Rig Veda 5.28.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 28, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.28
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अग्ने शर्ध महते सौभगाय तव द्युम्नान्युत्तमानि सन्तु । सं जास्पत्यं सुयममा कृणुष्व शत्रूयतामभि तिष्ठा महांसि ॥
ágné śárdha mahaté sáubhagāya táva dyumnā́ny uttamā́ni santu | sáṃ jā́spatyaṃ suyámam ā́ kṛṇuṣva śatrūyatā́m abhí tíṣṭhā mahā́ṃsi ||
โอ อัคนี จงจัดกองทัพของท่านเพื่อมหามงคลเถิด ขอให้เดชานุภาพอันรุ่งเรืองสูงสุดของท่านสถิตกับเรา จงสร้างความเป็นเจ้าบ้านและการปกครองอันชอบธรรมไว้ในเรา แล้วจงยืนครอบเหนือแรงเคลื่อนไหวของผู้เป็นศัตรู และด้วยความยิ่งใหญ่ของท่านจงก้าวล้ำมันทั้งหลาย
Word by Word
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्ध
- a host; a troop; strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (पद-रूप: शर्धः/शर्धम्; संहितायां ‘शर्ध’)Role कर्म (कृणुष्व इत्यस्य) / विधेय-सम्बन्धःRoot शर्ध- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘समूह/बल/सेना’)
- महते
- for great (…); to the greatAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसक; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (सौभगाय इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्धः) / हेतु-सम्बन्धःRoot महत्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सौभगाय
- for good fortune; for prosperityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन) / हेतुRoot सौभग- (प्रातिपदिक; सौ- + भग)
- तव
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यु॒म्नानि
- splendours; gloriesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ/विधेय (सन्तु इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root द्यु॒म्न- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्तमानि
- the highest; bestAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (द्यु॒म्नानि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धः)Root उत्तम- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘श्रेष्ठ’)
- सन्तु
- let them beVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थे); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole विधेय (अस्तित्व-क्रिया)Root अस् (धातु)
- सम्
- together; completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (कृणुष्व इत्यस्य)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot सम्- (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- जास्पत्यम्
- household-lordship; domestic prosperityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (कृणुष्व)Root जास्पत्य- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘गृहपति/कुल-सम्बन्धी’)
- सुयमम्
- good order; good governance/controlNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (जास्पत्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/समन्वय)Role कर्म (कृणुष्व) / विशेषणRoot सु-यम- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सु’ + ‘यम’)
- आ
- towards; unto; fullyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (कृणुष्व इत्यस्य)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot आ- (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- कृणुष्व
- make; do; establishVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole विधेय (आज्ञा)Root कृ (धातु)
- शत्रूयताम्
- of the hostile (men); of those acting as enemiesNoun (participle used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (अभि तिष्ठा इत्यस्य लक्ष्य-सम्बन्धः: ‘of the hostile ones’)Root शत्रूयत्- (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; शत्रु + यत्, ‘शत्रुवत् आचरन्त्’)
- अभि
- against; uponIndeclinableउपसर्गः (तिष्ठा इत्यस्य)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot अभि- (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तिष्ठा
- stand; take a standVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (वेदे ‘तिष्ठा’ आदेशः)Role विधेय (आज्ञा)Root स्था (धातु)
- महांसि
- great (things/powers); mighty (ones)Adjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्म/अधिकरण (अभि-तिष्ठा इत्यस्य: ‘(them) greatly/with great (powers)’; वस्तुतः ‘महत्’ रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Root महत्- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठे: द्यु॒म्नान्यु॑त्त॒मानि॑ = द्यु॒म्नानि + उत्त॒मानि (इ-उ संधिः → य्)
- सं जा॑स्प॒त्यं = सम् + जास्पत्यम् (म् + ज् → ंज्)
- सु॒यम॒मा कृ॑णुष्व = सुयमम् + आ + कृणुष्व (म् + आ → मा)
- शत्रूय॒ताम॒भि = शत्रूयताम् + अभि (म् + अ → म)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, marshal your host for great good fortune; let your highest splendors be ours. Make firm the lordship of the household and right governance; stand over the hostile and surpass them by greatness.
Inner meaning
Invoke the organized powers of the inner Fire (śardha) to bring integral good fortune (saubhaga)—a harmonious destiny of the being. Agni’s highest luminous energies (uttamāni dyumnāni) are asked to descend into our nature. He is to establish in us the true ‘household-lordship’ (jāspatya)—the soul’s mastery over the inner home—and su-yama, right self-government (disciplined, rightly guided life-force and mind). Then he stands above the hostile movements—impulses of division, doubt, inertia, and revolt—overmastering them by a greater magnitude of consciousness (mahāṃsi).
Universal truth
Spiritual life requires not only insight but organized forces, right governance of nature, and a higher mastery that can overtop resistance and hostile patterns.
Themes
inner mastery, overcoming hostility, prosperity as harmony, organization of powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Atri-family attribution)
- Lineage
- Atri
- Other hymns
- RV 5.2, RV 5.4, RV 5.11
Family tradition
Atri hymns frequently combine invocation with governance language—ordering the inner ‘house’ and defeating hostility through luminous force.
Significance
The seer seeks not momentary inspiration but a stable inner polity: the psychic being enthroned (jāspatya) and nature governed (suyama) under Agni’s highest lights.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- śardhavān (lord of hosts, implied), dyumnavān (splendid), mahān (great), gṛhapati/jāspati (house-lord, thematic)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory over Vṛtra-like resistances), Maruts (hosts/forces, parallel to śardha), Bṛhaspati (right governance of thought/word)
Cosmic role
Commander of luminous forces; protector and organizer; establishes right order in the human domain.
Inner power
Leadership of the will that organizes energies, installs the soul’s mastery, and conquers hostile resistances.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and prosperity-oriented Agni invocation within soma/yajña settings; also household fire prayers for order and victory.
अग्ने॒ शर्ध॑ मह॒ते सौभ॑गाय॒ तव॑ द्यु॒म्नान्यु॑त्त॒मानि॑ सन्तु । सं जा॑स्प॒त्यं सु॒यम॒मा कृ॑णुष्व शत्रूय॒ताम॒भि ति॑ष्ठा॒ महां॑सि ॥
अग्ने॑ । शर्ध॑ । म॒ह॒ते । सौभ॑गाय । तव॑ । द्यु॒म्नानि॑ । उ॒त्ऽत॒मानि॑ । स॒न्तु॒ । सम् । जः॒ऽप॒त्यम् । सु॒ऽयम॑म् । आ । कृ॒णु॒ष्व॒ । श॒त्रु॒ऽय॒ताम् । अ॒भि । ति॒ष्ठ॒ । महां॑सि ॥
agne | śardha | mahate | saubhagāya | tava | dyumnāni | ut-tamāni | santu | sam | jaḥ-patyam | su-yamam | ā | kṛṇuṣva | śatru-yatām | abhi | tiṣṭha | mahāṃsi
44
4×11 (approx.)
Martial and directive; strong imperatives create a ‘command’ rhythm.
Energizes resolve and courage; supports inner discipline and the will to overcome resistance.
- शर्ध (śardha)
- Literal: host, troop. Symbolic: organized inner powers/energies of Agni working together
- सौभग (saubhaga)
- Literal: good fortune. Symbolic: harmonious spiritual destiny; right alignment of life with the Divine
- द्युम्न (dyumna)
- Literal: splendor, luminous power. Symbolic: illumined energies—clarity, courage, effective force
- उत्तम (uttama)
- Literal: highest. Symbolic: supramental/upper-mind grade of illumination (the best, most pure power)
- जास्पत्य (jāspatya)
- Literal: lordship of the household. Symbolic: psychic mastery; the soul as true ruler of the inner home
- सुयम (suyama)
- Literal: good governance, good restraint. Symbolic: right self-control and right direction of prāṇa, mind, and action
- शत्रुयताम् (śatrūyatām)
- Literal: of the hostile ones/hostilities. Symbolic: adverse forces—inner resistances, obscuring impulses, hostile suggestions
- महांसि (mahāṃsi)
- Literal: greatnesses, vast things. Symbolic: greater consciousness-powers that overtop the lower nature
Protective and prosperity-seeking prayer within fire-lit ritual; inner application: Agni organizes the faculties into a governed household (jāspatya, suyama) and overcomes hostile inner movements.
When seeking strength, protection, and orderly conduct of the rite; before confronting obstacles.
Offer ghee while voicing intentions for saubhaga and victory over hostile forces.
Use before difficult tasks/conflict: invoke inner governance (suyama) and mastery over reactive impulses.
śardha 'host' relates to organized collective force (often of Maruts; here transferred to Agni’s powers). yama from √yam 'to rein, control' (PIE *yem- 'hold'). dyumna from dyu/div 'shine' (PIE *dyew- 'sky/daylight'). śatru from √śad/√śat? (traditional: 'enemy'; etymology debated), here taken as opposing impulses within the being.
inner governance (yama), saubhaga (harmonious plenitude), dyumna (luminous force)
Suyama and jāspatya are psychological forms of ṛta—right arrangement of the inner world.
Uttama dyumna as truth-light that cannot be overruled by falsehood.
Establishing a ‘cosmic household’ within: the microcosm ordered under the fire of consciousness.
Integral yoga: transformation requires organization of forces, psychic governance, and conquest of adverse formations.
Host = coordinated faculties; household = inner life-field; hostile ones = inertia/desire/doubt formations; greatness = widened consciousness that overtops them.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the 'battle within the sacrifice': Agni must assemble his host and stand over hostile forces. The outer conflict becomes an inner psychology—Agni as organizer and conqueror of obstructing impulses.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu/dyumna continues PIE *dyew- (sky/daylight). √sthā (tiṣṭha) continues PIE *steh₂- 'stand'. √yam (control) continues PIE *yem- 'hold'. These inherited roots support a shared Indo-European poetic grammar of light, stance, and mastery.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Agni not only for 'fortune' but for inner constitutional order: Agni is invoked to establish lordship (jāspatya) and right control (suyama) in the human domain, indicating a reciprocal collaboration—human aspiration calls, divine will organizes and conquers.
Invoke Agni as inner commander: organize energies, enthrone the psychic ruler, and stand above hostile impulses.
maṇipūra (will/governance) with support from anāhata (psychic lordship)
Brisk 3-part breath (dirgha) for 7 cycles, then steady exhale while repeating ‘suyamam’; end in quiet witnessing above reactions.
Dynamic steadiness: courageous, ordered, vigilant.
Name one ‘hostile motion’ (habit, fear, craving). Offer it into Agni; then affirm one concrete rule of su-yama (a right rhythm) for the next 24 hours.
Rigvedic accents as marked; imperatives (kṛṇuṣva, tiṣṭha) should be voiced with firm lift without shouting.
Let each command land at pāda-end; keep ‘mahāṃsi’ broad and sustained to convey greatness.
śardha: pronounce ś (palatal) + ardha cluster cleanly., saubhagāya: keep au diphthong clear., jāspatyam: long ā; avoid ‘jas’., abhi tiṣṭha: retroflex ṭh aspirated; do not soften to dental.
Strong, upright, resonant chest-to-throat; controlled power.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
