Rig Veda 7.1.23: Mandala 7, Sukta 1, Mantra 23
Sukta 7.1
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स मर्तो अग्ने स्वनीक रेवानमर्त्ये य आजुहोति हव्यम् । स देवता वसुवनिं दधाति यं सूरिरर्थी पृच्छमान एति ॥
sá márto agne svanīka revā́n amártye yá ājuhóti havyám | sá devátā vasuvánim dadhāti yáṃ sūrír arthī pṛcchámāna éti ||
Dia, wahai Agni, seorang insan fana yang bersinar pada wajah-cahayanya sendiri, menjadi kaya dalam kelimpahan—dialah yang mempersembahkan havya (persembahan) kepada-Mu, Yang Abadi. Dia menegakkan kuasa-kuasa ilahi dan memperoleh perolehan harta yang benar; kepadanyalah sang pelindung yang mencari datang bertanya.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that man)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तः
- mortal manNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक; √मृ ‘to die’ से)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role (सम्बोधन)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वनीक
- of fair/bright face (good-looking)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root सु-नीक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सु’ + ‘नीक’)
- रेवान्
- wealthy, splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root रेवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमर्त्ये
- in/with the immortal (Agni), among the immortalsNoun/Adjective (locative)पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अमर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoRelative pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आजुहोति
- offers, pours (as oblation)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √हु (जुहोति-प्रयोगः; उपसर्गः आ-)
- हव्यम्
- the oblation, offeringNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक; √हू ‘to call/invoke’ से)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवता
- as a deity; divine (one)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (अप्पोज़िशन/विशेषण-भावः)Root देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसुवनिम्
- winning of wealth, gain of richesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वसु-वनि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वसु’ + ‘वनि’)
- दधाति
- places, bestows, establishesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √धा
- यम्
- whomRelative pronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सूरिः
- patron, liberal giverNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्थी
- desirous, seeking (a goal/benefit)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृच्छमानः
- asking, inquiringParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), आत्मनेपद-भावः; पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root √प्रच्छ्
- एति
- goes, approachesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √इ
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): सः | मर्तः | अग्ने | स्वनीक | रेवान् | अमर्त्ये | यः | आजुहोति | हव्यम् || सः | देवता | वसुवनिम् | दधाति | यम् | सूरिः | अर्थी | पृच्छमानः | एति || प्रमुख-सन्धि: (1) स मर्तो → सः मर्तः (विसर्ग-लोपः पदसंहितायाम्) (2) रे॒वानम॑र्त्ये → रेवान् अमर्त्ये (न् + अ → न् अ; पदे ‘रेवान्’) (3) पृच्छमा॑न॒ एति → पृच्छमानः एति (ः + ए → ऽ/लोपः संहितायाम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A mortal who offers the oblation to Agni the Immortal becomes radiant and wealthy; he establishes the divine powers, gains true wealth, and is approached by a seeker/patron for guidance.
Inner meaning
The human being (marta) who kindles the inner Fire (Agni) and repeatedly offers the will and works (havyam) into it becomes “self-fronted in light” (svanīka): the personality takes a luminous leading edge. This consecration draws in and stabilizes the devatāḥ—inner powers of consciousness (illumined mind, right discernment, force, harmony). From that establishment arises vasuvani—acquisition of the true riches (clarity, strength, joy, wideness). Such a realized one becomes a natural refuge: the seeking soul-force (sūriḥ, the aspirant-patron) comes with questions, i.e., the awakened part in us consults the inner guide-fire.
Universal truth
Sincere self-offering to the highest Will transforms the front of life into light, organizes the inner powers, and yields enduring wealth of being; seekers are drawn to those who have made this inner sacrifice real.
Themes
reward of sacrifice, establishing divine powers, spiritual wealth, seeker’s inquiry
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1 (Agni hymn series), RV 7.2 (Agni/Narāśaṃsa), RV 7.3 (Agni), RV 7.33 (Vasiṣṭha’s spiritual authority)
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭhas are preeminent seers of ṛta—right order—and of Agni as the priest of the inner and outer sacrifice; their hymns often stress establishment of the gods within and the right path (suviti).
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s voice is that of steady realization: Agni is not merely ritual fire but the conscious power that founds the divine order in the human instrument.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Amartya (Immortal), Svanīka (self-radiant), Yajata (worthy of worship)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind-force), Sūrya (truth-light), Uṣas (awakening), Soma (bliss)
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; carrier of offerings; awakener of the gods; establisher of ṛta in the sacrifice.
Inner power
Flame of aspiration and divine Will that purifies, organizes, and empowers the faculties until they become devatāḥ (divine functions).
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra/Agni-stoma style offerings; general Agni invocation in soma and non-soma rites
स मर्तो॑ अग्ने स्वनीक रे॒वानम॑र्त्ये॒ य आ॑जु॒होति॑ ह॒व्यम् । स दे॒वता॑ वसु॒वनिं॑ दधाति॒ यं सू॒रिर॒र्थी पृ॒च्छमा॑न॒ एति॑ ॥
सः । मर्तः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । सु॒ऽअ॒नी॒क॒ । रे॒वान् । अम॑र्त्ये । यः । आ॒ऽजु॒होति॑ । ह॒व्यम् । सः । दे॒वता॑ । व॒सु॒ऽवनि॑म् । द॒धा॒ति॒ । यम् । सू॒रिः । अ॒र्थी । पृ॒च्छमा॑नः । एति॑ ॥
saḥ | martaḥ | agne | su-anīka | revān | amartye | yaḥ | ājuhoti | havyam | saḥ | devatā | vasu-vanim | dadhāti | yam | sūriḥ | arthī | pṛcchamānaḥ | eti
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, declarative cadence suited to affirmation of attainment and consequence.
Builds resolve and clarity; supports a ‘step-by-step’ inner ascent—offering → establishment → gain → guidance.
- मर्त (marta)
- Literal: mortal human. Symbolic: the embodied personality capable of conscious self-offering
- अग्नि (agni)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine Will and inner leader of sacrifice; conscious flame of aspiration
- स्वनीक (svanīka)
- Literal: having one’s own face/front; radiant front. Symbolic: a luminous leading consciousness; clarified outer nature reflecting inner light
- रेवान् (revān)
- Literal: rich, splendid. Symbolic: plenitude of inner resources—force, joy, clarity
- अमर्त्य (amartya)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: the deathless divine principle in us that receives the offering
- हव्य (havya)
- Literal: oblation. Symbolic: works, impulses, and energies offered for transformation
- देवता (devatā)
- Literal: divinities, divine powers. Symbolic: functional powers of the divine consciousness established in the being
- वसुवनिम् (vasuvanim)
- Literal: winning of wealth. Symbolic: attainment of true riches (light, strength, bliss, right action)
- सूरि (sūri)
- Literal: patron, seeker. Symbolic: the aspiring will in the human that seeks truth and asks guidance
Praise of the sacrificer’s reward; legitimizes patronage (sūri) and the efficacy of offering to Agni
At kindling and offering moments; when affirming the fruit of right oblation
Offering havis into fire with praise; establishing devatāḥ through mantra
Use as a daily inner-offering affirmation: ‘I offer my actions to the inner Fire; may the divine powers be established and true wealth arise.’
svanīka: sva- ‘own’ + nīka ‘face/front’ (from √nī ‘to lead’ or nominal field ‘front’) → one’s formed luminous presence. vasu from √vas ‘to dwell, be’ → ‘substance of being’ hence spiritual wealth; vani ‘winning’ from √van ‘to win/desire’ gives vasu-vani ‘winning of essential wealth’. ā-juhoti from √hu ‘to pour/offer’ with preverb ā- intensifying the act.
immortality (amṛta) as divine status, wealth (vasu/rayi) as fullness of being, inquiry (pṛcch) as seeking knowledge
Agni establishes ṛta by organizing the devatā-functions in the human instrument.
Svanīka radiance suggests satya-prakāśa—truth-light becoming the front of life.
From the offered energy, higher powers are ‘set’ (dadhāti) in the being—an inner creation/re-creation.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindo): sacrifice as transformation of nature by the divine Will.
Fire = aspiration/will; radiance = awakened consciousness; offering = consecration of works; wealth = plenitude of spiritual qualities.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘successful sacrificer’ archetype: by offering to the Immortal Fire, the mortal becomes ‘revān’ and establishes devatā-powers, gaining vasu. Psychologically, right aspiration into Agni yields a luminous personality (svanīka) and stable inner powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hu ‘offer’ is Indo-Iranian (Avestan zaoθra- related ritual offering complex, though not a direct cognate of hu). √van ‘win/desire’ has wide IE parallels in the semantic field of winning/striving; the compound vasu-vani shows the RV’s productive compounding typical of early IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents a law of inner exchange: devotion to Agni results in the establishment of devatā (inner divine faculties) and the acquisition of vasu (essential wealth). The ‘sūri’ approaches the realized one for guidance—knowledge becomes a social and spiritual magnet.
Consecration of actions into the inner Fire; stabilizing divine faculties (devatāḥ) in mind-life-body.
Anāhata (heart-fire) / Maṇipūra (will-fire)
Gentle ujjāyī or slow nasal breathing with a brief pause after exhale while mentally ‘offering’ the day’s actions.
Collected, aspiring, steadily illumined (tapas with calm).
Before work or study, recite once or thrice; visualize a steady flame in the heart, place one intention into it, then pause and feel ‘radiance at the front’—a clear, truthful leading sense.
Use Vedic accenting as per śākhā tradition: observe udatta peaks on key verbs/nouns; svarita as falling glide; anudatta as low base (exact svara requires pada + accent marks from a fully notated text).
Keep the natural triṣṭubh lift at each pāda end; slightly emphasize ‘ā-juhoti’, ‘devatā’, ‘vasuvanim’, ‘pṛcchamāna’.
Keep retroflex ṭ/ḍ/ṇ clear; ‘amartye’ with clean ‘tye’., ‘svanīka’ as sva-nī-ka (no English ‘v’)., ‘pṛcchamāna’ with vocalic ṛ (pṛ), and geminate cch.
Steady, bright, forward-placing; avoid heaviness—aim for ‘radiant front’.
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