Rig Veda 10.53.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 53, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.53
- Rishi
- Agni/Hotṛ-centered voice representing the sacrificers
- Devata
- Yajñiyāḥ Devāḥ
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अराधि होता निषदा यजीयानभि प्रयांसि सुधितानि हि ख्यत् । यजामहै यज्ञियान्हन्त देवाँ ईळामहा ईड्याँ आज्येन ॥
arā́dhi hotā́ niṣádā yajī́yān abhí prayā́ṃsi sudhítāni hí khyát | yajā́mahai yajñiyā́n hánta devā́n īḷā́mahai īḍyā́n ā́jyena ||
होता आपले ध्येय साधून बसला आहे; आसनस्थ होऊन, अधिक यजन-योग्य बनून, सुस्थित अर्पणे प्रकट करतो. चला—यज्ञ-योग्य देवांचे आपण यजन करू; घृत (आज्य) अर्पून, निर्मळ व उदार मनाने, वंदनीय शक्तींची आपण स्तुती करू.
Word by Word
- अरा॑धि
- accomplish / be successful; prosper (in the rite)VerbAorist (injunctive/aorist-impv. use), 2nd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole (मुख्य क्रिया) विधेयRoot राध् (√rādh ‘to succeed, accomplish; to propitiate’)
- होता॑
- O Hotṛ (sacrificial priest)NounMasculine, Vocative singularRole सम्बोधनRoot होतृ (prātipadika; from √हु ‘to sacrifice, offer’)
- नि॒षद॑
- sit downVerbImperative, 2nd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole (मुख्य क्रिया) विधेयRoot नि-√सद् (√sad ‘to sit’)
- यजी॑यान्
- more worshipful / most worthy to be worshippedAdjectiveMasculine, Accusative pluralRole कर्म (यजामहै इत्यस्य)Root यजीयस् (comparative adj.; from यज्य ‘worthy of worship’ < √यज्)
- अ॒भि
- towards, untoIndeclinablePreverb/particleRole (उपसर्ग/दिशा) क्रियाविशेषणRoot अभि
- प्रयां॑सि
- offeringsNounNeuter, Accusative pluralRole कर्म (ख्यत् इत्यस्य)Root प्रयांस् (n. prātipadika; ‘offerings, gifts/oblations’)
- सु॒धि॑तानि
- well-arranged / well-preparedParticiple (Adjective)Neuter, Accusative plural (agreeing with प्रयांसि)Role कर्मविशेषणRoot सु-√धा (PPP ‘well-placed/arranged’; √धा ‘to place’)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableParticleRole निपात (हेतु/बल)Root हि
- ख्यत्
- has appeared / becomes manifestVerbAorist (injunctive), 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole (मुख्य क्रिया) विधेयRoot √ख्या (to appear, become manifest; to be seen/known)
- यजा॑महै
- we worship / we sacrificeVerbPresent, 1st person plural, ĀtmanepadaRole (मुख्य क्रिया) विधेयRoot √यज् (to worship, sacrifice)
- य॒ज्ञिया॑न्
- worthy of worshipAdjectiveMasculine, Accusative plural (agreeing with देवान्)Role कर्मविशेषणRoot यज्ञिय (adj. ‘sacrificial, worthy of sacrifice’ < √यज्)
- हन्त
- come! / indeed!IndeclinableParticle/interjectionRole निपात (उद्बोधन/प्रोत्साहन)Root हन्त (Vedic particle; also used as interjection)
- दे॒वान्
- the godsNounMasculine, Accusative pluralRole कर्म (यजामहै इत्यस्य)Root देव (prātipadika)
- ईळा॑महा
- we praise / we invokeVerbPresent, 1st person plural, ĀtmanepadaRole (मुख्य क्रिया) विधेयRoot √ईळ्/ईड् (Vedic ‘to praise, invoke’)
- ईड्या॑न्
- praiseworthyAdjectiveMasculine, Accusative plural (agreeing with देवान्)Role कर्मविशेषणRoot ईड्य (adj. ‘praiseworthy, to be invoked’ < √ईळ्/ईड्)
- आज्ये॑न
- with gheeNounNeuter, Instrumental singularRole करणRoot आज्य (n. prātipadika ‘clarified butter, ghee’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): अरा॑धि | होता॑ | नि॒षद॑ | यजी॑यान् | अ॒भि | प्रयां॑सि | सुधि॑तानि | हि | ख्यत् || यजा॑महै | य॒ज्ञिया॑न् | हन्त | दे॒वान् | ईळा॑महा | ईड्या॑न् | आज्ये॑न || Notes: (1) यजी॑यान॒भि → यजी॑यान् + अ॒भि (final -न् before vowel)
- (2) य॒ज्ञिया॒न्हन्त॑ → य॒ज्ञिया॑न् + हन्त (final -न् before consonant; accent belongs to following in saṃhitā)
- (3) ईड्याँ॒ आज्ये॑न → ईड्या॑न् + आज्ये॑न (final -न् before vowel)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Hotṛ has attained; seated, more fit, he makes the well-set offerings manifest. Let us sacrifice to the gods worthy of sacrifice; let us adore the adorable with ājya (ghee).
Inner meaning
When the inner priest (Agni/aspiration) is firmly seated, the offerings become ‘sudhitāni’—well-arranged movements of consciousness rather than confused impulses. ‘Ājya’ here is not mere substance but clarified richness: a lucid, generous mind-energy poured into the divine powers. The verse signals readiness: the sadhana becomes orderly, effective, and capable of invoking higher forces.
Universal truth
Spiritual practice matures when aspiration is stable and offerings are well-prepared: clarity and generosity of consciousness make the inner exchange with the higher real.
Themes
rite begins, clarity and order, praise and offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Hymn-voice of the sacrificers in RV 10.53; specific named rishi not explicit in the provided data.
- Other hymns
- RV 10.53.1-4
Significance
Marks the transition from seeking the inner Hotṛ to experiencing effective, well-ordered offerings—an experiential milestone in inner yajña.
The deity
- Devata
- Yajñiyāḥ Devāḥ (gods worthy of sacrifice), with Agni as officiant
- Epithets
- Īḍyāḥ (adorable), Yajñiyāḥ
- Related deities
- Agni (officiant), Indra (force of illumination), Soma (delight), Mitra-Varuṇa (harmony and vast law)
Cosmic role
Receive offerings and return increase of light, strength, harmony; uphold ṛta in the human field.
Inner power
Awakening of divine qualities (illumination, force, delight, wideness) through clarified offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
General offering sequence in śrauta yajñas; praise of Hotṛ’s competence and ājya offerings.
अरा॑धि॒ होता॑ नि॒षदा॒ यजी॑यान॒भि प्रयां॑सि॒ सुधि॑तानि॒ हि ख्यत् । यजा॑महै य॒ज्ञिया॒न्हन्त॑ दे॒वाँ ईळा॑महा॒ ईड्याँ॒ आज्ये॑न ॥
अरा॑धि । होता॑ । नि॒ऽसदा॑ । यजी॑यान् । अ॒भि । प्रयां॑सि । सुऽधि॑तानि । हि । ख्यत् । यजा॑महै । य॒ज्ञिया॑न् । हन्त॑ । दे॒वान् । ईळा॑महै । ईड्या॑न् । आज्ये॑न ॥
arādhi | hotā | ni-sadā | yajīyān | abhi | prayāṃsi | su-dhitāni | hi | khyat | yajāmahai | yajñiyān | hanta | devān | īḷāmahai | īḍyān | ājyena
44
4×~11 syllables; strong mid-line caesuras typical of triṣṭubh.
Efficient, procedural rhythm—like steps of a rite now correctly set.
Encourages orderly focus and a sense of readiness; supports disciplined offering (japa/prayer/work).
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: Hotṛ priest. Symbolic: inner invoking will/aspiration
- निṣदा (niṣadā)
- Literal: seated. Symbolic: stabilized in the being; no longer intermittent
- प्रयांसि (prayāṃsi)
- Literal: offerings/oblations. Symbolic: movements of energy, thought, and will offered upward
- सुधितानि (sudhitāni)
- Literal: well-set, well-arranged. Symbolic: purified, rightly ordered inner actions
- यज्ञियान् (yajñiyān)
- Literal: worthy of sacrifice. Symbolic: higher powers/qualities that truly aid transformation
- आज्येन (ājyena)
- Literal: with ghee. Symbolic: with clarified luminous richness—lucid mind-substance poured into the offering
Transition into active offering and praise with ājya; confirmation that offerings are ‘sudhita’ (well-arranged)
After establishment of the officiant; at the point of commencing offerings to multiple devatās.
Seating Hotṛ; presenting oblations; praising and adoring the yajñiyāḥ devāḥ.
Before daily work: mentally ‘arrange offerings’—set intention, clarify mind, then offer actions to higher purpose.
√rādh ‘accomplish, succeed’ (arādhi). √khyā ‘become visible/known’ (khyat). √īḷ ‘praise, implore’ (īḷāmahai) and īḍya ‘worthy of praise’. ājya from ā-√añj? or related to ‘anointing/fat’ lexeme; in ritual, clarified butter as offering-medium.
manifestation/clarity (khyā), Ṛta as right arrangement (sudhita), adoration as aspiration (īḷ)
‘Well-set offerings’ are ṛta in practice—right order of inner movements.
Ājya/ghṛta symbolizes truth-clarity sustaining the rite.
Order emerges from inner establishment: the cosmos of the being becomes ritually structured.
Ghee = clarified awareness; fire = will; ‘well-set offerings’ = harmonized psychological energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The successful seating of the Hotṛ and the shining forth of the well-ordered offerings—mythically, the rite becomes luminous and effective once the priest-power is established.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √khyā ‘make known/appear’ belongs to an old cognitive/visibility semantic domain; √rādh ‘accomplish’ is Indo-Aryan but shows typical IE-style verbal abstraction for success. The praise lexeme √īḷ is specialized Vedic.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Having established the inner Hotṛ, the sacrificers now actively offer and praise. The devatās are approached as ‘yajñiyāḥ’—powers that respond when the offering is clarified (ā́jya) and rightly arranged (sudhita), ensuring a reciprocal descent of help.
Practice ‘sudhitāni’: arrange thoughts, feelings, and intentions into a coherent offering led by the heart-flame.
Anāhata (with support from Maṇipūra for will/action)
Moderate ujjāyī-like soft throat breath (very gentle) to steady will; exhale as ‘offering’.
Ordered, lucid, devotional readiness.
1) Sit; feel the inner priest seated. 2) Bring one by one your energies (thought, emotion, impulse) and ‘set them well’. 3) Offer with ājya—clarity and goodwill. 4) Invoke only what is yajñiya (truly helpful, luminous).
Exact tonal pattern depends on śākhā svara text; chant with care for udātta peaks on key verbs (khyat, yajāmahai).
Slight pause after niṣadā; lift emphasis on sudhitāni to convey ‘well-set’.
arādhi: long ā; clear dh, niṣadā: retroflex ṣ; long ā, prayāṃsi: nasal ṃ; long ā, sudhitāni: aspirate dh, īḻāmahā: retroflex ḻ (Vedic); keep distinct from ḍ/ḷ, ājyena: long ā; palatal j
Even, precise articulation—ritual clarity.
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