Rig Veda 3.59.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 59, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.59
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Mitra, with Agni as the offering-medium
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
महाँ आदित्यो नमसोपसद्यो यातयज्जनो गृणते सुशेवः । तस्मा एतत्पन्यतमाय जुष्टमग्नौ मित्राय हविरा जुहोत ॥
mahā́n ādityó námasopasádyo yātayáj-jano gṛṇaté suśévaḥ | tásmā etát pányatamāya júṣṭam agnáu mitrā́ya havír ā́ juhota ||
Agunglah Āditya, yang dapat didekati dengan penghormatan; yang menuntun manusia ke jalan yang benar dan berkenan kepada penyanyi pujian. Maka persembahkanlah ke dalam Agni persembahan ini—yang paling layak dan menyenangkan—bagi Mitra, yang paling patut dikagumi.
Word by Word
- म॒हाँ
- greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (वेद. रूप: महाँ < महान्)Role Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण आदित्यस्य)Root महत्
- आ॑दि॒त्यः
- Āditya (the solar deity)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot आदित्य
- नम॑सा
- with reverence, by homageNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot नमस्
- उप॒सद्यः
- to be approached (in worship)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; कृदन्त: यत्-प्रत्यय (उपसद्य = ‘approachable/one to be approached’)Role Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण आदित्यस्य)Root उपसद् (उप-√सद्)
- यात॒यत्
- restraining, keeping in checkAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)Role Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण आदित्यस्य)Root यातयत् (यातयत् < √यत्/यम् caus. यातयति)
- जनः
- people, folkNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (वेद. प्रयोग: जनो = जनम्)Role KarmaRoot जन
- गृण॒ते
- to the praiser (one who sings/praises)Verbवर्तमान; आत्मनेपद; चतुर्थी? (न); 3rd person? (न); द्वितीया? (न) — रूप: दत्तिव्/शतृ-सम्बद्ध दत्तिव्: गृणते = ‘to the singer/praiser’ (दत्तिव् एकवचन)Role SampradānaRoot √गॄ (गृणाति)
- सु॒शेवः
- very gracious, kindlyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण आदित्यस्य)Root सु-शेव
- तस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot तद्
- ए॒तत्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot एतद्
- पन्य॑तमाय
- to the most admirableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)Role SampradānaRoot पनीय/पण्य (पनीयतम)
- जुष्ट॑म्
- pleasing, gladly acceptedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)Role Karma (एतत्-विशेषणम्)Root √जुष्
- अ॒ग्नौ
- in/at Agni (the fire)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अग्नि
- मि॒त्राय॑
- for MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मित्र
- ह॒विः
- oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot हविस्
- आ
- forth, towards (intensifier with the verb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ
- जु॒होत
- offer! (you all should pour/offer)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); परस्मैपद; मध्यम पुरुष; बहुवचनRoot √हु (जुहोति)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: नमसो+उपसद्यः → नमसा उपसद्यः (विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर-समास)
- यातयत्+जनः → यातयज्जनः (त् + ज → ज्ज)
- एतत्+पन्यतमाय → एतत्पन्यतमाय (त् + प → त्प)
- हविः+आ → हविरा (विसर्गस्य रुत्व). Vedic padapāṭha allows जनो = जनम् (acc. sg.) and गृणते as dative sg. ‘to the praiser’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Great is the Āditya, approachable by reverence, who sets people on the right path and is gracious to the singer. Therefore offer into Agni this most pleasing oblation for Mitra.
Inner meaning
The ‘great Āditya’ is the vast solar consciousness of unity and right law. It is ‘approachable by namas’—not by argument but by surrender and sincerity. As yātayajjanaḥ, it corrects the drifting movements of the human being, turning life toward the true way. The offering is to be placed ‘in Agni’: the Divine Will/inner fire is the mediator that carries our aspiration upward and brings down the response. The psychological act: offer the best of one’s energy and intention into the inner flame for the harmonizing power (Mitra), so the being becomes rightly guided and graciously illumined.
Universal truth
Transformation requires two movements: reverent openness to a higher order and a conscious offering of one’s best will. Harmony is established when aspiration is carried by the inner fire and aligned to truth-law.
Themes
Offering into Agni, Divine guidance, Grace to the singer, Harmonization with Mitra
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.59.4, RV 3.59.6, RV 3.62.10
Family tradition
Vision of inner yajña: offering through Agni to establish solar harmony and right movement of life.
Significance
The seer emphasizes that the gods are reached by inner attitude (namas) and by the psychic act of offering (havis in Agni), not merely by external rite.
The deity
- Devata
- Mitra (Āditya), with Agni as offering-medium
- Epithets
- mahān āditya, upasadya, yātayajjana, suśeva, panyatama
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Agni, Savitar, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Solar power that guides beings into right motion and concord; Agni transmits offerings between human and divine worlds.
Inner power
Mitra: harmonizing guidance and benevolence; Agni: transforming will that carries aspiration and burns impurity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Havis-offering to Mitra via Agni in śrauta fire ritual (general)
म॒हाँ आ॑दि॒त्यो नम॑सोप॒सद्यो॑ यात॒यज्ज॑नो गृण॒ते सु॒शेव॑: । तस्मा॑ ए॒तत्पन्य॑तमाय॒ जुष्ट॑म॒ग्नौ मि॒त्राय॑ ह॒विरा जु॑होत ॥
म॒हान् । आ॒दि॒त्यः । नम॑सा । उ॒प॒ऽसद्यः॑ । या॒त॒यत्ऽज॑नः । गृ॒ण॒ते । सु॒ऽशेवः॑ । तस्मै॑ । ए॒तत् । पन्य॑ऽतमाय । जुष्ट॑म् । अ॒ग्नौ । मि॒त्राय॑ । ह॒विः । आ । जु॒हो॒त॒ ॥
mahān | ādityaḥ | namasā | upa-sadyaḥ | yātayat-janaḥ | gṛṇate | su-śevaḥ | tasmai | etat | panya-tamāya | juṣṭam | agnau | mitrāya | haviḥ | ā | juhota
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4 × ~11 syllables
Directive and ritual-energetic; moves from praise → reason → injunction to offer.
Energizes will and devotion; creates a sense of purposeful inner action and alignment.
- महान् आदित्यः (mahān ādityaḥ)
- Literal: the great Āditya. Symbolic: vast solar consciousness; unity and truth-order
- नमसा उपसद्यः (namasā upasadyaḥ)
- Literal: approachable by reverence. Symbolic: accessible through humility, sincerity, surrender
- यातयज्जनः (yātayaj-janaḥ)
- Literal: he who sets people in motion rightly / restrains the wayward. Symbolic: the correcting guidance that turns life toward the true path
- गृणते सुशेवः (gṛṇate suśevaḥ)
- Literal: gracious to the singer. Symbolic: responds to the soul’s call; supports sincere aspiration
- अग्नौ (agnau)
- Literal: in Agni (fire). Symbolic: into the Divine Will and transforming flame of consciousness
- हविः (haviḥ)
- Literal: oblation. Symbolic: offered energies—attention, breath, will, and purified desire
- पन्यतमाय जुष्टम् (panyatamāya juṣṭam)
- Literal: most admirable, most pleasing. Symbolic: the finest, most sincere offering—highest intention
Explicit havis-offering instruction: oblation into Agni for Mitra; directly compatible with Soma and iṣṭi-style offerings where Agni is carrier (vahni).
At points of offering to Ādityas/Mitra, seeking right guidance and gracious response.
Juhoti: place oblation into fire while reciting; accompanied by namas (salutation).
Inner-fire practice: light a lamp/candle; offer a clear intention (‘my best will’) into the flame; chant to invoke harmony and right direction.
upasádya-: from upa- + √sad 'sit' → 'to be approached, sat near'—psychologically, the divine becomes intimate through reverent alignment. yātayát-: causative from √yā 'to go' → 'to set in motion, guide, restrain/keep in right movement' (also 'to ward off'); here: the power that corrects human movement into ṛta. juhota: from √hu 'to sacrifice, invoke'—offering as conscious self-giving through Agni.
Approachability through namas (reverent alignment), Guidance of human movement into ṛta (yātayat-), Yajña as inner self-offering
Mitra as yātayajjana establishes right movement according to ṛta.
Sincere praise and true offering invite the solar response.
Agni as the mediator of manifestation: aspiration offered becomes force; solar law shapes it into right action.
Integral Yoga resonance: surrender (namas) + aspiration (Agni) + harmony (Mitra) as a triple key.
daytime (solar)
Fire = will and transformation; Sun = illumined order; path = directed life-movement toward truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The yajña-transmission mythologem: Agni as the mediator carries the human offering to Mitra/Āditya; in return the Āditya 'sets men on the path'. The central action is the conversion of human movement into right movement by sacrificial alignment.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Agni (Latin ignis) is a classic Indo-European cognate set, reflecting the shared fire-cult lexicon. The sacrificial verb √hu has parallels in IE ritual speech-acts, though direct cognates are debated; the structural role of fire as mediator is strongly IE.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the human community as active co-worker: they must offer (juhota) through Agni; the devatā responds by guidance (yātayat-) and grace (suśevaḥ). The relationship is pedagogic—Mitra trains by order, the human consents by sacrifice.
Offer the day’s will into the inner fire; invite harmonizing guidance for right action and speech.
manipura (Agni/will)
kapālabhāti (gentle, 30–60 strokes) or bhastrikā-light, then quiet breathing before chant
bright, purposeful, uplifted will
Visualize a flame at the navel rising to the heart; on ‘agnau’ inwardly ‘place’ your best intention; then feel Mitra’s harmonizing influence spreading through thoughts and relationships.
Maintain Vedic accent flow; keep the injunctional tone on the final pāda ‘agnau mitrāya… juhota’.
Slightly emphasize semantic pivots: ‘mahān’, ‘namasā’, ‘agnau’, ‘mitrāya’, without turning into stress accent.
upasadyaḥ: pronounce ‘sa’ clearly; avoid swallowing ‘dyaḥ’, yātayaj-janaḥ: double ‘j’ as a brief gemination, panyatamāya: keep ‘nya’ compact; open ‘āya’ long, juhota: ‘ho’ long ‘o’; dental ‘t’
bright, offering-like; slightly more energetic than 3.59.3–4
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