Rig Veda 5.16.1: Mandala 5, Sukta 16, Mantra 1
Sukta 5.16
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
बृहद्वयो हि भानवेऽर्चा देवायाग्नये । यं मित्रं न प्रशस्तिभिर्मर्तासो दधिरे पुरः ॥
bṛhád váyo hí bhānávé 'rcā devā́yāgnáye | yáṃ mitráṃ ná práśastibhir mártāso dadhiré púraḥ ||
പ്രകാശമുള്ള ഭാനുവന്തനോടു—ദേവത്വസ്വരൂപനായ അഗ്നിയോടു—വിശാലമായ ബലത്തിന്റെ സ്തുതി പാടുവിൻ. മർത്ത്യർ പ്രശംസാഭരിതമായ സ്തുതികളാൽ അവനെ മിത്രനെപ്പോലെ മുൻപിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു—യാത്രയുടെ നേതാവായി, വഴിയുടെ രക്ഷകനായി.
Word by Word
- बृहत्
- greatAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्यक्त-विशेष्य; ‘great’)Role Karma (अर्चा-क्रियायाः विषय-विशेषणम्) / विशेषणRoot बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक; √बृह् ‘to grow, be great’)
- वयः
- vital strength; vigor; life-powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (वेद. रूप ‘वयः’)Role Karma (अर्चा-क्रियायाः विषयम्) / विशेष्यRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed; forIndeclinableनिपात (हेतौ/समर्थने)Root हि
- भानवे
- to the radiant one; to the shining (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (यस्यार्थे स्तुति/अर्चा)Root भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्चा
- worship; praise (you should praise)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √अर्च् (स्तुतौ/पूजायाम्)
- देवाय
- to the godNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (यस्यार्थे)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्नये
- to AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (यस्यार्थे)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (दधिरे—क्रियायाः कर्म)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्रम्
- a friend; MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (उपमान-रूपेण; ‘मित्रम् न’)Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like; asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक-अव्ययRoot न
- प्रशस्तिभिः
- with praises; with laudationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (येन—स्तुतिभिः) / साधनRoot प्रशस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तासः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वेद. ‘मर्तासः’)Role Kartā (दधिरे—क्रियायाः कर्ता)Root मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधिरे
- have placed; have setVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot √धा (धारणे/स्थापने)
- पुरः
- in front; foremostIndeclinable (adverbial accusative) / Noun-formअव्ययवत् प्रयोगः ‘in front, foremost’ (मूलतः नपुंसक/अव्यय-आकृतिः)Role Adhikaraṇa (स्थान/दिशा: ‘in front’)Root पुरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: बृहत् वयः हि भानवे अर्चा देवाय अग्नये । यम् मित्रम् न प्रशस्तिभिः मर्तासः दधिरे पुरः ॥ 1) भानवेऽर्चा = भानवे + अर्चा (ए/अ संधिः; अवग्रह)
- 2) देवाया॒ग्नये = देवाय + अग्नये (अ + अ → आ; दीर्घसंधिः)
- 3) प्रशस्तिभिर्मर्तासः = प्रशस्तिभिः + मर्तासः (विसर्ग-लोपः/र्-आदेशः; पदान्त-ः + म-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Sing a hymn to the shining Agni, the divine one; mortals by their praises set him in front like a Friend.
Inner meaning
The seeker is urged to magnify (bṛhad) the life-force (vayaḥ) of the shining inner Fire. By affirming speech (praśasti), we place Agni ‘in front’—making the divine Will the leader of thought and action, as one would trust a friend and guide. This is the psychology of consecration: the inner flame becomes the first mover in the march of life.
Universal truth
What leads us determines what we become. When the highest will-to-truth is consciously set at the front, life organizes around it, and the path becomes guided rather than reactive.
Themes
Agni as leader, Praise as installation, Vast strength (bṛhat vayaḥ)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha (traditional for RV 5.16)
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 5.16.2, RV 5.16.3, RV 5.16.4, RV 7.1
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha hymns emphasize Agni as purohita (placed in front) and the harmonizing friend of the seeker’s march.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s line often presents a disciplined, ordered ascent: establish Agni first, then the forces of being can act in ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- bhānu (shining), deva, mitra-vat (friend-like), purohita (set in front)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Indra, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Fore-priest and leader of the sacrifice; initiator of the upward journey; friend who secures right relation between human and divine.
Inner power
The conscious will that illumines and leads; the ‘front’ of the being where intention becomes action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation at the start of a rite; kindling and praise-stotra
बृ॒हद्वयो॒ हि भा॒नवेऽर्चा॑ दे॒वाया॒ग्नये॑ । यं मि॒त्रं न प्रश॑स्तिभि॒र्मर्ता॑सो दधि॒रे पु॒रः ॥
बृ॒हत् । वयः॑ । हि । भा॒नवे॑ । अर्च॑ । दे॒वाय॑ । अ॒ग्नये॑ । यम् । मि॒त्रम् । न । प्रश॑स्तिऽभिः । मर्ता॑सः । द॒धि॒रे । पु॒रः ॥
bṛhat | vayaḥ | hi | bhānave | arca | devāya | agnaye | yam | mitram | na | praśast i-bhiḥ | martāsaḥ | dadhire | puraḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables (Vedic flexibility)
Broad, declarative, establishing leadership and orientation.
Creates a ‘setting-in-front’ feeling—firm opening, steady forward cadence.
- bṛhad
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: wideness of consciousness; large capacity for truth and force
- vayaḥ
- Literal: vigor, life-power, strength. Symbolic: the uplifted life-energy offered to the divine working
- bhānave
- Literal: to the shining one. Symbolic: to the illumining consciousness (Agni as light of will)
- devāya agnaye
- Literal: to Agni the god. Symbolic: to the divine Will present in the human being
- mitram na
- Literal: like a friend. Symbolic: Agni as intimate guide, harmonizer, and protector of the journey
- praśastibhiḥ
- Literal: with praises/commendations. Symbolic: affirmations that align mind and speech to the higher intention
- puraḥ dadhire
- Literal: they placed in front. Symbolic: making the inner flame the leader (purohita principle)
Opening praise establishing Agni as ‘purohita’ in front—both ritually (fire-priest) and psychologically (leading will).
Opening of offerings; when establishing Agni as purohita.
Recitation with kindling/ghee offering; mentally placing Agni before speech and action.
Use as a daily ‘leadership mantra’ before work: set the inner will-to-truth in front, then proceed.
bhānu ‘shine’ from √bhā ‘shine’; √arc ‘praise, shine’ (mutual resonance of light and praise); mitra ‘friend’ from √mi ‘bind’/‘unite’ semantic field → harmonizer; √dhā ‘place’ → installation of Agni ‘in front’ as purohita in inner sense.
Agni as friend/guide, Installation of the leading power (puraḥ)
Placing Agni in front is aligning the journey to ṛta—right order and right path.
Praśasti is speech that affirms truth, making the inner guide effective.
The ‘front’ (puraḥ) as the first emergence of divine order in human life.
Integral-psychological Vedism: consecration of life-energy to the divine leader within.
morning (symbolically: beginning of endeavor)
unspecified
Fire/light = awakened will and illumination; morning = initiation; path = directed life-march.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni set ‘in front’ as friend and leader: the foundational yajña-image of installing the fire-principle as the guide of the human journey.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mitra belongs to Indo-Iranian *mitra- ‘contract/friendship’ (Avestan Miθra), reflecting an inherited sacral-social concept. The placing ‘in front’ (puraḥ) encodes the archaic leadership motif of the fire as pathfinder.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Humans establish Agni through praise as their foremost ally; Agni reciprocates by becoming the guiding friend—turning aspiration into a leading force rather than a scattered impulse.
Bring Agni to the ‘front’ of awareness: ‘May my first movement be the divine will.’
manipura (will/fire) with ajna (leadership/clarity)
3 rounds of slow inhale (count 4) imagining a flame at navel rising to brow; exhale (count 6) offering distractions into it.
Collected, directive, forward-leading poise.
Before action, pause; inwardly praise/affirm the highest intention; feel Agni as a friendly leader walking ahead.
Three-tone Rigvedic contour; keep a clear udātta lift on bhānave, agnaye, mitram, puraḥ.
Phrase as: bṛhad vayo hi bhānave | arcā devāyāgnaye || yam mitraṃ na praśastibhiḥ | martāso dadhire puraḥ ||
bṛhad: vocalic ṛ, bhānave: long ā, arcā: ‘ar-cā’ with long ā, devāya: long ā, agnaye: ‘ag-na-ye’, mitraṃ: anusvāra nasalization, praśastibhiḥ: śa clear, aspirate bh, dadhire: dh aspirated
Clear, leading, slightly bright; as if calling the guide to the front.
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