Rig Veda 4.4.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 4, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.4
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ऊर्ध्वो भव प्रति विध्याध्यस्मदाविष्कृणुष्व दैव्यान्यग्ने । अव स्थिरा तनुहि यातुजूनां जामिमजामिं प्र मृणीहि शत्रून् ॥
ūrdhvó bhava práti vidhyā́dhy asmád āvíṣ kṛṇuṣva daívyāny agne | áva sthirā́ tanuhí yātu-jū́nāṃ jāmím ajā́miṃ prá mṛṇīhi śátrūn ||
ऊर्ध्वो भव प्रति विध्याध्यस्मदाविष्कृणुष्व दैव्यान्यग्ने । अव स्थिरा तनुहि यातुजूनां जामिमजामिं प्र मृणीहि शत्रून् ॥
Word by Word
- ऊर्ध्वः
- upright; risingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भव
- be; becomeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (आज्ञा) कर्तृ-प्रवर्तनRoot भू
- प्रति
- towards; againstIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (दिशा/प्रत्यभिमुखता)Role Adhikaraṇa (दिशा/सम्बन्ध)Root प्रति
- विध्य
- pierce; strikeVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole Karma (अभिहित-क्रिया)Root व्यध्
- अधि
- upon; overIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि
- अस्मत्
- from usPronoun(अस्मद्) पञ्चमी, बहुवचनRole ApādānaRoot अस्मद्
- आविः
- openly; manifestIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (रीति/प्रकार)Root आविस् (अव्यय/निपात)
- कृणुष्व
- make; renderVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Karma (कार्य-निर्देश)Root कृ
- दैव्यानि
- the divine (powers/acts)Adjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव
- down; awayIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole Adhikaraṇa (दिशा)Root अव
- स्थिराः
- firm (ones); steadfast (forces)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
- तनुहि
- stretch; extend; draw outVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KarmaRoot तन्
- यातुजूनाम्
- of the sorcerers/demonsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole (सम्बन्ध)Root यातुजू (प्रातिपदिक)
- जामिम्
- kinsman; one of the same clanNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot जामि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजामिम्
- non-kin; alienAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अ-जामि (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth; forward; stronglyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole Adhikaraṇa (तीव्रता/प्रवृत्ति)Root प्र
- मृणीहि
- crush; destroyVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KarmaRoot मृण्
- शत्रून्
- enemiesNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): ऊर्ध्वः भव | प्रति विध्य | अधि अस्मद्-आविः कृणुष्व दैव्यानि, अग्ने | अव स्थिराः तनुहि यातुजूनाम् | जामिम् अजामिम् | प्र मृणीहि शत्रून् || 1) विध्याध्य = विध्य + अधि (अधि-उपसर्ग/निपात का संधि-समास; इ/अधि के संयोग से ‘ध्य’ ध्वनि-समुच्चय). 2) अस्मदा॒विष्कृ॑णुष्व = अस्मद् + आविः + कृणुष्व
- द् + आ → दा (स्वर-संधि), तथा आविः + कृणुष्व में विसर्ग-लोप/परिवर्तन (पदपाठ में सामान्यतः ‘आविः कृणुष्व’). 3) जामिमजा॑मिं = जामिम् + अजामिम् (म् + अ → मअ; पदसंहिता में संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is asked to rise upward and strike back; to make the divine powers manifest for us; to cast down and restrain the yātu-forces; and to shatter enemies, whether kin-like or alien.
Inner meaning
The inner Fire ascends (ūrdhva) and counter-strikes the returning waves of resistance. As Agni grows, he reveals the ‘daivyāni’—the divine faculties (clarity, courage, harmony, truth-sense) concealed within us. The yātujāna forces are distorters—occult/subconscious compulsions and deceptive impulses that mimic truth (jāmi: seeming kin) or come as obvious alien intrusions (ajāmi). Agni is invoked to immobilize their movements (ava sthirā tanuhi) and to break the hostile formations completely (pra mṛṇīhi).
Universal truth
Inner growth is not only purification but revelation: as the will ascends, divine capacities emerge, and both familiar (habitual) and unfamiliar (sudden) forms of resistance must be firmly restrained and dissolved.
Themes
Rakṣohā (warding off hostile powers), Inner ascent of Agni, Manifestation of divine faculties, Battle of Light and Darkness
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.4.1, RV 4.4.2, RV 4.4.3, RV 4.4.4
Family tradition
Gautama-Agni tradition emphasizing ascent (ūrdhva), manifestation of divine powers, and discernment against deceptive forces.
Significance
This verse is a compact yoga-program: ascent, countering resistance, revelation of daiva powers, and destruction of deceptive inner enemies—central to Vāmadeva’s psychological Agni.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- ūrdhva (ascending), rakṣohā (rakṣas-slaying—implied), prati-vidh (counter-striking—functional epithet)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory over coverer), Soma (supporting bliss), Bṛhaspati (truth-word that breaks deception)
Cosmic role
Revealer of the gods within the human; purifier and defender; establisher of stable divine order in the embodied being.
Inner power
Ascending tapas that manifests divine faculties and immobilizes deceptive subconscious forces.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Agni invocation during kindling and during moments requiring rakṣā (warding) in the rite.
ऊ॒र्ध्वो भ॑व॒ प्रति॑ वि॒ध्याध्य॒स्मदा॒विष्कृ॑णुष्व॒ दैव्या॑न्यग्ने । अव॑ स्थि॒रा त॑नुहि यातु॒जूनां॑ जा॒मिमजा॑मिं॒ प्र मृ॑णीहि॒ शत्रू॑न् ॥
ऊ॒र्ध्वः । भ॒व॒ । प्रति॑ । वि॒ध्य॒ । अधि॑ । अ॒स्मत् । आ॒विः । कृ॒णु॒ष्व॒ । दैव्या॑नि । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अव॑ । स्थि॒रा । त॒नु॒हि॒ । या॒तु॒ऽजूना॑म् । जा॒मिम् । अजा॑मिम् । प्र । मृ॒णी॒हि॒ । शत्रू॑न् ॥
ūrdhvaḥ | bhava | prati | vidhya | adhi | asmat | āviḥ | kṛṇuṣva | daivyāni | agne | ava | sthirā | tanuhi | yātu-jūnām | jāmim | ajāmim | pra | mṛṇīhi | śatrūn
44
4 x ~11
Upward-driving opening, then firm, crushing cadence in the latter half (ava… pra mṛṇīhi).
Creates uplift plus firmness; good for stabilizing and clearing deceptive impulses.
- ऊर्ध्वः (ūrdhvaḥ)
- Literal: upward. Symbolic: ascent of consciousness and will toward higher light
- प्रति विध्य (prati vidhya)
- Literal: pierce/strike back. Symbolic: active countering of resistance; precise inner combat
- दैव्यानि (daivyāni)
- Literal: divine things/powers. Symbolic: latent divine faculties and formations of truth that must become manifest
- यातुजूनाम् (yātujūnām)
- Literal: of the yātu-beings (sorcerous/demonic). Symbolic: deceptive subconscious/vital forces that pervert energy and perception
- स्थिरा तanuhi (sthirā tanuhi)
- Literal: stretch out firm; make firm. Symbolic: stabilize the being; immobilize erratic compulsions
- जामिम् / अजामिम् (jāmim/ajāmim)
- Literal: kin / not-kin. Symbolic: resistances that appear ‘like me’ (habit-identities) and those clearly foreign (intrusive impulses)
Agni-stotra/Agni-invocation in soma and iṣṭi contexts; protective (rakṣohā) usage against yātu/rakṣas influences
At ignition/strengthening; when countering inimical influences (yātu/rakṣas) is emphasized.
Oblations with protective intent; maintaining firmness of the ritual order.
For psychological boundaries: before sleep (to restrain subconscious distortions) or before decision-making (to reveal daivyāni—higher faculties).
Key roots: √bhū ‘to be/become’ (भव impv.); √vyadh ‘to pierce’ (विध्य impv.); √kṛ ‘to make/do’ (कृणुष्व impv. middle); √tan ‘to stretch’ (तनुहि impv.); √mṛd/mṛṇ ‘to crush’ (मृणीहि impv.). ऊर्ध्व (from *urdh- ‘up’) marks ascent; आविः ‘manifest’ contrasts with hidden (guhā) forces. यātu- (often ‘magic/occult formation’) + jū (agentive, ‘impelling’), indicates driven hostile energies; जामि/अजामि polarize “familiar inner” vs “alien outer” opposition.
Ṛta (right order) as stabilization (स्थिरा), Satya as manifesting the divine (आविः ... दैव्यानि), Inner battle: knowledge vs. ignorance (yātu-forces)
Stability (sthirā) is ṛta in the nervous/vital system—right order replacing erratic compulsion.
Daivyāni made ‘āviḥ’ = truth-powers becoming explicit in consciousness.
Revelation: hidden divine powers emerge through fire; dissolution of false formations.
Integral yoga reading: ascent + revelation + transformation of the subconscient.
Upward flame = aspiration and ascent; pressing down = grounding and control of lower nature; divine powers = rays emerging like dawn within fire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as rakṣohā— the upward-rising fire that pierces and crushes demonic/occult forces (yātu-jū). The mythic action is the divine flame manifesting the gods (daivyāni) within the human field and driving down hostile powers, including the deceptive ‘kin-like’ enemy (jāmi) that imitates the self.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ūrdhvá- aligns with PIE *h₃erdʰ- ‘upright/high’ (cf. Lat. arduus ‘steep’). √vyadh ‘pierce’ corresponds to the widespread IE motif of the god/hero piercing obstruction (weaponized verb-form). √tan ‘stretch’ (PIE *ten- ‘stretch’) underlies the idea of extending order/control; √kṛ (do/make) reflects the productive ‘making’ semantics central to Vedic ritual/psychological formation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer commands and petitions simultaneously: Agni is addressed as an inner executive power—asked to ‘make manifest’ the divine capacities from within the human (asmát āvíṣ kṛṇuṣva), and to perform discrimination by force against obscuring formations. The reciprocity is implicit: the human offers attention/invocation; Agni returns protection and the unveiling of daivyāni (divine workings) in the consciousness.
Ascent + revelation: feel a steady upward flame; invite higher faculties to become explicit (āviḥ); then ‘press down’ erratic impulses into stillness and dissolve them.
Sushumna axis; Manipura (fire) to Ajna/Sahasrara (daivyāni)
Inhale 6 counts (upward), hold 2 (clarity), exhale 8 (press down disturbances) for 7 rounds; then chant softly.
Uplifted stability; luminous firmness.
Identify ‘jāmi’ enemies (habit-identities that feel like ‘me’) and ‘ajāmi’ enemies (sudden intrusive urges). On ‘ava sthirā tanuhi’ ground and stabilize; on ‘pra mṛṇīhi’ withdraw consent and let the fire dissolve the formation.
Triṣṭubh with clear upward lift on ūrdhvo bhava; firm downward weight on ava sthirā; decisive closure on pra mṛṇīhi.
Emphasize āviṣ kṛṇuṣva (revelation) and pra mṛṇīhi (final destruction).
ūrdhvo: keep long ū and clear rdʰv cluster, āviṣ: pronounce ṣ distinctly, yātujūnām: long ū; keep jū as ‘joo’, jāmim ajāmim: keep long ā in both; separate clearly
Rising brightness in first half; grounded firmness in second half.
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.
