Rig Veda 7.1.9: Mandala 7, Sukta 1, Mantra 9
Sukta 7.1
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वि ये ते अग्ने भेजिरे अनीकं मर्ता नरः पित्र्यासः पुरुत्रा । उतो न एभिः सुमना इह स्याः ॥
ví ye té agne bhejiré anī́kaṃ mártā nárāḥ pitryā́saḥ purutrā́ | utó na ebhíḥ sumánā ihá syāḥ ||
Esses homens mortais, herdeiros dos pais em muitos lugares, que tomaram sua parte no teu poder manifesto, ó Agni — assim também tu, com mente benigna e harmoniosa, sê aqui conosco.
Word by Word
- वि
- apart, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root वि (upasarga)
- ये
- who (those who)Pronounmasculine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- ते
- you (thee)Pronounmasculine accusative singular (enclitic)Role KarmaRoot तद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounmasculine vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot अग्नि (prātipadika)
- भेजिरे
- have shared in / have resorted to / have partakenVerbperfect (liṭ), 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot भज् (dhātu)
- अनीकम्
- face; front; presenceNounneuter accusative singularRole KarmaRoot अनीक (prātipadika)
- मर्ताः
- mortalsNounmasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to ये)Root मर्त (prātipadika)
- नरः
- menNounmasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to मर्ताः)Root नर (prātipadika)
- पित्र्यासः
- of the fathers; ancestralAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole Kartā (qualifier of मर्ताः/नरः)Root पित्र्य (prātipadika, adj. from पितृ)
- पुरुत्रा
- in many places; variouslyIndeclinableadverbRole Adhikaraṇa (adverbial: place/distribution)Root पुरुत्रा (prātipadika)
- उतो
- and also; moreoverIndeclinableconj./particleRoot उत (avyaya) + उ (enclitic)
- नः
- of us; for usPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary, ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- एभिः
- with thesePronounmasculine/neuter instrumental pluralRole KaraṇaRoot एतद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- सुमनाः
- well-minded; graciousAdjectivemasculine nominative singularRole Kartā (predicate adjective of implied ‘त्वम्’/Agni)Root सुमनस् (prātipadika)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableadverbRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (avyaya)
- स्याः
- may you beVerboptative (vidhi-liṅ), 2nd person singularRoot अस् (dhātu)
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution: ये ते॑ → ये | ते
- अग्ने → voc. sg. of अग्नि
- भेजि॒रे → perfect 3pl of भज्
- मर्ता॒ नर॒: → मर्ताः | नरः
- पित्र्या॑सः unchanged (nom. pl. adj.)
- उ॒तो → उतो (particle)
- न॑ ए॒भिः → नः | एभिः (visarga before vowel)
- सु॒मना॑ इ॒ह → सुमनाः | इह
- स्या॑: → स्याः (opt. 2sg of अस्). Accents in the Saṃhitā (e.g., ते॑, भेजि॒रे, अनी॑कं) are noted but not re-marked on the resolved padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
Mortal men, heirs of the fathers in many places, who have obtained a share in Agni’s manifest power—Agni is asked to be here with us through these means, with a gracious, harmonious mind.
Inner meaning
Those in the human journey who carry forward the ancestral attainment (pitryāsaḥ: the inner tradition of realized forebears) and who have ‘taken their portion’ of the divine will’s power (bhejire anīkam) become capable instruments of the yoga. The seeker asks Agni to be present as a consenting benevolence (sumanāḥ), harmonizing the nature so progress is not forced but gladly aligned.
Universal truth
Real growth is cumulative: when we inherit and consciously appropriate the gains of those who walked before, the transforming power responds with harmony and consent, making progress smoother and more integral.
Themes
Ancestral lineage (Pitṛs), Participation in divine power, Divine consent (sumánas), Continuity of sacrifice
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha-gotra)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.4, RV 7.18
Family tradition
A lineage stressing continuity of realization (‘fathers’) and the stable maintenance of sacred fire—outer and inner.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha often links individual effort with inherited truth-force; the ‘fathers’ are not mere ancestors but pioneers of consciousness whose gains can be reactivated.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Sumanāḥ (gracious, harmonious), Agne (invoked as intimate guide)
- Related deities
- Pitṛs (Fathers), Bṛhaspati (ancestral word/illumination), Uṣas
Cosmic role
Universal fire present in many places; distributes divine energy through worlds and beings while maintaining a single truth-intent.
Inner power
Consent of the will-to-transform: the capacity to make the whole nature gladly collaborate rather than resist.
In ritual
Where it is used
Household and śrauta invocations emphasizing lineage continuity of fire worship
वि ये ते॑ अग्ने भेजि॒रे अनी॑कं॒ मर्ता॒ नर॒: पित्र्या॑सः पुरु॒त्रा । उ॒तो न॑ ए॒भिः सु॒मना॑ इ॒ह स्या॑: ॥
वि । ये । ते॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । भे॒जि॒रे । अनी॑कम् । मर्ताः॑ । नरः॑ । पित्र्या॑सः । पु॒रु॒ऽत्रा । उ॒तो इति॑ । नः॒ । ए॒भिः । सु॒ऽमनाः॑ । इ॒ह । स्याः॒ ॥
vi | ye | te | agne | bhejire | anīkam | martāḥ | naraḥ | pitryāsaḥ | puru-trā | uto iti | naḥ | ebhiḥ | su-manāḥ | iha | syāḥ
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4 × ~11
Expansive and distributive—mirrors ‘purutrā’ (many places) while keeping a firm close.
Creates a feeling of wide inclusion and continuity; ends with a soft insistence on harmonious presence (‘sumanā iha syāḥ’).
- वि (vi)
- Literal: apart, in various ways. Symbolic: distribution and differentiation of the divine force across life-planes
- भेजिरे (bhejire)
- Literal: have shared/partaken, obtained a portion. Symbolic: conscious appropriation of spiritual force; making it one’s own
- अनीकम् (anīkam)
- Literal: front/face, manifest power. Symbolic: the operative forefront of Agni in life—effective will and luminous action
- मर्ताः नरः (martā naraḥ)
- Literal: mortal men. Symbolic: the embodied seeker-souls working in time and limitation
- पित्र्यासः (pitryāsaḥ)
- Literal: of the fathers, ancestral heirs. Symbolic: inheritors of inner tradition; past realizations as living supports
- पुरुत्रा (purutrā)
- Literal: in many places, widely. Symbolic: across many parts of the being; in diverse circumstances
- सुमनाः (sumanāḥ)
- Literal: good-minded, gracious, favorable. Symbolic: harmonizing assent of the divine force; glad alignment
Ancestral continuity of the fire-cult: affirmation that the ‘fathers’ established Agni; used to align present rite with pitṛ-path and to invoke divine consent (sumánas) for successful offering.
When affirming the right to approach Agni through tradition and shared portions of rite
Recitation accompanying offerings; remembrance of forefathers’ path
As a mantra for invoking guidance from one’s inner lineage (past best states, teachers, exemplars) and asking for harmony in practice and relationships.
bhejire < √bhaj ‘to share, allot, partake’ (also ‘to resort to’); pitryāsaḥ ‘of the fathers’ from pitṛ-; purutrā ‘many-ways/many-places’ (puru ‘many’ + -trā adverbial); su-manāḥ ‘good mind’ (su- + manas), indicating not emotion alone but the consenting luminous mentality of Agni.
Ṛta as inherited right practice (pitṛ-path), smṛti/paramparā (transmission of inner knowledge), saṃgati (harmonious alignment between human and divine will)
The ‘fathers’ represent established ṛta; Agni’s presence ensures the right movement continues in the present.
Sumanas = truth’s harmony, not sentimental comfort; alignment with what is real.
Transmission and re-embodiment of realized force across time and space.
Integral-psychological reading: tradition as a living plane of consciousness accessible now.
Distributed flames = the one will working through many parts of the being; ‘good mind’ = coherent integration of mind-vital-body around a single aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ancestral establishment’ of Agni: the Fathers as prior realizers who first ‘partook’ of Agni’s face/power and spread it purutrā. Mythically, the sacred fire is a transmitted conquest of light, not a mere physical technique.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhaj (bhejire) belongs to an old semantic domain of ‘portion/share’ comparable to Indo-European social-ritual vocabulary of allotment; pitṛ aligns with PIE *ph₂tḗr (father), a central inherited kinship term used ritually to authorize tradition.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the community within an authorized lineage (pitryāsaḥ) and requests Agni’s sumánas—his consenting luminous mentality—so the present effort becomes continuous with the fathers’ realization rather than a broken, merely external rite.
Invoke Agni as the harmonizer: feel the one will spreading through ‘many places’ in you—thought, breath, emotion, body.
Maṇipūra (will) harmonized with Anāhata (consent/joy)
Even breathing with a soft smile in the chest; on exhale repeat ‘sumanā iha syāḥ’ mentally to invite consent.
Integrated, collected, supported by inner lineage.
Before difficult work, recall your ‘fathers’—previous victories and teachings—then recite to ask for a glad alignment rather than strain.
Vedic accents with a gentle rise on ‘agne’ and a calming fall toward ‘sumanā iha syāḥ’.
Keep ‘purutrā’ flowing (do not clip); emphasize ‘sumanā’ with warmth, not force.
bhejire: clear ‘bh’ aspiration; ‘ji’ light, pitryāsaḥ: ‘tr’ dental cluster; long ‘yā’, purutrā: roll ‘r’ lightly; long ‘ā’, sumanā: short ‘su’, long ‘nā’
Softly luminous, conciliatory; aim for coherence and evenness.
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