Rig Veda 6.2.3: Mandala 6, Sukta 2, Mantra 3
Sukta 6.2
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सजोषस्त्वा दिवो नरो यज्ञस्य केतुमिन्धते । यद्ध स्य मानुषो जनः सुम्नायुर्जुह्वे अध्वरे ॥
sajóṣas tvā divó náro yajñásya ketúm indhate | yád dha syá mā́nuṣo jánas sumnāyúr juhvé adhvaré ||
सजोषास्त्वा दिवो नरो यज्ञस्य केतुम् इन्धते। यदा हि मानुषो जनः सुम्नायुर् जूह्वे अध्वरे आहुतिं जुहोति, तदा त्वं केतुरिव मार्गदर्शी दीप्तो भवसि।
Word by Word
- सजोषस्
- in concord/with one accordAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (नरः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (नरः कर्तारः—तेषां विशेषणम्)Root सजोषस् (प्रातिपदिक; sa- + जोषस्) अथवा अव्ययीभाव-विशेषण
- त्वा
- you (thee)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounषष्ठी एकवचन (दिवः = ‘of heaven’)Role Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्ध-निर्देशः; ‘heavenly’)Root दिव्/द्यौः (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ)
- नरः
- men; heroesNounप्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounषष्ठी एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्धः—‘of the sacrifice’)Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- केतुम्
- banner; sign; light/markNounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्धते
- they kindle; they igniteVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root इन्ध् (धातु) ‘प्रदीपने/दीप्तौ’
- यत्
- when; since; that whichIndeclinableसम्बन्ध-निपातः (यत्-तत्-सम्बन्धः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातः (उपपादन/बलार्थः)Root ह (निपात)
- स्य
- may be; would beVerbविधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रायः, परस्मैपद, प्रथमा एकवचन (अर्चैः ‘may be/should be’ प्रकारेण; वेदिक-प्रयोगः)Role (क्रिया) —Root अस् (धातु) ‘भू’
- मानुषः
- humanAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन (जनः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (जनः कर्ता—तस्य विशेषणम्)Root मानुष (प्रातिपदिक; मनु-सम्बन्धी)
- जनः
- people; manNounप्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुम्नायुः
- seeking favor/blessingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन (जनः इति विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (जनः कर्ता—तस्य विशेषणम्)Root सुम्नायू (प्रातिपदिक; सुम्न + आयु/आयुस्-सम्बन्धी बहुव्रीहिः)
- जुह्वे
- he has offered; he offers (oblation)Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा एकवचन (वेदिक-रूप: जुह्वे)Role (क्रिया) —Root हु (धातु) ‘होम/याग’
- अध्वरे
- in the rite; in the sacrificeNounसप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- सजोषस्त्वा → सजोषस् + त्वा (स् + त् = स्त्)
- केतुमि॑न्धते → केतुम् + इन्धते (म् + इ = मि)
- यद्ध॒ → यत् + ह (त् + ह = द्ध्, वेदिक-सन्धिः)
- मानु॑षो॒ जन॑: → मानुषः + जनः (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + ज → ओ ज; पदपाठे ‘मानुषः जनः’)
- सुम्ना॒युर्जु॒ह्वे → सुम्नायुः + जुह्वे (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + ज → र् ज; पदपाठे ‘सुम्नायुः जुह्वे’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In harmony the men of heaven kindle Agni, the banner/sign of the sacrifice. When human beings, seeking grace, offer in the rite, Agni blazes as the guiding sign.
Inner meaning
The ‘men of heaven’ (divo naraḥ)—higher luminous powers in the mind—ignite the inner Fire as the ketu (signal/banner) of the yoga-sacrifice: the clear sign that the journey is rightly oriented. When the human nature (mānuṣa janaḥ) sincerely desires the divine favour (sumnāyuḥ) and offers into the continuous movement (adhvara—unbroken, non-injuring), the flame becomes a living guidance: intuition-signs, right discriminations, timely illuminations.
Universal truth
When higher aspiration and human sincerity unite, an unmistakable inner guidance awakens—showing the next step and keeping the path continuous and unharming.
Themes
Agni as guiding light, kindling, human-divine cooperation, ritual as inner journey
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.2, RV 6.3, RV 6.14
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns frequently emphasise guidance (ketu), inspired action, and the cooperation of higher powers with human effort.
Significance
The seer frames yajña as a concord between the luminous and the human—producing a visible inner ‘sign’ of progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- yajñasya ketu (banner/sign of the sacrifice)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (illumination), Bṛhaspati (guiding word), Indra (force of realization)
Cosmic role
Beacon of the rite; establishes connection between heaven’s powers and human offering.
Inner power
Guiding flame—intuitive signal that keeps the sadhana continuous and rightly directed.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling at the start of sacrifice; inviting Agni as ketu
स॒जोष॑स्त्वा दि॒वो नरो॑ य॒ज्ञस्य॑ के॒तुमि॑न्धते । यद्ध॒ स्य मानु॑षो॒ जन॑: सुम्ना॒युर्जु॒ह्वे अ॑ध्व॒रे ॥
स॒ऽजोषः॑ । त्वा॒ । दि॒वः । नरः॑ । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । के॒तुम् । इ॒न्ध॒ते॒ । यत् । ह॒ । स्य । मानु॑षः । जनः॑ । सु॒म्न॒ऽयुः । जु॒ह्वे । अ॒ध्व॒रे ॥
sa-joṣaḥ | tvā | divaḥ | naraḥ | yajñasya | ketum | indhate | yat | ha | sya | mānuṣaḥ | janaḥ | sumna-yuḥ | juhve | adhvare
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3×8 (approx.)
Bright and indicative; the cadence supports ‘sign’ and ‘kindling’ imagery.
Creates a felt sense of orientation—like a steady beacon appearing in the mind.
- सजोषस् (sajoṣas)
- Literal: in one accord. Symbolic: harmonised inner powers; alignment of parts of the being
- दिवो नरः (divo naraḥ)
- Literal: men of heaven. Symbolic: luminous mental powers, higher faculties, divine helpers
- केतु (ketu)
- Literal: banner, sign, light-signal. Symbolic: inner indication, intuitive guidance, ‘flag’ of right orientation
- इन्धते (indhate)
- Literal: they kindle. Symbolic: they awaken and intensify aspiration
- सुम्नायुः (sumnāyuḥ)
- Literal: desiring grace/favour. Symbolic: psychic longing for the divine benevolence, not bargaining
- जुह्वे (juhve)
- Literal: he offers/pours. Symbolic: act of self-giving—thought, breath, act into the flame
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: sacrifice; unbroken/non-injuring. Symbolic: continuous yoga-process; movement without violence to the being
Kindling verse: Agni as ketu of yajña; applicable at ignition and offering moments, emphasizing concord (sajoṣaḥ) between divine powers and human sacrificers.
Opening of the rite; moments seeking auspicious confirmation
Lighting fire; offering with ladle; recitation to establish concord
Use before meditation or decision-making: invoke Agni as ‘ketu’—ask for the next clear inner sign, then wait in silence.
ketu 'sign, banner, light' (possibly from √cit 'perceive' in semantic neighbourhood) functions as 'guiding signal'. adhvara is traditionally 'non-injuring' (a-dhvara) or 'unbroken rite'; innerly a steady path. sumna 'grace' relates to well-being/benediction; sumna-yuḥ is the aspirant orientation.
concord/harmony (sajoṣaḥ), grace (sumna), unbroken path of practice (adhvara)
Concord (sajoṣas) is ṛta in action—order among inner powers.
Ketu as truth-sign: guidance that is self-authenticating when the being is aligned.
Manifestation of guidance through cooperation of higher and lower nature.
Integral yoga motif: descent of higher light into human action through consecration.
dawn
As dawn reveals direction, Agni’s ketu reveals the inner path—an arising intuitive ‘flag’ in consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic motif is Agni as the 'ketu'—the banner/sign—of the sacrifice, kindled by heavenly powers and by humans. Innerly, the awakened fire becomes the discriminating sign-light that leads the practice when aspiration (sumna-yuḥ) is active.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √idh 'kindle' and √hu 'pour/sacrifice' are archaic ritual verbs with Indo-Iranian continuity (Avestan parallels in sacrificial diction). The tight gāyatrī structure supports mnemonic oral transmission typical of early Indo-European hymnody.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames a two-sided cooperation: divine 'men of heaven' and human beings both kindle Agni. The devata responds by becoming the visible/intelligible guide (ketu) within the rite and within the aspirant’s journey.
Invoke the ‘ketu’—ask the inner fire to show the next step; cultivate concord of mind-life-body.
ajna (guidance/inner seeing)
4-4-4-4 box breathing to harmonise parts (sajoṣas)
quiet alertness; receptive clarity
Chant once, then sit and watch for a simple, calm indication (not impulsive excitement). Treat the indication as the ‘ketu’; act only if it remains steady across a few breaths.
Standard Ṛgvedic three-tone system; exact svaras not marked here.
Emphasize ketúm and índhate; keep sajoṣás as a single smooth unit; pause lightly at each pāda end.
sajoṣas: retroflex ṣ; ‘jo’ long and rounded., ketum: clear dental ‘t’, short ‘u’., indhate: ‘dh’ aspirated; do not harden to ‘d’., adhvare: ‘dhv’ cluster—keep breathy ‘dh’ then ‘v’.
luminous, steady, slightly upward-moving on ‘ketum’
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