Rig Veda 3.1.19: Mandala 3, Sukta 1, Mantra 19
Sukta 3.1
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ नो गहि सख्येभिः शिवेभिर्महान्महीभिरूतिभिः सरण्यन् । अस्मे रयिं बहुलं संतरुत्रं सुवाचं भागं यशसं कृधी नः ॥
ā́ no gahi sakhyébhīḥ śivébhir mahā́n mahī́bhir ūtíbhiḥ saraṇyán | asmè rayíṁ bahuláṁ saṁtarútraṁ su-vā́caṁ bhāgáṁ yaśásaṁ kṛdhī naḥ ||
Przybądź do nas z przyjaźniami, które są łaskawe, o potężny, z wielką i rozległą pomocą, która nas bezpiecznie prowadzi. Dla nas stwórz bogatą pełnię bytu, zwycięską przez wszystkie przejścia, udział, który jest dobrze wypowiedziany i lśniący chwałą.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग (preverb)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic: our/to us)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- गहि
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Vedic imperative formRoot गम्
- सख्येभिः
- with friendships / with friendly bondsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सख्य (सखि-भाव)
- शिवेभिः
- with auspicious (ones)Adjective(नपुंसक/पुं) तृतीया, बहुवचन; सख्येभिः इति विशेषणम्Role KaraṇaRoot शिव
- महान्
- greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अग्निम्/देवम्) विशेषयतिRole KartāRoot महत्
- महीभिः
- with great (powers/helps)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मही
- ऊतिभिः
- with aids / protectionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ऊति
- सरण्यन्
- helping, bringing to safetyAdjective (present participial/adj. use)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अग्निम्/देवम्) विशेषयतिRole KartāRoot सरण्य (सरणि/सरण्य) / √सृ (to go) (adj. ‘helping/bringing to safety’)
- अस्मे
- among usPronounसप्तमी (Vedic locative), बहुवचन = ‘among us / in us’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद्
- रयिम्
- wealthNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रयि
- बहुलम्
- abundantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; रयिम् इति विशेषणम्Role KarmaRoot बहुल
- संतरुत्रम्
- well-defending / overcoming (harm)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; रयिम् इति विशेषणम्Role KarmaRoot संतरुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-protecting/overcoming obstacles’)
- सुवाचम्
- of good speech / bringing good utteranceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; रयिम्/भागम् इत्यर्थे गुणवाचकRole KarmaRoot सुवाच
- भागम्
- share, portionNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भाग
- यशसम्
- glorious, fame-bringingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भागम् इति विशेषणम्Role KarmaRoot यशस्
- कृधी
- make! grant!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Vedic imperativeRoot कृ
- नः
- for usPronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic) = ‘for us/to us’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | नः | गहि | सख्येभिः | शिवेभिः | महान् | महीभिः | ऊतिभिः | सरण्यन् | अस्मे | रयिम् | बहुलम् | संतरुत्रम् | सुवाचम् | भागम् | यशसम् | कृधी | नः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) ‘शिवेभिःर्महान्’ = शिवेभिः + महान् (विसर्ग/रकार-प्रयोगः संहितायाम्)
- (2) ‘महीभिरूतिभिः’ = महीभिः + ऊतिभिः (विसर्ग-लोप/रकारादेशः)
- (3) ‘बहुलं संत…’ = बहुलम् + संतरुत्रम् (अनुस्वार/परसवर्ण-सन्धिः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is invited to come with auspicious friendships and great helps that lead safely; he is asked to create for us abundant wealth, victorious through crossings, and a share that is well-spoken and glorious.
Inner meaning
Agni is invoked to arrive with ‘śiva sakhya’—benign alliances of inner powers (thought, will, aspiration) harmonized rather than divided. His ‘mahī ūtayaḥ’ are vast supports that carry the seeker across difficult transitions (saṃtarutraṃ): crossings of doubt, inertia, desire, and fear. ‘Rayi’ is plenitude of being—substance of consciousness, not mere riches. ‘Suvāc’ indicates speech that is true and luminous, the mantra-force that shapes destiny. ‘Yaśas’ is radiance of realized consciousness, the glory of truth made effective in life.
Universal truth
Progress depends on a harmonized inner ecology: benevolent friendships within, vast supports from the higher will, and truth-speaking that can carry one across life’s crossings into a luminous share of being.
Themes
invocation, protection and safe passage, plenitude and glory, harmonizing friendships
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Kauśika lineage in later tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.2, RV 3.3, RV 3.62 (Gāyatrī mantra)
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 3 is the Viśvāmitra family book, marked by dynamic aspiration, crossings, and the forging of inner power through Agni and Indra.
Significance
Viśvāmitra embodies the passage from human limitation toward brahmic wideness; his Agni hymns emphasize the practical yogic work: kindling, guidance, and victorious crossing.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Mahān (mighty), Saraṇyan (safe-guide), Hotṛ (implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory in crossings), Soma (plenitude/bliss), Bṛhaspati (right word)
Cosmic role
Opener of the path; protector in transitions; giver of rayi (abundance) through right sacrifice.
Inner power
Guiding will that harmonizes inner movements into ‘friendships’ and produces luminous speech and victorious energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni āvāhana (invocation) in an iṣṭi-like setting; suitable as a coming-invitation to establish protective guidance and abundance.
आ नो॑ गहि स॒ख्येभि॑: शि॒वेभि॑र्म॒हान्म॒हीभि॑रू॒तिभि॑: सर॒ण्यन् । अ॒स्मे र॒यिं ब॑हु॒लं संत॑रुत्रं सु॒वाचं॑ भा॒गं य॒शसं॑ कृधी नः ॥
आ । नः॒ । ग॒हि॒ । स॒ख्येभिः॑ । शि॒वेभिः॑ । म॒हान् । म॒हीभिः॑ । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । स॒र॒ण्यन् । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । र॒यिम् । ब॒हु॒लम् । सम्ऽत॑रुत्रम् । सु॒ऽवाच॑म् । भा॒गम् । य॒शस॑म् । कृ॒धि॒ । नः॒ ॥
ā | naḥ | gahi | sakhyebhiḥ | śivebhiḥ | mahān | mahībhiḥ | ūti-bhiḥ | saraṇyan | asme iti | rayim | bahulam | sam-tarutram | su-vācam | bhāgam | yaśasam | kṛdhi | naḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Energetic invitation with strong forward momentum; suited to calling down a power that ‘comes’.
Mobilizes will and confidence; supports a feeling of being ‘carried across’ and protected.
- आ नो गहि (ā no gahi)
- Literal: come to us. Symbolic: Descent/awakening of the psychic fire into the present field of practice
- सख्येभिः शिवेभिः (sakhyebhiḥ śivebhiḥ)
- Literal: with auspicious friendships. Symbolic: Harmonious collaboration of inner faculties and divine powers
- ऊतिभिः (ūtibhiḥ)
- Literal: with helps/protections. Symbolic: Supports of the higher consciousness that guard and guide
- सरण्यन् (saraṇyan)
- Literal: leading safely, making a way. Symbolic: Opening a safe passage through inner difficulties; guidance by discernment
- रयिम् (rayim)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: Plenitude of being, energy, and consciousness-substance
- सम्तरुत्रम् (saṃtarutraṃ)
- Literal: crossing through, victorious in crossings. Symbolic: Power to pass beyond obstacles and transitional crises
- सुवाचम् (suvācam)
- Literal: well-spoken, good speech. Symbolic: Truth-utterance/mantric clarity that forms right action
- यशसम् (yaśasam)
- Literal: glorious, fame. Symbolic: Radiance of realized truth; inner splendor of accomplishment
Agni invocation in the opening/continuation of the sacrifice; suitable for kindling and for requesting protection and rayi in soma-yajñas (e.g., Agniṣṭoma sequences).
Early in Agni stotra/śastra sequences or at the beginning of a recitation to invite the deity’s presence.
Calling Agni, offering ghee, establishing protective intent for success across obstacles.
Use before starting a demanding task or life transition; chant to invoke inner harmony and safe guidance.
rayi ‘wealth/plenitude’ from √rā/√rai ‘to give, bestow, shine’ → inner fullness; saṁ-tarutram from √tṛ ‘to cross’ with saṃ- intensifying ‘through all crossings’ → conquering passage; saraṇyan from √sṛ ‘to flow/go’ or √śṛ ‘to protect’ (traditional ‘refuge-giving’) → guiding to safety; śiva ‘benign’ from √śī ‘to lie, rest’ → peace, auspiciousness; ūti ‘help’ from √av/√ū ‘to aid’ (semantic field of protection).
R̥ta as safe guidance (saraṇyan), Rayi as fullness of being, Vāc as well-formed expression (su-vāc)
Saraṇyan and saṃtarutraṃ imply the right road through the worlds—movement aligned with ṛta.
Suvāc as truth-speaking that manifests as effective order in life.
Agni as the one who fashions a new share (bhāga) of being—re-creation of the person through inner sacrifice.
Integral yoga reading: inner harmonization + descent of support + transformation of speech and life-force.
Fire = will; crossings = transitions through subconscious resistance; safe path = discernment and guidance; wealth = energy of being; speech = mantra shaping consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the safe guide through perilous crossings: the deity comes with ‘friendships’ and vast aids, leading the sacrificer across obstacles. Psychologically, the divine Will organizes allied powers in the being and carries the seeker through inner transitions without collapse, establishing plenitude and luminous speech.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tṛ ‘cross’ reflects PIE *terh₁- ‘cross over’ (cf. Latin trans, English through via Germanic developments), supporting the metaphor of passage. √kṛ ‘make’ is PIE *kwer-/*ker- ‘do/make’ (broadly attested), a common inherited performative verb used for ‘creating’ inner states.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls Agni not merely as ritual fire but as an ally-leader: ‘come with friendships’—a request for coordinated divine forces. In return, the rishi seeks inner outcomes: rayi (fullness), su-vāc (right speech), and yaśas (manifest brilliance), indicating a reciprocity of invocation and transformation.
Invite the psychic fire with a feeling of benevolent inner friendships; offer the day’s transitions into Agni for safe crossing.
Maṇipūra (will/fire) supporting Viśuddha (true speech)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 7 rounds, then chant once per long exhale.
Confident, protected forward movement; luminous clarity in speech.
Begin practice by reconciling inner parts (‘make friends’): silently name mind, life, body, and ask Agni to unite them; then chant, ending with a pause to feel guidance as a ‘safe road’.
Rigvedic accents as transmitted; maintain clear udātta rises on key invocatory words (ā, gahi) and stable cadence through compounds.
Let each pāda complete as a single breath-phrase; do not clip ‘saraṇyan’—keep it flowing to evoke ‘safe-leading’.
śivebhir: palatal ‘ś’, not retroflex, mahībhir: long ‘ī’ sustained, saṃtarutraṃ: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘t’, keep ‘ru’ clear, suvācam: long ‘ā’, soft ‘c’ (ch sound absent)
Bright, inviting, confident; slightly more force on the first pāda as a call.
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