Rig Veda 6.5.1: Mandala 6, Sukta 5, Mantra 1
Sukta 6.5
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
हुवे वः सूनुं सहसो युवानमद्रोघवाचं मतिभिर्यविष्ठम् । य इन्वति द्रविणानि प्रचेता विश्ववाराणि पुरुवारो अध्रुक् ॥
huve vaḥ sūnuṃ sahaso yuvānam adrogha-vācaṃ matibhir yaviṣṭham | ya invati draviṇāni pra-cetā viśva-vārāṇi puru-vāro adhruk ||
నేను మీకు ‘సహస్’ (బలం) యొక్క సూనువు అయిన ఆ యువకుని పిలుస్తున్నాను—అద్రోఘవాచం (ద్రోహం లేని/వంచనలేని వాక్కు గలవాడు), యవిష్ఠం (అత్యంత యౌవనుడు), మా మతులు (చింతన-ప్రార్థనలు) ద్వారా సమీపింపబడేవాడు. అతడు ప్రచేతా (ఎల్లప్పుడూ జాగ్రత్తగల జ్ఞాని) విశ్వవార (సర్వానందదాయక) ద్రవిణాలను (సంపదలను) ప్రేరేపిస్తాడు—పురువార (బహు దానశీలుడు), అధ్రుక్ (అచ్యుత/అభ్రాంత) కార్యసామర్థ్యుడు।
Word by Word
- हुवे
- I invoke / I callVerbलट् (वेदिक-प्रयोगः; वर्तमानार्थे), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Root √हू (ह्वे) ‘आह्वाने’
- वः
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम् (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सूनुम्
- the sonNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सूनु- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘पुत्र’
- सहसः
- of might / of strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot सहस्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘बल, शक्ति’
- युवानम्
- youngAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सूनुम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root युवन्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘युवा’
- अद्रोगवाचम्
- whose speech is not deceitful / truthful-speakingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सूनुम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root अद्रोग-वाच् (समासः: a-drog(a) + vāc-) ‘अद्रोघवाच्’
- मतिभिः
- with thoughts / with hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot मति- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘मति, स्तुति, प्रज्ञा’
- यविष्ठम्
- the youngest / most youthfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सूनुम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root यविष्ठ- (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of यव/युवा- ‘young’)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्वति
- impels / sets in motionVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root √इन्/ईन् (इन्व्) ‘प्रेरणे, चलने’
- द्रविणानि
- wealths / richesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot द्रविण- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘धन, संपत्ति’
- प्रचेताः
- the wise one / the foreknowingNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (यः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root प्र-चेतस्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘प्रज्ञावान्, विवेकी’
- विश्ववाराणि
- all-desirable (boons)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (द्रविणानि इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root विश्व-वार- (समासः: विश्व ‘all’ + वार ‘desirable/choice boon’)
- पुरुवारः
- having many boons / rich in giftsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (यः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root पुरु-वार- (समासः: पुरु ‘many’ + वार ‘boon/choice gift’)
- अध्रुक्
- unharming / unerringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (यः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root अध्रुक् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘अध्रुज्/अध्रुक्’ = not injuring, not harming; firm/undeceitful (Vedic epithet)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरसनम्): हु॒वे | वः | सू॒नुम् | सह॑सः | युवा॑नम् | अद्रो॑घवाचम् | म॒तिभिः | यवि॑ष्ठम् । यः | इन्व॑ति | द्रवि॑णानि | प्रचे॑ता | वि॒श्ववा॑राणि | पुरु॒वारः | अ॒ध्रुक् ॥ 1) ‘युवा॑न॒मद्रो॑घवाचम्’ = ‘युवानम् + अद्रोघवाचम्’ (अ + अ → अ; पदसंयोगे लेखनम्)
- 2) ‘मतिभि॒र्यवि॑ष्ठम्’ = ‘मतिभिः + यविष्ठम्’ (विसर्गस्य र्-आदेशः यकारादौ: ः + य → र्य)
- 3) ‘पुरु॒वारो॑ अ॒ध्रुक्’ = ‘पुरुवारः + अध्रुक्’ (विसर्गः पदान्ते; संहितायां ‘ओ’ इव श्रूयते/लिख्यते—वेदिक-उच्चारण-परम्परा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet calls Agni, the youthful Son of Strength, truthful in speech, the youngest, approached by thoughts. He, the wise knower, impels riches—treasures of every delight—abundant in gifts and unerring.
Inner meaning
The seeker invokes the ‘Son of Force’—Agni as the ever-young divine Will born from tapas (sahas). His speech is adroghavāc: the inner word that never deceives, i.e., intuition/truth-speech. Approached by matis (concentrated thoughts), Agni as pracetā (wide-awake consciousness) sets in motion draviṇāni: inner riches—powers, capacities, and joys that serve the integral growth. Puruvāra and adhruk indicate abundance and unfailing working: when the will is aligned to truth, it distributes delight and power without distortion.
Universal truth
When will is founded on truth and awakened awareness, it becomes a reliable force that draws and organizes the resources of life toward a harmonious and fruitful fulfillment.
Themes
invocation, truth-speaking-fire, bestowal-of-plenitudes, awakening-intelligence
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya) (hymn-level attribution for RV 6.5; verse-specific uncertain)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.5
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns often highlight Agni’s youthfulness, truth-speech, and his role as the distributor of inner and outer riches through right action.
Significance
The seer’s emphasis is on a will that is both powerful and truthful—an inner priest whose guidance can be trusted, making spiritual progress practical and effective.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- sūnu sahasaḥ (son of force), yuvāna (youthful), yaviṣṭha (youngest), adroghavāc (truth-speaking), pracetā (wide-awake), puruvāra (abundant in gifts), adhruk (unerring)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (inspired word), Indra (illumination), Soma (bliss)
Cosmic role
The divine priest-power that initiates movement, awakens consciousness, and organizes the flow of boons in the worlds.
Inner power
Truth-guided will and intuitive speech that mobilize capacities and delights for the soul’s growth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation at the opening of offerings; praise of Agni as Hotṛ and distributor of wealth.
हु॒वे व॑: सू॒नुं सह॑सो॒ युवा॑न॒मद्रो॑घवाचं म॒तिभि॒र्यवि॑ष्ठम् । य इन्व॑ति॒ द्रवि॑णानि॒ प्रचे॑ता वि॒श्ववा॑राणि पुरु॒वारो॑ अ॒ध्रुक् ॥
हु॒वे । वः॒ । सू॒नुम् । सह॑सः । युवा॑नम् । अद्रो॑घऽवाचम् । म॒तिऽभिः॑ । यवि॑ष्ठम् । यः । इन्व॑ति । द्रवि॑णानि । प्रऽचे॑ताः । वि॒श्वऽवा॑राणि । पु॒रु॒ऽवारः॑ । अ॒ध्रुक् ॥
huve | vaḥ | sūnum | sahasaḥ | yuvānam | adrogha-vācam | mati-bhiḥ | yaviṣṭham | yaḥ | invati | draviṇāni | pra-cetāḥ | viśva-vārāṇi | puru-vāraḥ | adhruk
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4 × ~11
Invocatory and expansive; strong epithets accumulate in a rolling cadence.
Energizes aspiration while keeping it truthful and lucid; evokes trust in inner guidance.
- सूनुं सहसः (sūnuṃ sahasaḥ)
- Literal: son of strength/force. Symbolic: divine Will born of inner tapas and spiritual energy
- युवानम् (yuvānam)
- Literal: youthful. Symbolic: ever-renewing aspiration and fresh force of progress
- अद्रोघवाचम् (adroghavācam)
- Literal: whose speech is not treacherous. Symbolic: truth-speaking intuition; inner guidance that does not mislead
- मति (mati)
- Literal: thought, intention. Symbolic: concentrated mental offering; reflective aspiration
- यविष्ठ (yaviṣṭha)
- Literal: youngest. Symbolic: immediate, present flame of will in each moment
- प्रचेताः (pracetāḥ)
- Literal: wide-awake, conscious. Symbolic: vigilant awareness; luminous discernment
- द्रविणानि (draviṇāni)
- Literal: riches, possessions. Symbolic: inner powers and resources for the yoga
- विश्ववाराणि (viśvavārāṇi)
- Literal: of all desirable things. Symbolic: integral delight: mental, vital, physical harmonized
- अध्रुक् (adhruk)
- Literal: unerring, not injuring/false. Symbolic: infallible working of truth-aligned will
Opening invocation style for Agni as yaviṣṭha/hotṛ in soma and iṣṭi settings; suitable as an āhvāna (calling) verse preceding offerings, emphasizing truthful speech and the impelling of draviṇa.
Beginning of a rite; also suitable for daily lamp-lighting as a call to truthful will.
Lighting/kindling, offering ghee, recitation to awaken the deity’s ‘wide-awake’ presence.
Use to establish a vow of truth in practice: chant before study, important speech, or decisions to align words with inner truth.
sahas (force) relates to √sah 'to be able, prevail'—Agni as capacity and victorious endurance. adrogha- (a- + drogha) negates √druh 'to deceive, injure'—Agni’s word is aligned with satya. pra-cetā: pra- + √cit 'to perceive, know'—a consciousness that knows in advance, guiding right action (ṛta). √inv carries the sense of setting in motion/impelling, matching Agni’s role as the activator of inner riches (draviṇa).
Satya (adrogha-vāc), Ṛta (unerring action, adhruk), Tapas/Sahas (force as spiritual energy)
Agni as adhruk embodies ṛta in action—effective, right, and non-deceptive working.
Adroghavāc: truth is not merely moral but a power that makes speech creative and reliable.
The youthful fire as perpetual beginning: creation renews through awakened will and conscious word.
Aurobindonian: Agni as psychic/divine Will supporting integral manifestation of delight and power.
Youthful fire = fresh aspiration; truthful speech = clear inner hearing; riches = awakened faculties and harmonized life-energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the youthful divine messenger/son of force who awakens and impels the treasures: the mythic pattern of the Fire-priest who brings the gods’ plenitudes into motion for the human work, through truthful speech and luminous foreknowledge.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāc ‘speech’ continues PIE *wekʷ- (voice/speak; cf. Latin vox). vṛddhi-like intensification in pra-cetā highlights inherited preverb usage (PIE *per/*pro). drogha from √druh aligns with Indo-Iranian *dru- ‘deceive/harm’ (cf. Avestan druj- ‘lie’ as a major conceptual cognate field).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi approaches Agni with mati (formed intention) rather than mere petition: thought is the offering that makes contact. In return, Agni as pra-cetā animates draviṇa—resources for the yajña and the inner life—showing a cooperative economy of consciousness: human aspiration calls, divine force mobilizes fulfillment.
Invoke the ‘truth-speaking’ inner fire; offer thoughts (matis) and ask it to mobilize right resources for the day’s sādhanā.
Viśuddha (truth in speech) supported by Maṇipūra (will)
3 minutes calm breathing; then chant on a long exhale, feeling the throat clear and the navel steady.
Vigilant clarity (pracetā) with uplifted energy; readiness for right speech and action.
Before speaking or writing, chant 3/9 times; pause in silence after each recitation to sense whether the next action is ‘adrogha’ (non-betraying) and ‘adhruk’ (unerring).
Rigvedic accents per śākala; keep epithets cleanly segmented (sūnuṃ | sahaso | yuvānam…).
Do not rush compound epithets; give each a clear pulse; maintain consistent triṣṭubh gait.
In adroghavācam, keep gh as aspirated; avoid turning it into g., In pracetā, keep ‘ce’ as palatal; long ā at end., In viśvavārāṇi, keep ś (palatal) distinct; long ā in vārā.
Clear, luminous, slightly elevated pitch; articulate consonants to honor ‘truth-speech’.
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