Rig Veda 7.10.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 10, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.10
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
मन्द्रं होतारमुशिजो यविष्ठमग्निं विश ईळते अध्वरेषु । स हि क्षपावाँ अभवद्रयीणामतन्द्रो दूतो यजथाय देवान् ॥
mandráṃ hotā́ram uśíjo yáviṣṭham agníṃ víśa īḷate adhvaréṣu | sá hí kṣapā́vām̐ abhavad rayīṇā́m atándro dūtó yájathāya devā́n ||
अध्वरेषु विशोऽग्निं मन्द्रं होतारम् उशिजो यविष्ठम् ईळते। स हि क्षपावान् रयीणाम् अभवत्; अतन्द्रो दूतः यजथाय देवान्।
Word by Word
- मन्द्रम्
- gladdening, pleasantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ईळते इति) / विशेषणम् (होतारम्)Root मन्द्र-
- होतारम्
- the Hotar-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ईळते)Root होतृ- (√हु ‘यज्/आह्वान’)
- उशिजः
- the Ushij-s (worshippers/priests)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (ईळते)Root उशिज्-
- यविष्ठम्
- the youngest (most youthful)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ईळते) / विशेषणम् (अग्निम्)Root यविष्ठ- (युव- ‘young’ + -इष्ठ superl.)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ईळते)Root अग्नि-
- विशः
- the clans/peoplesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (ईळते)Root विश्-
- ईळते
- praise, invokeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ईळ् (ईड्) ‘स्तु/प्रार्थ’
- अध्वरेषु
- in the sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अध्वर-
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अभवत्)Root तद् (स-)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot हि
- क्षपावान्
- possessing nights; vigilant through the nightsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (सः)Root क्षपावन्त्- (क्षपा- ‘night’ + -वन्)
- अभवत्
- became, wasVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भू
- रयीणाम्
- of richesNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (क्षपावान्/दूतः इत्यस्य)Root रयि-
- अतन्द्रः
- untiring, unweariedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (सः)Root अतन्द्र- (a- + तन्द्र ‘sloth’)
- दूतः
- messengerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अभवत्) / अपपद-विशेषणम् (सः)Root दूत-
- यजथाय
- for the act of worship/sacrificeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य)Root यजथ- (√यज्; ‘worship/rite’)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (दूतः— ‘to/for the gods’ as goal; also object of यजथ-)Root देव-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: मन्द्रम् | होतारम् | उशिजः | यविष्ठम् | अग्निम् | विशः | ईळते | अध्वरेषु || सः | हि | क्षपावान् | अभवत् | रयीणाम् | अतन्द्रः | दूतः | यजथाय | देवान् || 1) होतारम् + उशिजः: अ + उ → उ (सन्धि-लोप/संयोग), लिखितं ‘होतारमुशिजः’। 2) यविष्ठम् + अग्निम्: म् + अ → म् अ (अनुस्वार/व्यञ्जनसन्धि), लिखितं ‘यविष्ठमग्निम्’। 3) अभवत् + रयीणाम्: त् + र → द्र् (जश्त्व + रकार-सन्धि), लिखितं ‘अभवद्रयीणाम्’। 4) यजथाय + देवान्: य + द → यद् (सन्धि), लिखितं ‘यजथाय देवान्’ (पदपाठे पृथक्)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The peoples praise Agni in the offerings—glad Hotṛ, eager, youngest. Through the nights he has become lord of riches, an untiring messenger for the worship of the gods.
Inner meaning
Agni is mandra—delighting the being—because the inner sacrifice, when rightly led, brings a quiet joy. As hotā he is the priestly power in us that selects, offers, and rightly places each movement into the flame of aspiration. Uśij and yaviṣṭha indicate ever-young, ever-eager renewal: the will must be freshly kindled, not stale. Kṣapāvān (‘through the nights’) suggests that Agni works in obscurity too—through periods of darkness, difficulty, or subconscious processing—accumulating rayīṇām (plenitudes). As atandro dūtaḥ he is tireless: the constant connecting thread between the human and the divine, sustaining worship (yajathāya) until the gods’ powers descend and establish themselves.
Universal truth
Spiritual will must be renewed daily; it works even in darkness and difficulty, and its perseverance becomes the source of true plenitude.
Themes
Agni as ever-young, untiring messenger, collective adoration, plenitude maintained through night
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage, as traditionally remembered)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1 (Agni praise), RV 7.2, RV 7.10.2, RV 7.10.3
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha approach emphasizes steadiness and right function: Agni as Hotṛ and Dūta—both discerning and connecting.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha highlights perseverance: Agni’s work ‘through the nights’ teaches the aspirant to trust the process in obscurity and remain untiring in offering.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- mandra (gladdening), hotṛ (invoking priest), uśij (eager), yaviṣṭha (youngest), atandra (untiring), dūta (messenger)
- Related deities
- All Devas (as recipients brought by Agni), Uṣas (as renewal after nights)
Cosmic role
Priest of the gods; maintains the channel of exchange; sustains the sacrifice across time (day/night).
Inner power
Fresh, joyful will that discerns and offers; tireless connecting force that continues even when mind is in ‘night’.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / daily fire tending; general adhvara praise of Agni as Hotṛ and messenger
म॒न्द्रं होता॑रमु॒शिजो॒ यवि॑ष्ठम॒ग्निं विश॑ ईळते अध्व॒रेषु॑ । स हि क्षपा॑वाँ॒ अभ॑वद्रयी॒णामत॑न्द्रो दू॒तो य॒जथा॑य दे॒वान् ॥
म॒न्द्रम् । होता॑रम् । उ॒शिजः॑ । यवि॑ष्ठम् । अ॒ग्निम् । विशः॑ । ई॒ळ॒ते॒ । अ॒ध्व॒रेषु॑ । सः । हि । क्षपा॑ऽवान् । अभ॑वत् । र॒यी॒णाम् । अत॑न्द्रः । दू॒तः । य॒जथा॑य । दे॒वान् ॥
mandram | hotāram | uśijaḥ | yaviṣṭham | agnim | viśaḥ | īḷate | adhvareṣu | saḥ | hi | kṣapāvān | abhavat | rayīṇām | atandraḥ | dūtaḥ | yajathāya | devān
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4×11 syllables (approx.)
Steady, workmanlike firmness; supports endurance and continuity.
Stabilizes resolve; instills patient perseverance and a subtle gladness.
- mandra
- Literal: glad, pleasing. Symbolic: delight that arises from right inner offering
- hotāram
- Literal: Hotṛ priest. Symbolic: discerning will that offers each movement rightly
- uśijaḥ
- Literal: eager/zealous. Symbolic: tapas-driven aspiration
- yaviṣṭham
- Literal: youngest. Symbolic: ever-new flame; freshness of will and progress
- adhvareṣu
- Literal: in the rites. Symbolic: in all life-actions made conscious offerings
- kṣapāvān
- Literal: possessing nights; through nights. Symbolic: working through obscurity; subconscious transformation
- rayīṇām
- Literal: of riches/abundances. Symbolic: plenitude of inner resources (force, light, joy, capacity)
- atandraḥ
- Literal: untiring, un-slothful. Symbolic: steady perseverance; vigilance against tamas
- dūtaḥ
- Literal: messenger. Symbolic: link between lower and higher consciousness
- yajathāya
- Literal: for worship/sacrifice. Symbolic: for the ongoing yoga of offering and union
General praise of Agni’s Hotṛ-function during adhvara; emphasizes vigilance through night and continuous mediation—suitable for extended ritual sequences.
Daily offerings, especially evening/morning continuity (‘through the nights’)
Praise while kindling/feeding fire; offering ghee; maintaining sacred continuity
Daily practice mantra: use morning/evening to renew will; especially helpful in periods of low motivation or ‘dark night’ phases.
yáviṣṭha ‘youngest’ (superlative of yuvan/yuva); kṣáp ‘night’ (PIE *kʷsep- debated; Indo-Iranian night lexicon is complex); rayí ‘wealth/plenitude’ (linked to √rā ‘give’/√ri ‘flow’ debated); atándra (a- + tandra ‘sloth’).
continuity of consciousness through darkness (kṣapāvān), rayi as plenitude, service/mediation as spiritual discipline
Continuity of sacrifice across nights symbolizes maintaining ṛta in time—steadfast order in practice.
Agni as Hotṛ embodies truth in action: right placing of movements/offering.
Sustained inner fire gradually builds plenitude; transformation proceeds even in unseen layers (night).
Vedic discipline of constant yajña as inner yoga; perseverance as a law of realization.
night-to-dawn continuity (implied)
Night = obscurity/subconscient processing; Fire = vigilant will that persists and prepares the next dawn of insight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as ever-young priest and untiring messenger who maintains the link with the gods through the nights: the perpetual renewal of fire/light within darkness, ensuring continuity of the sacrificial ascent.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Superlative formation yáviṣṭha is archaic Indo-European morphology. √yaj (yajathāya) is Indo-Iranian (PIE *h₁yeh₁g-). The priestly title hotṛ́ aligns with the inherited libation lexicon (see √hu).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The community (viśaḥ) sustains adoration in the rite; Agni reciprocates by tireless mediation and by guarding plenitude through the ‘nights’—symbolically, by keeping the inner flame active even when consciousness passes through obscurity.
Renew the ‘young’ will daily; trust inner work during obscurity; maintain untiring offering of attention and intention.
manipura (will-fire)
Kapalabhati (very mild, 30–60 strokes) or simply 10 energizing exhales, then calm breathing for chanting
Steady, persevering, quietly glad.
Chant at dusk or before sleep: offer the day’s actions into Agni; ask the fire to work ‘through the night’ in the subconscient; on waking, recall one clear intention and kindle again.
Use Rigvedic accents; keep clarity on epithets (mandram, hotāram, yaviṣṭham) with proper rise/fall.
Sustain long vowels in mandraṃ, hotāram, yaviṣṭham; slight pause after each epithet cluster to preserve meaning.
mandraṃ: final ‘ṃ’ as light nasalization, īḻate: retroflex ḻ (Vedic) approximated carefully; keep vowel long, kṣapāvān: ‘kṣ’ clean; long ā, atandraḥ: dental t; light final ḥ, yajathāya: keep ‘thā’ aspirated and long
Warm, steady, low-to-mid register; emphasize continuity rather than intensity spikes.
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