Rig Veda 4.25.4: Mandala 4, Sukta 25, Mantra 4
Sukta 4.25
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तस्मा अग्निर्भारतः शर्म यंसज्ज्योक्पश्यात्सूर्यमुच्चरन्तम् । य इन्द्राय सुनवामेत्याह नरे नर्याय नृतमाय नृणाम् ॥
tásmā agnír bhā́rataḥ śárma yaṃsat jyók paśyāt sū́ryam ut-cárantam | yá índrāya sunávāma íty ā́ha náre náryāya nṛ́tamāya nṛṇā́m ||
ขออัคนี—พลังแห่งภารตะ—ประทานความสงบอันเป็นที่พึ่งแก่เขา เพื่อเขาจะได้แลเห็นสุริยะผู้กำลังผุดขึ้นเนิ่นนาน ผู้ใดกล่าวว่า “เราจักคั้นโสมเพื่ออินทระ” ผู้นั้นย่อมเป็นของบุรุษผู้แท้ เป็นของความเป็นชายอันแท้จริง เป็นของผู้ทรงเดชยิ่งในหมู่มนุษย์ทั้งหลาย
Word by Word
- तस्मै
- to himPronounपुं/नपुं, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि-
- भारतः
- the Bhārata (of the Bharatas)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (अग्निः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot भारत- (patronymic from भरत)
- शर्म
- protection, shelterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शर्मन्-
- यंसत्
- may he grantVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot यम् (यच्छति/यमति) धातु
- ज्योक्
- continually, for a long timeIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारण (काल-भावे)Root ज्योक्
- पश्यात्
- may he seeVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot पश् (दृश्-अर्थे) धातु
- सूर्यम्
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सूर्य-
- उच्चरन्तम्
- rising, moving upwardParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (सूर्यम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot उत्-चर् धातु (चर्) + उपसर्ग उत्
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र-
- सुनवाम
- may we press (Soma)Verbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 1 बहुवचनRoot सु (सवति/सुनोति) धातु
- इति
- thusIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इति
- आह
- saidVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot अह्/आह् (ब्रू-अर्थे; परोक्ष-परिपूर्ण ‘आह’)
- नरे
- to the man/heroNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot नर-
- नर्याय
- manly, heroicAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचन (नृतमाय इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्प्रदानRoot नर्य-
- नृतमाय
- to the most heroic (one)Adjective (superlative used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot नृतम- (नृ + तमप्; ‘most manly/best of men’)
- नृणाम्
- of menNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot नृ-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तस्मै | अग्निः | भारतः | शर्म | यंसत् | ज्योक् | पश्यात् | सूर्यम् | उच्चरन्तम् || यः | इन्द्राय | सुनवाम | इति | आह | नरे | नर्याय | नृतमाय | नृणाम् || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) अग्निर्भारतः = अग्निः + भारतः (विसर्ग-रेफः)
- (2) यंसज्ज्योक्पश्यात् = यंसत् + ज्योक् + पश्यात् (त् + ज् → ज्ज्; तथा क् + प् संयोगः)
- (3) पश्यात्सूर्यम् = पश्यात् + सूर्यम् (त् + स् संयोगः)
- (4) सूर्य॑मुच्चरन्तम् = सूर्यम् + उच्चरन्तम् (म् + उ → म् उ; संधि-लेखनम्)
- (5) सुनवामेत्याह = सुनवाम् + इति + आह (म् + इ → मे; इति + आह → त्याह)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Agni, the Bharata, grant him sheltering peace, so he may long behold the Sun rising. He who says, “Let us press Soma for Indra,”—that man is for the Man, for true manhood, for the most powerful among men.
Inner meaning
Agni Bhārata is the ‘Bharata power’—the carrying flame that bears the offering upward and builds the inner nation (bhāratam as the soul-force that sustains). When this Agni grants śarma (peace/shelter), the seeker can ‘see long’ the ascending Sun: stable perception of higher truth-consciousness. The decisive mark of readiness is the inner declaration: ‘Let us press Soma for Indra’—let us extract delight and offer it to illumined mind. Then the human becomes nara for Nara: the embodied person aligned to the true Person within; naryāya nṛtamāya—he grows into the highest manhood, the most puissant capacity of the human instrument.
Universal truth
When the inner will becomes a steady bearer of peace, truth rises and remains visible. The human becomes truly human by offering delight and energy to illumination, aligning outer personality with the inner Person.
Themes
Soma-ritual, inner ascent, light-victory, Agni-Indra cooperation
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1 (Agni as leader), RV 4.6 (Agni and the path of vision)
Family tradition
Vāmadeva’s hymns often connect Agni’s right kindling to the vision of Sūrya (truth) and to Indra’s victorious illumination.
Significance
Here the seer defines the ‘Bharata’ as the inner carrier: peace is not inertia but the stable base for sustained seeing of truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (praised), with Agni Bhārata as enabling power; Sūrya as the revealed truth
- Epithets
- Indra: Vṛtrahan, Maghavan, Agni: Bhārata, Jātavedas (knower of births), Sūrya: ascending seer-light
- Related deities
- Soma, Uṣas, Ādityas
Cosmic role
Agni establishes the sacrificial channel; Indra brings victorious illumination; Sūrya manifests the truth-world as visible light.
Inner power
Agni: steady will and aspiration; Indra: decisive light and force; Sūrya: stable revelation and right seeing.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-pressing for Indra; Agni kindling and protective prayers
तस्मा॑ अ॒ग्निर्भार॑त॒: शर्म॑ यंस॒ज्ज्योक्प॑श्या॒त्सूर्य॑मु॒च्चर॑न्तम् । य इन्द्रा॑य सु॒नवा॒मेत्याह॒ नरे॒ नर्या॑य॒ नृत॑माय नृ॒णाम् ॥
तस्मै॑ । अ॒ग्निः । भार॑तः । शर्म॑ । यं॒स॒त् । ज्योक् । प॒श्या॒त् । सूर्य॑म् । उ॒त्ऽचर॑न्तम् । यः । इन्द्रा॑य । सु॒नवा॑म । इति॑ । आह॑ । नरे॑ । नर्या॑य । नृऽत॑माय । नृ॒णाम् ॥
tasmai | agniḥ | bhārataḥ | śarma | yaṃsat | jyok | paśyāt | sūryam | ut-carantam | yaḥ | indrāya | sunavāma | iti | āha | nare | naryāya | nṛ-tamāya | nṛṇām
44
4 × 11
Blessing + proclamation; balanced cadence with a strong declarative close.
Soothes first (śarma), then uplifts into vision (Sūrya), ending with a strengthening affirmation of true manhood.
- अग्निः भारतः (agniḥ bhārataḥ)
- Literal: Agni the Bharata. Symbolic: the carrying flame; soul-supported will that bears offerings upward and builds inner cohesion
- शर्म (śarma)
- Literal: shelter, peace. Symbolic: psychic safety and calm foundation for higher seeing
- ज्योक् (jyok)
- Literal: for long, continually. Symbolic: stability of realization, not a passing glimpse
- सूर्यम् उच्छरन्तम् (sūryam uccarantam)
- Literal: the Sun ascending. Symbolic: rising truth-consciousness; supramental/illumined awareness emerging
- सुनवाम (sunavāma)
- Literal: let us press (Soma). Symbolic: active inner extraction of essence/delight through discipline
- नरे नर्याय नृतमाय (nare naryāya nṛtamāya)
- Literal: for the man, for manliness, for the most manly. Symbolic: alignment with the true inner person; growth into the highest capable instrument
Soma pressing (Soma-yāga context); invitatory/praise for Indra supported by Agni as priestly will
At the lighting/kindling and during Soma pressing declarations; also as benediction for long life/steady vision (jyok paśyāt).
Kindle Agni; announce Soma pressing; offer oblations with recitation.
Use as a morning mantra: kindle a lamp, sit facing east, and invoke steady peace to ‘see the sun’—clarity for the day’s actions.
Key terms: (1) √yam ‘to hold, restrain; to give/extend’ → yáṃsat (injunctive/benedictive): ‘may (Agni) bestow/extend’ a stabilizing protection. (2) śárman ‘shelter, refuge, ease’ (cf. √śṛ ‘to protect/shelter’ in semantic field): here inner poise that allows sustained vision. (3) sū́rya ‘Sun’ from PIE *sóh₂wl̥: in inner sense the truth-light that rises in consciousness. (4) ut-cárant ‘rising up’ (ud- + √car ‘to move’): emergence/ascension of illumination. (5) √su ‘to press (Soma)’ → sunávāma: the act of extracting delight/essence to feed Indra (victorious luminous mind-force). (6) nár-/naryá-/nṛ́tama: ‘man/heroic’, intensifying toward a peak of human capacity aligned to Indra.
Ṛta (right order enabling true vision), illumination (Sūrya as truth-light), inner protection/peace (śarman as stable foundation for sight)
Pressing Soma ‘for Indra’ symbolizes offering energies to right illumination; this is ṛta in action.
The ascending Sun is satya becoming steadily visible to consciousness.
Ascent motif: from kindling (tapasyā) to rising light (revelation).
Yoga of works and knowledge integrated: will (Agni) → delight (Soma) → illumination (Indra) → truth-vision (Sūrya).
sunrise
unspecified
Sunrise = emergence of higher truth; Agni = inner heat/will; long seeing = stabilized consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The cooperative ascent-myth: Agni (will/fire) establishes śarman (protected order) so the seeker can ‘see the Sun rising’—a classic Vedic image for the victory of illumination. Soma-pressing for Indra supplies the force of luminous mind that conquers obscurity; the mythic action is the ritual/psychic preparation that enables dawn-like revelation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sū́rya continues PIE *sóh₂wl̥ ‘sun’ (cognate: Lat. sōl, Gk. hḗlios via different formation, Eng. sun from *sóh₂wl̥ with Germanic developments). nár- ‘man/hero’ aligns with PIE *h₂nḗr ‘man’ (Gk. anḗr). The verbal system shows inherited Indo-European moods: paśyāt (optative) expresses wished-for inner seeing; sunávāma (subjunctive/precative flavor) expresses collective resolve to press Soma.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal economy of inner sacrifice: the human voice forms the vow ‘sunavāma’ (we will press/extract the essence), offering Soma-delight to Indra; in return Indra’s power is invited to establish heroic capacity (naryá, nṛ́tama). Agni mediates the exchange by creating śarman—an ordered inner field—so the divine response can become stable illumination (seeing Sūrya ‘for long’).
Establish inner peace (śarma) through steady will (Agni), then contemplate the rising sun as the emergence of truth-consciousness.
Maṇipūra (Agni) supporting Ājñā (seeing) and Sahasrāra (sun-truth above).
Sūrya-bhedana (right-nostril inhale) gently for 9 rounds at dawn; then silent gaze (eyes closed) at inner ‘sun’ in brow region.
From protected steadiness → clear seeing → empowered alignment to higher action.
Begin day with a vow: ‘I press Soma for Indra’—I offer my best joy and energy to clarity. Hold peace first, then act from the ‘ascending sun’ of insight.
Tri-svara; blessings often carry a smoother contour, with a stronger lift on ‘sūryam’ and the declarative ‘sunavāma’.
Keep ‘jyok paśyāt’ slightly elongated; emphasize ‘sūryam uccarantam’ as a rising melodic gesture.
bhārataḥ: long ā; retroflex ṭ not present—keep dental ‘t’, śarma: ‘ś’ palatal, not ‘s’, jyok: final ‘k’ crisp, uccarantam: double ‘cc’, ‘ra’ clear, sunavāma: ‘va’ soft; long ā, nṛtamāya: retroflex ṛ; ‘t’ dental; long āya
Warm and steady; increase brightness on the ‘Sun’ phrase.
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