Rig Veda 1.27.9: Mandala 1, Sukta 27, Mantra 9
Sukta 1.27
- Rishi
- Sunaḥśepa Ājīgarti
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स वाजं विश्वचर्षणिरर्वद्भिरस्तु तरुता । विप्रेभिरस्तु सनिता ॥
sá vā́jaṃ viśvácarṣaṇir árvadbhir astu tárutā | víprebhir astu sánitā ||
ขอให้เขา—ผู้ครอบงำชนทั้งปวง—พร้อมด้วยม้าศึกทั้งหลาย เป็นผู้พิชิตผู้แบกพาความบริบูรณ์แห่งพลัง; ขอให้เขาพร้อมด้วยวิปรา (ฤๅษีผู้รู้) เป็นผู้ได้ชัยผู้ชนะการได้มา.
Word by Word
- स
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (मुख्यकर्ता) / विषयःRoot तद् (सः < तद्) सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक
- वाजम्
- prize; booty; strength (victory-prize)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वाज- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वचर्षणिः
- all-men’s (belonging to all peoples); universal among menAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root विश्व-चर्षणि- (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्वद्भिः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot अर्वत्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let (him/it) be; may he beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-समर्थ), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root अस् (धातु)
- तरुता
- overcomer; conquerorNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root तॄ/तॄ (तॄ ‘to cross, overcome’) → तरुतृ- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- विप्रेभिः
- with inspired poets/priestsNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot विप्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let (him/it) be; may he beVerbलोट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root अस् (धातु)
- सनिता
- winner; bestower (one who gains/wins)Noun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root सन्/सन् (धातु ‘to win, gain’) → सनितृ- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: स | वाजम् | विश्वचर्षणिः | अर्वद्भिः | अस्तु | तरुता | विप्रेभिः | अस्तु | सनिता । 1) ‘स वाजं’ = सः + वाजम् (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- 2) ‘अर्वद्भिरस्तु’ = अर्वद्भिः + अस्तु (विसर्गस्य रुत्व/लोपः; संहितायां ‘-भिरस्तु’)
- 3) ‘विप्रेभिरस्तु’ = विप्रेभिः + अस्तु (तद्वत्)
- 4) ‘तरुता’ ‘सनिता’ इत्येतौ कृत्प्रत्ययान्तौ (तृ-प्रत्ययः) प्रथमा-एकवचने कर्तृविशेषणरूपेण। उच्चारणे स्वरसूचनाः (॑, ॒) संहितापाठानुसारम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
May he, the all-mastering one, be a conquering bearer of vāja with the steeds; may he be a winner with the seers.
Inner meaning
Agni (or the Agni-led power in the seeker) is invoked as viśva-carṣaṇi—one who governs all ‘races/peoples’, i.e., all parts of the being. With arvat (coursers/horses) he becomes tarutā, the one who carries force through and beyond obstacles—symbolically, the vital energies yoked to the divine will. With vipra (seers) he is sanitā, the winner: the illumined mind and intuitive word secure the true gain. The mantra unites disciplined life-force (aśva/arvat) and inspired insight (vipra) under Agni’s leadership.
Universal truth
Lasting victory requires both harnessed energy and clear insight; power without vision scatters, vision without power cannot execute.
Themes
attainment, overcoming, swift energies, seer-knowledge
The seer
- Rishi
- Śunaḥśepa Ājīgarti
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.24, Rig Veda 1.25
Family tradition
Ājīgarti; prayer that coordinates forces for deliverance and accomplishment.
Significance
His vision frequently shows the path from constraint to conquest: here conquest is inner—by harmonizing vital force and seer-wisdom.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Viśva-carṣaṇi (all-mastering), Tarutā (overcomer), Sanitā (winner)
- Related deities
- Indra (victorious force), Sarasvatī/Bṛhaspati (seer-word and inspiration), Maruts (dynamic life-forces as allies)
Cosmic role
Commander of the sacrificial march; awakens and yokes energies; brings the gods (higher powers) into effective action.
Inner power
Power of conscious will that can both energize (arvat) and illumine (vipra) to secure attainment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Petition for victory and gain in offerings; could accompany rites seeking ‘vāja’ (strength, success) for the sacrificer.
स वाजं॑ वि॒श्वच॑र्षणि॒रर्व॑द्भिरस्तु॒ तरु॑ता । विप्रे॑भिरस्तु॒ सनि॑ता ॥
सः । वाज॑म् । वि॒श्वऽच॑र्षणिः । अर्व॑त्ऽभिः । अ॒स्तु॒ । तरु॑ता । विप्रे॑भिः । अ॒स्तु॒ । सनि॑ता ॥
saḥ | vājam | viśva-carṣaṇiḥ | arvat-bhiḥ | astu | tarutā | viprebhiḥ | astu | sanitā
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3×8 with parallelism (astu… astu…)
Balanced and antiphonal; two petitions mirror each other, creating a sense of coordinated powers.
Synchronizes breath and intention; evokes disciplined dynamism rather than raw intensity.
- विश्वचर्षणिः (viśva-carṣaṇiḥ)
- Literal: all-peoples/all-races master. Symbolic: Integrator and ruler of all parts of nature; harmonizer of the being
- अर्वद्भिः (arvadbhiḥ)
- Literal: with coursers/steeds. Symbolic: Vital energies and dynamic faculties put to the divine yoke
- तरुता (tarutā)
- Literal: conqueror/overcomer. Symbolic: Force that crosses resistances; victorious movement through difficulty
- विप्रेभिः (viprebhiḥ)
- Literal: with seers/poets. Symbolic: Illumined mind, intuition, inspired speech
- सनीता (sanitā)
- Literal: winner/gainer. Symbolic: Secure attainment of the true vāja—spiritual power and accomplishment
Prayer for winning power with both ‘horses’ (energies, means) and ‘vipras’ (inspired thoughts/priests): success of action and success of knowledge together
During invocations for successful passage through obstacles in the sacrifice and life-contests.
Recitation with offering; calling Agni to lead energies and inspirations toward attainment.
Before creative work or leadership tasks: invoke aligned energy (horses) and insight (seers) for effective accomplishment.
√tṛ ‘to cross’ → tarutā ‘overcomer’ (crossing obstacles). arvat ‘horse’ often symbolizes dynamic powers/energies that carry consciousness. viśva-carṣaṇi: carṣaṇi ‘people’ (human domains) with viśva ‘all’—the deity’s force spans all fields of human activity. √san ‘to win/attain’ (sanitā) repeats the attainment motif.
crossing over obstacles (tṛ), integration of force (arvat) and illumination (vipra), vāja as realization-power
viśva-carṣaṇi suggests ṛta as integrated order across all parts of the being.
vipra indicates satya as revealed vision that ensures the ‘win’ is true, not egoic.
Coordination: the many forces become one victorious movement under a central will.
Integral yoga reading: transformation by bringing vital and mental under psychic/divine will (Agni).
Steeds = prāṇa and dynamic faculties; seers = intuition/illumined mind; fire = the yoking will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The twin mythologem of ‘swift steeds’ and ‘seer-companions’: divine force wins by speed/energy (arvat) and by inspired vision (vipra). Inner sense: the seeker’s progress requires both dynamic life-force and illumined intelligence to carry vāja across obstacles.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tṛ ‘cross’ is a widespread IE motif of overcoming (crossing waters/obstacles) used metaphorically for victory. The fame/people domain (carṣaṇi) reflects inherited social-poetic diction where gods are ‘of all peoples’. √san again expresses attainment in a classic hymnic optative frame.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks a comprehensive victory: not only external means (‘horses’) but also inner illumination (‘vipras’). The Devatā is invoked to coordinate these instruments so the human field (viśva-carṣaṇi) is harmonized under Ṛta.
Yoke the ‘horses’ of energy to the flame of will; invite the ‘vipra’ intuition to steer action.
maṇipūra
Brisk-then-settle: 12 rounds kapalabhāti (gentle) followed by calm breathing while chanting once per exhale.
Dynamic concentration (ekāgratā with force).
Feel energy rising as a disciplined team; after chanting, visualize reins in the hands of a calm inner driver; act from that alignment.
Parallel pādas benefit from matched svara contours; keep ‘astu’ endings clean and even.
Mark the two clauses: arvadbhiḥ… tarutā || viprebhiḥ… sanitā; slight pause between them.
viśvacarṣaṇiḥ: viś-va-car-ṣa-ṇiḥ; ṣ retroflex, ṇ retroflex, arvadbhiḥ: keep ‘dbh’ cluster clear; do not drop aspiration, tarutā: roll r lightly; long ā, viprebhiḥ: vi-pre-bhiḥ, keep e clear
Bright, rhythmic, disciplined.
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