Rig Veda 8.19.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 19, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.19
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
यः समिधा य आहुती यो वेदेन ददाश मर्तो अग्नये । यो नमसा स्वध्वरः ॥
yáḥ samídhā yá ā́hutī yó védena dadā́śa márto agnáye | yó námasā svadhvaráḥ ||
ผู้เป็นมนุษย์ผู้รับใช้อัคนี (Agni) ด้วยเชื้อไฟ (samidhā) ด้วยเครื่องบูชา (āhutī) ด้วยความรู้แห่งเวท (veda) และผู้ถวายด้วยความนอบน้อม (namas)—ผู้มีพิธีบูชาที่ตนกำกับเองและเที่ยงตรง (svadhvara)—ผู้นั้นย่อมเข้าสู่ความคุ้มครองอันชอบธรรมของไฟภายใน.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-निर्देशकः ‘यः … सः’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समिधा
- with kindling/fuel-stickNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot समिध्- (प्रातिपदिक; √इध् ‘दीप्तौ’ से) अथवा सम्+√इध्
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-निर्देशकः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आहुत्या
- with an oblationNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot आहुति- (प्रातिपदिक; आ+√हु ‘होम/आह्वान’ से)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-निर्देशकः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वेदेन
- with (sacred) knowledge / by the VedaNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot वेद- (प्रातिपदिक; √विद् ‘ज्ञाने’ से; ‘वेद’ = sacred knowledge)
- ददाश
- has given / has offeredVerbलिट् (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role Kriyā (मुख्य-क्रिया)Root √दा/√दाश् (Vedic: ‘to give, to offer’; reduplicated perfect)
- मर्तः
- a mortalNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (ददाश इत्यस्य)Root मर्त- (प्रातिपदिक; √मृ ‘मरणे’ से)
- अग्नये
- to AgniNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-निर्देशकः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नमसा
- with reverence / by homageNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot नमस्- (प्रातिपदिक; √नम् ‘नमने’ से)
- स्वध्वरः
- the one of good sacrifice / good performer of the riteAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (अध्याहृत-क्रियायाः/स्तुत्यर्थे; ‘यः … (अस्ति)’)Root स्वध्वर- (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + ध्वर/अध्वर ‘यज्ञ’), ‘well-ritualled’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यः | समिधा | यः | आहुत्या | यः | वेदेन | ददाश | मर्तः | अग्नये | यः | नमसा | स्वध्वरः || 1) ‘आहुती’ (संहितापाठ) → पदे ‘आहुत्या’ (तृतीया एकवचन) — इकारस्य यकारादेशः (इ/ई + आ → या) प्रकारेण। 2) ‘अग्नये’ दत्तिविभक्तिः (अग्नि-शब्दस्य चतुर्थी एकवचन) — संहितायां ‘मर्तो॑ अ॒ग्नये॑’ इति पदसीमा। 3) शेषेषु स्पष्ट-पदसीमाः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whoever, as a mortal, serves Agni with fuel, with oblation, with knowledge, and with reverence—whose sacrifice is well-ordered—(he succeeds by that right offering).
Inner meaning
The ‘fuel’ is the steady feeding of aspiration; the ‘offering’ is the surrender of impulses and gains into the flame of will; ‘knowledge’ (veda) is conscious understanding that guides the inner rite; ‘reverence’ is the ego’s bowing. When the inner sacrifice becomes svadhvara—self-ruled, straight, uninjured by crooked desire—Agni grows into a protecting power and a sure guide of the journey.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends not on outer acts alone but on the quality of consciousness: steady aspiration, sincere surrender, right understanding, and humility make the path self-governed and effective.
Themes
Ethics of sacrifice, Reverence and knowledge, Inner straightness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.19.1-13 (same hymn context)
Significance
The verse functions as a yogic rule of practice: four supports of sādhanā—effort (samidh), surrender (āhuti), discernment (veda), humility (namas)—culminate in a ‘self-ruled’ inner yajña.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- yajñasya netā (implied leader of sacrifice), pāvaka (implied purifier)
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ (as recipients through Agni, implied)
Cosmic role
Receives offerings and carries them to the gods; purifier and establisher of the right path (adhvara).
Inner power
Transforms raw human energy into luminous force; gives protection through right alignment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Domestic fire service (Agnihotra) and general Agni-upāsanā; also applicable in Soma rites as qualification of the sacrificer
यः स॒मिधा॒ य आहु॑ती॒ यो वेदे॑न द॒दाश॒ मर्तो॑ अ॒ग्नये॑ । यो नम॑सा स्वध्व॒रः ॥
यः । स॒म्ऽइधा॑ । यः । आऽहु॑ती । यः । वेदे॑न । द॒दाश॑ । मर्तः॑ । अ॒ग्नये॑ । यः । नम॑सा । सु॒ऽअ॒ध्व॒रः ॥
yaḥ | sam-idhā | yaḥ | āhutī | yaḥ | vedena | dadāśa | martaḥ | agnaye | yaḥ | namasā | su-adhvaraḥ
Anuṣṭubh (probable: compact didactic cadence; exact syllable count not fully verifiable from provided text)
32
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (compressed style)
Instructional, stepwise
Supports memorization and ethical resolve; feels like a practical injunction for daily practice.
- समिधा (samidhā)
- Literal: with kindling/fuel. Symbolic: feeding the inner fire with aspiration and right effort
- आहुती (āhutī)
- Literal: oblation. Symbolic: offering of energies, desires, and works into the divine Will
- वेदेन (vedena)
- Literal: with knowledge. Symbolic: right seeing/discernment guiding practice (not mere book-learning)
- ददाश (dadāśa)
- Literal: has given. Symbolic: active self-giving; consent to transformation
- नमसा (namasā)
- Literal: with reverence. Symbolic: ego-surrender; alignment to the higher
- स्वध्वरः (svadhvaraḥ / su-adhvaraḥ)
- Literal: good sacrifice; self-ruled rite. Symbolic: straight inner movement, governed from within by the soul’s law (svadhā), not by desire
Instructional praise: outlines qualifications of the sacrificer (fuel, offering, knowledge, reverence); applicable as a didactic verse in fire-ritual contexts.
At lighting the household fire, before offerings, or as a reminder-verse before meditation
Adding fuel, offering ghee, reciting with knowledge and namas (reverent intent)
A fourfold checklist before practice: (1) kindle aspiration, (2) offer the day’s energies, (3) recall the aim with clarity, (4) bow inwardly—then proceed.
sam-idhā ‘kindling’ from √idh ‘to kindle’ with sam- ‘together/fully’ → a full ignition of aspiration. āhuti from ā-√hu ‘to pour/call in offering’. veda from √vid ‘know, see’. svadhvara: su/sva + adhvara (‘uninjured rite’) → a sacrifice governed by one’s own disciplined truth, not broken by inner crookedness.
Vidyā/veda as inner seeing, Self-discipline (sva-) in ritual action, Right order in action (ṛta in practice)
su-adhvaraḥ = the straight, non-injuring movement of ṛta in the individual.
vedena: practice guided by truth, not impulse.
Inner ordering: chaos becomes cosmos through right sacrifice.
Integral-yogic/Vedāntic: works (karma) become yoga when offered with knowledge and surrender.
morning/evening (typical fire tending; implied)
Fuel = sustained effort; ghee/oblation = purified essence of life-energy; fire = transformative will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘worthy sacrificer’ mythologem: the human qualifies by fuel, offering, knowledge, and reverence. Inwardly, the verse encodes a yogic method—ignite aspiration, practice self-giving, awaken knowledge, and maintain humility—so Agni can act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- veda from √vid reflects PIE *weyd- ‘see, know’ (cf. Latin vidēre, English wise). √dā ‘give’ is PIE *deh₃- ‘give’. √idh ‘kindle’ aligns with an Indo-Iranian fire-lexicon of ignition and brightness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The relationship is conditional and formative: Agni responds fully when the human offers not only material oblations but the inner requisites—knowledge and reverent self-ordering (svadhvara).
Transform daily action into inner yajña: effort + offering + discernment + humility.
manipura (fire of will) with support from ajna (discernment)
4-part breath: inhale (kindle), hold (offer), exhale (release), pause (reverence).
Collected, upright, self-governed.
Before meditation, speak the mantra once slowly; then silently ‘offer’ one recurring desire into the inner flame; end with a brief namas (bow) felt in the heart.
Not provided; chant with clear rhythmic segmentation on each yaḥ-clause (yaḥ samidhā | ya āhutī | yo vedena | ... | yo namasā | su-adhvaraḥ).
Keep ‘yaḥ’ crisp; avoid merging words: sam-idhā (nasal + vowel), ā-hutī (long ū), su-adhvaraḥ (separate su + adhvara).
samidhā: ‘m’ before ‘i’—light nasal, āhutī: long ā, long ū, vedena: dental d, dadāśa: long ā; final ‘śa’ palatal ś, marto: retroflex ṭ? (here ‘marto’ dental t) keep soft, agnaye: ‘gn’ conjunct; final -ye clear
Steady, instructional, inwardly firm.
4
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