Rig Veda 5.13.1: Mandala 5, Sukta 13, Mantra 1
Sukta 5.13
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अर्चन्तस्त्वा हवामहेऽर्चन्तः समिधीमहि । अग्ने अर्चन्त ऊतये ॥
árcantas tvā havāmahe'rcántaḥ sám idhīmahi | ágne árcanta ūtáye ||
Śpiewając tobie, wzywamy cię; śpiewając, w pełni cię rozpalamy. O Agni, śpiewając, szukamy twojej pomocy, twojej wznoszącej ochrony w dziele.
Word by Word
- अर्चन्तः
- praising, singing (hymns)Adjective (participial)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वर्त. कृदन्तः—शतृ प्रत्ययः)Role कर्तृ (यजमान/स्तोतारः—‘praisers’)Root √अर्च् (अर्चति) / अर्चन्त् (वर्त. कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role कर्म (हवामहे इत्यस्य)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हवामहे
- we invoke/callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ह्वे (ह्वयति/ह्वयते) → √ह्वा (आह्वाने)
- अर्चन्तः
- praisingAdjective (participial)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (समि॑धीमहि इत्यस्य)Root √अर्च् / अर्चन्त्
- सम्
- together, fullyPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Root सम् (उपसर्ग)
- इधीमहि
- we kindleVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √इध् (इन्धे) ‘to kindle’
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्चन्तः
- praisingAdjective (participial)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अध्याहृत-क्रिया: ‘(वयम्) …’)Root √अर्च् / अर्चन्त्
- ऊतये
- for help/aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन—‘for aid’)Root ऊति (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक) ‘help, aid’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अर्चन्तः त्वा हवामहे | अर्चन्तः सम् इधीमहि | अग्ने अर्चन्तः ऊतये || 1) हवाम॒हेऽर्च॑न्तः = हवामहे + अर्चन्तः (ए/अ संधि: एऽ)
- 2) समि॑धीमहि = सम् + इधीमहि (अनुस्वार/व्यञ्जन-संधि: म् + इ → मि)
- 3) अर्चन्त ऊ॒तये = अर्चन्तः + ऊतये (विसर्ग-संधि: अः + ऊ → अ उ/ओ-प्रवृत्ति; संहितायां ‘अर्चन्त ऊतये’ इति रूपम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Singing, we call you; singing, we kindle you fully. O Agni, singing, we seek your help.
Inner meaning
This is the psychology of mantra: aspiration voiced as praise (arc) simultaneously calls the divine Will and feeds it. By repeated luminous utterance, the inner Fire is ‘kindled fully’—made continuous, not intermittent. The seeker asks for ūti—uplifting protection in the work: guidance, strength, and safeguarding of the inner sacrifice and daily action.
Universal truth
What we repeatedly celebrate and invoke grows in us. Conscious, sincere praise kindles the higher will and brings protective support for right action.
Themes
Agni invocation, kindling the inner flame, mantric praise
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.13, RV 5.11, RV 5.40
Family tradition
Ātreya hymns often have a direct, practice-oriented tone: kindle Agni by praise; establish a steady flame; seek protection for the work.
Significance
Atri’s simplicity is yogic: repetition of true call (mantra) is itself the fuel that stabilizes the inner fire.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- samiddha (fully kindled, implied), ūtī (giver of help, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma (delight that can follow kindling), Indra (illumined force that answers the call)
Cosmic role
Receives praise, carries aspiration, and returns help; establishes the sacrificial flame as the center of order in life.
Inner power
Capacity to be increased by mantra; protective uplift that supports right action and perseverance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Daily kindling/invocation of Agni; opening verse for Agni hymn recitation
अर्च॑न्तस्त्वा हवाम॒हेऽर्च॑न्त॒: समि॑धीमहि । अग्ने॒ अर्च॑न्त ऊ॒तये॑ ॥
अर्च॑न्तः । त्वा॒ । ह॒वा॒म॒हे॒ । अर्च॑न्तः । सम् । इ॒धी॒म॒हि॒ । अग्ने॑ । अर्च॑न्तः । ऊ॒तये ॥
arcantaḥ | tvā | havāmahe | arcantaḥ | sam | idhīmahi | agne | arcantaḥ | ūtaye
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3 pādas × 8 syllables
Light, quick, repetitive—ideal for invocation and kindling.
Creates immediacy and uplift; easy to repeat; builds a steady inner warmth and joy.
- अर्चन्तः (arcantaḥ)
- Literal: singing/praising. Symbolic: mantric aspiration; luminous affirmation that awakens power
- हवामहे (havāmahe)
- Literal: we call/invoke. Symbolic: turning of consciousness toward the divine presence
- समिधीमहि (sam idhīmahi)
- Literal: we kindle fully. Symbolic: make the will-flame steady and complete in the being
- ऊतये (ūtaye)
- Literal: for help/protection. Symbolic: uplifting guidance and safeguarding force in sādhanā
Opening kindling and praise for Agni at the commencement of offerings; suitable for agnyupasthāna-type invocatory moments and Hotṛ recitation.
At the start of worship, meditation, study, or any consecrated work
Invocatory praise and kindling
A short ‘start-up’ mantra: chant before beginning focused work to awaken will and call for guidance.
arc- ‘to shine/praise’ (√arc) links hymn to light: praise is a luminous act. havāmahe (√hū) is the calling that summons the power inwardly. idhīmahi (√idh) is kindling—psychologically, awakening the flame of will/aspiration. ūti (from √av/√ūt ‘help, favor’) is protective uplift rather than material gift.
invocation as awakening, integration (sam) of energies, divine aid (ūti)
Implicit: kindling by true praise aligns the work with right order.
Sincerity in invocation—truthful aspiration is what kindles.
Sound/praise as creative force that increases the divine presence in the human field.
Mantra-yoga orientation within Vedic psychology.
morning (typical for daily kindling)
Fire = will; fuel = attention and sincerity; sun = awakening clarity that follows kindling.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The central mythologem is ‘kindling the god’: Agni is not merely found but awakened by chant and offering. The singers’ luminous speech (arc-) is itself the fuel that brings the divine will to active presence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hū ‘call’ has IE parallels in the act of ritual summoning; √idh ‘kindle’ reflects an old fire-cult vocabulary across Indo-Iranian. √arc ‘shine/praise’ preserves the ancient equation of hymn with light—poetic speech as illumination.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi-community approaches Agni through a triple act—praise, call, kindle—implying that divine help (ūti) is reciprocally released when human speech and will actively awaken the power.
Kindle the heart-flame through voiced aspiration; feel will and clarity rise.
anahata
gentle ujjayi; each pāda on one smooth exhale
bright, collected, ready-to-act
Chant 9 or 27 times before work/meditation. With each repetition, feel the flame become steadier; then sit silently for 1 minute receiving ‘ūti’ as calm guidance.
Simple Gāyatrī flow; follow Rigvedic accents on arcántaḥ; keep cadence even across the three pādas.
Slight lift on ‘agne’ as direct address; maintain equal stress across repeated arcantaḥ for mantra-building effect.
arcantaḥ: ‘rc’ cluster clean; final ḥ lightly released., sam idhīmahi: keep ‘sam’ distinct; long ī in dhī., ūtaye: long ū; dental ‘t’.
bright, clear, devotional
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