Rig Veda 3.9.6: Mandala 3, Sukta 9, Mantra 6
Sukta 3.9
- Rishi
- Gāthina Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तं त्वा मर्ता अगृभ्णत देवेभ्यो हव्यवाहन । विश्वान्यद्यज्ञाँ अभिपासि मानुष तव क्रत्वा यविष्ठ्य ॥
táṃ tvā martā́ agṛbhṇata devébhyo havyavāhana | víśvāny ád yajñā́m̐ abhípāsi mā́nuṣa táva krátvā yaviṣṭhya ||
హే హవ్యవాహన! మానవులు దేవుల కొరకు నిన్ను గ్రహించారు. హే మనుష్యాభిముఖ అగ్నీ! నీవు నీ క్రతు (కార్యసాధక జ్ఞాన-సంకల్పం) బలంతో నేటి సమస్త యజ్ఞాలను కాపాడుతున్నావు; హే యవిష్ఠ్య (అత్యంత యువ/నవీన) శక్తిమంతుడా.
Word by Word
- तम्
- him/that (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्ताः
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- अगृभ्णत
- they seized/heldVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथम पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot ग्रह् (धातु) < गृभ्णाति
- देवेभ्यः
- from the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole अपादानRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- हव्यवाहन
- O oblation-carrier (Agni)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot हव्य-वाहन (समास-प्रातिपदिक; वह् ‘to carry’)
- विश्वानि
- all (things/rites)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today/nowIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकारणRoot अद्य (अव्यय)
- यज्ञान्
- sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, overIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पासि
- you protect/guardVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पा (धातु) ‘to protect’
- मानुष
- O (one) belonging to men / O human-friendly oneAdjective/Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रत्वा
- by (your) resolve/ritual powerNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- यविष्ठ्य
- O youngest (Agni)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot यविष्ठ्य (प्रातिपदिक; superlative epithet of अग्नि, ‘youngest/most youthful’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolution): तं | त्वा | मर्ताः | अगृभ्णत | देवेभ्यः | हव्यवाहन | विश्वानि | अद्य | यज्ञान् | अभि | पासि | मानुष | तव | क्रत्वा | यविष्ठ्य । मुख्य सन्धि/रूप-टिप्पणी: (1) ‘विश्वा॒न्यद्य॒ज्ञाँ’ = विश्वानि + अद्य + यज्ञान् (पदसंहिता में संयोग/स्वर-प्रभाव). (2) ‘अभि॒पासि’ = अभि (उपसर्ग) + पासि (पा धातु, लट् 2sg). (3) ‘अगृभ्णत’ लुङ्-अorist (ग्रह्) का वैदिक रूप
- अर्थ ‘उन्होंने ग्रहण किया/पकड़ा’. (4) ‘देवेभ्यः’ यहाँ ‘देवों से’ (अपादान) अर्थ में
- विभक्ति-रूप चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी समान. (5) सम्बोधन-पदानि: हव्यवाहन, मानुष, यविष्ठ्य (अग्नि के विशेषण)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Mortals have seized you for the gods, O carrier of the offering. For you guard all sacrifices, O human-facing one, by your effective will, O youngest in power.
Inner meaning
The human being ‘takes hold’ of Agni—awakens and fixes the divine Will in the embodied nature—so that the inner gods (higher powers) may receive the offering of works, feelings, and thoughts. Agni as Havyavāhana is the carrier that translates human substance into divine force. He ‘guards’ all sacrifices: he protects the process of inner offering from distortion and relapse by his kratu—effective intelligence-will. As Mānuṣa (turned toward man), he is accessible in the embodied field; as Yaviṣṭhya (youngest), he is ever-renewed, always fresh in action.
Universal truth
Transformation requires a conscious mediating power within life. When the inner flame is held steadily, it safeguards all sincere effort and converts ordinary actions into a progressive offering.
Themes
Agni as guardian, human installation of divine fire, effective will (kratu)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gāthina Viśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.9 (entire hymn context), RV 3.1, RV 3.2
Family tradition
Strong emphasis on yajña as an inner discipline guarded by Agni’s kratu; human-divine collaboration is central.
Significance
The seer frames yoga as a deliberate human act: to ‘seize’ the divine Will and entrust to it the governance of all offerings.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Havyavāhana, Mānuṣa, Yaviṣṭhya
- Related deities
- Soma (delight that sustains sacrifice), Indra (illumination that uses Agni’s force), Bṛhaspati (word/vision that shapes the rite)
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine; guardian of yajña; awakener of the gods in man.
Inner power
Disciplined will guided by luminous intelligence (kratu) that protects and perfects the inner offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Agni invocation in offerings; protective recitation for continuity of rite.
तं त्वा॒ मर्ता॑ अगृभ्णत दे॒वेभ्यो॑ हव्यवाहन । विश्वा॒न्यद्य॒ज्ञाँ अ॑भि॒पासि॑ मानुष॒ तव॒ क्रत्वा॑ यविष्ठ्य ॥
तम् । त्वा॒ । मर्ताः॑ । अ॒गृ॒भ्ण॒त॒ । दे॒वेभ्यः॑ । ह॒व्य॒ऽवा॒ह॒न॒ । विश्वा॑न् । यत् । य॒ज्ञान् । अ॒भि॒ऽपासि॑ । मा॒नु॒ष॒ । तव॑ । क्रत्वा॑ । य॒वि॒ष्ठ्य॒ ॥
tam | tvā | martāḥ | agṛbhṇata | devebhyaḥ | havya-vāhana | viśvān | yat | yajñān | abhi-pāsi | mānuṣa | tava | kratvā | yaviṣṭhya
44
4 × ~11
Declarative and steady; a ‘holding’ rhythm fitting the theme of grasping and guarding.
Stabilizes attention; supports resolve and commitment to sustained practice.
- martāḥ
- Literal: mortals. Symbolic: the embodied seeker; human nature in evolution
- agṛbhṇata
- Literal: have seized/held. Symbolic: to grasp and fix the inner flame in awareness
- havyavāhana
- Literal: carrier of the oblation. Symbolic: power that conveys aspiration/works to higher consciousness
- abhipāsi
- Literal: you guard, oversee. Symbolic: protects the integrity of sadhana and inner sacrifice
- yajñān
- Literal: sacrifices. Symbolic: all acts of self-offering—thought, will, emotion, work
- mānuṣa
- Literal: human, belonging to men. Symbolic: Agni present and operative in embodied life
- kratu
- Literal: will, resolve, inspired intelligence. Symbolic: effective knowledge-will that accomplishes transformation
- yaviṣṭhya
- Literal: youngest, most youthful. Symbolic: ever-new flame; constant renewal of aspiration
Establishing Agni as Hotṛ/Havyavāhana at the rite; also inner injunction: place the will-fire to guard the total yajña of life
At kindling and before offerings; also as a reaffirmation when the rite must be protected from error.
Lighting/feeding fire; offering ghee; declaring Agni as guardian and carrier.
Use as a vow-mantra: before work or meditation, mentally ‘hand over’ actions to Agni to keep them aligned with inner truth.
agṛbhṇata from √grah ‘grasp’ indicates deliberate installation of Agni in the human vessel. abhípāsi from √pā ‘protect’ (PIE *peh₂- ‘protect, shepherd’) frames Agni as guardian of yajña (the ordered self-offering). krátu is will-power + discernment (not mere ‘ritual’): the cognitive efficacy that makes the offering reach the gods.
yajña as self-offering, kratu as effective will-intelligence, guardianship of ṛta through protected rite
Agni’s guardianship ensures yajña proceeds according to ṛta rather than ego impulse.
Kratu as truth-guided will; sincerity in offering.
Ever-young fire as renewing evolutionary impulse in matter-life-mind.
Karma-yoga archetype in Vedic form: works offered through Agni to the divine powers.
Hearth-fire = inner will in embodied life; offering = self-giving of energies; guarding = conscious vigilance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘installation of Agni’ by mortals for the gods: humanity becomes the field where the divine mediator is held and made operative. Mythically it is the settling of the messenger; psychologically it is the conscious taking up of the will-fire that guards the whole inner sacrifice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘protect’ (abhípāsi) corresponds to PIE *peh₂- ‘guard, protect’ (cf. Latin pāstor ‘shepherd’ from related pastoral semantics). √vah ‘carry’ (havyavāhana) aligns with PIE *weǵʰ- (Latin vehō).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal economy: humans ‘grasp’ and maintain Agni (care, fuel, attention), and Agni in return ‘guards’ all yajñas by kratu. The rishi frames this as an alliance where disciplined human holding enables divine governance of the offering.
Entrusting all actions to the inner flame; cultivating kratu (effective will).
Maṇipūra (will) with support of Viśuddha (offering through word/intention)
4–4–6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to ‘hold’ Agni steady; then silent offering on exhale.
Collected, vigilant, action-ready calm.
Before any activity, inwardly ‘grasp’ the flame at the navel/heart and state: ‘Guard this offering.’ Let speech and action proceed as oblations.
Observe udatta marks; keep a firm, even pitch baseline with clear rises on accented syllables; Triṣṭubh caesura helps steadiness.
Emphasize epithets distinctly: ha-vya-vā-ha-na; mā-nu-ṣa; ya-vi-ṣṭhya.
agṛbhṇata: cluster bhṇ—keep nasal ṇ retroflex and audible., havyavāhana: vāvā sequence—do not collapse vowels., abhipāsi: aspirate phonetically as bh + i; keep long ā in pāsi if indicated by tradition., yaviṣṭhya: retroflex ṣṭh with aspiration.
Steady, resolute, slightly warm; avoid excessive speed to preserve ‘guarding’ quality.
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