Rig Veda 7.9.6: Mandala 7, Sukta 9, Mantra 6
Sukta 7.9
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
त्वामग्ने समिधानो वसिष्ठो जरूथं हन्यक्षि राये पुरंधिम् । पुरुणीथा जातवेदो जरस्व यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
tvā́m agne samidhānó vásiṣṭho jarū́thaṃ han yákṣi rāyé purandhím | puru-nī́thā jātavedo jarasva yūyám pāta svastíbhiḥ sádā naḥ ||
हे अग्ने, समिधांनी प्रज्वलित झालेल्या तुला वसिष्ठ हाक देतात—क्षय आणणारी दुर्बलता नष्ट कर; आमच्या रयि (समृद्धी) वाढीसाठी पुरंधि-शक्तीला यज्ञात प्रतिष्ठित कर. हे जातवेदस्, बहु-नीथ, प्रज्वलित हो; आणि स्वस्ति-शक्तींनी आम्हांला सदैव रक्षण कर.
Word by Word
- त्वाम्
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिधा
- with kindling-stick / with fuelNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आनः
- being kindledParticiple (verbal adjective)वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सम्बन्धः वसिष्ठः) — ‘being kindled’Role विशेषण (कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root आ-धा (धातु) → आ-धि (कृदन्त-आधार) / here as participial base in passive construction
- वसिष्ठः
- VasiṣṭhaProper Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषिनाम)
- जरूथम्
- old age / decayNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जरूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- हन्यः
- strike / smiteVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)
- अक्षि
- the eyeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (द्वितीयकर्म)Root अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
- राये
- for wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot राय् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरंधिम्
- bounty / abundance (bestowing plenty)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पुरंधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुणीथा
- O of many leadings / much-guidingAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (अग्ने/जातवेदः-सम्बोधन)Role सम्बोधनRoot पुरु-नीथ (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास: ‘many-guidings/leading much’)
- जातवेदः
- O Jātavedas (knower of births / all-created)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot जात-वेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- जरस्व
- grow strong/ripe; become vigorous (lit. ‘age’)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot जॄ/जर् (धातु; ‘to grow old, to wear’)
- यूयम्
- you (plural)Pronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पात
- protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot पा (धातु ‘to protect’)
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with well-beings / with blessingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारण (काल)Root सदा (अव्यय)
- नः
- us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचन; here best as षष्ठी ‘of us/our’ with पातRole सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): त्वाम् + अग्ने | समिधा + आनः (समिधा-आनः: vowel coalescence ā + ā retained) | वसिष्ठः | जरूथम् | हन्यः + अक्षि (visarga before vowel) | राये | पुरंधिम् || पुरुणीथा | जातवेदः | जरस्व || यूयम् | पात | स्वस्तिभिः | सदा | नः । Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are retained on the original words
- pada segmentation here follows lexical forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, kindled, Vasiṣṭha calls you: strike down decay/weakness; offer for our wealth the power of fullness. O Jātavedas of many leadings, blaze; and may you protect us always with well-being.
Inner meaning
The rishi addresses the inner fire directly: when kindled (samidhāna), it must strike jarūtha—decaying weakness, the inertia and fatigue that corrode aspiration. Then Agni is asked to ‘sacrifice’ (yakṣi) for rāyaḥ (increase) the power of completion (puraṃdhi)—the capacity to fill, integrate, and make the being whole. ‘Puruṇīthā’ (many leadings) indicates Agni’s multiple guidance-lines through mind, life, and body toward the divine. The close is a protective benediction: may these powers guard us with swasti—states and energies of well-being—constantly, not episodically.
Universal truth
Sustained inner practice needs a living flame that removes degenerative inertia, builds integrative fullness, guides by many pathways, and establishes enduring well-being.
Themes
slaying inner weakness, invocation of Purandhi (fulfilment), protection with svasti, Agni as guide (puru-nitha)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1 (Agni praise), RV 7.4 (Agni protector), RV 7.15 (well-being blessings, thematic)
Family tradition
A householder-seer tradition where the fire is both outer and inner; Vasiṣṭha models the rishi as practitioner who kindles Agni and asks for concrete transformation—slaying decay, establishing fullness, ensuring protection.
Significance
The mantra shows the mature yogic note: not only illumination, but removal of degeneration and establishment of swasti—stable harmony in the whole being.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Jātavedas, Puruṇīthā)
- Epithets
- samidhāna, jātavedas, puruṇīthā, puraṃdhi-dātṛ (implied), rakṣitṛ (protector, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma (increase/bliss), Indra (force against obstruction), Aditi (wideness supporting swasti)
Cosmic role
Transformer and guardian: burns away decay, converts offerings into increase, guides by many paths, and sustains auspicious order.
Inner power
Tapas that combats inertia; integrative fullness; multi-line guidance (intuition, conscience, right impulse) culminating in swasti.
In ritual
Where it is used
Household kindling and protective prayers; also śrauta invocations for protection and increase
त्वाम॑ग्ने समिधा॒नो वसि॑ष्ठो॒ जरू॑थं ह॒न्यक्षि॑ रा॒ये पुरं॑धिम् । पु॒रु॒णी॒था जा॑तवेदो जरस्व यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
त्वाम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । स॒म्ऽइ॒धा॒नः । वसि॑ष्ठः । जरू॑थम् । ह॒न् । यक्षि॑ । रा॒ये । पुर॑म्ऽधिम् । पु॒रु॒ऽनी॒था । जा॒त॒ऽवे॒दः॒ । ज॒र॒स्व॒ । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
tvām | agne | sam-idhānaḥ | vasiṣṭhaḥ | jarūtham | han | yakṣi | rāye | puram-dhim | puru-nīthā | jāta-vedaḥ | jarasva | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables
Forceful petition with a protective close; strong caesura supports ‘strike down’ then ‘establish’ movement.
Invigorates will and resilience; ends with a soothing protective resonance (swasti).
- समिधानः (samidhānaḥ)
- Literal: being kindled. Symbolic: active awakening of aspiration through practice
- जरूथम् (jarūtham)
- Literal: decay, wasting weakness. Symbolic: tamasic deterioration—habitual fatigue, doubt, depression, moral slackening
- हन् (han)
- Literal: slay, strike down. Symbolic: decisive rejection of inner corrosion
- यक्षि (yakṣi)
- Literal: offer, sacrifice. Symbolic: transform lower energies into higher gain
- राये (rāye)
- Literal: for wealth, increase. Symbolic: growth of inner riches—light, force, joy, capacity
- पुरंधिम् (puraṃdhim)
- Literal: the fulfiller, bringer of plenty. Symbolic: integrative power that completes and stabilizes the being
- पुरुणीथा (puruṇīthā)
- Literal: of many leadings/guidances. Symbolic: multiple inner lines of guidance and progress
- जरस्व (jarasva)
- Literal: blaze, burn forth. Symbolic: intensify tapas into steady luminous force
- स्वस्तिभिः (svastibhiḥ)
- Literal: with well-beings, auspicious powers. Symbolic: protective harmonies—health, clarity, right circumstance, inner peace
Prayer for protection and increase (rāyé) during kindling and offering; fits protective and prosperity-seeking segments of the yajña.
At lighting the fire/lamp; during times of fatigue, illness, decline in motivation, or before journeys
Kindling (samidh), oblation, and protective blessing
A practical mantra for overcoming burnout/inner decay and re-establishing steady practice and well-being.
jarū́tha/jará (from √jṛ ‘wear away, age’); √han ‘strike’ (PIE *gʷhen- ‘slay’); purandhí (traditional deity-name; linked to ‘filling/bringing plenty’, possibly from puru ‘much’ + √dhā ‘place’); nīthā (from √nī ‘lead’); svastí (su- ‘good’ + asti ‘being’).
overcoming decay (jara) as spiritual inertia, rāyí as plenitude of being, svasti as stable harmony/wholeness
Swasti is ṛta made livable—right order experienced as well-being and protection.
Jātavedas implies truth-memory: the fire ‘knows’ the right birth and movement of each part.
Transformation: decay is slain, fullness is offered into manifestation, guidance multiplies into stable harmony.
Karmayoga/inner yajña: transformation of nature through conscious offering under the psychic will.
evening (protective tone) or morning (kindling for the day)
Fire = sustained practice; decay = inertia/entropy in consciousness; fullness = integrated strength; protection = stable sattwic harmony.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The slaying of ‘jarūtha’ (decay) by Agni: a battle motif internalized—Agni as force that destroys the entropic drag in the being, enabling plenitude (Purandhi) and stable well-being (svasti).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √han ‘slay’ is a classic PIE root (*gʷhen-; cf. Greek φένω, Avestan jan-). svasti (su + asti) parallels Indo-European compounding with ‘good’ + ‘being’ (cf. Greek εὖ + εἶναι conceptually).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Vasiṣṭha explicitly positions himself as the kindler and caller of Agni; Agni is asked to act (han, yakṣi, pāta). The reciprocity is pragmatic-spiritual: human ignition and mantra support Agni’s presence; Agni returns by removing inner decay and establishing plenitude and protection.
Burn away fatigue and inner decline; establish integrative fullness and protective harmony.
maṇipūra (power to overcome jarūtha) and anāhata (protective swasti)
Kapalabhāti (mild, 30–60 strokes) if appropriate, then slow breathing; chant on long exhale to ‘burn’ jarūtha without agitation
Strong, upright, protected; a sense of inner heat becoming steady light.
When motivation decays, kindle attention at the navel/heart; chant with firmness on ‘jarūthaṃ han’; then soften into the last pāda as a sealing protection; finish by choosing one small right action immediately (Agni’s ‘many leadings’).
Tri-svara; keep strong articulation on the imperative cluster (han, yakṣi, jarasva) while preserving svara integrity.
Firmly mark: tvām agne, samidhānaḥ, jarūthaṃ han, yakṣi, puraṃdhim, puruṇīthā, jātavedo, jarasva, svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ.
tvām: vām nasal-free, long ā, jarūtham: long ū; th aspirated, puraṃdhim: ṃ nasal; dh aspirated; short i, puruṇīthā: ṇ retroflex; long ī and ā, svastibhiḥ: cluster sv clear; final ḥ light
Start forceful and upright; end gently protective on ‘svastibhiḥ’.
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