Mantra 7
Agni as the sacrificial forerunner who opens the rite, framed by cosmic illumination and Indra’s paradigm of releasing prosperity
आ प्रागाद्भद्रा युवतिरह्नः केतून्त्समीर्त्सति अभूद्भद्रा निवेशनी विश्वस्य जगतो रात्री
ā prāgādbhadrā yuvatirahnaḥ ketūntsamīrtsati abhūdbhadrā niveśanī viśvasya jagato rātrī
ā prāgād bhadrā yuvatīr ahnaḥ ketūn samīrtsati abhūd bhadrā niveśanī viśvasya jagato rātrī
The auspicious youthful (Night) hath advanced; she gathers up the lights of day: auspicious hath Night become, the bringer of repose to all the moving world.
ā | prāgāt | bhadrā | yuvatīḥ | ahnaḥ | ketūn | sam-īrtsati | abhūt | bhadrā | niveśanī | viśvasya | jagataḥ | rātrī
Rathantara (generic assignment; exact gāna requires Sāmavedic gāna-pāṭha)
{ "prastava": "o hā / hā-i (softly initiated)", "udgitha": "ā prāgād bhadrā yuvatīr ahnaḥ ...", "pratihara": "ho-i (gentle, brief)", "upadrava": "... abhūd bhadrā niveśanī ...", "nidhana": "... viśvasya jagato rātrī (long settle on rātrī)", "structure_notes": "Place the main ‘settling’ affect in upadrava+nidhana; avoid brisk tempo so the mantra performs its function.", "singer_assignments": "Prastotṛ / Udgātṛ / Pratihartṛ / Udgātṛ / all." }
{ "gloss_summary": "Rātrī is a devatā whose function is niveśana—settling beings; ketu are luminous tokens of day gathered up at nightfall.", "ritual_interpretation": "A cosmic-ritual transition verse: regulates time within yajña and protects the rite by inducing repose and order.", "theological_insight": "Night is not negation but auspicious governance—divine protection through concealment and rest.", "etymology_highlights": "niveśanī from ni-viś ‘to place/settle’; ketu as ‘mark/sign’ of light and activity." }