Rig Veda 3.3.10: Mandala 3, Sukta 3, Mantra 10
Sukta 3.3
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
वैश्वानर तव धामान्या चके येभिः स्वर्विदभवो विचक्षण । जात आपृणो भुवनानि रोदसी अग्ने ता विश्वा परिभूरसि त्मना ॥
vaiśvā́nara táva dhā́māny ā́ cakre yébhiḥ svaḥ-víd ábhavo vi-cákṣaṇa | jā́ta ā́pṛṇo bhúvanāni ródasī́ agne tā́ víśvā pári-bhū́r asi tmánā ||
ஓ வைஶ்வானரா, நீ உன் தாமங்கள்/ஆசன-சக்திகளை அமைத்தாய்; அவைகளாலேயே நீ ஸ்வர்வித்—ஒளிமிகு ஸ்வர்கத்தின் அறிஞன்—ஆகவும், விசக்ஷணன் (தூரநோக்கன்) ஆகவும் ஆனாய். பிறந்தவுடன் நீ உலகங்களை, இரு ரோதஸீ (வானும் பூமியும்) நிரப்பினாய்; ஓ அக்னியே, உன் சொந்த ஆத்ம-சத்தையால் நீ இவை அனைத்தையும் சுற்றிவளைத்து மேலோங்கி நிற்கிறாய்.
Word by Word
- वैश्वानर
- O Vaiśvānara (Agni)Noun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वैश्वानर- (प्रातिपदिक; विश्+वानर/अग्नि-विशेष)
- तव
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धामानि
- abodes; stations; powersNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (with चके) / or विषयRoot धामन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards; unto; fullyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (to √कृ)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- चके
- you have made; you have establishedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (implicit: त्वम्/अग्निः)Root √कृ (करणे) with reduplication (चकार-प्रयोग)
- येभिः
- by which (means); with whichPronounतृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वः-वित्
- finder of heaven/lightAdjective (kṛdanta)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ/सम्बोधन-सम्बन्ध)Root स्वर्- (स्वर्ग/प्रकाश) + √विद् (ज्ञाने) → वित् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभवः
- you becameVerbलुङ्/अorist (अभवत्-प्रयोग), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्)Root √भू (भवति)
- विचक्षण
- O discerning one; far-seeingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वि- + √चक्ष्/√चक्ष (दर्शने) → विचक्षण- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जातः
- bornParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot √जन् (जायते) → जात- (क्त, कृदन्त)
- आपृणः
- you filled; you made fullVerbलुङ्/अorist, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्)Root आ- + √पॄ/√पृ (पूरणे)
- भुवनानि
- the worlds; beings/realmsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot भुवन- (प्रातिपदिक; √भू)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Noun (dual fixed)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, द्विवचन (here: द्वितीया as apposition to भुवनानि)Role कर्म (सम्बन्ध-अप्पोजिशन)Root रोदसी- (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; द्यावा-पृथिवी)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ताः
- thosePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (referring to धामानि as collective/‘those’)Role कर्मRoot तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वाः
- allAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (agreeing with ताः)Role विशेषण (कर्म)Root विश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- परिभूः
- surpassing; encompassing; overpoweringAdjective (kṛdanta used predicatively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (with असि)Root परि- + √भू (भवति) → परिभू- (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त ‘overpowering, surpassing’)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्)Root √अस् (अस्ति)
- त्मना
- by yourself; by your own powerNoun (instrumental of manner)पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण/हेतु (by yourself; by your own power)Root त्मन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘self, own person/power’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वैश्वानर | तव | धामानि | आ | चके | येभिः | स्वः-वित् | अभवः | विचक्षण | जातः | आपृणः | भुवनानि | रोदसी | अग्ने | ताः | विश्वाः | परिभूः | असि | त्मना । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) धामानि + आ → धामान्या (इ-आ संधि; इ + आ = या)
- (2) स्वर्विदभवो → स्वः-वित् + अभवः (त् + अ → द्; तथा विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर्-समासरूप)
- (3) अग्ने + ताः → अग्ने ताः (विसर्ग/नासिक्य-रूप नहीं; पदान्ते ए)
- (4) परिभूरसि → परिभूः + असि (विसर्ग-लोपः; ऊः + अ → ऊर)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni Vaiśvānara has established his “stations/abodes” by which he becomes the knower of the luminous heaven; once born he fills the worlds and both firmaments, and by his own self-being he encompasses and surpasses all.
Inner meaning
Vaiśvānara is the universal Fire—the divine Will and conscious Force that builds stable inner “seats of power” (dhāmāni) in the being. By these established poises, Agni becomes svarvit: the finder of the higher luminous plane (svar), i.e., the awakened consciousness that can see widely (vicakṣaṇa) without distortion. Once this flame is born in the seeker, it expands to fill all planes of the inner cosmos—mind and life, heaven and earth (rodasī)—and by the soul’s own truth of being (tmanā) it surrounds and exceeds the whole nature, enabling mastery over all movements.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth requires an inner fire that creates enduring bases of consciousness; when that fire is established, it naturally widens perception, integrates all levels of the self, and surpasses limiting formations by the power of the true Self.
Themes
Vaiśvānara as universal inner fire, cosmic manifestation and filling of worlds, inner vision (vi-cakṣaṇa), transcendence through self-nature
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina line)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.2, RV 3.3, RV 3.4, RV 3.5
Family tradition
Kṣatriya-seer who embodies the transition from forceful aspiration to luminous knowledge; hymns emphasize the conquest of higher light through disciplined inner fire.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s vision often turns the ritual fire into a psychology of tapas: the inner kindling that builds luminous stations and opens the supramental-like clarity (svar).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni Vaiśvānara
- Epithets
- Vaiśvānara, Svarvid, Vicakṣaṇa, Paribhū, Jāta (the ever-born flame)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Mitra-Varuṇa
Cosmic role
Universal mediator and builder: establishes cosmic and individual order by carrying offerings (aspiration) upward and bringing powers downward.
Inner power
The will of consecration that organizes the being, widens perception, and effects integration and transcendence by the Self’s truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra/Āhavanīya kindling and Agni-stotra contexts; hymns to establish Agni as carrier of the rite.
वैश्वा॑नर॒ तव॒ धामा॒न्या च॑के॒ येभि॑: स्व॒र्विदभ॑वो विचक्षण । जा॒त आपृ॑णो॒ भुव॑नानि॒ रोद॑सी॒ अग्न॒ू ता विश्वा॑ परि॒भूर॑सि॒ त्मना॑ ॥
वैश्वा॑नर । तव॑ । धामा॑नि । आ । च॒क्रे॒ । येभिः॑ । स्वः॒ऽवित् । अभ॑वः । वि॒ऽच॒क्ष॒ण॒ । जा॒तः । आ । अ॒पृ॒णः॒ । भुव॑नानि । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । अग्ने॑ । ता । विश्वा॑ । प॒रि॒ऽभूः । अ॒सि॒ । त्मना॑ ॥
vaiśvānara | tava | dhāmāni | ā | cakre | yebhiḥ | svaḥ-vit | abhavaḥ | vi-cakṣaṇa | jātaḥ | ā | apṛṇaḥ | bhuvanāni | rodasī iti | agne | tā | viśvā | pari-bhūḥ | asi | tmanā
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Strong, forward-driving, suited to proclamation and expansion.
Creates a sense of widening and mastery; supports meditation on vastness (bṛhat) and encompassing consciousness (paribhū).
- वैश्वानर (vaiśvānara)
- Literal: belonging to all men; universal fire. Symbolic: universal Divine Will/Force present in all beings, organizer of the inner sacrifice
- धामानि (dhāmāni)
- Literal: abodes, seats, stations. Symbolic: stable inner poises/centers of power and consciousness established by Agni
- स्वर्विद् (svar-vid)
- Literal: knower/finder of heaven (svar). Symbolic: finder of the luminous mind/illumined consciousness
- विचक्षण (vicakṣaṇa)
- Literal: wide-seeing, discerning. Symbolic: clear, comprehensive inner vision (integral discrimination)
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two firmaments: Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: mind and life/body; higher and lower hemispheres of consciousness
- परिभूः (paribhūḥ)
- Literal: encompassing, surpassing. Symbolic: mastery that contains and transcends all movements of nature
- त्मना (tmanā)
- Literal: by self, by own being. Symbolic: by the power of the inmost Self (ātmanic truth) rather than outer effort alone
Invocation of Vaiśvānara in rites emphasizing Agni’s universality (household and communal fire); suitable in Soma-yajña preliminaries where Agni is affirmed as knower of svaḥ and establisher of dhāman.
At kindling/invocation of Agni; also in sequences affirming Agni’s cosmic status.
Kindling, offering ghee, invoking Agni as Hotṛ and cosmic support.
Use as an invocation before meditation to ‘establish the inner fire’ and widen awareness across mind-life-body.
vaiśvānara: viśva ‘all’ + nara ‘man’ → ‘belonging to all men’, the fire-principle common to humanity. dhāman: from √dhā ‘to place, establish’ → ‘established seat/power’. svaḥ-vit: svaḥ ‘luminous world’ + √vid ‘know/find’ → ‘finder of heaven/light’. vi-cakṣaṇa: vi- + √cakṣ ‘see’ → discriminating vision. āpṛṇa: ā- + √pṛ ‘fill’ → plenitude; psychologically the fire fills the being with its force. pari-bhū: pari + √bhū ‘become/be’ → to be around/over; mastery. tmán: reflexive ‘self’ (cf. PIE *t(e)mn- debated), RV sense ‘by oneself, by intrinsic nature’.
svaḥ (luminous world of truth), self-being (tmán), cosmic plenitude (āpṛṇa)
Agni establishes ordered ‘stations’ in the cosmos and the seeker, aligning movements with ṛta.
tmanā indicates action from the truth of being rather than ego-impulse.
The born flame fills the worlds—consciousness expanding to occupy all planes.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: Self-being as the basis of transcendence and integration.
Fire = will and aspiration; heaven = illumined mind; earth = embodied nature; their ‘two-ness’ integrated by the expanding psychic fire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni-Vaiśvānara as cosmic architect: he ‘makes dhāmāni’ (stations of power) and ‘fills the worlds and the two firmaments’. The mythic action is cosmogonic—Fire establishing the luminous realms; psychologically it is the awakened universal will creating stable inner stations and filling mind-body (rodasī) with light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid in svaḥ-vit reflects PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (Latin videre, English wit). devic epithets built from ‘shine/light’ and ‘see/know’ are Indo-European poetic commonplaces, linking divinity with luminosity and vision. √dhā in dhāman (PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘put, set’) underlines the ‘placing/establishing’ of cosmic stations.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi contemplates Agni’s self-manifestation (ā cakre) and self-sufficiency (tmánā), implying that the seeker’s task is to align with this intrinsic power rather than depend on external supports—allowing the inner fire to build ‘dhāman’ and open the knowledge of svaḥ.
Establishing inner ‘stations’ of will and clarity; expanding awareness to include all parts of the being.
Manipura (fire/will) with ascent toward Ajna (wide-seeing discernment).
Moderate, steady ujjayi-like breathing; on inhale feel widening to ‘heaven’, on exhale pervade ‘earth’ (body).
From concentrated will → to expansive, integrated witnessing consciousness.
Kindle a small, steady flame of aspiration in the heart/solar plexus; invoke ‘vicakṣaṇa’ clarity; then sweep attention through mind-life-body, offering each movement into the fire until a sense of encompassing Self arises.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita as per Rigvedic accent; preserve udātta on marked syllables (e.g., vaiśvā́-, dhā́mā-, svàr-).
Let udātta rise clearly; svarita fall-glide; keep anudātta low and unforced—avoid ‘singing’ beyond the accent contours.
vaiśvānara: clear ‘śv’ cluster; long ā in -nā-, dhāmāni: long ā; ‘ni’ light, vicakṣaṇa: ‘kṣ’ crisp; short a’s, rodasī: retroflex ‘ḍ’ not present; keep ‘d’ dental; long ī at end, paribhūr: maintain long ū
Bright, steady, slightly resonant in the chest; widen on phrases about filling worlds.
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