Rig Veda 8.39.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 39, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.39
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
न्यग्ने नव्यसा वचस्तनूषु शंसमेषाम् । न्यराती रराव्णां विश्वा अर्यो अरातीरितो युच्छन्त्वामुरो नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥
ny àgne návyasā vácas tanū́ṣu śáṃsam eṣām | ny arātī́ḥ rárāvṇāṃ víśvā aryó arātīr itó yúcchantv āmúro nabhantām anyaké samé ||
О Агни, вложи в наши тела свежесозидающее слово — их истинное утверждение. Низвергни все вражды шумной тьмы; да отгонит благородная сила эти вражды отсюда — да будут пожиратели изгнаны в иное царство.
Word by Word
- नि
- down; forth (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounmasc., voc. sg.Role सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
- नव्यसा
- with a new (fresh)Adjectiveneut., instr. sg. (used adverbially)Role करणRoot नव्य
- वचः
- speech; hymnNounneut., acc. sg.Role कर्मRoot वचस्
- तनूषु
- in (their/our) bodies; personsNounfem., loc. pl.Role अधिकरणRoot तनू
- शंसम्
- praise; proclamationNounmasc., acc. sg.Role कर्मRoot शंस
- एषाम्
- of thesePronoungen. pl.Role षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot एतद्
- नि
- down; away (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- अरातीः
- hostilities; harmsNounfem., acc. pl.Role कर्मRoot अराति
- रराव्णाम्
- of the roaring ones (foes)Noun/Adjectivegen. pl.Role षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot रराव्ण (prātipadika; epithet, likely ‘roaring/clamorous’)
- विश्वाः
- allAdjectivefem., acc. pl.Role कर्म (apposition to अरातीः)Root विश्व
- अर्यः
- the Arya (noble man)Nounmasc., nom. sg.Role कर्ताRoot अर्य
- अरातीः
- hostilities; harmsNounfem., acc. pl.Role कर्मRoot अराति
- इतः
- from here; henceIndeclinableablatival adverbRole अपादानRoot इतः
- युच्छन्तु
- let them fight; drive offVerbimperative, 3rd pl., parasmaipada (Vedic: yucchantu < yudh-)Role क्रियाRoot युध्
- आ
- towards; hither (as preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- अमुरः
- those (yonder)Pronounmasc., nom. pl.Role कर्ताRoot अमुर (pronominal stem)
- नभन्ताम्
- let them flee; be driven awayVerbimperative, 3rd pl., ātmanepadaRole क्रियाRoot नभ्
- अन्यके
- in/unto another (place)Adjective/Pronounmasc., loc. sg. (Vedic loc. in -e)Role अधिकरणRoot अन्य
- समे
- in the battle; in the encounterNounneut., loc. sg. (Vedic loc. in -e)Role अधिकरणRoot सम
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: न्यग्ने → नि + अग्ने
- नव्यसा वचः (no further split)
- तनूषु शंसम् (no split)
- न्यरा॑तीः → नि + अरातीः
- ररा॑व्णां (kept as gen.pl. stem rराव्ण-)
- विश्वा अ॒र्यो → विश्वाः + अर्यः (visarga before vowel)
- अरा॑तीरि॒तो → अरातीः + इतः (ḥ + i → r per Vedic sandhi: visarga/ḥ becomes r before vowel)
- यु॑च्छन्त्वा॒मुरो → युच्छन्तु + आ + अमुरः (u + ā sandhi; final -s of अमुरस् > अमुरः)
- नभ॑न्तामन्य॒के → नभन्ताम् + अन्यके
- स॑मे kept as loc.sg. Vedic -e
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, place the fresh word and their praise within our bodies; cast down all hostilities of the clamorous; let the noble drive away hostilities from here; let the devourers be banished elsewhere.
Inner meaning
The prayer is for embodied mantra: the ‘newly-forming word’ (navyasā vacas) to be seated in the tanū (the substance of the being), so that affirmation (śaṃsa) becomes cellular and spontaneous. Then Agni is asked to subdue arātī—forces of hostility, denial, inertia, and confusion—especially those that are loud and insistent (rarāvṇām). The ‘ārya’ is the noble power in us (the upward-striving, truth-aligned part) that can drive these forces out. The ‘devourers’ are tamasic compulsions that consume energy and clarity; they are to be displaced to another plane.
Universal truth
Transformation is not complete until the true word lives in the body; when embodied truth is established, hostile patterns and energy-devourers lose access.
Themes
Purification, Obstacle-removal, Installation of inspired speech
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.39.1, Rig Veda 8.39.3
Significance
This verse is a direct instruction for mantra-siddhi: install the Word in the body and actively reject the hostile formations—an Aurobindonian ‘battle’ motif.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- navya-vacas-dhā (placer of the new word, implied), rakṣitā (protector, implied through casting down hostilities)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (as source of the Word, conceptually), Indra (as power that helps drive out resistances)
Cosmic role
Purifier and builder of the sacrifice; protector who clears obstructive forces.
Inner power
Capacity to re-pattern embodied consciousness through living speech and to burn up resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Agni invocation; establishing mantra/praise in the sacrificer; removal of obstacles.
न्य॑ग्ने॒ नव्य॑सा॒ वच॑स्त॒नूषु॒ शंस॑मेषाम् । न्यरा॑ती॒ ररा॑व्णां॒ विश्वा॑ अ॒र्यो अरा॑तीरि॒तो यु॑च्छन्त्वा॒मुरो॒ नभ॑न्तामन्य॒के स॑मे ॥
नि । अ॒ग्ने॒ । नव्य॑सा । वचः॑ । त॒नूषु॑ । शंस॑म् । ए॒षा॒म् । नि । अरा॑तीः । ररा॑व्णाम् । विश्वाः॑ । अ॒र्यः । अरा॑तीः । इ॒तः । यु॒च्छ॒न्तु॒ । आ॒ऽमुरः॑ । नभ॑न्ताम् । अ॒न्य॒के । स॒मे॒ ॥
ni | agne | navyasā | vacaḥ | tanūṣu | śaṃsam | eṣām | ni | arātīḥ | rarāvṇām | viśvāḥ | aryaḥ | arātīḥ | itaḥ | yucchantu | āmuraḥ | nabhantām | anyake | same
Multi-part with repeated banishing close; not confidently scannable from the provided segmentation.
Command-like, with repeated ‘ni’ (down/cast) giving a downward striking motion.
Felt as cleansing and installing: first a placing inward, then a forceful clearing outward.
- नव्यसा वचः (navyasā vacaḥ)
- Literal: fresh/new word. Symbolic: renewed mantra-consciousness; higher formulation arising from intuition
- तनूषु (tanūṣu)
- Literal: in the bodies. Symbolic: in the embodied nature—physical-vital-mental substance
- शंसम् (śaṃsam)
- Literal: praise/affirmation. Symbolic: true consent of the being; positive formulation that supports realization
- अरा॑तीः (arātīḥ)
- Literal: hostilities, non-giving forces. Symbolic: inner resistances—negation, jealousy, inertia, fragmentation
- ररा॑व्णाम् (rarāvṇām)
- Literal: of the clamorous/noisy. Symbolic: agitated lower nature that distracts and overpowers attention
- अ॒र्यः (aryaḥ)
- Literal: the noble. Symbolic: the upward soul-force that chooses truth and growth
- आमुरः (āmuraḥ)
- Literal: devourers/consumers. Symbolic: compulsions that eat prāṇa and clarity (addictive, tamasic pulls)
Protective/expulsive (rakṣoghna) coloring within Agni praise; usable in rites emphasizing warding off obstacles during offering and recitation.
During consecration/protection moments; when obstacles or hostile influences are ritually excluded.
Recitation with intent to ‘place’ the word and ‘cast down’ hostile forces; may accompany offering into fire.
A practice mantra for nervous-system retraining: affirm a new inner word, then consciously drop hostile thought-loops and compulsions.
navya ‘new, fresh’ from √nu/√nav ‘to renew’ (semantic), indicating ever-renewed mantra-force. vāc from √vac ‘speak’; in Veda, speech as power of manifestation. arāti literally ‘non-rāti’: rāti from √rā ‘to give’; thus ‘denial/withholding’ → hostility. tanū ‘body, self’ from √tan ‘stretch/extend’, the extended field of embodiment. aryá ‘noble/fit’—ethical-spiritual valence in Veda as the right-seeking being.
Vāc as creative force, Arya as inner nobility aligned with ṛta, Removal of anṛta (disorder/falsehood) as arāti
Right word placed in the body establishes ṛta in the microcosm—ordered functioning of energies.
Śaṃsa as truthful affirmation counters the falsehood of hostile suggestions.
Re-creation of the person through the Word (vacas) embodied; expulsion of asuric/tamasic formations.
Mantra-yoga and inner sacrifice psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap).
Fire as neural/psychic heat that installs new patterns; ‘clamor’ as stormy lower vital noise; ‘devourers’ as parasitic currents.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The descent/installation of the ‘new word’ into the embodied instruments, coupled with the casting down of arāti (hostile denials). Mythically, it is the recurring Vedic act: establishing the gods’ order in the human field by expelling the devouring or noisy obstructers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāc (√vac) corresponds to PIE *wekʷ- ‘speak’ (cf. Latin vox). The moralized compound a-rāti (‘non-giving’) shows an old Indo-European tendency to express ethical/ritual opposition through privatives, mapping cosmic conflict onto linguistic negation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Agni not merely to receive praise but to implant the power of speech within ‘tanūṣu’ (the instruments), showing Agni as inner artisan of consciousness. The rishi’s community becomes ‘arya’ by Agni’s purifying action that repels the deniers.
Embodied affirmation: let a higher sentence/seed-sound settle into the body; then actively drop hostile impulses.
Viśuddha (word) anchored into Maṇipūra (fire) and stabilized through Mūlādhāra (embodiment).
On inhale, feel ‘navyasā vacaḥ’ entering the body; on exhale, release ‘arātīḥ’ outward. 7–14 cycles.
Cleared, protected, re-patterned—less noise, more inner command.
Choose one truthful inner resolve (śaṃsa). Chant the first half to implant it; chant the second half to reject specific resistances by name in awareness, then end with the refrain as a final dismissal.
Maintain accent as marked; emphasize the repeated ‘ni’ as a downward settling gesture without harshness.
Slight pause after tanūṣu | and after rarāvṇām |; deliver the final refrain as a single sealed unit.
navyasā: keep v as soft (not ‘b’); long ā., tanūṣu: long ū; ṣ is retroflex—tongue curled back slightly., arātīḥ: long īḥ; avoid reducing vowels., yucchantu: geminate cc; keep ch aspirated.
Commanding but controlled; clear consonants to support the ‘driving away’ action.
7
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
