Rig Veda 1.67.3: Mandala 1, Sukta 67, Mantra 3
Sukta 1.67
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
हस्ते दधानो नृम्णा विश्वान्यमे देवान्धाद्गुहा निषीदन् ॥
hástे dádhāno nṛmnā́ viśvā́ny amé devā́n dhā́d guhā́ niṣī́dan
हस्ते दधानो नृम्णा सर्वान् देवान् स्वेषु स्थानेषु न्यधात्; गुहायां निषीदन् गूढे हृदि अन्तः।
Word by Word
- हस्ते
- in (his) handNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधानः
- bearing, holdingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot धा (धातु) → दधा- (वर्तमान-धातु); शतृ
- नृम्णा
- with manly might, with strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot नृम्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वानि
- all (things), everythingAdjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अमे
- O Amá (Agni as ‘the strong/impelling one’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (वेदिक)Role सम्बोधनRoot अम (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- धात्
- he placed, he setVerbलुङ् (आorist); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु)
- गुहा
- in concealment, in a hidden placeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (वेदिक; ‘in hiding/secretly’)Role अधिकारणRoot गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
- निषीदन्
- sitting down, taking his seatVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-समकक्ष वेदिक रूप); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot नि-√सद् (धातु) → निषीद्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: हस्ते | दधानः | नृम्णा | विश्वानि | अमे | देवान् | धात् | गुहा | निषीदन् । सन्धि: देवान् + धात् → देवान्धात् (न् + ध = न्ध)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, holding in his hand the full strength (nṛmṇā), set all the gods in their proper places; seated in the cave, he abides hidden within.
Inner meaning
The awakened Fire gathers the forces of the being into one grasp (haste dadhānaḥ): concentrated energy under conscious control. With that power it ‘installs the gods’—it establishes the higher faculties (illumined mind, truth-vision, harmony, delight) in their right stations in the psyche. The ‘cave’ (guhā) is the secret heart and the subconscient depth; Agni sits there as the inmost guide, the psychic flame, governing from within.
Universal truth
Spiritual transformation is an inner re-ordering: higher powers must be placed and stabilized in consciousness. The decisive agent is the concentrated inner will seated in the depths, not superficial mental intention.
Themes
Agni hidden within, Seating of divine powers, Foundation of inner yajña
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.1 (Agni as leader and priest), RV 2.3 (Agni as knower and purifier)
Family tradition
Vision of Agni as inner organizer; frequent emphasis on dhī and the right placing of powers.
Significance
The seer’s insight here is the psychology of ‘installation’: the divine is not merely invoked but seated within the secret heart as operative powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Guhā-niṣad (dweller in the cave, by sense), Hotṛ (implied), Jātavedas (implied)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (opens the cave by the Word), Indra (brings light-force to conquer obstruction), Sarasvatī (flow of inspiration/dhī)
Cosmic role
Bearer of force that arranges the cosmic powers; the one who links hidden depths to the luminous gods.
Inner power
Psychic fire seated in the heart-cave that concentrates vigor and establishes illumined faculties in their right places.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation during establishment of sacred space and calling of deities
हस्ते॒ दधा॑नो नृ॒म्णा विश्वा॒न्यमे॑ दे॒वान्धा॒द्गुहा॑ नि॒षीद॑न् ॥
हस्ते॑ । दधा॑नः । नृ॒म्णा । विश्वा॑नि । अमे॑ । दे॒वान् । धा॒त् । गुहा॑ । नि॒ऽसीद॑न् ॥
haste | dadhānaḥ | nṛmṇā | viśvāni | ame | devān | dhāt | guhā | ni-sīdan
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4 × ~11 syllables
Compact and force-bearing; emphasizes holding/placing actions.
Builds a sense of gathered power and inward seating—good for centering before meditation.
- हस्ते (haste)
- Literal: in the hand. Symbolic: capacity to hold, master, and direct energies
- दधानः (dadhānaḥ)
- Literal: holding, bearing. Symbolic: sustained concentration; carrying the force without dispersion
- नृम्ण (nṛmṇa)
- Literal: manly force, vigor. Symbolic: effective strength of the soul-nature; heroic energy for inner work
- देवान् धात् (devān dhāt)
- Literal: he placed the gods. Symbolic: he establishes divine powers as stable functions in the being
- गुहा (guhā)
- Literal: cave, hidden place. Symbolic: secret heart and subconscient chamber where the inner fire is lodged
- नि-सीदन् (ni-sīdan)
- Literal: sat down, took seat. Symbolic: settled presence; the psychic being’s steady governance
Agni as foundational priest-power: ‘seating’ the gods at the sacrifice; inwardly, establishing faculties for mantra and offering
When the rite emphasizes Agni as the one who brings/sets the gods (āvāhana/installation sense).
Kindling and inviting; mentally ‘placing’ deities/powers in the altar and directions.
Use as an inner nyāsa: place clarity (Indra), harmony (Mitra), wideness (Varuṇa), delight (Soma) within the heart around Agni as center.
nṛmṇa: from nṛ́ ‘man’ + power suffix; denotes heroic vigor. devá: from √div ‘shine’ (PIE *deiw-), ‘the shining ones’. guhā: from √guh ‘hide’ (concealment). ni-√sad: ‘sit down’ (PIE *sed- ‘sit’). The verse encodes the ‘installation’ of divine powers in the inner seat.
Inner installation of the gods (devāḥ as powers), Guhā (secret heart/subconscient), Nṛmṇa (soul-force)
Right order is achieved by ‘placing’ powers correctly—each faculty in its dharma.
Truth becomes stable when it is seated (niṣīdan) in the depths, not only conceived by mind.
Cosmic arrangement: the gods are functions of one Conscious-Force organized by Agni.
Integral psychology of the Veda (deities as powers of consciousness)
Cave = hidden heart/subconscient; hand = mastery; fire = inner will that orders the powers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hidden fire in the cave’ and the ‘seating of the gods’: Agni as the primordial installer who founds the divine order within concealment, making the inner sacrifice possible.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- devá (< *deiw-) preserves the Indo-European link between shining and divinity. √sad (niṣīdan) reflects PIE *sed- ‘sit’, used in sacral idioms across IE traditions for enthronement/establishment.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Agni as the one who can found the inner order: by taking seat in the guhā, Agni becomes the stable center through which the human can host and coordinate the divine powers.
Concentration of force: gather scattered energies into a single ‘hand’ of will; seat the flame in the heart-cave; then place higher qualities deliberately in consciousness.
Anāhata (heart) / Ajñā (placing powers with discernment)
Inhale: gather force to the heart; exhale: seat it deep (guhā). Pause briefly after exhale to feel ‘niṣīdan’.
Centered, powerful, inwardly seated.
Visualize a small steady flame in a cave behind the heart. With each breath, feel it holding your energies; then silently ‘install’ one divine quality at a time around it.
As per Vedic accent: maintain udātta peaks; keep the fall into anudātta; render svarita as the glide (needs accent-marked source for precision).
Give clear lift on haste and devān; keep guhā slightly softened but distinct; avoid over-stressing enclitics.
nṛmṇā: pronounce ṇ retroflex; cluster mṇ clear, viśvāni: ś is palatal, not ṣ, niṣīdan: long ī; ṣ retroflex sibilant
Firm, contained, slightly deeper tone to evoke ‘cave-seated’ resonance.
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