Rig Veda 8.72.1: Mandala 8, Sukta 72, Mantra 1
Sukta 8.72
- Devata
- Ritual action centered on the Adhvaryu
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
हविष्कृणुध्वमा गमदध्वर्युर्वनते पुनः । विद्वाँ अस्य प्रशासनम् ॥
havíṣ kṛṇudhvam ā́ gamad adhvaryúr vanate púnaḥ | vidvā́n asya praśā́sanam ||
Sediakan persembahan suci (havis); moga Adhvaryu mara ke hadapan lagi untuk meraih kemenangan. Dengan mengetahui perintahnya, ia bergerak menurut aturan yang benar bagi karya yajña.
Word by Word
- हविः
- oblation, offeringNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (यज्ञकर्मणि ‘offering’ as the object) / (contextually: the offered oblation)Root हविस् (प्रातिपदिक) < √हु (जुहोति ‘to offer, sacrifice’)
- कृणुध्वम्
- make, prepare (you all)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रियापद) — कर्ता: ‘यूयम्’ (अध्यर्यवः/यजमानपक्षः) impliedRoot √कृ (करोति)
- आ
- hither, towards (us)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole (क्रियाविशेषण) गमनस्य दिशाबोधकःRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- गमत्
- let (him) comeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (वेदिक रूप: गमत्)Role (क्रियापद) — कर्ता: ‘अध्वर्युः’Root √गम् (गच्छति)
- अध्वर्युः
- the Adhvaryu priestNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अध्वर्यु (प्रातिपदिक) < अध्वर (‘यज्ञ’) + यु (कर्तृवाचक)
- वनते
- wins, obtainsVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रियापद) — कर्ता: ‘अध्वर्युः’Root √वन् (वनोति/वनते ‘to win, obtain’)
- पुनः
- again, backIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण) पुनरावृत्तिबोधकःRoot पुनः (अव्यय)
- विद्वान्
- knowing, wiseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (अध्वर्युम् विशेषयति)Role कर्तृ (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √विद् (‘to know’) ; क्त्वसु/वत्-प्रत्यय (perfect participial base)
- अस्य
- of him/this (one)Pronounषष्ठी; एकवचन; (पुं/नपुं)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रशासनम्
- command, ordinance, ruleNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (विद्वान्—‘knowing’ what?)Root प्र-शासन (प्रातिपदिक) < √शास् (‘to command, rule’) + प्र-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: हविः | कृणुध्वम् | आ | गमत् | अध्वर्युः | वनते | पुनः | विद्वान् | अस्य | प्रशासनम् । Sandhi: (1) हविः + कृणुध्वम् → हविष्कृणुध्वम् (विसर्गस्य ‘ष्’ आदेशः क्-कारादौ)
- (2) कृणुध्वम् + आ → कृणुध्वमा (अन्त्य ‘म्’ + आ-आगमः; संहितायां ‘मा’)
- (3) आ + गमत् → आगमत् (उपसर्ग-संयोग)
- (4) गमत् + अध्वर्युः → गमदध्वर्युः (त् + अ → द्; संधि-परिवर्तन)
- (5) अध्वर्युः + वनते → अध्वर्युर् वनते (विसर्ग/रेफ्-आदेशः; संहितायां अध्वर्युवनते)
The meaning
Outer meaning
An instruction to the ritual company: prepare the oblation; let the Adhvaryu (the officiating priest of the physical act) come forward again to win the rite’s success, moving according to the known ordinance (praśāsana) of the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
Prepare the inner offering (haviḥ) of aspiration, surrender, and purified energies. The Adhvaryu symbolizes the executive will in us that “measures and arranges” the action of yoga. When this will comes forward again (punar), it re-enters the field after lapses and resumes the right working. Knowing the divine governance (praśāsanam) of the inner sacrifice, the will acts in harmony with ṛta—right order—so the work becomes victorious (vanate).
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on repeatedly re-offering oneself and re-establishing right order in action. When the will aligns with a higher law, effort becomes effective and the path becomes self-correcting.
Themes
ritual procedure as inner method, right rule of action, prepared offering
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.72.2, Rig Veda 8.72.3, Rig Veda 8.72.4, Rig Veda 8.72.5
Family tradition
Likely Kāṇva (Book 8 is predominantly Kāṇva); mantra reflects pragmatic yajña-psychology—right ordering of action.
Significance
The seer-voice emphasizes the disciplined re-commencement of the inner sacrifice: knowledge of the law (praśāsana) converts effort into effective spiritual action.
The deity
- Devata
- Adhvaryu (ritual executive) with implicit Agni/Yajña
- Epithets
- karmakṛt (doer of the work), ṛtāvān (aligned to ṛta, implied), yajñasya netā (leader of the sacrifice, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Bṛhaspati, Indra
Cosmic role
The power that arranges the steps of manifestation and correct procedure—translating intention into ordered act.
Inner power
Consecrated will (icchā-śakti as disciplined execution): the capacity to align deeds with inner truth and persist until realization.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña / general śrauta performance instructions (preparation of haviḥ; movement of Adhvaryu)
ह॒विष्कृ॑णुध्व॒मा ग॑मदध्व॒र्युर्व॑नते॒ पुन॑: । वि॒द्वाँ अ॑स्य प्र॒शास॑नम् ॥
ह॒विः । कृ॒णु॒ध्व॒म् । आ । ग॒म॒त् । अ॒ध्व॒र्युः । व॒न॒ते॒ । पुन॒रिति॑ । वि॒द्वान् । अ॒स्य॒ । प्र॒ऽशास॑नम् ॥
haviḥ | kṛṇudhvam | ā | gamat | adhvaryuḥ | vanate | punariti | vidvān | asya | pra-śāsanam
32
4 pādas × 8 syllables (approximate; Vedic resolution may vary)
Compact, directive, stepwise cadence suited to injunction and re-orientation.
Creates a ‘reset’ effect—gathers attention, firms resolve, and establishes orderly momentum.
- हविः (haviḥ)
- Literal: oblation, offering. Symbolic: inner offering of aspiration, surrender, purified substance of consciousness
- कृणुध्वम् (kṛṇudhvam)
- Literal: make, prepare (plural imperative). Symbolic: actively shape the inner conditions; deliberate consecration
- अध्वर्यु (adhvaryu)
- Literal: the priest who performs the physical rite. Symbolic: executive will; the organiser of disciplined action in sādhanā
- वनते (vanate)
- Literal: wins, gains, conquers. Symbolic: attains the fruit of right effort; victory over inertia/resistance
- पुनः (punaḥ)
- Literal: again. Symbolic: renewal after fall; persistence and re-entry into practice
- प्रशासनम् (praśāsanam)
- Literal: ordinance, governance, rule. Symbolic: divine law of right working (ṛta) guiding the yoga
Adhvaryu-directed instruction: preparation of havis and correct execution according to praśāsana; characteristic of śrauta procedural moments (especially soma/yajña sequences).
At moments of preparing offerings and re-initiating the sequence of acts; also as a cue for correct procedure.
Preparing the oblation; calling/affirming the Adhvaryu’s forward motion; aligning acts with ordinance.
Before meditation: a brief inner resolve—‘prepare the offering’ (attention/breath), ‘come forward again’ (return from distraction), ‘act by right rule’ (steady method).
havis from √hu ‘to pour/offer/invoke’. kṛ from √kṛ ‘do, make’. adhvaryu is the ritual executor (connected with adhvara). √van ‘to win, desire’ gives vanate ‘wins’. √vid ‘know’ gives vidvān. śās ‘to command, instruct’ gives praśāsanam ‘governing ordinance’.
Ṛta as ordinance (praśāsanam), Repetition and practice (punaḥ) as sustained discipline
Praśāsanam implies the governing law of ṛta that makes the sacrifice effective.
Truth becomes operative when known and embodied as rule of action.
Order emerging from rightly arranged energies—manifestation through disciplined will.
Proto-Vedāntic / yogic reading (Aurobindo): yajña as inner transformation rather than mere ritual exchange.
Fire = will and aspiration; approach = turning of consciousness toward the Divine; ordinance = inner law that maintains harmony.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Not a narrative myth but a ritual mythologem: ‘rightly prepared offering + knowing the ordinance’ enables winning (vanate). The rite is itself the archetypal action that aligns the human with Ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The root √vid ‘know’ is a classic IE inheritance (cf. Latin vidēre, English wit/wise). The performative imperative + optative framing (kṛṇudhvam … ā gamat) reflects archaic hymn-instruction style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker instructs the human officiating power (adhvaryu) to act in knowledge of the ordinance; the ‘divine’ here is the law of right action itself (praśāsanam/Ṛta), which rewards correct performance with attainment.
Consecration of action: offer the mind-breath as haviḥ; re-enter practice whenever distracted; align method with inner law.
Manipura (will/Agni)
Even inhalation with silent resolve ‘ā gamat’ (return); exhalation as offering ‘haviḥ’.
From scattered to collected, then to orderly, executive clarity.
Begin sessions by ‘preparing the offering’: relax, gather attention, set intention. When restlessness arises, repeat the sense of ‘punar’—return without self-judgment—then continue by the chosen rule (praśāsanam) of practice.
Vedic accents as transmitted in śākhā tradition; preserve udātta on marked syllables and svarita transitions (exact svara requires pada-svara notation of the recension).
Keep the imperative ‘kṛṇudhvam’ crisp; slight lift on udātta syllables; avoid flattening compound ‘pra-śāsanam’.
haviḥ: final ḥ clearly aspirated, kṛṇudhvam: retroflex ṇ; dhv cluster articulated, adhvaryuḥ: dhv + aryu smooth, avoid inserting extra vowel, praśāsanam: śa (palatal) not ṣa
Clear, directive, steady; not overly soft.
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