Rig Veda 7.11.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 11, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.11
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
अग्निरीशे बृहतो अध्वरस्याग्निर्विश्वस्य हविषः कृतस्य । क्रतुं ह्यस्य वसवो जुषन्ताथा देवा दधिरे हव्यवाहम् ॥
agnír īśe bṛható adhvarásyāgnír víśvasya havíṣaḥ kṛtásya | kratúṃ hí asya vásavo juṣantā́thā devā́ dadhire havya-vā́ham ||
అగ్ని విశాల అధ్వరం (యజ్ఞం) పై అధిపత్యం వహిస్తాడు; సిద్ధమైన సమస్త హవిస్ (ఆహుతి) కు అగ్నియే స్వామి. ఎందుకంటే వసువులు అతని క్రతు (సంకల్పశక్తి/కర్మప్రజ్ఞ) ను అనుగ్రహించి స్వీకరిస్తారు; అందుకే దేవులు అతనిని హవ్యవాహ (హవిస్-వాహకుడు) గా స్థాపించారు.
Word by Word
- अग्निः
- Agni (the fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईशे
- rules, has dominion overVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot ईश् (धातु)
- बृहतः
- of the greatAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (अध्वर-स्य विशेषण), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root बृहन्त्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वरस्य
- of the sacrifice/ritualNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अध्वर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्य
- of all, of the wholeAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (हविषः विशेषण), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root विश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हविषः
- of the oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root हविस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृतस्य
- prepared, madeParticiple (Adjectival)नपुंसकलिङ्ग (हविषः विशेषण), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root कृ (धातु) → कृत- (कृदन्त, भूतकृत्/क्त)
- क्रतुम्
- resolve, ritual power/planNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot क्रतु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध/हेतु-निपातRoot हि (निपात)
- अस्य
- of him/this (of Agni)Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्य
- वसवः
- the Vasus (a class of gods)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वसु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषन्त
- they enjoy/accept, they favorVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; वैदिक रूप (जुषन्ति का संक्षिप्त/पद-रूप)Role क्रियाRoot जुष् (धातु)
- अथ
- then, thereafterIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध (अनन्तर/क्रम)Root अथ (निपात)
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधिरे
- they have placed/establishedVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु)
- हव्यवाहम्
- the oblation-carrier (Agni)Noun (compound epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot हव्य-वाह- (समास-प्रातिपदिक; वह् ‘to carry’)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: अ॒ग्निरी॑शे = अग्निः + ईशे (विसर्ग-लोप/र्-आदेशः स्वरादौ)
- अध्व॒रस्या॒ग्निः = अध्वरस्य + अग्निः (अ + अ → आ)
- हविष॑: = हविषः (विसर्ग-रूप)
- जु॒षन्ताथा॑ = जुषन्त + अथ (त् + अ → ता; संधि से ‘-ताथ-’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni rules over the vast sacrifice and over every prepared offering. The Vasus accept his intention and work; therefore the gods established him as the bearer of oblations.
Inner meaning
Agni is the sovereign organizing power of the large, evolving inner sacrifice (bṛhat adhvara). He governs every ‘prepared offering’—each purified movement of mind, life, and body that is consciously given. The Vasus (powers of harmonious substance and right formation) consent to Agni’s kratu (effective will-intelligence); thus the higher powers establish in us the capacity to carry offerings upward—turning life into a vehicle of consecration.
Universal truth
A true spiritual life requires a central governing will that can consecrate every action. When the will is aligned with harmony and right formation, the whole nature becomes a bearer of the offering.
Themes
Agni’s sovereignty in yajña, Vasus accept Agni’s kratu, Agni established as oblation-bearer
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.2 (Agni’s lordship), RV 7.9 (order and establishment)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha often stresses governance (īśe) and right formation (Vasus) as essentials of a stable inner yajña.
Significance
This verse is a compact doctrine: Agni’s kratu is accepted by harmonizing powers, leading to the establishment of a functioning bridge between human effort and divine fulfillment.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- ईश (īśa—lord), हव्यवाह (havyavāha)
- Related deities
- Vasus, Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Lord of sacrifice; carrier and transformer of offerings; principle by which the gods are ‘installed’ in the rite.
Inner power
Master will that organizes and consecrates; power of ascent (offering) and descent (response).
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-stuti establishing Agni’s supremacy in the rite; suitable in agnyādheya/agnihotra contexts as a doctrinal praise of Agni’s function.
अ॒ग्निरी॑शे बृह॒तो अ॑ध्व॒रस्या॒ग्निर्विश्व॑स्य ह॒विष॑: कृ॒तस्य॑ । क्रतुं॒ ह्य॑स्य॒ वस॑वो जु॒षन्ताथा॑ दे॒वा द॑धिरे हव्य॒वाह॑म् ॥
अ॒ग्निः । ई॒शे॒ । बृ॒ह॒तः । अ॒ध्व॒रस्य॑ । अ॒ग्निः । विश्व॑स्य । ह॒विषः॑ । कृ॒तस्य॑ । क्रतु॑म् । हि । अ॒स्य॒ । वस॑वः । जु॒षन्त॑ । अथ॑ । दे॒वाः । द॒धि॒रे॒ । ह॒व्य॒ऽवाह॑म् ॥
agniḥ | īśe | bṛhataḥ | adhvarasya | agniḥ | viśvasya | haviṣaḥ | kṛtasya | kratum | hi | asya | vasavaḥ | juṣanta | atha | devāḥ | dadhire | havya-vāham
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4 × ~11 syllables; declarative, aphoristic feel.
Grave and authoritative; suited to stating principles.
Stabilizes the mind; evokes inner order and governance.
- ईशे (īśe)
- Literal: rules, governs. Symbolic: inner sovereignty: mastery through conscious guidance
- बृहतो अध्वरस्य (bṛhato adhvarasya)
- Literal: of the vast sacrifice. Symbolic: the widening, integral yoga of the whole being
- हविषः कृतस्य (haviṣaḥ kṛtasya)
- Literal: of the prepared oblation. Symbolic: purified actions and energies made fit for offering
- क्रतु (kratu)
- Literal: will, intelligent force. Symbolic: effective spiritual will united with discernment
- वसवः (vasavaḥ)
- Literal: the Vasus. Symbolic: harmonizing powers that build stable forms in consciousness
- हव्यवाहम् (havyavāham)
- Literal: carrier of the oblation. Symbolic: the inner force that lifts offerings into higher planes and brings down response
Doctrinal statement of Agni’s office: mastery over rite and offerings; establishment as havya-vāha in Śrauta liturgy
When affirming Agni as havyavāha and confirming the efficacy of offerings.
Stotra/praise; reinforcement of Agni’s role as carrier and ruler.
Use as an affirmation before consecrated work: ‘Let the inner will govern my actions as prepared offerings.’
īśe from √īś ‘to own, rule’. bṛhat ‘wide, vast’ ties to the Vedic metaphysic of wideness as a mark of truth-consciousness. kratu is a key Vedic term: not mere ‘intellect’ but effective will-power (√kṛ ‘do’ + -tu nominal pattern; traditional semantic field: resolve/ability). havya-vāha ‘oblation-carrier’ from √vah ‘to carry’ (PIE *weǵʰ- ‘convey, transport’; cf. Latin vehō).
kratu (effective will/force), bṛhat (wideness of being), ṛta via right governance of sacrifice
Vasus symbolize stable ṛta-formation; Agni’s governance ensures offerings move in right order.
‘Prepared offering’ implies truthfulness and purity of intention; false offering cannot be carried upward.
Establishment of havyavāha echoes cosmic institution of mediating fire between worlds.
Integral Vedic psychology; emphasis on kratu as conscious-force.
Fire = governing will; ghee/oblation = purified energy; vastness = widened consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The divine institution of Agni as havya-vāha: the gods ‘set up’ the fire-principle as the universal mediator of exchange. Mythically it is the founding of sacrificial order; psychologically it is the enthronement of conscious will as the carrier of offerings to higher powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ is a strong IE inheritance (Latin vehō, Old English weg ‘way’ as semantic neighbor). √dhā ‘place’ reflects PIE *dʰeh₁- (Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different; but *dʰeh₁- is clear in many IE branches).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi articulates a principle rather than a request: Agni is the master-operator of the inner and outer rite. The acceptance by the Vasus signifies that powers of harmony/abundance consent to Agni’s kratu, so the seeker’s effective will becomes the channel by which all offerings reach the divine.
Establish a central governing will (Agni) that consecrates every action as an offering; cultivate kratu—will with discernment.
Maṇipūra
Slow-meditative breathing 5-5 (inhale-exhale) while contemplating ‘īśe’ (governance) on inhale and ‘havyavāham’ (offering) on exhale.
Stable, ordered, quietly powerful.
Before action, inwardly ‘prepare the havis’: clarify motive, remove agitation, then act as an offering under the guidance of the inner flame.
Rigvedic accents as per Śākala; keep declarative tone even; avoid rushing compounds like ‘bṛhato adhvarasya’.
Slightly weight the words ‘īśe’, ‘kratuṃ’, ‘havyavāham’ to mark doctrinal pivots.
(bṛhato): vocalic ‘ṛ’ clean, not ‘bri’, (haviṣaḥ): retroflex ‘ṣ’; visarga light, (juṣanta): retroflex ‘ṣ’, (havyavāham): articulate ‘vy’ clearly
Grave, steady, resonant; minimal ornamentation.
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