Rig Veda 3.21.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.21
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like / mixed
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तुभ्यं स्तोका घृतश्चुतोऽग्ने विप्राय सन्त्य । ऋषिः श्रेष्ठः समिध्यसे यज्ञस्य प्राविता भव ॥
túbhyaṃ stokā́ ghṛtaścúto ’gne víprāya santyá | ṛ́ṣiḥ śréṣṭhaḥ sám idhyase yajñásya prāvitā́ bhava ||
Dla ciebie, o Agni, kapiące ghee strumienie są tutaj dla natchnionej mocy widzącego. Jesteś rozpalany jako najlepszy ṛṣi; stań się naprzód idącym obrońcą ofiary, strzegąc jej właściwego postępu w nas.
Word by Word
- तुभ्यम्
- to youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त्वद्/युष्मद्
- स्तोका
- drops (small streams)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot स्तोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतश्चुतः
- dripping with gheeAdjective (past participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (स्तोका इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot घृत (प्रातिपदिक) + √च्युत्/√च्यु (च्यवते ‘to drip, fall, flow’) → च्युत (कृदन्त)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विप्राय
- for the inspired priest/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्ति
- are / existVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √अस् (भू-सत्तायाम्)
- ऋषिः
- the seerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रेष्ठः
- the bestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (ऋषिः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘best’, superlative sense)
- समिध्यसे
- you are kindled / you kindle upVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot सम् + √इध् (इन्धे ‘to kindle’) → समिध्यते
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्राविता
- protector / helperNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot प्र + √अव् (रक्षणे ‘to protect, help’) → प्रावितृ (agent noun) / प्राविता (nom. sg.)
- भव
- become / beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √भू (सत्तायाम्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तुभ्यम् | स्तोकाः | घृत-श्चुतः | अग्ने | विप्राय | सन्ति | ऋषिः | श्रेष्ठः | समिध्यसे | यज्ञस्य | प्राविता | भव || 1) घृतश्चुतोऽग्ने = घृत-श्चुतः + अग्ने
- विसर्गस्य ‘अ’ पूर्वे लोपः, तथा ‘अ’ आरम्भे संधौऽवग्रहः। 2) स्तो॒का (पाठे) = स्तोकाः (प्रथमा बहुवचन) — पदपाठानुसारं विसर्गः। 3) ऋषि॒: (पाठे) = ऋषिः — विसर्ग-चिह्नः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
For Agni the ghee-dripping drops are present for the inspired seer; he is kindled as the best ṛṣi and is asked to become the forward protector of the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The offerings of clarified light are not for outer ritual alone; they are meant to strengthen the vipra—our inspired faculty of seeing. Agni is kindled as the ‘best ṛṣi’ because the true seer in us is the flame of conscious will that illuminates and guides. The mantra asks Agni to be prāvitā, the one who protects and carries forward the inner sacrifice so it does not fall back into disorder, fatigue, or lower habit.
Universal truth
The deepest guidance is not mere thought but a living flame of sincerity and will; when it is lit, it becomes the inner protector that keeps our practice moving forward.
Themes
Agni as seer, Kindling, Protection and guidance, Offering of light-essence
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthin (Viśvāmitra line)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.21.1, RV 3.21.2, RV 3.21.4
Family tradition
Emphasis on inspired seeing (vipra) supported by tapas and right will; the seer-poet integrates mantra with transformative practice.
Significance
The mantra explicitly links inspiration (vipra) and Agni as inner ṛṣi, aligning with the inner-psychological reading: the priest and the seer converge as a single guiding flame.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Ṛṣiḥ śreṣṭhaḥ, Prāvitā
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired word), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Guardian and leader of the yajña; awakener of inspired speech and vision.
Inner power
The psychic will that both illumines (seer) and safeguards (protector) the path of transformation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Supportive Agni verse during offering sequences; protective invocation for the rite’s continuity
तुभ्यं॑ स्तो॒का घृ॑त॒श्चुतोऽग्ने॒ विप्रा॑य सन्त्य । ऋषि॒: श्रेष्ठ॒: समि॑ध्यसे य॒ज्ञस्य॑ प्रावि॒ता भ॑व ॥
तुभ्य॑म् । स्तो॒काः । घृ॒त॒ऽश्चुतः॑ । अग्ने॑ । विप्रा॑य । स॒न्त्य॒ । ऋषिः॑ । श्रेष्ठः॑ । सम् । इ॒ध्य॒से॒ । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । प्र॒ऽअ॒वि॒ता । भ॒व॒ ॥
tubhyam | stokāḥ | ghṛta-ścutaḥ | agne | viprāya | santya | ṛṣiḥ | śreṣṭhaḥ | sam | idhyase | yajñasya | pra-avitā | bhava
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4 pādas of ~8 syllables (approximate)
Brief, directive, protective tone.
Acts like a ‘seal’ of protection for practice—good for repetition.
- vipra
- Literal: inspired sage. Symbolic: the illumined mind in us capable of mantra-seeing
- ghṛtaścutaḥ stokāḥ
- Literal: ghee-dripping drops. Symbolic: streams of clarified insight and force nourishing inspiration
- ṛṣiḥ śreṣṭhaḥ
- Literal: best seer. Symbolic: Agni as the foremost inner knower—psychic discernment leading the journey
- sam idhyase
- Literal: you are kindled fully. Symbolic: awakening and intensification of will and aspiration
- prāvitā
- Literal: forward protector. Symbolic: guardian force that ensures continuity, right progression, and victory over relapse
- yajña
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: ongoing inner offering and transformation process
Kindling verse: Agni is invoked as seer and protector of yajña; inwardly, ignition of will as intuitive guide.
When kindling/strengthening Agni and affirming his guardianship of the yajña
Ghee offering; reaffirming Agni’s role as leader and protector
Use before a challenging task or during relapse-prone phases: invoke the inner protector to keep the sadhana moving forward.
samidh- from sam-√idh ‘to kindle’ indicates total ignition (not partial). prāvitā from pra-√av ‘to favor, protect, advance’ (Vedic ‘help’ with forward motion). vipra from √vip/√vep ‘to tremble, be stirred’ → ‘inspired, vibrating with vision’; inner sense: intuitive mind stirred by truth.
ṛṣihood as inner seeing (Agni as knower), protection of the path (pra-avitā as guardianship of right movement), integration (sam- in samidh)
Prāvitā ensures the sacrifice stays in ṛta—right rhythm and order of inner movements.
Agni as best ṛṣi is the truth-sense that discriminates the real from the false.
Kindling as microcosmic creation: light arising in consciousness and organizing the field.
Integral Vedic psychology; Agni as psychic being’s flame (Aurobindonian emphasis).
Kindled fire = awakened aspiration; dripping ghee = steady nourishment of insight; protection = stable heat that resists dampening forces.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as ṛṣi: the fire is not only a carrier but a knower. The mythic role of Agni as ‘seer-priest’ becomes psychological: the awakened will becomes luminous intelligence, guiding and protecting the inner sacrifice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √idh ‘kindle’ is Indo-European (cf. Latin aedes? not direct; better: PIE *h₁eydʰ- ‘kindle’ proposed in some etymologies; Vedic √idh has Iranian parallels). √bhū ‘become’ is clearly PIE *bʰuH-. The agentive ‘avitā’ reflects an old helper/protector formation comparable to Indo-European agent nouns.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The human vipra offers the clarified streams; Agni reciprocates by becoming fully kindled as the ‘best seer’ and by actively guarding the yajña’s progress—an explicit request for guidance and protection in the inner ascent.
Strengthen the inner guide: ‘Agni as ṛṣi’—the discerning flame that sees and leads.
Anāhata (psychic guidance)
On inhale: feel ghee-drops of light descending; on exhale: kindle the flame brighter; keep breath quiet and steady.
Inspired, protected, forward-moving.
Repeat the mantra 12 or 27 times; after each repetition, offer one mental habit into the fire and feel Agni ‘guarding the forward step’ for the next hour.
Not fully provided; keep udatta emphasis on agne, viprāya, ṛṣiḥ, prāvitā; cadence down at bhava.
Make sam idhyase a single energetic rise; keep yajñasya connected (no break between yajña-sya).
ṛṣiḥ: vocalic ṛ clear and brief, idhyase: dhy cluster articulated (not ‘id-yase’), prāvitā: long ā; v soft dental, not labiodental
Warm, protective, slightly intensified on the kindling phrase.
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