Rig Veda 7.17.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 17, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.17
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni with subsidiary motif of the ‘Doors’ as ritual personifications
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
उत द्वार उशतीर्वि श्रयन्तामुत देवाँ उशत आ वहेह ॥
utá dvā́ra uśatī́r ví śrayantām utá devā́ṃ uśatá ā́ vahéha ||
Dan biarlah Pintu-pintu yang diidamkan terbuka dan mengambil tempatnya; dan engkau, yang berkehendak, bawalah para dewa ke mari—pimpinlah kuasa-kuasa cahaya masuk ke dalam kesedaran kami yang telah disediakan.
Word by Word
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात (अव्यय)Root उत (निपात)
- द्वारः
- the doors/gatesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot द्वार् (प्रातिपदिक: द्वार्/द्वार- ‘door, gate’)
- उशतीः
- eager; welcomingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (द्वारः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; वैदिके लिङ्ग-व्यत्ययः/सामानाधिकरण्यं)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root उशती (प्रातिपदिक; उश् ‘to desire’ → उशत्/उशती ‘desiring, eager’)
- वि
- apart; forth; widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (विभाग/प्रसारार्थ)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- श्रयन्ताम्
- let them take their places; let them open/spreadVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole KriyāRoot श्रि (धातु: श्रि/श्रय् ‘to lean on, resort to, take position’)
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात (अव्यय)Root उत (निपात)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक: देव ‘god’)
- उशतः
- willing; eagerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (देवान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)Root उशत् (प्रातिपदिक; उश् ‘to desire’ → उशत् ‘desiring, willing’)
- आ
- towards; hitherIndeclinableउपसर्ग (आगमन/आनयनार्थ)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- वह
- bring; conveyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot वह् (धातु ‘to carry, convey, bring’)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableदेशवाचक-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: उ॒त द्वार॑ उश॒तीर्वि श्र॑यन्तामु॒त दे॒वाँ उ॑श॒त आ व॑हे॒ह ।। 1) उशतीः + वि → उशतीर्वि (विसर्ग/रुत्व-प्रकारेण ‘ः/र्’ संधिः)
- 2) श्रयन्ताम् + उत → श्रयन्तामुत (अन्त्य ‘म्’ परे स्वरादौ संहितायां अनुस्वार/मकार-समासः)
- 3) वह + इह → वहेह (ए/अ इत्यादि संधिः; पदपाठे ‘वह इह’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let the desired Doors open and take their places; and you, desiring, bring the gods here.
Inner meaning
The ‘Doors’ are the openings of perception and the gateways between outer and inner—senses, mind-doors, and subtle channels. When aspiration is sincere (uśatīḥ/uśataḥ), these gateways align and stand rightly (vi śrayantām), allowing Agni to conduct the divine powers into the prepared field of consciousness.
Universal truth
Spiritual influx depends on right openings: when our faculties are harmonized and oriented toward the higher, the passage between human and divine becomes active and grace can enter.
Themes
inviting the gods, opening inner faculties, Agni as mediator
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.17.1, RV 7.17.3, RV 7.17.4
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s method is orderly invocation: prepare the seat, open the gates, then invite the powers.
Significance
The seer stresses that receptivity is structured: the doors must open and ‘take their stations’—a psychology of aligned faculties.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Vahni (bringer), Hotṛ (invoker)
- Related deities
- Dvārāḥ (personified Doors), Viśve Devāḥ, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Summoner and conductor of the gods; opener of passages between worlds (human and divine).
Inner power
The will that turns the faculties upward and magnetizes the descent of higher powers.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pravara/invitation segment of Agni rite: opening the ritual space and inviting devatās
उ॒त द्वार॑ उश॒तीर्वि श्र॑यन्तामु॒त दे॒वाँ उ॑श॒त आ व॑हे॒ह ॥
उ॒त । द्वारः॑ । उ॒श॒तीः । वि । श्र॒य॒न्ता॒म् । उ॒त । दे॒वान् । उ॒श॒तः । आ । व॒ह॒ । इ॒ह ॥
uta | dvāraḥ | uśatīḥ | vi | śrayantām | uta | devān | uśataḥ | ā | vaha | iha
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4 × ~11
Antiphonal feel: first line opens space (doors), second line draws descent (bring the gods).
Creates a felt ‘opening’ in the body-mind; then a drawing-in, as if inviting presences inward.
- द्वारः (dvāraḥ)
- Literal: doors, gates. Symbolic: gateways of consciousness—faculties and inner channels that admit light or block it
- उशतीः (uśatīḥ)
- Literal: desiring, eager (fem.). Symbolic: aspiring openings—faculties turned toward the Divine rather than outward craving
- वि श्रयन्ताम् (vi śrayantām)
- Literal: let them spread/settle into their stations. Symbolic: right alignment and stable poise of the instruments of perception
- देवान् (devān)
- Literal: the gods. Symbolic: powers of light: illumined mind, harmony, force, joy, truth-working
- आ वह (ā vaha)
- Literal: bring here, convey. Symbolic: draw the higher consciousness into the embodied being
Invitation sequence: opening the ritual ‘doors’ and summoning deities to the seat (common in soma liturgy)
After preparation (kindling, barhis) and before principal offerings.
Symbolic opening of directions/thresholds; invitation (āvāhana) through Agni.
Use before meditation to ‘open the doors’: relax senses, align attention, then invite higher qualities (peace, light, strength) to enter.
(dvāra) ‘door’ from PIE *dʰwer- ‘door’ (cf. English door, Greek thýra). √śri ‘to lean/rest/adhere’ (śrayantām) indicates establishing a stable opening. √vah ‘carry’ (vaha) repeats Agni’s function as Vahni, transporter across worlds.
interworld mediation, desire as upward aspiration (uśat), ordered descent (ṛta through stable ‘doors’)
Doors ‘taking their stations’ mirrors ṛta: each faculty in its right place enables truth-working.
Aspiration (uśat) oriented to satya allows true influences to enter, not chaotic impulses.
Threshold symbolism: manifestation requires openings between planes of consciousness.
Yoga of ascent/descent: opening instruments (adhāra-śuddhi) for divine entry.
dawn (doors of light opening—implicit)
Doors = senses and mind-gates; opening = receptivity; bringing gods = descent of higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The opening of the ‘Doors’ between realms so the gods may enter. Mythically, the rite becomes a crossroads of worlds; psychologically, inner thresholds (senses, mind, intuition) are opened and stabilized so higher forces can descend into the human vessel.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dvāra ‘door’ is a textbook PIE inheritance (*dʰwer-). Such shared threshold vocabulary underlines an Indo-European poetics of passage/entry. The repeated √vah ‘carry’ maintains the inherited mediator motif (carrier between worlds).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests two coordinated actions: the cosmic openings must become active (doors ‘take their places’), and Agni must actively bring the gods. Human aspiration organizes access; Agni executes the transit.
‘Door-opening’ concentration: feel openings at forehead, heart, and crown; invite light and peace inward.
ajna (gateway of vision) and sahasrara (upper opening) with grounding in anahata (heart-door)
Inhale: ‘open’; exhale: ‘settle into station’; then gentle inhale to ‘bring in’ higher presence.
Receptive, subtly uplifted, luminous expectancy.
Repeat slowly 7–11 times; after each repetition, pause and sense which ‘door’ (sense/mind habit) is still closed; offer it to Agni and reopen.
Maintain clear pitch lift on ‘dvāraḥ’ and ‘devān’; let ‘ā vaha iha’ descend gently as a drawing-in.
Pause after śrayantām; keep ‘ā vaha iha’ as one inviting unit.
(dvāraḥ): ‘dv’ cluster clean; long ā, (uśatīḥ): palatal ś; long īḥ, (śrayantām): ‘śr’ cluster; nasal ‘nt’ before long ā, (devān): keep nasalization; do not over-open vowels, (ā vaha iha): separate iha lightly, not ‘eha’
Soft, inviting, slightly airy; as if opening space with sound.
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