Rig Veda 8.84.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 84, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.84
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
त्वं यविष्ठ दाशुषो नॄँ: पाहि शृणुधी गिरः । रक्षा तोकमुत त्मना ॥
tváṃ yáviṣṭha dāśúṣo nṝ́ṃ pā́hi śṛṇudhī́ gíraḥ | rákṣā tókām utá tmánā ||
ஓ யவிஷ்ட (என்றும் புதுமையான) அக்னியே! தானம் செய்பவரான நரரை நீ காப்பாயாக; எங்கள் கீரः (ஸ்துதி-வாக்குகள்) கேளாய். சந்ததி (தோகம்) யையும், தன்னால்-தானே நிலையும் (த்மனா) யையும் காத்தருள்வாயாக.
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यविष्ठ
- O youngest / most youthfulAdjective (superlative, vocative use)पुं; संबोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot यविष्ठ (युव/यव- ‘युवा/तरुण’ इत्यस्य अतिशय-प्रातिपदिक; -इष्ठ प्रत्यय)
- दाशुषः
- of the worshipper / giverNoun (participle-stem)पुं; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दाशुष् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दाश्/दास् ‘देने/पूजने’ → दाश्वांस्/दाशुष् ‘दाता/यजमान’)
- नॄन्
- menNounपुं; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पाहि
- protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √पा (पालने)
- शृणुधी
- hearVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; वैदिक-रूप (शृणु-धी)Role (क्रिया)Root √श्रु (श्रवणे)
- गिरः
- songs / hymnsNounस्त्री; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रक्ष
- guardVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √रक्ष् (पालने)
- तोकम्
- offspring / childNounनपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRole (समुच्चय/अन्वय)Root उत
- त्मना
- by (one’s) self / in personNoun (instrumental of manner/means)पुं/नपुं; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्व/आत्मन्’)
Sandhi Notes
- मन्त्रपाठः प्रायः पदपाठानुसारः। ‘नॄँ:’ इति संहितायां अनुनासिकचिह्नयुक्तं रूपं पदपाठे ‘नॄन्’ (द्वितीया बहुवचन) इति। ‘शृणु॒धी’ वैदिक-लोट्-रूपं (शृणु + धी) — ‘शृणु’ इत्यस्य आज्ञार्थे विशेष-प्रत्ययः। ‘तोकमु॒त’ = ‘तोकम्’ + ‘उत’ (सन्ध्यभावः: म् + उ → मु)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, the youngest, is asked to protect the generous worshippers, hear their songs, and guard their offspring and themselves by his own power.
Inner meaning
The ever-new flame is invoked to protect those who offer themselves (dāśuṣ). Protection extends to the ‘child’—the nascent psychic formation, new aspiration or inner birth (tokam)—and to the whole being’s growth (tmanā: by his own inherent force). Hearing the words means responding to sincere inner speech and mantra.
Universal truth
When the divine will is fed by self-giving, it becomes the guardian of our becoming—especially of what is newly born and vulnerable in us.
Themes
protection, hearing of prayer, birth of new consciousness (toka), Agni ever-young
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.84.1, RV 8.84.2, RV 8.84.4, RV 8.84.5
Significance
The seer stresses the practical yoga of protection: inner growth needs guarding; Agni is invoked as the defender of the new birth in consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Yaviṣṭha (ever-young), Rakṣitṛ (protector), Śrotṛ (hearer of the word)
- Related deities
- Rudra (protector aspect), Indra (slayer of obstruction), Aditi (protection/limitlessness)
Cosmic role
Guardian of the sacrificer; purifier and protector against hostile forces; maintains the continuity of the rite.
Inner power
Protective ardour—keeps aspiration intact, repels inertia and adverse impulses, strengthens the new formation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Agni invocation within daily fire-rites; also suitable in rites for progeny/prosperity (outer)
त्वं य॑विष्ठ दा॒शुषो॒ नॄँ: पा॑हि शृणु॒धी गिर॑: । रक्षा॑ तो॒कमु॒त त्मना॑ ॥
त्वम् । य॒वि॒ष्ठ॒ । दा॒शुषः॑ । नॄन् । पा॒हि॒ । शृ॒णु॒धि । गिरः॑ । रक्ष॑ । तो॒कम् । उ॒त । त्मना॑ ॥
tvam | yaviṣṭha | dāśuṣaḥ | nṝn | pāhi | śṛṇudhi | giraḥ | rakṣa | tokam | uta | tmanā
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4 × ~8 syllables
Supplicatory yet firm; imperative verbs (pāhi, śṛṇudhī, rakṣā) create a protective cadence.
Invokes steadiness and safety; strengthens resolve and calms fear about one’s inner vulnerability.
- यविष्ठ (yaviṣṭha)
- Literal: youngest. Symbolic: ever-renewing divine flame; perpetual new beginning in sādhanā
- दाशुषः (dāśuṣaḥ)
- Literal: of the giver/offerer. Symbolic: the self-giving seeker who offers ego and energy to the inner work
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: songs/words. Symbolic: mantric speech; sincere articulation of aspiration
- तोकम् (tokam)
- Literal: child/offspring. Symbolic: newly born soul-movement, fresh faith, new consciousness-form
- त्मना (tmanā)
- Literal: by his own self (power). Symbolic: Agni’s autonomous divine force protecting beyond human capacity
Protective and confirmatory Agni-verse usable in household fire rites and soma liturgies as a prayer for safeguarding the sacrificer, the ‘offspring’ (continuity), and the efficacy of speech.
After kindling or when seeking safeguarding of household and continuity.
Recitation with offerings (ghee) asking protection; listening/hearing motif aligns with attentive mantra-recitation.
Use when beginning a new habit, vow, or inner practice; chant to protect the ‘newborn’ aspiration from relapse.
yáviṣṭha: superlative of yúvan ‘young’ (yaviṣṭha ‘youngest’), epithet of Agni as newly kindled and perpetually renewed. dāśuṣ-: from √dāś ‘to worship/offer, give’ (Vedic). pāhi: imperative from √pā ‘protect’ (PIE *peh₂- ‘protect, shepherd’). śṛṇu-: from √śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear’, cf. Gk. κλύω). rakṣa: from √rakṣ ‘guard’. tóka: ‘offspring’ (a growth/issue), used for continuity of life; psychologically continuity of the inner birth. tmán-: ‘self, vital essence’ (related to ‘breath/self’ semantic field).
inner offering (dāśuṣ), mantra as formative power (giraḥ), self-force of the divine (tman)
Protection is preservation of ṛta against forces of disorder.
Truth in speech (giraḥ) invites truth in response—Agni ‘hears’ what is sincere.
Safeguarding the new creation (tokam) within the evolving being.
Integral yoga psychology: protection of the psychic opening and new formation.
Fire guards like warmth around a newborn; sound/word = mantra shaping consciousness; child = new inner state.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the ever-young guardian of the sacrificer: the divine fire protects the offerer and preserves the ‘offspring’. In inner terms, the Flame safeguards the emerging new formation of consciousness (tóka) from hostile powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- śṛṇu- (√śru) continues PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear’ (auditory reception central to oral tradition). pā- ‘protect’ reflects a widespread pastoral-protective root family. The imperative chain (pāhi, śṛṇudhi, rakṣa) encodes a performative speech-act typical of Indo-European hymn-prayer style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi approaches Agni as an intimate indweller (‘tvam’) whose protection is earned through giving (dāśuṣ) and activated through speech (giraḥ). The exchange is: offering and right utterance from the human; protection, hearing, and strengthening from the divine self-force (tmanā).
Protect the ‘newborn’ aspiration: feel a ring of fire-light around the heart and the whole body.
Anāhata (psychic protection)
Exhale-lengthening breath (inhale 4, exhale 6) to soothe; on exhale feel ‘rakṣa’—a protective spread of warmth.
Safe, collected, inwardly sheltered.
When instability arises, chant slowly; visualize Agni as a guardian flame around the practice; then reaffirm one concrete offering (time, attention, truthfulness).
Emphasize imperatives with a slight udatta lift (pāhi, śṛṇudhī, rakṣā); keep enclitics light (uta).
Maintain clear caesura after ‘giraḥ’; do not rush the triple imperative sequence.
tvaṃ: nasalized m, yaviṣṭha: viṣṭha cluster clear; retroflex ṣ, dāśuṣo: long ā; ṣ pronounced retroflex, nṝn: syllabic ṝ; nasalization on ṁ (if present in recitational style), śṛṇudhī: vocalic ṛ; long ī at end, tmanā: tm cluster clean, short a
Protective, deep, steady; slightly lower register.
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