Rig Veda 10.87.6: Mandala 10, Sukta 87, Mantra 6
Sukta 10.87
- Devata
- Agni Jātavedas
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Bhayankara
यत्रेदानीं पश्यसि जातवेदस्तिष्ठन्तमग्न उत वा चरन्तम् । यद्वान्तरिक्षे पथिभिः पतन्तं तमस्ता विध्य शर्वा शिशानः ॥
yátre-dā́nīṃ páśyasi jāta-vedaḥ tíṣṭhantam agna utá vā cárantam | yád vā́ntárikṣe pathíbhiḥ pátantaṃ tám ástā vidhya śárvā śiśānaḥ ||
Di mana pun kini engkau melihatnya, wahai Jātavedas—sama ada berdiri, wahai Agni, atau berjalan; atau terbang di antarikṣa menurut jalan-jalan—di situlah tikamlah dia, wahai Pemanah yang menyala, dengan senjatamu yang diasah.
Word by Word
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)Role अधिकारणRoot यत्र (प्रश्न/सम्बन्ध-अव्यय)
- इदानीम्
- nowIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्यय (‘now’)Role अधिकारणRoot इदानीम् (अव्यय)
- पश्यसि
- you seeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root √पश् (दृश्) ‘to see’
- जातवेदः
- O Jātavedas (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा एकवचन (Vedic: vocative = nominative-form)Role सम्बोधनRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि का नाम)
- तिष्ठन्तम्
- standingParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (पश्यसि का)Root √स्था ‘to stand’ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and/alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक निपात (‘and/also’)Root उत (निपात)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक (‘or’)Root वा (निपात)
- चरन्तम्
- moving/roamingParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (पश्यसि का)Root √चर् ‘to move, roam’ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- यत्
- whichever/that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (relative ‘whatever/that which’)Role कर्म (विध्य का; ‘that [one] whom…’)Root यद् (सम्बन्ध सर्वनाम)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक (‘or’)Root वा (निपात)
- अन्तरिक्षे
- in the mid-air/atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- पथिभिः
- by/along the pathsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot पथि- (पथिन्/पथिन्- ‘path, way’; Vedic instr. pl. form)
- पतन्तम्
- flying/fallingParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (विध्य का; ‘that [one] who is flying’)Root √पत् ‘to fly/fall’ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- तम्
- him/that onePronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (विध्य का)Root तद् (सर्वनाम)
- अस्ताः
- weapons/missilesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन (Vedic usage: ‘weapons’ as object of ‘hurl/strike’ implied)Role कर्म (विध्य के साधन-सम्बन्ध में; ‘with weapons’ sense overlaps)Root अस्त्र/अस्त (प्रातिपदिक; ‘weapon, missile’; here plural)
- विध्य
- strike/pierce!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root √व्यध् ‘to pierce, strike’
- शर्वा
- O Śarva (Rudra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot शर्व (रुद्र का नाम)
- शिशानः
- sharpened/keen (having whetted)Participleकृदन्त: वर्तमान/परिपूर्णार्थक मध्यम-प्रयोग (आत्मनेपद), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘having sharpened/being keen’Role कर्ता (विध्य के कर्ता: शर्वा)Root √शा/√शि ‘to sharpen; to whet’ (Vedic middle perfect/participle usage)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): यत्र + इदानीम् + पश्यसि + जातवेदः । तिष्ठन्तम् + अग्ने + उत + वा + चरन्तम् । यत् + वा + अन्तरिक्षे + पथिभिः + पतन्तम् । तम् + अस्ताः + विध्य + शर्वा + शिशानः ॥ Notable: यत्रेदानीम् = यत्र + इदानीम्
- जातवेदस्तिष्ठन्तम् = जातवेदः + तिष्ठन्तम् (visarga sandhi before त-)
- अग्न उत = अग्ने + उत
- यद्वा = यत् + वा
- अन्तरिक्षे पथिभिः = no sandhi change
- पतन्तं तमस्ता = पतन्तम् + तम् + अस्ताः (final -म् before त-; then तम् + अस्ताः gives त + अ → ता in continuous recitation)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni Jātavedas is urged to strike the yātudhāna wherever he is seen—standing, moving, or flying in the mid-region along paths—using a missile; Agni is called a blazing archer (śarvā) sharpened in force.
Inner meaning
Hostile movements can appear as fixed habits (standing), active impulses (moving), or fast thought-suggestions (flying) in the intermediate mind-life field (antarikṣa). The mantra trains a comprehensive detection: ‘wherever you see him now’. Agni as inner archer is the focused will that releases a precise force (astā) to strike the intrusion at the point of appearance—before it settles into the system. ‘Śarvā śiśānaḥ’ indicates a Rudra-like precision and keenness: not diffuse struggle, but exact intervention.
Universal truth
Resistance changes forms—habit, impulse, suggestion. Freedom requires vigilant seeing and timely, precise application of conscious force at the moment and place of arising. The spiritual warrior is above all attentive.
Themes
vigilance, targeted-purification, inner-detection
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.87.1-23
Significance
The seer emphasizes ‘seeing’ as the key to protection: Agni’s action follows awakened perception. This anticipates yogic vigilance (smṛti/apramāda) as central to inner mastery.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Jātavedas (with Rudra-like archer aspect)
- Epithets
- Jātavedas, Agní, Astā (weapon-bearer), Śarvā, Śiśāna
- Related deities
- Rudra (Śarva), Indra (striking force)
Cosmic role
Protector who hunts down hostile forces across the mid-world; purifier with precise striking power.
Inner power
Witnessing-guided will: immediate, accurate intervention against arising negativity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective recitation to locate and strike hostile influences; guarding the ritual space and participants
यत्रे॒दानीं॒ पश्य॑सि जातवेद॒स्तिष्ठ॑न्तमग्न उ॒त वा॒ चर॑न्तम् । यद्वा॒न्तरि॑क्षे प॒थिभि॒: पत॑न्तं॒ तमस्ता॑ विध्य॒ शर्वा॒ शिशा॑नः ॥
यत्र॑ । इ॒दानी॑म् । पश्य॑सि । जा॒त॒ऽवे॒दः॒ । तिष्ठ॑न्तम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । उ॒त । वा॒ । चर॑न्तम् । यत् । वा॒ । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षे । प॒थिऽभिः । पत॑न्तम् । तम् । अस्ता॑ । वि॒ध्य॒ । शर्वा॑ । शिशा॑नः ॥
yatra | idānīm | paśyasi | jāta-vedaḥ | tiṣṭhantam | agne | uta | vā | carantam | yat | vā | antarikṣe | pathi-bhiḥ | patantam | tam | astā | vidhya | śarvā | śiśānaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Scanning rhythm (wherever/standing/moving/flying) culminating in a sharp strike.
Trains alertness; supports quick recognition and decisive release of will-force.
- पश्यसि (paśyasi)
- Literal: you see. Symbolic: the awakened witnessing awareness that detects intrusion
- तिष्ठन्तम् / चरन्तम् (tiṣṭhantam / carantam)
- Literal: standing / moving. Symbolic: static habit-patterns / active impulses
- पतन्तम् (patantam)
- Literal: flying. Symbolic: swift thought-forms, suggestions, imaginations crossing the mind
- अन्तरिक्ष (antarikṣa)
- Literal: mid-region. Symbolic: intermediate plane of mind-life where formations travel
- पथिभिः (pathibhiḥ)
- Literal: by paths. Symbolic: habitual channels/tracks of thought and desire
- अस्ता (astā)
- Literal: missile, weapon. Symbolic: directed force of will/illumination released precisely
- शर्वा (śarvā)
- Literal: archer (Rudra-epithet). Symbolic: keen, exact purifying power that strikes the knot
- शिशान (śiśāna)
- Literal: sharpened, blazing. Symbolic: tapas made keen; concentrated edge of consciousness
Protective ‘tracking’ formula: wherever hostile influence appears (standing/moving/flying), it is to be struck—useful in rites emphasizing vigilance.
During protective sequences, especially when obstacles are suspected to ‘move’ through the mid-region
Recite while tending flame; mentally track and ‘strike’ the disturbance
Mindfulness-based protection: use when intrusive thoughts arise—strike at the moment of appearance with clear awareness and a firm inner ‘no’.
√paś ‘see’ marks Agni as consciousness, not mere flame. patha ‘path’ suggests nāḍī-like channels in inner reading. √vyadh ‘pierce’ is the direct striking of truth-force. śarvā ‘archer’ (cf. śaru ‘arrow’) frames Agni as targeted discriminative power.
vigilant awareness (paśyasi) as spiritual defense, channels/paths as movements of vital forces
Restoring right ‘paths’ by preventing hostile formations from traveling habitual channels.
Truth is operational as immediate perception followed by precise force.
Sustaining order by vigilant guardianship in the intermediate worlds where forces move.
Yogic psychology: antarikṣa as inner space of mind-life; Agni as conscious will acting on perception.
Mid-air = thought-field; paths = neural/psychic grooves; missile = focused intention released from the will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hunter/archer’ mythologem: Agni tracks the hostile force across all modes of movement and strikes it—symbolizing vigilant consciousness that does not allow evasion in subtle spaces.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- patha ‘path’ fits a broad IE network of ‘way/path’ terms (cf. English ‘path’ from Germanic, not cognate but typologically parallel; Latin pons etc. are different). √vyadh ‘pierce’ is a common IE action image in warrior poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi delegates detection and execution to Agni’s sight and weapon—an admission that subtle hostile motions require supramental clarity rather than ordinary perception.
Real-time interception: notice the first sign of an intrusive thought (flying), impulse (moving), or mood-set (standing) and apply a precise inner ‘arrow’ of attention and will.
Ajna (seeing) + Manipura (striking will)
Moderate: on inhale ‘see’; on exhale ‘strike’—a single firm exhale as the release of the missile.
Mindful vigilance (apramāda) with decisive purity-force.
Practice ‘three-form scan’: (1) What is standing (habit)? (2) What is moving (impulse)? (3) What is flying (thought)? On detecting, release a single pointed intention: ‘Not this—only the Truth,’ then return to the mantra’s steady flame.
Three-tone Vedic contour; exact udātta/anudātta/svarita positions require the svara-pāṭha not provided.
Keep the ‘wherever’ clause flowing (yatredānīm…); articulate the three modes (tiṣṭhantam/charantam/patantam) distinctly; strike the cadence hard on ‘astā vidhya’.
yatredānīm: keep long ī; do not collapse vowels, jātavedas: long ā; dental d, tiṣṭhantam: retroflex ṣṭh cluster; clear nasal, antarikṣe: retroflex ṣ, śarvā: palatal ś; long ā, śiśānaḥ: both ś palatal; final ḥ light
Alert, clear, slightly tightened focus on the final strike phrase.
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