Rig Veda 5.25.8: Mandala 5, Sukta 25, Mantra 8
Sukta 5.25
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
तव द्युमन्तो अर्चयो ग्रावेवोच्यते बृहत् । उतो ते तन्यतुर्यथा स्वानो अर्त त्मना दिवः ॥
táva dyu-mánto arcáyo grā́vāiva ucyate bṛhát | utó te tanyatúr yáthā svā́nó arta tmanā́ diváḥ ||
ఓ (అగ్ని)! నీ ద్యుమంత అర్చయః—నీ ప్రకాశమయ జ్వాలలు—సోమపేషణ గ్రావా (రాయి) వలె ‘బృహత్’ (మహత్తరము/విస్తారము) అని కీర్తింపబడుతున్నాయి. అలాగే నీ తన్యతు (గర్జన-శక్తి) కూడా, దివః (ద్యౌ/ఆకాశం) తన స్వభావంతోనే పుట్టించే స్వానము (స్వయంభూ ధ్వని) వలె ప్రతిధ్వనిస్తుంది.
Word by Word
- तव
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root युष्मद् (त्वद्-प्रातिपदिक) सर्वनाम
- द्युमन्तः
- the radiant onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot द्युमन्त् (द्युमत्) प्रातिपदिक < द्युत्/द्यु (प्रकाश) + मन्त्
- अर्चयः
- rays / flamesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वेदे अर्चिः/अर्चयः), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to द्युमन्तः)Root अर्चि-/अर्चय (अर्चि ‘किरण/ज्योति’ प्रातिपदिक; here plural noun)
- ग्रावा
- the pressing-stoneNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमान-कर्तृ in simile)Root ग्रावन् प्रातिपदिक
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- उच्यते
- is spoken / is calledVerbलट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot वच् (वद्) धातु
- बृहत्
- great / loftyAdjective (used predicatively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (predicate to an implied neuter ‘नाम/स्तवः’ etc.)Role कर्म/प्रत्ययार्थ (as predicate complement)Root बृहन्त् प्रातिपदिक
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थRoot उत
- ते
- to you / for youPronounचतुर्थी (dat.), एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्-प्रातिपदिक) सर्वनाम
- तन्यतुः
- thunder / thunder-pealNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तन्यतु- प्रातिपदिक < धातु तन्/तन्य् (गर्जने/ध्वनौ) ‘thunder’
- यथा
- as / just asIndeclinableउपमान/प्रकार-वाचकRoot यथा
- स्वानः
- sounding / roaringKṛdanta (participle used as noun/adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot स्वान- प्रातिपदिक < धातु स्वन् (ध्वनौ) (kṛdanta: present participle/agent noun sense)
- अर्त
- moved / went / rushedVerbलुङ्/injunctive (वेदे), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot ऋ (अर्त्/ऋच्छ्) धातु; Vedic injunctive/aorist form
- त्मना
- by itself / with its own forceNoun (instrumental of reflexive stem)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instr.), एकवचनRole करण (means: ‘by itself/with its own force’)Root त्मन् प्रातिपदिक (reflexive/‘self, own person, by oneself’)
- दिवः
- of heaven / of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी (gen.), एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दिव्/द्यौस् प्रातिपदिक
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तव | द्युमन्तः | अर्चयः | ग्रावा इव | उच्यते | बृहत् || उत | ते | तन्यतुः | यथा | स्वानः | अर्त | त्मना | दिवः || 1) ग्रावे॑वोच्यते = ग्रावा + इव + उच्यते (इव-आद्यस्वरः संधौ ‘एव’ इव दृश्यते)
- 2) उ॒तो ते॑ = उत + ते
- 3) त्मना दि॒वः = त्मना + दिवः (संधि-परिवर्तनं नास्ति)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Your brilliant flames are spoken of as the Vast, like the pressing-stone that utters. And your thunder too resounds like the sounding of heaven by its own nature.
Inner meaning
Agni’s dyumant arcayaḥ—luminous flame-hymns—are themselves bṛhat: expressions of wideness and higher truth-vibration. Like the grāvan (Soma pressing-stone) that ‘speaks’ by striking, the disciplined pressure of practice releases a voiced power: the mantra becomes audible-force. Agni’s tanyatu (thunder) is the might of awakening that reverberates through the inner sky (divaḥ): a self-born resonance (tmanā) that breaks inertia and announces the descent of higher light.
Universal truth
True transformation is not silent only; it has a vibration. Concentrated practice ‘presses’ the essence out, and the inner Fire’s resonance awakens the whole being like thunder in the sky.
Themes
sound and revelation, Agni as vast speech, thunder-heaven imagery, Soma-pressing analogy
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 5.25.1-10
Family tradition
The Ātreyas often link Agni with Soma symbolism: flame and pressing, sound and essence—showing how discipline yields luminous vibration and awakening force.
Significance
Atri here reveals the psycho-acoustic secret: mantra is flame; tapas is the press; awakening is thunder in the inner sky.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- dyumant (luminous), bṛhat (vast) implicit, tanyatu (thundering) implicit
- Related deities
- Soma (pressed essence), Parjanya (thunder motif, by analogy), Indra (sky-force and victory)
Cosmic role
Light and power that makes the sacrifice audible to the gods; awakens the heavens with his resonance.
Inner power
Mantric radiance and shaking force that clears the inner atmosphere and establishes wideness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña ambiance imagery (pressing-stone) applied in Agni praise
तव॑ द्यु॒मन्तो॑ अ॒र्चयो॒ ग्रावे॑वोच्यते बृ॒हत् । उ॒तो ते॑ तन्य॒तुर्य॑था स्वा॒नो अ॑र्त॒ त्मना॑ दि॒वः ॥
तव॑ । द्यु॒ऽमन्तः॑ । अ॒र्चयः॑ । ग्रावा॑ऽइव । उ॒च्य॒ते॒ । बृ॒हत् । उ॒तो इति॑ । ते॒ । त॒न्य॒तुः । य॒था॒ । स्वा॒नः । अ॒र्त॒ । त्मना॑ । दि॒वः ॥
tava | dyu-mantaḥ | arcayaḥ | grāvāiva | ucyate | bṛhat | uto iti | te | tanyatuḥ | yathā | svānaḥ | arta | tmanā | divaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Resonant and percussive; imagery of uttering stone and thunder suits strong beats.
Produces a felt vibration in chest and head; can ‘shake loose’ dullness and open space above the mind.
- द्यु॒मन्तः (dyu-mantaḥ)
- Literal: luminous, radiant. Symbolic: illumined movements of consciousness
- अर्चयः (arcayaḥ)
- Literal: flames/chantings. Symbolic: mantric flames—vibrations of aspiration carrying light
- बृहद् (bṛhat)
- Literal: the Vast. Symbolic: wideness of consciousness; higher plane of truth
- ग्रावा (grāvā)
- Literal: pressing-stone. Symbolic: pressure of tapas/discipline that releases soma-essence (bliss/clarity) and makes mantra ‘speak’
- तन्यतुः (tanyatuḥ)
- Literal: thunder. Symbolic: force of awakening; shaking power that breaks obstruction
- स्वानः (svānaḥ)
- Literal: sounding, resounding. Symbolic: self-arisen resonance of truth in the inner heavens
- त्मना (tmanā)
- Literal: by its own self. Symbolic: spontaneous self-manifestation when aligned with the divine law
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: of heaven/sky. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous plane
Links Agni praise to Soma-pressing acoustics (grāvan) and thunder imagery; used to intensify the sense of power and vastness during chant/recitation and pressing.
During Agni invocations in contexts where Soma pressing and chanting are thematically present.
Recitation alongside offerings; evoking the sound of ritual instruments/pressing as sacred resonance.
Use to awaken a dull mind: chant with attention to vibration; feel sound as a purifying flame and ‘thunder’ that clears inner heaviness.
dyu-mant from dyú ‘sky, light’ + -mant ‘possessing’. arcí/arcáya related to √arc ‘to shine, praise’—flame and hymn converge. grā́van ‘pressing stone’ (Soma), personified as ‘speaking’ through rhythmic sound. tanyatú from √tan ‘to stretch’ with semantic development to ‘thunder’ (spreading reverberation). svāná from √svan ‘to sound’. tmanā instrumental of tman ‘self, vital self-nature’.
Bṛhat (the Vast) named through luminous speech, nāda/inner sound symbolism (svāna) as self-arising vibration, correspondence between ritual sound and cosmic resonance
Right vibration (mantra as flame) aligns the inner atmosphere to ṛta; spontaneous resonance arises ‘by itself’ when aligned.
Truth becomes audible-force: satya not only known but resounding in the being.
Sound as creator: uttered bṛhat; thunder as manifestation of power in the sky of consciousness.
Mantra-yoga / Vedic śabda-brahman intuition (proto-form).
Stone = concentrated pressure; thunder/sky = awakening in higher mind; flame = luminous speech-power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cosmic resonance’ mythologem: Agni’s flames/hymns are the Vast, and his power resounds like thunder from heaven. Ritual sound (grāvan) mirrors cosmic sound, implying that right utterance participates in universal vibration.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √swan ‘sound’ has broad IE reflexes for ringing/sounding; the poetic parallelism of light (dyu/bhā) and sound (swan/tany) reflects an inherited sacral aesthetic where revelation is both luminous and audible.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Agni’s speech-flame as already ‘bṛhat’ and aligns human chant with that vastness. The devatā is experienced as self-sounding (tmanā), suggesting the hymn is a tuning of the human instrument to an already-present cosmic tone.
Sound-as-flame: feel each syllable as a luminous tongue of Agni widening the inner sky; allow a ‘thunder’ of awakening to clear dullness.
Viśuddha (vibration) and Ājñā (inner sky/clarity)
Bhrāmarī (gentle humming) after chanting to internalize resonance; then silent listening.
Vibratory wideness; alert, purified inner space.
Chant audibly for 3–7 rounds, then sit and listen for the after-sound. Let that resonance reveal where resistance remains; offer it into Agni.
Tri-svara; emphasize sonic imagery with clean udātta lifts; avoid over-singing—keep Vedic contour, not melodic improvisation.
Let consonant clusters articulate the ‘percussive’ feel (grāveva, tanyatuḥ). Maintain steady triṣṭubh pace.
(dyumanto): ‘dyu’ as ‘d-yu’, not ‘ju’, (arcayo): ‘r’ tapped; ‘c’ palatal, (grāveva): long ‘ā’; ‘v’ soft, (ucyate): ‘cy’ clear, (tanyatuḥ): palatal ‘ny’, (svāno): long ‘ā’
Resonant, vibrating, with clear articulation; allow natural chest resonance on ‘bṛhat’.
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