Rig Veda 6.6.3: Mandala 6, Sukta 6, Mantra 3
Sukta 6.6
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वि ते विष्वग्वातजूतासो अग्ने भामासः शुचे शुचयश्चरन्ति । तुविम्रक्षासो दिव्या नवग्वा वना वनन्ति धृषता रुजन्तः ॥
ví te víṣvag vā́ta-jūtāso agne bhā́māsaḥ śuce śúcayaś caranti | tuvímrakṣāso divyā́ návagvā vánā vananti dhṛṣatá rujántaḥ ||
โอ อัคนี ผู้บริสุทธิ์และส่องสว่าง เปลวเพลิง-พลังของท่านซึ่งถูกขับเคลื่อนด้วยลมหายใจเคลื่อนไปทั่วทุกทิศ. มหึมาในความเรืองรอง เป็นทิพย์ดุจนวคฺวะ (Navagva) ทั้งหลาย พวกมันชนะป่าแห่งการปกปิดเพื่อเรา กล้าหาญฉีกเปิดออก.
Word by Word
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root त्वद् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
- विष्वक्
- in every direction, all aroundIndeclinableअव्ययRoot विष्वक् (अव्यय)
- वातजूतासः
- wind-driven, sped by the windAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root वात-जूत (कृदन्त/समास; √जु/जव् ‘to speed, impel’)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
- भामासः
- flames, splendorsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot भामा
- शुचे
- O pure oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot शुचि
- शुचयः
- pure, brightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root शुचि
- चरन्ति
- they move, roamVerbलट् वर्तमान, प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √चर् (चरति)
- तुविम्रक्षासः
- very strong, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root तुवि-म्रक्ष (समास; म्रक्ष ‘strong/robust’ adj. base)
- दिव्याः
- heavenly, celestialAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root दिव्य
- नवग्वाः
- the Navagvas (a ritual clan/companions)Nounपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot नवग्व (प्रातिपदिक; ‘Navagva’ group-name)
- वना
- woods, forestsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वन
- वनन्ति
- they win, gain, seekVerbलट् वर्तमान, प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वन् (वनति ‘to win, gain; to seek’)
- धृषता
- boldly, daringlyIndeclinableकरण/भावे अव्ययीभाववत् (instrumental-adverbial)Root धृषत् (अव्यय/तृतीया-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण; from √धृष् ‘to be bold, dare’)
- रुजन्तः
- breaking, shatteringVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (कर्तरि कृदन्तः)Root √रुज् (रुजति ‘to break, shatter’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): वि | ते | विष्वक् | वात-जूतासः | अग्ने | भामासः | शुचे | शुचयः | चरन्ति | तुवि-म्रक्षासः | दिव्याः | नवग्वाः | वना | वनन्ति | धृषता | रुजन्तः । मुख्य संधि/रूप-टिप्पणी: (1) ‘वातजूतासो’ = वात-जूतासः (प्रथमा बहुवचनः; विसर्गः पदान्ते)
- (2) ‘शुचयश्चरन्ति’ = शुचयः + चरन्ति (विसर्गस्य ‘श्’ पूर्वे लोप/परिवर्तनः: शुचयः चरन्ति → शुचयश्चरन्ति)
- (3) ‘धृषता रुजन्तः’ में ‘धृषता’ क्रियाविशेषणवत् (तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण) प्रयुक्तम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni’s pure, luminous flame-powers, driven by the wind, move everywhere; vast in shining, divine like the Navagvas, they win the forests, boldly breaking them open.
Inner meaning
The movements of the inner Fire—its many flame-forces—are carried by prāṇa (vāta) through the whole being. These powers are ‘divine Navagvas’: the archetypal pioneers of the inner journey who open hidden doors. They conquer the ‘forests’—dense growths of ignorance and subconscious concealment—by courageous penetration, breaking obstructions so the rays of knowledge can be recovered.
Universal truth
When will and breath unite in purity, the inner energies can pervade all parts of life and break through entrenched patterns. Persevering seekers become pioneers who open what is concealed.
Themes
Agni-as-inner-will, Obstacle-breaking, Recovery-of-light, Purification, Navagva-motif
The seer
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 6.6.1, RV 6.6.2, RV 6.6.4, RV 6.6.5, RV 6.6.6
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns often stress Agni’s many powers (bhāmāsaḥ) and the conquest of hidden light (cows/rays) through inner effort akin to the Navagvas’ work.
Significance
The seer presents a psychology of transformation: breath-propelled flame-forces pervade the being and break open concealed subconscient ‘forests’ to recover light.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Śuci (pure), Bhāman (luminous power), Divya (divine)
- Related deities
- Vāyu, Maruts, Indra, Navagvas (mythic helpers)
Cosmic role
All-pervading fire-energy moving with vāyu; opener of paths; breaker of coverings.
Inner power
Purified will-force allied with prāṇa, capable of penetrating subconscious resistance and releasing hidden knowledge.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni as carrier in offerings; invocations where vāyu/prāṇa and Agni are coordinated (general śrauta usage)
वि ते॒ विष्व॒ग्वात॑जूतासो अग्ने॒ भामा॑सः शुचे॒ शुच॑यश्चरन्ति । तु॒वि॒म्र॒क्षासो॑ दि॒व्या नव॑ग्वा॒ वना॑ वनन्ति धृष॒ता रु॒जन्त॑: ॥
वि । ते॒ । विष्व॑क् । वात॑ऽजूतासः । अ॒ग्ने॒ । भामा॑सः । शु॒चे॒ । शुच॑यः । च॒र॒न्ति॒ । तु॒वि॒ऽम्र॒क्षासः॑ । दि॒व्याः । नव॑ऽग्वाः । वना॑ । व॒न॒न्ति॒ । धृ॒ष॒ता । रु॒जन्तः॑ ॥
vi | te | viṣvak | vāta-jūtāsaḥ | agne | bhāmāsaḥ | śuce | śucayaḥ | caranti | tuvi-mrakṣāsaḥ | divyāḥ | nava-gvāḥ | vanā | vananti | dhṛṣatā | rujantaḥ
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4×11
Dynamic, dispersive movement—fits ‘viṣvak’ and ‘caranti’.
Activates prāṇa and spreads attention through the whole body-mind; encourages boldness against inner blocks.
- विष्वक् (viṣvak)
- Literal: everywhere, in all directions. Symbolic: pervasion of consciousness; no part left unillumined
- वातजूतासः (vātajūtāsaḥ)
- Literal: impelled by wind. Symbolic: carried by prāṇa; breath-driven awakening of energies
- भामासः (bhāmāsaḥ)
- Literal: splendours, flame-brilliances. Symbolic: active powers of illumination
- शुचे / शुचयः (śuce/śucayaḥ)
- Literal: pure / the pure ones. Symbolic: clarified energies free from desire-mixture
- तुविम्रक्षासः (tuvimrakṣāsaḥ)
- Literal: vast in shining/covering brilliance. Symbolic: large luminous formations of higher mind-force
- नवग्वाः (navagvāḥ)
- Literal: Navagvas (nine/novel goers). Symbolic: pioneering powers that complete the cycle of inner work and open the hidden light
- वना वनन्ति (vanā vananti)
- Literal: they win the forests. Symbolic: they conquer dense subconscient formations
- धृषता (dhṛṣatā)
- Literal: boldly. Symbolic: courage of tapas against inertia
- रुजन्तः (rujantaḥ)
- Literal: breaking, cleaving. Symbolic: piercing the cover (vṛtra-like resistance)
Kindling/praise of Agni in the opening of offerings; applicable across Agni-centered rites (e.g., Agniṣṭoma preliminaries) as an invocation of the purifying, obstacle-breaking fire.
During kindling and when seeking ‘opening’/victory over obstacles in a rite
Fanning/enkindling; offerings to strengthen Agni’s spreading flames
Breath-led meditation: on inhalation gather, on exhalation let Agni’s ‘bhāmāsaḥ’ move viṣvak, breaking inner lethargy and fear.
Key roots: √bhā (to shine) → bhā́māsaḥ ‘splendours’; √śuc (to be bright/pure) → śuce/śucayaḥ ‘pure, luminous’; √car (to move) → caranti; √van (to win/attain) → vananti (winning the ‘vanā’ as gains of cleared consciousness); √dhṛṣ (to dare) → dhṛṣatá ‘boldly’; √ruj (to break) → rujántaḥ ‘shattering’. vāta-jūta: vāta ‘wind/breath’ + jūta ‘impelled’ (from √ju/√jū: to speed/impel), suggesting prāṇic propulsion of Agni’s forces. ‘Navagvāḥ’ is a traditional epithet for a group of inspired seekers; functionally a mythic symbol of those who recover hidden Light.
Ṛta (right order as the force that clears obstruction), Tapas (heat/ardour as transformative power), Satyam-Ritam-Bṛhat (implicit: emergence of vast truth through breaking coverings)
Right movement (ṛta) manifests as energies moving ‘everywhere’ in harmony, not fragmented.
Breaking concealment allows satya (truth) to emerge from hidden layers.
Opening of concealed spaces (forests) parallels Vedic creation as release of light from cover.
Integral Yoga reading: prāṇa + will as instruments to transform subconscient layers.
Wind = breath/prāṇa; forest = tangled subconscious habits; fire’s spreading = pervasive purification/illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘breaking open’ of obstructing formations to win the hidden riches of Light: Agni’s powers, like the Navagvas, shatter the ‘forests’ (vanā)—a mythic image aligned with the wider cycle of recovering concealed radiance/knowledge from dark coverings.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhā ‘shine’ has IE parallels in brightness terms (cf. PIE *bʰeh₂- ‘shine’ often cited for Indo-Iranian); √car ‘move’ aligns with PIE *kers-/*kʷel- movement semantics (broadly); √van ‘win/desire’ reflects an archaic Indo-Iranian ‘winning/attaining’ lexeme; the compounding (vāta-jūta, tuvi-mrakṣa) is characteristically old Indo-European poetic technique for dense epithet formation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker recognizes Agni as an active inner agency whose luminous forces range through the being; the reciprocity is implicit: by invocation and assent, the human opens to Agni’s purifying motion, and Agni in return breaks the inner thickets of resistance to yield the gains (vananti) of clarified consciousness.
Unite breath and will to pervade the being with pure flame-forces and open concealed knots.
Anāhata (vāyu/prāṇa) linked to Maṇipūra (agni/will)
Alternate nostril breathing (nāḍī-śodhana) followed by steady exhale visualization: flames moving viṣvak through limbs and mind; avoid strain.
Energized purification; courageous penetration.
During exhale repeat ‘vi te viṣvak… caranti’; feel breath carrying light into resistant areas; end with silent witnessing as the ‘forest’ thins.
Chant with a spreading intonation on ‘vi te viṣvak’ and a firm downward settle on ‘rujantaḥ’. Use traditional svara if learned; otherwise keep two-level pitch with clear cadences per pāda.
Stress clusters: viṣvak, vātajūtāsaḥ, bhāmāsaḥ, tuvimrakṣāsaḥ, navagvā, dhṛṣatā, rujantaḥ.
vātajūtāsaḥ: long ā, and jū with long ū, tuvimrakṣāsaḥ: pronounce kṣ as ‘ksha’, navagvāḥ: gv conjunct ‘gva’, rujantaḥ: ‘ru’ short, ‘jan’ clear dental n
Clear, bright, slightly sharper articulation to mimic ‘breaking open’.
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