Rig Veda 8.44.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 44, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.44
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
उत्ते बृहन्तो अर्चयः समिधानस्य दीदिवः । अग्ने शुक्रास ईरते ॥
út te bṛhánto arcáyaḥ samidhānásya dīdivaḥ | agne śukrā́sa īrate ||
เมื่อท่านถูกจุดให้ลุกไหม้และส่องประกาย โอ้อัคนี เปลวรัศมีอันกว้างใหญ่ของท่านก็พุ่งสูงขึ้นไป และพลังอันผ่องใสของท่านก็พลุ่งพล่านออกมา เข้าสู่การกระทำ
Word by Word
- उत्
- up; forth; indeedIndeclinableनिपात (उद्गार/उत्कर्ष/प्रेरणा-अर्थे)Root उत् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ते
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहन्तः
- the great onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (of ‘अर्चयः’)Root बृहन्त् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; < बृह् ‘to grow, be great’)
- अर्चयः
- praisers; singers (of praise)Nounपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अर्चि/अर्च् (धातु ‘to praise, sing’); here noun from √अर्च्
- समिधानस्य
- of the kindled (one); of the kindling (fire)Participle (adjectival) used as noun-genitiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग षष्ठी एकवचन (gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation with ‘दीदिवः’/context)Root सम्-इध् (धातु ‘to kindle’) → समिधान (कृदन्त, शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय) ‘being kindled’
- दीदिवः
- the shining ones; the radiant (praisers)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (of implied/understood action with preceding phrase) / apposition to ‘बृहन्तः अर्चयः’Root दीदिवस् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; from √दीप्/√दिव् ‘to shine’ with reduplication, ‘shining, radiant’)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुक्रासः
- the bright ones; the shining (flames/rays)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (of ‘ईरते’)Root शुक्र (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक ‘bright, pure, shining’)
- ईरते
- they rise; they are set in motionVerbलट् (वर्तमान) आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा पुरुष, बहुवचनRole (finite verb)Root ईर्/इर् (धातु; Vedic: ‘to set in motion, to rise, to hasten’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: उत्ते → उत् + ते
- Other words are already in pada-form
- Accent marks in the Saṃhitā text indicate Vedic udātta/svarita but do not change the pada segmentation here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Your great flames rise up when you are kindled and shining; bright ones move forth, O Agni.
Inner meaning
When the inner Fire is truly kindled (samidhāna), vast rays (arcayaḥ) of consciousness rise upward—aspiration ascends and illumined energies surge into action. The ‘bright ones’ (śukrāsaḥ) are purified forces—clear thoughts, luminous impulses, higher dynamisms—that begin to move (īrate) through the nature, replacing obscurity with radiance and right activity.
Universal truth
When inner will is awakened, clarity and uplift naturally expand; purified energies rise and reorganize life toward light.
Themes
radiance, ascent, expansion into the Vast, activation of powers
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.44.1, Rig Veda 8.44.2, Rig Veda 8.44.3
Significance
Describes the experiential sign of successful inner kindling: ascent, widening, and the mobilization of purified energies.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- samidhāna (kindled), dīdivaḥ (shining), source of bṛhant arcayaḥ (vast rays)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (illumination), Sūrya (light, thematic), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Radiant power that manifests light in the worlds; awakens and propels divine energies.
Inner power
Illumining dynamism—tejas that both reveals and acts.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise of Agni’s kindled radiance; accompanies kindling/feeding the fire
उत्ते॑ बृ॒हन्तो॑ अ॒र्चय॑: समिधा॒नस्य॑ दीदिवः । अग्ने॑ शु॒क्रास॑ ईरते ॥
उत् । ते॒ । बृ॒हन्तः॑ । अ॒र्चयः॑ । स॒म्ऽइ॒धा॒नस्य॑ । दी॒दि॒ऽवः॒ । अग्ने॑ । शु॒क्रासः॑ । ई॒र॒ते॒ ॥
ut | te | bṛhantaḥ | arcayaḥ | sam-idhānasya | dīdi-vaḥ | agne | śukrāsaḥ | īrate
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3 × ~8 syllables (approx.)
Upward-driving, expansive; buoyant rise in cadence.
Produces uplift and brightness; helpful when dullness or heaviness dominates.
- उत् (ut)
- Literal: up, upward. Symbolic: ascent of consciousness; rising above lower habit
- बृहन्तः (bṛhantaḥ)
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: widening of being; expansion beyond ego-limits
- अर्चयः (arcayaḥ)
- Literal: rays, flames. Symbolic: rays of knowledge/illumination emitted by awakened Agni
- समिधानस्य (samidhānasya)
- Literal: of the kindled one. Symbolic: state of active aspiration and disciplined ignition
- दीदिवः (dīdivaḥ)
- Literal: shining, blazing. Symbolic: intensified luminous consciousness
- शुक्रासः (śukrāsaḥ)
- Literal: bright, pure. Symbolic: purified energies/forces free from mixture (desire, inertia)
- ईरते (īrate)
- Literal: they move, surge. Symbolic: dynamic action of illumined forces in mind-life-body
Descriptive/confirmatory verse during kindling: marks the visible/inner signs (rays, brightness) that the invocation has taken effect.
When the fire has been freshly kindled or strengthened; to mark the rising of the flame
Recite while adding fuel/ghee; observe the upward flame as outer support for inner ascent
Use as an energizing mantra before study, creative work, or when re-entering meditation after tamas.
√bṛh ‘expand’ + arci ‘ray/flame’ yields an image of expanding luminous energies—psychologically the widening of consciousness once will is kindled. dīdivaḥ (intensive shining) indicates sustained radiance, not a momentary spark. √īr ‘to set in motion’ marks the transition from ignition to dynamic operation of powers.
expansion (bṛhat) toward Brihat (the Vast), illumination as sign of awakened will, dynamic ascent
The ‘bright forces’ moving are Ṛta in action—right dynamism replacing confused motion.
Shining (dīdivaḥ) suggests truth manifesting as clarity and force.
Emergence of light from kindled force; ascent and expansion as modes of becoming.
Yoga of ascent and widening (Aurobindonian): ignition → illumination → dynamic transformation.
dawn-like (by symbolism of rising radiance, though not explicitly Uṣas)
Rising flame = ascent of prāṇa and attention; rays = thoughts of illumination; bright energies = purified life-forces entering right action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘uprising of Agni’s rays’: the mythic sign that the god is awake is the ascent of bright flames; inwardly it is the emergence of luminous, expansive energies when the will is truly kindled.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √div ‘shine’ reflects PIE *dei̯w- ‘bright/sky’ (cf. deva, Latin deus). The semantic field links brightness, divinity, and consciousness—an Indo-European poetic equation: the divine is the shining.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi observes and affirms the response-signs: once invoked, Agni’s luminous forces (śukrāsaḥ) begin to move (īrate), indicating successful reciprocity and activation.
Visualize upward-rising rays from the navel/heart as Agni awakens; let brightness fill the head and widen around the body.
manipura
kapalabhati-light (optional, gentle) followed by quiet breathing while chanting
uplifted, luminous dynamism
If tamas arises, chant 3–9 times briskly; then sit silently and feel ‘śukra’ energies moving as clear intentions through the day’s actions.
Accentuate the upward sense: slight lift on ‘ut’ and on words indicating radiance (अर्चयः, दीदिवः, शुक्रासः).
Keep long vowels clear: ते, बृहन्तः (with clear ‘ṛ’), समिधानस्य, ईरते.
: retroflex ‘ṛ’, : ‘rc’ conjunct clean, : ‘dh’ voiced aspirate, : ‘śu’ palatal ‘ś’, retroflex ‘ṣ’ not used here; keep ‘kr’ conjunct
bright, rising, energized; end each pāda cleanly without trailing
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