Rig Veda 3.3.1: Mandala 3, Sukta 3, Mantra 1
Sukta 3.3
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वैश्वानराय पृथुपाजसे विपो रत्ना विधन्त धरुणेषु गातवे । अग्निर्हि देवाँ अमृतो दुवस्यत्यथा धर्माणि सनता न दूदुषत् ॥
vaiśvānará̄ya pṛthu-pā́jase vípo rátnā vidhanta dharuṇéṣu ca gā́tave | agnír hí devā́n amṛ́to duvasyáty áthā dhármāṇi sanatā́ ná dū́duṣat ||
वैश्वानराय पृथुपाजसे विप्रो रत्ना विधन्त धरुणेषु च गातवे। अग्निर्हि देवानमृतो दुवस्यत्यथा धर्माणि सनाता न दूदुषत्।
Word by Word
- वैश्वानराय
- to Vaiśvānara (Agni)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वैश्वानर (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि-विशेष)
- पृथुपाजसे
- to the broad-radiant (one)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचन (वैश्वानराय इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्प्रदानRoot पृथुपाजस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘broad/strong-radiant’)
- विपः
- the seers/poetsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot विप्/विप्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sage/poet’)
- रत्नानि
- treasures, giftsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- विधन्त
- they bestow/arrangeVerbलट् (वेदे injunctive/प्रयोगः); परस्मैपद; प्रथम पुरुष; बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √धा (दधाति) उपसर्ग: वि-; रूपम्: विधन्त
- धरुणेषु
- in the supports/foundationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot धरुण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘support, foundation, firm place’)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- गातवे
- to go/advance (or: to sing)Kṛdanta (infinitive)तुमुन्-प्राय (दातिविभक्ति/चतुर्थी एकवचन-रूपेण प्रयुक्तम्): ‘गातवे’Role प्रयोजन (उद्देश्य) / सम्प्रदान-भावRoot √गा (गायति/गाति) → गातु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘going/singing’); दत्तिविभक्ति
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- for/indeedIndeclinableनिपात (हेतौ/निश्चये)Root हि
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृतः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (अग्निः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुवस्यति
- he serves/honorsVerbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथम पुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √दुवस्/√द्वस् (वेद. ‘to honor, serve, worship’) → दुवस्यति
- अथा
- then/thusIndeclinableक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्ययRoot अथा
- धर्माणि
- ordinances, established rites/lawsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- सनता
- from ancient timesIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRoot सनत् (अव्यय/निपात; ‘from of old, eternally’)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध-अव्ययRoot न
- दूदुषत्
- he did not impair/spoilVerbलुङ्/वेद. injunctive; परस्मैपद; प्रथम पुरुष; एकवचन (अग्निः कर्ता)Role (क्रिया)Root √दुष् (to spoil, harm) → दूदुषत् (वेद. reduplicated aorist/परफेक्ट-प्राय injunctive)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): वैश्वानराय पृथुपाजसे | विपः रत्नानि विधन्त | धरुणेषु च गातवे || अग्निः हि देवान् अमृतः दुवस्यति | अथा धर्माणि सनता न दूदुषत् || 1) अग्निर्हि = अग्निः + हि (विसर्ग-सन्धि: र्-आदेशः). 2) अन्यत्र प्रमुख-सन्धिः न
- ‘वैश्वानराय’ ‘पृथुपाजसे’ दत्तिविभक्त्यन्तौ (सम्प्रदान-द्वयम्) एकस्मै देवतायै (अग्नये) प्रयुक्तौ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
For Vaiśvānara, wide in radiance, the seers fashion treasures and firm foundations for our going. Agni, immortal, serves the gods; therefore the eternal laws do not fail.
Inner meaning
Vaiśvānara is Agni as the universal fire in all beings—the common divine Will that can widen the nature (pṛthupājas). When the seers (vipra) shape ‘treasures’ (ratnāni) and ‘supports’ (dharuṇāni), they are building stable inner bases—habits of truth, concentration, and right movement—so the journey (gātave) of consciousness can proceed. Because this Will serves the gods (higher powers), the dharmas—laws of right functioning aligned to ṛta—remain intact; disorder is a sign the inner fire is not leading.
Universal truth
Progress needs both inspiration and structure: inner riches must be grounded in stable supports. When the will serves the highest within, life’s laws re-harmonize and do not collapse into confusion.
Themes
cosmic-order, foundation-building, Agni-universal, seers-and-treasures
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.3.1-11 (Agni Vaiśvānara hymn-set), RV 3.1, RV 3.2
Family tradition
Mantric craftsmanship: building inner ‘foundations’ through disciplined speech and tapas; Agni as universal organizer.
Significance
The seer’s vision stresses that illumination must become law (dharma) through stable supports—an early psychology of sādhanā.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Epithets
- Vaiśvānara, pṛthupājas (wide-radiant), amṛta (immortal)
- Related deities
- All Devas collectively (devān), Bṛhaspati (law of word), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Universal fire in earth/atmosphere/heaven; maintains the sacrificial connection and upholds cosmic order through service to the gods.
Inner power
Widening will and luminous heat that stabilizes the path; turns inspiration into enduring dharma.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni Vaiśvānara praise in soma-yajñas and fire-establishment contexts; general Agni stuti for strengthening the sacrificial order.
वै॒श्वा॒न॒राय॑ पृथु॒पाज॑से॒ विपो॒ रत्ना॑ विधन्त ध॒रुणे॑ष॒च गात॑वे । अ॒ग्निर्हि दे॒वाँ अ॒मृतो॑ दुव॒स्यत्यथा॒ धर्मा॑णि स॒नता॒ न दू॑दुषत् ॥
वै॒श्वा॒न॒राय॑ । पृ॒थु॒ऽपाज॑से । विपः॑ । रत्ना॑ । वि॒ध॒न्त॒ । ध॒रुणे॑षु । गात॑वे । अ॒ग्निः । हि । दे॒वान् । अ॒मृतः॑ । दु॒व॒स्यति॑ । अथ॑ । धर्मा॑णि । स॒नता॑ । न । दू॒दु॒ष॒त् ॥
vaiśvānarāya | pṛthu-pājase | vipaḥ | ratnā | vidhanta | dharuṇeṣu | gātave | agniḥ | hi | devān | amṛtaḥ | duvasyati | atha | dharmāṇi | sanatā | na | dūduṣat
44
4×11 syllables (approx.)
Balanced and declarative; suited to stating law (dharma) and foundation (dharuṇa).
Creates a firm, grounding cadence; supports resolve and steadiness.
- वैश्वानर (Vaiśvānara)
- Literal: belonging to all men/universal. Symbolic: universal divine fire present in all parts of the being
- पृथुपाजस् (pṛthupājas)
- Literal: wide in radiance. Symbolic: widening illumination; expansive force of will
- विपः/विप्र (vipaḥ/viprāḥ)
- Literal: seers. Symbolic: inspired faculties of intuition and revelation
- रत्न (ratna)
- Literal: treasure, jewel. Symbolic: inner riches: insights, powers, virtues, joy
- धरुण (dharuṇa)
- Literal: support, foundation. Symbolic: stable bases of practice; steady mental-vital posture
- गातवे (gātave)
- Literal: for going. Symbolic: the path-movement of yoga; forward evolution
- अमृत (amṛta)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless flame of consciousness
- दुवस्यति (duvasyati)
- Literal: serves, honors. Symbolic: consecrates action to higher powers
- धर्माणि (dharmāṇi)
- Literal: laws, ordinances. Symbolic: right workings of nature aligned to truth
- सनता (sanatā)
- Literal: eternal, from of old. Symbolic: timeless principles of ṛta/satya
Vaiśvānara-Agni in communal/household and Soma contexts; liturgically supports the idea that correct Agni-service sustains dharma/ṛta in the rite; inwardly, building stable ‘supports’ for the seeker’s progress.
At openings/confirmations of rite where Agni’s universality and stability are invoked.
Stotra/śastra praising Agni; offerings to establish ‘supports’ of the rite.
Use when seeking stability in practice: chant before planning, vows, or rebuilding routine; reflect on ‘foundations for our going’.
vaiśvānara- ‘of all men’ (viśva + nara) => universalized Agni; pā́jas ‘radiance/might’ (semantic overlap of light and force); dharuṇá from √dhṛ ‘hold’ => foundations/supports as stable states of consciousness; dhárman- from √dhṛ likewise => ‘law’ as what upholds the order; duvasyáti from duvas ‘service, reverence’ => right relation to the gods sustains r̥ta; dūduṣat (intensive of √duṣ) => repeated/strong negation of deviation from truth-order.
R̥ta/Dharma as upholding order (dharmāṇi), immortality principle (amṛta), treasures as realizations (ratna)
Agni’s service to the gods maintains ṛta; dharmas ‘do not fail’ when the sacrificial link is active.
Eternal laws (sanatā dharmāṇi) are expressions of satya in action.
World-building motif: ‘foundations’ laid for movement—cosmos as a constructed path of ascent.
Integral/psychological Veda: dharma as right functioning of consciousness, not mere social rule.
Fire = will; radiance = widening consciousness; foundations = stable habits and inner poise; path = evolutionary movement.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as Vaiśvānara who sustains the gods through service, thereby keeping the ancient dharmāṇi intact—mythically, the fire-priest maintains the cosmic order. Psychologically, the right inner kindling and offering stabilizes the seeker’s foundations (dharuṇāni) so the path does not deviate.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold’ (dharuṇa-, dharma-) reflects PIE *dʰer- ‘hold, support’ (wide IE reflexes). amṛta ‘immortal’ parallels IE negated mortality formations (cf. Greek a-mbrotos ‘immortal’). nara ‘man’ aligns with IE ‘man/person’ lexemes (though exact cognation debated), while viśva ‘all’ is a common IE totality marker.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The vipas ‘fashion’ treasures and supports for the journey by orienting to Vaiśvānara. The exchange is law-like: when Agni is served (duvasyati), the dharmāṇi remain unspoiled—inner discipline and aspiration evoke stable truth-order and its gifts (ratna).
Contemplate a universal flame pervading the whole body and environment; offer actions to the ‘higher powers’ (values of truth, clarity, goodwill).
manipura (stability of will) with expansion toward anahata (widening)
Even breathing (sama-vṛtti) 4-4-4-4 while feeling ‘supports’ in spine and abdomen.
Steady, widened, law-abiding clarity.
Identify one ‘foundation’ to strengthen (sleep, speech, attention, ethics). Chant, then take one concrete step that day as an offering to the inner fire.
Maintain clear udātta lifts on vaiśvānaráya, pṛthupājase, agníḥ, amṛtáḥ, dharmā́ṇi; let svarita glide downward at phrase ends.
First pāda: emphasize the constructive verbs (vidhanta) and supports (dharuṇeṣu); second pāda: firm declarative tone on dharmāṇi sanatā.
vaiśvānaráya: keep śv cluster crisp, pṛthu: retroflex ṛ, not ri, pājase: long ā, vipo: short i, clear o, dharuṇeṣu: retroflex ṇ, and ṣ in -ṣu, amṛto: retroflex ṛ, soft t, duvasyati: pronounce -sy- distinctly
Grounded, even, ‘law-stating’ clarity.
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