Rig Veda 2.3.1: Mandala 2, Sukta 3, Mantra 1
Sukta 2.3
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
समिद्धो अग्निर्निहितः पृथिव्यां प्रत्यङ्विश्वानि भुवनान्यस्थात् । होता पावकः प्रदिवः सुमेधा देवो देवान्यजत्वग्निरर्हन् ॥
samíddho agnír níhitaḥ pṛthivyā́m pratyaṅ víśvāni bhúvanāny asthāt | hótā pāvakáḥ prá-divaḥ su-médhā devó devā́n yajatu agnír árhan ||
எரியூட்டப்பட்ட அக்னி பூமியில் நிறுவப்பட்டு, எல்லா புவனங்களையும் எதிர்நோக்கி நிற்கிறான். பாவக ஹோதா—ப்ரதிவः (முன்னோக்கிய விண்) உடையவன், சுமேதா (ஒளிமிகு அறிவு) கொண்டவன்—அந்த தேவன், அர்ஹன் அக்னி, தேவர்களை யஜனம் செய்யட்டும்.
Word by Word
- समिद्धः
- kindled, well-litAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अग्निः का विशेषण)Root सम्-इध् (धातु) → समिद्ध (कृदन्त) अथवा प्रातिपदिक ‘समिद्ध-’
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- निहितः
- placed, setAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अग्निः का विशेषण)Root नि-धा (धातु) → निहित (कृदन्त) अथवा प्रातिपदिक ‘निहित-’
- पृथिव्याम्
- on/in the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पृथिवी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रत्यङ्
- facing toward (us), turned towardAdjective/Indeclinable (directional)अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘मुखं प्रति/प्रत्यक्’ अर्थेRole Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (अस्थात् का विशेषण)Root प्रति + अञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक ‘प्रत्यञ्च्/प्रत्यङ्’)
- विश्वानि
- allAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot विश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनानि
- beings/realms, worldsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (विश्वानि का विशेष्य)Root भुवन- (प्रातिपदिक; √भू से)
- अस्थात्
- stood, took his stationVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot स्था (धातु)
- होता
- Hotṛ-priest, invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अग्निः का पदनाम)Root होतृ- (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘यज्/आह्वान’ से)
- पावकः
- purifying, purifierAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (होता/अग्निः का विशेषण)Root पावक- (प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘शुद्धौ’ से)
- प्रदिवः
- from the heaven/lofty skyNoun (genitive) / Adverbial genitive(दिव्) स्त्री/नपुंसक-प्रयोगेषु; षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘स्वर्गात्/उपरि’ इत्यर्थेRole Apādāna/Adhikaraṇa (उत्पत्तिस्थान/उच्चस्थान-सूचक षष्ठी)Root प्र + दिव्/द्यौ- (प्रातिपदिक ‘दिव्/दिवः’)
- सुमेधाः
- of good wisdom, wiseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अग्निः/होता का विशेषण)Root सु- + मेधा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अग्निः का पदनाम)Root देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यजतु
- may he worship/sacrifice toVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot यज् (धातु)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (यजतु का कर्ता)Root अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्हन्
- worthy, deservingAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अर्हन् = अर्हन्त् का प्रथमा एक.)Role Kartā (अग्निः का विशेषण)Root अर्ह् (धातु) → अर्हन्त् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): समिद्धो → समिद्धः
- अग्निर्निहितः → अग्निः निहितः
- पृथिव्यां → पृथिव्याम्
- प्रत्यङ्विश्वानि → प्रत्यङ् विश्वानि
- भुवनान्यस्थात् → भुवनानि अस्थात्
- देवान्यजतु → देवान् यजतु
- यजत्वग्निरर्हन् → यजतु अग्निः अर्हन्. (स्वरचिह्न/उदात्तादि पाठे यथास्थानं; पदच्छेदे सामान्यतः न दर्शितः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, kindled and set in the earth, stands facing all the worlds. The purifying priest of the forward heaven, of good intelligence—let the divine worthy Agni sacrifice the gods.
Inner meaning
The inner Fire is kindled (samiddha) and placed in pṛthivī—the grounded physical nature. From there it stands “facing” (pratyaṅ) all worlds: it becomes the conscious pivot that can relate the physical, vital, mental, and higher planes. As Hotṛ (the priest within), Pāvaka (purifier), and one of pradiv (the forward heaven: the opening to higher mind), Agni with sumedhā (luminous intelligence) performs the inner yajña: it offers our movements to the gods (higher powers) and calls their descent into life.
Universal truth
Spiritual life begins when the will to truth is kindled in embodied existence. From the ground of daily life it can face all levels of being, purify them, and mediate a conscious exchange between human and divine powers.
Themes
Agni as Hotṛ, world-linking fire, consecration of the rite
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.3.1-6
Family tradition
Bhr̥gu lineage highlights Agni as the first principle of yoga: kindling in earth and mediating ascent/descent.
Significance
This verse is a program statement: the inner priest is established in embodied life and made capable of a total integral sacrifice across ‘all worlds’.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Samiddha, Nihita, Hotṛ, Pāvaka, Arhan (worthy)
- Related deities
- All Devas (devān)
Cosmic role
Axis of sacrifice connecting earth and heaven; purifier; divine messenger who makes the gods present.
Inner power
Psychic flame that purifies nature and organizes the ascent to higher mind and the descent of divine powers.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as Hotṛ invocation at the start of iṣṭi/soma sequences
समि॑द्धो अ॒ग्निर्निहि॑तः पृथि॒व्यां प्र॒त्यङ्विश्वा॑नि॒ भुव॑नान्यस्थात् । होता॑ पाव॒कः प्र॒दिव॑: सुमे॒धा दे॒वो दे॒वान्य॑जत्व॒ग्निरर्ह॑न् ॥
सम्ऽइ॑द्धः । अ॒ग्निः । निऽहि॑तः । पृ॒थि॒व्याम् । प्र॒त्यङ् । विश्वा॑नि । भुव॑नानि । अ॒स्था॒त् । होता॑ । पा॒व॒कः । प्र॒ऽदिवः॑ । सु॒ऽमे॒धाः । दे॒वः । दे॒वान् । य॒ज॒तु॒ । अ॒ग्निः । अर्ह॑न् ॥
sam-iddhaḥ | agniḥ | ni-hitaḥ | pṛthivyām | pratyaṅ | viśvāni | bhuvanāni | asthāt | hotā | pāvakaḥ | pra-divaḥ | su-medhāḥ | devaḥ | devān | yajatu | agniḥ | arhan
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4 × 11
Majestic and balanced; strong caesura supports proclamation of Agni’s stance across worlds.
Stabilizes attention; evokes vertical alignment (earth-to-heaven) and a sense of totality.
- समिद्धः (samiddhaḥ)
- Literal: kindled, fully lit. Symbolic: awakening of aspiration and steady inner flame
- पृथिव्याम् (pṛthivyām)
- Literal: in the earth. Symbolic: in the physical/embodied nature as base of transformation
- प्रत्यङ् (pratyaṅ)
- Literal: facing toward/turned toward. Symbolic: conscious orientation to all planes; inward-facing awareness that can govern the whole being
- विश्वानि भुवनानि (viśvāni bhuvanāni)
- Literal: all worlds. Symbolic: all states/planes of consciousness in the integral being
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: the inner agency that offers, calls, and arranges the exchange
- पावकः (pāvakaḥ)
- Literal: purifier. Symbolic: force of purification—burning away obscurity and mixture
- प्रदिवः (pradivaḥ)
- Literal: of the forward heaven. Symbolic: opening to higher mind/light beyond ordinary mentality
- सुमेधाः (sumedhāḥ)
- Literal: of good intelligence. Symbolic: luminous discernment guiding the sacrifice
Opening of RV 2.3 (a structured ‘sacrificial liturgy’ hymn): establishes Agni as Hotṛ to conduct the devayajana; used in formal invocatory sequences of śrauta rites
Opening of hymn/rite to establish Agni’s presence and worthiness to officiate.
Kindling fire; placing it on vedi; recitation to seat Agni as priest.
A grounding invocation before meditation: kindle aspiration in the body and orient awareness to all layers of being.
sam-iddha (sam + √idh ‘to kindle’) indicates fully kindled intensity. pṛthivī from √prath ‘to extend’ → the wide foundation. bhúvana from √bhū ‘to be/become’ → worlds as becomings. pāvaka (√pū) → purifier. medhā relates to intelligence/mental power (possibly √medh ‘to be wise/measure’ semantic field).
Ṛta (ordered sacrifice connecting worlds), vertical linkage of planes (earth to heaven), purification (pāvaka)
Agni as Hotṛ enacts ṛta by right exchange between human offering and divine response.
Sumedhā and pradiv point to truth-light guiding the rite.
Fire set in earth as evolutionary principle: consciousness emerging in matter and turning toward all worlds.
Integral Vedāntic trajectory: consciousness-in-matter opening to higher planes (pradiv).
Earth = body/physical foundation; fire = awakened will; heaven = higher mind/light; ‘all worlds’ = comprehensive inner ecology.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Fire set in Earth linking all worlds’ mythologem: Agni is enthroned in the earthly base yet faces all planes, acting as Hotṛ who makes the gods present through sacrifice—an archetype of ascent and mediation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhū ‘become’ (bhúvana) reflects PIE *bʰuH- ‘be, become’ (cf. Eng. be). √idh ‘kindle’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan id-). The priestly term hotṛ (√hu ‘pour/invoke’) relates to PIE *ǵʰew- ‘pour’ via Vedic ritual lexicon (libation/invocation complex).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi installs Agni as the conscious officiant within the human-earth, requesting that Agni himself perform the godward sacrifice—i.e., the divine in us offers to the divine above, enabling a complete circuit of ṛta.
Kindle the inner flame in the body and let it ‘face’ all inner worlds—sensations, emotions, thoughts, and intuition—without rejection.
manipura
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; with each exhale imagine feeding the flame with clarified intention; with inhale feel purified space rising to the head (pradiv).
Centered, upright, integrative awareness.
Chant once slowly; then scan the being (body-vital-mind) as ‘worlds’ in front of Agni, offering each to purification and right order.
Tri-svara; keep clear udātta on samiddho and agniḥ; maintain cadence across pāda breaks.
Mark the pause after pṛthivyām; articulate pratyaṅ distinctly (do not reduce to 'pratyang').
samiddho: double d (mid-dho), nihitaḥ: clear h, short i, pṛthivyām: ṛ + th, long yām, pratyaṅ: nasal ṅ at end, yajatv: pronounce 'ya-jat-v' lightly, not 'yajatu'
Deep, steady, priestly—like lighting a lamp; allow a brief silence after each pāda.
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