Rig Veda 6.10.3: Mandala 6, Sukta 10, Mantra 3
Sukta 6.10
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni, giver of ūti and finder of ‘cows’
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
पीपाय स श्रवसा मर्त्येषु यो अग्नये ददाश विप्र उक्थैः । चित्राभिस्तमूतिभिश्चित्रशोचिर्व्रजस्य साता गोमतो दधाति ॥
pīpā́ya sá śrávasā mártyeṣu yó agnáye dadā́śa vípra ukthaíḥ | citrā́bhis tám ūtíbhis citrá-śocir vrajásya sātā́ gó-mato dadhāti ||
On wzrasta w świetlistej sławie wśród śmiertelnych, kto daje Agniemu, kto jako natchniony ofiaruje mu przez hymny. Wielopłomienisty, przez swoje różnorodne wsparcia, ustanawia dla niego zdobycie świetlistych stad: pełnię promieni, pełnię wiedzy.
Word by Word
- पीपाय
- has strengthened / has made to swell (increase)VerbPerfect (Vedic), 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole Kriyā (predicate) / Kartṛ-anuvṛtti (with implied subject = ‘he’)Root √पा (पिबति/पाययति) → caus./intens. पीपाय
- सः
- hePronounMasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- श्रवसा
- by (his) fame / by gloryNounNeuter, instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot श्रवस् (नपुंसक/पुं. ‘fame, glory, might’)
- मर्त्येषु
- among mortalsNounMasculine, locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक ‘mortal’)
- यः
- whoPronounMasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (relative clause)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य
- अग्नये
- to AgniNounMasculine, dative singularRole SampradānaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ददाश
- has givenVerbPerfect, 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole Kriyā (relative clause)Root √दा (ददाति) → perfect ददाश
- विप्रः
- the inspired seerNounMasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक ‘inspired poet, sage’)
- उक्थैः
- with hymnsNounNeuter, instrumental pluralRole KaraṇaRoot उक्थ (प्रातिपदिक ‘hymn of praise, recitation’)
- चित्राभिः
- with brilliant / wondrousAdjectiveFeminine, instrumental pluralRole Karaṇa (qualifier) / Saha-karaṇaRoot चित्रा (स्त्री. ‘bright, variegated’; here as adj. to ऊतिभिः)
- तम्
- himPronounMasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त
- ऊतिभिः
- with aids / protectionsNounFeminine, instrumental pluralRole KaraṇaRoot ऊति (स्त्री. ‘help, aid, protection’)
- च
- andIndeclinableConjunctionRoot च
- चित्रशोचिः
- bright-flamedAdjectiveMasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to सः / or to implied Agni) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot चित्र-शोचिस् (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय ‘having bright flames’)
- व्रजस्य
- of the cattle-pen / of the foldNounMasculine, genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot व्रज (प्रातिपदिक ‘pen, enclosure; herd/settlement’)
- साता
- the winning / gainNounFeminine, nominative singularRole Kartā (of दधाति) / or predicate-noun ‘winning’Root साति (स्त्री. ‘winning, gaining’; RV also ‘prize, acquisition’)
- गोमतः
- of the cow-rich (one) / rich in cattleAdjectiveMasculine/Neuter, genitive singular (used adjectivally with व्रजस्य)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (qualifier)Root गोमत् (प्रातिपदिक ‘possessing cows, rich in cattle’)
- दधाति
- places / bestows / establishesVerbPresent, 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole Kriyā (main predicate)Root √धा (दधाति)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved padapāṭha-style segmentation: पीपाय | सः | श्रवसा | मर्त्येषु | यः | अग्नये | ददाश | विप्रः | उक्थैः | चित्राभिः | तम् | ऊतिभिः | च | चित्रशोचिः | व्रजस्य | साता | गोमतः | दधाति. Notable sandhi: चित्राभिः + तम् → चित्राभिस्तम् (visarga-less cluster in saṃhitā)
- ऊतिभिः + च → ऊतिभिश्च
- चित्रशोचिः + व्रजस्य → चित्रशोचिर्व्रजस्य (final -ḥ before voiced consonant → -r)
- साता + गोमतः → साता गोमतः (no further change in writing, but close junction in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He grows in fame among mortals who gives to Agni, offering him with hymns. The many-flaming Agni, with varied helps, grants him the winning of the cow-pen’s treasure—rich in cows (luminous herds).
Inner meaning
To ‘give to Agni’ is to feed the inner fire with attention, sincerity, and right utterance (ukthaiḥ). The vipra (inspired mind) strengthens by this giving: śravas is not social fame but luminous hearing/renown—an expansion of receptive consciousness. Agni, citraśociḥ, with many-colored flames (multiple illuminations), by diverse assistances (citrā ūtiḥ) opens the ‘vraja’—the closed pen of light—releasing the go-mat, the herds of rays: knowledges, intuitions, and illuminations previously held by the Coverer. Thus the reward is inner plenitude, not cattle.
Universal truth
What we consistently feed grows: when we nourish the inner flame with sincere practice and true speech, it returns as many forms of help and releases hidden knowledge into our life.
Themes
reward of sacrifice, recovery of rays, inspiration, Agni’s manifold help
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.10.1, RV 6.10.2
Family tradition
A tradition that repeatedly reads ‘go’ as light and ‘vraja’ as the hidden enclosure to be opened by Agni/Indra powers.
Significance
Bharadvāja emphasizes reciprocity: the seeker feeds Agni with mantra and aspiration; Agni responds by opening hidden knowledge and establishing inner plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Citraśociḥ)
- Epithets
- Citraśociḥ
- Related deities
- Indra (often the opener of the cows; here Agni performs a similar function), Sarasvatī (stream of inspired knowledge), Bṛhaspati (breaker of the cave; lord of the word)
Cosmic role
Releaser of the hidden lights; giver of varied aids; establisher of attainment in the human journey.
Inner power
Transformative illumination that breaks inner enclosures and converts obscurity into knowledge-rich consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise connected with gaining ‘wealth’ and success of sacrifice; in ritual, prosperity; in inner sense, plenitude of light.
पी॒पाय॒ स श्रव॑सा॒ मर्त्ये॑षु॒ यो अ॒ग्नये॑ द॒दाश॒ विप्र॑ उ॒क्थैः । चि॒त्राभि॒स्तमू॒तिभि॑श्चि॒त्रशो॑चिर्व्र॒जस्य॑ सा॒ता गोम॑तो दधाति ॥
पी॒पाय॑ । सः । श्रव॑सा । मर्त्ये॑षु । यः । अ॒ग्नये॑ । द॒दाश॑ । विप्रः॑ । उ॒क्थैः । चि॒त्राभिः॑ । तम् । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । चि॒त्रऽशो॑चिः । व्र॒जस्य॑ । सा॒ता । गोऽम॑तः । द॒धा॒ति॒ ॥
pīpāya | saḥ | śravasā | martyeṣu | yaḥ | agnaye | dadāśa | vipraḥ | ukthaiḥ | citrābhiḥ | tam | ūti-bhiḥ | citra-śociḥ | vrajasya | sātā | go--mataḥ | dadhāti
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4 × ~11 syllables.
Triumphant and expansive; suitable for ‘winning’ (sātā) and release of plenitude.
Invokes confidence in inner results; stimulates aspiration and the sense of approaching a breakthrough.
- विप्र (vipra)
- Literal: inspired sage. Symbolic: the awakened mind capable of receiving intuition
- ददाश (dadāśa)
- Literal: gives, offers. Symbolic: self-offering; feeding the inner fire with energy and sincerity
- उक्थैः (ukthaiḥ)
- Literal: with hymns. Symbolic: mantric formations; truthful articulation that supports ascent
- श्रवस् (śravasā)
- Literal: fame, glory. Symbolic: luminous hearing/renown: expanded receptivity and spiritual radiance
- चित्रशोचिः (citraśociḥ)
- Literal: many-flaming, variegated in light. Symbolic: Agni’s multiple illuminations across planes of being
- ऊतिभिः (ūtibhiḥ)
- Literal: helps, aids. Symbolic: supports from the inner divine: insights, protections, right impulses
- व्रज (vraja)
- Literal: cow-pen/enclosure. Symbolic: closed store of light/knowledge in the subconscient or hidden plane
- साता (sātā)
- Literal: winning, gaining. Symbolic: attainment through inner conquest and opening
- गोमत् (gomat)
- Literal: rich in cows. Symbolic: rich in rays of knowledge; abundance of illumination
Praise promising spiritual increase to the offerer; recitable in contexts of seeking success (sātā) and illumination (go-mat)
After establishing Agni and offering hymns, as a verse of result/fruit (phala) and confirmation of Agni’s help.
Recitation accompanying offerings; mentally dedicating the fruits to right knowledge.
Chant when seeking clarity or breakthrough in study/sadhana: intend the ‘opening of the vraja’—release of hidden insight.
(śravas) from √śru ‘hear’ → fame as ‘that which is heard’; psychologically: the resonance/recognition of truth. (vipra) from √vip/√vep ‘tremble, be inspired’ → inspired seer. (vraja) ‘enclosure, fold’ → the hidden pen of light; ‘cows’ (go) as rays/knowledges. (ūti) fostering help as sustaining force.
śravas as luminous renown, recovery of light (go) from enclosure (vraja), divine aid (ūti)
The ‘winning’ is not arbitrary but a lawful result of right offering and alignment with rita.
Go as rays of truth; their release is Satya manifesting in mind-life.
Hidden lights emerging from enclosure—classic Vedic creation motif of revelation from concealment.
Integral/psychological reading aligned with Aurobindo: ‘cows’ as illuminations; ‘cave/pen’ as subconscient hold.
dawn-like emergence (symbolic)
Fire opens the cave of the subconscient, releasing rays of knowledge like a dawn breaking out of night.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘winning of the cows (rays) from the fold’: Agni’s help yields the recovery/attainment of hidden illuminations, granting growth in śravas (radiant recognition) to the inspired offerer.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘cows as rays’ metaphor is an archaic Indo-Iranian/IE poetic inheritance where cattle imagery encodes wealth/light. √śru ‘hear’ as fame parallels IE semantic shifts where renown is ‘what is heard’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi-offerer gives hymns and offering to Agni; Agni reciprocates by establishing stable attainment—especially the ‘go-mat’ state: plenitude of illuminations supporting the soul’s increase.
Offer a chosen limitation (‘closed pen’) into Agni; ask for release of the hidden light behind it.
Ājñā (illumination) supported by Maṇipūra (fire-force) and Anāhata (psychic sincerity).
Kapalabhati-light or brisk exhale practice (if suitable) to symbolize ‘opening’; then settle into calm breathing while chanting.
From blocked/covered to breakthrough and luminous expansion.
Name inwardly the ‘vraja’ (a habitual darkness, doubt, inertia). Chant, then sit and watch for small ‘cows’—new insights, right impulses, subtle joys. Record them; feed them back to Agni through continued practice.
Tri-svara; keep energetic rise on ‘citraśóciḥ’ and a confident close on ‘gómat’.
Maintain clear articulation of ‘citrābhis… ūtibhiḥ’ as parallel phrases; slight emphasis on ‘vrajasya sātā’ to mark the ‘winning’.
‘śravasā’ with clear ś (palatal), ‘citraśociḥ’ keep ‘śo’ long enough, and final ḥ audible, ‘gomato’ with distinct ‘go-’ (o long)
Bright, confident, uplifting; let the final pāda feel like a release.
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