Rig Veda 6.2.6: Mandala 6, Sukta 2, Mantra 6
Sukta 6.2
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
त्वेषस्ते धूम ऋण्वति दिवि षञ्छुक्र आततः । सूरो न हि द्युता त्वं कृपा पावक रोचसे ॥
tvēṣás te dhūmá ṛṇvati diví ṣán śukrá ā́tataḥ | sū́ro ná hí dyutā́ tváṃ kṛpā́ pāvaka rócase ||
तुझा उग्र धूर दिव्यात उसळून पसरतो—दीप्त, शुभ्र-प्रकाशमान आणि विस्तीर्ण. कारण तू सूर्याप्रमाणे तेजाने चमकतोस; हे पावक, तुझ्या सृजनशक्तीने (कृपा) तू प्रकाश पसरवितोस.
Word by Word
- त्वेषः
- fierce, blazing (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक: त्वेष-)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role Sambandha (Genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- धूमः
- smokeNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot धूम (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋण्वति
- moves, rises, rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot ऋणु/ऋण्व् (धातु; ‘to move/raise, set in motion, rush’)
- दिवि
- in heaven, in the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: द्यौ/दिव्)
- सन्
- beingVerb (participial)शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (with following adjective)Root अस् (धातु)
- शुक्रः
- bright, shiningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to सन्)Root शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आततः
- stretched out, spreadParticipleक्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकर्मणि/निष्ठा), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition)Root √तन् (धातु) with आ-; (आ-तत)
- सूरः
- the sunNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (upamāna in simile)Root सूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- हि
- indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/causal)Root हि (अव्यय)
- द्युताः
- splendour, radianceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप; ‘द्युताः’ = ‘द्युतिः’)Role Kartā (predicate-noun of comparison)Root द्युत् (प्रातिपदिक: द्युति/द्युत्)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- कृपा
- a form/appearance; (also: compassion—context here: form/shape)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (predicate/apposition)Root कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
- पावक
- O Purifier (Agni)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot पावक (प्रातिपदिक; from √पू ‘to purify’)
- रोचसे
- you shine, are radiantVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √रुच् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): त्वेषः ते धूमः ऋण्वति दिवि सन् शुक्रः आततः । सूरः न हि द्युताः त्वम् कृपा पावक रोचसे ॥ 1) ‘षञ्छुक्र’ = ‘सन् शुक्रः’ (न् + श् → ञ्छ्, वैदिक संधि)
- 2) ‘सूरो न’ = ‘सूरः न’ (विसर्ग-लोप/ओ-आदेश in संहिता)
- 3) ‘द्युताः’ वैदिक प्रथमा-एकवचन रूप ‘द्युतिः/द्युत्’ के अर्थ में (संहिता-पाठ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni’s fierce smoke rises and spreads through the sky; he shines with a sun-like brilliance. As Pāvaka (the purifier), by his shaping power (kṛpā) he illumines.
Inner meaning
When the divine Will (Agni) is kindled, its upward-moving force (dhūma) climbs into the higher mind (divi) and spreads as a bright, pervasive clarity (śukra ātataḥ). The seeker experiences an inner ‘solar’ blaze—an awakened luminous consciousness—where Agni’s formative power (kṛpā) organizes the being and makes the inner worlds shine.
Universal truth
True transformation is an ascent: the awakened will rises beyond the lower nature, becomes wide and luminous, and then reshapes life by a purifying, illuminating power.
Themes
Agni as purifier, light symbolism, ascent imagery, fire-sun equivalence
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.1, RV 6.2, RV 6.3, RV 6.4, RV 6.5
Family tradition
Āṅgirasa-Bārhaspatya line; seers of Agni as priest-power and inner guide of the sacrifice.
Significance
Bharadvāja’s vision often stresses Agni as the inner Hotṛ who builds the path from mortal limitation to luminous wideness—an ascent of consciousness through disciplined offering (yajña) and clarity (śukra).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Pāvaka (Purifier), Śukra (Bright), Hotṛ (Priest), Āṅgiras (Flame-born seer-power)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Uṣas, Indra, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mediator between earth and heaven; carrier of offerings; awakener of light; establisher of ṛta through purification and right action.
Inner power
Divine Will and conscious Force (kratu) that burns falsehood, uplifts aspiration, and forms a luminous order in the mind and life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / evening-morning fire offerings; general Agni-stuti within Soma-yajña sequences
त्वे॒षस्ते॑ धू॒म ऋ॑ण्वति दि॒वि षञ्छु॒क्र आत॑तः । सूरो॒ न हि द्यु॒ता त्वं कृ॒पा पा॑वक॒ रोच॑से ॥
त्वे॒षः । ते॒ । धू॒मः । ऋ॒ण्व॒ति॒ । दि॒वि । सन् । शु॒क्रः । आऽत॑तः । सूरः॑ । न । हि । द्यु॒ता । त्वम् । कृ॒पा । पा॒व॒क॒ । रोच॑से ॥
tveṣaḥ | te | dhūmaḥ | ṛṇvati | divi | san | śukraḥ | ātataḥ | sūraḥ | na | hi | dyutā | tvam | kṛpā | pāvaka | rocase
24
3 pādas × 8 syllables (likely)
swift, compact, ascending
Produces a concentrated lift—good for kindling aspiration and a quick ‘rise’ of attention into clarity.
- त्वेष (tveṣa)
- Literal: fierce, impetuous. Symbolic: intense tapas-force of aspiration and purification
- धूम (dhūma)
- Literal: smoke. Symbolic: upward surge of inner energy/aspiration carrying offerings to higher consciousness
- दिवि (divi)
- Literal: in heaven/sky. Symbolic: in the higher mind, luminous planes of consciousness
- शुक्र (śukra)
- Literal: bright, pure. Symbolic: clarity, purified light of consciousness
- सूर (sūrya/sūra)
- Literal: sun/solar. Symbolic: supramental or illumined mind-light that reveals truth
- पावक (pāvaka)
- Literal: purifier. Symbolic: Agni as the force that cleanses obscurity and refines nature
- कृपा (kṛpā)
- Literal: forming power, shaping. Symbolic: the effective power that organizes and perfects the movements of the being
- रोचसे (rocase)
- Literal: you shine. Symbolic: the emergence of inner illumination and discernment
Descriptive praise of Agni’s visible signs (smoke, blaze) used in kindling/maintenance; supports meditative identification of outer flame with inner purifier and illuminator.
At the kindling/praise of Agni; before or during oblations
Ignition, offering ghee; recitation to invoke Agni’s purifying ascent
Use as a short ‘inner kindling’ mantra before meditation to invoke upward aspiration and mental clarity.
dhūma 'smoke' is a natural sign; innerly it marks ascent of energy. śukra 'bright' is a key RV adjective for luminous clarity. pāvaka from √pū 'purify' → Agni as purifier of mixed states. kṛpā is read as 'formative skill/power' (related to √kṛp/√kḷp semantic field of arranging/fitness in Vedic usage), supporting the psychological sense: Agni shapes the being while illumining it. √ruc 'shine' (PIE *lewk- 'light' is not exact; but ruc/roc is a central Indo-Aryan light-root) expresses manifestation.
purification (pāvaka), illumination (ruc/roc), ascent to higher plane (divi)
Agni’s ascent and spreading brightness symbolize the establishment of ṛta in the mind—order replacing confusion.
Illumination (rocas) as truth-revealing consciousness.
Ascent from obscurity to wide light; formation of luminous worlds by the shaping fire.
Proto-Vedāntic / Yogic (Aurobindonian psychological exegesis)
dawn-to-daybreak transition (suggested by solar blaze)
The ‘smoke’ is the subtle current of aspiration rising from the heart-will into the higher mind, where it becomes sun-like illumination and spreads as stable clarity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni’s smoke rising into heaven and his solar-like blaze enact the myth of the terrestrial fire becoming heavenly light. Innerly, the awakened will ascends, purifies, and transforms into a sunlike illumination in the higher mind.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The fire–sun equation is a widespread Indo-European poetic trope: the same luminous principle appears in different stations (hearth/fire vs sun). The vocabulary of stretching/spreading (ātataḥ) again echoes inherited *ten- imagery of expansion applied to light.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi contemplates Agni’s outer signs (smoke, brightness) to affirm Agni’s inner function: pāvaka, the purifier who by formative power (kṛpā) illumines the being. The relation is experiential—seeing the flame as a guide to inner transformation.
Feel the inner flame rising from heart to brow, spreading as calm luminous awareness.
Anāhata → Ājñā (inner ascent of will into illumined mind)
gentle ujjāyī or slow inhalation imagining ‘smoke’ rising; exhale spreading light through the head-space
illumined mind / widening clarity
Begin with 9 slow repetitions; on each recitation, sense purification (pāvaka) and a steady solar brightness replacing mental haze.
Use Vedic svara as per śākhā tradition; generally udatta-bearing syllables carry the lift, svarita as the falling-glide, anudatta as low support (exact accents require pada-svara notation).
Emphasize the lift on key words like tveṣas, śukra, sūro, rocase; keep enclitics light (te, na, hi).
tveṣas: pronounce ṣ as retroflex ‘sh’, dhūma: long ū sustained, divi: short i at end, light, pāvaka: vā is long; keep k crisp, rocase: ca is soft ‘ch’ (palatal), final e clear
bright, steady, slightly ascending in contour
9
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
