Rig Veda 3.22.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 22, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.22
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अग्ने यत्ते दिवि वर्चः पृथिव्यां यदोषधीष्वप्स्वा यजत्र । येनान्तरिक्षमुर्वाततन्थ त्वेषः स भानुरर्णवो नृचक्षाः ॥
agné yát te diví várcaḥ pṛthivyā́ṃ yád óṣadhīṣv apsv ā́ yajatra | yéna antárikṣam urvā́ ātátantha tveṣáḥ sá bhānúr arṇavó nṛcákṣāḥ ||
Wahai Agni, apa jua sinarmu di langit, di bumi, pada tumbuh-tumbuhan, dan di dalam air—wahai Yang layak dipuja—dengannya Engkau membentangkan ruang-antara yang luas; cahaya yang menyala itu bagaikan samudera bagi penglihatan insan, membukakan pandang dalam diri kami menuju tertib yang maha-luas.
Word by Word
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि-
- यत्
- that whichPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (यद्-सम्बन्धः; ‘that which’)Root यद्-
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी-एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root त्वद्-
- दिवि
- in heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot द्यौ/दिव्-
- वर्चः
- splendour, radianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (यद्-सम्बन्धः)Root वर्चस्-
- पृथिव्याम्
- on earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot पृथिवी-
- यत्
- that whichPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (यद्-सम्बन्धः)Root यद्-
- ओषधीषु
- among the plantsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot ओषधि-
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अप्-
- आ
- unto, forth (preverb)Preverb/Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ
- यजत्र
- O worshipful oneAdjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot यजत्र-
- येन
- by whichPronoun (relative/instrumental)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot यद्-
- अन्तरिक्षम्
- the midspace, atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अन्तरिक्ष-
- उर्वा
- with wide expanseAdjective (instr.)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन (Vedic instr. of उरु-)Role करण (सह-करणभावः; ‘with broadness/expanse’)Root उरु-
- आततन्थ
- you have stretched/spreadVerbलिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; उत्तम? (actually 2nd sg.); एकवचनRole कर्तृ (implicit ‘you’ = Agni)Root √तन् (तनू)
- त्वेषः
- impetuous, blazingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (of भानुः)Root त्वेष-
- स
- he/thatPronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (with भानुः)Root तद्-
- भानुः
- beam, lightNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot भानु-
- अर्णवः
- flood, oceanNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole उपमान (in simile)Root अर्णव-
- न
- like, asParticleउपमा-निपातRoot न
- ऋचक्षाः
- seer of hymns / hymn-seeing (one whose sight is in the ṛc)Adjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Vedic nom. in -āḥ)Role विशेषण (of भानुः)Root ऋचक्षस्- (ऋ-चक्षस्) अथवा √चक्ष् + ऋ
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (as in pada-text): यत्ते → यत् + ते
- वर्च॑: (वर्चः) stands as visarga
- यदोषधीष्वप्स्वा → यत् + ओषधीषु + अप्सु + आ
- येनान्तरिक्षम् → येन + अन्तरिक्षम्
- उर्वा॑ततन्थ → उर्वा + आततन्थ
- त्वे॒षः स → त्वेषः + स
- भा॒नुर॑र्ण॒वो → भानुः + अर्णवः
- अर्ण॒वो न → अर्णवः + न. Accent marks in the Saṃhitā are not repeated in the pada forms here
- analysis is based on Rigvedic pada segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni’s radiance shines in heaven, earth, plants, and waters; by it he has stretched the wide mid-world. That blazing light is like an ocean with human vision.
Inner meaning
The one flame of consciousness expresses across all planes: higher mind (dyu), physical foundation (pṛthivī), vital growth (oṣadhī), and flowing life-energies (āpaḥ). This integrated radiance widens the intermediate field (antarikṣa)—the psychological mid-region where thoughts, emotions, and impulses mix. When Agni’s light fills it, the being becomes ‘nṛcakṣas’—possessing the awakened seeing of the true human, capable of perceiving the vast order (uru/ṛta).
Universal truth
A single inner clarity, when allowed to permeate every level of life, widens the whole field of consciousness; vision becomes oceanic—broad, steady, and inclusive.
Themes
All-pervading Agni, Cosmic wideness, Illumination and vision, Elemental integration (sky/earth/plants/waters)
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.12, RV 3.13, RV 3.14, RV 3.15
Family tradition
Viśvāmitra hymns often emphasize widening (uru), world-linking (dyu–pṛthivī–antarikṣa), and the conquest of light through Agni and Indra.
Significance
The seer’s vision integrates planes: spiritual practice is not escape but pervasion—Agni’s varcas entering mind, life, and body to create a wide, ordered consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Yajatra (adorable, worthy of sacrifice), Tveṣa (blazing)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (illumination), Sūrya (truth-light), Āpaḥ (supporting currents)
Cosmic role
All-pervading flame that upholds the worlds and widens the mid-region; awakens perception.
Inner power
Illuminating will that pervades and organizes the mixed mid-plane, turning it into a clear field for right seeing and right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise in offerings that acknowledge Agni’s presence in all realms (invocation before/within oblations)
अग्ने॒ यत्ते॑ दि॒वि वर्च॑: पृथि॒व्यां यदोष॑धीष्व॒प्स्वा य॑जत्र । येना॒न्तरि॑क्षमु॒र्वा॑त॒तन्थ॑ त्वे॒षः स भा॒नुर॑र्ण॒वो नृ॒चक्षा॑: ॥
अग्ने॑ । यत् । ते॒ । दि॒वि । वर्चः॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्याम् । यत् । ओष॑धीषु । अ॒प्ऽसु । आ । य॒ज॒त्र॒ । येन॑ । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । उ॒रु । आ॒ऽत॒तन्थ॑ । त्वे॒षः । सः । भा॒नुः । अ॒र्ण॒वः । नृ॒ऽचक्षाः॑ ॥
agne | yat | te | divi | varcaḥ | pṛthivyām | yat | oṣadhīṣu | ap-su | ā | yajatra | yena | antarikṣam | uru | ātatantha | tveṣaḥ | saḥ | bhānuḥ | arṇavaḥ | nṛ-cakṣāḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables
Broad and expansive; less ‘charging’ than purely martial triṣṭubh, more ‘widening’ in feel.
Creates spaciousness in the chest and head; supports contemplative clarity with steady power.
- वर्चः (varcaḥ)
- Literal: splendor, brilliance. Symbolic: luminous energy of consciousness that empowers all parts of the being
- दिवि (divi)
- Literal: in heaven. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined plane
- पृथिव्याम् (pṛthivyām)
- Literal: on earth. Symbolic: physical nature, stability, embodiment
- ओषधीषु (oṣadhīṣu)
- Literal: in plants. Symbolic: growth-force, healing vitality, regenerative energies
- अप्सु (apsu) / आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: in waters. Symbolic: life-flows, subtle currents, purified emotional-vital movement
- अन्तरिक्षम् उरु (antarikṣam uru)
- Literal: wide mid-world. Symbolic: expanded inner space between higher and lower—mind-vital field made vast
- भानुः (bhānuḥ)
- Literal: radiance. Symbolic: raying power of revelation
- अर्णवः (arṇavaḥ)
- Literal: ocean, flood. Symbolic: vastness of luminous consciousness
- नृचक्षाः (nṛcakṣāḥ)
- Literal: having human sight. Symbolic: true seeing mind in the human—discriminating, receptive to ṛta
Praise of Agni’s all-pervading splendor across realms; inwardly, awakening of vision across body-life-mind and widening of the intermediate field.
At the opening of a rite to establish Agni as pervading witness and carrier; also suitable for daily recitation to ‘consecrate the day’.
Offer ghee with the thought of pervasion—light entering body, breath, mind, and environment.
A ‘pervasion meditation’ mantra: scan awareness from head (divi) to feet (pṛthivī), then through breath/life (āpaḥ) and growth (oṣadhī), widening the inner sky (antarikṣa).
varcas from √vṛc/√vṛj? (standard: varcas ‘splendor, vigor’), denotes luminous potency. ā-√tan ‘stretch’ (ātatantha) is PIE *ten- ‘stretch’ (Latin tendere). arṇava ‘flood/ocean’ used for vast radiance—symbol of immeasurable luminous consciousness. nṛ-cakṣas: nṛ ‘man’ + cakṣas ‘sight’ (√cakṣ ‘see’, PIE *kʷek̂- ‘see’): Agni’s light becomes the power that enables human seeing.
pervasion of consciousness across planes, widening (uru) of the antarikṣa (life-mind field), vision (cakṣas) as illumination of the human instrument
Agni’s varcas reveals ṛta by widening the mid-world where confusion normally reigns.
Bhānu as truth-ray makes perception ‘nṛcakṣas’—aligned with reality, not distortion.
Worlds are ‘stretched’ by consciousness-force; inner creation mirrors cosmic extension (ātatantha).
Aurobindonian integral psychology: pervasion of higher light into all parts of nature.
Higher mind, body, growth-vitality, emotional-vital currents unified by one luminous will; ocean = vast consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni’s universal pervasion and world-forming expansion: his radiance exists in all realms and ‘stretches’ the wide mid-world. Psychologically, the awakened will-light pervades mind, body, vitality, and the subconscient waters, widening the inner field so human sight (nṛ-cakṣas) becomes capable of truth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ātatantha from √tan reflects PIE *ten- ‘stretch’ (Latin tendere, English tend). cakṣ- ‘see’ has PIE visual-root correspondences. The fourfold realm listing (sky/earth/plants/waters) matches an old Indo-European tendency to enumerate cosmic strata.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi contemplates Agni’s splendor across all planes and implicitly asks for that same radiance to become ‘human-seeing’—transforming the seeker’s perception. Praise becomes a means of aligning the human instrument with the all-pervading divine light.
Pervasion of luminous will through all layers; widening the ‘inner sky’ for clear seeing.
Anahata to Ajna (widening and vision)
Sama-vṛtti (equal inhale/exhale) with brief kumbhaka to feel ‘stretching’ of inner space.
Spacious clarity; steady luminous awareness.
Repeat slowly; with each pāda, place Agni’s radiance in one layer—head/sky, body/earth, growth/plant-life, breath-waters—then rest in a wide inner expanse.
Tri-svara; keep clear udātta on agne, varcaḥ, antarikṣam, bhānuḥ.
Let the cadence broaden on ‘uru ātatantha’; keep ‘tveṣaḥ sa bhānuḥ’ crisp and bright.
ṛ in pṛthivyām is vocalic ‘ri’, oṣadhīṣu: long ī, retroflex ṣ, apsv ā: avoid inserting extra consonant; link smoothly, nṛcakṣāḥ: nṛ (vocalic ṛ) + cakṣāḥ (kṣ cluster)
Clear, resonant, expansive; avoid harshness—aim for ‘oceanic’ tone.
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