Rig Veda 5.22.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 22, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.22
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अग्ने चिकिद्ध्यस्य न इदं वचः सहस्य । तं त्वा सुशिप्र दम्पते स्तोमैर्वर्धन्त्यत्रयो गीर्भिः शुम्भन्त्यत्रयः ॥
ágne cikiddhy àsyá na idáṁ vácaḥ sahasya | táṁ tvā suśipra dampate stómair vardhanty átrayo gī́rbhiḥ śumbhanty átrayaḥ ||
Ó Agni, reconhece esta nossa palavra, ó Forte, filho de Sahasā. A ti, ó senhor do lar de belos lábios, os Atris te fazem crescer com hinos; com palavras inspiradas os Atris te adornam e te fazem arder em beleza.
Word by Word
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *h₁n̥gʷnis
- चिकिद्धि
- perceive/understand!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आज्ञा)Root √चिद् (परस्मैपद) ‘to notice, perceive, understand’
- अस्य
- of thisPronounषष्ठी-एकवचन; (नपुंसक/पुं/स्त्री—सर्वनामरूप)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- ourPronounषष्ठी-बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक) ‘our’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इदम्
- thisPronounद्वितीया-एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot इदम्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वचः
- utterance/wordNounद्वितीया-एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्गRole कर्म (इदम् वचः = ‘this utterance’)Root वचस्- (प्रातिपदिक) < √वच् ‘to speak’
- सहस्य
- of might; mighty one’sNoun (epithet)षष्ठी-एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्गRole सम्बन्ध (genitive epithet)Root सहस्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘might, strength’
- तम्
- him/that onePronounद्वितीया-एकवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्मRoot तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया-एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role कर्मRoot युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुशिप्र
- O fair-lipped oneAdjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सु- (उपसर्ग) + शिप्र- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘jaw/cheek; (epithet) fair-lipped’
- दम्पते
- O lord of the houseNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot दम्पति- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘lord of the house’
- स्तोमैः
- with hymns/praisesNounतृतीया-बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole करणRoot स्तोम- (प्रातिपदिक) < √स्तु ‘to praise’
- वर्धन्ति
- they strengthen/increaseVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √वृध् (परस्मैपद) ‘to grow, increase, strengthen’
- अत्रयः
- the AtrisNoun (proper/collective)प्रथमा-बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot अत्रि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘Atri; Atris (clan/poets)’
- गीर्भिः
- with songsNounतृतीया-बहुवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्गRole करणRoot गीर्/गिर्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘song, praise’
- शुम्भन्ति
- they adorn/beautifyVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √शुभ् (परस्मैपद) ‘to adorn, make splendid’
- अत्रयः
- the AtrisNoun (repeated subject)प्रथमा-बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot अत्रि- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अग्ने | चिकिद्धि | अस्य | नः | इदम् | वचः | सहस्य | तम् | त्वा | सुशिप्र | दम्पते | स्तोमैः | वर्धन्ति | अत्रयः | गीर्भिः | शुम्भन्ति | अत्रयः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) चिकिद्ध्यस्य → चिकिद्धि + अस्य (इ + अ = य्-आगमः). (2) न इदम् → नः इदम् (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ + स्वर-सन्धि/पदविभाग). (3) वचः सहस्य: विसर्गः पदान्ते
- संहितायां ‘वचः सहस्य’ (ः + स). (4) तं त्वा: अनुस्वार/अनुनासिक-सम्बन्ध
- पदच्छेदे तम् + त्वा. (5) दम्पते स्तोमैः: पदान्त ‘ए’ + ‘स्’ आरम्भ—सन्धि नित्यं न परिवर्तते. (6) अत्रयो गीर्भिः → अत्रयः + गीर्भिः (ः + ग). (7) गीर्भिः शुम्भन्ति → गीर्भिः + शुम्भन्ति (ः + श)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Agni, take knowledge of this our word, O strong one. You, fair-lipped lord of the home, the Atris increase with hymns; with inspired utterances the Atris adorn you.
Inner meaning
The seer asks Agni to ‘recognize’ (cikiddhi) the mantra—i.e., to respond to the true vibration of aspiration. Agni is sahasya (mighty, forceful) yet suśipra (beautiful-lipped): power joined with perfect expression. As dampati (lord of the inner house), he is increased (vardhanti) by stoma and gir—our praise and inspired speech—which psychologically means: the more we speak/think from the soul’s truth, the more the inner flame grows luminous and effective.
Universal truth
Spiritual force intensifies when our speech and thought become sincere, rhythmic, and inspired; true utterance feeds the inner fire.
Themes
Power of mantra, Agni as household lord, Seer-lineage (Atri)
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.22.1-5 (context)
Family tradition
The Atris present a living tradition of mantra as nourishment for Agni; their ‘adorning’ is the craft of inspired speech that makes the inner fire blaze beautifully.
Significance
Atri’s approach is intimate: Agni is not only cosmic priest but the household lord within; the mantra becomes a direct instrument to increase the divine force.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Sahasya, Suśipra, Dampati
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (word and thought), Uṣas (illumination)
Cosmic role
Receives and carries the formulated word (vāc) to the gods; establishes the home of the rite and protects it.
Inner power
Mantra-responsive will: grows by truthful speech, becomes radiant and effective in transforming the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within an iṣṭi; strengthening Agni through stoma
अग्ने॑ चिकि॒द्ध्य१॒॑स्य न॑ इ॒दं वच॑: सहस्य । तं त्वा॑ सुशिप्र दम्पते॒ स्तोमै॑र्वर्ध॒न्त्यत्र॑यो गी॒र्भिः शु॑म्भ॒न्त्यत्र॑यः ॥
अग्ने॑ । चि॒कि॒द्धि । अ॒स्य । नः॒ । इ॒दम् । वचः॑ । स॒ह॒स्य॒ । तम् । त्वा॒ । सु॒ऽशि॒प्र॒ । द॒म्ऽप॒ते॒ । स्तोमैः॑ । व॒र्ध॒न्ति॒ । अत्र॑यः । गीः॒ऽभिः । शु॒म्भ॒न्ति॒ । अत्र॑यः ॥
agne | cikiddhi | asya | naḥ | idam | vacaḥ | sahasya | tam | tvā | su-śipra | dam-pate | stomaiḥ | vardhanti | atrayaḥ | gīḥ-bhiḥ | śumbhanti | atrayaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Invocatory with a strong mid-line lift; suited to calling attention and intensifying force.
Energizes the listener’s speech-centre; feels like ‘feeding’ the flame through sound.
- चिकिद्धि (cikiddhi)
- Literal: know, take notice. Symbolic: respond to the true call; awaken correspondence between mantra and inner force
- वचः (vacaḥ)
- Literal: word. Symbolic: mantric articulation; formulated aspiration
- सहस्य (sahasya)
- Literal: strong, mighty. Symbolic: tapas-force in the will
- सुशिप्र (suśipra)
- Literal: fair-lipped. Symbolic: beauty and precision of expression; mantra-śakti
- दम्पते (dampate)
- Literal: lord of the house. Symbolic: master of the inner being (home of consciousness) who governs the sacrifice
- स्तोमैः / गीर्भिः (stomaiḥ / gīrbhiḥ)
- Literal: hymns / songs. Symbolic: rhythmic affirmation and inspired speech that increases the fire
- शुम्भन्ति (śumbhanti)
- Literal: adorn, brighten. Symbolic: make the consciousness radiant; refine and beautify the inner flame
Self-referential family signature verse (Ātreya): emphasizes hymn-craft as fuel; suitable in clan-recitation contexts within Śrauta performance.
When the priest/seer seeks Agni’s attentive response and increased power in the rite
Recitation accompanying offerings and laud; ‘increasing’ Agni by praise
Use before chanting/japa: ask the inner Fire to recognize the intention; then chant as ‘fuel’—quality over quantity.
cikiddhi from √cit ‘perceive/know’ (imperative). vacas ‘word’ from √vac ‘speak’ (IE *wekʷ-). sahasya from sáhas ‘might’. suśipra: su- ‘good’ + śipra ‘lip/mouth’ (speech-organ; hence ‘beautiful in utterance’). dampati from dam ‘house’ + pati ‘lord’ (< √pā ‘protect/rule’) → house-lord; inwardly, master of the embodied home. stoma from √stu ‘praise’. śumbh from √śubh ‘shine, adorn’ → to make splendid (Agni’s brightness and the consciousness it kindles).
Vāc (formative speech), Tapas/force (sahas), Inner dwelling (dam)
Rightly formed word and rhythm increase the power that maintains ṛta in the being.
Sincere speech (true vacaḥ) evokes true response; false speech yields no increase.
Sound as creative force: the word nourishes fire; fire manifests the gods (higher powers).
Mantra-śāstra orientation within Vedantic psychology: vāc as instrument of transformation.
Hearth = psychic center/home; tongues = expressive power; fuel = attention, sincerity, repetition.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The seer-family ‘increasing’ and ‘adorning’ Agni by hymns: the mythologem of speech as a real power that feeds the divine Fire, making it blaze—psychologically, mantra strengthens the will and illumines the house of the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vacas from √vac reflects PIE *wekʷ- ‘speak’ (cf. Latin vox, English voice via Germanic). stoma from √stu parallels IE praise-formulas. The compound dampati is a classic IE social-religious title (house-lord), reflecting domestic cult continuity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Atris claim an active co-creative role: their stomas and giras do not merely describe Agni but ‘increase’ and ‘adorn’ him—i.e., they intensify and refine the divine force in the human dwelling. Agni is asked to ‘notice’ (cikiddhi) the mantric act, confirming reciprocity.
Mantra as fuel: speak from the heart; let sound kindle will and clarity.
Viśuddha (speech)
Ujjāyī (soft) to support resonant chanting; pause after each pāda to ‘feel’ the flame respond
Luminous intensity with refined articulation
Before chanting, inwardly ask Agni to ‘take notice’; chant with precise pronunciation and sincerity; visualize the flame brightening and stabilizing in the heart-home.
Observe svara on agné and other marked syllables; keep ‘cikiddhi’ crisp with a slight lift on the accented portion.
Make ‘agne cikiddhy asya na idaṃ vacaḥ’ one coherent address; emphasize ‘dampate’ with warmth (home-lord).
suśipra: ‘śi’ palatal; do not render as ‘sipra’., dampate: nasal + labial cluster ‘mp’ clearly., gīrbhiḥ: long ‘ī’; aspirated ‘bh’ audible.
Warm, resonant, slightly brighter on the second half (vardhanti… śumbhanti).
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