Rig Veda 4.4.7: Mandala 4, Sukta 4, Mantra 7
Sukta 4.4
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सेदग्ने अस्तु सुभगः सुदानुर्यस्त्वा नित्येन हविषा य उक्थैः । पिप्रीषति स्व आयुषि दुरोणे विश्वेदस्मै सुदिना सासदिष्टिः ॥
séd agne astu subhágaḥ sudā́nur yás tvā nítyena havíṣā yá ukthaíḥ | piprī́ṣati svá ā́yuṣi duroṇé víśved asmai sudínā sā́sadi iṣṭíḥ ||
Que ele seja de fato afortunado e rico em dádivas, ó Agni — aquele que te nutre com a oferenda constante e com hinos, que procura encher-te em sua própria vida e em sua morada. Para ele, que se assente cada dia luminoso, cada cumprimento do sacrifício.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स-
- इद्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root इद् (निपात)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let (it) beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्-सदृशः), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root अस् (धातु)
- सुभगः
- fortunate, auspiciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root सु-भग (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुदानुः
- of good giving, bountifulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root सु-दानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नित्येन
- with constant/regularAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (हविषा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karaṇa (विशेषणम्)Root नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- हविषा
- with oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थैः
- with hymns/recitationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot उक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिप्रीषति
- seeks to please/satisfyVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root प्री (धातु; Vedic desiderative/intensive formation)
- स्वे
- in his ownAdjective/Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (आयुषि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Adhikaraṇa (विशेषणम्)Root स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयुषि
- in (his) lifetimeNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुरोणे
- in the house/dwellingNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot दुरोण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘house, dwelling’)
- विश्वेद्
- just all, indeed allIndeclinable (compound-like usage)विश्वे + इद् → विश्वेद् (निपातयुक्त-प्रयोगः)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + इद् (निपात)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्मद्/एतद्-सम्बद्धः ‘अस्मै’
- सुदिना
- with good day/with good fortuneNoun (Vedic) / Adjectival nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (सासदिष्टिः इत्यस्य सहचर-करणम्)Role KaraṇaRoot सु-दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
- सासदिष्टिः
- successful attainment/approachNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सासदिष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic abstract, ‘attainment/approach, successful reaching’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): सेदग्ने → सः इद् अग्ने
- सुदानुर्यः → सुदानुः यः
- त्वा नित्येन → त्वा नित्येन (sandhi none)
- य उक्थैः → यः उक्थैः (visarga before vowel in saṃhitā)
- स्व आयुषि → स्वे आयुषि (Vedic contraction/orthography)
- विश्वेदस्मै → विश्वे इद् अस्मै
- सुदिना सासदिष्टिः → सुदिना सासदिष्टिः (no further split). Accents retained as in saṃhitā
- pada-forms shown without accent marks for morphological clarity
The meaning
Outer meaning
May he be fortunate and generous, O Agni—who nourishes you with constant offerings and hymns, seeking to fill you in his life and home. For him may all bright days and every sacrifice-fulfillment sit near.
Inner meaning
The practitioner becomes ‘fortunate’ (subhaga) and a giver (sudānu) when he steadily feeds the inner Fire with offerings of energy and attention (nityena haviṣā) and with inspired utterance (ukthaiḥ). By increasing Agni within one’s embodied life (sva āyuṣi) and inner dwelling (duroṇe), the being attracts abiding illumined days and the settled accomplishment (sāsad iṣṭiḥ) of the inner sacrifice—stable realizations rather than passing flashes.
Universal truth
Consistency in practice—offering and true expression—builds an inner flame that makes well-being, generosity, and fulfillment naturally ‘take their seat’ in life.
Themes
Domestic Agni / inner hearth, Sustained practice, Auspiciousness and giving
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.4.1, RV 4.4.2, RV 4.4.3, RV 4.4.4, RV 4.4.5
Family tradition
The Gautama hymns frequently emphasize perseverance in kindling Agni through both offering (havis) and word (uktha), indicating a disciplined yoga of will and speech.
Significance
Vāmadeva’s teaching here is the law of ‘nitya’—regularity—by which inner realizations become seated (sāsad) and life turns auspicious (subhaga).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- agne, subhaga-kṛt (maker of good fortune—implied), gṛhapati (lord of the house—implied by duroṇe)
- Related deities
- Aditi (wholeness), Bhaga (portion/fortune), Indra
Cosmic role
House-lord of the sacrifice; transformer of offerings into divine increase; establisher of auspicious order in the human dwelling.
Inner power
The steady flame of practice that converts routine life into yoga; the power that ‘seats’ realizations in mind and body.
In ritual
Where it is used
Domestic and śrauta Agni praise; suitable at agnihotra kindling and during uktha recitations
सेद॑ग्ने अस्तु सु॒भग॑: सु॒दानु॒र्यस्त्वा॒ नित्ये॑न ह॒विषा॒ य उ॒क्थैः । पिप्री॑षति॒ स्व आयु॑षि दुरो॒णे विश्वेद॑स्मै सु॒दिना॒ सास॑दि॒ष्टिः ॥
सः । इत् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अ॒स्तु॒ । सु॒ऽभगः॑ । सु॒ऽदानुः॑ । यः । त्वा॒ । नित्ये॑न । ह॒विषा॑ । यः । उ॒क्थैः । पिप्री॑षति । स्वे । आयु॑षि । दु॒रो॒णे । विश्वा॑ । इत् । अ॒स्मै॒ । सु॒ऽदिना॑ । सा । अ॒स॒त् । इ॒ष्टिः ॥
saḥ | it | agne | astu | su-bhagaḥ | su-dānuḥ | yaḥ | tvā | nityena | haviṣā | yaḥ | ukthaiḥ | piprīṣati | sve | āyuṣi | duroṇe | viśvā | it | asmai | su-dinā | sā | asat | iṣṭiḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Balanced and declarative; supports repetition and steadiness (nitya).
Encourages regular breath and a grounded, ‘seating’ sensation—good for daily recitation.
- सु॒भग (subhaga)
- Literal: fortunate. Symbolic: one in whom the divine portion is active—harmonized destiny
- सु॒दानु (sudānu)
- Literal: good giver. Symbolic: nature that overflows with inner wealth and helpful force
- नित्येन हविषा (nityena haviṣā)
- Literal: with constant oblation. Symbolic: daily, steady self-offering of energies, habits, attention
- उक्थैः (ukthaiḥ)
- Literal: with hymns. Symbolic: mantric articulation; truth-speech that strengthens the inner fire
- पिप्रीषति (piprīṣati)
- Literal: seeks to fill/nourish. Symbolic: intensifies Agni—builds will, aspiration, discerning flame
- दुरोणे (duroṇe)
- Literal: in the house/home. Symbolic: the inner dwelling: body-life-mind as the altar-house
- इष्टिः (iṣṭiḥ)
- Literal: sacrifice/desired attainment. Symbolic: fulfilled offering: stabilized realization and effective inner action
Householder and soma contexts emphasizing continuous offering (nitya-havis) and hymn as nourishment of Agni
Daily fire worship; also as a consecrating verse when establishing a practice space (duroṇa).
Offer ghee with the intention of constancy; follow with spoken praise/uktha.
A ‘daily practice’ mantra: recite before japa to affirm consistency and invite stable fruition in home and life.
(su- + bhaga ‘share/portion’) = right portioning of being. relates to √dā ‘give’; sudānu is the well-bestowing nature formed by right offering. √pṛ ‘fill’ in desiderative/intensive (piprīṣati) indicates the aspirant’s will to increase the divine fire within life (āyus) and home (duroṇa).
Continuity of tapas (steady offering), Fulfillment (iṣṭi) as accomplished formation
Constancy (nitya) aligns personal rhythms with Ṛta, allowing ‘bright days’ to arrive regularly.
Uktha as truthful speech that supports stable manifestation of inner gains.
Establishing the divine in the ‘house’—incarnation of higher force into embodied life.
Yoga of works and speech (karman + vac) as inner sacrifice.
daily cycle implied (nitya; sudinā)
Hearth = embodied field of practice; bright day = clear consciousness recurring; fire = disciplined will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘feeding of Agni’: the divine fire grows by constant offering and hymn, and in return establishes auspicious fortune and repeated ‘bright days’—stable luminous states.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dā ‘give’ (in sudānu) reflects PIE *deh₃- ‘give’. duroṇa ‘home’ continues the Indo-European sacral-home motif as the seat where fire is maintained.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocity of nourishment: the human nourishes Agni through steady consecration and word; Agni reciprocates by making the life-field fortunate, generous, and fulfilled in its works.
Stabilize the inner fire through consistent offering: attention, breath, and truthful speech.
manipura (will/inner heat)
equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) 4-4-4-4 while mentally ‘offering’ distractions into Agni
steady, settled, practice-ready
Pair recitation with a small daily vow (nitya): one fixed time, one fixed seat; after chanting, sit quietly and feel the ‘iṣṭi’ (fulfilled intention) taking its place in the body-mind.
Tri-svara Vedic intonation; keep continuity across enjambments; respect pada boundaries for clarity.
Let the cadence settle on duroṇe and sāsad iṣṭiḥ; avoid rushing the mid-pāda clusters (nityena haviṣā / ya ukthaiḥ).
agne with clear ‘gn’ cluster, sudānur: keep long ā, light final r, piprīṣati: articulate prī and ṣa cleanly, duroṇe: retroflex ṇ, iṣṭiḥ: ṣṭ cluster, short i at end
warm, nourishing, even volume; grounded resonance
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
