Rig Veda 7.6.1: Mandala 7, Sukta 6, Mantra 1
Sukta 7.6
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्र सम्राजो असुरस्य प्रशस्तिं पुंसः कृष्टीनामनुमाद्यस्य । इन्द्रस्येव प्र तवसस्कृतानि वन्दे दारुं वन्दमानो विवक्मि ॥
prá samrā́jo ásurasya práśastiṃ puṃsáḥ kṛṣṭīnā́m anumā́dyasya | índrasyeva prá tavásas kṛtā́ni vánde dā́ruṃ vándamāno vivakmi ||
प्र सम्राजो असुरस्य प्रशस्तिं पुंसः कृष्टीनामनुमाद्यस्य । इन्द्रस्येव प्र तवसस्कृतानि वन्दे दारुं वन्दमानो विवक्मि ॥
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- सम्राजः
- of the sovereign/overlordNounmasculine, genitive singularRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root सम्राज् (प्रातिपदिक)
- असुरस्य
- of the Asura (lord)Nounmasculine, genitive singularRole सम्बन्धRoot असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रशस्तिम्
- praise, eulogyNounfeminine, accusative singularRole कर्म (object of implied/understood verb of praising/declaring)Root प्रशस्ति (प्रातिपदिक; from √शंस with pra)
- पुंसः
- of the man/heroNounmasculine, genitive singularRole सम्बन्धRoot पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृष्टीनाम्
- of the peoples/communitiesNounfeminine, genitive pluralRole सम्बन्धRoot कृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनुमाद्यस्य
- of the one to be gladdened/cheered (worthy of rejoicing)Adjectivemasculine, genitive singular (agreeing with पुंसः)Role सम्बन्धRoot अनुमाद्य (प्रातिपदिक; gerundive/future passive participle from √मद with anu)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounmasculine, genitive singularRole सम्बन्धRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinablecomparative particleRoot इव (निपात)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- तवसः
- of strength, of mightNounneuter, genitive singularRole सम्बन्धRoot तवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृतानि
- deeds, things doneAdjective (used substantively)neuter, nominative/accusative pluralRole कर्म (things done; object of speaking/praising)Root कृत (PPP from √कृ)
- वन्दे
- I praise, I worshipVerbpresent indicative, 1st person singular, parasmaipadaRole क्रिया (main verb)Root √वन्द्
- दारुम्
- wood; (ritual) sacred wood/fuelNounneuter, accusative singularRole कर्म (object of वन्दे)Root दारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वन्दमानः
- praising, worshippingParticiplemasculine, nominative singularRole कर्तृ (agent, co-referential with speaker)Root वन्दमान (present middle participle from √वन्द्)
- विवक्मि
- I utter, I proclaimVerbpresent indicative, 1st person singular, parasmaipada (Vedic form)Role क्रिया (coordinated verb)Root √वच् (Vedic desiderative/intentive formation; ‘to wish to speak/utter’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-style): प्र | सम्राजः | असुरस्य | प्रशस्तिम् | पुंसः | कृष्टीनाम् | अनुमाद्यस्य | इन्द्रस्य | इव | प्र | तवसः | कृतानि | वन्दे | दारुम् | वन्दमानः | विवक्मि । Notable: (1) सम्राजो असुरस्य → सम्राजः असुरस्य (visarga before vowel in pada)
- (2) इन्द्रस्येव → इन्द्रस्य इव
- (3) तवसस्कृतानि → तवसः कृतानि (genitive + PPP; pada restores visarga)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet proclaims praise of the sovereign asura-power, the delight of the peoples; like Indra’s mighty deeds he speaks of the strong one’s works. He bows to the sacred wood and speaks in adoration.
Inner meaning
The hymn opens the next movement: Agni is hailed as samrāj—inner sovereign power, ‘asura’ in the older sense of lordly might. The rishi brings forward that praise which awakens joy and consent in the human collectivity (kṛṣṭīnāṃ). Agni’s works are like Indra’s—illumined victories—because the will-flame and the illumining mind cooperate in the conquest of darkness. ‘I bow to the wood’ (dāru) is not mere ritual: it is reverence to the substance (body-nature) that can house the fire; the yogin honors the material basis as a fit vessel for divine ignition.
Universal truth
Spiritual sovereignty begins when the divine will is enthroned within the substance of life; then deeds become mighty and luminous, and even matter is approached with reverence as a participant in transformation.
Themes
hymnic proclamation, kindling symbolism, sovereignty of Agni, deeds of the strong
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vāsiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.6 (Agni as sovereign and lawgiver), RV 7.7-7.11 (Vasiṣṭha Agni sequences, thematic)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s Agni hymns frequently begin with enthronement language (king, lord) to establish inner governance before asking boons.
Significance
The seer emphasizes the sanctity of embodiment (‘dāru’) as the field of yajña—spirit must ignite and rule in life, not escape it.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (sovereign asura-power)
- Epithets
- Samrāj, Asura (lord-power), Tavasa (the strong)
- Related deities
- Indra
Cosmic role
Sovereign organizer of the sacrifice; establishes rulership of ṛta in the human and between worlds.
Inner power
Centralizing will that governs impulses; transforms substance into a conscious instrument; empowers deeds like Indra’s victories of light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling/establishing Agni; opening praise before offerings
प्र स॒म्राजो॒ असु॑रस्य॒ प्रश॑स्तिं पुं॒सः कृ॑ष्टी॒नाम॑नु॒माद्य॑स्य । इन्द्र॑स्येव॒ प्र त॒वस॑स्कृ॒तानि॒ वन्दे॑ दा॒रुं वन्द॑मानो विवक्मि ॥
प्र । स॒म्ऽराजः॑ । असु॑रस्य । प्रऽश॑स्तिम् । पुं॒सः । कृ॒ष्टी॒नाम् । अ॒नु॒ऽमाद्य॑स्य । इन्द्र॑स्यऽइव । प्र । त॒वसः॑ । कृ॒तानि॑ । वन्दे॑ । दा॒रुम् । वन्द॑मानः । वि॒व॒क्मि॒ ॥
pra | sam-rājaḥ | asurasya | pra-śastim | puṃsaḥ | kṛṣṭīnām | anu-mādyasya | indrasya-iva | pra | tavasaḥ | kṛtāni | vande | dārum | vandamānaḥ | vivakmi
44
4 × ~11
Proclamatory and regal; strong openings (‘pra’) create a forward heralding tone.
Instills dignity and inner authority; helpful for centering and invoking governance over the nature.
- सम्राजः (samrājaḥ)
- Literal: sovereign king. Symbolic: inner ruler: central will governing mind-life-body
- असुरस्य (asurasya)
- Literal: of the asura/lord-power. Symbolic: lordly might of consciousness (not later ‘demon’ sense)
- प्रशस्ति (praśasti)
- Literal: praise, proclamation. Symbolic: mantric affirmation that brings the power forward into manifestation
- अनुमाद्यस्य (anumādyasya)
- Literal: delighting/followed by gladness. Symbolic: inner consent and joy that follows right inspiration
- इन्द्रस्येव (indrasyeva)
- Literal: like Indra’s. Symbolic: illumined force: the mind’s lightning cooperating with will
- तवसः (tavasaḥ)
- Literal: of the strong one. Symbolic: Agni as concentrated power and endurance (tapas-shakti)
- दारु (dāru)
- Literal: wood. Symbolic: body/substance; the support where fire is kindled (material nature ready for spirit)
Opening of a hymn-sequence: adoration with fuel (dāru) suggests kindling/feeding Agni in Śrauta fire service.
At the start of Agni worship or before major actions needing inner sovereignty
Reverential salutation to kindling wood; recitation as Agni is awakened
A ‘centering mantra’ before work: bow inwardly to the body as vessel, kindle will in the heart, and proceed under inner kingship.
samrāj ‘complete ruler’ (sam + rāj) indicates integrative sovereignty. asura retains older sense of ‘lordly power’ (not later ‘anti-god’). dāru ‘wood’ is ritually concrete (fuel) and psychologically the ‘substance’ offered to awaken fire—matter given to consciousness. √mad in anumā́dya suggests inspired gladness rather than sensory intoxication.
sovereign being-power (asura in archaic sense), inspired delight (anumādya), speech as invocation (vivakmi)
Agni as samrāj implies rulership of ṛta—right order enthroned in the being.
Praise (praśasti) is speech aligned to satya, calling forth the true power.
Spirit entering substance: the wood becomes flame; matter becomes conscious instrument.
Integral transformation perspective: divinization of life-substance through Agni.
early morning or ritual commencement
Wood = embodied nature; Fire = awakened will; Praise = mantric vibration that kindles the process.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The kindling of the sovereign Fire through praise and fuel: the seer bows to the wood (material support) and proclaims the deeds of the divine sovereign—myth of awakening consciousness in substance by mantra and offering.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √rāj ‘rule’ relates to PIE *h₃reǵ- (cf. Latin rēx, Gaulish rīx). √vac ‘speak’ is PIE *wekʷ- (cf. Latin vox). The sovereignty lexicon and speech-act framing are deeply IE: praise (práśasti) as performative utterance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi approaches as worshipper and awakener: he offers both speech (vivakmi) and substance (dāru). The deity is the sovereign power; the human role is to consent and collaborate by right praise and right offering, so the divine deeds become active in the human field.
Enthrone a steady will in the heart; then extend it through the body, honoring the body as ‘wood’ that can hold the flame without burning out.
Anāhata (heart-sovereignty)
Slow inhale: ‘pra’—bring forward; slow exhale: ‘vande’—bow and soften; repeat to balance authority and humility.
Regal steadiness with devotional receptivity.
When will becomes harsh, remember ‘vande dāruṃ’: respect limits of the instrument; build strength by steady kindling, not strain.
Rigvedic accents; keep repeated ‘pra’ openings with clear lift; avoid monotone proclamation.
Mark a respectful pause around ‘vande dāruṃ’; it is the devotional pivot of the verse.
‘samrājo’ with long ā, and conjunct ‘mr’ clean, ‘asurasya’ older sense—pronounce clearly, not rushed, ‘vande dāruṃ’ keep retroflex ḍ in dāru? (actually dental d): pronounce ‘dāru’ with dental d, long ā
Noble, steady, with a softer devotional color at ‘vande’.
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