Rig Veda 6.3.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 3, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.3
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
तिग्मं चिदेम महि वर्पो अस्य भसदश्वो न यमसान आसा । विजेहमानः परशुर्न जिह्वां द्रविर्न द्रावयति दारु धक्षत् ॥
tigṁáṃ cid éma máhi várpo asyá bhásad áśvo na yamasāná āsā́ | vi-jéhamānaḥ paraśúr na jihvā́ṃ dravír na drāvayati dā́ru dhákṣat ||
การพุ่งเข้าของท่านแหลมคมยิ่ง รูปโฉมของท่านยิ่งใหญ่; ท่านหอบเหมือนม้าที่ฝืนแรงด้วยปากอ้า. ท่านสะบัดลิ้นดุจขวานที่กำลังฟัน; ดุจช่างหลอมท่านทำให้ละลาย—ท่านได้เผาไม้เสียแล้ว.
Word by Word
- ति॒ग्मम्
- sharp, keenAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेष्य-विशेषणभावेन ‘वर्पः’ इत्यस्य)Root तिग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (अव्यय)
- एमे
- they have gone / they wentVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (अग्न्यादयः/देवाः—प्रसङ्गतः)Root इ (धातु)
- महि
- greatly, mightilyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot महि (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
- वर्पः
- form, beauty, appearanceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वर्पस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of him / of this (one)Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भसत्
- shining, blazingParticiple (Adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (विशेषणम् ‘अश्वः’)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot भस् (धातु) / भसत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वः
- horseNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-सूचक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- यमसानः
- restraining/holding in, checkingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (मध्य/आत्मनेपद-भावः), वर्तमानकालिकःRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot यम् (धातु) → यमसान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- आसा
- he sat / he has satVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृRoot आस् (धातु)
- विजेहमानः
- trembling, quiveringParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन, वर्तमानकालिकः (आत्मनेपद-भावः)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot जिह्/जिहे (धातु; ‘जिहे/जिहेते’ कम्पने) + वि- (उपसर्ग) → विजेहमान (कृदन्त)
- परशुः
- axeNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot परशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-सूचक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- जिह्वाम्
- tongueNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्रविः
- (a) runner; swift oneNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot द्रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-सूचक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- द्रावयति
- drives, makes runVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृRoot द्रु/द्रव् (धातु) → द्रावय (णिजन्त)
- दारु
- woodNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot दारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- धक्षत्
- burned, consumedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृRoot दह् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): तिग्मम् | चित् | एमे | महि | वर्पः | अस्य | भसत् | अश्वः | न | यमसानः | आसा | विजेहमानः | परशुः | न | जिह्वाम् | द्रविः | न | द्रावयति | दारु | धक्षत् । प्रमुख सन्धयः: (1) चिदेमे = चित् + एमे (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: त् + ए → द्-आदेशः) । (2) महि वर्पो = महि + वर्पः (विसर्ग-सन्धि: अः + अ → ओ) । (3) भसदश्वो = भसत् + अश्वः (त् + अ → द्) तथा अश्वः (प्रथमा) → अश्वो (विसर्ग-सन्धि) । (4) यमसान आसा = यमसानः + आसा (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते, स्वर-सन्धि) । (5) परशुर्न = परशुः + न (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + न → र्) । (6) द्रविर्न = द्रविः + न (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + न → र्) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Sharp is his onset, great his form; he pants like a horse straining with its mouth. Lashing his tongue like an axe in motion, like a smelter he melts; he has burned the wood.
Inner meaning
This is a vivid psychology of transformation. Agni’s ‘tigma’ onset is the decisive thrust of divine Will when it seizes resistance. His ‘mahi varpas’ is the vast intensity of the awakened force. The horse image (aśva) indicates prāṇic energy harnessed to the fire—breath and life-force powering the work. The tongue (jihvā) is the discriminating flame that ‘cuts’ like an axe: it separates truth from falsehood, useful from obstructive, burning away what cannot serve. As a smelter (dravin), Agni liquefies rigid formations—fixed habits, hardened emotions, inert thought—so they can be recast. Burning the wood signifies consuming the raw fuel of nature (vanaspati/material-vital stuff) and turning it into heat and light of consciousness.
Universal truth
Real change is both fierce and intelligent: it cuts, melts, and recasts. When life-energy is yoked to a higher will, the resistant material of our nature becomes fuel for illumination rather than an obstacle.
Themes
tapas-and-transformation, purification-by-fire, cutting-through-obstruction
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.3.3
Family tradition
Bharadvāja’s Agni is not only a priestly mediator but a powerful alchemist of the being—cutting, melting, and burning the raw fuel of nature into light.
Significance
A classic inner-sacrifice image-set: prāṇic force (aśva), discriminating flame (jihvā), and alchemical transformation (smelting) describe how sādhanā works on resistant substance.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- tigma (sharp), mahi-varpas (great-formed/splendid), śuci (pure; implied), vājī (horse-like force; implied by aśva simile)
- Related deities
- Vāyu (prāṇa/breath; by implication of panting horse), Sūrya (light-result of burning; implicit)
Cosmic role
Transformer of matter and energy; the heat that converts fuel into light, maintaining the evolutionary movement.
Inner power
Tapas that cuts through obstruction, melts rigidity, and burns impurities—turning life-energy into conscious force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Kindling and feeding the fire with wood; descriptive praise during oblation when the fire flares and consumes fuel.
ति॒ग्मं चि॒देम॒ महि॒ वर्पो॑ अस्य॒ भस॒दश्वो॒ न य॑मसा॒न आ॒सा । वि॒जेह॑मानः पर॒शुर्न जि॒ह्वां द्र॒विर्न द्रा॑वयति॒ दारु॒ धक्ष॑त् ॥
ति॒ग्मम् । चि॒त् । एम॑ । महि॑ । वर्पः॑ । अ॒स्य॒ । भस॑त् । अश्वः॑ । न । य॒म॒सा॒न । आ॒सा । वि॒ऽजेह॑मानः । प॒र॒शुः । न । जि॒ह्वाम् । द्र॒विः । न । द्र॒व॒य॒ति॒ । दारु॑ । धक्ष॑त् ॥
tigmam | cit | ema | mahi | varpaḥ | asya | bhasat | aśvaḥ | na | yamasāna | āsā | vi-jehamānaḥ | paraśuḥ | na | jihvām | draviḥ | na | dravayati | dāru | dhakṣat
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Highly kinetic; strong consonantal clusters evoke cutting and striking; imagery accelerates toward the final ‘burned’.
Energizes and purifies; stimulates decisive action against inertia and confusion.
- ति॒ग्म (tigma)
- Literal: sharp; keen. Symbolic: decisive force of will that strikes resistance
- वर्पस् (varpas)
- Literal: form; body; splendour. Symbolic: manifest intensity and presence of the divine force in the being
- अश्व (aśva)
- Literal: horse. Symbolic: vital energy/prāṇa harnessed for action
- आस (āsa/āsā)
- Literal: mouth. Symbolic: breath-channel; intake/outflow of prāṇa feeding the fire
- जिह्वा (jihvā)
- Literal: tongue (of flame). Symbolic: discriminating power; cutting flame of discernment
- परशु (paraśu)
- Literal: axe. Symbolic: severing falsehood, chopping through knots of resistance
- द्रवि (dravin)
- Literal: smelter; melting agent. Symbolic: transformative heat that liquefies rigid structures
- दारु (dāru)
- Literal: wood. Symbolic: raw substance of nature—habit-energy and material-vital fuel
- धक्षत् (dhakṣat)
- Literal: has burned. Symbolic: complete consumption of resistance into transformative light
Kindling/intensification: imagery fits the moment of fire blazing up and consuming fuel; inwardly, the sharpening of will that melts rigidities.
At moments of strong kindling (samidh-ādhāna) or when fire is made to blaze for offerings.
Adding wood/ghee while reciting; acknowledging Agni’s consuming and transforming power.
Use as a mantra for ‘inner detox’ and decisive transformation—when breaking habits, cutting through procrastination, or purifying emotional rigidity.
tigmá-: sharp, from root meaning ‘pointed’; inner: incisive will. jihvā́: tongue, also flame-tongue; links speech and consumption—Agni as word-fire. paraśú-: axe; symbolizes cutting through obstruction/ignorance. √dah ‘burn’ (PIE *dʰegʷʰ- ‘burn’) is an inherited root; drāvayati from √drav ‘run/melt’ indicates transformative heat that liquefies rigid substance.
transformative tapas (heat) as purification, discriminative cutting (paraśu) as removal of ignorance, speech-fire linkage (jihvā)
Agni’s cutting/melting action restores right order by removing obstructive formations that deviate from ṛta.
Discrimination (axe-tongue) separates true from false, enabling satya-based action.
Alchemy of nature: wood becomes flame; substance becomes light—symbol of consciousness evolving out of material base.
Yoga of transformation: tapas as the engine of ascent; psychological symbolism aligned with Aurobindo’s ‘inner sacrifice’.
Fire = tapas/will; horse = prāṇa in action; axe = discriminative cutting; smelter = liquefying rigid samskāras; wood = raw habit-energy to be transmuted.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as the fierce transformer: with sharp onset and axe-like tongue he burns and melts the wood—mythically the power that converts dense matter into energy/light, psychologically the force that liquefies rigid formations and clears the path.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dah ‘burn’ is a clear IE inheritance (PIE *dʰegʷʰ-). Horse imagery (aśva) continues PIE *h₁éḱwos; the shared Indo-European poetic formula links speed/heat/force with equine breath and fire.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Agni’s consuming and transforming capacities, implicitly asking that the same power act within the sacrificer—burning away density and melting obstacles—so the inner sacrifice can advance.
Invoke transformative tapas: let the inner fire cut through one specific resistance and melt one rigid pattern; offer the ‘wood’ of habit as fuel.
Manipura (transformative fire)
Bhastrikā-light or strong ujjāyī (as appropriate), then silent absorption; feel breath as the ‘horse’ feeding the fire.
Intense purificatory concentration; decisive will-force.
Choose one habit/impulse as ‘wood’. Chant once or thrice, then visualize the axe-like tongue cutting its root-thought; next feel it melting into a neutral energy; finally offer that energy upward as light for right action.
Rigvedic svara; emphasize udātta on tigmáṃ, máhi, áśvo, jihvā́ṃ, dhákṣat; keep imagery crisp with clear consonants.
tigmáṃ cid… máhi… | bhásad áśvo… | …paraśúr na jihvā́ṃ | …dā́ru dhákṣat.
tigmaṃ: nasal ‘ṃ’ before pause; keep ‘gm’ cluster clear., bhasad: aspirate ‘bh’; short a., vijehamānaḥ: articulate ‘jh’ and long ā., paraśur: retroflex ṣ; do not soften., dhakṣat: keep ‘kṣ’ conjunct sharp (not ‘ksh’ too breathy).
Bright, forceful, purifying; avoid shouting—aim for concentrated heat.
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