Rig Veda 8.44.22: Mandala 8, Sukta 44, Mantra 22
Sukta 8.44
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
उत त्वा धीतयो मम गिरो वर्धन्तु विश्वहा । अग्ने सख्यस्य बोधि नः ॥
utá tvā dhītáyo máma gíro vardhantu viśváhā | ágne sakhyásya bodhi naḥ ||
I niech moje medytacje oraz moje słowa zawsze cię wzmacniają; o Agni, przebudź się na naszą przyjaźń, rozpoznaj ją i wypełnij w nas.
Word by Word
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableनिपात (समुच्चय/अथवा-भाव) अव्ययRoot उत (निपात)
- त्वा
- you (as object)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद्
- धीतयः
- thoughts, meditationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot धीति- (√धी ‘to think, to meditate’ से भाव/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- मम
- of me, myPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अस्मद्
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गिर्-
- वर्धन्तु
- may they increase/strengthenVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सम), परस्मैपद, प्रथम पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √वृध् (वर्धते) ‘to grow, increase, strengthen’
- विश्वहा
- always, at all timesIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल)Root विश्वहा (अव्यय; विश्व + हा ‘always’)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि-
- सख्यस्य
- of friendship, of companionshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root सख्य-
- बोधि
- be aware (of), take noticeVerbलोट्, परस्मैपद, मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन (आज्ञा)Root √बुध् ‘to notice, awaken, be aware’
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान (हितार्थ) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) उ॒त त्वा॑ = उत + त्वा (no change)
- (2) धी॒तयो॒ मम॒ = धीतयः + मम (visarga before m often written without explicit ḥ in saṃhitā; pada is धीतयः)
- (3) गिरो॑ = गिरः (saṃhitā o-vowel reflects visarga sandhi before voiced consonant: गिरः + वर्धन्तु → गिरो वर्धन्तु)
- (4) विश्वहा is an avyaya (no sandhi)
- (5) अग्ने is vocative of अग्नि
- (6) स॒ख्यस्य॑ = सख्यस्य
- (7) बोधि नः = बोधि + नः (no change)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May my meditations and words increase you always. O Agni, be aware of our friendship.
Inner meaning
The seeker’s dhītayaḥ (steady inner perceptions/meditations) and giraḥ (uttered mantra-words) are offerings that ‘increase’ Agni—i.e., intensify the psychic fire and its capacity to act. The prayer ‘bodhi naḥ’ asks Agni to awaken in us as conscious companionship: not merely an external deity, but an inner presence that recognizes the bond and fulfills it by guidance and force.
Universal truth
Sincere meditation and truthful speech strengthen the inner divine will; when that will awakens as an intimate friend, spiritual progress becomes natural and continuous.
Themes
invocation, mantric speech, divine-human reciprocity, inner growth
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.44.20, Rig Veda 8.44.21, Rig Veda 8.44.23, Rig Veda 8.44.24
Significance
A practical sādhanā-verse: dhī + gira as the two wings—inner contemplation and outer articulation—by which Agni grows and awakens as sakhā (friend).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Sakhā (friend—implied), Bodhí (the awakener—invoked)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī, Bṛhaspati, Indra
Cosmic role
Receives offerings of thought and speech; awakens the sacrificial consciousness; sustains continuity (viśvahā).
Inner power
The flame that grows by attention and mantra; the awakeness in the will that turns practice into living relationship.
In ritual
Where it is used
Recited during offerings and praise to strengthen Agni; also suitable as an anuvāka-like reinforcement verse.
उ॒त त्वा॑ धी॒तयो॒ मम॒ गिरो॑ वर्धन्तु वि॒श्वहा॑ । अग्ने॑ स॒ख्यस्य॑ बोधि नः ॥
उ॒त । त्वा॒ । धी॒तयः॑ । मम॑ । गिरः॑ । व्ऋ॒ध॒न्तु॒ । वि॒स्वहा॑ । अग्ने॑ । स॒ख्यस्य॑ । बो॒धि॒ । नः॒ ॥
uta | tvā | dhītayaḥ | mama | giraḥ | vṛdhantu | visvahā | agne | sakhyasya | bodhi | naḥ
44
4 x ~11 (approx.)
Supplicatory but steady; the cadence ‘viśvahā’ gives a refrain-like continuity.
Encourages daily practice; builds the sense that meditation/recitation tangibly increases inner force.
- धीतयः (dhītayaḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, meditations, insights. Symbolic: steady inner perceptions; contemplative formations that feed the flame
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: words, hymns. Symbolic: mantric speech; expression aligned with truth that supports realization
- वर्धन्तु (vardhantu)
- Literal: may they increase. Symbolic: may the inner fire grow in intensity and capacity
- विश्वहा (viśvahā)
- Literal: all days, always. Symbolic: continuity of practice; unbroken remembrance
- बोधि (bodhi)
- Literal: be awake, know. Symbolic: awakening of Agni as conscious inner guide
- सख्यस्य (sakhyasya)
- Literal: of friendship. Symbolic: living relation with the Divine within, not mechanical ritual
Stotra/prayer accompanying oblation: emphasizes mantra (giraḥ) and contemplation (dhītayaḥ) as offerings that ‘increase’ Agni; appropriate wherever Agni is strengthened for mediation (havis-rites).
At the start of japa/recitation; or before lighting a lamp/fire.
Offer a small āhuti (ghee) or symbolic offering (breath/attention) while chanting.
Use as a daily ‘practice intention’: ‘May my meditation and speech strengthen the inner fire; awaken to our friendship.’
dhītí from √dhī ‘to think, perceive, envision’ → thought as vision-bearing intelligence. gír from √gṛ/√gai ‘to sing, utter’ → speech as formative vibration. vardh from √vṛdh ‘to grow, increase’ → intensification of the deity-force. bodhi (imperative) from √budh ‘to awaken, know’ → awakening of conscious presence. sakhya from sakhā ‘friend’ (possibly connected with √sac ‘to accompany, follow’) → companionship as a mode of divine-human relation.
Mantra (speech as power), Smr̥ti/attention as sacrificial fuel (inner yajña), Sakhya (reciprocal alliance with the divine)
Right speech (giraḥ) and right seeing (dhī) align the being to ṛta, making Agni’s working effective.
Bodhi: awakening to the truth of the inner Divine presence.
Growth of divine fire through human offering: co-creative evolution of consciousness.
Integral yoga emphasis: collaboration (friendship) with the Divine Shakti/Agni through practice.
Fuel = attention; offering = intention; sound = mantra-force shaping consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘feeding/increasing’ of Agni by hymn and insight: the god grows by offerings, here explicitly by dhītayaḥ and giraḥ. Mythically this is the maintenance of the divine fire; psychologically it is the intensification of inner will and illumination through sustained meditation and true speech.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √budh ‘awaken’ has clear Indo-Iranian continuity (Skt budh-, Av. buδ-) and wider IE parallels often adduced with ‘be aware’ roots. The pairing of ‘thought’ (dhī) and ‘speech’ (gir) reflects an archaic poetic formula: cognition + utterance as twin instruments of sacral efficacy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers inner formations (dhītayaḥ) and mantra-speech (giraḥ) to strengthen Agni; in return Agni is asked to ‘wake’ to sakhya—an intimate, ongoing collaboration where the deity becomes an active ally in the seeker’s transformation.
Offer dhī (silent attention) and gir (soft recitation) into the heart-flame; ask for inner awakening.
Anahata (heart friendship) with support from Manipura (fire).
Inhale silently ‘uta tvā’; exhale ‘dhītayo mama’; keep breath smooth; end with a clear exhale on ‘bodhi naḥ’.
Steady recollection; devotional concentration without strain.
Do 9 recitations: first 3 aloud (giraḥ), next 3 whispered, last 3 mental (dhītayaḥ); then sit and feel Agni ‘awake’ as presence.
Observe udātta on agné and key verb forms; keep ‘viśvahā’ as a clear, even cadence marker.
Slight pause after ‘viśvahā’; emphasize ‘bodhi naḥ’ as the culminating call.
dhītayaḥ: long ī; dental ‘t’, giraḥ: soft ‘g’, short ‘i’, visarga audible but light, vṛdhantu: vocalic ṛ; aspirate ‘dh’, viśvahā: palatal ‘ś’; long ā at end, bodhi: clear ‘dh’ aspirate
Warm, prayerful, intimate (as to a friend).
9
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