Sukta 19
Sukta 5.19
Atri (Ātreya) (traditional attribution for much of Mandala 5; exact verse-level attribution may vary by recension)
Agni (esoteric birth of Agni in the Mother; common Vedic theme: Agni born in waters/wood/earth)
Tristubh (probable)
ຄີອາທິບາດສັ້ນນີ້ຈັດພາກພຽນເຖິງການເກີດທີ່ເຊື່ອງໄວ້ຂອງອັຄນີໃນມາຕາ - ເຊິ່ງບັດຢູ່ໃນການຫຸ້ມຫໍ່ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງເປີດເຜີຍໃນຮູບຊົງທີ່ຊັດເຈນ. ມັນສັນລະເສີນພະລັງທີ່ສະຫວ່າງສະຫວັດດີຂອງອັຄນີທີ່ເພີ່ມພູມພາກແລະຄວາມຈະເລີນຮຸ່ງເຮືອງ, ແລະອ້າງເຖິງການຫຼິ້ນທີ່ມີພະລັງຂອງພະອົງໃນຮູບຂອງລັດສີແລະເປີດໄຟທີ່ເຄື່ອນໄຫວພ້ອມກັບລົມແລະຂີເຫຍື້ນ, ຊຸດເພີ່ມພະລັງຂອງພະອົງເພື່ອການປະຕິບັດ.
Mantras
Mantra 1
अभ्यवस्थाः प्र जायन्ते प्र वव्रेर्वव्रिश्चिकेत । उपस्थे मातुर्वि चष्टे ॥
ສະພາບອັນຫໍ່ຄຸມເກີດຂຶ້ນມາ ຈາກການຫໍ່ຄຸມ ຜູ້ເຊື່ອງຊ້ອນກໍາລັງມີສຳນຶກ ໃນທ້ອງຂອງພະມານດາ ພຣະອົງຖືກເບິ່ງເຫັນໃນຮູບແບບອັນຊັດເຈນ
Mantra 2
जुहुरे वि चितयन्तोऽनिमिषं नृम्णं पान्ति । आ दृळ्हां पुरं विविशुः ॥
ພວກເຂົາເຈົ້າຖວາຍ ແລະ ສັງເກດ ພວກເຂົາເຈົ້າປົກປ້ອງພະລັງອັນບໍ່ກະພິດຕາຂອງພະລັງວິລະຊົນ ພວກເຂົາເຈົ້າໄດ້ເຂົ້າໄປໃນປ້ອມທີ່ໝັ້ນຄົງ
Mantra 3
आ श्वैत्रेयस्य जन्तवो द्युमद्वर्धन्त कृष्टयः । निष्कग्रीवो बृहदुक्थ एना मध्वा न वाजयुः ॥
ໄປສູ່ສະໄຫາຂອງໄຊຕຣານ ປະຊາຊົນ ແລະ ເຜົ່າຊາດຜູ້ປູກຝັງເພີ່ມພູນຂຶ້ນໃນພະລັງອັນສະຫວ່າງ ຜູ້ມີຄໍແຫ່ນຄຳ ຜູ້ມີຖ້ອຍຄຳກວ້າງຂວາງ ໂດຍສິ່ງນີ້ ພຣະອົງເຄື່ອນໄປຄືກັບນ້ຳຜຶ້ງ ເປັນຜູ້ຊອກຫາຄວາມສົມບູນ
Mantra 4
प्रियं दुग्धं न काम्यमजामि जाम्योः सचा । घर्मो न वाजजठरोऽदब्धः शश्वतो दभः ॥
ຄືກັບນ້ຳນົມອັນເປັນທີ່ຮັກ ເປັນທີ່ປາຖະຫນາ ພຣະອົງເກີດໃນຄວາມໃກ້ຊິດຂອງພະລັງອັນເປັນຍາດພີ່ນ້ອງ ຄືກັບຄາມະ ພຣະອົງເປັນທ້ອງຂອງຄວາມສົມບູນ ບໍ່ຖືກຫລອກລວງ ບໍ່ລົ້ມເຫລວໃນຄວາມເປັນນິລະນະ
Mantra 5
क्रीळन्नो रश्म आ भुवः सं भस्मना वायुना वेविदानः । ता अस्य सन्धृषजो न तिग्माः सुसंशिता वक्ष्यो वक्षणेस्थाः ॥
ຮຽນຫຼິ້ນ, ແສງສະຫວ່າງ, ເຈົ້າໄດ້ມາຮອດ, ປົນກັບເທົ່າຖານ ແລະ ລົມພັດ, ດ້ວຍຄວາມຮູ້ຢ່າງເຕັມທີ່; ກຳລັງຂອງພຣະອົງ, ຄືກັບຜູ້ຈະໂຈມຕີທີ່ຄົມຊັດ, ຖືກລ່າງໄວ້ຢ່າງດີ, ພ້ອມຢູ່ໃນທີ່ສະຖິດ.
Inside Sukta 19
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Agni’s emergence: the concealed one awakens from coverings and is seen in the Mother’s lap in distinct form.
- Development
From mystery of birth to social/cosmic benefit—Agni’s brightness strengthens peoples and cultivators; his inspired power moves sweetly toward plenitude.
- Climax
The vivid image of Agni as a ‘playing ray’ mingled with wind and ash, fully knowing—his energies sharpened like keen assailants.
- Where it settles
The hymn settles into confident recognition of Agni’s poised forces and readiness to bear and carry—stabilizing the rite and its hoped-for gains.
The deity: Agni
- In the VedaAgni is the radiant priest (hotṛ), the hidden child in the womb of the Mother, kindled from concealment and seen in his own form as flame and ray. He is praised as bright, swift, honey-moving, and endowed with vast utterance—carrying inspiration and oblations between worlds.
- Cosmic functionMediator between gods and humans: he conveys offerings upward, brings divine powers downward, and establishes order through sacrificial fire, light, and transformative heat.
- Inner significanceThe awakening of inner consciousness: the ‘hidden one’ becoming aware within the coverings symbolizes insight arising from obscurity—breath and flame cooperating to purify, energize, and illumine the mind.
The seer
- Atri (Ātreya)Ātreya (Atri-gotra) · One of the most ancient Vedic seers, associated with visionary insight into the inner birth of light (Agni/Sūrya) and the Atris’ distinctive theological-poetic style in Mandala 5.
Famous verses
upasthe mātur vi caṣṭe
आ श्वैत्रेयस्य जन्तवो द्युमद्वर्धन्त कृष्टयः । निष्कग्रीवो बृहदुक्थ एना मध्वा न वाजयुः ॥krīḻan no raśma ā bhuvaḥ
Attributes of the deity
- Hidden-and-revealed birth (guhya-janman)
- Light/ray (raśmi), brilliance (dyumat)
- Priest and messenger of the sacrifice
- Transformer/purifier (burns, refines, clarifies)
- Allied with wind/breath (vāyu) in ignition and motion
Also by this seer
- Rig Veda Mandala 5 (many hymns traditionally attributed to the Atris/Ātreyas)
- Several Agni hymns emphasizing concealment and revelation of fire
- Later Vedic-Itihāsa tradition remembers Atri among the great ṛṣis (saptarṣi lists), with broad influence on ritual-poetic lineages
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the altar/fire-place and arrange fuel (samidh) with purity and intention.
- Kindle Agni (ādhāna/utpādana) while reciting verses that evoke the ‘hidden birth’ and the revelation of flame.
- Offer ghee into the fire, naming Agni as hotṛ and messenger, requesting luminous increase for people and fields.
- Conclude with a final oblation and a settling prayer for steadiness, protection, and well-directed force.
Offerings
- Ghee (ājya)
- Fuel sticks (samidh)
- Optional: grains/oblations appropriate to the household rite
Frequently Asked Questions
It describes Agni as a hidden power that awakens from coverings and becomes visible, and it asks that this revealed light strengthen life, work, and prosperity.
The “Mother” can be the kindling source that holds Agni—such as wood, the waters, or the earth—and also a symbolic image for the womb of manifestation where hidden light becomes known.
Because the living fire is experienced as moving with breath/wind and surrounded by ash; the verse uses this to show Agni’s intelligent, dynamic energy as it ignites and becomes powerful in the ritual.
Ask anything about Sukta 19 of the Rig Veda
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