Rig Veda 3.27.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 27, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.27
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
ईळे अग्निं विपश्चितं गिरा यज्ञस्य साधनम् । श्रुष्टीवानं धितावानम् ॥
ī́ḷe agníṁ vipaścítaṁ girā́ yajñásya sā́dhanam | śruṣṭī́vānaṁ dhitā́vānam ||
Я воспеваю Агни, прозорливого, словом — совершителя жертвы; он богат послушным слышанием и твёрд в утверждённой мысли.
Word by Word
- ईळे
- I praise / I invokeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया) —Root √ईळ्/√ईड् (स्तुतौ ‘to praise, invoke’)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (the Fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक) अव्युत्पन्न/प्राचीन नाम
- विपश्चितम्
- wise, discerningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root वि-पश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक; वि + √पश् ‘to see’ → ‘clear-seeing, wise’)
- गिरा
- with a hymn / by (my) songNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot गिर्- (स्त्री; ‘voice, hymn, song’)
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root यज्ञ- (प्रातिपदिक; √यज् ‘to worship, sacrifice’)
- साधनम्
- accomplisher / means of accomplishmentNoun (also adjectival in sense)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (विशेषण/उपपद-भावः)Root साधन- (नपुं; √साध् ‘to accomplish, bring about’)
- श्रुष्टीवानम्
- attentive, obedient (to prayer)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root श्रुष्टीवत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘obedient, attentive’; Vedic formation, from √श्रु ‘to hear’ with desiderative/attentive nuance)
- धितावानम्
- well-established / well-disposedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root धितावत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-set/placed, well-disposed’; from √धा ‘to place, set’ → धित ‘set, established’ + -वत्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ईळे | अग्निम् | विपश्चितम् | गिरा | यज्ञस्य | साधनम् | श्रुष्टीवानम् | धितावानम् । बाह्य-सन्धिः न्यूनः
- ‘अग्निं’ = ‘अग्निम्’ (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-लेखनभेदः). ‘गिरा’ तृतीया-एकवचनम् ‘गिर्’ इत्यस्य. विशेषणानि (विपश्चितम्, साधनम्, श्रुष्टीवानम्, धितावानम्) सर्वाणि ‘अग्निम्’ इति कर्मपदं विशेषयन्ति।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seer praises Agni with a hymn-word as the one who accomplishes the sacrifice; Agni is attentive to invocation and firm in established thought.
Inner meaning
Agni is the awakened divine Will in us—clear-discerning (vipaścita) and capable of carrying the inner yajña (offering of works, breath, and thought) to its fulfillment. The mantra emphasizes two inner requisites: (1) śruṣṭi—obedient, receptive hearing to the higher guidance; (2) dhī—founded, steady thought that can hold the flame without wavering. The ‘word’ (girā) is not mere speech but mantra-vāc: a conscious vibration that kindles and directs the will.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on a luminous will guided by true discernment and sustained by receptive listening and stable, well-founded thought; right speech (truthful vibration) becomes an instrument that accomplishes transformation.
Themes
invocation, illumined-intelligence, ritual-accomplishment, responsive-divinity
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.26, Rig Veda 3.28, Rig Veda 3.29, Rig Veda 3.30, Rig Veda 3.62
Family tradition
Gāthin lineage of Maṇḍala 3; hymns of disciplined aspiration and the forging of inner power through tapas and mantra.
Significance
Viśvāmitra embodies the transition from outer power to inner mastery: the seer who wins illumination by effort and right mantra, making Agni the leader of the inner yajña.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- vipaścit, yajñasya sādhanam, śruṣṭīvān, dhitāvān
- Related deities
- Soma, Indra, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; carrier of offerings; establisher of ṛta through the sacrificial order.
Inner power
The flame of aspiration and conscious will that perceives the right movement and executes it; awakens discernment and steadiness in thought.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnyādhāna/Agnihotra-related invocations; general Agni-stuti preceding offerings.
ईळे॑ अ॒ग्निं वि॑प॒श्चितं॑ गि॒रा य॒ज्ञस्य॒ साध॑नम् । श्रु॒ष्टी॒वानं॑ धि॒तावा॑नम् ॥
ईळे॑ । अ॒ग्निम् । वि॒पः॒ऽचित॑म् । गि॒रा । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । साध॑नम् । श्रु॒ष्टी॒ऽवान॑म् । धि॒तऽवा॑नम् ॥
īḷe | agnim | vipaḥ-citam | girā | yajñasya | sādhanam | śruṣṭī-vānam | dhita-vānam
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3 pādas of 8 syllables (compact praise-invocation).
Bright, swift, concentrated; suitable for ignition and focus.
Quickens attention and kindles inner warmth; supports a clean, uplifted mental poise (dhī) while invoking will.
- īḷe
- Literal: I praise / adore. Symbolic: turning of consciousness toward the Divine Power; deliberate consent and invocation
- agniṃ
- Literal: Agni, fire. Symbolic: divine Will-force, inner flame of aspiration and transformation
- vipaś-citam
- Literal: clear-seeing, discerning. Symbolic: luminous intelligence within the will; the flame that knows the right path
- girā
- Literal: with the word, song. Symbolic: mantric speech (vāc) that shapes consciousness and kindles inner fire
- yajñasya
- Literal: of the sacrifice. Symbolic: the inner offering—works, energies, thoughts given to the Divine
- sādhanam
- Literal: accomplisher, fulfiller. Symbolic: power that effects realization; the operative force of sādhanā
- śruṣṭī-vānam
- Literal: possessing obedient hearing. Symbolic: receptivity to the higher command; responsiveness of the psychic/vital to truth
- dhita-vānam
- Literal: possessing founded thought. Symbolic: steady dhī: established insight and concentration that supports the flame
Standard Agni-invocation at the opening/rekindling: establishes Agni as the effective accomplisher of the rite.
At the opening of a rite when Agni is invoked as priest and accomplisher; also suitable for daily inner-japa.
Praise/invocation with ṛc while kindling and offering (āhuti).
Use before meditation or work as a brief sankalpa: ‘May the clear-seeing will accomplish my inner offering with receptive hearing and steady thought.’
īḷe from √īḍ ‘praise, invoke’. vipaścit from vi + √paś ‘see’. yajña from √yaj ‘worship, sacrifice’ → act of consecrated offering; sādhana from √sādh ‘accomplish’ → effective realization. śruṣṭī-vant from √śruṣ ‘obey, listen attentively’ → readiness to hear/heed. dhitā-vant from dhītí (√dhī ‘think, hold in mind, contemplate’) → founded thought/insight.
mantra (gir) as power, dhī (insight) and vipasyat (seeing), yajña as inner integration
Agni as executor of ṛta: the power that makes truth effective in life-movement.
Truth becomes operative through right speech (girā) and founded dhī.
Kindling of consciousness: from inertness to luminous order through the flame of will.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent of consciousness via Agni and dhī.
dawn or early ritual hours (typical Agni kindling)
Fire = aspiration/will; sound = mantra-vāc; dawn-sense = emergence of discernment; ‘hearing’ = receptivity to higher guidance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the effective priest-power who ‘accomplishes’ the yajña and hears the call. Psychologically, Agni is the inner will and discernment that turns speech into realization—making aspiration operative.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The √paś ‘see’ (vipaścit) and √yaj ‘sacrifice’ are archaic sacral roots; the formula ‘praise by speech’ + ‘accomplisher of sacrifice’ is an inherited Indo-European pattern where correct utterance activates divine function.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers gir (mantric speech) and in return engages a devatā that is both responsive (śruṣṭī-vān) and stabilizing (dhitā-vān). The relationship is pedagogic and transformative: invocation trains the being into dhī while Agni executes the inner sacrifice.
Kindle the inner flame of will in the heart and brow; offer thoughts and impulses into it with truthful speech (silent mantra).
anahata
gentle nāḍī-śodhana or equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) to stabilize dhī
collected, attentive receptivity; ‘listening’ awareness (śruṣṭi) with steady concentration (dhita).
Begin with 9 slow recitations; after each, pause and ‘listen’ inwardly for guidance, then place one intention/work into the flame as an offering.
Use Vedic-style three-tone contour: keep udatta on marked syllables, anudatta low on preceding, and svarita as the falling glide where applicable; maintain clear pitch steps rather than melodic singing.
Honor accents on īḷe॑, agniṃ, vipaścitaṃ, sādhanam, śruṣṭīvānam, dhitāvānam; avoid stressing unaccented particles.
īḷe: retroflex ḷ (tongue curled back), long ī, vipaścitam: ‘paś’ with clear ś (palatal), yajñasya: ‘jñ’ as combined sound (gya/nya blend), śruṣṭīvānam: cluster ṣṭ; keep ṣ retroflex, dhitāvānam: dh = breathy voiced aspirate; long ā
clear, steady, slightly bright; end each pāda with a gentle release (not abrupt).
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