Rig Veda 8.19.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 19, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.19
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स्वग्नयो वो अग्निभिः स्याम सूनो सहस ऊर्जां पते । सुवीरस्त्वमस्मयुः ॥
svagnáyo vo agníbhiḥ syāma sūno sahasa ūrjā́ṃ pate | suvī́ras tvám asmayúḥ ||
ขอให้เรามี “ไฟอันถูกต้อง” อย่างบริบูรณ์ด้วยไฟทั้งหลายของท่าน โอ บุตรแห่งพลัง ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งอูรชา (ऊर्जां) คือพลังชีวิต ขอท่านประทานกำลังวีรบุรุษแก่เรา และหันมาสู่เราทั้งสิ้นพร้อมด้วยความเกื้อกูล
Word by Word
- सु-अग्नयः
- good/auspicious Agnis (fires), good fire-priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- of you / for you (your)Pronounषष्ठी; बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निभिः
- with/through the fires (Agni-powers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root अस् (धातु)
- सूनो
- O sonNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहसः
- of might/strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्जाम्
- nourishing strength, vigorNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऊर्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
- पते
- O lord/masterNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सु-वीरः
- having good heroes/men; very manlyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (of the following clause)Root वीर (प्रातिपदिक) with उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद सु-
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- areVerbलट् (present indicative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root अस् (धातु)
- अस्मयुः
- not bewildered; unconfounded; steadfastAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā/Predicate (to त्वम्)Root अस्मयु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सु-अग्नयः वः अग्निभिः स्याम सूनो सहसः ऊर्जाम् पते । सु-वीरः त्वम् असि अस्मयुः ॥ 1) स्व॒ग्नयो॑ = सु + अग्नयः (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद ‘सु-’ + अग्नि-प्रातिपदिक का प्रथमा बहुवचन). 2) अ॒ग्निभि॒: = अग्निभिः (विसर्ग-लोप/पाठभेद). 3) स्याम = अस् धातोः विधिलिङ् 1पु.बहु. 4) ऊर्जां पते: ‘ऊर्जाम्’ (द्वितीया) + ‘पते’ (सम्बोधन). 5) सु॒वीर॒स्त्वम॑स्म॒युः = सु-वीरः + त्वम् + असि + अस्मयुः
- ‘सु-वीरः’ के विसर्ग का ‘त्’ (त्वम्) के पूर्व संधि से ‘स्त्व’ (विसर्ग→स्) बनता है
- ‘त्वम् असि’ में संधि से ‘त्वमसि’
The meaning
Outer meaning
May we, through your fires, become rich in good fires, O Son of Force, Lord of energy. Be for us the giver of heroic strength, turned toward us in help.
Inner meaning
Agni is not one fire but many inner flames—aspiration, courage, clarity, purification. The prayer asks that our nature be filled with ‘sv-agnayaḥ’ (rightly ordered fires) by contact with the divine Fire’s own powers. As ‘sūnu sahasaḥ’ (child of force) and ‘ūrjām pate’ (lord of energy), Agni converts scattered vitality into ‘suvīra’—heroic soul-force capable of conquest over inertia and darkness—while remaining ‘asmayuḥ’, a close, responsive helper within.
Universal truth
True strength is a harmonized energy governed by the inner divine will; when our energies are kindled from the higher source, courage and effective action arise naturally.
Themes
Right kindling, Strength and energy, Divine assistance
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.19.1-13
Significance
A mantra of empowerment: it asks not merely for protection but for a transformed energetic constitution—many ‘right fires’ replacing mixed impulses.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- sūnu sahasaḥ, ūrjām pati, suvīra (giver of heroic force), asmayu (friendly helper)
- Related deities
- Indra (heroic force, thematic), Maruts (energetic forces, thematic)
Cosmic role
Dispenser of energy in right forms; awakener of heroic powers needed for victory in the cosmic struggle.
Inner power
Ignites courage and steadiness; multiplies inner flames that burn away tamas and fear.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation for strength and right energies; could accompany offering for vīrya
स्व॒ग्नयो॑ वो अ॒ग्निभि॒: स्याम॑ सूनो सहस ऊर्जां पते । सु॒वीर॒स्त्वम॑स्म॒युः ॥
सु॒ऽअ॒ग्नयः॑ । वः॒ । अ॒ग्निऽभिः॑ । स्याम॑ । सू॒नो॒ इति॑ । स॒ह॒सः॒ । ऊ॒र्जा॒म् । प॒ते॒ । सु॒ऽवीरः॑ । त्वम् । अ॒स्म॒ऽयुः ॥
su-agnayaḥ | vaḥ | agni-bhiḥ | syāma | sūno iti | sahasaḥ | ūrjām | pate | su-vīraḥ | tvam | asma-yuḥ
Triṣṭubh (probable; exhortative prayer-form typical)
44
4 × ~11
Invocatory, strengthening
Creates uplift and inner heat; builds confidence and readiness for action.
- सुअग्नयः (su-agnayaḥ)
- Literal: good/right fires. Symbolic: multiple purified inner flames—aspiration, courage, discernment
- अग्निभिः (agnibhiḥ)
- Literal: with (thy) fires. Symbolic: by the divine’s own power-forms entering our nature
- सूनो सहसः (sūno sahasaḥ)
- Literal: son of force. Symbolic: Agni as born from tapas/force; the dynamic divine will
- ऊर्जाम् पते (ūrjām pate)
- Literal: lord of energy. Symbolic: master of life-force and its right distribution
- सुवीरः (suvīraḥ)
- Literal: good heroism. Symbolic: heroic soul-force; victorious courage in sādhanā
- अस्मयुः (asmayuḥ)
- Literal: friendly/turned to us. Symbolic: intimate inner aid; grace that responds
Closing benediction tone: prayer for right kindling, energy, and heroic strength; fits concluding or transitional moments in Agni rites.
Before undertaking difficult work, travel, or disciplined practice; also at kindling
Recitation with a small offering (ghee) or inner offering of will
A ‘courage mantra’ for procrastination, fatigue, or fear—used before study, exercise, or a challenging conversation.
sv-agná ‘good fire’ (su + agni) indicates auspicious, rightly ordered ignition. sahas ‘force’ is a key Vedic power-term (dynamic might). ūrj ‘energy/nourishment’ complements sahas as sustaining force. asma-yu (asma ‘us’ + yu ‘seeking’ from √yu ‘join/seek’) conveys a deity inclined toward the worshippers—psychologically, the divine will consenting to inhabit the human formation.
Sahas (dynamic force), Ūrj (sustaining energy), Heroic soul-force (suvīra)
‘Good fires’ are energies moving in right order rather than in mixed desire.
Heroism is grounded in truth-will, not egoic aggression.
Multiplication of divine powers within the human instrument.
Integral Yoga emphasis on transforming the vital into a divine instrument.
Many flames = differentiated powers of consciousness; energy-lord = regulated prāṇa; heroism = purified vital strength.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘multiplication of Agni’ motif: many fires within the one Fire, establishing the community/aspirant as svagná—rightly kindled. Inwardly, it is the integration of multiple energies under a single conscious will.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati ‘lord’ reflects PIE *pótis (cf. Greek pótis, Latin potis). vīra ‘hero’ reflects PIE *wiHro- ‘man’ (cf. Latin vir).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer asks not only for gifts but for indwelling alignment: ‘may we be with thy fires’—a sharing of substance and power—while Agni is invoked as asma-yu, actively inclined to support the human ascent.
Invoke multiple inner flames: clarity in mind, courage in vital, steadiness in body.
manipura (energy mastery)
Inhale imagining a golden flame rising from navel to heart; exhale spreading many small flames through the limbs as calm strength.
Energized, courageous, service-oriented.
Repeat 11 times before action. After chanting, choose one ‘right fire’ to embody today (e.g., perseverance) and offer one ‘wrong fire’ (e.g., irritation) into the inner flame.
Not provided; chant with a strong lift on sūno sahasaḥ and ūrjām pate; let suvīras land firmly.
Break clearly: svagnayo vo | agnibhiḥ syāma | sūno sahasaḥ | ūrjām pate || then: suvīras tvam | asmayuḥ.
svagnayaḥ: consonant cluster ‘svg’—soften by clear ‘su-agnayaḥ’ if preferred, agnibhiḥ: aspirate ‘bh’, syāma: long ā, sahasaḥ: all short a; dental s, ūrjām: long ū, long ā, pate: dental t, asmayuḥ: ‘yuḥ’ light, visarga if used
Warm, forceful, steady (not shouted).
11
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.
