Rig Veda 10.87.22: Mandala 10, Sukta 87, Mantra 22
Sukta 10.87
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
परि त्वाग्ने पुरं वयं विप्रं सहस्य धीमहि । धृषद्वर्णं दिवेदिवे हन्तारं भङ्गुरावताम् ॥
pari tvāgne puraṃ vayaṃ vipraṃ sahasya dhīmahi | dhṛṣadvarṇaṃ divedive hantāraṃ bhaṅgurāvatām ||
అగ్నీ, నీ చుట్టూ మేము ఒక దుర్గంలా నిర్మించుకుంటాము; నీ చుట్టూ—విప్రా, మహాబలవంతుడా—మా ధీ (చింతన-శక్తి)ని స్థాపిస్తాము. దినదినమూ నిన్ను ధృష్టవర్ణుడిగా, దివ్యంగా జ్వలించే వాడిగా, భఙ్గురావతుల (భంగం కలిగించే విఘ్నకారుల) హంతగా ధరిస్తాము.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण)Role Adhikaraṇa (परितः/पर्यन्ते—क्रियाविशेषण)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचन (एनक्लिटिक रूप)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root अग्नि
- पुरम्
- the stronghold, fort, cityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (परि…—परितः ‘पुरम्’)Root पुर्/पुर (प्रातिपदिक: पुर् ‘नगर/दुर्ग’)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- विप्रम्
- the inspired sage/poet (as epithet), inspired oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (धीमहि—‘विप्रम्’ अग्निम्)Root विप्र
- सहस्य
- of strength, of mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (विप्रम्—‘सहस्य’ = of might)Root सहस् (प्रातिपदिक: सहस् ‘बल/वीर्य’)
- धीमहि
- we place/establish; we meditate uponVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root धा (धातु; वेदिक प्रयोग ‘धी’/‘ध्या’—धारण/ध्यान/स्थापन)
- धृषद्वर्णम्
- of bold/impetuous color; fierce-huedAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (अग्निम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (धीमहि—अग्निम्, विशेषणम्)Root धृषद्-वर्ण (समास; धृषद् < धृष् ‘धर्षणे/साहसे’ + वर्ण)
- दिवे-दिवे
- day by dayNoun (reduplicated adverbial)सप्तमी एकवचन, आवृत्तिः (अव्ययीभाववत्—‘प्रत्यहं’)Role Adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिवस/दिव)
- हन्तारम्
- the slayer, destroyerAgent nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (धीमहि—अग्निम् ‘हन्तारम्’ इति)Root हन् (धातु) → हन्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- भङ्गुरावताम्
- of the fragile/breakable ones (i.e., of the foes)Adjective (possessive) used substantivelyपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole Sambandha (हन्तारम्—‘भङ्गुरावताम्’ = of the breakable/fragile ones, i.e., foes)Root भङ्गुरावत् (प्रातिपदिक; भङ्गुर ‘भङ्गशील’ + -वत् ‘युक्त’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: परि त्वा अग्ने पुरम् वयम् विप्रम् सहस्य धीमहि । धृषद्वर्णम् दिवे-दिवे हन्तारम् भङ्गुरावताम् । Key points: (1) त्वाग्ने = त्वा + अग्ने (vowel coalescence ā)
- (2) दिवेदिवे is a fixed Vedic repetition (दिवे-दिवे) functioning adverbially ‘day by day’
- (3) धृषद्वर्णं kept as compound
The meaning
Outer meaning
The worshippers “build” a protective stronghold around Agni by their prayer and thought, holding him day after day as the bold-flaming slayer of those who break and disrupt.
Inner meaning
The seeker gathers the consciousness around the inner Fire (Agni) as a fortress of concentrated will and aspiration. Agni, the inspired seer-power (vipra), is kindled and sustained by dhī (thought-force) and becomes the vigilant destroyer of inner disruptors—forces that “break” the formation of sādhanā: doubt, inertia, hostile impulses, and divisive suggestions.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires an organized inner protection: a steady center of will and discernment that, renewed daily, dissolves forces of fragmentation and restores integrity of purpose.
Themes
Fortress symbolism, Agni as slayer of disruptors, Daily discipline, Defense of rita
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.87.23, Rig Veda 10.87.24, Rig Veda 10.87.25
Significance
The seer-voice here is collective and practical: it emphasizes building a stable inner citadel around Agni so the Yoga is not scattered. In Aurobindonian terms, it is the formation of a protected psychic-mental space where the Will can act without leakage.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- vipra (inspired), sahasya (mighty/forceful), dhṛṣadvarṇa (bold-flaming), hantā (slayer)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Priest of the sacrifice, purifier and protector; the force that carries offerings and burns away disorder.
Inner power
Concentrated will, tapas in action, the flame of discernment that detects and consumes falsehood and division.
In ritual
Where it is used
Rakṣohāma / obstacle-burning Agni-invocation within Soma or Agnihotra-related sequences (protective use)
परि॑ त्वाग्ने॒ पुरं॑ व॒यं विप्रं॑ सहस्य धीमहि । धृ॒षद्व॑र्णं दि॒वेदि॑वे ह॒न्तारं॑ भङ्गु॒राव॑ताम् ॥
परि॑ । त्वा॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । पुर॑म् । व॒यम् । विप्र॑म् । स॒ह॒स्य॒ । धी॒म॒हि॒ । धृ॒षत्ऽव॑र्णम् । दि॒वेऽदि॑वे । ह॒न्तार॑म् । भ॒ङ्गु॒रऽव॑ताम् ॥
pari | tvā | agne | puram | vayam | vipram | sahasya | dhīmahi | dhṛṣat-varṇam | dive--dive | hantāram | bhaṅgura-vatām
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4 pādas of ~8 syllables (compact, marching cadence)
Firm, clipped, protective; suitable for warding and resolve.
Builds steadiness and a ‘sealed’ feeling in the mind; energizes vigilance and boundary against intrusive thoughts.
- अग्नि (Agni)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will and conscious force leading the inner sacrifice
- पुरम् (puram)
- Literal: stronghold/fortress. Symbolic: protected formation of consciousness; a sealed inner space for sādhanā
- विप्र (vipra)
- Literal: inspired sage. Symbolic: illumined discerning power within Agni-consciousness
- धीमहि (dhīmahi)
- Literal: we place/hold our thought. Symbolic: steady fixation of dhī—intentional concentration and aspiration
- धृषद्वर्ण (dhṛṣadvarṇa)
- Literal: bold in color/flame. Symbolic: fearless, intense transformative energy
- दिवेदिवे (dive-dive)
- Literal: day by day. Symbolic: continual renewal; daily re-consecration
- हन्तारम् (hantāram)
- Literal: slayer. Symbolic: power that cuts through resistance
- भङ्गुरावत् (bhaṅgurāvat)
- Literal: having breaking/disrupting nature. Symbolic: forces that fracture unity—inner saboteurs, hostile formations
Establishing protective ‘pura’ around the fire/altar and the sacrificer; daily reinforcement (divedive) in household and soma contexts.
When invoking Agni for protection; before/around offerings to ward off hostile forces
Kindling/strengthening Agni with mantra; circum-mental ‘enclosure’ through recitation
Use as a daily protective sankalpa-mantra before meditation: establish inner boundary, then kindle will.
pur- ‘fortress’ becomes a psychological image: a defended formation of consciousness around Agni. sahas ‘force’ (root √sah ‘to be strong, prevail’) supports the inner reading of spiritual puissance. √han ‘to smite’ → hantā- ‘slayer’, a standard Vedic combat epithet. dhṛṣ- ‘dare’ marks fearless energy; varṇa as ‘lustre/color’ is also ‘manifested form’—Agni’s daring manifestation.
Sahas (spiritual force), Protective formation (pura as inner citadel), Continual sādhana (divedive)
Agni restores Ṛta by burning what fragments the ordered movement of the sacrifice (inner life).
Truth is upheld by integrity of formation—thought aligned with will, renewed daily.
Sustaining the inner ‘city’ where the divine work can proceed; protection of the becoming.
Proto-yogic/psychological reading aligned with Upaniṣadic interiorization (Agni as inner guide)
daily (any time; especially dawn/evening kindling)
Fire = will; fortress = collected consciousness; daily cycle = continuous practice and renewal.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘citadel around fire’ mythologem: Agni is installed as the central power, and around him a ‘pura’ is formed—symbolically a protected inner city of ṛta—by sustained dhī (thought/vision).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sah (sahas) corresponds to PIE *seǵʰ- / *seh₂- ‘to prevail, be strong’ (strength semantics across IE). √han ‘strike’ is Indo-Iranian and finds cognate strike/kill roots across IE poetic diction (though exact PIE reconstruction varies). The fortress image (pur) resonates with Indo-Iranian fortified space as ordered cosmos vs. hostile outside.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi ‘builds’ around Agni through dhī: the human contribution is sustained concentration and inspired formulation; Agni’s return is active slaying of the ‘breakers’—forces that shatter coherence, discipline, and truth-order.
Build the ‘inner citadel’: gather attention around the heart-flame/psychic fire; invoke Agni to burn intrusive formations.
Anāhata (heart)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana for 3–5 rounds, then silent breath with attention on a warm central flame.
Vigilant collectedness (ekāgratā with protective clarity).
Before sitting, recite once slowly to ‘seal’ the space; then repeat 8 or 12 times briskly to awaken force; end with quiet witnessing of the steady flame.
Use Vedic accenting as marked in the Saṃhitā text (udātta/anudātta/svarita); keep udātta slightly raised, svarita as falling glide.
Maintain clear rise on marked udātta syllables (e.g., परि॑); avoid flattening final cadence—keep anuṣṭubh pādas crisp.
Agne: short e with clear nasal-less ‘gn’ cluster, dhṛṣadvarṇam: pronounce ṛ as vocalic ‘ri’ (dhri-ṣad-), keep retroflex ṣ, dive-dive: separate as di-ve di-ve, not ‘divedive’, bhaṅgurāvatām: keep ṅ (velar nasal) before g; long ā in -rā-
Firm, bright, contained (protective tone).
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