Rig Veda 5.26.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 26, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.26
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Gayatri
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
वीतिहोत्रं त्वा कवे द्युमन्तं समिधीमहि । अग्ने बृहन्तमध्वरे ॥
vītí-hotram tvā kave dyu-mántaṃ sám idhīmahi | ágne bṛhántam adhvaré ||
เราจุดท่านให้ลุกโพลงโดยสิ้นเชิง—โอ้กวีผู้รู้ อัคนี ผู้มีโหตระนำสู่การร่วมบูชา ผู้รุ่งเรืองด้วยเดชานุภาพ. โอ้อัคนี ขอท่านจงแผ่ใหญ่ในอธวร (adhvara) และเป็นพลังอันยิ่งใหญ่ในหนทางของเรา.
Word by Word
- वीतिहोत्रम्
- (you,) the one whose offering/invocation is well-performed / having the ‘vīti’ oblationNoun (compound epithet)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वीति-होत्र (प्रातिपदिक; वीतिः < √वे/वी ‘to pursue, enjoy, seek’ + होत्र < √हु ‘to sacrifice/invoke’)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कवे
- O sage/poet (seer)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यु॒मन्तम्
- bright, radiantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणम्—त्वा)Root द्यु-मत् (प्रातिपदिक; द्यु ‘brightness, heaven’ + मतुप्)
- समिधीमहि
- we kindle (invoke/enkindle)Verbलट् (वर्तमाने), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot सम्-√इध् (इध् दीप्तौ) / समिध् ‘to kindle’
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहन्तम्
- great, loftyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणम्—त्वा)Root बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; from √बृह् ‘to grow, be great’)
- अध्वरे
- in the sacrifice/ritualNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वीतिहोत्रम् त्वा कवे द्युमन्तम् समिधीमहि । अग्ने बृहन्तम् अध्वरे ॥ Sandhi/phonetics: (1) वीतिहोत्रम् is a तत्पुरुष-समास (वीति + होत्र) in accusative singular neuter used as an epithet of Agni
- (2) समिधीमहि is from सम्-√इध् with present ātmanepada 1pl ending -महि
The meaning
Outer meaning
You, O sage Agni, whose offering leads to the feast/communion, luminous—we kindle you fully. O Agni, become vast in the sacrifice.
Inner meaning
Agni is addressed as kavi, the seer-will within, capable of true discernment and inspired action. ‘Vītihotra’ indicates that the offering (hotra) is not mechanical but leads to vīti—living communion with the divine powers. ‘Sam idhīmahi’ is a total kindling: gather all parts of the being to one flame. The aspiration is for Agni to become bṛhant—vast and world-embracing—so the inner yajña becomes a great journey (adhvara) of transformation.
Universal truth
When the inner will becomes a seer and is kindled integrally, spiritual practice stops being partial; it grows vast, luminous, and capable of sustained transformation.
Themes
kindling, Agni as kavi, communion (vīti), vastness in the rite
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.2, RV 5.3, RV 5.11
Family tradition
Ātreya emphasis on Agni as kavi (seer) and on integral kindling (sam-idh) rather than partial effort.
Significance
Atri’s yoga-key is to make the will luminous and comprehensive so that the sacrifice becomes a wide, stable field for divine action.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- kavi (seer), dyumat (luminous), vītihotra (giver of communion through offering), bṛhat (vast)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (as widening word/force), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Expands the sacrificial field; sustains the upward journey; establishes luminous order in the human vessel.
Inner power
Integrative flame: unifies mind-life-body toward one aspiration and widens consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling (idh) formula within Agni rites; strengthening the sacrificial fire
वी॒तिहो॑त्रं त्वा कवे द्यु॒मन्तं॒ समि॑धीमहि । अग्ने॑ बृ॒हन्त॑मध्व॒रे ॥
वी॒तिऽहो॑त्रम् । त्वा॒ । क॒वे॒ । द्यु॒ऽमन्त॑म् । सम् । इ॒धी॒म॒हि॒ । अग्ने॑ । बृ॒हन्त॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒रे ॥
vīti-hotram | tvā | kave | dyu-mantam | sam | idhīmahi | agne | bṛhantam | adhvare
24
3×8
Strengthening and expansive; the last pāda feels like a widening cadence.
Builds steady force and breadth; supports endurance in practice.
- vītihotram
- Literal: whose oblation is for/leading to vīti (feast). Symbolic: Offering that results in communion and inner fulfillment
- kave
- Literal: O sage/poet. Symbolic: Seer-consciousness in will; inspired discrimination
- dyumantam
- Literal: luminous, splendid. Symbolic: Full of light-power (dyu) in mind and life-force
- sam idhīmahi
- Literal: we kindle completely/together. Symbolic: Integral gathering and ignition of the being
- bṛhantam
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: Expansive consciousness; increased capacity and force
- adhvare
- Literal: in the sacrifice/ritual; also ‘journey’ nuance. Symbolic: The path of yoga as a progressive inner journey
Kindling verse (sam-idh): used at ignition and strengthening of the sacred fire; emphasizes Agni as kavi and hotṛ enabling vīti (communion with gods).
At the moment of kindling or intensifying the fire; before main offerings
Adding fuel; recitation to ‘grow’ Agni
Use when energy is scattered: chant to gather attention and expand inner capacity before meditation or important work.
vīti-hotrá: vīti ‘feast/participation’ + hotra from √hu ‘to invoke/sacrifice’ → the offering-priesthood enabling communion. kavi from √kū/√kav ‘to see, to be wise/poetic’ → seer-intelligence. idhīmahi from √idh ‘to kindle’ (1pl middle). adhvará possibly from a-dhvara ‘uninjured, unobstructed’ (traditional etymology) → the straight rite/path; supports inner reading as unobstructed movement in ṛta.
adhvara as unobstructed path (ṛta-way), kavi as illumined mind, expansion into bṛhat (growing vast in sacrifice)
A vastened Agni stabilizes ṛta by making the inner law wide enough to hold life’s movements.
Dyumat: light as the sign of truth-power in action.
From kindling (tapas) arises widening (bṛhat) and ordered journey (adhvara).
Aurobindonian: ascent through tapas leading to the Vast (bṛhat) consciousness.
Ignition of will leading to widening of consciousness like sky opening around a central flame.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘kindling of the seer-fire’ mythologem: Agni is kavi—an intelligence—and is kindled to become bṛhant within the adhvara. Psychologically, the practitioner ignites a luminous will that expands the consciousness and makes communion possible.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The fire-kindling verb √idh has parallels in Indo-European fire/ignition vocabulary and ritual formulae. The concept of the ‘poet-seer’ (kavi) reflects a shared Indo-Iranian sacral poet figure, central to inherited poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi does not merely praise; he performs an inner action—sam idhīmahi—kindling Agni in totality. Agni, as kavi, reciprocates by becoming bṛhant in the adhvara, i.e., widening the practitioner’s path into a more luminous and unobstructed movement.
Integral kindling: gather mind, breath, and will into one steady flame; then widen awareness.
maṇipūra to ājñā axis (will to luminous guidance)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to ‘sam-idh’ (gather and ignite) without strain
Strong, wide, vigilant; suited for sustained practice.
Begin with concentration at the navel flame; then expand awareness to include the whole body and space—maintaining one aspiration throughout.
Rigvedic accents with clear rise on vocatives ‘kave’ and ‘agne’; maintain the cadence so ‘bṛhantam adhvare’ lands with weight.
Give a slight length and emphasis to ‘dyumantam’; keep ‘sam idhīmahi’ tightly connected (no pause).
vīti: long ī, idhīmahi: aspirated ‘dh’; long ī, bṛhantam: syllabic ‘ṛ’ and clear ‘h’
firm, resonant, grounded
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