Rig Veda 5.7.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 7, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.7
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
स स्मा कृणोति केतुमा नक्तं चिद्दूर आ सते । पावको यद्वनस्पतीन्प्र स्मा मिनात्यजरः ॥
sá smā kṛṇoti ketúm ā́ náktaṃ cid dūrā́ ā́ saté | pāvakó yád vanaspátīn prá smā minā́ty ájaraḥ ||
ພຣະອົງໄດ້ສ້າງເຄື່ອງໝາຍແຫ່ງແສງສະຫວ່າງ, ແມ່ນແຕ່ໃນຍາມຄ່ຳ, ແລະ ມັນສາມາດເຫັນໄດ້ຈາກໄກ; ຜູ້ຊຳລະບໍລິສຸດ, ຜູ້ບໍ່ມີວັນບໍ່ແກ່ນ, ເມື່ອພຣະອົງກ້າວໄປຂ້າງໜ້າ ແລະ ເປີດເຈົ້າແຫ່ງປ່າ, ພຣະອົງກໍໄດ້ປ່ອຍໄຟທີ່ຊ້ອນໄວ້ໃຫ້ປາກົດ.
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- स्म
- indeed; justIndeclinableनिपातः (स्मरण/एव/खलु-अर्थे), अव्ययम्Root स्म (निपात)
- कृणोति
- makes; doesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot कृ (कर॑णे)
- केतुम्
- a banner/sign; light; signalNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards; forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम् (आगमन/आभिमुख्ये)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नक्तम्
- by night; at nightNoun (used adverbially)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role अधिकरण (काल) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot नक्त (प्रातिपदिक) / नक्तम् (अव्यय-प्रयोगः)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्ययम् (अपि/एव-अर्थे)Root चित् (निपात)
- दूरः
- far (away)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम् ‘सः’)Root दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सते
- is; abidesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (वैदिक-रूपः)Role कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot अस् (भू/सत्तायाम्)
- पावकः
- the purifying one (Agni)Adjective (substantive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पावक (प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘शोधने’ से)
- यत्
- when; asPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (यदा/यत् = ‘when/that which’—यहाँ ‘यदा/यत्’ भावे)Root यद् (संबन्ध/यत्-प्रातिपदिक)
- वनस्पतीन्
- lords of the forest; treesNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth; forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम् (प्रकर्षे/प्रवृत्तौ)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्म
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातःRoot स्म (निपात)
- मिनाति
- diminishes; destroysVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot मि (हिंसायाम्/क्षये) / √मिन् (to diminish)
- अजरः
- unaging; undecayingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम् ‘पावकः’)Root अजर (प्रातिपदिक; न + जर ‘aging’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): स स्मा कृणोति केतुम् आ नक्तम् चित् दूरः आ सते । पावकः यत् वनस्पतीन् प्र स्मा मिनाति अजरः ॥ मुख्य सन्धि-स्थलानि: (1) केतुम् + आ → केतुम् आ (अनुस्वारान्त ‘म्’ के बाद ‘आ’—यहाँ संधि-परिवर्तन नहीं, पदविभाग मात्र)
- (2) चित् + दूरः → चिद्दूरः (त् + द् → द्द्; ‘चित्’ का रूप ‘चिद्’)
- (3) वनस्पतीन् + प्र → वनस्पतीन् प्र (नकारान्त बहुवचन के बाद ‘प्र’—संधि नहीं)
- (4) मिनाति + अजरः → मिनात्यजरः (इ + अ → य; यण्-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He makes a sign of light even in the night, seen from far away; the purifier, the ageless one, when he presses forward and breaks the lords of the forest (wood), (releasing the fire).
Inner meaning
Agni is the luminous sign (ketu) in the darkness of ignorance and subconscience (night). Even when the outer mind is obscure, the awakened will signals a distant guidance—seen ‘from far’ by the higher parts of us. As pāvaka, he purifies; as ajara, he does not decay with time. ‘Breaking the lords of the forest’ (vanaspatīn) symbolically is his action on the dense growth of the vital and subconscient formations—habit-structures, inert resistances—splitting them open to release the hidden blaze of consciousness. This is the inner conquest: light appearing in night, and resistance broken by advancing flame.
Universal truth
A true inner will becomes a beacon in periods of darkness. When it advances, it breaks open rigid formations and releases concealed energy and light; purification and perseverance make the light enduring.
Themes
light-in-darkness, Agni-as-signal, purification, transformation
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya) (traditional for RV 5.7; verify)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.40, RV 5.44, RV 5.45
Family tradition
Atri’s vision often uses light-signs and the overcoming of darkness; strong imagery of illumination in obscurity.
Significance
Embodies the yogic assurance: even in ‘night’ the flame gives a sign; persistence (ajara) and purification (pāvaka) break resistance.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- pāvaka, ajara, ketu-kṛt (maker of the sign) implied
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra—parallel to breaking resistance), Uṣas (dawn that follows night), Sūrya (far-seen light)
Cosmic role
Light in darkness; purifier and breaker of inert matter; revealer of hidden fire in wood/world.
Inner power
Tapas that pierces the subconscient; beacon-like intuition that guides through obscurity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Fire-kindling and maintenance; verses describing Agni’s visible sign and his action on fuel
स स्मा॑ कृणोति के॒तुमा नक्तं॑ चिद्दू॒र आ स॒ते । पा॒व॒को यद्वन॒स्पती॒न्प्र स्मा॑ मि॒नात्य॒जर॑: ॥
सः । स्म॒ । कृ॒णो॒ति॒ । के॒तुम् । आ । नक्त॑म् । चि॒त् । दू॒रे । आ । स॒ते । पा॒व॒कः । यत् । वन॒स्पती॑न् । प्र । स्म॒ । मि॒नाति॑ । अ॒जरः॑ ॥
saḥ | sma | kṛṇoti | ketum | ā | naktam | cit | dūre | ā | sate | pāvakaḥ | yat | vanaspatīn | pra | sma | mināti | ajaraḥ
44
4 × ~11
Vivid, cinematic movement: ‘sign in night’ then ‘press forward and break’—energetic second half.
Energizes courage during inner obscurity; supports breakthrough experiences and sustained tapas.
- केतुम् (ketum)
- Literal: banner, sign, light-mark. Symbolic: inner indication/guidance; beacon of consciousness
- नक्तम् (naktam)
- Literal: night. Symbolic: ignorance, obscurity, subconscient darkness
- दूरे आ सते (dūre ā sate)
- Literal: is seen from far away. Symbolic: recognized by higher mind/soul even when outer nature is troubled
- पावकः (pāvakaḥ)
- Literal: purifier. Symbolic: force that cleanses desire and clarifies mind
- अजरः (ajaraḥ)
- Literal: ageless, undecaying. Symbolic: steady will founded in the soul, not worn by struggle
- वनस्पतीन् (vanaspatīn)
- Literal: lords of the forest; trees/wood. Symbolic: dense vital-subconscient formations; fuel of nature that must be transformed
- मिनाति (mināti)
- Literal: breaks, crushes, rends. Symbolic: pierces resistance; opens hardened knots
Kindling and praise of Agni as visible sign (ketu) in nocturnal rites; also emblematic for maintaining the sacred fire through darkness (outer and inner).
Night rites or any time the fire is a beacon; also metaphorically when seeking protection/guidance
Tending the fire, adding fuel (vanaspati), invoking purification and protection
Use during ‘dark night’ phases—depression, confusion, fatigue—to reassert the inner beacon and will to break inertia.
ketu ‘sign/banner’ functions as ‘luminous indicator’ (dyu/ket semantic field of shining/appearing); pāvaka from √pū ‘purify’ → psychological purification; mināti from √mī/min ‘to lessen, break’ → breaking open dense formations; vanaspati ‘lord of the forest’ is both literal wood and symbolic ‘growth-forms’ of prakṛtic nature offered to fire; ajara ‘unaging’ marks Agni as enduring will/awareness.
illumination in ignorance (light in night), purification (pāvaka), transformation of material nature (vanaspati consumed by fire)
Ketu as sign indicates the presence of right guidance even before full dawn; ṛta reveals itself as a leading indication.
The far-seen light is satya’s continuity through obscurity—truth does not vanish in night.
Hidden fire in wood: consciousness concealed in matter, released by divine will.
Psychological Veda: transformation of subconscient (night/forest) by steady will (ajara) and purification (pāvaka).
night
Night = ignorance/subconscient; wood = inert formations; sparks = released consciousness; far-seen light = guiding intuition/psychic indication.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the far-seen ‘ketu’ (banner) in the night: the mythic pattern is the emergence of a guiding light within darkness. The ‘breaking’ of vanaspati hints at the sacrificial drama where dense matter yields hidden flame—psychologically, obscurity yields to discernment when the will-to-truth acts on the substance of habit.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- naktam ‘night’ corresponds to the IE night lexeme (cf. Latin nox, Greek nyx). dyu/shine semantics behind ketu align with PIE *dyeu-. The verb √kṛ (kṛṇoti) is a central IE ‘do/make’ type root (broadly comparable functional category across IE though not a single neat cognate set).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi witnesses and confirms Agni’s objective function: Agni does not merely receive offerings; he becomes the perceptible sign that guides from afar. The reciprocity is implicit: the maintained fire (through offering wood/vanaspati) yields the boon of orientation—light that can be ‘seen’ across inner night.
Hold the inner ‘ketu’—a small unwavering sign of light—through mental darkness; apply will to break inertia patterns.
Maṇipūra (breakthrough force) and Ājñā (guiding sign)
Brisk 12-breath bhastrikā (if suitable), then long exhale and silent witnessing of a steady inner flame; alternatively gentle ujjāyī for steadiness.
Luminous vigilance in tamas; breakthrough tapas.
When confused, do not chase answers. Chant once slowly; visualize a distant beacon. Then choose one resistant habit (‘forest-lord’) and apply a small, consistent act daily—ajara Agni breaks it over time.
Keep ‘ketum’ and ‘pāvakaḥ’ clearly lifted per svara; let the cadence intensify on ‘pra smā mināti’ (breakthrough phrase) without shouting.
Mark the contrast: (1) ketum… naktaṃ… dūre… (beacon) | (2) pāvako… vanaspatīn… pra smā mināti… (piercing action).
‘ketum’ crisp dental t., ‘naktaṃ’ keep k+t conjunct (nak-taṃ)., ‘pāvakaḥ’ long ā; final ḥ light., ‘vanaspatīn’ dental n; long ī in -tīn., ‘mināti’ long ā.
Bright, cutting clarity; controlled intensity.
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