Rig Veda 5.21.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 21, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.21
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
देवं वो देवयज्ययाग्निमीळीत मर्त्यः । समिद्धः शुक्र दीदिह्यृतस्य योनिमासदः ससस्य योनिमासदः ॥
deváṁ vo devayajyáyāgním īḷīta mártyaḥ | samíddhaḥ śukra dīdihi ṛtásya yónim ā́sadaḥ sasásya yónim ā́sadaḥ ||
Ó mortais, adorai Agni, o Divino, com a adoração que busca o Divino. Acendido, ó resplandecente, flameja; toma assento no seio do ṛta, toma assento no seio do crescimento.
Word by Word
- देवम्
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवयज्यया
- with/through the divine worship (sacrificial service)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot देवयज्या (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; देव + यज्या)
- अग्निम्
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईळीत
- praise (you all)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root ईळ् (धातु; स्तुति/प्रार्थना)
- मर्त्यः
- the mortal (worshipper)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिद्धः
- kindled / well-litParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सम्-इध् (धातु) → समिद्ध (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि/क्त)
- शुक्र
- O bright oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीदिहि
- shine forth!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root दीदिहि (धातु: दीदिह्/दीदिहि < दिदीहि, √दीप्/√दीद् ‘to shine’, Vedic intensive/imperative formation)
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order / truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- योनिम्
- the womb / source / seatNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आसदः
- the sitter/settler upon; he who takes his seat inNoun (agentive epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root आ-√सद् (धातु ‘to sit/settle/approach’) → आसद (कृदन्त, वर्तमान/अच्-प्रत्यय; agent-noun)
- ससस्य
- of the grain / of the cropNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सस (प्रातिपदिक; ‘grain/crop’, RV usage)
- योनिम्
- the womb / source / seatNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आसदः
- the one who takes his seat inNoun (agentive epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root आ-√सद् (धातु) → आसद (कृदन्त, agentive)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): देवम् | वः | देवयज्यया | अग्निम् | ईळीत | मर्त्यः | समिद्धः | शुक्र | दीदिहि | ऋतस्य | योनिम् | आसदः | ससस्य | योनिम् | आसदः । प्रमुख संधि: (1) देवयज्यया + अग्निम् → देवयज्ययाग्निम् (आ + अ = आ)
- (2) दीदिहि + ऋतस्य → दीदिह्यृतस्य (इ + ऋ = यृ)
- (3) योनिम् + आसदः → योनिमासदः (म् + आ = मा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Mortals should adore the divine Agni with divine-seeking worship; when kindled, he should blaze and sit in the womb of ṛta and in the womb of increase.
Inner meaning
The mantra shifts from description to command: the mortal nature must worship with ‘devayajyā’—a worship aimed at becoming divine, not merely gaining boons. Kindled, Agni is asked to blaze (dīdihi): intensify the luminous will until it establishes itself in the ‘yoni of ṛta’—the matrix of right order—and also in the ‘yoni of sasá’—the field of growth, abundance, and fulfilled manifestation. Inner life becomes fertile when will is seated in truth-order.
Universal truth
True progress requires worship that aims at divinization; when will is founded in truth and right order, life naturally becomes fruitful and increasing.
Themes
Exhortation to worship, Agni established in ṛta, Illumination and growth
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.6, RV 5.15, RV 5.16
Family tradition
Atri’s collection often culminates in imperatives that turn vision into practice: establish Agni in ṛta so the sacrifice becomes effective and fruitful.
Significance
Atri frames the central discipline: mortals become capable of divine life when the will is purified and seated in ṛta, yielding true ‘increase’ (sasa).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- deva, śukra, samiddha
- Related deities
- Mitra-Varuṇa (ṛta guardians), Indra (illumination), Pūṣan (increase/path)
Cosmic role
Bearer of ṛta in the sacrifice; purifier who establishes order and generates increase.
Inner power
Power to found the being in truth-order and to manifest growth (inner and outer) as a consequence of that foundation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise at the opening of major rites; enthronement of fire in the rite
दे॒वं वो॑ देवय॒ज्यया॒ग्निमी॑ळीत॒ मर्त्य॑: । समि॑द्धः शुक्र दीदिह्यृ॒तस्य॒ योनि॒मास॑दः स॒सस्य॒ योनि॒मास॑दः ॥
दे॒वम् । वः॒ । दे॒व॒ऽय॒ज्यया॑ । अ॒ग्निम् । ई॒ळी॒त॒ । मर्त्यः॑ । सम्ऽइ॑द्धः । शु॒क्र॒ । दी॒दि॒हि॒ । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । योनि॑म् । आ । अ॒स॒दः॒ । स॒सस्य॑ । योनि॑म् । आ । अ॒स॒दः॒ ॥
devam | vaḥ | deva-yajyayā | agnim | īḷīta | martyaḥ | sam-iddhaḥ | śukra | dīdi hi | ṛtasya | yonim | ā | asadaḥ | sasasya | yonim | ā | asadaḥ
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Expansive, imperative, with a ‘commanding blaze’ cadence.
Energizes and uplifts; supports decisive inner resolve and establishment in a higher order.
- devayajyayā
- Literal: by god-worship / divine-seeking worship. Symbolic: aspiration that seeks the Divine itself; transformative devotion
- martyaḥ
- Literal: mortal. Symbolic: limited nature subject to ignorance and death-habit
- samiddhaḥ
- Literal: kindled. Symbolic: awakened will-force, intensified consciousness
- śukra
- Literal: bright, pure. Symbolic: luminous purity of the psychic fire
- dīdihi
- Literal: shine/blaze. Symbolic: increase illumination and transformative heat
- ṛtasya yoni
- Literal: womb/matrix of ṛta. Symbolic: foundation in right order, truth-law of being
- sasasya yoni
- Literal: womb of growth/produce. Symbolic: fertility of life-force; increase of right results and inner abundance
- āsadaḥ
- Literal: sit down, take seat. Symbolic: establish firmly; make a stable base in consciousness
Community exhortation to praise Agni; suitable at kindling and seating of Agni, emphasizing establishment in ṛta (normative sacrificial correctness and inner truth-order).
At kindling and when invoking Agni’s bright presence to stabilize the sacrifice in ṛta.
Adoration (īḻīta), kindling (samiddha), seating Agni on the altar (āsad).
A mantra for aligning action with truth: before work, invoke the ‘womb of ṛta’—right motive, right method—so results become ‘increase’ rather than agitation.
devayajyā from deva + yajyā ‘worship/sacrifice’ (< √yaj). īḷīta (2pl/imperative style form) from √īḷ ‘praise, implore’. samiddha < sam- + √idh ‘kindle’. śukra ‘bright’ from √śuc ‘shine, be pure’. dīdihi reduplicated imperative from √dī ‘shine’. yoni ‘womb, seat, source’ from √yu/√yā? (Vedic: ‘place of origin/abode’). ā-asad from √sad ‘sit, settle’ with ā- ‘toward, into’ → establish firmly. sasá ‘growth, increase, offspring/produce’ related to √sū/√sas ‘to bring forth/increase’ (Vedic semantic field of thriving).
Ṛta (truth-order), Yoni as source/plane of manifestation, Increase/fruitfulness (sasa)
Explicit: Agni is seated in ṛta’s matrix—order is the ground of effective manifestation.
Brightness (śukra) implies truth-purity; falsehood cannot sustain increase.
Creation as ordered increase: from truth-matrix to fertile manifestation.
Vedic ṛta-based dharma of action; integral transformation doctrine (Aurobindo) where truth-foundation yields divine life.
dawn/daybreak (implied by ‘shine’)
spring (implied by increase)
Womb = stable base in consciousness; growth = expansion of right energies and capacities; sun = illumined mind supporting the will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni enthroned in the ‘womb of ṛta’: the mythic image of the Fire seated in the cosmic source of truth-order, from which right growth (sasá) proceeds. Psychologically: the awakened will must found itself in truth, then it becomes the matrix of increase.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dī ‘shine’ and √sad ‘sit/settle’ are inherited IE roots. The concept of cosmic order (ṛta ~ Avestan aša) is a hallmark of Indo-Iranian religio-poetic inheritance. The imperative style (dīdihi, ā asadaḥ) reflects archaic performative speech acts typical of IE hymnody.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi instructs the mortal community to approach Agni through deva-yajyā (god-seeking consecration). Agni is asked not merely to burn, but to establish himself in ṛta’s very source—implying that the divine responds to sincerity by grounding the human work in truth and granting increase.
Establish the will in ṛta: choose one true intention, kindle it, and seat it as the governing center for the session/day.
Maṇipūra (fire) with grounding into Mūlādhāra (seat/foundation)
Kapalabhati-light or तेजस्वी exhale emphasis (if appropriate), then quiet sitting with a steady inner flame.
Luminous, ordered, effective—‘truth-founded energy’.
Ask inwardly before action: ‘Is this ṛta?’ If yes, kindle and proceed; if not, offer the distortion into Agni until clarity returns.
Use recension-based accents; imperatives (īḻīta, dīdihi, āsadaḥ) should carry clear udatta lift where marked.
Triṣṭubh: keep 11-syllable swing; make ‘ṛtasya yonim āsadaḥ’ a single flowing unit; repeat ‘sasasya yonim āsadaḥ’ with slightly stronger cadence.
devayajyayā: double y; avoid ‘devayajaya’ flattening, īḻīta: long ī; retroflex ḻ, samiddhaḥ: geminate ddh; final ḥ light, śukra: ś palatal; not plain s, ṛtasya: vocalic ṛ clear, yoniṃ: nasalization on final ṃ
Bright, commanding, steady-breath supported.
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