Rig Veda 8.71.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 71, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.71
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
न तमग्ने अरातयो मर्तं युवन्त रायः । यं त्रायसे दाश्वांसम् ॥
ná tám agne arā́tayo mártaṃ yuvanta rā́yaḥ | yáṃ trā́yase dāśvā́ṃsam ||
హే అగ్నీ, నీవు రక్షించే ఆ మర్త్యుణ్ని—యజ్ఞంలో తన్ను అర్పించి దానం చేసే దాశ్వాంసుని—వైర శక్తులు అతని సమృద్ధి నుండి దూరం చేయలేవు.
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिपात (निषेध)Root न (निषेध) अव्यय
- तम्
- him/that onePronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरातयः
- the hostile ones; foesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अराति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तम्
- a mortal (man)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- युवन्त
- they kept away / they hinderedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot यु (धातु; ‘यु’/‘युज्’ वर्गीय—वेदिक प्रयोग: ‘युव्’ = रोकना/वियोजयितुम्/दूरं कर्तुम्)
- रायः
- from wealth; of wealthNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचन (वेदिक रूप ‘रायः’)Role Apādāna (वियोग-अर्थे) / सम्बन्धRoot राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक ‘रायि’ = धन)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्रायसे
- you protectVerbलट्; आत्मनेपद; मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot त्रा (धातु; ‘रक्षणे’)
- दाश्वांसम्
- the giver; the worshipper (who has given)Noun (participle used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot दाश्वांस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा ‘दाने’ से परिपूर्ण/भूतकृदन्त ‘दाश्वस्/दाश्वांस्’ = दाता, यजमान)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: न | तम् | अग्ने | अरातयः | मर्तम् | युवन्त | रायः | यम् | त्रायसे | दाश्वांसम् । (1) ‘न तमग्ने’ = ‘न तम् अग्ने’ (म् + अ → म् अ; संहिता में ‘तमग्ने’). (2) ‘अग्ने अरातयः’ में ए + अ का संहिता-समास/संधि होकर ‘अग्ने॒ अरा॑तयः’ (पदपाठ में पृथक्).
- ‘रायः’ वैदिक षष्ठी-एकवचन रूप (रायि-शब्द)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Hostile forces cannot deprive that mortal of wealth, O Agni—him whom you protect, the giver who has offered.
Inner meaning
When Agni protects the seeker who ‘gives’ (dāśvāṃsam)—i.e., who offers ego, desire, and effort into the inner sacrifice—forces of obstruction (arātayaḥ) cannot steal the attained plenitude (rāyaḥ). The verse asserts a law of the path: sincere self-offering creates a protected continuity; the hostile movements may attack but cannot finally dispossess the consecrated consciousness.
Universal truth
What is gained through genuine self-giving is safeguarded by the very principle of truth: consecration makes attainment stable against inner and outer opposition.
Themes
protection, anti-hostile-forces, reward-of-offering, inner-guardianship
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.71.1, Rig Veda 8.71.2, Rig Veda 8.71.3, Rig Veda 8.71.5
Significance
The seer states a protective axiom of sadhana: the inner sacrifice (self-offering) invokes a real guardianship that stabilizes gains against adverse forces.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Agne, Trātṛ (protector—functional epithet)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra-like resistances), Varuṇa (law/guardianship)
Cosmic role
Guardian of the sacrificer and the rite; repeller of rakṣas/obstructions.
Inner power
Protective heat that seals the consciousness from leakage and hostile invasion; strengthens sincerity and perseverance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protection of the sacrificer’s ‘rāya’ (gain) in ongoing rites; reaffirmation after offerings
न तम॑ग्ने॒ अरा॑तयो॒ मर्तं॑ युवन्त रा॒यः । यं त्राय॑से दा॒श्वांस॑म् ॥
न । तम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अरा॑तयः । मर्त॑म् । यु॒व॒न्त॒ । रा॒यः । यम् । त्राय॑से । दा॒श्वांस॑म् ॥
na | tam | agne | arātayaḥ | martam | yuvanta | rāyaḥ | yam | trāyase | dāśvāṃsam
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Approx. 4 pādas
Assertive, juridical cadence—states a rule and its consequence.
Builds confidence and moral strength; reinforces the habit of self-offering.
- अरा॑तयः (arātayaḥ)
- Literal: hostile/non-giving forces. Symbolic: Obstructing impulses, negativity, inner thieves of energy and clarity
- युवन्त (yuvanta)
- Literal: deprive, keep away. Symbolic: Attempt to disconnect the seeker from plenitude/attainment
- रायः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: wealth, plenitude. Symbolic: Stable gains of consciousness and life-force aligned to the divine
- त्रायसे (trāyase)
- Literal: you protect. Symbolic: Divine guardianship that preserves the inner work
- दाश्वांसम् (dāśvāṃsam)
- Literal: the giver, one who has offered. Symbolic: The consecrated practitioner who offers self and works in yajña-spirit
Protective assurance for the dāśvāṃs (patron/offerer) within sacrificial performance; apotropaic function against arāti (privation).
After giving oblations; when seeking stability of results and protection from obstacles
Declaring Agni’s protective sovereignty over the giver
Use after charity/service/meditation to seal the offering: ‘May the gains be protected from relapse and negativity’.
arāti- ‘harm, hostility, want’ (a- + rāti ‘gift’ / semantic opposition to giving), marking anti-plenitude forces. √trā ‘protect’ is a key Vedic verb for divine guardianship. dāśvāṃs- is a perfect participial formation from √dāś ‘to give/offer’, denoting one established in offering.
battle of plenitude vs deprivation (rayi vs arāti), R̥ta as protection through right offering
The ‘giver’ aligned with ṛta cannot be lawfully dispossessed by disordering forces.
Truth protects what is sincerely offered; falsehood cannot permanently steal it.
Stabilization of higher formation in the human being against dissolution.
Dharma/ṛta ethics converging with yogic consecration.
Hostile forces = winds/dampness trying to extinguish flame; protected giver = sheltered hearth that keeps burning.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The guarding fire: Agni as protector ensures that hostile, anti-gift forces (arātayaḥ) cannot cut off the sacrificer from rayi. Mythically, the sacred fire wards off demons; psychologically, the awakened will wards off depressive/withholding impulses that sever one from inner abundance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √trā ‘protect’ belongs to an old Indo-Iranian protective lexicon (cf. Avestan forms with similar sense). The opposition arāti vs rāti (gift) shows inherited binary moral-poetic structuring (gift/order vs non-gift/disorder) typical of early IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A direct reciprocity is stated: the one who gives (dāśvāṃs) is the one Agni protects; protection is the divine return for human offering, but inwardly it is the stabilizing of aspiration so that hostile movements cannot steal the gained force.
Seal gains after practice; offer them back to the Divine to prevent ego-appropriation and leakage.
Manipura (containment of energy)
After meditation, 3 deep breaths; on each exhale mentally ‘offer’ (dāśvāṃsam) and feel a protective warmth around the navel/heart.
Protected steadiness; non-anxious holding of progress.
Whenever fear of losing progress arises, return to self-offering; ask Agni to guard the sincerity rather than the outcome.
Svara marks not provided; chant with emphasis on negation ‘na tam’ and assurance ‘yaṃ trāyase’.
Keep retroflex/aspirates distinct: arātayaḥ, dāśvāṃsam; avoid rushing consonant clusters.
na tam: clean dental ‘t’, yuvanta: ‘yu’ clear; ‘v’ not ‘w’, rāyaḥ: long ā; final ḥ light, trāyase: long ā; ‘y’ glide, dāśvāṃsam: long ā; ‘śv’ cluster; nasal ‘ṃ’
Firm, reassuring, slightly emphatic.
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