Rig Veda 3.4.11: Mandala 3, Sukta 4, Mantra 11
Sukta 3.4
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni, with Indra, the Viśve Devāḥ, and Aditi
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
आ याह्यग्ने समिधानो अर्वाङिन्द्रेण देवैः सरथं तुरेभिः । बर्हिर्न आस्तामदितिः सुपुत्रा स्वाहा देवा अमृता मादयन्ताम् ॥
ā yā́hy agne samidhānáḥ arvā́ṅ índreṇa deváir sa-rátham turébhiḥ | bárhir na ā́stām áditiḥ su-putrā svā́hā devā́ amṛ́tā mādayantām ||
हे अग्ने, समिधा समिद्धः, इन्द्रेण देवैश्च सरथं तुरेभिः सह अर्वाङ् आ याहि। नः बर्हिः आस्ताम्; सुपुत्रा अदितिः इहास्ताम्। स्वाहा—देवा अमृताः मादयन्ताम्।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towards (preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- याहि
- come! go hither!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot या (धातु) / yā ‘to go’
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) / agni
- समिधानः
- being kindled, kindling (thyself)Participle (Adjective)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Root सम्-इध् (धातु) / sam-idh ‘to kindle’
- अर्वाङ्
- facing hither, coming this wayAdjective/Adverbialपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अग्नेः विशेषणम्; अर्थतः ‘इहाभिमुखः’)Role कर्तृ (अग्नेः विशेषणम्)Root अर्वाञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक) / arvāñc ‘turned this way’
- इन्द्रेण
- with IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole सह/करण (सहचर्येण ‘with Indra’)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) / indra
- देवैः
- with the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole सह/करण (सहचर्येण ‘with the gods’)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक) / deva
- सरथम्
- with (thy) chariot; chariot-wiseAdjective/Adverbialनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Root स-रथ (प्रातिपदिक) / sa-ratha ‘having a chariot, together with chariot’
- तुरेभिः
- with the swift/strong (companions)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole सह/करण (सहचर्येण ‘with the swift/strong ones’)Root तुर (प्रातिपदिक) / tura ‘swift, strong’
- बर्हिः
- the sacrificial grassNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक) / barhis ‘sacrificial grass’
- नः
- ourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम) / asmad
- आस्ताम्
- let (the two) sit/be placedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), तृतीयपुरुष, द्विवचनRoot आस् (धातु) / ās ‘to sit’
- अदितिः
- AditiNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (आस्ताम्-क्रियायाः)Root अदिति (प्रातिपदिक) / aditi
- सुपुत्रा
- rich in good sonsAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अदितेः विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (अदितेः विशेषणम्)Root सु-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) / su-putra ‘having good sons’
- स्वाहा
- svāhā (hail! at oblation)Indeclinableयज्ञीय-निपात (आहुत्युद्गार)Root स्वाहा (निपात/उद्गार) / svāhā
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक) / deva
- अमृताः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (देवानां विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (देवानां विशेषणम्)Root अ-मृत (प्रातिपदिक) / a-mṛta ‘immortal’
- मादयन्ताम्
- let them rejoice/gladden (themselves)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (मादय- ‘to gladden’)Root मद् (धातु) / mad ‘to be glad/intoxicated; to gladden’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): आ + याहि (no change). याहि + अग्ने → याह्यग्ने (इ + अ = य्-अ). समिधानः + अर्वाङ् (no external sandhi). अर्वाङ् + इन्द्रेण → अर्वाङिन्द्रेण (ङ् + इ → ङि). इन्द्रेण + देवैः (no change). देवैः + सरथम् (no change). सरथम् + तुरेभिः (no change). बर्हिः + नः (no change). नः + आस्ताम् (no change). आस्ताम् + अदितिः → आस्तामदितिः (म् + अ). अदितिः + सुपुत्रा (no change). सुपुत्रा + स्वाहा (no change). स्वाहा + देवाः (no change). देवाः + अमृताः → देवा अमृता (visarga sandhi: आः + अ → आ). अमृताः + मादयन्ताम् (no change). Note: Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are not separately encoded per pada here
- forms are given in pada (unsandhied) shape
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is invited to come kindled, turning toward us, together with Indra and the gods in one chariot with swift powers. The sacred seat is to be established; Aditi, rich in good offspring, is invoked. Svāhā—may the immortal gods rejoice.
Inner meaning
Agni is the awakened flame of aspiration called to enter the front of our consciousness (‘arvāṅ’). Indra and the gods ‘in one chariot’ signify coordinated action of illumined mind with the allied powers of truth—when aspiration rises, illumination and other faculties move together, swiftly (turebhiḥ). The ‘barhis’ (sacred seat) is the prepared foundation in the being—purified, receptive, steady. Aditi is the infinite, unbroken wideness that holds and births the luminous powers (‘suputrā’ = rich in divine becomings). ‘Svāhā’ seals the offering: may the immortal states of consciousness delight and increase within us.
Universal truth
When aspiration is kindled and the mind is illumined, the higher forces can act in harmony; a stable inner foundation and wideness of being allow lasting growth, and the offering becomes joy.
Themes
invitation of Agni and gods, establishment of sacred seat, wideness and right births, svāhā offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.4, RV 3.5, RV 3.62
Family tradition
Invocations that assemble the divine powers in coordinated action; emphasis on wideness (Aditi) and victorious illumination (Indra).
Significance
The seer’s approach is integrative: aspiration (Agni) calls illumination (Indra) and allied powers into a unified movement, grounded in Aditi’s wideness.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Indra, Viśve Devāḥ, Aditi)
- Epithets
- samidhāna (kindled), vahni (carrier, implied), hotṛ (contextual)
- Related deities
- Indra, Viśve Devāḥ, Aditi, Soma
Cosmic role
Agni leads the sacrifice and summons the gods; Indra brings victorious light; Aditi provides infinite matrix for divine births.
Inner power
Agni: aspiration and transformative will; Indra: illumined discernment and force; Aditi: wideness, freedom, integrality that supports stable descent.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation at the start/continuation of offering; welcoming devas to the barhis; svāhā formulae
आ या॑ह्यग्ने समिधा॒नो अ॒र्वाङिन्द्रे॑ण दे॒वैः स॒रथं॑ तु॒रेभि॑: । ब॒र्हिर्न॑ आस्ता॒मदि॑तिः सुपु॒त्रा स्वाहा॑ दे॒वा अ॒मृता॑ मादयन्ताम् ॥
आ । या॒हि॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । स॒म्ऽइ॒धा॒नः । अ॒र्वाङ् । इन्द्रे॑ण । दे॒वैः । स॒ऽरथ॑म् । तु॒रेभिः॑ । ब॒र्हिः । नः॒ । आस्ता॑म् । अदि॑तिः । सु॒ऽपु॒त्रा । स्वाहा॑ । दे॒वाः । अ॒मृताः॑ । मा॒द॒य॒न्ता॒म् ॥
ā | yāhi | agne | sam-idhānaḥ | arvāṅ | indreṇa | devaiḥ | sa-ratham | turebhiḥ | barhiḥ | naḥ | āstām | aditiḥ | su-putrā | svāhā | devāḥ | amṛtāḥ | mādayantām
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Invitational and expansive; alternating urgency (ā yāhi) with establishment (āstām).
Energizes invocation while widening the breath; ends in a sealing cadence (‘svāhā’) that feels complete and settled.
- समिधानः (samidhānaḥ)
- Literal: kindled, being lit. Symbolic: aspiration actively ignited and sustained
- अर्वाङ् (arvāṅ)
- Literal: turned hither. Symbolic: divine force turning toward the waking surface-nature
- इन्द्रेण (indreṇa)
- Literal: with Indra. Symbolic: with illumined mind-power that breaks resistance
- देवैः सरथम् (devaiḥ saratham)
- Literal: with the gods in one chariot. Symbolic: harmonized action of multiple truth-powers in the being
- तुरेभिः (turebhiḥ)
- Literal: with the swift ones. Symbolic: rapid energies of progress, decisive movements of shakti
- बर्हिः (barhiḥ)
- Literal: sacred grass seat. Symbolic: prepared inner ground of receptivity and peace
- अदिति (aditi)
- Literal: the infinite, unbound. Symbolic: wideness, freedom from limitation; mother of the gods in consciousness
- स्वाहा (svāhā)
- Literal: well-said/oblation-call. Symbolic: act of self-giving that consummates the offering
- अमृताः (amṛtāḥ)
- Literal: immortals. Symbolic: deathless states—truth, light, bliss beyond decay
Āhvāna (invitation) and offering-acclamation (svāhā) within Agni/Soma rites; establishment of barhis and invocation of Aditi for wideness and right births in the sacrificer.
At moments of inviting the deities to partake and establishing the ritual seat; often at offering sequences
Kindling/maintaining fire, laying barhis, offering with svāhā
A short inner ‘opening’ before meditation: kindle aspiration, invite illumination, establish a calm seat, widen into Aditi, then offer with gratitude.
samidhānáḥ from sam- + √idh ‘kindle’: the awakened will-fire. sa-ratham ‘with one chariot’ is a formula of coordinated divine action (collective movement). Aditi (a-diti ‘unbound, not divided’; from √dā/di ‘to bind/divide’ in traditional etymology) signifies infinite, integral consciousness; su-putrā indicates ‘good births’—psychologically, right emergences of faculties/realizations rather than mere progeny. svā́hā is the ritual utterance enabling transmission of the offering; √mad ‘rejoice’ indicates the gods’ acceptance and the consequent exhilaration of consciousness.
infinity/wholeness (Aditi), collective divine action (sa-ratham), joy of acceptance (mad)
‘One chariot’ implies ordered harmony of powers—ṛta as coordinated right movement.
The immortals ‘rejoice’ when the offering is true—aligned intention and sincerity.
Aditi as mother of the gods: divine qualities are born from wideness; the sacrifice is a creative process.
Integral Vedism: descent and ascent—invocation (ascent) invites coordinated divine action (descent) into a prepared seat.
Fire = aspiration; chariot = unified psycho-physical movement; barhis = stable meditative base; Aditi = boundless awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The gods’ unified arrival ‘in one chariot’ led by Agni and Indra, followed by the establishment of Aditi (infinite mother-space). Inner myth: when will (Agni) is kindled and force (Indra) joins, the host of powers moves as one; then Infinity (Aditi) can found the seat of the sacrifice, enabling multiple ‘good births’ (realizations).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yā ‘go/come’ (yāhi) is from PIE *h₁ey- ‘go’ (broadly), and √mad ‘rejoice’ relates to Indo-Iranian *mad- (cf. Avestan mad- ‘be intoxicated/joyful’). The formulaic imperative style encodes performative speech typical of archaic Indo-European ritual poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi requests coordinated descent and then a stable foundation (barhis, Aditi). The exchange is: the human kindles Agni (readiness), calls Indra and the gods (aspiration), and offers with svāhā; the gods respond by rejoicing—signifying acceptance—and by establishing wideness and fruitful inner births.
Three-step practice: kindle Agni (aspiration), invite Indra (illumination), rest in Aditi (wideness), then offer (svāhā).
anāhata (invocation/devotion) and sahasrāra (wideness/Aditi)
4-4-6 breathing: inhale on ‘ā yāhy agne’, hold gently sensing ‘saratham’, exhale long on ‘svāhā… mādayantām’.
Receptive uplift, then spacious equanimity.
Sit firmly (barhis), widen awareness (Aditi), then call light (Indra) into the working mind; end by offering the fruits without grasping.
Triṣṭubh; keep the opening imperative ‘ā yāhi’ bright; observe Vedic accents especially on ‘índreṇa’, ‘svā́hā’.
Slight lift on invocations; soften and broaden on ‘aditiḥ suputrā’; final pāda with a satisfied cadence.
samidhānaḥ: clear ‘dhā’ long ā, saratham: ‘sa-ra-tham’ distinct, avoid merging, mādayantām: long ā, nasal ‘ntām’
Invitational then expansive; end with warm fullness on ‘svāhā’.
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.
