulses, sense-powers—that, when gathered and offered to Agni, become organized and safeguarded. Even in apiśarvara (the dim, enclosed condition of ignorance/subconscient gloom), the kindled flame becomes a shelter—an inner sanctuary where energies are purified and aligned.
Universal truth
A true spiritual force protects and ripens the immature parts of us. When our scattered energies are gathered around a conscious inner fire, even ignorance becomes a field of gradual transformation.
Themes
Agni as refuge, protection in obscurity, integration of life-powers (paśu)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gāthina Viśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.9 (context), RV 3.3 (Agni as protector/leader themes)
Family tradition
Viśvāmitra’s Agni hymns frequently stress protection and ordering of the human energies through the inner sacrifice.
Significance
The seer reassures that the inner fire is not only a conquering force but also a compassionate shelter that matures the unready nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Samiddha (kindled), Daṃsanā-vān (powerful in works)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (ripening illumination), Soma (nourishing delight), Varuṇa (vastness and law that contains)
Cosmic role
Guardian and purifier; organizer of energies; provides refuge in darkness while leading toward light.
Inner power
Protective transformative will that can hold immature movements without rejection, ripening them through heat and light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Household and Śrauta Agni praise for protection; recited when maintaining the fire through uncertain conditions.
तद्भ॒द्रं तव॑ दं॒सना॒ पाका॑य चिच्छदयति । त्वां यद॑ग्ने प॒शव॑: स॒मास॑ते॒ समि॑द्धमपिशर्व॒रे ॥
तत् । भ॒द्रम् । तव॑ । दं॒सना॑ । पाका॑य । चि॒त् । छ॒द॒य॒ति॒ । त्वाम् । यत् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । प॒शवः॑ । स॒म्ऽआस॑ते । सम्ऽइ॑द्धम् । अ॒पि॒ऽश॒र्व॒रे ॥
tat | bhadram | tava | daṃsanā | pākāya | cit | chadayati | tvām | yat | agne | paśavaḥ | sam-āsate | sam-iddham | api-śarvare
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4 × ~11
Gentle strength—protective cadence with a reassuring close.
Soothes fear of darkness/immaturity; encourages gathering and containment of energies.
- daṃsanā
- Literal: marvelous power/skill. Symbolic: Agni’s effective transformative capacity
- bhadram
- Literal: blessedness, good. Symbolic: benign grace of the divine force
- pākāya
- Literal: to the unripe, immature. Symbolic: undeveloped understanding; parts not yet conscious
- chadayati
- Literal: covers, shelters. Symbolic: protects and contains for ripening
- paśavaḥ
- Literal: cattle, herds. Symbolic: herds of energies/sense-powers/vital forces to be gathered
- samāsate
- Literal: sit together, assemble. Symbolic: collect the scattered forces around the inner fire
- samiddham
- Literal: kindled. Symbolic: awakened aspiration and active will
- apiśarvare
- Literal: in the dim enclosure, darkness. Symbolic: ignorance, subconscient gloom, cramped consciousness
Evening/obscurity protection motif in Agni worship; supports maintaining the sacred fire as shelter for household/rite (gārhapatya resonance)
During evening tending of the fire or when seeking protection for the household/rite.
Feeding the fire; circumambulation; prayer for shelter and right ordering.
For beginners: a mantra of reassurance—use when feeling ‘not ready’ or when inner darkness rises; gather attention around the breath-flame.
√chad ‘cover’ gives the key psychological motion: Agni’s daṃsanā is protective concealment/shelter, not mere display. paśu is multivalent: outwardly ‘cattle’, inwardly the ‘moving powers’ that must be gathered and penned around the fire of discipline. śarvarī/night marks the obscurity of the lower nature; samiddha Agni is the refuge there.
grace protecting the immature seeker, gathering of energies around a central will, light held within darkness
Agni’s sheltering containment prevents disorder while energies are disciplined into ṛta.
Immature parts are brought toward truth by sustained contact with the flame.
Light held within enclosure—consciousness growing inside ignorance.
Integral psychology: transformation includes protecting and educating the lower nature, not suppressing it.
twilight/evening (implied by shelter in dimness)
Dim enclosure = subconscious/ignorance; herds = dispersed energies; kindled fire = awakened will providing inner refuge.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the protective shelter in the night: the fire’s power ‘covers’ even the unripe, and the herds gather around the kindled flame. Mythically it is the encampment around the sacred fire; psychologically it is the integration of scattered energies around a central conscious will during periods of inner obscurity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √idh ‘kindle’ (samiddha) reflects PIE *h₁eydʰ- ‘kindle, light’ (widely seen in IE fire/light vocabulary). √chad ‘cover’ participates in an IE semantic field of covering/sheltering, though direct cognates are less secure; the functional metaphor (cover = protect) is cross-IE.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi stresses Agni’s compassionate asymmetry: even the ‘pāka’ (immature) is sheltered. The human act is to gather the paśavaḥ (energies) around the kindled fire; the divine return is protection and holding-power in the ‘śarvara’ (dark phase).
Gathering scattered energies (paśavaḥ) into a single flame of aspiration; cultivating self-compassion in growth.
Anāhata (shelter/containment) supporting Maṇipūra (fire)
Soft ujjāyī with a gentle ‘warming’ exhale; on inhale gather energies, on exhale offer them into the flame.
Protected inwardness; safe containment in obscurity.
When confusion or darkness appears, do not fight it; kindle a small steady flame in the heart/navel and let all impulses ‘sit’ around it without acting out—allow ripening.
Use Saṃhitā accents; keep a soothing contour—rises on udatta, gentle falls; avoid harsh emphasis.
Give clear articulation to 'apiśarvare'—do not rush; let the final pāda feel like a resting shelter.
daṃsanā: nasal ṃ before s; keep s dental., pākāya: long ā; do not reduce to 'paka'., paśavaḥ: palatal ś., samiddham: double d sound; clear aspiration not needed here.
Warm, protective, slightly hushed as if chanting near a hearth at dusk.
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