Rig Veda 4.6.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 6, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.6
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
परि त्मना मितद्रुरेति होताग्निर्मन्द्रो मधुवचा ऋतावा । द्रवन्त्यस्य वाजिनो न शोका भयन्ते विश्वा भुवना यदभ्राट् ॥
pári tmanā́ mitá-druḥ eti hotā́gnír mandró mádhu-vacā ṛtá-vā́ | drávanty asya vājíno ná śókā bháyante víśvā bhúvanā yád abhrā́ṭ ||
Он по собственному закону обходит всё кругом — Агни, жрец-хотар, восторженный, с медоречивым словом, носитель Риты. Для него скорби бегут прочь, как гонимые кони-скакуны; все миры трепещут, когда он вспыхивает и сияет.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्मना
- by himself; with his own selfNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मितद्रुः
- having measured/limited ‘courses/woods’ (epithet); the measurerAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मित-द्रु (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- एति
- goes, movesVerbलट्; प्रथमा पुरुष; एकवचनRole KartāRoot इ (धातु)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest; invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्द्रः
- gladdening, pleasant, exhilaratingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुवचाः
- sweet-tongued; of honeyed speechAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मधु-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि)
- ऋतावा
- possessing ṛta; truthful/ritually rightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot ऋतावन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्रवन्ति
- run, speedVerbलट्; प्रथमा पुरुष; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot द्रु (धातु)
- अस्य
- of him, hisPronounषष्ठी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजिनः
- the prize-winners; swift ones (steeds)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRole AdhikaraṇaRoot न (अव्यय)
- शोकाः
- flames, blazing fires (lit. burnings)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- भयन्ते
- fear, are afraidVerbलट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमा पुरुष; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot भी (धातु)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनानि
- beings; worlds; creaturesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- when; since; that whichPronoun/Conjunctionनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (सम्बन्धसूचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभ्राट्
- shone forth, blazedVerbलुङ् (अorist); प्रथमा पुरुष; एकवचनRole KartāRoot भ्राज् (धातु) + आङ्/अभि (उपसर्गभाव)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: होता॒ग्निर्म॒न्द्रो → होता + अग्निः + मन्द्रः (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि).
- ‘यदभ्रा॑ट्’ = यत् + अभ्राट् (त् + अ → द् (जश्त्व) संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni the priest moves around by his own measured law; he is rapturous, honey-speaking, truth-bearing. Sorrows flee from him like beaten steeds; all worlds fear when he blazes.
Inner meaning
Agni moves pari tmanā—encompassing the being by the law of his own divine nature (svadharma), not by egoic preference. He is mitadrúḥ: measured in his movement—disciplined force. His word is madhuvacā: the speech of inner sweetness and truth, the mantra-voice that carries delight and persuasion rather than violence. As ṛtāvā, he bears ṛta: right order and truth-force. When this inner fire blazes (abhrāṭ), shokāḥ—griefs, depressions, obscurities—flee like vājinaḥ (steeds) driven away; and all the ‘worlds’ (planes and parts of our nature) are made to tremble in salutary awe, because falsehood cannot remain before the blazing truth-fire.
Universal truth
A disciplined, truth-bearing will has a natural authority: it dissolves grief and compels every part of life to align. When truth blazes, resistance retreats.
Themes
Agni-as-Hotṛ, Truth-consciousness (ṛta-vā), Light vs. grief/darkness, inner purification
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1, RV 4.2, RV 4.6
Family tradition
Vāmadeva emphasizes Agni as ṛtāvā—truth-bearing—and as the sweet speaker of inspired mantra, whose disciplined action dissolves sorrow and compels alignment across the worlds of the being.
Significance
The seer presents a mature yogic Agni: self-governed, measured, truth-embodied—capable of driving out grief and enforcing inner harmony.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Hotṛ, Mandra, Madhuvacāḥ, Ṛtāvā, Mitadrúḥ
- Related deities
- Indra (driving out darkness), Soma (madhu—delight), Bṛhaspati (inspired speech)
Cosmic role
Guardian of ṛta; purifier; the blazing authority that dispels darkness and disorder across worlds.
Inner power
Disciplined will with truth-speech: it sweetens, illumines, and compels the nature to abandon grief and falsehood.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise during the rite as the truth-bearing priest; could accompany circumambulation/maintenance of the fire and recitation affirming ṛta.
परि॒ त्मना॑ मि॒तद्रु॑रेति॒ होता॒ग्निर्म॒न्द्रो मधु॑वचा ऋ॒तावा॑ । द्रव॑न्त्यस्य वा॒जिनो॒ न शोका॒ भय॑न्ते॒ विश्वा॒ भुव॑ना॒ यदभ्रा॑ट् ॥
परि॑ । त्मना॑ । मि॒तऽद्रुः॑ । ए॒ति॒ । होता॑ । अ॒ग्निः । म॒न्द्रः । मधु॑ऽवचाः । ऋ॒तऽवा॑ । द्रव॑न्ति । अ॒स्य॒ । वा॒जिनः॑ । न । शोकाः॑ । भय॑न्ते । विश्वा॑ । भुव॑ना । यत् । अभ्रा॑ट् ॥
pari | tmanā | mita-druḥ | eti | hotā | agniḥ | mandraḥ | madhu-vacāḥ | ṛta-vā | dravanti | asya | vājinaḥ | na | śokāḥ | bhayante | viśvā | bhuvanā | yat | abhrāṭ
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4 × ~11
Authoritative and sweeping; strong closure on the blazing revelation (yad abhrāṭ).
Builds inner command and catharsis; effective for breaking depressive inertia and restoring upright force.
- परि त्मना (pari tmanā)
- Literal: around/by his self. Symbolic: self-law of the soul-force; all-encompassing governance
- मितद्रु (mitadrúḥ)
- Literal: measured in running/movement. Symbolic: disciplined energy; proportion and control
- मधुवचाः (madhuvacāḥ)
- Literal: honey-speaking. Symbolic: speech of delight and truth; mantra that sweetly persuades the nature
- ऋतावा (ṛtāvā)
- Literal: possessed of ṛta. Symbolic: truth-bearing force; right order embodied
- शोकाः (śokāḥ)
- Literal: griefs, sorrows. Symbolic: depressive obscurations; vibrations that lower consciousness
- वाजिनः (vājinaḥ)
- Literal: swift steeds. Symbolic: energies/impulses; when perverted they become runaway forces
- अभ्राट् (abhrāṭ)
- Literal: shone forth, blazed. Symbolic: the decisive emergence of truth-light in consciousness
- विश्वा भुवना (viśvā bhuvanā)
- Literal: all worlds. Symbolic: all planes/parts of the being—physical, vital, mental—compelled to align
Agni-stotra/Agni-praise in Soma sacrifice contexts; also applicable as kindling/invocation verse (samidh/āhavanīya focus) to establish ṛta in the rite
Mid-opening of Agni hymns to establish Agni’s authority and purifying power before further offerings.
Praise of Agni’s ṛta and speech; psychological ‘driving away’ of obstacles and griefs.
Use during periods of mental heaviness: recite to invoke disciplined will and truth-speech; pair with journaling/affirmation that is ‘madhu’ (kind, truthful).
Key terms: (1) eti < √i 'go' (present 3sg), marking Agni’s dynamic, pervasive action. (2) hotā (Hotṛ) from √hu 'to call, invoke'—Agni as the inner invoking will that summons the gods/powers. (3) ṛtá-vā: ṛta (from √ar/ṛ 'to fit, set in order' in Vedic semantic field) + possessive -vā, 'one who holds/embodies the right order'. (4) śoká-: from √śuc 'to burn/shine'—sorrow as a burning turmoil that also obscures; Agni’s blaze makes such 'burnings' flee. (5) abhrāṭ < √bhraj 'shine, blaze' (aorist), emphasizing sudden manifestation of luminous force. (6) vājin-: from vāja, a polyvalent term ('strength, plenitude, prize, nourishment'); here best read as inner energies/impulses that become swift under Agni’s governance.
Ṛta (cosmic order/right rhythm), inner yajña (sacrifice as inner discipline), transformation of grief into force
Explicit: Agni as ṛtāvā; his measured movement (mitadrúḥ) is ṛta in action.
Blazing forth (abhrāṭ) as revelation of truth that reorganizes all worlds.
Purification as a cosmic function: truth-fire maintains the worlds by driving out disorder.
Aurobindonian: Agni as soul-force governing nature by inner law, transforming lower vibrations (śoka) into aligned energy.
Fire = truth-will; honey = delight in speech/thought; steeds = energies/impulses; worlds = layers of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni’s epiphany as the ṛta-bearing priest whose blaze drives away affliction: the recurring mythic pattern where the manifestation of divine Fire/Light causes the hostile powers (here 'śokāḥ'—burning griefs) to flee, and the whole ordered cosmos responds. It is not a battle narrative but an epiphany-motif: when Agni shines forth, disorder cannot stand.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Several core verbs/nouns preserve archaic Indo-European lexicon: eti < √i corresponds to PIE *h₁ey- 'to go' (cf. Lat. ire). bhayante < √bhī aligns with PIE *bʰeyh₂- 'fear' (cf. Eng. fear is Germanic, but Indo-European parallels exist in Slavic/Gk semantic fields). bhūvanā from √bhū reflects PIE *bʰuH- 'be, become' (cf. Eng. be). abhrāṭ < √bhraj relates to PIE *bʰreg- 'shine, burn' (cf. Slavic *bregъ 'bright'/related developments). These roots support the verse’s archaic formulaic diction: motion, being, fear, and shining.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer presents Agni not merely as an external ritual fire but as an autonomous inner power ('tmanā') that establishes ṛta. The reciprocity is implicit: the human offers speech/recognition (praise of 'madhu-vacāḥ'), while Agni reciprocates by reorganizing the inner worlds—making griefs flee and compelling the planes of becoming toward order. The 'dakṣiṇā' equivalent is the transformed consciousness: the sacrifice yields a purified, fearless field of being under ṛta.
Establish self-law (tmanā): feel a calm inner authority; then kindle a ‘honeyed truth’ in speech and thought; finally blaze as clarity that drives out grief.
Maṇipūra (command) and Viśuddha (truth-speech)
Exhale-lengthening (inhale 4, exhale 8) while mentally repeating madhuvacāḥ; then a few fuller breaths to ‘blaze’ (abhrāṭ) in the solar plexus.
Truth-strong, cathartically clear, disciplined.
If grief arises, do not wrestle it—stand in the fire. Recite, then sit silently for 2 minutes imagining grief as a horse bolting away from a steady flame at the center.
Let the chant feel ‘measured’ (mitadrúḥ): even tempo, consistent pitch steps. Preserve udatta/anudatta/svarita contours without stressy emphasis on ‘fear’ imagery.
Give clean caesura after each pāda; slightly lengthen at ‘ṛtāvā’ and ‘abhrāṭ’ to mark truth and blaze.
mitadrur: keep ‘dr’ cluster; do not insert vowel (mi-ta-drur)., madhuvacā: pronounce dh clearly; long ā at end., ṛtāvā: vocalic ṛ; long ā., śokāḥ: ś not s; long āḥ., abhrāṭ: articulate bh + r; retroflex ṭ at end.
Firm, bright, slightly forceful but not harsh; end with a clean, resonant closure.
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