Rig Veda 5.14.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 14, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.14
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तमध्वरेष्वीळते देवं मर्ता अमर्त्यम् । यजिष्ठं मानुषे जने ॥
tám adhvaréṣv īḷate deváṃ mártā amártyam | yájiṣṭhaṃ mā́nuṣe jáne ||
तमध्वरेष्वीळते देवं मर्ता अमर्त्यम्। यजिष्ठं मानुषे जने॥
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वरेषु
- in the sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईळते
- praises / invokesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root ईळ् (धातु)
- देवम्
- the godNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्ताः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्ताRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमर्त्यम्
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (देवम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot अमर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- यजिष्ठम्
- most worthy of worship / best to sacrifice toAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (देवम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot यजिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; यज्-धातोः इष्ठ-प्रत्ययेन अतिशयार्थक-विशेषणम्)
- मानुषे
- among men / in the humanAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (जने इति विशेषणम्)Role अधिकारणRoot मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- जने
- people, raceNounपुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तम् | अध्वरेषु | ईळते | देवम् | मर्ताः | अमर्त्यम् | यजिष्ठम् | मानुषे | जने । संहितायाम् ‘अध्वरेष्वीळते’ इति: अध्वरेषु + ईळते → अध्वरेष्वीळते (उकारस्य स्वर-सन्धिना ‘उ + ई’ → ‘वी’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the sacrificial journeys, mortals praise that god, the Immortal—Agni, the most fit for sacrifice among humankind.
Inner meaning
Across the ‘adhvara’—the progressive path of offering and transformation—human beings turn to the immortal Fire within. Agni is ‘yajiṣṭha’ not merely as ritual expert, but as the most capable inner power to convert mortal movements into divine substance.
Universal truth
The divine element in us is the true doer of transformation; when humans align with it, ordinary life becomes a conscious journey of offering.
Themes
Agni praised by mortals, immortal power in human sphere, sacrificial excellence
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.12, RV 5.13, RV 5.15
Family tradition
Ātreya hymns often frame yajña as a progressive path (adhvara) where Agni leads the human journey toward the gods.
Significance
Atri’s vision emphasizes the bridge between mortal and immortal: Agni as the divine capacity already present within human nature, awaiting adoration and use.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Amartya, Yajiṣṭha, Deva
- Related deities
- Viṣṇu (the stride/path motif), Indra (illumination gained on the journey), Soma (delight that sustains the path)
Cosmic role
Priest-power in the cosmos; awakener of the gods in man; conductor of ascent through the worlds.
Inner power
Disciplined will that makes life an offering; the capacity to consecrate action and purify desire.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Agni-stuti within soma and iṣṭi contexts; praise during the course of the adhvara
तम॑ध्व॒रेष्वी॑ळते दे॒वं मर्ता॒ अम॑र्त्यम् । यजि॑ष्ठं॒ मानु॑षे॒ जने॑ ॥
तम् । अ॒ध्व॒रेषु॑ । ई॒ळ॒ते॒ । दे॒वम् । मर्ताः॑ । अम॑र्त्यम् । यजि॑ष्ठम् । मानु॑षे । जने॑ ॥
tam | adhvareṣu | īḷate | devam | martāḥ | amartyam | yajiṣṭham | mānuṣe | jane
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3×8 (approx.)
Even, marching rhythm—apt for ‘journey’ and steady adoration.
Stabilizes resolve; evokes companionship of an inner guide through stages of practice.
- अध्वरेषु (adhvareṣu)
- Literal: in sacrifices/journeys (adhvara). Symbolic: stages of inner practice; movement of consciousness toward the Divine
- ईळते (īḻate)
- Literal: they praise/adorate. Symbolic: turning of mind and heart toward higher power; invocation
- देवम् (devam)
- Literal: the god. Symbolic: a luminous power of consciousness
- मर्ताः (martāḥ)
- Literal: mortals. Symbolic: the human nature bound to change, desire, and limitation
- अमर्त्यम् (amartyam)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless flame of the soul; enduring will-to-truth
- यजिष्ठम् (yajiṣṭham)
- Literal: most sacrificial/most worshipful. Symbolic: most effective transformer; best mediator for inner offering
- मानुषे जने (mānuṣe jane)
- Literal: in human kind. Symbolic: within the human field (mind-life-body) where Agni must be established
General adoration of Agni in sacrificial sessions; emphasizes Agni’s primacy as yajiṣṭha for human rites.
During ongoing offerings; also suitable as a daily remembrance in the midst of work
Recitation while maintaining fire and offering ghee; inwardly, offering attention into the flame
Repeat when beginning a difficult task or sadhana period: ‘let the immortal in me lead this mortal effort’.
adhvara is the ‘non-injuring’ rite (traditional etymology) and also ‘course/journey’ of offering—psychologically, a disciplined path. yajiṣṭha superlative from √yaj indicates maximal capacity to effect the exchange with higher powers. The mortal/immortal polarity frames the ascent of human consciousness via Agni.
mortal vs immortal, path/journey of offering (adhvara), effective mediation (yajiṣṭha)
The adhvara is the movement in ṛta; Agni is the executive force that keeps the journey aligned.
Adoration (īḻate) becomes effective when it is a truth-turning, not mere form.
Ascent from mortal to immortal through consecrated action; evolution by sacrifice.
Integral Vedantic yoga reading: yajña = self-offering; devas = higher powers active in evolution.
Adhvara = inner path; mortals = changeful nature; immortal Agni = steady guiding will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The immortal god present in mortal works: Agni is the divine inserted into human process, making the adhvara a path of transformation from mortality toward immortality.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The superlative formation yajiṣṭha is an inherited Indo-European morphological strategy. The mortal/immortal opposition (márta/amártya) is a central IE poetic polarity re-expressed through Vedic ritual theology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Humans adore the immortal because only that immortal agency can make human striving efficacious; Agni’s role is to be ‘most sacrificing’ for them—performing the inner and outer mediation.
Transform daily actions into offerings; feel Agni as the inner leader through the ‘adhvara’ of the day.
Maṇipūra
Ujjāyī (soft) for steadiness; exhale as ‘offering’ into inner fire
Steady, purposeful, consecrated action-awareness
Before work, recite once; then mentally label each major action ‘havya’ and offer it; end with a brief silence to sense guidance.
Use Vedic accent as preserved in śākhā recitation; keep udatta crisp on accented syllables; avoid flattening final cadences.
Slight lift on īḻate/devam; keep ‘mānuṣe jane’ as a clean closing cadence.
अध्वरेषु: ‘dhv’ cluster—light ‘a-dhva-’ not ‘ad-vara’, ईळते: long ī; retroflex ḻ (Vedic) approximated as clear ‘l’ if needed, यजिष्ठम्: ‘ṣṭh’ aspirated cluster
Steady, guiding, ‘march-like’ clarity.
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