Rig Veda 10.20.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 20, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.20
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
यमासा कृपनीळं भासाकेतुं वर्धयन्ति । भ्राजते श्रेणिदन् ॥
yámāsā́ kṛpánīḷaṃ bhāsā́ketuṃ vardháyanti | bhrā́jate śréṇidan ||
యెవనిని యజ్ఞముఖాలు (ఆహుతి ముఖాలు) వృద్ధి చేస్తాయో—అగ్ని, సూక్ష్మంలో నీడమేసినవాడు, అతని కేతు వెలుగు; అతడు ప్రకాశిస్తాడు, మా శక్తులను శ్రేణిబద్ధంగా (సమన్విత క్రమంగా) నిలుపుతూ.
Word by Word
- यमासः
- the Yamas (Yama-beings)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot यम (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
- कृपणीळम्
- the ‘kṛpaṇīḷa’ (dark/sooty-looking) oneAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कृपणीळ (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समासिक विशेषण)
- भासाकेतुम्
- the one whose banner/sign is light; the radiant-bannered (one)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भासाकेतु (प्रातिपदिक; समास: भासा + केतु)
- वर्धयन्ति
- they increase / make growVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root वृध् (धातु)
- भ्राजते
- it shines / is radiantVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root भ्राज् (धातु)
- श्रेणिदन्
- the giver/placer of ranks (orderer in rows)Noun (agent/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot श्रेणिद (प्रातिपदिक; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त, -द (ददाति/दा-सम्बद्ध) प्रकारः)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (संभाव्य): यमासः | कृपणीळम् | भासाकेतुम् | वर्धयन्ति | भ्राजते | श्रेणिदन् । 1) ‘यमा॒सा’ → यमासः (प्रथमा बहुवचन; विसर्ग पदान्ते). 2) ‘कृ॒पनी॑ळं’ → कृपणीळम् (द्वितीया एकवचन; अनुस्वार/म् पदान्त). 3) ‘भा॒साके॑तुं’ → भासाकेतुम् (द्वितीया एकवचन; -म्). 4) ‘श्रेणि॑दन्’ पदान्त ‘न्’ वैदिक-पाठे प्रचलित
- सामान्यतः प्रथमा एकवचन रूपे ‘-दन्’ (नकारान्त) रूपं दृश्यते
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is increased by the mouths (of offering). He is the flame that nests in the subtle, whose banner is light; he shines, giving ordered ranks to our powers.
Inner meaning
The ‘mouths’ are the receiving and offering openings of consciousness—speech, breath, attention, and the many points where we feed the inner fire with aspiration. Agni is kṛpa-nīḻa: seated/hidden in the subtle recess (the heart-cave or secret vital-mental), not always visible to the surface mind. When nourished, he becomes bhāsā-ketu: his sign is light—illumination becomes the unmistakable standard of progress. As śreṇi-dan, he gives ‘ranks’: he arranges our energies into harmonious formations—disciplines the senses, organizes the life-force, aligns thoughts—so the being can act as a coherent army of the soul rather than a crowd of impulses.
Universal truth
Conscious growth depends on what we continually feed with attention and aspiration. When the inner flame is strengthened, it reveals itself by increasing clarity and by organizing our scattered powers into a unified, effective order.
Themes
Agni growth, Inner fire, Order/formation
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.20.1-6
Significance
The seer speaks from an experiential psychology: Agni is ‘hidden-seated’ and must be increased by repeated offerings—an early yogic insight into practice and progressive illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- kṛpanīḻa (secret-seated), bhāsāketu (light-bannered), bhrājate (shining one), śreṇidan (order-giver)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (ordering speech/thought), Indra (illumination and victory), Sarasvatī (flow of inspired speech)
Cosmic role
Bearer of light in obscurity; organizer of cosmic and human energies into ordered functioning.
Inner power
The power of aspiration that, once fed, becomes luminous discrimination and executive order in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling/strengthening Agni through offerings (āhuti) and recitation; suitable as a reinforcement verse during fire-tending.
यमा॒सा कृ॒पनी॑ळं भा॒साके॑तुं व॒र्धय॑न्ति । भ्राज॑ते॒ श्रेणि॑दन् ॥
यम् । आ॒साः । कृ॒पऽनी॑ळम् । भा॒साऽके॑तुम् । व॒र्धय॑न्ति । भ्राज॑ते । श्रेणि॑ऽदन् ॥
yam | āsāḥ | kṛpa-nīḷam | bhāsāketum | vardhayanti | bhrājate | śreṇi-dan
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4 × ~11 syllables; compact second line with strong cadence on bhrājate
Quick brightening rhythm—rises toward ‘bhāsāketu’ and resolves in the ordering word ‘śreṇidan’.
Energizes attention; induces a sense of inner brightness and mental organization.
- आसाः (āsāḥ)
- Literal: mouths. Symbolic: openings of consciousness—speech, breath, attention; offering-capacities
- कृपनीळम् (kṛpanīḻam)
- Literal: having a nest/seat in the subtle; hidden-seated. Symbolic: the secret fire in the heart/subtle being, veiled to surface awareness
- भासाकेतुम् (bhāsāketum)
- Literal: whose banner/sign is light. Symbolic: illumination as the mark of true inner progress
- वर्धयन्ति (vardhayanti)
- Literal: they increase. Symbolic: sustained practice that strengthens the will-fire
- भ्राजते (bhrājate)
- Literal: he shines. Symbolic: radiance of clarified consciousness
- श्रेणिदन् (śreṇidan)
- Literal: giver of ranks/ordered rows. Symbolic: organizer of faculties into harmonious, disciplined formations
Kindling/praise: describes growth of Agni through offerings and his effect of ordering the rite and the inner faculties.
When the fire is being ‘increased’—physically by fuel/ghee, inwardly by intention.
Offer ghee while reciting; emphasize ‘vardhayanti’ as the act of increase.
Use before study or focused work to ‘rank’ the faculties: chant to gather scattered attention into ordered power.
ās ‘mouth’ from PIE *h₁oh₃s- ‘mouth’ (cf. Latin ōs). bhrāj from √bhrāj ‘shine’ (PIE *bherəg- ‘bright/shine’ possible). śreṇi ‘row, series’ from √śri/śre? ‘to lean/arrange’ (semantic: ordered line). nīḷa ‘nest’ relates to ‘resting-place/seat’.
ordered formation (śreṇi) as ṛta in the faculties, inner fire ‘nested’ in the subtle being
śreṇidan expresses ṛta as arrangement—right order in the movements of consciousness.
Light-bannered (bhāsāketu) implies truth’s sign is clarity, not mere excitement.
From hidden seed (secret fire) to manifest radiance and ordered formation—microcosm of creation from the concealed to the expressed.
Integral-psychological Vedic interpretation (Aurobindo): inner sacrifice producing illumination and harmony.
Morning (suggested by emergence of light)
Hidden ember = latent will in the heart; banner of light = unmistakable clarity; ordered ranks = disciplined life-energies and thoughts.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘kindled god’ mythologem: Agni grows by the mouths of offering and becomes a luminous standard; his shining is simultaneously an ordering force, arranging the energies into right ranks (śreṇi) for the work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ās ‘mouth’ has clear PIE cognation (Latin ōs). The imagery of ‘banner/sign’ (ketu) and ‘shine’ (bhrāj) reflects inherited Indo-European poetics where light signifies presence and sovereignty.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes a reciprocity: human ‘mouths’ increase Agni; Agni returns the gift by shining and imposing order—turning dispersed faculties into an organized host fit for ṛta.
Find the ‘hidden-seated’ flame in the heart; feed it with a single-pointed offering (one intention, one aspiration).
Anahata (heart-fire hidden) moving to Ajna (light-bannered clarity)
Gentle ujjāyī or slow inhale-offer/exhale-release: inhale ‘increase’; exhale ‘shine and order’.
Bright, collected, organized; readiness for disciplined action.
During japa, after each recitation pause briefly and sense the ‘ranks’ forming: align body (posture), breath (steady), mind (one aim).
Notated svaras not provided; maintain clear udātta rises where traditional accenting indicates; keep compounds flowing.
Do not break kṛpanīḻam and bhāsāketum; let the main lift land naturally on the long vowels (ā, ī).
kṛpa: vocalic ṛ, brief and clear, nīḻam: long ī; retroflex ḻ, bhāsāketum: long ā in bhāsā; keep ketum crisp, śreṇidan: retroflex ṇ; short i in -dan
Bright, forward tone; slightly quicker to evoke ‘shining’ and ‘ordering’.
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