Rig Veda 7.16.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 16, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.16
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
त्वमग्ने गृहपतिस्त्वं होता नो अध्वरे । त्वं पोता विश्ववार प्रचेता यक्षि वेषि च वार्यम् ॥
tvám agne gṛhápatís tváṃ hótā no adhvaré | tváṃ pótā viśvavāra prácetā yákṣi véṣi ca vā́ryam ||
Engkau, wahai Agni, ialah tuan rumah; Engkau ialah hotṛ kami dalam upacara (adhvara). Engkau penyuci, wahai yang serba-diingini, yang berwawasan luas: laksanakanlah yajña dan bawalah juga kekayaan yang unggul (harta batin terbaik).
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou / youPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगतः), प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृहपतिः
- house-lord; master of the houseNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बन्ध-वाक्ये विधेय-नाम)Root गृहपति (प्रातिपदिक; गृह + पति)
- त्वम्
- thouPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- होता
- Hotṛ-priest; invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विधेय-नाम)Root होतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to sacrifice/offer’ से)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वरे
- in the rite; in the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- thouPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- पोता
- Potṛ-priest; purifierNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विधेय-नाम)Root पोतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘to purify’ से)
- विश्ववार
- O all-boon(-giving) oneAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot विश्ववार (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + वार ‘choice/boon’)
- प्रचेता
- O wise/foreknowing oneAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot प्रचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक; प्र + चेतस् ‘intelligence’)
- यक्षि
- sacrifice! / worship! / offer!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √यज् (देवपूजा/याग)
- वेषि
- thou conveyest / bringestVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (वेदिक)Role क्रियाRoot √वह्/√वेष् (वेदिक प्रयोग: ‘to convey/bring, to carry to’)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRole समुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- वार्यम्
- the desirable (boon/wealth)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √वृ ‘to choose’ से ‘choice/valuable’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): त्वम् | अग्ने | गृहपतिः | त्वम् | होता | नः | अध्वरे | त्वम् | पोता | विश्ववार | प्रचेता | यक्षि | वेषि | च | वार्यम् । 1) त्वम्+अग्ने → त्वमग्ने (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: म् + अ). 2) विश्ववार॒ प्रचेता → विश्ववारप्रचेता (पद-सीमा पर संधि-लोप/समासवत् उच्चारण; पदच्छेद में पृथक्). 3) वेषि च वार्यम्: संधि नहीं (च के कारण पद-विराम). वैदिक स्वरचिह्न (॑, ॒) यथामन्त्रं
- पदच्छेद में अक्षररूप अपरिवर्तित।
The meaning
Outer meaning
You, Agni, are lord of the house; you are our priest in the rite. You are the purifier, all-desirable, wide-aware: sacrifice and bring excellent riches.
Inner meaning
Agni is gṛhapati—the master of the inner house (the embodied being). He is hotā in the adhvara, the ‘journey’ of sacrifice: the guiding priestly will that offers each movement rightly. As potā he purifies: he strains and refines the mixed energies and motives, separating the luminous from the turbid. Viśvavāra: he is desirable for all parts because he brings what each truly needs when aligned to the soul. Pracetā: wide-aware intelligence within the flame—discerning how to offer, when to offer, and what to reject. The mantra asks Agni not only to perform the inner sacrifice (yakṣi) but also to ‘bring’ (veṣi) vāryam—the best choicest riches: peace, clarity, strength, joy, and right action.
Universal truth
The awakened will must govern the inner life, purify motives, and conduct our actions as a conscious sacrifice that brings the best inner wealth.
Themes
Agni as inner priesthood, governance of the being, purification and discernment, choice excellence (vārya)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.16, RV 7.23
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha hymns often map the multiple priestly functions onto inner faculties, making ritual roles a psychology of sādhanā.
Significance
Here the seer gives a compact ‘yogic’ theology of Agni: ruler (gṛhapati), invoker (hotā), purifier (potā), knower (pracetā).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- gṛhapati, hotā, potā, viśvavāra, pracetā
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (brahman/word), Indra (illumination), Vasus (riches/powers)
Cosmic role
Household and cosmic priest: sustains the inner and outer order, purifies, and mediates offerings to divine powers.
Inner power
Indwelling guidance-will that rules the psyche, purifies nature, and brings down the choicest fruits of practice.
In ritual
Where it is used
Household fire (gārhapatya) praise; agni-stuti within rites where Agni is invoked as hotṛ/potṛ
त्वम॑ग्ने गृ॒हप॑ति॒स्त्वं होता॑ नो अध्व॒रे । त्वं पोता॑ विश्ववार॒ प्रचे॑ता॒ यक्षि॒ वेषि॑ च॒ वार्य॑म् ॥
त्वम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । गृ॒हऽप॑तिः । त्वम् । होता॑ । नः॒ । अ॒ध्व॒रे । त्वम् । पोता॑ । वि॒श्व॒ऽवा॒र॒ । प्रऽचे॑ताः । यक्षि॑ । वेषि॑ । च॒ । वार्य॑म् ॥
tvam | agne | gṛha-patiḥ | tvam | hotā | naḥ | adhvare | tvam | potā | viśva-vāra | pra-cetāḥ | yakṣi | veṣi | ca | vāryam
44
4×11 (approx.)
Declarative and steady; enumerative listing of roles gives a firm, anchoring cadence.
Grounds the practitioner—stabilizes attention in the ‘inner hearth’ and clarifies roles of will and discernment.
- gṛhapati
- Literal: lord of the house. Symbolic: indwelling master-will that governs the embodied nature
- hotā
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: the part in us that calls higher powers and offers movements into transformation
- adhvara
- Literal: sacrificial session/journey (often ‘unharmed/undeviating’). Symbolic: the path-practice of consecrated action through life
- potā
- Literal: purifier/strainer priest. Symbolic: purifying intelligence that refines impulses and emotions
- viśvavāra
- Literal: all-desirable. Symbolic: universally needed divine force; satisfies all parts by rightly ordering them
- pracetā
- Literal: wide-aware, foreknowing. Symbolic: luminous discernment within will—inner guidance
- vāryam
- Literal: excellent/choice treasure. Symbolic: highest inner attainments and right conditions for growth
Role-identification of Agni with key priestly functions (hotṛ/potṛ/gṛhapati) in śrauta ritual; inwardly mapping functions of invocation, purification, and governance.
In daily tending of household fire and in openings of rites emphasizing Agni’s priestly offices
Maintain fire, offer ghee; recite acknowledging Agni’s roles; request vāryam (excellent gain)
Daily practice mantra: before meals/work/meditation, recall Agni as ‘lord of the house’—ask for purification of motives and for the best inner outcome in action.
gṛhapati (house-lord: Agni as indwelling ruler of the ‘gṛha’—the embodied field). hotā (from √hu: invoker; speech-will that summons powers). potā (purifier: from √pū). prácetāḥ (pra + √cit: heightened consciousness). vāryam (from vāra/vṛ ‘choose’: the choicest excellence; interpreted inwardly as selected, refined spiritual wealth rather than material goods).
indwelling divine (antaryāmin-like function in Vedic terms), purification (pavana), discernment (prajñā-like prácetas)
Agni as gṛhapati establishes right order among inner movements, preventing dispersion.
pracetā implies truth-aware guidance; hotā implies truthful invocation.
Sustaining and perfecting the ‘house’ of embodiment as a temple of the divine fire.
Integral yoga reading: inner fire as psychic guide and purifier; ritual offices = functions of consciousness.
evening (household fire association)
Home/hearth = body-heart as seat of will; purification = refining emotions/thoughts; excellent riches = stable peace, clarity, strength.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the triple (and more) priestly function within the rite—house-lord, invoker, purifier. Mythically the fire is the officiant; psychologically it is the integrated inner agency that governs, calls down higher powers, and purifies the mixed impulses.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hu (hotā) relates to IE calling/invocation patterns (ritual speech-act). √pū (potā) expresses purification, a widespread ritual semantic. The compound gṛha-pati mirrors productive IE compounding (‘X-lord/master’) used for social and sacral roles.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts Agni with internal priesthood: not merely asking for gifts, but acknowledging Agni as the organizing intelligence of the sacrifice and the being. The request ‘yákṣi véṣi ca vā́ryam’ implies: perform the inner offering and bring the refined excellence into our life.
Establish Agni in the ‘inner home’: let will govern, invoke higher clarity, and purify mixed motives; ask for vāryam—best result aligned with dharma and growth.
anāhata (inner home/heart-fire) and maṇipūra (will)
slow coherent breathing; on inhale ‘tvam agne’; on exhale ‘yakṣi veṣi ca vāryam’ as offering + reception
Centered, governed, quietly powerful.
Before action, pause: ‘Agni is lord here.’ Offer the impulse; let Agni-as-potā strain it—keep what is true, release what is reactive. Then proceed, asking for the ‘choice wealth’ of right outcome and inner growth.
Recite with steady baseline; emphasize role-words (gṛhapatiḥ, hotā, potā, pracetā) with clear udātta peaks per tradition (exact accents require svara text).
Keep the three ‘tvam’ declarations evenly weighted; slight pause after each role to let meaning land.
gṛhapatiḥ: retroflex ṛ; aspirate ‘ph’ lightly, hotā: long ā, adhvare: ‘dhv’ cluster clean, viśvavāra: ‘śv’ crisp; long ā, pracetā: ‘c’ palatal; long ā
warm, steady, inward (as if chanting at a hearth)
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