Rig Veda 10.87.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 87, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.87
- Devata
- Agni Jātavedas
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
अयोदंष्ट्रो अर्चिषा यातुधानानुप स्पृश जातवेदः समिद्धः । आ जिह्वया मूरदेवान्रभस्व क्रव्यादो वृक्त्व्यपि धत्स्वासन् ॥
áyo-daṃṣṭro arcíṣā yātu-dhānān úpa spṛśa jāta-vedaḥ sámiddhaḥ | ā́ jihváyā mū́ra-devān rabhasva krav-yā́do vṛktvī́ ápi dhatsvā́san ||
O Dżatawedas, w pełni rozniecony, dotknij jatuszthanów swoim płomieniem, żelaznymi kłami; językiem pochwytaj brutalne, bezbożne moce. Zetnij ich, niech pożeracz surowizny spocznie na nich, zasiadając mocno.
Word by Word
- अयः-दंष्ट्रः
- iron-fangedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (अग्निं विशेषयति)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तरि)Root अयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + दंष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्चिषा
- with (his) flameNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यातुधानान्
- the sorcerers/demons (Yātudhānas)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot यातुधान (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातःRoot उप
- स्पृश
- touch!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KriyāRoot स्पृश्
- जातवेदः
- O Jātavedas (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; अग्निनाम)
- समिद्धः
- kindled, fully enkindledParticiple/Adjectiveभूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (अग्निः)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तरि)Root सम्-इध् (धातु) → समिद्ध (कृदन्त)
- आ
- hither, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातःRoot आ
- जिह्वया
- with (your) tongueNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
- मूरदेवान्
- the deluding/hostile gods (false gods)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot मूरदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
- रभस्व
- seize!, grasp!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KriyāRoot रभ्
- क्रव्यादः
- flesh-eater (epithet of Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (अग्निः/अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तरि)Root क्रव्याद (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृक्त्वि
- cutting/cleaving (weapon, act of cutting)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (कर्मपदं; ‘वृक्त्विम्’ इति)Role KarmaRoot वृक्त्वि (प्रातिपदिक; RV-विशेषः)
- अपि
- also, moreover; uponIndeclinableनिपातःRoot अपि
- धत्स्व
- place!, apply!, set (it)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्; ‘धत्स्व’ = धा + त्स्व (आत्मनेपद-आज्ञा)Role KriyāRoot धा
- आसन्
- sit!, take your seat (be seated)Verbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगः (RV-आज्ञार्थे), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (आस/आसन् इति वैदिकरूपम्)Role KriyāRoot आस् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अयः-दंष्ट्रः | अर्चिषा | यातुधानान् | उप | स्पृश | जातवेदः | समिद्धः || आ | जिह्वया | मूरदेवान् | रभस्व | क्रव्यादः | वृक्त्वि(=वृक्त्विम्) | अपि | धत्स्व | आसन् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) अयोदंष्ट्रः = अयः + दंष्ट्रः (विसर्ग-लोपः, ओ-आदेशः) (2) यातुधानानुप = यातुधानान् + उप (न् + उ → नु) (3) जातवेदः समिद्धः: विसर्गः पदान्ते स्थितः (4) देवान्रभस्व = देवान् + रभस्व (न् + र → न्र) (5) वृक्त्व्यपि = वृक्त्वि + अपि (इ + अ → य्-अगमः) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni Jātavedas, fully kindled, is invoked to attack and destroy yātudhānas (hostile, harmful beings) with flame, fangs, tongue, and the power that devours raw flesh—cutting them down and fixing upon them firmly.
Inner meaning
The awakened Divine Will (Agni) is asked to directly contact and burn the intrusive formations of falsehood and perversion (yātudhāna)—impulses that feed on unassimilated, crude life-force (“rawness”). “Iron fangs” and “tongue” indicate discriminating force and the power of conscious speech/mantric fire: the inner Flame seizes the godless tendencies (mūradevān) and subjects them to transformative digestion, so they cannot steal energy from the sādhanā.
Universal truth
When the inner fire of aspiration is steadily kindled, it can meet resistance at close quarters, seize it by clear discernment and true speech, and convert or eliminate what feeds on unconscious vitality. Spiritual progress requires not only illumination but also a firm purifying heat that refuses compromise with obscuring forces.
Themes
purification, anti-sorcery, Agni-as-consumer, cutting-falsehood
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.87.1-23 (Rakṣohā/anti-yātudhāna hymn to Agni)
Significance
The seer-voice here functions as a ‘rakṣohā’ (protector) invoking Agni as purifier and guardian of the inner sacrifice—an archetypal stance of the yogin who refuses admixture with hostile suggestions.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Jātavedas
- Epithets
- Jātavedas, Samiddha (fully kindled), Kravyād (devourer of the raw)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Rudra (as śarva/archer motif in nearby verses)
Cosmic role
Divine Fire that mediates between human and divine, burns impurity, and establishes the path of the sacrifice (yajña).
Inner power
Psychic flame of aspiration and will that illuminates, purifies, and ‘digests’ crude movements into conscious force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Rakṣohā offerings to Agni; protective recitation to repel yātudhānas/rakṣas
अयो॑दंष्ट्रो अ॒र्चिषा॑ यातु॒धाना॒नुप॑ स्पृश जातवेद॒: समि॑द्धः । आ जि॒ह्वया॒ मूर॑देवान्रभस्व क्र॒व्यादो॑ वृ॒क्त्व्यपि॑ धत्स्वा॒सन् ॥
अयः॑ऽदंष्ट्रः । अ॒र्चिषा॑ । या॒तु॒ऽधाना॑न् । उप॑ । स्पृ॒श॒ । जा॒त॒ऽवे॒दः॒ । सम्ऽइ॑द्धः । आ । जि॒ह्वया॑ । मूर॑ऽदेवान् । र॒भ॒स्व॒ । क्र॒व्य॒ऽअदः॑ । वृ॒क्त्वी । अपि॑ । ध॒त्स्व॒ । आ॒सन् ॥
ayaḥ-daṃṣṭraḥ | arciṣā | yātu-dhānān | upa | spṛśa | jāta-vedaḥ | sam-iddhaḥ | ā | jihvayā | mūra-devān | rabhasva | kravya-adaḥ | vṛktvī | api | dhatsva | āsan
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (approx.)
Forceful, marching cadence suited to protective and purificatory intent.
Builds heat and resolve; supports a ‘cutting through’ psychological effect—firming the will against intrusion.
- जātavedas (jātavedas)
- Literal: ‘knower of all births/creatures’, epithet of Agni. Symbolic: the inborn divine consciousness that knows the origins and movements of forces within us
- समिद्ध (samiddha)
- Literal: fully kindled. Symbolic: aspiration intensified into a steady, luminous will
- यातुधान (yātudhāna)
- Literal: sorcerer/demonic being. Symbolic: perverting hostile formation; subconscious-vital intrusion that distorts truth
- अयोदंष्ट्र (ayodaṃṣṭra)
- Literal: iron-fanged. Symbolic: incisive discriminative power that bites through deception
- अर्चिष् (arciṣ)
- Literal: flame, radiance. Symbolic: illumining force of will that exposes and burns impurity
- जिह्वा (jihvā)
- Literal: tongue. Symbolic: mantric speech/force of articulation that seizes and converts energies
- मूरदेव (mūradeva)
- Literal: brutish/godless powers. Symbolic: impulses without inner light—mechanical desire, cruelty, inertia
- क्रव्याद् (kravyād)
- Literal: raw-flesh eater. Symbolic: the consuming fire that digests the ‘raw’ unformed vital nature into usable energy
Apotropaic: burning away hostile influences around the sacrifice; strengthening the protective perimeter of the rite and the practitioner’s inner discipline.
During soma/yajña contexts and protective moments (night, liminal transitions, suspected impurity/obstruction)
Kindling/feeding Agni; recitation as apotropaic (warding) formula
As a protective inner practice before meditation: invoke the inner fire to burn intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and fear-patterns.
ayaḥ ‘metal/iron’ (hardness, unyielding); daṃṣṭrā ‘fang’ from √daṃś ‘bite’. arciṣ ‘flame/ray’ from √arc ‘shine’. yātu-dhāna: yātu (sorcery/going astray) + dhāna (placing/holding)—forces that ‘place’ consciousness into crooked motion. Jātavedas: jāta (born) + veda (knowing) = the fire that knows all formations, hence can purify them.
Tapas (purifying heat) as transformative knowledge, discernment (jihvā) as a power of right selection
Agni acts as guardian of ṛta by consuming forces that violate the right movement.
Truth becomes operative when hostile perversions are seized and dissolved in the fire of consciousness.
Purification as a prerequisite for right manifestation—order emerges by burning the coverer.
Proto-yogic/Vedāntic reading (Sri Aurobindo): Agni as psychic being leading the inner sacrifice.
Fire = will/aspiration; iron = unbending discernment; tongue = mantra/expressive consciousness that ‘takes hold’ of energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the devouring purifier who seizes and consumes the ‘raw’ hostile energies; the tongue/flame becomes the organ of discernment and destruction of the godless distorters.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √arc ‘shine’ has IE parallels in radiance lexemes; √daṃś ‘bite’ corresponds to a broad IE biting/teeth semantic field. The compound Jātavedas reflects an inherited IE poetic habit of kenning-like epithets (‘knower of births’) for the sacred fire.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker commands/implores Agni in imperative verbs (spṛśa, rabhasva), indicating reliance on Agni’s autonomous power to act where human agency is insufficient—purification is a divine operation invoked by conscious speech.
Invoke the psychic fire to ‘touch’ and expose intrusive patterns; practice steady witnessing + burning aspiration.
Manipura (fire/will) with support from Anahata (psychic sincerity)
Brisk_energetic exhale emphasis (kapālabhāti-like spirit, but gentle): exhale imagining flame clearing the front of the mind.
Vigilant, purified, protected concentration (rakṣā-bhāva).
Before japa/meditation, kindle inner Agni: (1) sit upright, (2) feel warmth at navel-heart axis, (3) on each recitation offer a disruptive thought into the flame, (4) end by resting in clear, quiet strength.
Use Vedic three-tone contour (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā; exact svara requires pada-svara notation not provided.
Lean on udātta syllables to drive the ‘protective’ force; keep anudātta grounded and steady; let svarita fall like a controlled strike.
ayodaṃṣṭro: keep retroflex ṣṭr cluster crisp (ṣṭro), arciṣā: ‘ci’ light, final ṣ voiced as sharp ‘sh’, yātudhānān: long ā maintained; nasal -ān clear, jihvayā: jh is aspirated (jhi-), kravyādo: ‘vya’ conjunct clean; avoid inserting extra vowel
Firm, bright, slightly percussive; avoid shouting—aim for ‘heated clarity’.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
