Rig Veda 6.16.6: Mandala 6, Sukta 16, Mantra 6
Sukta 6.16
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
त्वं दूतो अमर्त्य आ वहा दैव्यं जनम् । शृण्वन्विप्रस्य सुष्टुतिम् ॥
tváṃ dūtó amártya ā́ vahā daívyaṃ jánam | śṛṇván víprasya su-stutím ||
พระองค์เป็นทูตผู้เป็นอมตะ ขอทรงอัญเชิญหมู่เทพอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (หมู่พลัง) มายังที่นี้ โดยทรงสดับสรรเสริญอันงามของฤๅษี
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दूतः
- messengerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणभावेन त्वम्-सम्बन्धी)Root दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमर्त्यः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (दूतः/त्वम्-विशेषणम्)Root अ-मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; मर्त्य < √मृ)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आ-गमन/आह्वानार्थ)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वह
- carry/bring!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √वह् (वहति)
- दैव्यम्
- divineAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (जनम्-विशेषणम्)Root दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक; देव-सम्बन्धी)
- जनम्
- people/folk (the divine folk)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- शृण्वन्
- hearingParticiple (Adjectival)वर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्-सम्बन्धी; ‘hearing’)Root √श्रु (शृणोति) → शृण्वत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- विप्रस्य
- of the inspired poet/priestNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुष्टुतिम्
- well-uttered praise/hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (शृण्वन् इत्यस्य)Root सु-ष्टुति (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तु ‘to praise’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वम् | दूतः | अमर्त्यः | आ | वह | दैव्यम् | जनम् | शृण्वन् | विप्रस्य | सुष्टुतिम् । 1) ‘आ वहा’ इति संहितायां ‘आ वह’ (लोट् मध्यम-एकवचन) — मन्त्रपाठे दीर्घस्वर/प्लुतिसदृश-प्रयोगः। 2) ‘शृण्वन्’ = √श्रु-धातोः वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), ‘शृण्वत्’ प्रथमा-एकवचन पुं। 3) ‘सुष्टुतिम्’ = सु-उपसर्ग + ‘ष्टुति’ (√स्तु), संहितायां संयुक्तव्यञ्जन-रूपेण।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni, the immortal messenger, is asked to bring the divine beings; he listens to the seer’s well-made hymn.
Inner meaning
Agni as dūta (messenger) is the connecting flame between human aspiration and the ‘daivya janam’—the divine powers (illumined forces) needed for the yoga. When the inspired mind (vipra) shapes true praise (suṣṭuti), Agni hears and conducts these powers into the inner sacrifice, making the sadhaka’s aspiration effective.
Universal truth
Right speech and sincere aspiration call higher forces; an inner mediator-power translates intention into spiritual influx.
Themes
Agni as messenger, invocation of divine host, power of inspired speech (vipra), inner ascent via offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.16, RV 6.14
Family tradition
Mantric craftsmanship (suṣṭuti) as a yogic instrument; Agni as the mediator central to the Bharadvāja fire-cycle.
Significance
The rishi highlights the psychology of mantra: when praise is ‘well-shaped’, Agni becomes actively responsive, summoning higher powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Dūta (messenger), Amartya (immortal), Havyavāhana (carrier of offering), Devavīta (leader of gods, echoed in next verse)
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ (all gods), Indra, Soma
Cosmic role
Inter-world mediator; convener of the divine host to the sacrifice.
Inner power
Power of invocation and transmission: converts aspiration into a channel for descent of higher consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āhvāna (invitation) of deities in soma-yajña; Agni as dūta bringing gods to the offering
त्वं दू॒तो अम॑र्त्य॒ आ व॑हा॒ दैव्यं॒ जन॑म् । शृ॒ण्वन्विप्र॑स्य सुष्टु॒तिम् ॥
त्वम् । दू॒तः । अम॑र्त्यः । आ । व॒ह॒ । दैव्य॑म् । जन॑म् । शृ॒ण्वन् । विप्र॑स्य । सु॒ऽस्तु॒तिम् ॥
tvam | dūtaḥ | amartyaḥ | ā | vaha | daivyam | janam | śṛṇvan | viprasya | su-stutim
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4 × 11
processional and summoning; strong cadences fit the ‘bringing’ action
Feels like calling and gathering; supports a sense of descent and arrival of higher forces.
- dūtaḥ
- Literal: messenger. Symbolic: the linking consciousness that carries the offering upward and brings grace downward
- amartyaḥ
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: the deathless divine principle of will present within mortality
- ā vahā
- Literal: bring here, convey. Symbolic: draw down and integrate higher powers into present consciousness
- daivyaṃ janam
- Literal: divine people/folk. Symbolic: host of inner god-powers: illumined mind, vastness, harmony, strength
- śṛṇvan
- Literal: hearing. Symbolic: responsive receptivity of the inner Fire to true invocation
- viprasya
- Literal: of the inspired seer. Symbolic: the illumined intelligence that can form mantric speech
- suṣṭutim
- Literal: well-praised, well-shaped hymn. Symbolic: rightly ordered vibration (mantra) that opens the planes
Agni as dūta in Soma sacrifice: inviting the devāḥ to the barhis; inner application: calling higher faculties into the prepared consciousness through mantra (su-stuti).
At the stage of inviting devatās to partake; before/with oblations
invocation; offering into fire while calling the divine host
Use before meditation as an ‘inner invitation’: call in clarity, strength, peace as living powers; feel Agni as the channel.
dūtá < √dū 'to go/drive' (messenger) used for Agni as go-between. vahā (impv.) < √vah 'carry' (PIE *weǵh- 'convey' widely attested). śṛṇván < √śru 'hear' (PIE *ḱleu- 'hear', cf. Greek klýō). su-stutí: su- 'well' + stuti < √stu 'praise' (PIE *steu- 'praise'). daívya < devá; devá from √div 'shine' → divine powers as luminous principles.
mediation between mortal and immortal (bridge-principle), mantra-śruti (hearing as reception of truth), R̥ta through right praise (su-stuti as ordering speech)
Agni maintains the lawful exchange between planes—offering and response—according to ṛta.
Suṣṭuti as truthful vibration aligns speech with satya, enabling effective invocation.
Descent of divine powers into the human field as a mode of transformation.
Vedic mantra-yoga: speech as force; deities as powers of consciousness
Fire as messenger = inner channel; smoke as aspiration rising; ‘divine people’ = faculties of higher consciousness entering the mind-life-body.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the divine envoy who escorts the gods to the sacrifice. Psychologically, the awakened will escorts higher luminous forces into the human field when the mantra is rightly formed and sincerely heard.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The collocation of √vah 'carry' and √śru 'hear' is archetypal IE ritual diction: the mediator 'conveys' and 'hears' the praise. Clear PIE correspondences: √śru ~ PIE *ḱleu-; √vah ~ PIE *weǵh-.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The vipra provides su-stuti (a precise, truth-aligned formulation). Agni responds by becoming the functional bridge: he listens (receptive intelligence) and brings the divine powers (effective will). The reciprocity is mantra → presence.
Invoke the ‘daivya janam’: call specific god-powers (illumination, courage, harmony) to enter and work.
viśuddha (mantric speech) with anāhata (invocation)
4-4 breathing: inhale ‘ā vahā’ (draw in), exhale offering; pause to ‘listen’ (śṛṇvan) inwardly
receptive, widened, quietly empowered
Chant, then sit in silence imagining a circle of luminous powers assembling around the inner flame; allow one quality to descend and settle.
Maintain triṣṭubh cadence; emphasize dūtaḥ/amartyaḥ/ā vahā as summoning peaks; exact udatta/anudatta requires marked text.
Link ‘ā vahā’ smoothly (long ā), but keep word boundary; ‘daivyaṃ janam’ nasalization clear on -ṃ.
dūtaḥ: long ū; final ḥ light, amartyaḥ: ‘ty’ crisp; not ‘chya’, śṛṇvan: retroflex ṇ; short ṛ
calling, resonant, slightly projecting
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