Rig Veda 7.4.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 4, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.4
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
अस्य देवस्य संसद्यनीके यं मर्तासः श्येतं जगृभ्रे । नि यो गृभं पौरुषेयीमुवोच दुरोकमग्निरायवे शुशोच ॥
asyá devásya saṃ-sády anī́ke yáṃ mártāsaḥ śyétam jagṛbhre | ní yó gṛbháṃ paúruṣeyīm uvóca durókam agnír āyáve śuśoca ||
Na assembleia, diante do rosto deste deus, os mortais tomaram o Luminoso. Aquele que rebaixou o apego humano que torna a morada difícil de habitar — Agni ardeu para o buscador, queimando a casa estreita da ignorância.
Word by Word
- अस्य
- of thisPronounपुं/नपुं; षष्ठी (genitive); एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्य (षष्ठी एकवचन)
- देवस्य
- of the godNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- संसदि
- in the assembly / sessionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (locative); एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot सम् + सद् (धातु) → संसद् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सभा/आसन/संसद्’)
- अनीके
- in the face / presenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (accusative); एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तासः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nominative); बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्येतम्
- white, brightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (यम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root श्येत (प्रातिपदिक)
- जगृभ्रे
- they have seized / graspedVerbलिट्; 3 पुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot ग्रह् (धातु) — लिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट) आत्मनेपद
- नि
- down, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गृभम्
- the seizure / graspNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गृभ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ग्रहण/गृभ’ = seizure, grasp; RV usage)
- पौरुषेयीम्
- human, belonging to menAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (गृभम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—RV में लिङ्ग-व्यत्यय/विशेषण-प्रयोग सम्भव)Role कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root पौरुषेय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मानुष/पुरुष-सम्बन्धी’)
- उवोच
- he has spoken / proclaimedVerbलिट्; 3 पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot वच् (धातु) — लिट् (परफेक्ट) परस्मैपद
- दुरोकम्
- a bad dwelling, hostile houseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot दुरोक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दु-ओकस्’ = bad dwelling/house)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयवे
- for life / for longevityNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (dative); एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot आयु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘जीवन/आयुः’) → आयव (दत्तिव-रूप)
- शुशोच
- he has shone / blazedVerbलिट्; 3 पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot शुच् (धातु) — लिट् (परफेक्ट) परस्मैपद
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अस्य | देवस्य | संसदि | अनीके | यम् | मर्तासः | श्येतम् | जगृभ्रे || नि | यः | गृभम् | पौरुषेयीम् | उवोच | दुरोकम् | अग्निः | आयवे | शुशोच || 1) सं॒सद्यनी॑के = संसदि + अनीके (इकारान्त ‘संसदि’ + अकारादि ‘अनीके’ → य्-आगम/यण्-सन्धि: i + a → ya)
- 2) मर्ता॑सः श्ये॒तम्: विसर्ग-सन्धि नहीं (सः + श् → श् के पूर्व विसर्ग प्रायः जिह्वामूलीय/उपध्मानीय; पदपाठ में पृथक्)
- 3) नि यो = नि + यः (पदपाठ में ‘यः’; संहिता में ‘यो’ ओ-आदेश (अः + य् → ओ) प्रकार का वैदिक संधि-रूप)
- 4) पौरु॑षेयीमु॒वोच = पौरुषेयीम् + उवोच (म् + उ → म् उ; संहिता में अवग्रह-रहित संयोग)
- 5) अग्निरा॒यवे = अग्निः + आयवे (विसर्ग-लोप/रुत्व: अग्निः + आ- → अग्निरा-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the presence (face) of this god, mortals have seized the bright one; he has spoken down the human grasping that makes the home hard; Agni has blazed for the seeker.
Inner meaning
When the divine Presence becomes frontal (anīka), the human being ‘seizes’ a white brightness (śyeta)—a first capture of pure light. Yet Agni must rebuke and cast down the habitual ‘human clutching’ (pauruṣeyī gṛbha)—ego-appropriation that turns the inner house into a cramped, painful dwelling (duroka). For the true seeker (āyu), Agni burns, widening the inner space by consuming ignorance and possessiveness.
Universal truth
Illumination begins as a grasp of light, but liberation requires surrender of egoic appropriation; the fire of aspiration enlarges consciousness by burning the cramped structures of selfhood.
Themes
Agni in the dwelling, Purging constriction, Seeker’s path, Light seized by mortals
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.4.1, RV 7.4.4, RV 7.18
Family tradition
Manḍala 7’s Vasiṣṭha hymns often diagnose the human limitation (pauruṣa) and invoke Agni to establish a larger, divine dwelling in us.
Significance
The seer frames sādhanā as a movement from egoic holding to divine inhabitation; Agni is the force that makes the inner ‘home’ wide and luminous.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- deva (god), śyeta (bright/white), śuśoc (blazing)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind), Bṛhaspati (breaker of the cave), Uṣas (dawn-illumination)
Cosmic role
Revealer-fire: makes the divine presence visible; destroys obstruction; opens the ‘house’ of the worlds.
Inner power
Discerning flame that rejects egoic grasping and establishes spaciousness (mahattva) in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise within iṣṭi/soma liturgy; also suitable at moments of ‘clearing’ before offerings
अ॒स्य दे॒वस्य॑ सं॒सद्यनी॑के॒ यं मर्ता॑सः श्ये॒तं ज॑गृ॒भ्रे । नि यो गृभं॒ पौरु॑षेयीमु॒वोच॑ दु॒रोक॑म॒ग्निरा॒यवे॑ शुशोच ॥
अ॒स्य । दे॒वस्य॑ । स॒म्ऽसदि॑ । अनी॑के । यम् । मर्ता॑सः । श्ये॒तम् । ज॒गृ॒भ्रे । नि । यः । गृभ॑म् । पौरु॑षेयीम् । उ॒वोच॑ । दुः॒ऽओक॑म् । अ॒ग्निः । आ॒यवे॑ । शु॒शो॒च॒ ॥
asya | devasya | sam-sadi | anīke | yam | martāsaḥ | śyetam | jagṛbhre | ni | yaḥ | gṛbham | pauruṣeyīm | uvoca | duḥ-okam | agniḥ | āyave | śuśoca
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Argumentative and cleansing; strong mid-line stresses suit the ‘rebuke’ of grasping and the final blaze.
Creates a felt ‘opening’—as if the chest-space widens with the final pāda.
- अनीक (anīka)
- Literal: face, front, presence. Symbolic: the direct encounter with the Divine in consciousness
- श्येत (śyeta)
- Literal: white, bright. Symbolic: pure light of knowledge; untainted clarity
- जगृभ्रे (jagṛbhre)
- Literal: they seized/held. Symbolic: initial holding of illumination by the mind
- गृभ (gṛbha/gṛbhám)
- Literal: grasping, clutch. Symbolic: egoic appropriation; possessive mental-vital hold
- पौरुषेयी (pauruṣeyī)
- Literal: human, belonging to man. Symbolic: limited personal nature; ego-construction
- दुरोक (duroka)
- Literal: bad house, hard dwelling. Symbolic: constricted inner habitation—ignorance, anxiety, narrowness
- आयु (āyu/āyave)
- Literal: life; to the living/seeker. Symbolic: the aspirant whose life is turned Godward
- शुशोच (śuśoca)
- Literal: blazed, shone, burned. Symbolic: intensification of inner fire that purifies and opens
Installation/maintenance of Agni in the ‘dwelling’ (household or altar); also applicable to prayers for removal of inauspiciousness from the home/inner seat.
When establishing purity of intention and right relation to the deity before oblations
Recitation accompanying kindling and mental consecration; symbolic ‘casting down’ of impurity
Use when noticing possessiveness, compulsion, or inner tightness; recite to invite Agni to widen the inner home.
from √ ‘to seize, grasp’ (PIE *gʰrebʰ- ‘grab’ possible cognate field). (śveta/śyeta) ‘bright/white’ from √/√ ‘to shine’. - (duḥ-okam) ‘bad dwelling’ (okas ‘home, habitation’): psychological ‘constricted inner house’. perfect of √ ‘speak’: the ‘word’ as ordering force of consciousness.
Vāc as ordering power, Removal of duritāni (inner difficulty), Inner habitation (okas) as consciousness-space
Egoic grasping disrupts ṛta in the inner house; Agni restores right order by burning it away.
Truth as non-appropriation: light is held by surrender, not clutching.
From constricted ‘house’ to widened world—inner re-creation through fire.
Yoga-psychological exegesis (Aurobindo/Kashyap): ‘house’ as inner formation of consciousness.
White brightness = pure knowledge; house = inner formation (mind-life-body); burning = tapas that expands and clarifies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘taking of the bright Agni by mortals’—the mythic act of capturing/establishing fire—and Agni’s burning that makes the dwelling fit. Innerly, it is the human capacity to ‘seize’ the luminous will and let it speak down (ni…uvoca) the constrictive habits that make the inner home ‘duḥ-okam’.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ ‘speak’ relates to PIE *wekʷ- ‘to speak’ (cf. Latin vox, English voice via Germanic developments). The hymn links speech/word with ordering and purification—an old Indo-European theme where ‘right word’ supports cosmic and psychic order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Humans install Agni (jagṛbhre), but Agni repays by blazing ‘for the seeker’ (āyave) and by an authoritative inner ‘word’ that subdues merely human grasping. The rishi frames Agni as both received (by mortals) and sovereign (he reforms the mortal condition).
Notice where the mind ‘clutches’ light/experience; offer that grasping into Agni to create inner spaciousness.
Anāhata (inner space/house of the heart) supported by Maṇipūra (fire of purification)
Exhale-lengthening: on exhale, release ‘grasp’; brief pause to feel widened space; inhale receives light (śyeta).
From tense concentration to open, luminous receptivity.
During meditation, if insight becomes pride or possession, repeat the mantra softly and feel Agni ‘speak down’ the clutching, restoring humility and wideness.
Rigvedic svara with clear udātta on key nouns/verbs (devásya, śyétam, śuśóca) as per recension.
Let the second pāda crest on śyétam; keep a firm downward resolve on durokaṃ; end with a bright lift into śuśoca.
Pronounce śyeta as ‘śye-ta’ (palatal ś)., Keep retroflex ṣ in pauruṣeyīm distinct., In durokaṃ, articulate du-ro-kaṃ clearly (avoid swallowing ‘ro’)., Maintain nasalization only where indicated; avoid adding extra anusvāra.
Purifying and incisive; slightly stronger on ni…uvoca and śuśoca.
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