Rig Veda 2.3.11: Mandala 2, Sukta 3, Mantra 11
Sukta 2.3
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
घृतं मिमिक्षे घृतमस्य योनिर्घृते श्रितो घृतम्वस्य धाम । अनुष्वधमा वह मादयस्व स्वाहाकृतं वृषभ वक्षि हव्यम् ॥
ghṛtáṃ mimikṣe ghṛtám asya yóniḥ ghṛté śritó ghṛtám v asya dhā́ma | anu-svadhám ā́ vaha mā́dayasva svā́hā-kṛtaṃ vṛṣabha vakṣi havyám ||
घृतं मिमिक्षे घृतमस्य योनिर्घृते श्रितो घृतम्वस्य धाम। अनु स्वधमा वह मादयस्व स्वाहाकृतं वृषभ वक्षि हव्यम्॥
Word by Word
- घृतम्
- ghee, clarified butterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot घृत- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मिमिक्षे
- has mixed/sprinkled (for himself); is mingledVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √मिक्ष् (मिक्षँ) ‘मिश्रणे/सिञ्चने’
- घृतम्
- gheeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot घृत-
- अस्य
- of him/itsPronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- योनिः
- womb, source, resting-placeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot योनि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृते
- in gheeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot घृत-
- श्रितः
- resting, resortedVerb (participial)क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √श्रि (श्रि॒ञ्) ‘आश्रये/निवासे’
- घृतम्
- gheeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot घृत-
- वस्य
- of him/its (belonging to him)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role सम्बन्धRoot वस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वास/निवास’ अथवा ‘वसु’ सम्बन्ध)
- धाम
- abode, station, dwellingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot धामन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after, along, in accordanceIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्वधमा
- to/along his own abode/seat (proper station)Noun (compound)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वैदिक संधि-रूप)Role कर्म (गत्यर्थे लक्ष्य)Root स्वधामन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्व-धामन्’)
- वह
- carry! convey!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (आज्ञा)Root √वह् (वहँ) ‘वहने’
- मा
- mePronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role कर्मRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दयस्व
- rejoice! be exhilarated!Verbलोट्, आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (आज्ञा)Root √मद् (मदँ) ‘हर्षे/मत्तत्वे’
- स्वाहाकृतम्
- made with ‘svāhā’, offered with svāhāAdjective/Participle (compound)क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘कृत’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हव्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्वाहा- + √कृ (कृञ्) ‘करणे’
- वृषभ
- O bull (mighty one)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वृषभ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वक्षि
- carry (thou)! convey!Verbलुङ्/आओरिस्ट-इञ्जङ्क्टिव (वैदिक), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √वह् (वहँ) ‘वहने’ (वैदिक: वक्षि = 2sg injunctive/aorist form)
- हव्यम्
- the oblation, the offering to be invokedNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot हव्य- (प्रातिपदिक; √हू ‘आह्वाने’ से)
Sandhi Notes
- संधि-विच्छेद (मुख्य): (1) योनि॑र्घृ॒ते → योनिः + घृते (विसर्ग + घ = र्-आदेश, वैदिक)
- (2) घृ॒तम्व॑स्य → घृतम् + वस्य (म् + व)
- (3) अनु॒ष्व॒धमा → अनु + स्वधमा (उपसर्ग/अव्यय + पद)
- (4) मा॒दय॑स्व → आ + मदयस्व (उपसर्ग ‘आ’ + लोट्-रूप)
- (5) स्वाहा॑कृतं → स्वाहा + कृतम् (समास/संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Ghee is mingled; ghee is his womb; in ghee he is established, and ghee is his home. Bring the offering according to your own right delight; grow glad/intoxicated: O bull, carry the svāhā-made oblation.
Inner meaning
Ghṛta (clarified butter) is more than ritual fat: it symbolizes the clarified essence of consciousness—luminous, smooth, and capable of feeding the flame without smoke. Agni’s ‘womb’ and ‘home’ being ghṛta indicates that the divine will is born and abides in a clarified, purified substance of mind-life—an inner lucidity and sweetness that supports steady aspiration. ‘Anu-svadham’ points to the true law of one’s being (svadhā): offer and move according to the soul’s right rhythm, not ego strain. ‘Mādayasva’ is the rapture of the flame when it receives pure offering—psychologically, the intensification of tapas into joy. Agni as vṛṣabha (bull) is the strong carrier-power that lifts the offering to higher consciousness.
Universal truth
When the substance of consciousness is clarified and purified, the transforming will can be born securely, act with joy, and carry our works upward in harmony with our deepest law.
Themes
clarified offering, Agni as carrier, delight-power, consecration (svāhā)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.3, RV 2.4
Family tradition
A lineage of Agni-seers emphasizing purification and right offering as means to open higher worlds.
Significance
This verse is a classic Aurobindonian pivot: ghṛta as clarified mind-substance in which Agni is born—inner purity as the condition for joyful, powerful ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- vṛṣabha, havyavāhana (implied)
- Related deities
- Soma (bliss), Indra (illumined mind), Bṛhaspati (word/vision)
Cosmic role
Bearer of offerings; transformer through heat; establisher of the divine in the human.
Inner power
Tapas that becomes ānanda when fed by clarified consciousness; strength to carry surrender upward.
In ritual
Where it is used
Havis offerings with ghṛta; Agni oblation sequences
घृ॒तं मि॑मिक्षे घृ॒तम॑स्य॒ योनि॑र्घृ॒ते श्रि॒तो घृ॒तम्व॑स्य॒ धाम॑ । अ॒नु॒ष्व॒धमा व॑ह मा॒दय॑स्व॒ स्वाहा॑कृतं वृषभ वक्षि ह॒व्यम् ॥
घृ॒तम् । मि॒मि॒क्षे॒ । घृ॒तम् । अ॒स्य॒ । योनिः॑ । घृ॒ते । श्रि॒तः । घृ॒तम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । अ॒स्य॒ । धाम॑ । अ॒नु॒ऽस्व॒धम् । आ । व॒ह॒ । मा॒दय॑स्व । स्वाहा॑ऽकृतम् । वृ॒ष॒भ॒ । व॒क्षि॒ । ह॒व्यम् ॥
ghṛtam | mimikṣe | ghṛtam | asya | yoniḥ | ghṛte | śritaḥ | ghṛtam | oṃ iti | asya | dhāma | anu-svadham | ā | vaha | mādayasva | svāhākṛtam | vṛṣabha | vakṣi | havyam
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Incantatory and circular in the first half (repetition of ghṛta), then imperative and forceful.
Induces purification and sweetness; then kindles a strong uplift of will and joy.
- घृत (ghṛta)
- Literal: ghee. Symbolic: clarified consciousness; luminous essence that nourishes inner fire
- योनि (yoni)
- Literal: womb. Symbolic: matrix of inner birth; purified ground where divine will is generated
- धाम (dhāma)
- Literal: abode, home. Symbolic: stable inner station of the flame in a clarified being
- अनुस्वधम् (anu-svadham)
- Literal: according to svadhā. Symbolic: in accordance with the soul’s true law and right delight
- मादयस्व (mādayasva)
- Literal: be exhilarated/intoxicated. Symbolic: rapture of tapas; joy-power released by pure offering
- स्वाहाकृत (svāhā-kṛta)
- Literal: made with svāhā. Symbolic: surrendered act—offering sealed by consecration
- वृषभ (vṛṣabha)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: strong carrying force of divine will; potency that bears upward
Ghṛta-libations and ājya offerings; svāhā-formula contexts; inner sense: clarified essence offered into the will-flame for ascent.
At moments of ghee-offering and consecrated svāhā oblations.
Pouring ghṛta, invoking Agni to carry the offering; sealing with svāhā.
Japa before meditation: cultivate ‘clarified mind’ (quiet, luminous attention), then offer intentions with a sense of consecration (svāhā).
ghṛta: traditionally ‘ghee’, but RV symbolism includes ‘clarified, shining substance’; often linked by poets to brilliance/smooth flow; used as image for clarified mind/substance of delight. √mix ‘mix’ (cf. Lat. miscēre ‘mix’ is a well-known cognate set via PIE *meyk-). √śri ‘rest/lean’ relates to ‘śrī’ as prosperity—here ‘established in’. svadhā: sva ‘own’ + dhā ‘placing/law’ → ‘one’s own law/power of self-arrangement’, psychologically the innate right rhythm of the being. √mad ‘be glad/intoxicated’ indicates the intensification of delight (ānanda-like) in the offered essence.
svadhā (self-law), ānanda/delight (mad), purification/clarification (ghṛta as clarified essence)
‘Anu-svadham’ implies right law/order of being; Agni carries offerings that accord with ṛta.
Purified substance allows truth to be stable (dhāma) rather than intermittent inspiration.
Birth of divine force in clarified substance; joy as the creative intensifier of tapas.
Integral Vedantic symbolism: ghṛta as clarified consciousness supporting divine manifestation.
Refinement of nature into a clear essence that feeds the flame without smoke; strength and fertility of uplift (bull) in the will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Agni born and housed in ghṛta’ mythologem: the fire’s womb and dwelling are the clarified essence. Innerly, the will-flame is generated and sustained in clarified consciousness-substance, and the offering becomes a vehicle of delight-power carried upward.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mimikṣe from √mix relates to PIE *meyk- ‘mix’ (Latin miscēre). yoni ‘source/womb’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan yaoni-). √vah ‘carry’ continues PIE *weǵh- ‘convey’ (cf. English way is not cognate; better: Latin vehō).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi supplies the clarified essence (ghṛta) and the consecrating act (svāhā); Agni responds by taking delight in it (mādayasva) and conveying it as havyam. It is a pact: human clarification enables divine transport and intensification.
Rest attention in a ‘clarified’ quiet brightness; kindle Agni in that clarity; offer one desire upward in consecration.
Maṇipūra (fire of transformation) supported by Anāhata (purity/sweetness of offering)
Slow exhale-offering: inhale feel ‘ghṛta’ clarity filling the mind; exhale silently ‘svāhā’ as surrender.
Clear, sweet, uplifted; joy-tapas.
Before action, purify motive (make it ‘ghṛta’). Then offer the act with svāhā—no demand for result—letting Agni carry it.
Śākhā-dependent udātta/anudātta/svarita; not safely reconstructible here.
Let the repeated ‘ghṛtam’ be even and luminous; stronger imperative stress on ‘ā vaha’, ‘mādayasva’, ‘vakṣi’.
ghṛtam: vocalic ‘ṛ’ (not ‘giritam’), mimikṣe: ‘kṣ’ cluster clear, yoniḥ: long ‘o’, visarga at end, anuṣvadham: retroflex ‘ṣ’, svāhākṛtam: long ‘ā’ twice; ‘kṛ’ vocalic ‘ṛ’, vṛṣabha: vocalic ‘ṛ’, retroflex ‘ṣ’
Warm, glowing, then forceful and steady in the imperatives.
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