Rig Veda 2.2.7: Mandala 2, Sukta 2, Mantra 7
Sukta 2.2
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
दा नो अग्ने बृहतो दाः सहस्रिणो दुरो न वाजं श्रुत्या अपा वृधि । प्राची द्यावापृथिवी ब्रह्मणा कृधि स्वर्ण शुक्रमुषसो वि दिद्युतः ॥
dā́ no agne bṛható dā́ḥ sahasríṇo duró ná vā́jaṃ śrutyā́ apā́ vṛdhi | prācī́ dyā́vā-pṛthivī́ bráhmaṇā kṛdhi svàrṇá śukrám uṣásaḥ ví didyutuḥ ||
ହେ ଅଗ୍ନି, ଆମକୁ ବିଶାଳ ଦାନ ଦିଅ; ସହସ୍ରଗୁଣ ଦାନ ଦିଅ। ଯେପରି ଦ୍ୱାର ଖୋଲାଯାଏ, ସେପରି ବଳ-ସମୃଦ୍ଧିର ଦ୍ୱାରଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ଆମ ଶ୍ରୁତି ପାଇଁ ଖୋଲିଦିଅ। ମନ୍ତ୍ରବଳରେ ଦ୍ୟାବା-ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ଆମ ପ୍ରତି ପ୍ରାଚୀ (ଅଭିମୁଖ) କର; ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟର ନିଜ ଦୀପ୍ତ ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ପରି, ଉଷାମାନେ ନିଜ ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ପ୍ରଭାକୁ ଝଲମଲ କରନ୍ତୁ।
Word by Word
- दा
- giveVerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √दा (दाने)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounGenitive/Dative plural (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (pronoun)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounMasculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- बृहतः
- of the great / from the greatAdjectiveMasculine/Neuter, genitive/ablative singular (used adjectivally)Root बृहन्त् (adj. prātipadika)
- दाः
- giveVerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person singular, parasmaipada (Vedic variant beside दा)Root √दा (दाने)
- सहस्रिणः
- of a thousand (i.e., thousandfold/abounding in thousands)AdjectiveMasculine, genitive singular (qualifying an implied gift/wealth)Root सहस्रिन् (adj. prātipadika)
- दुरः
- a door / gateNounNeuter, nominative/accusative singular (Vedic form)Root दुर्/द्वार् (द्वार- ‘door’, Vedic form दुर्/दुरः)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableComparative particleRoot न (particle)
- वाजम्
- prize; strength; food; winning powerNounMasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वाज (prātipadika)
- श्रुत्याः
- of fame/hearing; of renownNounFeminine, genitive singularRoot श्रुति (f. prātipadika)
- अप
- away, forthIndeclinableUpasarga (separative/away)Root अप (preverb)
- वृधि
- increase; make growVerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √वृध् (वर्धने)
- प्राची
- eastward; forwardAdjectiveFeminine, accusative singular (agreeing with an implied ‘direction/way’ or qualifying the following dual as ‘eastward’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot प्राच्/प्राची (adj. prātipadika)
- द्यावापृथिवी
- Heaven and EarthNounFeminine dual, accusative (Vedic dvandva used for ‘Heaven-and-Earth’)Role KarmaRoot द्यावापृथिवी (dvandva prātipadika: द्यौ + पृथिवी)
- ब्रह्मणा
- by sacred formulation; by prayerNounNeuter, instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot ब्रह्मन् (n. prātipadika)
- कृधि
- make; doVerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √कृ (करणे)
- स्वर्णम्
- gold; golden (brightness)Noun/AdjectiveNeuter, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot स्वर्ण (prātipadika)
- शुक्रम्
- bright; shiningAdjectiveNeuter, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot शुक्र (adj./n. prātipadika)
- उषसः
- of DawnNounFeminine, genitive singularRoot उषस् (f. prātipadika)
- वि
- forth; apart; widelyIndeclinableUpasarga (distributive/apart, forth)Root वि (preverb)
- दिद्युतः
- shining forth; flashingVerb (participle)Present active participle, nominative singular masculine (agreeing with an implied subject, e.g., Agni)Role KartāRoot √द्युत् (दीप्तौ) → दिद्युत् (intensive/reduplicated stem)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: दा + नः + अग्ने | बृहतः + दाः + सहस्रिणः | दुरः + न + वाजम् + श्रुत्याः | अप + वृधि | प्राची + द्यावापृथिवी | ब्रह्मणा + कृधि | स्वर्णम् + शुक्रम् + उषसः | वि + दिद्युतः. Notable Vedic forms: दुरः ‘door’ (Vedic for द्वारम्)
- imperative doublet दा/दाः from √दा
- dvandva compound द्यावापृथिवी
- participial stem दिद्युत् from √द्युत with reduplication
- accents in the source are preserved but not re-marked per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Agni to grant vast and thousandfold riches, to open the doors to strength and plenitude; to turn Heaven and Earth favourably by the power of sacred speech; and to let the Dawns shine with pure radiance like the sun’s bright gold.
Inner meaning
Agni as the awakened divine Will is asked to widen the being (bṛhat), multiply inner resources (sahasriṇaḥ), and open the subtle ‘doors of hearing’—the receptive faculties of intuition—so the seeker can enter the plenitude of effective force (vāja). By mantra (brahmaṇā), the higher and lower planes (Dyāvā-Pṛthivī: mind and embodied nature) are made to face the soul’s aspiration. Then Ushas (illumination) breaks out—pure, golden, and progressive—signalling the ascent of consciousness.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires an inner Fire that both enlarges capacity and opens receptivity; when higher mind and embodied life align with true speech, illumination dawns naturally and repeatedly.
Themes
opening the doors, request for vastness, dawn illumination, mantra efficacy
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu/Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.1, RV 2.2, RV 2.3, RV 2.4
Family tradition
Bhārgava seer-line noted for Agni-centered hymns and the inner sacrifice (yajña) as a discipline of consciousness.
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s vision repeatedly turns Agni from a merely ritual fire into the conscious power that opens the inner doors, aligns the worlds, and brings the dawns of realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Ushas; Dyāvā-Pṛthivī imagery)
- Epithets
- bṛhat (vast), sahasrin (thousandfold), hotṛ (inner priest, implied)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Dyāvā-Pṛthivī, Bṛhaspati (via brahman/mantra theme)
Cosmic role
Mediator between worlds; bearer of offerings; opener of paths; awakener of dawn-illumination.
Inner power
Will-to-progress that purifies, widens, and makes the being receptive to higher light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / morning kindling; general Agni-stotra usage in Soma-yajña contexts as an opening invocation
दा नो॑ अग्ने बृह॒तो दाः स॑ह॒स्रिणो॑ दु॒रो न वाजं॒ श्रुत्या॒ अपा॑ वृधि । प्राची॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी ब्रह्म॑णा कृधि॒ स्व१॒॑र्ण शु॒क्रमु॒षसो॒ वि दि॑द्युतः ॥
दाः । नः॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । बृ॒ह॒तः । दाः । स॒ह॒स्रिणः॑ । दु॒रः । न । वाज॑म् । श्रुत्यै॑ । अप॑ । वृ॒धि॒ । प्राची॒ इति॑ । द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी इति॑ । ब्रह्म॑णा । कृ॒धि॒ । स्वः॑ । न । शु॒क्रम् । उ॒षसः॑ । वि । दि॒द्यु॒तुः॒ ॥
dāḥ | naḥ | agne | bṛhataḥ | dāḥ | sahasriṇaḥ | duraḥ | na | vājam | śrutyai | apa | vṛdhi | prācī iti | dyāvāpṛthivī iti | brahmaṇā | kṛdhi | svaḥ | na | śukram | uṣasaḥ | vi | didyutuḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, expansive cadence suited to invocation and opening/expansion themes.
Builds a sense of widening and breakthrough—like doors opening—then resolves in a bright, rising luminosity (Uṣas/svar).
- अग्ने (agne)
- Literal: Fire-god Agni. Symbolic: Divine Will and the inner priest that leads transformation
- बृहतः (bṛhataḥ)
- Literal: the vast, the great. Symbolic: Widening of consciousness; expansion beyond narrow ego
- सहस्रिणः (sahasriṇaḥ)
- Literal: thousandfold. Symbolic: Abundant energies, multiplied capacities of the being
- दुरः (duraḥ)
- Literal: doors, gates. Symbolic: Inner openings of perception; thresholds to higher awareness
- वाजम् (vājam)
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude of force. Symbolic: Effective spiritual force; victorious energy for the work
- श्रुत्यै (śrutyai)
- Literal: for hearing. Symbolic: Subtle listening—intuitive receptivity to truth
- ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā)
- Literal: by brahman/mantra. Symbolic: Mantric truth-speech that reshapes consciousness
- द्यावापृथिवी (dyāvā-pṛthivī)
- Literal: Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: Higher mind-plane and embodied nature brought into harmony
- स्वः (svaḥ/svar)
- Literal: sun-world, luminous heaven. Symbolic: Plane of illumination; truth-light
- उषसः (uṣasaḥ)
- Literal: Dawns. Symbolic: Successive awakenings; progressive illumination
Mantric opening of ‘doors’ and invocation of dawn-light: suitable for morning rites, Soma pressing daybreak sequences, and any prayoga seeking śruti (revelatory hearing) and vāja.
At kindling and commencement of offerings; especially aligned with dawn imagery (prātaḥ).
Kindling fire, offering ghee, recitation to ‘open the doors’ for success of the rite.
Use as a morning mantra for opening receptivity (śruti) and aligning mind-body toward aspiration before meditation or work.
vāja from √vaj ‘to be strong, vigorous’ → ‘plenitude of force’ beyond mere ‘food/prize’. bṛhat is the ‘vast’ (Bṛhat as a key term in satyam-ṛtam-bṛhat). śruti ‘hearing’ indicates inner receptivity. brahman here is operative mantra-power (not later abstract theology). √dyut ‘shine, flash’ → didyutuḥ: dawning illuminations as active forces.
Bṛhat (the Vast), Śruti (inner hearing), Brahman as mantra-force, R̥ta as opening of the right way
Agni opens the ordered passage (ṛta) by making the worlds ‘turn forward’ (prācī) toward the seeker’s truth-movement.
Svar-śukra: the bright truth-light that dawns when alignment is achieved.
Renewal through dawn: illumination repeatedly ‘creates’ a new day of consciousness.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent through planes; mantra as force of consciousness.
dawn
Fire = awakened will; doors = inner sense-openings; dawn = illumination; heaven/earth = higher mind and embodied nature; sun-gold = truth-consciousness radiance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The opening of the doors (duráḥ) to vāja (force-plenitude) and the eastward turning that releases dawn-light. Mythically this is the unsealing of the luminous herds/treasures—here framed as gates of hearing and receptivity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘door/opening’ metaphor for access to power is widespread in IE poetics. √śru ‘hear’ (śruti) aligns with PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’ (cf. Greek klýō, English loud via semantic drift). √dyut ‘shine’ is part of inherited light diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Agni to bestow wideness and abundant force, but specifically to ‘open for hearing’—a reciprocal contract: human mantra (brahman) is offered, and the cosmos (Heaven/Earth, Dawns) is made to turn and reveal.
Invoke inner Agni to open receptivity (śruti) and widen consciousness (bṛhat) before sitting meditation.
Anāhata to Ājñā (widening heart + opening inner hearing/intuition)
4-4-6 gentle breathing; on exhale feel ‘doors opening’ in the front of the being; on inhale draw in dawn-light.
From collected aspiration to luminous receptivity.
Chant once slowly, pause, then contemplate: (1) widen, (2) open, (3) align Heaven-Earth, (4) receive dawn-light. Keep attention steady in the brow/heart without strain.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita as per Rigvedic recitation; key lifts often on vocatives and imperatives (agne, dāḥ, vṛdhi, kṛdhi).
Keep imperatives crisp: dā no agne… apā vṛdhi… brahmaṇā kṛdhi; let ‘uṣaso vi didyutaḥ’ rise in brightness without speeding.
Keep ṛ in bṛhato (bṛ-ha-to) clear, not ‘ri’., Differentiate śr- in śrutyā (shru-tyā), avoid ‘sru’., Maintain retroflex ṇ in sahasriṇo., Uṣaso: short u, clear ṣ (retroflex ‘sh’).
Bright, upward-leaning; end with a luminous, sustained finish on the dawn phrase.
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