Rig Veda 7.1.17: Mandala 7, Sukta 1, Mantra 17
Sukta 7.1
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
त्वे अग्न आहवनानि भूरीशानास आ जुहुयाम नित्या । उभा कृण्वन्तो वहतू मियेधे ॥
tvé agna āhávānāni bhū́rīśānā́sa ā́ juhuyāma nítyā | ubhā́ kṛṇvánto vahatū́ miyédhe ||
ഹേ അഗ്നേ, നിനക്കുള്ളിൽ അനവധി ആഹ്വാനങ്ങളും വിളിപ്പുകളും ഉണ്ട്; നമ്മുടെ ശക്തികളുടെ അധിപതികളായി ഞങ്ങൾ നിത്യവും ആഹുതി അർപ്പിക്കട്ടെ. വഹനത്തിന്റെ ഇരുവശങ്ങളും—മാനുഷവും ദൈവികവും—സാധിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്, മിശ്രമായ മേഖലയിലൂടെ ഞങ്ങൾ നീങ്ങി പ്രവർത്തി പൂർത്തിയാക്കട്ടെ.
Word by Word
- त्वे
- in/with youPronounसप्तमी (locative), एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounसम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आहवनानि
- invocations/callings (to the rite)Nounप्रथमा/द्वितीया (nom./acc.), बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole कर्म (यज्/हु-क्रिया का विषय) अथवा कर्मसंज्ञक-उद्देश्यRoot आ-ह्वा (धातु) → आहवन (कृदन्त/नामधातु-निर्मित प्रातिपदिक)
- भूरीशानासः
- possessing much; mighty/abundant lordsAdjective (substantivized) / Nounप्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (जुहुयाम के कर्ता ‘हम’) का विशेषणRoot भूरी-ईशान (प्रातिपदिक; ईशान = ‘ruling/possessing’, भूरी = ‘much’)
- आ
- towards; hither; untoIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (आह्वान/आगमन-भाव)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- जुहुयाम
- Root हु (धातु) [जुहोति]
The meaning
Outer meaning
In you, Agni, are many invocations; as masters we would continually offer. Making both carryings, may we proceed in the mingled field.
Inner meaning
In Agni reside many calls (āhavanāni)—many ways the soul can invoke the divine Will. Becoming īśānāsaḥ (masters of our energies, not driven by impulses), we offer continually (nityā). By ‘making both vahatū’—both modes of carrying/transport (human effort and divine support; aspiration upward and force downward)—we can move in the miyedha, the mixed field where spirit and nature meet, and accomplish transformation.
Universal truth
Spiritual life is sustained invocation and offering; progress depends on a double movement—human aspiration and divine response—working together in the mixed conditions of embodied existence.
Themes
Continual invocation, Two-way movement of sacrifice, Mastery and offering, Confluence of powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 7.1.16, Rig Veda 7.2.3, Rig Veda 7.3.7
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha tradition often emphasizes continuity (nitya) and mastery (īśāna) in the sacrifice as inner discipline.
Significance
This mantra gives a practical yoga-key: constant offering with self-mastery and the double movement that enables transformation in the mixed human condition.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Āhavana (summoning power, implied), Īśāna-support (enabler of mastery), Carrier (vahana principle, implied by vahatū)
- Related deities
- Indra (descent of illumination-force), Soma (delight that seals offering), Viṣṇu (the wide stride/path)
Cosmic role
Agni as the channel of exchange between worlds—he receives offerings and returns divine force.
Inner power
Sustains constant aspiration, builds self-mastery, and establishes the two-way current between higher consciousness and embodied life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Regular offerings into Agni; reaffirmation of ongoing yajña
त्वे अ॑ग्न आ॒हव॑नानि॒ भूरी॑शा॒नास॒ आ जु॑हुयाम॒ नित्या॑ । उ॒भा कृ॒ण्वन्तो॑ वह॒तू मि॒येधे॑ ॥
त्वे इति॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । आ॒ऽहव॑नानि । भूरि॑ । ई॒शा॒नासः॑ । आ । जु॒हु॒या॒म॒ । नित्या॑ । उ॒भा । कृ॒ण्वन्तः॑ । व॒ह॒तू इति॑ । मि॒येधे॑ ॥
tve iti | agne | āhavanāni | bhūri | īśānāsaḥ | ā | juhuyāma | nityā | ubhā | kṛṇvantaḥ | vahatū iti | miyedhe
44
4 × ~11
Balanced and antiphonal—naturally expresses ‘both’ (ubhā) and continuous offering.
Creates steadiness and continuity; supports the feeling of a two-way inner current and disciplined self-offering.
- त्वे (tve)
- Literal: in you. Symbolic: Agni as the inner locus of all true calling and energy
- आहवनानि (āhavanāni)
- Literal: calls/summonings. Symbolic: Invocations of aspiration; many inner prayers and methods
- भूरी (bhūrī)
- Literal: many, abundant. Symbolic: Richness of approaches and responses in sādhanā
- ईशानासः (īśānāsaḥ)
- Literal: lords/masters. Symbolic: Self-mastery—governing the instruments under the soul’s consent
- आ जुहुयाम (ā juhuyāma)
- Literal: may we offer. Symbolic: Continuous self-giving of energies into the divine working
- नित्या (nityā)
- Literal: always. Symbolic: Unbroken practice; constant remembrance
- उभा (ubhā)
- Literal: both. Symbolic: Twofold movement: ascent and descent; human and divine cooperation
- वहतू (vahatū)
- Literal: the two carryings/vehicles. Symbolic: Channels of exchange—offering upward and power brought down
- मियेधे (miyedhe)
- Literal: in the mingled/mixed field. Symbolic: The intermixture of spirit and nature in embodied life; the transformative arena
Formula of sustained offering: emphasizes continual invocation (āhavanāni) and the two-way ‘carrying’ (vahatū) central to yajña—offerings borne to the gods and divine powers borne into the sacrificer.
As a daily orientation to the fire—morning/evening, or before sustained work/rites.
Repeated offerings (ghee, samidh) with resolve for continuity and correct exchange.
Daily practice mantra for work-yoga: begin the day with the intention of constant offering and receptivity to guidance.
āhavana ‘invocation’ from ā-√hu; īśāna again from √īś ‘rule’; juhuyāma from √hu (frequentative/intensive in ritual usage); vahatū dual from √vah ‘to carry’—symbolically the two-way movement: offering rising and grace descending; miyedhe is rare/obscure, likely locative of a noun meaning ‘mixture/meeting’ (from √mi ‘to mix’), indicating the confluence of human and divine energies in the rite.
reciprocity of yajña (exchange of energies), mastery (īśāna) as self-governance aligned with divine will, integration (mixture/meeting) of human and divine
Self-mastery and right exchange maintain ṛta in the mixed field of life; disorder arises when the two currents are broken.
True mastery (īśāna) is consent to truth rather than ego-control; offering aligns with satya.
Interworld circulation: ascent of offering and descent of power as the mechanism of transformation.
Integral yoga principle of double movement (aspiration + descent) articulated in Vedic yajña language.
Fire = exchange-point; ‘field’ = embodied life; two carryings = upward self-giving and downward grace-force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Yajña as a two-way conveyance: Agni holds many summonings and enables the dual ‘carrying’—human offering upward and divine force downward—meeting in a mingled field (miyedhe) where transformation occurs.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ is PIE *weǵh-/*wegh- ‘to convey’ (cf. Latin vehō). The ritual dual vahatū preserves an archaic grammatical feature (dual number) used meaningfully to encode reciprocity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi claims a disciplined agency (īśānāsaḥ) while acknowledging that all effective invocation is ‘in Agni’. The relationship is cooperative: human mastery offers steadily; Agni provides the channels and the meeting-ground where the exchange becomes realization.
Establish a two-way current: offer breath, thoughts, and actions upward into Agni; receive calm force and guidance downward into the body-life.
Sushumna emphasis (central channel); Anahata as offering-center
Alternate nostril (nāḍī-śodhana) lightly, then japa on exhale; feel ascent on exhale, descent on inhale.
Steady remembrance with receptive openness; integrated action-meditation.
Practice ‘nitya yajña’: at intervals, pause, offer the present state into the flame, invite the answering force; cultivate īśāna (governed instruments) rather than impulsive reaction.
Keep udatta clarity on ‘agne’ and ‘juhuyāma’; let ‘ubhā’ be distinctly articulated as a pivot word.
Three beats: (1) ‘tve… āhavanāni bhūri’ (abundance), (2) ‘īśānāsa… nityā’ (mastery/continuity), (3) ‘ubhā… miyedhe’ (double movement in mixed field).
‘tve’ should be crisp (not ‘tuve’)., ‘āhavanāni’: long ā; keep ‘h’ audible; avoid ‘aavanāni’., ‘juhuyāma’: aspirate ‘h’ softly; keep ‘yā’ long., ‘miyedhe’: pronounce ‘mi-ye-dhe’ with clear palatal ‘ye’; keep ‘dh’ voiced aspirated.
Centered, devotional, continuous—like an unbroken offering.
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