Rig Veda 3.13.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 13, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.13
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
दीदिवांसमपूर्व्यं वस्वीभिरस्य धीतिभिः । ऋक्वाणो अग्निमिन्धते होतारं विश्पतिं विशाम् ॥
dīdivā́ṃsam apū́rvyaṃ vásvībhiḥ asya dhītíbhiḥ | ṛkvā́ṇo agním indhate hótāraṃ viśpátiṃ viśā́m ||
ऋक् गाणारे गायक समृद्ध धीतिंनी (प्रेरणांनी) त्या दीदिवांसम्—सदा दीप्त, अपूर्व्य (अद्वितीय) अग्नीला प्रज्वलित करतात. त्याला होता आणि विशाम् विश्पति—जनसमूहांचा स्वामी—म्हणून जागवतात.
Word by Word
- दीदिवांसम्
- shining, radiantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्धते—कस्य? अग्निम्… दीदिवांसम्)Root दीदिवांस् (< √दिव् ‘दीप्तौ’ का परिपूर्ण/वृद्धि-रूप) / प्रातिपदिक: दीदिवांस्
- अपূर्व्यम्
- unprecedented, uniqueAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Root अपूर्व्य (a- + पूर्व्य < पूर्व ‘former’)
- वस्वीभिः
- with rich (ones), with bountiful (means)Adjective (instrumental plural)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (किससे?—समृद्ध/उदार…)Root वस्वी (वसु ‘wealth’ से; ‘समृद्ध/धनवती’)
- अस्य
- of him/this (Agni)Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (धीतीभिः—कस्य? अस्य)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धीतिभिः
- with hymns, with devotions/insightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (इन्धते—किससे? स्तुतियों/ध्यानों से)Root धीति (√धी ‘बुद्धौ/धारणे’ से; ‘ध्यान/स्तोत्र/विचार’)
- ऋक्वाणः
- the chanters of ṛc-verses, singersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्ता (इन्धते—कौन? ऋक्वाणः)Root ऋक्वन् (ऋच्/ऋक् ‘ऋग्वेद-स्तोत्र’ से; ‘ऋच् गाने वाला’)
- अग्निम्
- Agni, the fire-godNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्धते—किम्? अग्निम्)Root अग्नि
- इन्धते
- they kindle, they igniteVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √इन्ध् (दीप्तौ/प्रदीपने) / इन्ध् ‘to kindle’
- होतारम्
- the Hotṛ-priest, invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अग्निम् के विशेषण-रूपेण: ‘होतारम्’)Root होतृ (√हु ‘यज्ञे आह्वाने/होमने’ से; ‘आह्वाता/याजक’)
- विश्पतिम्
- lord of the clan/settlementNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अग्निम् के विशेषण-रूपेण)Root विश्पति (विश् ‘कुल/जन’ + पति ‘lord’)
- विशाम्
- of the peoples/clansNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (विश्पतिम्—कस्य? विशाम्)Root विश् (जन/कुल/प्रजा)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: दीदिवांसमपूर्व्यं वस्वीभिरस्य धीतिभिः । ऋक्वाणो अग्निमिन्धते होतारं विश्पतिं विशाम् ॥ Sandhi-विच्छेद (मुख्य): 1) दीदिवांसम् + अपूर्व्यम् → दीदिवांसमपूर्व्यम् (म् + अ → म-अ, संधि-लोप नहीं; पद-सीमा पर केवल संहिता-संयोग) 2) अग्निम् + इन्धते → अग्निमिन्धते (म् + इ → मि) अन्य पद-सीमाएँ सरल संयोग हैं
- अर्थतः ‘अग्निम्’ के विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन में दीदिवांसम्, अपूर्व्यम्, होतारम्, विश्पतिम् (विशाम्) आते हैं।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The singers kindle Agni, ever-shining and ancient, with rich thoughts/inspirations; they awaken him as the Hotṛ priest and as the lord of the clans/peoples.
Inner meaning
Agni is ‘kindled’ not only by fuel but by dhīti—concentrated inspired thought. The ṛkvāṇas (those who utter the ṛk, the mantric word) awaken the inner Fire through rich, luminous formations of consciousness (vasvībhir dhītibhiḥ). When awakened, Agni becomes hotā—the power that offers every movement upward—and viśpati—the organizer and ruler of the inner ‘peoples’ (viśaḥ): the many parts of our nature (mind, life, body, impulses) brought into a harmonious order under the soul’s leadership.
Universal truth
What we consistently contemplate and affirm with inspired speech becomes a fire that organizes our life. Inner leadership arises when aspiration is fed by luminous thought and truthful word.
Themes
Kindling Agni, Mantric inspiration, Priesthood and mediation, Collective harmony
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina line)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.13.1-7, Rig Veda 3.1, Rig Veda 3.2
Family tradition
Strong emphasis on mantra as effective power and on Agni as organizer of the inner and outer rite.
Significance
This verse expresses the Vedic psychology of mantra: inspired thought and word kindle the divine Will, which then becomes the priest and ruler within.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- dīdivāṃs (ever-shining), apūrva/apūrvyam (primeval), hotā (priest of offering), viśpati (lord of the peoples)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (mantric power), Sarasvatī (inspiration), Indra (illumination)
Cosmic role
Ever-present fire in worlds; priestly mediator; upholder of social/cosmic order.
Inner power
The luminous will that, once awakened by mantra and insight, governs the multiplicity of the nature and offers it upward.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling/rekindling (agnyādheya/agnihotra context) and general stotra for invoking Agni as Hotṛ.
दी॒दि॒वांस॒मपू॑र्व्यं॒ वस्वी॑भिरस्य धी॒तिभि॑: । ऋक्वा॑णो अ॒ग्निमि॑न्धते॒ होता॑रं वि॒श्पतिं॑ वि॒शाम् ॥
दी॒दि॒ऽवांस॑म् । अपू॑र्व्यम् । वस्वी॑भिः । अ॒स्य॒ । धी॒तिऽभिः॑ । ऋक्वा॑णः । अ॒ग्निम् । इ॒न्ध॒ते॒ । होता॑रम् । वि॒श्पति॑म् । वि॒शाम् ॥
dīdi-vāṃsam | apūrvyam | vasvībhiḥ | asya | dhīti-bhiḥ | ṛkvaaṇaḥ | agnim | indhate | hotāram | viśpatim | viśām
48
4 x ~12 syllables
Bright and continuous; supports imagery of kindling and sustained shining.
Energizes the mind; encourages vivid concentration and a sense of awakening power.
- दीदिवांसम् (dīdivāṃsam)
- Literal: shining, blazing. Symbolic: self-luminous consciousness-force; clarity that does not depend on outer light
- अपूर्व्यम् (apūrvyam)
- Literal: ancient, primeval, unaging. Symbolic: timeless divine principle in the heart of evolution
- वस्वीभिः (vasvībhiḥ)
- Literal: with rich (wealthy). Symbolic: with abundant, potent formations of consciousness
- धीतिभिः (dhītibhiḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: mantric-intuitive thinking; concentrated insight that feeds the flame
- ऋक्वाणः (ṛkvāṇaḥ)
- Literal: ṛk-singers, those who chant ṛk. Symbolic: the soul and mind when they speak truthfully and rhythmically (mantra as power)
- इन्धते (indhate)
- Literal: they kindle. Symbolic: they intensify aspiration; increase tapas and clarity
- होतारम् (hotāram)
- Literal: offerer-priest. Symbolic: inner faculty that offers all movements to the Divine
- विश्पतिम् (viśpatim)
- Literal: lord of the clan/settlement. Symbolic: governor of the inner community of powers; harmonizer of the nature
- विशाम् (viśām)
- Literal: of the peoples. Symbolic: the many parts and drives within the being
Describes the central act of kindling Agni by ṛk (hymn) and dhī (inspiration), establishing him as hotṛ and viśpati for the rite and for the collective order.
During the ignition of the offering fire or when establishing the priestly function of Agni in the rite.
Recitation while feeding the fire; mental ‘feeding’ through mantra in contemplative use.
Use before study, chanting, or creative work to kindle inspired thinking and inner governance.
dīdivāṃs from √dī/dyut ‘shine’ (intensive/reduplicated formation) → ‘brilliantly shining’. apū́rvya ‘not former’ → ‘unprecedented, primeval/ever-new’. indhate from √indh ‘kindle’ (cf. Latin incendium in broader semantic field). hotṛ from √hu ‘to call, invoke’ (PIE *ǵʰewh₁- ‘pour’ is different; √hu is Indo-Iranian ‘invoke’). viśpáti: viś ‘settlement/people’ + pati ‘lord’ (pati from PIE *pótis ‘master, lord’).
mantra as ignition of consciousness, collective order (viś) harmonized by Agni, ever-new ancient power (apūrvya)
Agni as viśpati establishes ṛta among the ‘peoples’—ordered harmony of inner functions.
Dhīti becomes satya when it is inspired and aligned with the soul; then it truly kindles Agni.
Primeval fire awakened by word mirrors creation by Vāc and tapas: consciousness articulates itself into force.
Mantra-yoga / Vāc-tattva trajectory leading toward Upaniṣadic identity of speech, mind, and brahman.
Light = awakened consciousness; kindling = intensification of aspiration through inspired thought and word.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘kindling the god’: Agni is awakened by ṛk and dhī to act as hotṛ and viśpati. Inner sense: inspired speech ignites the divine will, which then organizes the many powers of the being into a sacrificial order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati ‘lord’ is a classic PIE *pótis reflex (cf. Greek pósis ‘husband’, Latin potis ‘able’ in related semantic sphere). The compound viśpati preserves an old IE political-sacral idiom: the divine as ‘lord of the people/settlement’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi (through the ṛkvāṇaḥ) actively ‘kindles’ Agni with dhītis—suggesting that revelation is also a practice. Agni then reciprocates by becoming hotṛ (invoker) and viśpati (organizer), turning scattered energies into a coherent sacrificial life.
Kindle Agni with dhīti: repeat the mantra while forming one clear intention and one luminous thought-stream.
Vishuddha (mantric speech) supporting Manipura (will)
Ujjayi (gentle) with mantra on exhale; feel warmth rising from navel to throat
Inspired concentration; luminous mental silence between phrases.
Offer each arising movement (thought/desire) into the inner Hotṛ; then invite Agni as viśpati to reorder the ‘inner clan’—habits, impulses, and faculties—around the soul’s aim.
Maintain svara clarity on compounds (dīdivāṃsam, apūrvyam, viśpatim); avoid flattening accents across long compounds.
Give a slight lift on dīdivāṃsam; articulate caesura after apūrvyam; land firmly on hotāram and viśpatim.
dīdivāṃsam: long ī and nasalized ‘vāṃ’., apūrvyam: long ū; ‘rvya’ cluster clean, not ‘riya’., dhītibhiḥ: aspirate ‘dh’, long ī., ṛkvāṇo: vocalic ṛ at start; avoid ‘rik’., viśpatiṃ: palatal ś; short iṃ nasal.
Clear, luminous, slightly bright; as if ‘fanning’ the inner flame.
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