Rig Veda 3.2.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 2, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.2
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
नमस्यत हव्यदातिं स्वध्वरं दुवस्यत दम्यं जातवेदसम् । रथीॠतस्य बृहतो विचर्षणिरग्निर्देवानामभवत्पुरोहितः ॥
namasyata havya-dā́tiṃ sv-adhvaráṃ duvasyata dábhyaṃ jā́ta-vedasam | rathī́ ṛtásya bṛható ví-carṣaṇir agnír devā́nām abhavat puró-hitaḥ ||
हव्यदातिं नमस्यत; स्वध्वरं दम्यं जातवेदसं दुवस्यत। ऋतस्य बृहतो रथी विचर्षणिरग्निर्देवानां पुरोहितोऽभवत्।
Word by Word
- नमस्यत
- worship (you all)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (विधेय क्रिया)Root नमस् (प्रातिपदिक) / नम् (धातु) → नमस्यति
- हव्यदातिम्
- the giver of oblationsNoun (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot हव्यदाति (प्रातिपदिक; हव्य + दाति < √दा ‘to give’)
- स्वध्वरम्
- the good/true sacrificer (of good rite)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root स्वध्वर (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + अध्वर ‘sacrifice’)
- दुवस्यत
- serve/honor (you all)!Verbलोट्, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (विधेय क्रिया)Root दुवस् (प्रातिपदिक) / दुवस्यति (नामधातु) ‘to honor, serve’
- दम्यम्
- the controllable/disciplinableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root दम्य (प्रातिपदिक; √दम् ‘to tame’ → ‘to be tamed/controlled’)
- जातवेदसम्
- Jātavedas (Agni), knower of birthsNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; जात ‘born’ + वेदस् ‘knowledge’)
- रथी
- the charioteer / one with a chariotNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः—विशेषणम्)Root रथिन् (प्रातिपदिक) → रथी
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order/true law)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहतः
- of the great (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विचर्षणिः
- far-shining / widely radiantNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः—विशेषणम्)Root विचर्षणि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभवत्
- became / wasVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (विधेय क्रिया)Root √भू (भवति)
- पुरोहितः
- the household priest / officiating priestNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण (अग्निः = पुरोहितः)Root पुरोहित (प्रातिपदिक; पुरस् + हित < √धा/√हि ‘to place’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): नमस्यत | हव्यदातिम् | स्वध्वरम् | दुवस्यत | दम्यम् | जातवेदसम् || रथी | ऋतस्य | बृहतः | विचर्षणिः | अग्निः | देवानाम् | अभवत् | पुरोहितः || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) अग्निर्देवानाम् = अग्निः + देवानाम् (विसर्ग→र्, रेफ-सन्धि)
- (2) अभवत्पुरोहितः = अभवत् + पुरोहितः (त् + प् → त्प्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Bow to the giver of the offering; serve the master of the straight rite, the invincible Jātavedas. Agni, charioteer of the vast Truth, wide-seeing, has become the gods’ leader set in front.
Inner meaning
The mantra instructs the posture of the seeker: namasyata (reverent surrender) and duvasyata (active service). Agni is havyadāti—the power that can truly ‘give’ the offering by carrying it to the divine; svadhvara—the master of the straight, unobstructed inner movement; damya/dabhya (invincible/unyielding): the will that does not consent to lower defeat. As rathī of bṛhat ṛta, Agni pilots the chariot of our life along the wide truth-order, becoming purohita: the foremost guide of all inner gods (faculties).
Universal truth
Reverence plus service to the inner truth-guiding will turns life into a straight path; then the higher order steers our journey and harmonizes our powers.
Themes
Agni as purohita, Truth-guidance, Devotion and service
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.1.1, Rig Veda 3.2.5, Rig Veda 3.2.6
Family tradition
Strong emphasis on disciplined approach (namas + duvas) and Agni as leader of inner transformation.
Significance
Frames Agni as the executive charioteer of ṛta—an integral yoga key: truth must govern action.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Jātavedas)
- Epithets
- havyadāti, svadhvara, jātavedas, rathīr ṛtasya bṛhataḥ, vicarṣaṇi (wide-seeing), purohita
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Indra, Varuṇa (ṛta)
Cosmic role
Leader of the gods; establishes ṛta in the sacrifice; conveys offerings; guides the journey of consciousness.
Inner power
Truth-guided will and discernment; ability to keep the path straight and invincible against distraction.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise at the opening/establishment of the rite; acknowledgement of Agni as purohita
न॒म॒स्यत॑ ह॒व्यदा॑तिं स्वध्व॒रं दु॑व॒स्यत॒ दम्यं॑ जा॒तवे॑दसम् । र॒थीॠ॒तस्य॑ बृह॒तो विच॑र्षणिर॒ग्निर्दे॒वाना॑मभवत्पु॒रोहि॑तः ॥
न॒म॒स्यत॑ । ह॒व्यऽदा॑तिम् । सु॒ऽअ॒ध्व॒रम् । दु॒व॒स्यत॑ । दभ्य॑म् । जा॒तऽवे॑दसम् । र॒थीः । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । बृ॒ह॒तः । विऽच॑र्षणिः । अ॒ग्निः । दे॒वाना॑म् । अ॒भ॒व॒त् । पु॒रःऽहि॑तः ॥
namasyata | havya-dātim | su-adhvaram | duvasyata | dabhyam | jāta-vedasam | rathīḥ | ṛtasya | bṛhataḥ | vi-carṣaṇiḥ | agniḥ | devānām | abhavat | puraḥ-hitaḥ
44
4 x ~11
Imperative and directive; strong caesura gives a ‘command of practice’ feel.
Instills reverence and resolve; aligns the listener with guidance and right order.
- नमस्यत (namasyata)
- Literal: bow, adore. Symbolic: ego-surrender; receptivity to guidance
- हव्यदातिम् (havyadātim)
- Literal: giver of the oblation. Symbolic: power that makes offering effective; transmits aspiration
- स्वध्वरम् (svadhvaram)
- Literal: of good/straight rite. Symbolic: unobstructed inner movement; right method
- दुवस्यत (duvasyata)
- Literal: serve. Symbolic: steady practice and consecrated action
- जातवेदसम् (jātavedasam)
- Literal: knower of all births. Symbolic: fire of consciousness that knows origins; psychic discernment
- रथीः (rathīḥ)
- Literal: charioteer. Symbolic: guiding intelligence steering life-forces
- ऋतस्य बृहतः (ṛtasya bṛhataḥ)
- Literal: of the vast ṛta. Symbolic: wide truth-order; integral harmony
- पुरोहितः (purohitaḥ)
- Literal: placed in front as priest. Symbolic: foremost inner guide leading all faculties
Standard formulaic praise for Agni as purohita/hotṛ; used in establishing the sacrificial fire and invoking Agni’s priestly office in soma rites.
Beginning of offerings; when inviting divine powers to take their stations
Prostration/namas, service actions, maintaining the fire; recitation to affirm leadership of Agni
Use as a daily ‘orientation’ mantra: bow inwardly, commit to straight practice, and let truth steer decisions.
jātavedas (jāta + vedas from √vid ‘know’): the consciousness that knows all becomings/births—key for inner transformation. ṛta from √ar/ṛ ‘fit, order’ (semantic of rightness): cosmic and psychological order. dabhyá ‘invincible’ conveys a will not deceived by falsehood/obstruction.
Rita (Truth-Order), Bṛhat (vastness), Jātavedas (knowledge of becomings)
Explicit: Agni is charioteer of bṛhat ṛta—truth-order as the governing law of progress.
Vicarṣaṇi (wide-seeing) suggests truth-vision guiding the will.
Leadership principle: the front-placed fire organizes the pantheon (our powers) into harmony.
Dharma/ṛta-centered integral reading: truth as law of works.
morning invocation (symbolically: setting direction)
Charioteer = governing intelligence; path = sādhana-method; fire = active truth-will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the charioteer of ṛta: the guiding power that leads the gods (divine faculties) in the human journey. The mythic office of purohita becomes an inner psychospiritual leadership at the front of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid ‘know’ (vedas) continues PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’. ṛta is Indo-Iranian (Vedic ṛta / Avestan aša) reflecting a shared archaic concept of cosmic order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi enjoins surrender (namasyata) and active service (duvasyata); Agni reciprocates by taking the office of front-leader (purohita) and guiding the being by the vast Truth (ṛtasya bṛhataḥ).
Invoke Agni as ‘charioteer of ṛta’: ask that truth steer speech, choices, and energy.
ājñā (guidance) and maṇipūra (execution)
Inhale ‘namas’ (surrender), exhale ‘duvas’ (service); keep spine upright like a chariot-pole
Aligned, ethically clear, quietly powerful.
Before difficult decisions: recite, then ask ‘What is the straight rite (svadhvara) here?’ Act only after the inner flame feels steady and wide-seeing.
Imperatives (namasyata, duvasyata) should carry clear udātta emphasis; keep ṛtasya bṛhataḥ sonorous and steady.
Two-step delivery: first pāda reverent; second pāda firm; third expansive; fourth declarative.
नमस्यत: ‘sy’ cluster clean, हव्यदातिम्: aspirate ‘hy’ lightly, long ‘ā’, स्वध्वरम्: ‘dhv’ cluster (sdhvaraṃ) without inserting vowel, विचर्षणिः: retroflex ‘ṣ’ clear
Clear, authoritative, devotional.
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