Rig Veda 3.21.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.21
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
तुभ्यं श्चोतन्त्यध्रिगो शचीवः स्तोकासो अग्ने मेदसो घृतस्य । कविशस्तो बृहता भानुनागा हव्या जुषस्व मेधिर ॥
túbhyaṃ ścotanty adhrigo śacīvaḥ stokā́so agne médaso ghṛtásya | kavíśasto bṛhatā́ bhānúnāgā havyā́ juṣasva medhira ||
Dla ciebie, o mocny i skuteczny, strumienie esencji i sklarowanego światła kapią naprzód. Chwalony przez widzącego, przyjdź z rozległym blaskiem; przyjmij ofiary, o mądry rozporządzający, i uczyń wewnętrzną ofiarę owocną.
Word by Word
- तुभ्यम्
- to youPronounद्वितीया? (न), चतुर्थी एकवचन (सम्प्रदान) — पुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम)Role सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्चोतन्ति
- they drip / trickleVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √श्चुत् (श्चोतति) ‘to drip, trickle’
- अध्रिगो
- the ‘adhri’-cows (streams/cows as milk-givers)Noun (compound) / Adjectiveप्रथमा बहुवचन (पुं) — बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदिक)Role कर्तृRoot अध्रि- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ladle/stream?’, RV usage) + गो- (गव्) ‘cow’
- शचीवः
- O powerful oneAdjective (vocative epithet)सम्बोधन एकवचन, पुं (अग्नेः विशेषण)Role सम्बोधनRoot शचीवत् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘mighty/possessing power (śacī)’
- स्तोकासः
- dropsNounप्रथमा बहुवचन, पुंRole कर्तृRoot स्तोक (प्रातिपदिक) ‘drop, small stream’
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounसम्बोधन एकवचन, पुंRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मेदसः
- of fat/richnessNounषष्ठी एकवचन, नपुंRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘fat, marrow, richness’
- घृतस्य
- of gheeNounषष्ठी एकवचन, नपुंRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root घृत (प्रातिपदिक) ‘ghee’
- कविशस्तः
- praised by sagesAdjective / Kṛdanta (past passive participle)प्रथमा एकवचन, पुं (अग्नेः विशेषण)Role कर्तृ (as predicate epithet)Root कवि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘seer/poet’ + √शंस्/√शस् (शस्त) ‘praised’
- बृहता
- with great (might)Adjectiveतृतीया एकवचन, नपुं/पुं (instrumental; agreeing with भानुना)Role करणRoot बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘great’
- भानुना
- with radianceNounतृतीया एकवचन, पुंRole करणRoot भानु (प्रातिपदिक) ‘light, radiance’
- अगा
- has come / cameVerbलुङ्/आorist (छान्दस), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √गम् (गच्छति) — वेदिक छान्दस रूप ‘अगा’
- हव्या
- oblationsNounद्वितीया बहुवचन, नपुंRole कर्मRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक) ‘oblation, that which is to be offered’
- जुषस्व
- accept / enjoyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root √जुष् (जुषते) ‘to enjoy, accept favorably’
- मेधिर
- O wise oneAdjective (vocative epithet)सम्बोधन एकवचन, पुं (अग्नेः विशेषण)Role सम्बोधनRoot मेधिर (प्रातिपदिक) ‘wise, intelligent, skillful in rite’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): तुभ्यं | श्चोतन्ति | अध्रिगो | शचीवः | स्तोकासः | अग्ने | मेदसः | घृतस्य | कविशस्तः | बृहता | भानुना | अगा | हव्या | जुषस्व | मेधिर । 1) ‘श्चोतन्ति’ = ‘स्चोतन्ति’ (स् + च् → श्च्)
- 2) ‘स्तो॒कासो॑’ = ‘स्तोकासः’ (विसर्गः पदान्ते; संहितायां ओ-रूप/वेदिक संधि-लेखन)
- 3) ‘भानुनागा’ = ‘भानुना अगा’ (आ-आ संधि: अ + अ → आ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
For Agni, strong and effective, the drops of essence and ghee drip; praised by the seer, he should come with vast radiance and accept the oblations, being wise.
Inner meaning
The mantra addresses Agni as adhrigo/śacīvaḥ—firm, unshakable, effective in action—indicating a will that can withstand resistance. The dripping streams of medas and ghṛta are the refined energies and clarified understandings offered to intensify this will. The seer’s praise (kaviśastaḥ) is not flattery but the mantra-force that shapes consciousness. Agni is asked to arrive (ā gāḥ) with a vast radiance (bṛhatā bhānunā): wideness of light, not narrow brilliance, so that the offering becomes fruitful and wise (medhira).
Universal truth
Effective transformation needs both intensity and wideness: a will that is steady under pressure and a light that is broad enough to integrate all parts of life.
Themes
Agni’s radiance, Acceptance of offerings, Vastness-consciousness, Inspired praise
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthin (Viśvāmitra line)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.21.1, RV 3.21.5, RV 3.62.10
Family tradition
Visionary-poetic tradition where mantra is a force for widening and strengthening consciousness.
Significance
Viśvāmitra often seeks bṛhat (the Vast); here the vast radiance is explicitly invoked, matching the movement toward widening illumination central to his mandala.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Śacīvaḥ, Medhira, Adhrigaḥ
- Related deities
- Indra (widening illumination), Varuṇa (vastness/order), Bṛhaspati (mantric wisdom)
Cosmic role
Power that accomplishes and illumines; brings vast light; makes offerings effective.
Inner power
Steady transformative will joined with widening light and discriminative intelligence.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within offering sequences; invitation for Agni’s radiant presence
तुभ्यं॑ श्चोतन्त्यध्रिगो शचीवः स्तो॒कासो॑ अग्ने॒ मेद॑सो घृ॒तस्य॑ । क॒वि॒श॒स्तो बृ॑ह॒ता भा॒नुनागा॑ ह॒व्या जु॑षस्व मेधिर ॥
तुभ्य॑म् । श्चो॒त॒न्ति॒ । अ॒ध्रि॒गो॒ इत्य॑ध्रिऽगो । श॒ची॒ऽवः॒ । स्तो॒कासः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । मेद॑सः । घृ॒तस्य॑ । क॒वि॒ऽश॒स्तः । बृ॒ह॒ता । भा॒नुना॑ । आ । अ॒गाः॒ । ह॒व्या । जु॒ष॒स्व॒ । मे॒धि॒र॒ ॥
tubhyam | ścotanti | adhrigo ity adhir-go | śacī-vaḥ | stokāsaḥ | agne | medasaḥ | ghṛtasya | kavi-śastaḥ | bṛhatā | bhānunā | ā | agāḥ | havyā | juṣasva | medhira
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables (approximate)
Expansive, rolling, with room for ‘vast radiance’ imagery.
Produces a widening sensation; the voice naturally opens and projects, supporting the experience of bṛhat.
- adhrigaḥ
- Literal: firm/strong (hard to press down). Symbolic: unshakable will resisting inertia and doubt
- śacīvaḥ
- Literal: possessing power/skill. Symbolic: effective capacity to accomplish; intelligent force
- bṛhatā bhānunā
- Literal: with vast radiance. Symbolic: widened illumination that integrates rather than fragments
- kaviśastaḥ
- Literal: praised by the seer-poet. Symbolic: mantra-vision calling down a higher formation of consciousness
- medhira
- Literal: wise, intelligent. Symbolic: discerning arranger of energies; organizer of the inner rite
- havyā juṣasva
- Literal: accept the oblations. Symbolic: assimilate our offerings—transform them into divine substance
Invitation of Agni to arrive with radiance and accept offerings; inwardly, calling the illumined will/intelligence to descend and organize the sacrifice.
When seeking intensified presence of Agni and successful acceptance of offerings
Oblation with ghee while invoking Agni’s radiance and wisdom
Use before meditation requiring wideness (stress, conflict): invoke steady will + vast light to integrate tensions.
ā-√gam ‘come’ marks descent/presence. bhānu ‘radiance’ (from √bhā ‘shine’) links to illumination. medhira from medhā ‘intelligence’ (PIE *med- ‘measure/think’ cf. Greek mēdomai ‘to plan’, Latin medeor ‘to heal’): Agni as arranger/healer intelligence. adhrigu is an epithet glossed traditionally as ‘not to be injured/held firm’; philologically opaque, but functionally denotes steadfast, hard-to-overcome power.
bṛhat (vastness as condition for true action), medhā (intelligence that orders the offering), descent of power (āgāḥ as inward arrival)
Medhira Agni arranges the inner movements in right order; vastness prevents distorted, ego-narrow formations.
Radiance as truth-light that exposes and corrects inner falsity.
Arrival of vast light into the human formation; widening as a creative evolution.
Integral Vedic symbolism (Aurobindo): bṛhat as widening of consciousness toward higher planes.
Bhānu = sun-like truth-light; vast radiance = expanded awareness; strong fire = resilient will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘coming of Agni with vast radiance’ in response to the kavi’s praise: divine presence is drawn by inspired speech, and the fire arrives as organizing intelligence. Inwardly, illumined will descends when the mind becomes vast (bṛhat) and truthful in invocation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- medhā/medhira aligns with PIE *med- ‘to measure/think/plan’ (Greek mēdomai). √bhā ‘shine’ is Indo-European. The formula ‘praise → come → accept’ is an inherited Indo-European ritual-poetic sequence.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi (kavi) praises; Agni is asked to come with widened radiance and to accept the offerings. The reciprocity: inspired word opens the channel, and Agni’s medhā organizes and fructifies the inner work.
Invoke ‘vast radiance’: widen the field of awareness while keeping a firm will at the center.
Anāhata (widening) / Ājñā (radiant discernment)
Inhale expanding awareness to the periphery; exhale consolidating a steady flame at the center; keep jaw and throat relaxed for projection.
Wide, luminous, effective.
During repetition, feel the mantra expand the ‘inner sky’; then offer one difficulty into the flame and let the vast light reorganize the emotional charge.
Not fully provided; allow natural triṣṭubh rise in each pāda with a clear udatta emphasis on śacīvaḥ, bhānunā, juṣasva.
Sustain long vowels in bṛhatā, bhānunā; keep ā gāḥ distinct (do not merge).
śacīvaḥ: long ī; v soft, bhānunā: bhā- long ā; nu short u, medhira: dh aspirated; i short
Expansive, resonant, slightly more projected than the anuṣṭubh-like verses.
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