Rig Veda 3.7.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 7, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.7
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
दैव्या होतारा प्रथमा न्यृञ्जे सप्त पृक्षासः स्वधया मदन्ति । ऋतं शंसन्त ऋतमित्त आहुरनु व्रतं व्रतपा दीध्यानाः ॥
daivyā́ hótārā prathamā́ ny-ṛ́ñje saptá pṛkṣā́saḥ svadháyā madanti | ṛtáṃ śáṃsanta ṛtám ít tá āhuḥ ánu vratáṃ vratapā́ dīdhyānāḥ ||
Два божественных хотара первыми садятся; семь питающих сил радуются своей свадхе. Возглашая ṛta, они провозглашают лишь ṛta; блюстители обета, охраняя закон, пылают мыслью, следуя пути обета.
Word by Word
- दैव्यौ
- the two divine (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot दैव्य (देव- < दिव् ‘to shine’, prātipadika ‘divine’)
- होतारौ
- two Hotṛ-priests / invokersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot होतृ (√हु ‘to sacrifice/offer’, agent noun)
- प्रथमौ
- the first (two)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot प्रथम (ordinal adjective)
- नि
- down, into; (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot नि (upasarga)
- अृञ्जे
- I anoint/adorn (myself / for myself)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KartāRoot √अञ्ज्/अृञ्ज् ‘to anoint, adorn’ (Vedic present)
- सप्त
- sevenAdjectiveअव्ययवत् संख्या; (here) प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन-प्रयोगः (indeclinable numeral)Role KartāRoot सप्त (numeral)
- पृक्षासः
- the seven mixtures/draughtsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पृक्षा (prātipadika; Vedic ‘mixture/refreshing drink’, often of soma/milk; from √पृच् ‘to mix’)
- स्वधया
- by svadhā / by their own powerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्वधा (prātipadika; ‘own power/impulse; ritual nourishment’)
- मदन्ति
- they rejoice/are exhilaratedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √मद् ‘to be exhilarated, rejoice’
- ऋतम्
- ṛta (truth/order)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऋत (prātipadika ‘cosmic order, truth’)
- शंसन्त
- they proclaim/praiseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √शंस् ‘to praise, proclaim’
- ऋतम्
- ṛtaNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऋत
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातRoot इत् (particle)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (pronoun)
- आहुः
- they have said / they sayVerbलिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √अह्/√ब्रू (Vedic perfect of √अह् ‘to say’)
- अनु
- after, according toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अनु (upasarga/avyaya)
- व्रतम्
- the ordinanceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot व्रत (prātipadika ‘vow, ordinance, fixed rule’)
- व्रतपाः
- guardians/observers of the ordinanceNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot व्रतपा (compound: व्रत + √पा ‘to protect/observe’)
- दीध्यानाः
- meditating, intent (in thought)Participle (Adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले (present participle), आत्मनेपद-भावःRole KartāRoot √ध्यै/√धी (intensive/iterative ‘to think, meditate’; Vedic participle)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): दैव्यौ होतारौ प्रथमौ नि अृञ्जे | सप्त पृक्षासः स्वधया मदन्ति | ऋतम् शंसन्त ऋतम् इत् तत् आहुः | अनु व्रतम् व्रतपाः दीध्यानाः || 1) दैव्या होतारा → दैव्यौ होतारौ (nom. dual sandhi)
- 2) न्यृञ्जे → नि + अृञ्जे (upasarga + verb; y is sandhi glide)
- 3) ऋतमित्त → ऋतम् + इत् (m + i sandhi)
- 4) आहुर् → आहुः (visarga in pada)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The divine two Hotars first sit down; the seven fostering powers rejoice in their self-law. Proclaiming ṛta, they speak ṛta alone; guarding the law, they blaze in thought along the vow’s path.
Inner meaning
The ‘two divine Hotars’ are the dual priest-powers in us—illumined will and illumined knowledge (or aspiration and discernment) that take the first seat when the inner sacrifice begins. The ‘seven fostering powers’ are the seven rays that nourish the growth of consciousness, rejoicing in svadhā (their inherent right functioning). Their speech is ṛta—truth in right order; they affirm only that. As vratapā (guardians of the vow), they intensify (dīdhyānāḥ) as a blaze of thought: concentrated luminous ideation aligned with the soul’s discipline.
Universal truth
When the inner faculties are seated in their true place and act by their own right law, truth becomes the only speech; disciplined alignment with the right order turns thought into a flame that leads the way.
Themes
truth proclamation, guardianship of law, priest-powers within, self-arranged order
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.7.7 (vrata theme), RV 3.7.9-10 (rays, dawn-powers)
Family tradition
Strong emphasis on ṛta and disciplined inner action; the seer often presents a structured inner liturgy of powers.
Significance
This verse is a compact psychology of sadhana: seat the inner priests, awaken seven nourishing rays, speak only truth-order, and guard the vow with blazing concentration.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (as divine priesthood)
- Epithets
- Hotṛ, Kavi, Vratapā (through his powers), Dīdhiti (flaming)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (truth-word), Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Savitṛ (impulsion)
Cosmic role
Agni establishes the rite, seats the priest-powers, and maintains ṛta through right action and right speech.
Inner power
The flame of concentrated discernment that keeps the sadhana aligned; the power that makes thought luminous and obedient to truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni hymn used in śrauta recitation emphasizing priestly seating and proclamation of ṛta
दैव्या॒ होता॑रा प्रथ॒मा न्यृ॑ञ्जे स॒प्त पृ॒क्षास॑: स्व॒धया॑ मदन्ति । ऋ॒तं शंस॑न्त ऋ॒तमित्त आ॑हु॒रनु॑ व्र॒तं व्र॑त॒पा दीध्या॑नाः ॥
दैव्या॑ । होता॑रा । प्र॒थ॒मा । नि । ऋ॒ञ्जे॒ । स॒प्त । पृ॒क्षासः॑ । स्व॒धया॑ । म॒द॒न्ति॒ । ऋ॒तम् । शंस॑न्तः । ऋ॒तम् । इत् । ते । आ॒हुः॒ । अनु॑ । व्र॒तम् । व्र॒त॒ऽपा । दीध्या॑नाः ॥
daivyā | hotārā | prathamā | ni | ṛñje | sapta | pṛkṣāsaḥ | svadhayā | madanti | ṛtam | śaṃsantaḥ | ṛtam | it | te | āhuḥ | anu | vratam | vrata-pā | dīdhyānāḥ
44
4 × ~11
Measured, declarative, law-affirming cadence
Induces steadiness and ethical-psychic alignment; supports mantra as ‘right speech’ that purifies thought.
- daivyā hotārā
- Literal: divine two Hotars. Symbolic: paired inner priesthood: will and knowledge; aspiration and illumination
- prathamā nyṛñje
- Literal: first take their seat. Symbolic: foundation of yoga: establish the inner officiants before action
- sapta pṛkṣāsaḥ
- Literal: seven fostering/nourishing powers. Symbolic: seven rays/forces that feed the growth of consciousness
- svadhayā
- Literal: by self-law, inherent power. Symbolic: right spontaneous functioning of the soul-nature when aligned
- ṛtam
- Literal: truth-order. Symbolic: the law of right being; true speech and right movement
- vratapā
- Literal: guardians of the vow/law. Symbolic: disciplined powers that protect the sadhana from deviation
- dīdhyānāḥ
- Literal: blazing, thinking intensely. Symbolic: luminous concentration; thought as flame
Ritual-theological: establishes the primacy of the invoking powers and the proclamation of ṛta; appropriate in formal seating/invocation phases emphasizing correctness and truth.
At moments of formal ‘seating’/commencement and during truth-declaration portions of recitation
Install the inner/outer priests; proclaim ṛta; maintain vrata
A daily ‘alignment’ verse before meditation: sit, recollect your vow/intention, and let speech/thought conform to truth-order.
hotṛ- from √hu ‘to call/invoke’ indicates the faculty that summons divine powers. ny-ṛñj- ‘to set/arrange oneself’ aligns with establishing ṛta. svadhā (sva+dhā ‘self-placement’) is self-law/innate potency (not merely funerary formula). dīdhya- (intensive of √dhī ‘thought/vision’) denotes blazing contemplative mind. The repetition ṛtam…ṛtam emphasizes exclusivity: only truth-order is affirmed.
Ṛta (truth-order), svadhā (self-law, innate power), vrata (vow/law as disciplined action)
Central and explicit: ṛta is proclaimed and guarded.
‘ṛtam it ta āhuḥ’—truth alone is to be spoken; satya as exclusive orientation.
Order emerges when the divine priest-powers are seated; thought becomes creative flame under ṛta.
Dharma/ṛta-centered Vedic yoga; anticipates Upaniṣadic stress on satya and tapas.
Fire = concentrated awareness; seven rays = differentiated illuminations; seating = establishing inner poise.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The enthronement of divine priest-powers who proclaim ṛta: a myth of cosmic liturgy where truth-order is not discovered accidentally but installed as the first principle, guarded by vratapāḥ and intensified by dhī (dīdhyānāḥ).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hu ‘call’ (hotṛ) reflects PIE *ǵʰewh₁- ‘invoke/pour’ in sacral contexts (semantic overlap with libation/invocation). ṛta- is from √ar ‘fit, order’ and corresponds conceptually to Avestan aša (a central Indo-Iranian cognate of ‘truth-order’). The intensive dīdhy- from √dhī (thought) parallels the IE elevation of ‘vision/thought’ as luminous.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks not a gift but right establishment: he relies on the Devata as the installer of inner officiants (hotārāḥ) and the guarantor of ṛta. The reciprocity is ethical-spiritual: adherence to vrata yields intensified illumination (dīdhyānāḥ).
Seat the ‘two Hotars’—steady will and clear discernment—before practice; let only ṛta-guided thoughts be entertained.
anāhata (truth-alignment) and ājñā (luminous thought)
Slow exhale-lengthening (1:2) to settle; brief silent pause after each pāda to ‘seat’ awareness
Quiet, law-aligned clarity; thought becomes a steady flame rather than restless movement
Make one vrata for the sitting (e.g., ‘I will not consent to falsehood or agitation’). Repeat the mantra, then watch thoughts: admit only what carries the feel of ṛta—straight, calm, luminous.
Maintain clear udātta rises on ṛtám and key verbs (śáṃsantaḥ, āhúḥ); keep repeated ṛtam identical in pitch contour for emphasis.
Slightly lengthen ‘ṛtam’ occurrences; keep pāda 3 very clear to highlight the mantra’s thesis.
ṛtaṃ: roll the vocalic ṛ cleanly; avoid ‘rita’., nyṛñje: pronounce ñj cluster smoothly (ny-ṛñ-je)., svadhayā: clear dh, long ā., dīdhyānāḥ: keep long ī and aspirate dhy.
Even, luminous, restrained; minimal dramatization to preserve śānta clarity.
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