Rig Veda 3.6.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 6, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.6
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
द्यौश्च त्वा पृथिवी यज्ञियासो नि होतारं सादयन्ते दमाय । यदी विशो मानुषीर्देवयन्तीः प्रयस्वतीरीळते शुक्रमर्चिः ॥
dyáuś ca tvā pṛthivī́ yajñiyā́so ní hotā́raṃ sādayanti damā́ya | yadī́ víśo mā́nuṣīr devayántīḥ práyasvatīr ī́ḷate śúkram arcíḥ ||
ଦ୍ୟୌ ଓ ପୃଥିବୀ—ଯଜ୍ଞାର୍ହ—ତୁମକୁ ଗୃହରେ ହୋତାର ଭାବେ ଆସନ ଦିଅନ୍ତି; ଯେତେବେଳେ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କୁ ଆକାଂକ୍ଷା କରୁଥିବା ମାନବ ଜନଗଣ, ହବିଷ୍ୟ-ସମୃଦ୍ଧ ହୋଇ, ତୁମର ଉଜ୍ଜ୍ୱଳ ଅର୍ଚ୍ଚି (ଜ୍ୱାଳା)କୁ ସ୍ତୁତି-ଆରାଧନା କରନ୍ତି।
Word by Word
- द्यौः
- Heaven (Sky)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक) < दिव् (to shine)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिवी
- EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) < पृथु (broad)
- यज्ञियासः
- worshipful, fit for sacrificeAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (विशेष्यः—‘विशः’/‘जनाः’ निहित) अथवा सामान्यतः ‘यज्ञ-सम्बद्धाः’Role कर्तृ (द्यौः/पृथिवी-सह समुच्चित-कर्तृसमूहः) / विशेषणRoot यज्ञिय (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) < यज् (to worship)
- नि
- down; into positionIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (अवरोह/निवेशनार्थ)Root नि
- होतारम्
- the Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक) < हु (to pour/offer)
- सादयन्ति
- they seat; they cause to sitVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative)Role क्रियाRoot सद् (to sit) + causative (सादय-)
- दमाय
- for the house; for the homeNounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (दत्त्यर्थे/उद्देश्ये)Role सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन) / अधिकरणार्थ-छायाRoot दम (प्रातिपदिक) < दम (house/home)
- यदा
- whenIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRoot यदा
- विशः
- the clans/peoplesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मानुषीः
- humanAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (विशेष्यः—‘विशः’)Role विशेषणRoot मानुषी (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) < मनु
- देवयन्तीः
- seeking the gods; worshippingAdjective/Participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (विशेष्यः—‘विशः’)Role विशेषणRoot देवयन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < देवय् (to seek/worship the gods)
- प्रयस्वतीः
- zealous; possessing active effortAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (विशेष्यः—‘विशः’)Role विशेषणRoot प्रयस्वत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) < प्र-यस् (vigour/effort) / ‘प्रयस्’ (zeal)
- ईळते
- he/it praises; is invokedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot ईळ्/ईड् (to praise, invoke)
- शुक्रम्
- bright; pureAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेष्यः—‘अर्चिः’)Role कर्म (विशेष्य-सम्बद्ध) / विशेषणRoot शुक्र (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्चिः
- flame; rayNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक) < अर्च् (to shine)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: द्यौश्च → द्यौः + च (visarga before ca)
- यज्ञिया॑सो → यज्ञियासः (nom.pl.m. ending -as)
- नि होता॑रं → नि + होतारम्
- दमा॑य is dative sg. of दम ‘house’
- यदी॒ → यदा (Vedic variant with -ī)
- मानु॑षीर्देव॒यन्ती॒: → मानुषीः + देवयन्तीः (ḥ + d → r in saṃhitā: visarga-sandhi)
- प्रय॑स्वती॒रीळ॑ते → प्रयस्वतीः + ईळते (ḥ + vowel → r; then coalescence in saṃhitā)
- शु॒क्रम॒र्चिः → शुक्रम् + अर्चिः (m + a)
- Accent marks in the given saṃhitā are retained in citation but not re-applied per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Heaven and Earth, worthy of sacrifice, seat Agni as Hotar in the home; when human communities seeking the gods, rich in offerings, adore his bright flame.
Inner meaning
The higher and lower hemispheres of our being (dyauḥ and pṛthivī) establish the awakened divine Will as the inner priest in the ‘home’ (the embodied life). When the human parts and collectives of our nature turn godward (devayantīḥ) and bring their energies as offering-substance (prayas), the bright flame of discernment (śukram arciḥ) is invoked and begins to govern the inner ritual.
Universal truth
Spiritual life becomes effective when higher aspiration and practical embodied life agree to enthrone the inner guide, and when our ordinary human energies are consciously offered toward the divine.
Themes
Agni as Hotar, household sacrifice, collective invocation, heaven-earth support
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthin / Kauśika tradition (commonly associated)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.6.1, RV 3.6.2, RV 3.6.7, RV 3.6.8
Family tradition
A seer of wideness and victorious aspiration; emphasizes enthronement of inner powers over outer circumstance.
Significance
The mantra shows the integral yoga principle: the higher and lower nature must jointly establish the inner guide (Agni) in the ‘home’ of life.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Hotṛ, Śukrārci (bright-flamed, by phrase)
- Related deities
- Dyāvā-Pṛthivī, Viśve Devāḥ, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Household and cosmic priest; brings divine powers into the human domain through invocation.
Inner power
A governing flame of aspiration that converts human energies into a luminous, ordered offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
Gārhapatya/household Agni setting; Hotṛ function in śrauta rites
द्यौश्च॑ त्वा पृथि॒वी य॒ज्ञिया॑सो॒ नि होता॑रं सादयन्त॒ि दमा॑य । यदी॒ विशो॒ मानु॑षीर्देव॒यन्ती॒: प्रय॑स्वती॒रीळ॑ते शु॒क्रम॒र्चिः ॥
द्यौः । च॒ । त्वा॒ । पृ॒थि॒वी । य॒ज्ञिया॑सः । नि । होता॑रम् । सा॒द॒य॒न्ते॒ । दमा॑य । यदि॑ । विशः॑ । मानु॑षीः । दे॒व॒ऽयन्तीः॑ । प्रय॑स्वतीः । ईळ॑ते । शु॒क्रम् । अ॒र्चिः ॥
dyauḥ | ca | tvā | pṛthivī | yajñiyāsaḥ | ni | hotāram | sādayante | damāya | yadi | viśaḥ | mānuṣīḥ | deva-yantīḥ | prayasvatīḥ | īḷate | śukram | arciḥ
44
4 × ~11
Balanced and declarative; a ‘seating’ rhythm—establishing and affirming.
Creates steadiness and reverence; helps the mind ‘seat’ attention in the heart of practice.
- द्यौः (dyauḥ)
- Literal: Heaven. Symbolic: higher mind, clarity, the luminous plane of ideals and truth
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: Earth. Symbolic: embodied nature, stability, the field of practice
- यज्ञियासः (yajñiyāsaḥ)
- Literal: worthy of sacrifice. Symbolic: powers in us fit to support consecration—purified mind and grounded life
- होतारम् (hotāram)
- Literal: Hotṛ, invoking priest. Symbolic: the inner voice of aspiration and right calling; Agni as the organizer of inner offering
- दमा (damā)
- Literal: home, house. Symbolic: the ‘house of the being’—body-life as the seat of practice
- देवयन्तीः (devayantīḥ)
- Literal: seeking the gods. Symbolic: turning toward higher consciousness; aspiration of the human parts
- प्रयस्वतीः (prayasvatīḥ)
- Literal: rich in offering-substance. Symbolic: possessing energies to consecrate—attention, effort, devotion, life-force
- शुक्रम् अर्चिः (śukram arciḥ)
- Literal: bright flame. Symbolic: pure illumination; clear discriminative fire that burns falsehood
Establishing Agni as Hotar in the household/altar space; communal invocation by the viśaḥ with offerings
During installation/invocation of Agni as Hotṛ; also adaptable to domestic fire worship settings.
Seating/establishing Agni, offering oblations, recitation of praise as invocation.
Use before daily work or family life engagements: inwardly ‘seat’ Agni as the guide of speech and action in the home of the body.
hotṛ́ from √hu ‘to call, invoke’ (PIE *ǵʰeuH- ‘pour/call’ debated; but Indo-Iranian *zaotar/ hotar parallels show shared ritual lexicon). damá ‘house’ from √dam ‘to tame/build’ (cf. Greek dómos ‘house’ from *demh₂ ‘build’). arcí- from √arc ‘shine, praise’.
establishment of the inner priest (hotar) in the home (dama), collective aspiration (viśaḥ devayantīḥ), purity/brightness (śukra)
Right order arises when the two poles (higher/lower) cooperate and the priestly flame governs the exchange.
Śukra (bright/pure) indicates truth-illumination rather than mixed desire.
The cosmos as a household of the gods, with Agni as installed mediator in the human dwelling.
Integral psychological interpretation: cosmic powers mirrored in the structure of the being.
Hearth-fire = concentrated will; heaven/earth = ideals and practical embodiment brought into one practice.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The enthronement of Agni as Hotar between Heaven and Earth. Mythically, the cosmos itself installs the priestly fire; inwardly, higher and lower nature collaborate to establish the invoking power in the ‘home’ of the being, enabling communal forces (viśaḥ) to adore the bright flame of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- damá ‘house’ reflects PIE *demh₂ ‘build’ (Greek dómos). dyáu- (sky) from PIE *dyeu- ‘sky/daylight’ (cf. Zeus, Latin Iūpiter via *dyēus).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames human invocation as supported by cosmic powers: Heaven and Earth seat Agni; humans then adore his flame with prepared substance (prayas). The relationship is cooperative—cosmic installation and human offering together awaken the inner priesthood.
Feel the ‘upper’ clarity and ‘lower’ steadiness agree to place the flame of aspiration at the center; offer the day’s energies into that flame.
Anāhata (inner hearth) supported by Sahasrāra/Ājñā (heaven) and Mūlādhāra (earth).
4–4–6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 7 rounds while silently repeating ‘hotāram’ to establish inner priesthood.
Collected, devotional, orderly.
Before speaking/acting, pause and ‘seat’ Agni: ask that the bright flame govern motives; convert effort (prayas) into offering.
Follow saṃhitā accent marks (e.g., होता॑रं); keep anudatta low; allow svarita to glide downward after rise.
Slightly lengthen and lift on key udatta syllables; maintain a dignified, even pace suited to ‘seating’ imagery.
dyauś : pronounce ‘dyau’ as a single diphthong, ending with clear visarga-like ś sound., īḻate : retroflex ḻ (Vedic ‘ḷ’) as a curled-tongue lateral; avoid turning into simple ‘l’., śukram arciḥ: keep ś (palatal) distinct; arciḥ with final ḥ audible but light.
Warm, steady, devotional; avoid sharpness—let brightness come from clarity, not volume.
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