Rig Veda 3.27.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 27, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.27
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
पृथुपाजा अमर्त्यो घृतनिर्णिक्स्वाहुतः । अग्निर्यज्ञस्य हव्यवाट् ॥
pṛthupā́jā amártyo ghṛtanírṇik svā́hutaḥ | agnír yajñásya havyavā́ṭ ||
పృథుపాజ, అమర్త్యుడు, ఘృత-నిర్ణిక్తుడు, స్వాహుతుడు—అగ్ని యజ్ఞస్య హవ్యవాహుడు (హవిష్-వాహకుడు).
Word by Word
- पृथुपाजाः
- broad-strong / wide-radiant (one)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्—अग्नेः)Root पृथु- (प्रातिपदिक) + पाजस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strength/brightness’) (बहुव्रीहि-समास)
- अमर्त्यः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्—अग्नेः)Root अ- (निषेध) + मर्त्य- (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतनिर्णिक्
- (he) whose covering/brightness is gheeNoun (epithet used appositionally)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (समानाधिकरणम्—अग्नेः)Root घृत- (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्णिज्/निर्णिक्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘covering/garment, sheen’) (तत्पुरुष-समास)
- स्वाहुतः
- well-offered / duly invokedParticiple (past passive) used adjectivallyपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्—अग्नेः)Root सु- (उपसर्ग) + आ-√हु (धातु ‘to pour/offer, invoke’) → आहुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
- अग्निः
- Agni (Fire)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी; ‘of’)Root यज्ञ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हव्यवाट्
- carrier of the oblationNoun (agent epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (समानाधिकरणम्—अग्नेः)Root हव्य- (प्रातिपदिक ‘oblation’) + वाह्/वह् (धातु ‘to carry’) → वाऽट्/वाट् (कृदन्त/नामधातु-निष्पन्न; ‘carrier’) (तत्पुरुष-समास)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: पृथुपाजाः | अमर्त्यः | घृतनिर्णिक् | स्वाहुतः | अग्निः | यज्ञस्य | हव्यवाट् । 1) ‘अग्निर्यज्ञस्य’ = अग्निः + यज्ञस्य (विसर्ग-लोपः/रेफादेशः: ः + य → र्य). 2) ‘घृतनिर्णिक्’ समासपदम्
- RV-पाठे अन्त्य-व्यञ्जन ‘क्’ पदान्ते स्थितम्. 3) ‘हव्यवाट्’ RV-रूपः (वह्-धातोः वहनकर्तरि नाम; पदान्ते ट्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni is wide in force, immortal, clothed in ghee-brightness, well-offered; he is the carrier of the oblation of the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
Agni is not a small personal will but ‘pṛthupājā’—vast in effective power when aligned to the Divine. ‘Amartya’ indicates the deathless principle in us (psychic/divine flame) supporting transformation. ‘Ghṛtanirṇik’ is the luminous clarity (ghṛta) that coats and protects the flame—symbol of purified mind-substance and sweet, clarified consciousness. ‘Su-āhuta’ is the right offering: energies given with sincerity and right method. As ‘havyavāṭ’, Agni carries our offerings upward—translating human effort into divine acceptance and inner realization.
Universal truth
When will becomes wide, purified, and rightly offered, it joins the deathless principle and becomes a true carrier of transformation—turning ordinary action into sacred offering.
Themes
Agni-as-mediator, rightness-of-offering, luminous-purity, immortal-fire
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.27.4, Rig Veda 3.27.6, Rig Veda 3.62.10
Family tradition
Focus on effective force (vāja/pāja) and right offering; the seer’s mantras often stress correct alignment (su-) and widening power.
Significance
The verse articulates the integral formula: widen the will, purify it (ghṛta), offer it rightly (su-āhuti), and let Agni carry it to the divine fulfillment.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- pṛthupājā, amartya, ghṛtanirṇik, svāhuta/suāhuta, havyavāṭ
- Related deities
- Soma (ghṛta/bliss nourishment parallel), Bṛhaspati (word/ritual mastery), Indra (widening and victory)
Cosmic role
Priest-carrier of offerings; sustainer of immortality in the rite; luminous power that bridges worlds.
Inner power
Expands will, grants endurance, clarifies mind, and uplifts offerings into higher realization.
In ritual
Where it is used
Oblation (āhuti) moments emphasizing ghṛta offerings; praise of Agni as havyavāhana/havyavāṭ.
पृ॒थु॒पाजा॒ अम॑र्त्यो घृ॒तनि॑र्णि॒क्स्वा॑हुतः । अ॒ग्निर्य॒ज्ञस्य॑ हव्य॒वाट् ॥
पृ॒थु॒ऽपाजाः॑ । अम॑र्त्यः । घृ॒तऽनि॑र्निक् । सुऽआ॑हुतः । अ॒ग्निः । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । ह॒व्य॒ऽवाट् ॥
pṛthu-pājāḥ | amartyaḥ | ghṛta-nirnik | su-āhutaḥ | agniḥ | yajñasya | havya-vāṭ
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3×8 syllables; epithets create a stately, weighty compactness.
Dense and affirmative; feels like a declaration of Agni’s stature.
Stabilizes confidence and invokes a sense of vast, protected energy.
- pṛthu-pājāḥ
- Literal: wide in strength/force. Symbolic: vast, effective will-power not cramped by ego
- amartyaḥ
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless flame in the being; enduring spiritual principle
- ghṛta-nirṇik
- Literal: clothed/bright with ghee. Symbolic: clarified consciousness, luminous mind-substance that feeds and protects the flame
- su-āhutaḥ
- Literal: well-offered, rightly invoked. Symbolic: right giving of energies; sincerity and correctness in sādhanā
- havyavāṭ
- Literal: carrier/conveyor of oblation. Symbolic: power that lifts offerings to higher consciousness; mediator of transformation
- yajñasya
- Literal: of the sacrifice. Symbolic: the consecrated life-process as yoga
Oblation-carrier formula; used at offering moments to affirm Agni’s mediating role and the correctness (svāhuta) of the offering.
During ghee offerings and when confirming Agni’s role as carrier; also suitable for household lamp/diya as symbolic ghṛta.
Offer ghṛta with svāhā while reciting; affirm right offering.
Before meals or work: a brief consecration—offer the act into the ‘ghṛta-bright’ flame of awareness.
pṛthu ‘broad’ (PIE *pl̥th₂u- ‘broad’ parallels in IE) + pājas ‘strength, might’ (pājas from √paj/√pā? Vedic ‘force, splendour’). amartya a- + martya (mṛ ‘die’) → deathless. svāhuta su + āhuta (√hu ‘offer’) → well offered. havya from √hu; vāṭ from √vah ‘carry’ (cf. vahana) → carrier.
immortality (amṛta/amartya), right offering (su-āhuta) as alignment with ṛta, mediation between human and divine
Right offering (su-āhuta) aligns personal movement to cosmic order.
Clarified consciousness (ghṛta) supports truthful perception and action.
Nourishment of the flame sustains the ascent toward immortality.
Vedic psychology of immortality: amartya Agni as deathless principle in embodied practice.
Ghee = clarified mind/joyous essence feeding aspiration; wide flame = widening consciousness; carrier = upward movement of offerings.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as havyavāṭ, the conveyor of offerings: the mediating fire that carries the oblation to the gods. Psychologically, the awakened will (Agni) carries the offered energies of the being upward when the offering is ‘svāhuta’—rightly placed and purified.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The carrier function is built on √vah ‘carry’ (wide IE distribution) and √hu ‘pour/offer’ (sacrificial lexicon). The epithet pṛthu ‘broad’ has strong IE cognacy, reflecting inherited descriptive diction for divine power as ‘wide’ or ‘vast’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi affirms correct reciprocity: when the offering is well-made (svāhuta), Agni—immortal and luminous—fulfils his office as carrier. The devatā is thus both recipient-side mediator and inner power that ensures the aspirant’s sacrifice becomes effective contact with the divine worlds.
Widen the will: feel the breath expand the inner space; offer one action into a golden flame of clarified awareness (ghṛta).
manipura
kapālabhāti (mild) followed by calm breathing to evoke pāja (force) and then clarity (ghṛta)
strong, luminous, widened; steady readiness to act as offering.
Recite 7 times; then perform one chosen act slowly with the feeling ‘su-āhuta’—rightly offered, without ego-claim.
Keep accents crisp; the line has weight—avoid rushing. Let ‘amartyo’ and ‘havyavāṭ’ receive clear tonal prominence per Vedic accenting where marked in the text tradition.
Sustain long vowels (ā, ī) fully; end of each pāda with a stable, grounded cadence.
pṛthu: ṛ short and crisp; th aspirated, pājāḥ: long ā; visarga ḥ lightly aspirated at end, ghṛtanirṇik: gh aspirated; ṛ; cluster rn; keep i short, suāhutaḥ: separate su-ā-; do not collapse vowels too much, havyavāṭ: vāṭ with long ā; ṭ retroflex
warm, resonant, grounded; feel ‘ghee-bright’ smoothness in tone.
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