Rig Veda 7.1.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 1, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.1
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
प्र ते अग्नयोऽग्निभ्यो वरं निः सुवीरासः शोशुचन्त द्युमन्तः । यत्रा नरः समासते सुजाताः ॥
prá te agnáyo ’gníbhyo váraṃ níḥ su-vī́rāsaḥ śośucanta dyu-mántaḥ | yátrā nárāḥ sam-ā́sate su-jātā́ḥ ||
నీ నుంచే అగ్నులు అగ్నుల మధ్య ప్రవహిస్తాయి—ద్యుతిమంతంగా, సువీర (వీరబలంతో నిండిన)—అక్కడ సుజాత నరులు (శ్రేష్ఠజన్మ సాధకులు) ఏకమై సమరసంగా కూర్చుంటారు.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- ते
- to youPronoundative singularRole सम्प्रदानRoot त्वद् (sarvanāman)
- अग्नयः
- fires; AgnisNounmasculine nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि
- अग्निभ्यः
- from the firesNounmasculine ablative plural (also formally = dative plural)Role अपादानRoot अग्नि
- वरम्
- a choice boon; the bestNounneuter accusative singularRole कर्मRoot वर
- निः
- out, forthIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root निः (upasarga)
- सुवीरासः
- having good heroes/sons; rich in valiant offspringAdjective (used substantively)masculine nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot सु-वीर (prātipadika: सुवीर)
- शोशुचन्त
- they blaze, shine intenselyVerbpresent (reduplicated/intensive) active, 3rd person pluralRoot शुच्
- द्युमन्तः
- brilliant, radiantAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot द्युमन्त्
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinablerelative adverb of placeRole अधिकरणRoot यत्र (relative adverb)
- नरः
- menNounmasculine nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot नर
- समासते
- they sit together; they assembleVerbpresent middle (ātmanepada), 3rd person pluralRoot आस् (with सम्-आ-)
- सुजाताः
- well-born, of good birthAdjectivemasculine nominative pluralRole कर्तृRoot सु-जात (prātipadika: सुजात)
Sandhi Notes
- Samhitā: प्र ते अ॒ग्नयो॒ऽग्निभ्यो॒ → pada: प्र | ते | अग्नयः | अग्निभ्यः (ऽ = avagraha showing elision of initial a- in अग्निभ्यः after final -o of अग्नयः). निः सुवीरासः: visarga retained before sibilant (phonetic assimilation possible in recitation). Accent as in text: अ॒ग्नयः (anudātta on अ), शोशुचन्त (udātta on चन्त per pada), द्यु॒मन्तः, नरः, समासते, सुजाताः etc.
- accents not altered in morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
From you, Agni, the fires stream forth among the fires—radiant and full of heroic force—where the well-born men gather together.
Inner meaning
From the central psychic fire arise multiple subsidiary fires—powers of will, discernment, and disciplined energies—moving through the different layers of the being (“among the fires”). Where seekers are ‘well-born’ (sujātāḥ: rightly generated in aspiration and truth), these forces harmonize and intensify, creating a collective field of luminosity (dyu) and heroism (vīra).
Universal truth
A single sincere center of aspiration multiplies into many capacities; in right company and harmony, inner energies become radiant and courageous.
Themes
Multiplication of Agni, Collective harmony, Radiance and heroism, Right birth (su-jāta)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.4, RV 7.15, RV 7.33
Family tradition
House of Vasiṣṭha emphasizes the ordering of inner and outer sacrifice, the right formation of powers, and the harmonizing of the host within.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha frequently speaks of multiplicity of powers emerging from the One—Agni as the generator of a coherent, luminous collectivity.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- dyumant (luminous), suvīra (hero-giving/heroic), source of agnayaḥ (generator of fires)
- Related deities
- Maruts (host/collective powers), Indra (illumined mind), Bṛhaspati (word/formation)
Cosmic role
Emanator of flames; awakens and coordinates the divine forces; spreads light through the worlds.
Inner power
One will becoming many effective faculties; capacity to organize the being into a radiant, courageous harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Fire-ritual sequences where Agni is invoked as the source of subsidiary fires (gārhapatya/āhavanīya/dakṣiṇa) in interpretive extension; also communal rites
प्र ते अ॒ग्नयो॒ऽग्निभ्यो॒ वरं॒ निः सु॒वीरा॑सः शोशुचन्त द्यु॒मन्त॑: । यत्रा॒ नर॑: स॒मास॑ते सुजा॒ताः ॥
प्र । ते । अ॒ग्नयः॑ । अ॒ग्निऽभ्यः॑ । वर॑म् । निः । सु॒ऽवीरा॑सः । शो॒शु॒च॒न्त॒ । द्यु॒ऽमन्तः॑ । यत्र॑ । नरः॑ । स॒म्ऽआस॑ते । सु॒ऽजा॒ताः ॥
pra | te | agnayaḥ | agni-bhyaḥ | varam | niḥ | su-vīrāsaḥ | śośucanta | dyu-mantaḥ | yatra | naraḥ | sam-āsate | su-jātāḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Expansive and cascading—fits the imagery of streaming flames.
Encourages a sense of widening: one-pointed will spreading into many luminous functions.
- अग्नयः (agnayaḥ)
- Literal: fires (plural). Symbolic: multiple powers of will/ardor operating in mind, life, and body
- अग्निभ्यः (agnibhyaḥ)
- Literal: among/for the fires. Symbolic: interplay of inner fires across planes; mutual kindling of faculties
- वरम् (varam)
- Literal: best/choice, excellent. Symbolic: the select, highest movement of force released from the soul-fire
- सुवीरासः (suvīrāsaḥ)
- Literal: full of good heroes/heroic power. Symbolic: energies that can face resistance; courageous life-force governed by truth
- द्युमन्तः (dyumantaḥ)
- Literal: luminous, full of light. Symbolic: illumined movements, clarity and inspiration
- नरः (naraḥ)
- Literal: men, heroes. Symbolic: inner persons/powers of the being; also sincere practitioners
- समासते (samāsate)
- Literal: sit together, assemble in harmony. Symbolic: integration and concord of faculties; collective yoga-field
- सुजाताः (sujātāḥ)
- Literal: well-born. Symbolic: rightly formed in truth; purified origin of motives and impulses
Depicts multiplication of fires from the central fire; relevant to maintaining subsidiary fires and the collective rite where priests/participants assemble.
When establishing fires or intensifying the sacrificial session; in gatherings of priests/participants
Kindling, feeding with ghee, sustaining multiple fires, collective recitation
For group meditation: invoke one shared aspiration that becomes many supportive energies; for teamwork coherence and ‘heroic’ ethical action.
intensive/reduplicated from √śuc ‘shine, burn’: heightened blaze. (dyu-mant) from dyú ‘sky/light’ + -mant ‘possessing’: luminous. (su-vīra) ‘good heroes/heroic’ vīra from PIE *wiHro- ‘man’ (Latin vir). - (sam-√ās) ‘sit together’: ritual assembly becomes psychological integration.
One power manifesting as many (Agni plural), Integration/assembly of faculties, Heroic force as spiritual energy
Harmony (samāsate) as ṛta in the human system—right arrangement of powers.
Sujātāḥ implies truth-born formation; energies arise from sincere origin.
Emanation: the One fire generating many fires—microcosmic creation within the seeker.
Integral psychology of the Veda (Aurobindo): differentiation of powers from the psychic center.
Streaming flames = distributed capacities; sky-light = clarity and wideness of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The one Agni unfolds into many fires, radiating among fires, precisely where the well-born gather. Mythically, it is the propagation of sacred fire; psychologically, the central will ignites multiple faculties into luminous heroic action within an integrated community of the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vīrá ‘man/hero’ corresponds to PIE *wiHro- (Latin vir). dyú ‘sky/light’ continues PIE *dyeu- (Greek Ζεύς, Latin Iūpiter via *dyew-). These preserve the archaic IE poetic linkage of light/sky with divine luminosity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi observes and affirms Agni’s power to generate subsidiary flames—i.e., to distribute his force into the collective. The human side is ‘samasate’: a conscious assembling that allows Agni’s many powers to operate harmoniously.
From heart-flame, let subsidiary ‘fires’ awaken in speech, thought, and action—each purified and luminous.
Anāhata (source) radiating to Viśuddha (speech) and Maṇipūra (dynamic force)
On inhale collect at the heart; on exhale imagine rays/flames spreading through limbs and mind.
Widened, harmonized, energized clarity.
Cultivate ‘samāsate’: consciously reconcile inner parts; let one aspiration govern many impulses—no inner civil war.
Recensional svara required for precision; generally keep a rising clarity on ‘dyumantaḥ’ and stable cadence on ‘samāsate’.
Maintain flow through the first half (streaming out); slight pause before ‘yatrā’ to mark the gathering-place.
(agnayo): clear ‘gn’ cluster, (śośucanta): palatal ś; keep repeated ‘śo-śu-’ crisp, (dyumantaḥ): ‘dyu’ as one unit, not ‘di-yu’, (sujātāḥ): long ā at end
Radiant, flowing, cohesive (avoid choppiness).
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