Rig Veda 2.2.5: Mandala 2, Sukta 2, Mantra 5
Sukta 2.2
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स होता विश्वं परि भूत्वध्वरं तमु हव्यैर्मनुष ऋञ्जते गिरा । हिरिशिप्रो वृधसानासु जर्भुरद्द्यौर्न स्तृभिश्चितयद्रोदसी अनु ॥
sá hotā́ víśvaṃ pári bhūtv adhvaráṃ tám u havyáir mánuṣa ṛ́ñjate girā́ | híri-śipró vṛdhasānā́su járbhurad dyáur ná stṛ́bhiś citayad ródasī ánu ||
Ele torna-se o Hotar que envolve todo o sacrifício; e o homem o adorna com oferendas e com a palavra do hino. De maxilar de ouro, ele labuta e se empenha nas sessões crescentes, despertando com seus apoios os dois mundos, como o Céu, seguindo-os com visão luminosa.
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- होता
- Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot √हु (जुहोति) → होतृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वम्
- all; the whole (everything)Adjective (substantive)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, all aboutIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भूत्वा
- having becomeVerbal (absolutive)क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive), पूर्वकालिकक्रियाRoot √भू (भवति)
- अध्वरम्
- sacrifice; ritualNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed; andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root उ (निपात)
- हव्यैः
- with oblationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनुषे
- men; mortalsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (वैदिक रूप; = मनुष्याः)Role कर्तृRoot मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋञ्जते
- they adorn; they set in orderVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root √ऋञ्ज् (ऋञ्जति/ऋञ्जते)
- गिरा
- with song/voice; by hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- for; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root हि (निपात)
- हिरिशिप्रः
- the tawny-lipped/with golden jaws (Indra)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot हिरि-शिप्र (बहुव्रीहि-प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रविशेषण)
- वृधसानासु
- in the strengthening (songs/acts); amid invigorating (rites)Noun/Adjective (locative plural)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot वृधसान (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strengthening/abounding’), स्त्री-आधार
- जर्भुरत्
- he rushed/roared; he moved violentlyVerbलङ्/इञ्ज्-आओरिस्ट (वैदिक), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √जर्भुर्/√जर्भ् (वैदिक; तीव्रगमन/कम्पनार्थ)
- द्यौः
- heaven; the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like; asIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root न (उपमा-निपात)
- स्तृभिः
- with strokes/shafts/rays (Vedic)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot स्तृभ्/स्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक ‘किरण/प्रहार/स्तम्भ’ इत्यादि) रूपम्
- चितयत्
- he roused; he made perceiveVerbलङ् (अभूतपूर्व/अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √चित् (चेतति/चिनोति; वैदिक ‘प्रेरयति/चेतयति’)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः (वैदिक द्वन्द्व), द्वितीया, द्विवचनम्Role कर्मRoot रोदसी (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; ‘द्यावापृथिवी’)
- अनु
- after; along; in accordanceIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धिविग्रह): स होता विश्वम् परि भूत्वा अध्वरम् तम् उ हव्यैः मनुषे ऋञ्जते गिरा । हि हिरिशिप्रः वृधसानासु जर्भुरत् द्यौः न स्तृभिः चितयत् रोदसी अनु ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) भूत्वध्वरम् → भूत्वा + अध्वरम् (आ + अ = आ). (2) तमु → तम् + उ (व्यञ्जनान्त + उ). (3) हव्यैर्मनुष → हव्यैः + मनुषे (ः + म → र् + म; वैदिक ‘रेफ’ संधि). (4) ऋञ्जते गि॒रा इति पदविभागः
- गिरा तृतीया एकवचनम्. (5) जर्भुरद्द्यौः → जर्भुरत् + द्यौः (त् + द्). (6) स्तृभिःचितयत् → स्तृभिः + चितयत् (विसर्गलोप/सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni becomes the Hotar encompassing the whole sacrifice; humans adorn him with offerings and speech. Golden-jawed, he labors in the growing sessions, awakening the two worlds with his supports, following them with luminous perception like Heaven.
Inner meaning
Agni as Hotṛ is the inner priest who can ‘encompass’ the entire adhvara: he organizes all movements of aspiration, offering, and transformation. The human (manuṣaḥ) ‘adorns’ him with havis and girā—outer acts and inner word (mantra, truth-speech), meaning our conscious consent and articulation feed the flame. ‘Golden-jawed’ (hiriśipra) indicates a luminous discerning power that ‘consumes’ impurities and separates truth from mixture. In the ‘growing sessions’ (vṛdhasānāsu) of practice, Agni works persistently, awakening Heaven and Earth within—higher and lower consciousness—so they can move in harmony under a perceiving light (citayat).
Universal truth
Transformation is a total process: a central will-priest must be fed by sincere offering and true speech, and it steadily awakens both our higher possibilities and our earthly nature into a single luminous order.
Themes
Agni as Hotar, speech and offering, awakening the worlds, inner ordering
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.1, RV 2.2.1, RV 2.2.6
Family tradition
Priestly-seer emphasis on Hotṛ function: not mere ritual office but inner organizer of the sacrifice through speech and offering.
Significance
Highlights the human collaboration: the flame is adorned by conscious offering and true speech, making the yoga integral (‘encompassing the whole sacrifice’).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- hotā (Hotar), hiriśipra (golden-jawed), śukraśociṣ (pure-flamed) (hymn context)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (truth-word), Mitra (harmony), Indra (illumination)
Cosmic role
Priest of the gods; awakener of Heaven and Earth; sustainer of the sacrificial progression.
Inner power
Integral transformative intelligence: consumes obscurity, builds strength across stages, awakens higher and lower nature into harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Hotṛ recitation within soma/yajña sequences; general Agni praise during offerings
स होता॒ विश्वं॒ परि॑ भूत्वध्व॒रं तमु॑ ह॒व्यैर्मनु॑ष ऋञ्जते गि॒रा । हि॒रि॒शि॒प्रो वृ॑धसा॒नासु॒ जर्भु॑र॒द्द्यौर्न स्तृभि॑श्चितय॒द्रोद॑सी॒ अनु॑ ॥
सः । होता॑ । विश्व॒म् । परि॑ । भू॒तु॒ । अ॒ध्व॒रम् । तम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । ह॒व्यैः । मनु॑षः । ऋ॒ञ्ज॒ते॒ । गि॒रा । हि॒रि॒ऽशि॒प्रः । वृ॒ध॒सा॒नासु॑ । जर्भु॑रत् । द्यौः । न । स्तृऽभिः॑ । चि॒त॒य॒त् । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । अनु॑ ॥
saḥ | hotā | viśvam | pari | bhūtu | adhvaram | tam | oṃ iti | havyaiḥ | manuṣaḥ | ṛñjate | girā | hiri-śipraḥ | vṛdhasānāsu | jarbhurat | dyauḥ | na | stṛ-bhiḥ | citayat | rodasī iti | anu
44
4 × ~11
Energetic, work-like cadence; verbs of action (ṛñjate, jarbhurat, citayat) give a laboring drive.
Invokes disciplined effort and integrality; energizes the listener to offer speech and action into the flame.
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: Hotar-priest. Symbolic: the psychic function that offers all movements to the Divine and calls down response
- विश्वं परि भूत्व (viśvaṃ pari bhūtv)
- Literal: becoming around/encircling all. Symbolic: integral governance—no part of life left outside the yoga
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: sacrifice/rite. Symbolic: the journey of works and self-offering; the path of transformation
- हव्यैः (havyaiḥ)
- Literal: with offerings. Symbolic: acts of consecration; energies surrendered
- गिरा (girā)
- Literal: with speech/hymn. Symbolic: truth-word, mantra, conscious formulation of aspiration
- हिरिशिप्रः (hiriśipraḥ)
- Literal: golden-jawed. Symbolic: luminous discernment that ‘eats’ darkness; purifier
- जर्भुरत् (jarbhurat)
- Literal: gnawing/working vigorously. Symbolic: persistent transformative labor in the substance
- वृधसानासु (vṛdhasānāsu)
- Literal: in growing sessions/strengthenings. Symbolic: stages of sadhana where forces increase and consolidate
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds (Heaven and Earth). Symbolic: higher and lower consciousness to be awakened and harmonized
- चि॒तयत् (citayat)
- Literal: he perceives/awakens. Symbolic: illumined awareness that follows and supports the evolving harmony
Hotṛ-function emphasis: recitation and offering coordination in Soma rites; also applicable to domestic ritual where Agni is invoked as priest of the inner/outer oblation.
When emphasizing Agni’s priestly role and the human act of offering with mantra.
Recitation by Hotṛ; offerings placed while praising Agni’s encompassing function.
Use before japa, study, or service to consecrate speech and action; a mantra for ‘integral offering’.
hotā from √hu ‘invoke, call’—Agni as the invoking force in us. ṛñjate from √ṛj ‘straighten, set right’ → inner ‘rectification’ through offering and mantra. gir ‘word’ as creative speech. hirī-śipra ‘golden-jawed’ indicates luminous consuming articulation (Agni as eater of offerings and purifier of speech). citay- again signals awakening perception.
mantra as formative power (gīr), ṛta as straightening/ordering (√ṛj), cosmic support and stability (stṛbhiḥ)
Agni as Hotṛ orders the adhvara according to ṛta—right sequence and right relation of forces.
Girā as truth-speech; citayat as illumined perception that follows the worlds.
Awakening of the two worlds within the evolving being; ascent/descent made active through tapas.
Mantra-yoga orientation: speech (vāc) as instrument of realization; integral transformation.
Fire = transformative will; offerings = surrendered energies; supports = inner disciplines that uphold awakening; Heaven = higher luminous consciousness that ‘follows’ and illumines.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the cosmic priest who ‘encompasses’ the sacrifice and awakens the two worlds. The mythic action is priestly mediation: by oblation and word, the worlds are made conscious and supportive of the ascent.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hu (invoke) is part of an old sacrificial lexicon; the priestly function is archaic Indo-European. √ṛj ‘straighten’ echoes a widespread IE moral/cosmic metaphor of ‘straight/right’ order. The dual ‘two worlds’ formula is a common inherited cosmological trope.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The human ‘adorns’ Agni with offerings and speech, i.e., provides fuel and mantra-formation; Agni reciprocates by becoming the encompassing priestly consciousness that orders the journey and awakens the supporting worlds.
Make the whole life an offering; feed the inner fire with truthful speech and deliberate surrender.
Viśuddha (truth-speech) linked with Maṇipūra (will)
Exhale-offering practice: on each exhale mentally ‘offer’ one movement (thought/desire/action) into Agni; inhale receive clarity.
Consecrated dynamism; integral engagement.
Before speaking or acting, inwardly invoke Agni as Hotṛ; speak only what increases light; offer the restlessness into the ‘golden jaws’ for purification; review the day as a completed adhvara and re-offer it.
Clear udatta on hotā and agni-related epithets; keep rhythmic firmness to match ‘laboring’ verbs.
Mark the sweep of the first pāda (sa hotā viśvaṃ pari bhūtv adhvaram) with a steady rise; pause after adhvaram.
hiriśipro: keep śi clear and short i, ṛñjate: vocalic ṛ must be crisp, rodasī: long ī at end; do not shorten
Strong, workmanlike resonance; articulate consonants cleanly.
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