Rig Veda 4.2.20: Mandala 4, Sukta 2, Mantra 20
Sukta 4.2
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
एता ते अग्न उचथानि वेधोऽवोचाम कवये ता जुषस्व । उच्छोचस्व कृणुहि वस्यसो नो महो रायः पुरुवार प्र यन्धि ॥
etā́ te agne ucáthāni védho’ vocāma kaváye tā́ juṣasva | úc chocasva kṛṇuhí vásyaso no mahó rāyáḥ puru-vā́ra prá yandhi ||
Ang mga pahayag na ito, oh Agni ang Tagatatag, ay sinabi namin sa iyo ang Manghuhula; tanggapin mo ang mga ito. Sikit at magningning; gumawa ka para sa amin ng mas dakilang kabutihan. Ipadala mo sa amin ang dakilang kasaganaan, na mayaman sa maraming kanais-nais na anyo.
Word by Word
- एताः
- thesePronoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Karma (उचथानि इति विशेषणम्) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- for you / yourPronounषष्ठी; एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक) अथवा चतुर्थी; एकवचन; अत्र ‘ते’ = ‘तव’Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- उचथानि
- hymns, praisesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole Karma (अवोचाम इत्यस्य)Root उचथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वेधः
- O wise one / inspirerNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक) < √विद्/√वेध् (ज्ञाने/वेधने) (वैदिक उपाधि)
- अवोचाम
- we have spoken / we proclaimedVerbलुङ् (अorist); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √वच् (वदने)
- कवये
- to the seer/poetNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ताः
- those (them)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (उचथानि इत्यर्थे) अथवा नपुंसक-बहुवचनस्य प्रातिनिध्येनRole Karma (जुषस्व इत्यस्य)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषस्व
- enjoy/accept (them)Verbलोट् (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot √जुष् (सेवने/प्रीतौ)
- उत्
- up, forthPreverbउपसर्गRoot उत् (उपसर्ग)
- शोचस्व
- blaze forthVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot √शुच्/√शोच् (दीप्तौ/शोचने)
- कृणुहि
- makeVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √कृ (करणे)
- वस्यसः
- of better (wealth/boon)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (तुलनात्मक-रूप) अथवा पुंलिङ्ग-षष्ठी; एकवचन; ‘better(wealth)’Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive) / अपेक्षाRoot वस्यस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मकः ‘वसु’/‘वसि’)
- नः
- for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक); अत्र ‘for us’Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- महो
- of greatAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी; एकवचन (महः/महो वैदिक रूप)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रायः
- wealth, richesNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive)Root राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक ‘wealth’)
- पुरुवार
- abundantly, manyfoldAdjective(अव्ययवत्/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक); अत्र क्रियाविशेषणवत् ‘abundantly’ अथवा ‘(रायः) पुरुवार’ इति विशेषणम्Role Viśeṣaṇa / क्रियाविशेषणRoot पुरुवार (प्रातिपदिक; ‘many-giving/abundant’)
- प्र
- forthPreverbउपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग)
- यन्धि
- grant, bestowVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √यम् (यमने/प्रयच्छने) (वैदिक: ‘to give, grant’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एताः ते अग्ने उचथानि वेधः अवोचाम कवये ताः जुषस्व । उत् शोचस्व कृणुहि वस्यसः नः महो रायः पुरुवार प्र यन्धि ॥ 1) वेधोऽवोचाम = वेधः + अवोचाम (विसर्गस्य ‘अ’ पूर्वे ‘ओ’/ऽ-लोपः)
- 2) उच्छोचस्व = उत् + शोचस्व (त् + श् → च्छ्)
- 3) प्र यन्धि = प्र + यन्धि (उपसर्गयोगः; पृथक् पदेऽपि पठ्यते)
The meaning
Outer meaning
These praises we have spoken to you, Agni the wise ordainer, the seer; accept them. Blaze up; make for us a greater good. Send toward us great wealth with many desirable forms.
Inner meaning
The rishi offers ucathāni—utterances born of vision—to Agni Vedhas and Kavi: the divine discerning Will and seer-power in us. Acceptance means inner response: the flame takes the mantra-substance and turns it into force. ‘Blaze out’ (uc chocasva) is the call for a higher intensity of aspiration and revelation. ‘Make for us the better’ (vasyasaḥ) asks for progressive transformation, not mere comfort. ‘Great plenitude rich in many forms’ (maho rāyaḥ puruvāra) is the integral abundance of consciousness—peace, strength, knowledge, joy—manifesting in many capacities.
Universal truth
True prayer is an offering of consciousness that, when accepted by the inner fire, becomes transformative power. The highest ‘wealth’ is integral plenitude of being expressed in diverse virtues and capacities.
Themes
hymn acceptance, kindling, boon of plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1.20 (closing-style petitions in Agni hymns, thematic), RV 4.2.1-4.2.19 (context)
Family tradition
Vāmadeva’s style often culminates in a direct imperative to Agni—accept, blaze, bestow—linking mantra, inner fire, and realized plenitude.
Significance
This is a ‘seal’ verse: it converts praise into yoga—invocation, intensification, and descent of plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Vedhas, Kavi
- Related deities
- Soma (bliss as part of rāyas), Indra (strength), Sarasvatī (inspired speech)
Cosmic role
Ordains the sacrifice, mediates between worlds, and distributes boons as forms of conscious power.
Inner power
Mantric intelligence that receives offerings and turns them into transformative heat and light; bestower of integral abundance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Concluding/transition verse in Agni hymn recitation; suitable at offering completion.
ए॒ता ते॑ अग्न उ॒चथा॑नि वे॒धोऽवो॑चाम क॒वये॒ ता जु॑षस्व । उच्छो॑चस्व कृणु॒हि वस्य॑सो नो म॒हो रा॒यः पु॑रुवार॒ प्र य॑न्धि ॥
ए॒ता । ते॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । उ॒चथा॑नि । वे॒धः । अवो॑चाम । क॒वये॑ । ता । जु॒ष॒स्व॒ । उत् । शो॒च॒स्व॒ । कृ॒णु॒हि । वस्य॑सः । नः॒ । म॒हः । रा॒यः । पु॒रु॒ऽवा॒र॒ । प्र । य॒न्धि॒ ॥
etā | te | agne | ucathāni | vedhaḥ | avocāma | kavaye | tā | juṣasva | ut | śocasva | kṛṇuhi | vasyasaḥ | naḥ | mahaḥ | rāyaḥ | puru-vāra | pra | yandhi
44
4 × ~11
Imperative and climactic; strong uplift on commands (juṣasva, uc chocasva, pra yandhi).
Energizes the will and creates a felt ‘rise’ of inner fire; suitable as a concluding mantra to seal intention.
- उचथानि (ucathāni)
- Literal: hymns, utterances. Symbolic: mantric formulations carrying force and vision
- वेधः (vedhaḥ)
- Literal: ordainer, disposer. Symbolic: Agni as discriminative intelligence that arranges inner movements rightly
- कवये (kavaye)
- Literal: to the seer/poet. Symbolic: Agni as inner seer, revealer of inspired speech
- जुषस्व (juṣasva)
- Literal: enjoy/accept. Symbolic: inner assent; the fire takes up the offering and works with it
- उच्छोचस्व (uc chocasva)
- Literal: blaze up. Symbolic: intensify aspiration and illuminating power
- वस्यसः (vasyasaḥ)
- Literal: the better, greater good. Symbolic: progressive transformation toward the higher nature
- महो रायः (maho rāyaḥ)
- Literal: great wealth. Symbolic: plenitude of consciousness-force
- पुरुवार (puruvāra)
- Literal: having many boons/doors/treasures. Symbolic: multi-form manifestation of the one plenitude in life, mind, and spirit
Closing appeal: acceptance of hymn, kindling of Agni, and bestowal of rāyí; suitable as a concluding verse in Agni-stotra sequences.
At the close of a hymn sequence, before or after an oblation, to request acceptance and fruits of the rite.
Offer ghee; raise hands/attention inward; recite with upward tone on ‘uc chocasva’.
End-of-practice dedication: after meditation, chant once or thrice to ask the inner fire to accept the practice and bring integral results into life.
ucáthāni from √vac ‘speak’ with u- intensification; vedhá from √vid/√vadh? in Vedic ‘ordainer/knower’ (traditional derivation connects to √vid ‘know’ → ‘wise disposer’). juṣ- ‘enjoy, accept’ (ritual acceptance). śuc/śoc ‘shine, burn’. puru ‘many’ + vāra ‘choice/boon’ (√vṛ ‘choose’).
speech as creative power, increase of the good (vasyas), plenitude (rāyí) as spiritual fullness
Agni as Vedhas establishes right order and right distribution of forces.
Mantric speech (ucathāni) as carrier of truth when born of kavi-vision.
From speech-offering to manifested forms (puruvāra): creation as descent of conscious wealth into multiplicity.
Integral yoga orientation: aspiration (tapas) + surrender (juṣasva) → descent of plenitude (rāyas).
Fire = intensified will and illumination; wealth = powers of consciousness taking many forms in life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘kindling and gift’ closure: speech offered to the seer-fire is accepted; Agni blazes and sends the great rāyí. Mythically, the hymn itself is the fuel that releases divine plenitude.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vac ‘speak’ reflects PIE *wekw- ‘to speak’ (cf. Latin vox). The Indo-European poetic idea that ‘speech kindles power’ is encoded in the performative verbs (avocāma, juṣasva, śocasva, yandhi).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A clear exchange: the rishi offers ucathāni (inspired speech); Agni accepts, increases his blaze in the seeker, and grants vasyas (greater good) and mahān rāyí (great plenitude) in manifold forms.
Offer your practice to the inner Fire; ask for intensification and for integral, many-sided growth.
Maṇipūra (blaze) with integration into Sahasrāra intention (descent of plenitude)
After chanting, one long inhale and slow exhale imagining the flame rising; then silent receptive pause.
Aspiring and receptive; readiness for descent of force.
Chant once with full attention; pause to feel ‘acceptance’; chant again as command to blaze; end by silently receiving whatever form of rāyas (clarity, calm, strength) descends.
Tri-svara; lift on imperatives (juṣasva, uc chocasva, pra yandhi).
Mark clear breaks: etā te | agna ucathāni | … | uc chocasva | … | pra yandhi.
Pronounce vedho with clear aspirate dh (not d)., In juṣasva: keep ṣ retroflex and short u., In puruvāra: articulate v clearly (not b).
Bright, commanding yet reverent; let the tone rise on ‘uc’.
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