Rig Veda 10.87.25: Mandala 10, Sukta 87, Mantra 25
Sukta 10.87
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
प्रत्यग्ने हरसा हरः शृणीहि विश्वतः प्रति । यातुधानस्य रक्षसो बलं वि रुज वीर्यम् ॥
praty agne harasā haraḥ śṛṇīhi viśvataḥ prati | yātudhānasya rakṣaso balaṃ vi ruja vīryam ||
ഹേ അഗ്നേ, നിന്റെ പ്രചണ്ഡതേജസ്സോടെ സർവ്വദിക്കുകളിൽ നിന്നുമൊഴിഞ്ഞു കേൾക്കുക. യാതുധാന-രക്ഷസിന്റെ ബലവും അതിന്റെ വീര്യവും നീ പിളർത്തി തകർക്കുക.
Word by Word
- प्रति
- towards; againstIndeclinableRoot प्रति (upasarga/avyaya)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरसा
- with (your) might/impetuous forceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot हरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरः
- (your) might/impetuous forceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot हरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शृणीहि
- hear! listen!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot शृ (धातु; शृणोति/शृणुते ‘to hear’)
- विश्वतः
- from all sides; everywhereIndeclinableअव्यय (दिशा/परिमाणार्थ) ‘from all sides’Role अधिकरण (दिशा/परिसर)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
- प्रति
- towards; againstIndeclinableRoot प्रति (upasarga/avyaya)
- यातुधानस्य
- of the sorcerer/demon (Yātudhāna)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root यातुधान (प्रातिपदिक)
- रक्षसः
- of the Rākṣasa/demonNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- बलम्
- strength; forceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot बल (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart; asunder; forthIndeclinableRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- रुज
- break! shatter!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot रुज् (धातु ‘to break, shatter’)
- वीर्यम्
- heroic power; prowessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): प्रति | अग्ने | हरसा | हरः | शृणीहि | विश्वतः | प्रति | यातुधानस्य | रक्षसः | बलम् | वि | रुज | वीर्यम् । 1) प्रत्यग्ने = प्रति + अग्ने (इ/अ संधि: इ + अ → य; ‘प्रति’ + ‘अग्ने’ → ‘प्रत्यग्ने’). 2) हरसा हरः: no sandhi
- juxtaposition (instrumental + nominative) used for emphasis (‘with might—(your) might’). 3) विश्वतः प्रति: no obligatory sandhi in pada-text
- in saṃhitā recitation may show close juncture. 4) यातुधानस्य रक्षसो: in saṃहितापाठ ‘रक्षसो’ corresponds to पदपाठ ‘रक्षसः’ (gen. sg. of रक्षस्)
- final -ः before voiced sound often appears as -ो in saṃहितā (visarga sandhi). 5) वि रुज: preverb ‘वि’ with imperative ‘रुज’ (separate padas in padapāṭha)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, with your fierce energy, listen from every side; shatter the strength and power of the yātudhāna-rakṣas.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls on the fierce force (haras) of Agni—an intense, purifying ardor—to become all-directionally attentive (viśvataḥ prati): not allowing any entry-point for hostile influence. The request is not merely to ‘burn’ but to break the bala (raw force) and vīrya (effective power) of the obstruction—i.e., remove both the impulse and its capacity to execute.
Universal truth
Freedom is secured when the roots of harmful patterns are dismantled: both their drive and their effectiveness must be dissolved by a vigilant inner force.
Themes
Shattering hostile power, Agni’s fierce ardor, Hearing and response, Defense against yātudhāna
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.87.22, Rig Veda 10.87.23, Rig Veda 10.87.24
Significance
This verse is a concise formula of ‘total vigilance + decisive dismantling’. In inner practice it corresponds to preventing leakage of consciousness and breaking the efficacy of negative habits.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- haras (fierce), viśvato-mukha (all-facing; implied), rakṣo-han (protector; functional)
- Related deities
- Indra (breaker), Rudra (fierce purifier; thematic kinship)
Cosmic role
Protective purifier; the heat that maintains integrity of the sacrificial field.
Inner power
All-directional awareness fused with tapas; power to dismantle the operative strength of resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Agni mantra in rakṣohā contexts; guarding the sacrifice and sacrificer
प्रत्य॑ग्ने॒ हर॑सा॒ हर॑: शृणी॒हि वि॒श्वत॒: प्रति॑ । या॒तु॒धान॑स्य र॒क्षसो॒ बलं॒ वि रु॑ज वी॒र्य॑म् ॥
प्रति॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । हर॑सा । हरः॑ । शृ॒णी॒हि । वि॒श्वतः॑ । प्रति॑ । या॒तु॒ऽधान॑स्य । र॒क्षसः॑ । बल॑म् । वि । रु॒ज॒ । वी॒र्य॑म् ॥
prati | agne | harasā | haraḥ | śṛṇīhi | viśvataḥ | prati | yātu-dhānasya | rakṣasaḥ | balam | vi | ruja | vīryam
32
4×8
Rapid and forceful, with turning motion suggested by viśvataḥ prati.
Creates a protective sphere; energizes decisive rejection and breaks ruminative loops.
- हरस (harasā)
- Literal: with fierceness/ardor. Symbolic: tapas-force; intense purifying energy
- हरः (haraḥ)
- Literal: fierce energy/heat. Symbolic: executive destructive power against falsehood
- शृणीहि (śṛṇīhi)
- Literal: hear/listen. Symbolic: be receptive to the call; inner responsiveness
- विश्वतः प्रति (viśvataḥ prati)
- Literal: from every side, facing back. Symbolic: 360° vigilance; no blind spots in awareness
- बल (bala)
- Literal: strength. Symbolic: raw compulsive push of lower nature
- वीर्य (vīrya)
- Literal: heroic power/effective potency. Symbolic: capacity of a habit/force to realize itself in action
- वि रुज (vi ruja)
- Literal: break apart. Symbolic: dismantle the formation at its joints; deconstruct pattern
Apotropaic: dismantling the ‘bala/vīrya’ of hostile magic; suited to protective recitations around the fire and boundaries.
At protective junctures, especially when invoking Agni’s fierce aspect
Recited with intent to repel; may accompany offering into fire
Use as a ‘boundary-setting’ mantra—before entering challenging environments or conversations; also before deep meditation to prevent intrusion.
haras- denotes vehement heat/ardor (linked to √hṛ?; Vedic haras is ‘fierceness, flaming’). √śru ‘hear’ indicates responsive divinity (the god as accessible to call). √ruj ‘break’ (ruj) expresses decisive disintegration of hostile ‘bala’ and ‘vīrya’. vīrya from vīra ‘hero’ (PIE *wiHro- ‘man/hero’) → ‘heroic potency’.
Vīrya as spiritual efficacy, Disintegration of hostile formations (vi-ruj)
Ṛta is preserved through vigilant force that prevents distortion from any side.
Breaking bala/vīrya of falsehood allows satya to stand unobstructed.
Protection of the evolving world (bhūvana) by purifying force.
Psychological Veda with Rudra-like purification themes
Heat = tapas; space/all-sides = field of awareness; breaking = deconstruction of habit-energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘breaking of the enemy’s strength’ mythologem: rather than merely burning the hostile, Agni is asked to dismantle the structural supports—bala and vīrya—of the adversary, i.e., the capacity to act and persist in consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vīrya derives from the ‘hero’ lexeme (vīra), reflecting an Indo-European valor/power semantic cluster. The privative/destructive prefix vi- ‘asunder’ is a common Indo-European preverb strategy for intensifying separation/destruction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to Agni’s responsiveness (śṛṇīhi) and fierce agency (haras) to neutralize the enemy at its root—its force and efficacy—so the seeker’s path remains protected and effective.
Establish 360° awareness; detect entry-points of distraction; invoke fierce tapas to break their momentum.
Maṇipūra
Exhale-emphasis breathing (inhale 4, exhale 8) for 6 rounds; on long exhale, feel ‘vi ruja’—breaking the force of the habit.
Protected intensity; poised strength.
Scan the field of mind ‘from every side’. When a hostile impulse appears, do not argue—apply tapas: a firm inner command and return to the central flame.
Chant with clear udātta rises as marked; keep ‘viśvataḥ prati’ flowing to suggest turning attention.
Give ‘harasā haraḥ’ a doubled force (two beats); pause slightly after ‘śṛṇīhi’.
harasā: roll r lightly; short a vowels clear, śṛṇīhi: vocalic ṛ; long ī in -nī- and final -hi, viśvataḥ: ś (palatal) not ṣ; final ḥ audible, yātudhānasya: keep dh aspirated; long ā, vi ruja: separate vi / ru-ja; j soft but clear
Fierce, steady, forward-projecting.
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