Rig Veda 5.4.7: Mandala 5, Sukta 4, Mantra 7
Sukta 5.4
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
वयं ते अग्न उक्थैर्विधेम वयं हव्यैः पावक भद्रशोचे । अस्मे रयिं विश्ववारं समिन्वास्मे विश्वानि द्रविणानि धेहि ॥
vayáṃ te agna uktháir vidhéma vayáṃ havyáiḥ pāvaka bhadráśoce | asmè rayíṃ viśvávāraṃ sáminvāsmè viśvā́ni dráviṇāni dhehi ||
ພວກເຮົາບູຊາເຈົ້າ, ອັຄນີ, ດ້ວຍຄໍາເວົ້າທີ່ຍົກຂຶ້ນ, ພວກເຮົາບູຊາເຈົ້າດ້ວຍການຖວາຍ, ຜູ້ຊໍາລະລ້າງທີ່ມີເປົາໄຟທີ່ປົກປ້ອງ. ໃນຕົວພວກເຮົາ, ຈົ່ງເພີ່ມພູມທີ່ຫນ້າປາຖະໜາໃນທຸກວິທີ, ໃນຕົວພວກເຮົາ, ຈົ່ງວາງຄວາມຮັ່ງມີທັງໝົດ - ທຸກຊັບສົມບັດພາຍໃນຂອງຄວາມຈິງ.
Word by Word
- वयम्
- wePronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- to youPronounत्रिलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थैः
- with hymns/recitationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot उक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- विधेम
- may we serve/offer (to you)Verbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-
- वयम्
- wePronounत्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद्
- हव्यैः
- with oblationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- पावक
- O PurifierAdjective (used as epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पावक (प्रातिपदिक; √पू/पु ‘to purify’ से)
- भद्रशोचे
- O you of auspicious flameAdjective (used as epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot भद्र-शोचि (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास; शोचि ‘flame, radiance’)
- अस्मे
- in us / for usPronounत्रिलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (वैदिक प्रयोगः ‘in/for us’)Role अधिकरणRoot अस्मद्
- रयिम्
- wealthNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्ववारम्
- all-excellent / desirable in every wayAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रयिम् विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot विश्व-वार (समास; वार ‘choice, desirable, excellent’)
- समिन्व
- bestow / set in motion (for us)Verb (imperative/ injunctive-like Vedic form)आज्ञार्थे, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (अग्निं प्रति)Role (क्रिया)Root इ (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्-; वैदिक रूप: समिन्व (सम् + इन्व = ‘set in motion, bestow, further’)
- अस्मे
- in us / for usPronounत्रिलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अस्मद्
- विश्वानि
- all (things)Adjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्रविणानि
- riches, possessionsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot द्रविण (प्रातिपदिक)
- धेहि
- place / grantVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root धा (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वयम् | ते | अग्ने | उक्थैः | विधेम | वयम् | हव्यैः | पावक | भद्रशोचे | अस्मे | रयिम् | विश्ववारम् | समिन्व | अस्मे | विश्वानि | द्रविणानि | धेहि । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) ते अग्न → ते अग्ने (सम्बोधन-एकवचन ‘अग्ने’)
- (4) अस्मे रयिम् (वैदिक ‘अस्मे’ = अस्मासु/अस्मभ्यं अर्थे, रूपतः सप्तमी-एकवचन)
- (5) समिन्वास्मे → समिन्व | अस्मे (स्वर-सन्धि/पद-संयोग में ‘आ’ दीर्घता पाठ-परम्परा; पदच्छेद में पृथक्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The worshippers serve Agni with hymns and with offerings, asking him to increase their wealth (rayi) and place in them all treasures.
Inner meaning
The seeker offers aspiration (uktha) and inner oblation (havya: clarified intention, purified energies) to Agni, the divine Will in the heart. Agni is asked to intensify and organize the inner riches: luminous capacities, right discernment, strength, joy, and instruments of the Truth-consciousness—so the whole being becomes a fit vessel of ṛta/satya.
Universal truth
When the will is purified and steadily offered to the inner Fire, consciousness gathers its scattered powers into an integrated abundance; true ‘wealth’ is the harmonized plenitude of faculties aligned to Truth.
Themes
praise and offering, request for rayi (luminous abundance), purification, establishment of inner riches
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.1, RV 5.2, RV 5.3, RV 5.5
Family tradition
Ātreya: hymns of inner fire and purification; emphasis on Agni as the awakener of the soul’s flame and protector through difficult passages.
Significance
Atri represents the seer-mind that kindles the psychic fire and calls for integral abundance (rayi) as a spiritual plenitude rather than material gain.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Pāvaka (Purifier), Bhadraśoci (Auspicious-flamed)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; carrier of offerings; establisher of ṛta through right kindling and right action.
Inner power
Aspiring will and psychic flame that converts desire into sacrifice, confusion into clarity, and scattered energies into ordered force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / general Agni-stotra in soma-related sequences
व॒यं ते॑ अग्न उ॒क्थैर्वि॑धेम व॒यं ह॒व्यैः पा॑वक भद्रशोचे । अ॒स्मे र॒यिं वि॒श्ववा॑रं॒ समि॑न्वा॒स्मे विश्वा॑नि॒ द्रवि॑णानि धेहि ॥
व॒यम् । ते॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । उ॒क्थैः । वि॒धे॒म॒ । व॒यम् । ह॒व्यैः । पा॒व॒क॒ । भ॒द्र॒ऽशो॒चे॒ । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । र॒यिम् । वि॒श्वऽवा॑रम् । सम् । इ॒न्व॒ । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । विश्वा॑नि । द्रवि॑णानि । धे॒हि॒ ॥
vayam | te | agne | ukthaiḥ | vidhema | vayam | havyaiḥ | pāvaka | bhadra-śoce | asme iti | rayim | viśva-vāram | sam | inva | asme iti | viśvāni | draviṇāni | dhehi
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, declarative, suited to invocation and command-prayer.
Builds energizing clarity and resolve; supports a steady ascent of aspiration and a sense of inner gathering (saṃ-inv-) of powers.
- अग्नि (agni)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine Will, inner priest/leader of the yoga-sacrifice
- उक्थ (uktha)
- Literal: solemn hymn/utterance. Symbolic: uplifted speech of aspiration; mantra as conscious offering
- हव्य (havya)
- Literal: oblation to be offered. Symbolic: purified movements (thought, life-force) given to the inner Fire
- पावक (pāvaka)
- Literal: purifier. Symbolic: power that refines nature, burns mixture and obscurity
- भद्रशोचि (bhadraśoci)
- Literal: of auspicious/bright flame. Symbolic: beneficent illumination that warms and enlightens
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: plenitude of inner resources—light, strength, joy, right works
- विश्ववार (viśvavāra)
- Literal: desirable in all ways. Symbolic: integral good—harmonious fullness, not one-sided gain
- द्रविण (draviṇa)
- Literal: riches, possessions. Symbolic: inward possessions of Truth—capacities for right seeing/doing/being
- सम् इन् (sam inva)
- Literal: increase, set in motion fully. Symbolic: collect, unify and intensify the powers of the being
Stotra-like service verse accompanying offerings (havis) and recitation (uktha), asking for establishment of rayi/draviṇa as the fruit of worship.
At kindling and offering moments; also as a general prayer for increase of rayi.
Recitation with oblations (ghee) into fire; praising and requesting increase.
Use as a morning ‘inner kindling’ mantra: offer breath, attention, and intention into the heart-fire; pray for integral capacities aligned to truth.
rayi-: ‘wealth’ from √rā/√ray ‘to give, bestow, shine’ (semantic overlap with ‘ray’/brightness in Vedic usage) → interpreted as luminous abundance. pāvaka- from √pū ‘to purify’ → Agni as inner purifier. draviṇa- ‘possession/wealth’ (possibly from √dru ‘to run/flow’ > ‘that which flows/comes’) → inwardly, streams of capacity held as stable acquisitions via √dhā ‘to place’.
inner offering and transformation, stabilization of realization (√dhā), integral plenitude (viśvavāra)
Agni organizes the being into ṛta by purifying and coordinating its movements.
‘Draviṇāni’ as inner possessions of Truth—faculties that embody satya in thought, speech, and act.
Increase (saṃ-inv-) as inner growth: manifestation of ordered powers from the concealed potential.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological (Aurobindonian) reading: sacrifice as inner transformation.
dawn/morning kindling (typical Agni context)
Fire = will; flame = illumination; offering = consecration of energies; radiance = awakened knowledge-force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘kindling and feeding Agni’ so that he, as purifier, returns the ‘wealth’—here re-read as luminous plenitude (rayi) and stable inner possessions (draviṇa)—to the sacrificer.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘place’ (dhehi) reflects PIE *dheh₁- ‘set, put’ (cf. Greek títhēmi). The reciprocal exchange structure (we worship → thou establish riches) matches inherited Indo-European hymn pragmatics: praise/offering as performative speech-act.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers both word (uktha) and substance (havya), acknowledging Agni as purifier; in response Agni is asked to ‘increase’ and ‘place’ the inner wealth—showing a yogic reciprocity: aspiration and offering evoke descent and establishment.
Kindle the heart-fire; offer thought and breath as ‘havya’; invoke integral abundance (rayi) as capacities of truth.
Anāhata (heart)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow inhale-offer/exhale-release synchronized with each pāda.
Collected, aspiring, luminous will.
Before chanting, feel a small steady flame in the heart. On ‘vayaṃ te…’ offer your speech and intention; on ‘asme rayiṃ…’ receive and gather powers; end by resting in quiet gratitude.
Triṣṭubh with Vedic accents (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā tradition; keep udātta peaks clear on key vocatives (agné, pāvaka, jātavedas implied in sequence).
Sustain udātta slightly higher; svarita as a gentle fall; avoid flattening vocatives and compounds (viśvavāram, draviṇāni).
Keep retroflex ḍ in (draviṇāni) clear., : pronounce ‘śo’ as palatal śa + o, not ‘so’., : articulate ‘nv’ conjunct lightly (sa-min-vā).
Bright, steady, offering-toned; not aggressive.
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