Rig Veda 1.141.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 141, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.141
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Āucathya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
पृक्षो वपुः पितुमान्नित्य आ शये द्वितीयमा सप्तशिवासु मातृषु । तृतीयमस्य वृषभस्य दोहसे दशप्रमतिं जनयन्त योषणः ॥
pṛkṣó vápūḥ pitumā́n nítya ā́ śaye dvitī́yam ā́ saptáśivāsu mātṛ́ṣu | tṛtī́yam asya vṛṣabhásya dóhase dáśa-pramatiṃ janayanta yóṣaṇaḥ ||
ఆయన రూపం పోషణతో సమృద్ధి; పితృ-శక్తితో యుక్తం; నిత్యుడై ఆయన శయనిస్తాడు. రెండవసారి ఆయన ఏడు శివ (కల్యాణకర) మాతృలలో విశ్రాంతి పొందుతాడు. మూడవసారి, ఈ వృషభుని దోహనార్థం, పోషక శక్తులు దశగుణ సమ్యక్-వివేకం (దశ-ప్రమతి)ను జనింపజేస్తాయి.
Word by Word
- पृक्षः
- mixed, variegated (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (वर्ण्य-विषयः/कर्ता-सम्बन्धी विशेषणम्)Root पृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पृक्ष’ = मिश्र/संयुक्त/चित्त्र, also used as epithet)
- वपुः
- form, body, appearanceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (वाक्य-विषयः)Root वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पितुमान्
- having nourishment/food (pitu)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (वपुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root पितुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; पितु + मन्त्)
- नित्यः
- everlasting, constantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विषय-विशेषणम्)Root नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्गः (शे/शी धातोः सह)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- शये
- lies, restsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)Root शी (धातु; ‘to lie, rest’)
- द्वितीयम्
- the second (stage/one)Adjective (ordinal)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्/पदपूरणम्)Role Karma (आ-शये इत्यस्य ‘कुत्र/कस्मिन्’ इत्यर्थे क्रम-निर्देशः)Root द्वितीय (क्रमवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- unto, intoIndeclinableपदपूरण/उपसर्ग-प्रयोगःRoot आ (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- सप्तशिवासु
- in the seven auspicious (ones)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्: ‘कासु?’)Root सप्तशिवा (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + शिवा)
- मातृषु
- among/in the mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्: ‘मातृषु’)Root मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- तृतीयम्
- the third (stage/one)Adjective (ordinal)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रम-निर्देशः)Role Karma (क्रम-निर्देशः)Root तृतीय (क्रमवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of thisPronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभस्य
- of the bull (virile one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)Root वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- दोहसे
- for milking, for yieldingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजनम्: ‘for milking/yielding’)Root दोहस (प्रातिपदिक; ‘milking, yielding’)
- दशप्रमतिम्
- tenfold insight/understandingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (जनयन्तः इत्यस्य कर्म)Root दशप्रमति (प्रातिपदिक; दश + प्रमति)
- जनयन्त
- they generate, they produceVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole Kriyā (सहायक-क्रिया)Root जन् (धातु; ‘to beget, produce’)
- योषणः
- women, maidens (wives)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वैदिक-रूप: योषणः)Role Kartā (जनयन्त इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root योषन्/योषा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘woman, maiden’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसनम्): पृक्षः | वपुः | पितुमान् | नित्यः | आ | शये | द्वितीयम् | आ | सप्तशिवासु | मातृषु | तृतीयम् | अस्य | वृषभस्य | दोहसे | दशप्रमतिम् | जनयन्त | योषणः । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) पृक्षो वपुः → पृक्षः + वपुः (विसर्ग-लोपः/ओ-आदेशः पदान्ते) । (2) पितुमान्नित्यः → पितुमान् + नित्यः (न् + न् संयोगः) । (3) द्वितीयमा साप्तशिवासु → द्वितीयम् + आ + सप्तशिवासु (म् + आ → मा; पदपूरण ‘आ’) । (4) तृतीयमस्य → तृतीयम् + अस्य (म् + अ → म) । (5) वृषभस्य दोहसे (सन्धिरहितः) । (6) जनयन्त योषणः (सन्धिरहितः) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
His form is nourishing, endowed with father-power; eternal he lies down. A second time he rests in the seven benign Mothers. A third time, for the milking of the Bull, the fostering energies bring forth tenfold right discernment.
Inner meaning
Agni’s realized form is ‘pitu-mān’—carrying the Father principle (the higher origin, divine source) and is intrinsically nourishing (pṛkṣaḥ). He ‘lies down’ as an established presence in the being (nitya ā śaye): the flame becomes constant. ‘Second time’ he takes seat in the seven benign Mothers—seven powers/planes or seven supportive energies (often read as seven rivers, seven flames, or sevenfold prakṛti-forces) that cradle and expand the fire. ‘Third time’ comes the productive outcome: for the ‘milking’ of the Bull (vṛṣabha: strong creative power), the yoṣaṇāḥ (fostering, shaping energies) generate daśa-pramati—tenfold right discernment: a complete, well-articulated intelligence (ten as fullness) able to order life by truth.
Universal truth
When the inner will becomes steady and is supported by harmonious life-forces, it yields a mature, many-sided discernment that can ‘milk’ strength from existence without distortion.
Themes
triple manifestation, seven mothers, milking of force, integral knowledge
The seer
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Āucathya
- Lineage
- Āucathya
- Other hymns
- RV 1.141, RV 1.164
Family tradition
Symbolist of cosmic numbers and layered births; his diction often encodes stages of manifestation and inner realization.
Significance
This verse exemplifies Dīrghatamas’ multi-stage psychology: establishment of the fire, its nurturing by the powers, and the birth of comprehensive discernment.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Pitumān (father-endowed), Nitya (eternal), Vṛṣabha (bull-like power)
- Related deities
- Seven Mothers (sapta mātaraḥ as śaktis), Indra (implied as illumined mind that often works with Agni)
Cosmic role
Seed and sustainer of life and thought; establishes divine order across multiple ‘births’ or stations.
Inner power
Stability of aspiration and the power to generate integral discernment and effective action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni hymn in śrauta setting; imagery of mothers and milking aligns with soma/food symbolism and nurturing of sacred fire.
पृ॒क्षो वपु॑: पितु॒मान्नित्य॒ आ श॑ये द्वि॒तीय॒मा स॒प्तशि॑वासु मा॒तृषु॑ । तृ॒तीय॑मस्य वृष॒भस्य॑ दो॒हसे॒ दश॑प्रमतिं जनयन्त॒ योष॑णः ॥
पृ॒क्षः । वपुः॑ । पि॒तु॒ऽमान् । नित्यः॑ । आ । श॒ये॒ । द्वि॒तीय॑म् । आ । स॒प्तऽशि॑वासु । मा॒तृषु॑ । तृ॒तीय॑म् । अ॒स्य॒ । वृ॒ष॒भस्य॑ । दो॒हसे॑ । दश॑ऽप्रमतिम् । ज॒न॒य॒न्त॒ । योष॑णः ॥
pṛkṣaḥ | vapuḥ | pitu-mān | nityaḥ | ā | śaye | dvitīyam | ā | sapta-śivāsu | mātṛṣu | tṛtīyam | asya | vṛṣabhasya | dohase | daśa-pramatim | janayanta | yoṣaṇaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Measured, enumerative (second/third), giving a stepwise unfolding.
Supports contemplation of stages; the rhythm helps the mind ‘count’ and stabilize successive inner realizations.
- पृक्षः (pṛkṣaḥ)
- Literal: sprinkling/nourishing, rich. Symbolic: life-giving, strengthening presence of the inner fire
- पितुमान् (pitumān)
- Literal: possessed of the father. Symbolic: rooted in the higher Father-principle; deriving authority from above
- सप्तशिवासु मातृषु (saptaśivāsu mātṛṣu)
- Literal: in the seven auspicious mothers. Symbolic: seven supporting powers of nature/consciousness that nurture the flame
- वृषभ (vṛṣabha)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: forceful creative energy; divine potency to be ‘milked’ into works
- दशप्रमति (daśapramati)
- Literal: tenfold right understanding. Symbolic: complete discernment: integrative intelligence governing the being
- योषणः (yoṣaṇaḥ)
- Literal: women/energies. Symbolic: shaping powers (śaktis) that foster growth and bring forth faculties
Agni as triple-seated power (three births/abodes) in ritual and inner cosmology (general)
During praise of Agni’s stations (births) and his sustaining powers.
Maintaining fire, offering nourishment (ghee), reciting to establish continuity (nitya) of Agni.
Stage-based meditation: (1) establish steady inner flame, (2) invite supportive harmonizing energies, (3) cultivate discerning intelligence for right action.
(pitu) in RV can mean ‘food/sap’ and also ‘father’; pitumā́n thus supports a double sense: nourished by the father-principle and carrying the paternal creative potency. (seven mothers) is a Vedic set of formative powers (often linked to seven rivers/planes). (pramati) from √man ‘to think’ with pra- indicates forward/right measure of thought; ‘daśa’ tenfold suggests completeness (all directions/powers integrated).
three abodes/births of Agni, sevenfold formative powers, integral discernment (daśa-pramati)
Daśa-pramati is ṛta in cognition: truth-ordering intelligence.
Pitumān indicates derivation from the higher सत्य/Truth-plane.
Multiple ‘restings’/births of the fire across planes culminating in articulated intelligence.
Sāṃkhya-like enumeration meets Vedantic ascent: prakṛti’s powers (mothers) support puruṣa-derived fire (father-endowed) toward integral buddhi.
Nourishing fire = steady will; seven mothers = harmonized prāṇic/psychic supports; milking the bull = drawing usable power from divine potency into mind and works.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘three births/three abodes’ of Agni and the ‘milking’ of the Bull: a cosmogonic-psychological myth where divine force takes multiple seats in the worlds, and from its potency the nurturing powers draw out a complete discernment (daśa-pramati).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The bull-and-milking complex is deeply IE in pastoral poetics, but in RV it is transposed into cognitive/spiritual yield. The numeral symbolism (seven, ten) also reflects inherited Indo-European structuring of completeness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi contemplates Agni’s multi-layered embodiment and indicates how the divine yield is obtained: through the Mothers/yoṣaṇas who ‘generate’ discernment. The human seeker aligns with these formative powers to receive the milk of knowledge-force.
Contemplate three stabilizations of Agni: in the heart (steady presence), in the seven supportive energies (harmonization), and in the intellect (tenfold discernment).
manipura → anahata → ajna (power → aspiration → discernment)
Three rounds: inhale ‘kindle’, exhale ‘establish’; then seven slow breaths scanning the body; then silent witnessing at brow for discernment.
Stable, integrated, quietly powerful.
Do not rush to ‘results’ (third stage) before stability (first) and harmony (second). Let discernment arise as a natural secretion of a well-nurtured inner fire.
Vedic accents; emphasize enumerations dvitīyam / tṛtīyam with clear pāda breaks.
Keep ‘saptaśivāsu mātṛṣu’ fluid but articulated; pause lightly after ‘ā śaye’.
(pṛkṣo): vocalic ṛ; kṣ clear, (pitumān): long ā in mān; final n audible, (saptaśivāsu): do not swallow śi; keep vāsū long ū, (daśa-pramati): retroflex ṇ not present; keep dental d/ś clear
Warm, steady, nurturing; less sharpness, more continuity.
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