Rig Veda 4.7.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 7, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.7
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
अग्ने कदा त आनुषग्भुवद्देवस्य चेतनम् । अधा हि त्वा जगृभ्रिरे मर्तासो विक्ष्वीड्यम् ॥
agné kadā́ ta ānuṣág bhúvad devásya cétanam | ádhā hí tvā jagṛbhriré mártāso víkṣv ī́ḍyam ||
ໂອ ອັຄນີ, ເມື່ອໃດຈະມີການຕື່ນຕົວຢ່າງຕໍ່ເນື່ອງຂອງຄວາມເປັນທິດວ່າສຳລັບເຈົ້າ? ເພາະວ່າໃນເວລານັ້ນ ມະນຸດຍິ່ງຈະຈັບພຣະອົງ ແລະ ຖືພຣະອົງໃຫ້ທີ່, ຜູ້ທີ່ສົມເຄົາຣະບູຊາໃນບັນດາເຜົ່າຊົນ.
Word by Word
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- कदा
- when?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल) / प्रश्नRoot कदा (अव्यय)
- त
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी-एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘te’ = ‘तव’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root त्वद्/युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एन्क्लिटिक)
- आनुषक्
- in due order; successively; alongIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रम/अनुगमन-अर्थ)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot आनुषक् (अव्यय; ‘अनु’ + -षक्)
- भुवत्
- may it be / may it becomeVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-सम्भाव्य (वेदिक प्रयोग); 3 एकवचन, परस्मैपद (भवतु/भुवत् प्रकारः)Role क्रियाRoot भू (धातु)
- देवस्य
- of the godNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- चेतनम्
- the awareness; the perceiving mind/intentNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (यदि ‘जगृभ्रिरे’ से) / विधेय (यदि ‘भुवत्’ से)Root चेतन- (प्रातिपदिक; √चित् ‘to perceive/notice’ से)
- अधा
- then; thereafterIndeclinableअव्यय (अनन्तर/ततः-अर्थ)Role सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषणRoot अधा (अव्यय)
- हि
- for; indeedIndeclinableनिपात (हेतु/निश्चय-अर्थ)Role सम्बन्ध (particle)Root हि (निपात)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot त्वद्/युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जगृभ्रिरे
- they have grasped/heldVerbपरिपूर्ण (परफेक्ट); 3 बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot ग्रह् (धातु; √ग्रह् ‘to seize, take’)
- मर्तासः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मर्त- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विक्षु
- among the clans/settlementsNoun (locative used adverbially)स्त्री/पुं (वेदिक); सप्तमी-बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (स्थान)Root वि + क्षु (अव्यय/सप्तमी-बहुवचन रूप; ‘क्षु’ = ‘क्षु/क्षु’ ‘dwelling/settlement’ वेदिक)
- ईड्यम्
- praiseworthy; worthy of praiseAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन (त्वा = you, as ‘the praiseworthy one’ in apposition)Role कर्म-विशेषण (त्वा)Root ईड्य- (प्रातिपदिक; √ईड्/ईळ् ‘to praise’ से)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अग्ने | कदा | ते | आनुषक् | भुवत् | देवस्य | चेतनम् | अधा | हि | त्वा | जगृभ्रिरे | मर्तासः | विक्षु | ईड्यम् । 1) त॑ आनु॒षग्भुव॑त् = ते + आनुषक् + भुवत् (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’)
- 2) भुव॑द्दे॒वस्य = भुवत् + देवस्य (त् + द् → द्द्)
- 3) चेत॑नम् । अधा = विरामेण संधि-निवृत्तिः
- 4) जगृभ्रि॒रे मर्ता॑सः = पदसन्धिः न्यूनः (रे + म)
- 5) वि॒क्ष्वीड्य॑म् = विक्षु + ईड्यम् (उ + ई → वी; क्षु + ई → क्ष्वी)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, when will there be for you the continuous awakening of the godhead? For then mortals indeed seize you—adorable among the clans.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks when Agni will become uninterruptedly awake as divine consciousness (devasya cetanam)—not flickering aspiration but a continuous flame. When that constancy comes, the human being can ‘seize and hold’ the Fire: the will becomes firmly united with the divine Will, stable in all parts of life (vikṣu).
Universal truth
Spiritual power becomes effective when awakening is continuous. A sporadic inspiration cannot transform life; a steady, ever-renewed consciousness can be held and embodied amid daily activities and collective life.
Themes
sustained awakening, human holding of Agni, adoration in community, discipline and continuity
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.7.1, RV 4.7.4, RV 4.7.6
Family tradition
Vāmadeva frequently voices the aspirant’s question and urgency: not merely kindling Agni but making him continuous, stable, and universally active.
Significance
This is a classic yogic query inside Vedic diction: the longing for unbroken divine wakefulness, and the criterion of progress—when the flame can be held in all circumstances.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Īḍya, Devasya cetanam (as awakened godhead)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (awakening), Soma (delight sustaining), Indra (illumined mind that supports steadiness)
Cosmic role
Awakener of divine consciousness in the human; sustainer of the sacrificial continuity.
Inner power
Continuity of will and awareness; power to keep aspiration burning without lapse.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within an Agni-hymn sequence; could accompany kindling or renewal of fire
अग्ने॑ क॒दा त॑ आनु॒षग्भुव॑द्दे॒वस्य॒ चेत॑नम् । अधा॒ हि त्वा॑ जगृभ्रि॒रे मर्ता॑सो वि॒क्ष्वीड्य॑म् ॥
अग्ने॑ । क॒दा । ते॒ । आ॒नु॒षक् । भुव॑त् । दे॒वस्य॑ । चेत॑नम् । अध॑ । हि । त्वा॒ । ज॒गृ॒भ्रि॒रे । मर्ता॑सः । वि॒क्षु ईड्य॑म् ॥
agne | kadā | te | ānuṣak | bhuvat | devasya | cetanam | adha | hi | tvā | jagṛbhrire | matārsaḥ | vikṣu īḍyam
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3 pādas of ~8 syllables each
Compact, urgent, prayer-like; suited to direct questioning and aspiration.
Creates focused intensity and sincerity; easy to repeat as a japa-like refrain for continuity.
- ānuṣak
- Literal: in uninterrupted succession, continuously. Symbolic: unbroken continuity of awareness; sustained tapas
- devasya cetanam
- Literal: the god’s awakening/animation. Symbolic: divine consciousness actively awake in the will
- jagṛbhrire
- Literal: they seize, grasp, hold. Symbolic: stabilizing realization; making the inner fire a constant possession
- martāsaḥ
- Literal: mortals. Symbolic: the human nature capable of transformation
- vikṣu
- Literal: in the clans/settlements. Symbolic: in all life-contexts; in the many groupings of the nature
- īḍyam
- Literal: adorable, worthy of praise. Symbolic: the trustworthy divine presence in action
Prayer for sustained divine awakening in the fire; used to emphasize continuity of attention and maintenance of Agni in household and śrauta contexts
When seeking steadiness of Agni’s presence during the rite; also suitable as a brief interjected prayer
Short aspiration/question addressed to Agni; reinforces continuity of attention
A short mantra for maintaining continuity through the day: repeat when attention wavers—‘ānuṣak… cetanam’ as a reminder of unbroken wakefulness.
cetaná- from √cit 'notice, perceive' is a key Vedic term for awakened consciousness. jagṛbh- from √grah 'grasp' (PIE *gʰrebʰ- 'seize' is often compared) indicates holding the fire/power steadily. ānuṣak 'in succession' emphasizes continuity—inner discipline rather than momentary inspiration.
cetanā (awakening/consciousness), continuity of practice (ānuṣak), holding the divine force steadily (grah)
Continuity (ānuṣak) is a mark of ṛta—order not broken by inertia or distraction.
The ‘awakening of the godhead’ is truth becoming active, not merely known.
From intermittent sparks to continuous flame: evolution of consciousness in time.
Yoga of continuity (smṛti/awareness) aligned with Vedic tapas; compatible with Aurobindo’s insistence on permanence of realization.
pre-dawn to dawn implied by ‘awakening’ motif (symbolic)
unspecified
Steady flame = uninterrupted awareness; grasping fire = embodying realization in life’s ‘clans’ (contexts).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of 'seizing and holding' the divine fire: mortals can grasp Agni when his divine awakening becomes continuous. It is the archetype of stabilizing a higher consciousness so it can be retained in the human field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhū 'become' is PIE *bʰuH-. √cit 'perceive' is often linked with PIE *(s)keyt- 'notice, perceive' (with debated details). √grah 'grasp' has cross-IE seizure parallels (semantic and possible etymological links). The verse’s compact syntax is typical of inherited Indo-European hymn-prayer style: interrogative + optative becoming + result clause.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not for external boons but for continuity of divine consciousness (cetanam) in Agni. The human side is readiness to 'hold' the power (jagṛbhrire); the divine side is to become steadily awake—so the relationship is one of sustained yogic possession rather than episodic ritual contact.
Continuity of wakeful will: notice lapses, rekindle, and hold steady.
maṇipūra (steadfast will)
Simple japa on exhale; keep breath unbroken and even to mirror ānuṣak continuity.
Sustained alert calm (jāgrat-samādhi tendency).
Ask inwardly ‘When will the divine wakefulness be continuous?’ Then practice micro-renewals: every few minutes, recall the flame, offer the moment, and resume action without losing the inner contact.
Gāyatrī-style short verse: keep tonal clarity; follow udatta markings (e.g., agné, kadā́) and let svarita resolve quickly—confirm with recension-specific svara.
Because it is a question, keep the first pāda slightly lifted in tone; do not speed through ānuṣak.
agne: final e clear; ng is velar nasal, ānuṣag: ṣ retroflex; avoid ‘sh’ too soft, cetanam: dental t; short a at end, jagṛbhrire: vocalic ṛ; bh aspirated, vikṣv: kṣ cluster crisp; avoid extra vowel
Intimate, prayerful, steady (avoid dramatic fluctuation).
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