Rig Veda 3.5.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 5, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.5
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Agni identified with Mitra/Varuṇa functions
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
मित्रो अग्निर्भवति यत्समिद्धो मित्रो होता वरुणो जातवेदाः । मित्रो अध्वर्युरिषिरो दमूना मित्रः सिन्धूनामुत पर्वतानाम् ॥
mitró agnír bhavati yát samiddhó mitró hotā́ váruṇo jātávedāḥ | mitró adhvaryúr iṣiró damū́nā mitráḥ síndhūnām utá párvatānām ||
Si Agni ay nagiging Mitra kapag siya ay niningas: siya ay Mitra bilang Hotṛ, si Varuṇa bilang Jātavedas. Siya ay Mitra bilang Adhvaryu, na mabilis at panginoon ng bahay; Mitra ng mga ilog at pati na rin ng mga bundok.
Word by Word
- मित्रः
- Mitra (the deity / friendly one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- भवति
- becomes / isVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √भू
- यत्
- when / inasmuch asPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्यक्त-सम्बन्धे)Role अधिकरण/सम्बन्ध (यदा-तदा सम्बन्ध)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समिद्धः
- kindled, enkindledParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot सम्-√इन्ध् (कृदन्त: क्त)
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- होता
- Hotṛ (invoking priest)Noun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक; RV रूप: होता)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- जातवेदाः
- Jātavedas (Agni, ‘knower of births/creatures’)Noun/epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्नेः विशेषण/नाम)Root जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वर्युः
- Adhvaryu (officiating priest)Noun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अध्वर्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इषिरः
- vigorous, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot इषिर (प्रातिपदिक)
- दमूना
- house-abiding, domestic (staying in the house)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot दमून (प्रातिपदिक; RV विशेषण)
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सिन्धूनाम्
- of the riversNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उत (निपात/अव्यय)
- पर्वतानाम्
- of the mountainsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: ‘अग्निर्भवति’ = ‘अग्निः भवति’ (विसर्ग + भ → र्)
- ‘यत्समिद्धो’ = ‘यत् समिद्धः’ (त् + स → त्स्)
- ‘होता वरुणो’ = ‘होता वरुणः’ (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- ‘अध्वर्युरिषिरो’ = ‘अध्वर्युः इषिरः’ (विसर्ग + इ → र्)
- ‘सिन्धूनामुत’ = ‘सिन्धूनाम् उत’ (म् + उ → म् उ, संहिता-समासन्नता). उच्चारण-स्वर (उदात्त/अनुदात्त/स्वरित) संहिता-चिह्नानुसार, परं पद-विभागे सामान्यरूपेण शब्दरूपाणि दर्शितानि।
The meaning
Outer meaning
When kindled, Agni becomes Mitra; he is Mitra as Hotṛ, Varuṇa as Jātavedas. He is Mitra as Adhvaryu, swift and master of the house; Mitra of the rivers and also of the mountains.
Inner meaning
When the inner fire is lit, it reveals itself as the power of harmony (Mitra) in multiple functions of the sacrifice: as Hotṛ it calls and articulates the offering (mantric speech); as Jātavedas-Varuṇa it knows the births and holds the law and vastness—guarding truth and right limits; as Adhvaryu it executes swiftly and effectively in the embodied life (damūnāḥ, ‘master of the house’). Being ‘Mitra of rivers and mountains’ means this harmonizing will governs both the flowing currents of life-energy (sindhūnām) and the stable heights/structures of consciousness (parvatānām).
Universal truth
A single awakened spiritual will can harmonize speech, knowledge, action, and the whole terrain of life—both its currents and its heights—when it is truly kindled.
Themes
syncretic identification, Agni as all-priest, cosmic integration, order in nature and psyche
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Viśvāmitra line)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.4, RV 3.5.1-7, RV 3.6
Family tradition
A vision of integrating powers: the one Flame assumes many divine offices—speech, knowledge, law, and action—within the human sacrifice.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s yoga emphasizes synthesis: the inner fire is not merely ecstatic but administrative—harmonizing all faculties under ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni as Mitra/Varuṇa-functions
- Epithets
- Mitra (harmonizer), Hotṛ (invoker), Varuṇa (law/vastness), Jātavedas (knower of births), Adhvaryu (executor), Iṣira (swift), Damūnā (house-lord)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Sūrya, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Universal priestly power distributing divine functions: invocation, regulation, knowledge of origins, and effective execution across the worlds.
Inner power
Integrative will that unifies speech (mantra), discernment (truth-law), and action (implementation) while governing both flow and stability in the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni-priest identifications in śrauta soma/yajña settings; recited to affirm Agni’s priestly roles
मि॒त्रो अ॒ग्निर्भ॑वति॒ यत्समि॑द्धो मि॒त्रो होता॒ वरु॑णो जा॒तवे॑दाः । मि॒त्रो अ॑ध्व॒र्युरि॑षि॒रो दमू॑ना मि॒त्रः सिन्धू॑नामु॒त पर्व॑तानाम् ॥
मि॒त्रः । अ॒ग्निः । भ॒व॒ति॒ । यत् । सम्ऽइ॑द्धः । मि॒त्रः । होता॑ । वरु॑णः । ज॒तऽवे॑दाः । मि॒त्रः । अ॒ध्व॒र्युः । इ॒षि॒रः । दमू॑नाः । मि॒त्रः । सिन्धू॑नाम् । उ॒त । पर्व॑तानाम् ॥
mitraḥ | agniḥ | bhavati | yat | sam-iddhaḥ | mitraḥ | hotā | varuṇaḥ | jata-vedāḥ | mitraḥ | adhvaryuḥ | iṣiraḥ | damūnāḥ | mitraḥ | sindhūnām | uta | parvatānām
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4×11 syllables (with Vedic metrical flexibility)
Declarative, enumerative cadence—suited to listing functions and establishing identity.
Gives a stabilizing sense of integration; the mind feels ‘all functions gathered into one flame’.
- समिद्धः (samiddhaḥ)
- Literal: kindled. Symbolic: awakened aspiration; active inner fire
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: Mitra, friend. Symbolic: harmonizing consciousness; right relation among parts
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: power of inspired utterance and call; mantra-force in mind
- वरुणः (varuṇaḥ)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast truth-consciousness; guardian of law, purity, and right bounds
- जातवेदाः (jātavedāḥ)
- Literal: knower of births. Symbolic: inner knowledge that recognizes origins of movements; discriminative truth
- अध्वर्युः (adhvaryuḥ)
- Literal: officiating priest of action. Symbolic: executive will; practical application in life
- इषिरः (iṣiraḥ)
- Literal: swift, vigorous. Symbolic: quick effective energy of right action
- दमूनाः (damūnāḥ)
- Literal: master of the house. Symbolic: governing power in the embodied being; organizer of the ‘home’ of nature
- सिन्धूनाम् (sindhūnām)
- Literal: of rivers. Symbolic: currents of prāṇa, life-movements
- पर्वतानाम् (parvatānām)
- Literal: of mountains. Symbolic: fixed heights/peaks of mind; stable formations of consciousness
Priestly-function mapping: Agni as Hotṛ and Adhvaryu; used to affirm Agni’s total competence in the rite and, inwardly, the unification of functions of speech, law, and action.
At kindling and during role-invocations of Hotṛ/Adhvaryu; also in household fire worship as a contemplative mapping of inner faculties.
Kindling, offering, and recitation naming the priestly offices.
Use as a ‘faculty-integration’ mantra before work: align speech, knowledge, and action; harmonize relationships (Mitra) and discipline (Varuṇa).
This verse is a functional identification: Agni assumes multiple devatā-aspects. Mitra emphasizes binding harmony; Varuṇa emphasizes vast law and purity; Jātavedas ‘knower of births’ (jāta ‘born’ + veda ‘knows’) links fire with omniscient order. damūnas ‘of the house’ ties Agni to the inner dwelling (body/psyche) as a settled lord. The repeated Mitra underscores the integrative aim: to reconcile all movements (rivers) and elevations (mountains) into a single ordered harmony (ṛta).
unity of divine functions, law and harmony (Mitra-Varuṇa), omniscience/knowledge of origins (jātavedas)
Implicit: Mitra-Varuṇa represent ṛta’s social-harmonic and law-vast aspects; Agni embodies ṛta in operation.
Truth is both relational (Mitra) and regulatory (Varuṇa); Jātavedas is truth as knowledge of origins.
One power differentiates into multiple cosmic functions while remaining one flame—unity manifesting as ordered multiplicity.
Integral Vedic psychology: functions of consciousness as deities/roles in the sacrifice.
Rivers = moving prāṇa and emotions; mountains = stable higher mind and firm realizations; fire = will that harmonizes both.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘many-as-one’ mythologem: one divine fire assumes multiple divine roles (Mitra, Varuṇa, priest-functions) and becomes the harmonizer of all domains (rivers/mountains). Inner sense: the awakened will integrates speech, action, and law of truth into a single coherent guidance of life’s flows and mind’s heights.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mitrá- is Indo-Iranian (Avestan miθra-) reflecting a shared concept of covenant/binding order. varuṇa has debated etymology but belongs to the archaic Indo-Aryan stratum of cosmic sovereignty. The verse’s structure—repetition and equation (‘X is Y’)—is a hallmark of early Indo-European sacral poetics used for functional identification.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi recognizes Agni as the integrator of powers rather than a single-force deity. The exchange is: by kindling (samiddha), the human evokes Agni’s full spectrum—harmonizing (Mitra), law-holding (Varuṇa), knowing (Jātavedas), and executing (Adhvaryu)—so the inner life becomes ordered in all its movements.
Unify inner roles: let the flame harmonize speech, discernment, and action.
anāhata (Mitra—harmony) integrated with maṇipūra (Agni—will)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to cultivate steadiness; on exhale mentally repeat ‘mitro agnir’.
Integrated, law-abiding clarity—quiet strength rather than excitation.
Observe three streams: speech, thought, action. Offer each into Agni; invoke Mitra to reconcile conflicts, Varuṇa to restore truth and boundaries, then act swiftly (iṣira) without agitation.
Triṣṭubh with clear udatta on repeated ‘mitró’; maintain consistent accenting across repetitions to emphasize integration.
Mark each ‘mitro’ as a rhythmic anchor; keep pāda breaks clean after role-terms (hotā, jātavedāḥ, adhvaryuḥ).
Pronounce mitraḥ with crisp dental t., Keep conjuncts clear: samiddho (ddh), adhvaryur (rv)., Varuṇa: retroflex ṇ., jātavedāḥ: long ā in jā-, and -vedāḥ with voiced d.
Even, reconciliatory, steady resonance (not forceful).
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