Rig Veda 3.1.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 1, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.1
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism)
प्राञ्चं यज्ञं चकृम वर्धतां गीः समिद्भिरग्निं नमसा दुवस्यन् । दिवः शशासुर्विदथा कवीनां गृत्साय चित्तवसे गातुमीषुः ॥
prā́ñcaṃ yajñáṃ cakṛma várdhatāṃ gī́ḥ samídbhīr agníṃ námasā duvasyán | diváḥ śaśāsur vidáthā kavīnā́ṃ gṛtsā́ya cit taváse gātúm ī́ṣuḥ ||
మేము యజ్ఞాన్ని ప్రాఞ్చం—ముందుకు సాగేలా—చేశాము; ధిషణా-ప్రేరిత గీః—ప్రేరణ వాక్కు—వర్ధిల్లుగాక. సమిధ్లతో నమసా—వినయార్పణ—చేస్తూ అగ్నిని సేవిస్తున్నాము. దివః నుండి కవుల విదథ—యజ్ఞ-సత్రాలు—స్థాపితమయ్యాయి; గృత్సమద—బలవంతుడైన ఋషి—కొరకు కూడా వారు గాతుమ్—గమనమార్గం—ను అన్వేషించారు, చిత్తవస్—అంతర్భలం—ముందుకు సాగేందుకు అవకాశం కలుగుగాక.
Word by Word
- प्राञ्चम्
- forward-facing; directed forwardAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot प्राञ्च् (प्र-√अञ्च्) / प्राञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice; ritualNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; √यज्)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- चक्रिम
- we have made; we fashionedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √कृ (करोति)
- वर्धताम्
- let (them) grow/increaseVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), तृतीयपुरुष, द्विवचन (वैदिक-प्रयोगः), आत्मनेपदRoot √वृध्
- गीः
- songs; hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गी (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिद्भिः
- with kindling-sticks; with fuelNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- Agni; the fireNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमसा
- with reverence; with homageNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुवस्यन्
- serving; worshipping; honoringVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि)Role कर्तृRoot √दुवस् (दुवस्यति) / दुवस्यन्त्
- दिवः
- of heaven; of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके ‘द्यौः’), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शशासुः
- they have instructed/ordained; they have taughtVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √शास्
- विदथा
- ritual distributions/assemblies; ceremonial actsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- कवीनाम्
- of the seers/poetsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृत्साय
- to Gṛtsa (a seer)Noun (proper name)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot गृत्स (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- चित्तवसे
- to the thoughtful/intent one (Cittavas)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot चित्तवस् (प्रातिपदिक; विशेषण/नाम)
- गातुम्
- path; passage; wayNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गातु (प्रातिपदिक; √गा/√गम्)
- ईषुः
- they have sought; they have desiredVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √इष्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): प्राञ्चम् | यज्ञम् | च | चक्रिम | वर्धताम् | गीः | समिद्भिः | अग्निम् | नमसा | दुवस्यन् | दिवः | शशासुः | विदथा | कवीनाम् | गृत्साय | च | चित्तवसे | गातुम् | ईषुः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) ‘चकृम’ → ‘चक्रिम’ (लिट्-रूपे वैदिक-पर्याय/पदपाठ-रूपः)
- (2) ‘समिद्भिरग्निम्’ → ‘समिद्भिः अग्निम्’ (विसर्ग/र्-सन्धि)
- (3) ‘शशासुर्विदथा’ → ‘शशासुः विदथा’ (विसर्ग-सन्धि)
- (4) ‘कवीनां गृत्साय’ इत्यत्र सन्धि-रहित-पदविभागः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
“We have set the sacrifice moving forward; may the song increase. With kindlings we serve Agni with reverence. The seers established the sessions from heaven; even for the strong Gṛtsamada they sought a path of going.”
Inner meaning
The ‘sacrifice’ is the progressive movement of consecrated life (yajña) oriented forward (prāñcam) toward higher consciousness. ‘Gīḥ’ is inspired speech that must grow by practice and sincerity. ‘Samidbhih’ are kindlings—inner materials (aspiration, discipline, right habits) that feed Agni. The ‘sessions of the seers from heaven’ indicate that true inner practices descend from higher planes of knowledge, not merely human invention. The mention of Gṛtsamada signals continuity of the Vedic lineage: the strong seeker too needs a ‘gātu’—a passage/opening—through resistances so the force can advance.
Universal truth
Spiritual life is a forward movement sustained by steady offerings. Inspiration grows when fed by disciplined practice. The path opens through lineage, guidance, and persistent will.
Themes
Ritual-as-ascent, Agni-kindling, Seer-tradition, Path-opening
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Kauśika (Viśvāmitra lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1.1, RV 3.1.3, RV 3.62
Family tradition
A tradition of tapas-driven ascent and the establishment of right inner forms (vidatha) that support revelation.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s voice often organizes the yoga: set the movement, increase the mantra, feed the fire, open the path.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- prāṇetṛ (leader forward—implied), duvas (served), havyavāhana (carrier of offerings—implied by context)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (path-opener for word), Indra (force of breakthrough), Sarasvatī (increasing gīḥ)
Cosmic role
The forward-leading flame that makes progress possible and connects heaven’s knowledge with earth’s practice.
Inner power
Will that advances; power of breakthrough (gātu) through resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni kindling and opening of a rite; also suitable as a ‘pravara’ of inner sacrifice
प्राञ्चं॑ य॒ज्ञं च॑कृम॒ वर्ध॑तां॒ गीः स॒मिद्भि॑र॒ग्निं नम॑सा दुवस्यन् । दि॒वः श॑शासुर्वि॒दथा॑ कवी॒नां गृत्सा॑य चित्त॒वसे॑ गा॒तुमी॑षुः ॥
प्राञ्च॑म् । य॒ज्ञम् । च॒कृ॒म॒ । वर्ध॑ताम् । गीः । स॒मित्ऽभिः॑ । अ॒ग्निम् । नम॑सा । दु॒व॒स्य॒न् । दि॒वः । श॒शा॒सुः॒ । वि॒दथा॑ । क॒वी॒नाम् । गृसा॑य । चि॒त् । त॒वसे॑ । गा॒तुम् । ई॒षुः॒ ॥
prāñcam | yajñam | cakṛma | vardhatām | gīḥ | samit-bhiḥ | agnim | namasā | duvasyan | divaḥ | śaśāsuḥ | vidathā | kavīnām | gṛsāya | cit | tavase | gātum | īṣuḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Progressive, slightly accelerating feel (prāñcam) with firm caesurae.
Creates a sense of onward movement and collective strengthening of aspiration.
- prāñcam
- Literal: forward-facing, advancing. Symbolic: progressive orientation of consciousness toward the higher
- yajña
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: consecrated inner work; offering of nature to the Divine
- gīḥ
- Literal: song, inspired speech. Symbolic: mantric inspiration; illumined thought-expression
- samidbhih
- Literal: with kindling sticks. Symbolic: supports of practice—effort, aspiration, right routines feeding the flame
- namasā duvasyan
- Literal: serving with obeisance. Symbolic: humility and surrender that make will plastic to Truth
- kavīnāṃ vidathā
- Literal: assemblies/sessions of seers. Symbolic: organized inner workings of higher knowledge-powers
- divaḥ
- Literal: from heaven. Symbolic: from higher mind/supramental light
- gātu
- Literal: path, passage. Symbolic: opening in consciousness; breakthrough-channel for force (śakti)
Kindling and honoring Agni at the opening of sacrifice; mantra suitable for establishing the forward movement (prāñc) of the rite.
At the commencement/renewal of the fire and recitation to increase gīḥ.
Offering kindlings; reverential service; affirming the forward movement of yajña.
Use as a ‘start-of-day’ mantra to set intention: advance one step, feed the inner fire, and ask for the opening (gātu).
prāñc ‘forward’ signals teleology of yajña as ascent/progression. duvas (√duvas) ‘honor/service’ suggests a reciprocal economy with the divine powers. gātu (from √gā) is a key Vedic term: not merely ‘path’ but an opening of passage for consciousness/force.
Progressive yajña (prāñc), Kavi (seer-intelligence), Gātu (path/opening)
Yajña as the human participation in ṛta—progress aligned with cosmic order.
Gīḥ increases when it serves satya rather than egoic display.
Heaven’s patterns (divaḥ) are established on earth through seers—descent of forms of knowledge into practice.
Early yogic pragmatics: descent-and-ascent model; lineage of revelation.
Kindling = practices; fire = will; sky = higher mind; path = opening through inner knots.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- ‘Opening the path’: the seers establish vidathas ‘from heaven’ and seek gātu—an archetypal Vedic action where the way for divine descent/ascent is cleared by right speech and kindled Agni.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow’ continues PIE *werdʰ- (cf. English ‘worth’ via Germanic developments in semantic neighborhood of increase/value). √nem (namas, ‘bow’) relates to PIE *nem- ‘assign/portion/bend’ in the sense of inclining oneself—ritual humility as a structural Indo-European gesture.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s act is service (duvas) through fuel (samidh) and reverence (namas), enabling Agni to become the forward-driving power of the yajña; the divine response is the establishment of a gātu—effective passage for the work of transformation.
Set the inner work moving forward; ask for an opening; strengthen mantra-force (gīḥ).
Maṇipūra (drive) with support from Mūlādhāra (fuel/steadiness)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally repeating ‘prāñcaṃ yajñam’.
Directed aspiration with steady, grounded energy.
Name one concrete offering today (habit, reaction). Feed Agni with it (samid). End by invoking ‘gātu’—a simple next step and an opening beyond resistance.
Chant with Vedic accents from a svara text; emphasize prāñcam, vardhatām, agnim, gātu.
Keep ‘prāñcaṃ yajñaṃ’ firm; lift on ‘vardhatāṃ gīḥ’; articulate ‘samidbhir agnim’.
prāñcam: palatal ñc, not ‘nch’, vardhatām: clear dh + tām, samidbhih: keep final ḥ aspiration audible before pause, duvasyan: ‘va’ not ‘ba’, gātum īṣuḥ: long ā; īṣuḥ with long ī and retroflex ṣ
Resolute and steady; slightly more forceful on the first pāda.
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