Rig Veda 8.44.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 44, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.44
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उप त्वा जुह्वो मम घृताचीर्यन्तु हर्यत । अग्ने हव्या जुषस्व नः ॥
úpa tvā juhvò mama ghṛtā́cīr yantu haryata | agne havyā́ juṣasva naḥ ||
उप त्वा जुह्वो मम घृताचीर्यन्तु हर्यत। अग्ने हव्या जुषस्व नः॥
Word by Word
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (उपसर्गः—गमन/आगमन-भावे ‘निकटम्/अभिमुखम्’)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounपुं/नपुं (प्रयोगतः), द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जुह्वः
- the ladles (juhū-s)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot जुहू (प्रातिपदिक; ‘लाडल/हविर्होत्र-चमस/जुहू-कर’)
- मम
- of me, myPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/स्वामित्व)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- घृताचीः
- ghee-bearing / anointed with gheeAdjective (used substantively) / Noun-epithetस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (जुह्वः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root घृताची (प्रातिपदिक; घृत + अची ‘घृत-लेपिनी/घृत-युक्ता’)
- यन्तु
- let (them) go/comeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root या (धातु)
- हर्यत
- rejoice/be pleasedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root हर्य (धातु; ‘हर्षे/कामे/तुष्टौ’—वेदे ‘आनन्दयति/प्रियं करोति’)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (आह्वान/सम्बोधन-रूपेण)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हव्या
- the oblationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to offer’ से ‘आहुत्य-योग्य’)
- जुषस्व
- accept/enjoyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया) —Root जुष् (धातु; ‘सेवने/प्रीतौ’)
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role Sampradāna (हितार्थे ‘अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यम्’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरसन): उप | त्वा | जुह्वः | मम | घृताचीः | यन्तु | हर्यत | अग्ने | हव्या | जुषस्व | नः । विशेषम्: ‘जुह्वो॒’ इति संहितायां ‘जुह्वः’ (प्रथमा बहु.) रूपम्
- ‘घृताची॑र्यन्तु’ = ‘घृताचीः यन्तु’ (विसर्ग-लोप/रेफ-सन्धि: ḥ + y → r y). ‘हव्या’ नपुंसक द्वितीया बहु. (हव्य-). ‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम—प्रयोगे ‘अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यम्’ अर्थे।
The meaning
Outer meaning
May my offering-ladles, flowing with ghee, approach you joyfully; O Agni, accept our oblations.
Inner meaning
May the inner instruments of offering (juhū—will and aspiration) move toward the Divine Fire with a stream of clarified light (ghṛta = luminous intelligence). When the will is joyful and consenting (haryata), Agni receives the offerings—our thoughts, energies, and works—and turns them into an increasing flame of conscious progress.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress happens when aspiration is brought near the inner Fire with clarity and gladness; the higher Power responds by transmuting what we offer into light and forward movement.
Themes
oblation, purified offering, joyful approach, Agni acceptance
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.44 (hymn context), Rig Veda 1.1 (Agni as hotṛ and leader of sacrifice)
Family tradition
Likely Kāṇva tradition (Book 8 contains many Kāṇva hymns); the verse continues the Agni-invocation style typical of that lineage.
Significance
The seer-voice here is the aspiring human will offering clarified intelligence to the inner Fire, emphasizing consent (juṣ) and glad approach (upa…haryata) as conditions for transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Hotṛ (implied by sacrificial setting), Havyavāhana (receiver/bearer of offerings, implied), Jātavedas (knower of births, implicit in Agni’s function)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Aṅgirasas
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; establishes the sacrificial order and conveys offerings to the gods.
Inner power
The evolutionary flame of will and discernment that accepts aspiration and converts it into illumination and right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra / daily fire-offering; general Agni-invocation at the start of a rite
उप॑ त्वा जु॒ह्वो॒३॒॑ मम॑ घृ॒ताची॑र्यन्तु हर्यत । अग्ने॑ ह॒व्या जु॑षस्व नः ॥
उप॑ । त्वा॒ । जु॒ह्वः॑ । मम॑ । घृ॒ताचीः॑ । य॒न्तु॒ । ह॒र्य॒त॒ । अग्ने॑ । ह॒व्या । जु॒ष॒स्व॒ । नः॒ ॥
upa | tvā | juhvaḥ | mama | ghṛtācīḥ | yantu | haryata | agne | havyā | juṣasva | naḥ
Likely Anuṣṭubh (common in RV 8; 4 pādas of ~8 syllables)
32
4×8 (approx.)
Compact, forward-moving cadence suited to invocation and offering.
Creates a steady, intimate approach-movement (upa) culminating in a clear request (juṣasva), supporting focused aspiration.
- उप (upa)
- Literal: near, towards. Symbolic: turning the consciousness inward/upward toward the psychic fire
- जुह्वः (juhvaḥ)
- Literal: offering-ladles. Symbolic: instruments of sacrifice: will, intention, and the giving movement of the mind
- घृताचीः (ghṛtācīḥ)
- Literal: ghee-flowing. Symbolic: streams of clarified understanding; luminous thought-force offered to Agni
- हर्यत (haryata)
- Literal: glad, eager, rejoicing. Symbolic: the soul’s glad assent; delight that makes offering effective
- हव्या (havyā)
- Literal: oblations. Symbolic: all inner materials offered—thoughts, desires, energies, works
- जुषस्व (juṣasva)
- Literal: enjoy, accept, take delight. Symbolic: Divine consent that assimilates and transforms the offering
- अग्ने (agne)
- Literal: O Agni. Symbolic: Divine Will/Fire leading the inner yajña
Offering act (āhuti) imagery; suitable for moments of pouring ghee and presenting havis with mantra.
At kindling/feeding the fire and at the moment of offering ghee/oblations
Approach with juhū, pour ghṛta, invite acceptance
Before meditation or work: offer a moment of clarified intention (ghṛta) into the inner flame; mentally repeat while dedicating actions.
jūhū (ladle) is also ‘tongue’ in Vedic imagery: the faculty that conveys offering—psychologically the channel of will and speech. ghṛtācīḥ ‘flowing with ghṛta’ indicates that the offering must be clarified/purified to be effective. √yā ‘go’ marks the directed movement of offering toward the deity, i.e., intentionality.
purification/clarification (ghṛta as refined essence), joy as a sign of right alignment, effective intentional action (directed ‘going’ of the offering)
Agni’s acceptance signifies alignment of human movement with ṛta—offerings become effective when they follow truth and right rhythm.
Clarified offering (ghṛta) symbolizes truthful seeing; falsehood cannot be sustained in the fire of discernment.
Fire as first awakener of the sacrifice—initiating the ascent from mortal to immortal consciousness.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: sacrifice as inner yoga of transformation.
Fire = will and aspiration; ghee = clarified intelligence; ladle = focused intention; the ‘near approach’ = inward concentration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ladles go to Agni’: ritual action becomes mythic movement—offerings travel to the god; inwardly, purified streams of consciousness are directed toward the awakened will-flame.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yā ‘go’ continues PIE *h₁ei- ‘to go’ (cf. Greek eîmi ‘I go’). This basic motion verb underlies a pervasive Indo-European metaphor: prayer/offerings are ‘paths’ and ‘journeys’ toward the divine.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi offers a clarified current (ghṛtācīḥ) through the instruments of sacrifice; Agni’s side is consent and enjoyment (juṣ), signaling the oblation has been inwardly received and transmuted.
Offer clarified intention into the heart-flame; cultivate glad assent rather than strain.
anahata
Gentle inhale ‘upa tvā…’ (gather), exhale ‘agne havyā juṣasva naḥ’ (offer)
Collected, luminous concentration moving toward psychic consent.
Before any action, pause: (1) feel a small inner flame in the chest, (2) bring one clear thought/aim as ghṛta, (3) offer it with gratitude, (4) wait for a quiet sense of rightness/acceptance.
Use standard Rigvedic accenting: udatta on marked syllables, svarita following; keep the cadence even across pādas.
Maintain clear separation of words per padapāṭha (upa | tvā | juhvaḥ | mama | ghṛtācīḥ | yantu | haryata | agne | havyā | juṣasva | naḥ).
घृताचीः (ghṛtācīḥ): retroflex ṛ; long ā; final īḥ clearly lengthened, जुषस्व (juṣasva): ‘ṣ’ retroflex; do not soften to ‘s’, अग्ने (agne): short ‘e’ (ay-like) without extra vowel insertion
Warm, offering-toned; slight lift on ‘upa’ and gentle settling on ‘juṣasva naḥ’.
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