Rig Veda 3.25.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 25, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.25
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अग्निः सनोति वीर्याणि विद्वान्त्सनोति वाजममृताय भूषन् । स नो देवाँ एह वहा पुरुक्षो ॥
agníḥ sanóti vīryā́ṇi vidvā́n sanóti vā́jam amṛ́tāya bhū́ṣan | sá no devā́n ā́ ihá vahā purukṣo ||
Agni, yang mengetahui, memenangi bagi kami daya-daya kepahlawanan; ia memenangi vāja—kelimpahan tenaga—bagi keluasan yang tidak mati, menghiasinya dengan nyalanya. Bawalah ke mari para dewa kepada kami, wahai yang berdiam luas, dan pimpinlah mereka ke medan kami.
Word by Word
- अग्निः
- Agni (the fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सनोति
- wins, obtainsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √सन् (सन्/सनोति ‘to win, obtain’)
- वीर्याणि
- heroic powers, might-deedsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वीर्य- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विद्वान्
- knowing, wiseAdjective (participial)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (कर्तरि वर्तमानकृदन्तः)Role कर्तृ (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Root √विद् → विद्वस्- (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक)
- सनोति
- wins, obtainsVerbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √सन्
- वाजम्
- prize, strength, (victory-)bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वाज- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृताय
- for immortalityNoun (used as purpose/dative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (प्रयोजन/अर्थे)Root अमृत- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूषन्
- adorn (us)/make (it) prosper; further!Verb (injunctive/imperative-like, Vedic)लोट्/विधिलिङ्-सदृश प्रयोगः; परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रिया (आह्वान/प्रार्थना)Root √भूष् (भूषति ‘to adorn, make ready, further’)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान (अस्मभ्यं/नः)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (देश)Root इह (अव्यय)
- वह
- carry! bring!Verbलोट्; परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वह् (वहति ‘to carry, convey’)
- पुरुक्षो
- O far-reaching/abiding with many (epithet of Agni)Adjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरुक्षु- / पुरुक्षो- (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नेः विशेषणम्)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: विद्वान्त्सनोति → विद्वान् सनोति (final -न् + initial स-)
- स नो देवाँ एह वहा → सः नः देवान् इह वह (visarga before नः; देवाँ = देवान् with Vedic nasalization/accusative plural; एह = इह with Vedic e-variant/orthography)
- Other words are already pada-separated
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, the knower, wins heroic powers and vāja (force/plenitude) for immortality, adorning it; he is asked to bring the gods here, O widely dwelling one.
Inner meaning
The inner Fire, awake with knowledge, secures vīryāṇi—courageous capacities of the soul—and vāja—fullness of effective force—for the growth into amṛta (deathless consciousness). ‘Adorning’ indicates purification and beautifying of our nature by the flame of aspiration. Agni then becomes the carrier who brings down higher powers into the field of practice.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is not mere quietude: it requires an enlightened will that wins strength, widens life toward the deathless, and can call in supporting powers when needed.
Themes
Invocation, Spiritual victory, Bringing the gods
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.25.1, Rig Veda 3.25.3, Rig Veda 3.25.4, Rig Veda 3.25.5
Family tradition
Gāthin; hymns emphasize conquest (vīrya) through illumined will and the descent of divine powers.
Significance
The seer frames Agni as the practical yogic force: not only mediator but achiever of vāja—effective plenitude—so the inner life becomes capable of immortality-consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- vidvān, bhūṣan, purukṣa
- Related deities
- Indra (vīrya/illumination), Soma (amṛta/bliss), Maruts (dynamic energies)
Cosmic role
Winner of boons, awakener of energies, summoner of the gods to the sacrifice.
Inner power
Illumined executive force: converts aspiration into heroic capacity and stable wideness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-related invocations where Agni summons devatās; also general Agni stotras in śrauta settings
अ॒ग्निः स॑नोति वी॒र्या॑णि वि॒द्वान्त्स॒नोति॒ वाज॑म॒मृता॑य॒ भूष॑न् । स नो॑ दे॒वाँ एह व॑हा पुरुक्षो ॥
अ॒ग्निः । स॒नो॒ति॒ । वी॒र्या॑णि । वि॒द्वान् । स॒नोति॑ । वाज॑म् । अ॒मृता॑य । भूष॑न् । सः । नः॒ । दे॒वान् । आ । इ॒ह । व॒ह॒ । पु॒रु॒क्षो॒ इति॑ पुरुऽक्षो ॥
agniḥ | sanoti | vīryāṇi | vidvān | sanoti | vājam | amṛtāya | bhūṣan | saḥ | naḥ | devān | ā | iha | vaha | purukṣo itipuru-kṣo
44
4 × ~11
Energetic and martial; suited to ‘winning’ language (sanoti).
Elicits confidence and upward drive; supports activation of will and courage.
- वीर्याणि (vīryāṇi)
- Literal: heroic powers. Symbolic: soul-strength, courage to overcome resistance
- विद्वान् (vidvān)
- Literal: knowing. Symbolic: conscious will guided by knowledge, not impulse
- वाजम् (vājam)
- Literal: prize, plenitude of force. Symbolic: effective energy, fullness of capacity and accomplishment
- अमृताय (amṛtāya)
- Literal: for immortality. Symbolic: for the deathless state of consciousness; enduring wideness
- भूषन् (bhūṣan)
- Literal: adorning, making splendid. Symbolic: purifying and harmonizing the nature into a luminous form
- पुरुक्षो (purukṣo)
- Literal: widely-dwelling. Symbolic: Agni present in many planes/centers of being; pervasive inner flame
- देवान् आ वह (devān ā vaha)
- Literal: bring the gods. Symbolic: invoke higher faculties/powers into active consciousness
Agni as bringer of devas to the offering; invitatory function in soma rites; inner sense: calling higher powers into the consciousness
Before principal offerings, to call devas and strengthen the rite
Recitation with oblations; mentally ‘calling in’ divine powers
Use when lacking energy or clarity: chant to awaken vīrya and vāja, then sit in silent receptivity for ‘descent’ of higher help.
√san ‘to win, gain’ (sanoti) emphasizes conquest of inner energies. vāja- linked to strength/fullness; in Vedic poetic psychology it is ‘plenitude of force’ that supports immortality (amṛta). √vah ‘to carry’ (Avestan vaz-, Latin vehō) shows PIE transport root *weǵh-.
Amṛta (immortality) as deathless consciousness, Vāja as plenitude of force, Inner conquest (sanoti)
Winning vāja is aligned with ṛta—right action producing right increase.
vidvān implies action grounded in truth-knowledge, not desire.
Transformation toward amṛta: mortal nature widened and stabilized by fire.
Integral-psychological Vedic interpretation (Aurobindo): vāja as effective spiritual force.
Fire = will; chariot/bringing = movement of consciousness drawing down higher powers; adornment = refinement of nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the winner and carrier: he conquers vīrya and vāja and conveys the gods to the sacrifice. Mythically this is the ‘messenger’ function; psychologically it is the ascent-force that brings higher faculties into active presence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah (bring/carry) reflects PIE *weǵh- (Latin vehō, English way/vehicle family). √vid (vidvān) continues PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’. The semantic pairing ‘know’ + ‘win’ encodes the Indo-European heroic-gnostic ideal: knowledge as power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi relies on Agni’s knowledge (vidvān) to secure inner heroism (vīrya) and plenitude (vāja) for immortality (amṛta). The prayer is cooperative: human aspiration offers; Agni effects the transformation and summons the assisting powers.
Kindle heroic steadiness: ‘May the inner Fire win strength and fullness for the deathless wideness.’
Maṇipūra (will) with support to Anāhata (widening)
Bhastrikā-light (3 rounds of 15–20 strokes) then calm breathing; chant once per long exhale
Dynamic concentration; poised readiness for higher influx.
After chanting, visualize Agni as a flame in the navel rising to the heart, ‘adorning’ the inner space; then invite specific powers (clarity, courage, joy) one by one.
Rigvedic svara with clear udātta on प्रमुख words (अ॒ग्निः, वी॒र्या॑णि, वाज॑म्).
Let ‘sanoti’ be even and purposeful; emphasize long vowels (vājam, amṛtāya) without dragging.
agniḥ: final ḥ audible but light, vīryāṇi: ‘ry’ cluster clean; keep ī long, amṛtāya: vocalic ṛ short; avoid ‘amritaaya’ overlengthening, eha: two syllables e-ha, not ‘eh’
Bright, confident, slightly projecting.
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