Rig Veda 8.43.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 43, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.43
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अस्मै ते प्रतिहर्यते जातवेदो विचर्षणे । अग्ने जनामि सुष्टुतिम् ॥
ásmai te prati-háryate jātá-vedo ví-carṣaṇe | ágne jánāmi su-stutím ||
Para sa kanya na nais na manumbalik sa iyo bilang tugon, O Jātavedas, O tagapaglawak sa mga tao, ako ay lumilikha ng isang papuri na may wastong anyo para kay Agni.
Word by Word
- अस्मै
- to this (one), to himPronounद्वितीय-पुरुष? (न), सर्वनाम; पुं/स्त्री/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- ते
- of you, yourPronounसर्वनाम; षष्ठी एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot त्वद्
- प्रति
- towards, in returnIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण/दिशा)Root प्रति
- हर्यते
- is delighted / is pleasedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole (कर्मणि/भावे) मुख्यक्रियाRoot हृ (हर्) / हर्य
- जातवेदः
- Jātavedas (Agni), knower of birthsNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक) < जात (√जन्) + वेदस् (√विद्)
- विचर्षणे
- O far-seeing one / O widely shining oneNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot विचर्षणि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि
- जनामि
- I produce / I utterVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अहं)Root √जन् (जन) / (वेदिक) जन् ‘to beget/produce’ → ‘to generate/utter’
- सुष्टुतिम्
- a good hymn of praiseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सुष्टुति (सु- + √स्तु ‘to praise’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अस्मै ते प्रति हर्यते जातवेदः विचर्षणे । अग्ने जनामि सुष्टुतिम् ॥ 1) ‘प्रति॒हर्य॑ते’ = प्रति + हर्यते (उपसर्ग-संयोग; लेखन में संयुक्त)
- 2) ‘जात॑वेदो॒’ = जातवेदः (विसर्गः पदान्ते; संहितायां ओ-रूप/विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर-प्रभाव)
- 4) ‘सुष्टु॒तिम्’ अपरिवर्तित (अन्त्यं -म्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet fashions a well-formed hymn for Agni Jātavedas, addressing him as the one who can be won back/turned again toward the worshipper, the pervader among men.
Inner meaning
The seeker, sensing the withdrawal or intermittence of the inner Fire, deliberately “begets” (janāmi) a right-formed aspiration (suṣṭuti) to recall Agni—the divine Will and conscious Force—back into the forefront of the sadhana. Jātavedas is invoked as the knower of all births/knowledges within us: the flame that remembers the soul’s intention and re-establishes the inner yajña. “Pratiharyate” suggests a responsive turning: when the human will becomes sincere and well-shaped, the divine Will answers and returns to lead.
Universal truth
When aspiration is rightly formed—clear, harmonious, and persistent—the guiding inner power responds, re-enters the life, and reorganizes the being toward truth and progress.
Themes
Agni-Jatavedas, Reciprocity, HymnAsOffering
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.43.1, Rig Veda 8.43.3, Rig Veda 8.43.4, Rig Veda 8.43.5, Rig Veda 8.43.6
Family tradition
Likely Kāṇva/Angirasa-leaning diction typical of Book 8 Agni hymns; exact attribution uncertain.
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice here represents the universal adhvaryu within: the part that learns the secret of re-invoking the inner Fire by rightly shaped speech and aspiration.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Jātavedas)
- Epithets
- Jātavedas, Vicarṣaṇi (vicarṣaṇe), Agni
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Indra, Soma, Vāta
Cosmic role
Mediator between human and divine worlds; carrier of offerings; awakener of the Dawn-powers; establisher of ṛta in the sacrifice.
Inner power
Divine Will and conscious Force that leads the inner yajña, kindles aspiration, and organizes the being toward illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agnihotra/Agni kindling and general Agni-stuti in soma-less or preparatory contexts
अस्मै॑ ते प्रति॒हर्य॑ते॒ जात॑वेदो॒ विच॑र्षणे । अग्ने॒ जना॑मि सुष्टु॒तिम् ॥
अस्मै॑ । ते॒ । प्र॒ति॒ऽहर्य॑ते । जात॑ऽवेदः । विऽच॑र्षणे । अग्ने॑ । जना॑मि । सु॒ऽस्तु॒तिम् ॥
asmai | te | prati-haryate | jāta-vedaḥ | vi-carṣaṇe | agne | janāmi | su-stutim
Triṣṭubh (probable for RV 8.43; many verses in this hymn are triṣṭubh)
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Steady, forward-driving cadence suited to invocation and resolve.
Builds a firm inner posture of calling and re-collecting the will; supports concentration and intentionality.
- अस्मै (asmai)
- Literal: for this one / for him. Symbolic: for the aspiring part of the being that seeks reconnection with the inner Fire
- प्रति-हर्यते (prati-haryate)
- Literal: is drawn back/turned toward in response; can be won back. Symbolic: the Divine Force becomes responsive when the human will aligns; re-entry of grace into effort
- जातवेदः (jātavedaḥ)
- Literal: knower of births; knower of all that is born. Symbolic: the indwelling flame that knows the soul’s evolution and all movements of consciousness
- विचर्षणे (vicarṣaṇe)
- Literal: moving among men; pervader/observer of peoples. Symbolic: Agni present in all human faculties, able to act through every part of the nature
- जना॑मि (janāmi)
- Literal: I beget/produce. Symbolic: conscious formation of mantra—creative will shaping aspiration
- सुष्टुतिम् (suṣṭutim)
- Literal: well-made praise. Symbolic: right speech/true vibration (vak) that builds an effective inner offering
Agni praise in the offering-cycle; emphasizes reciprocity (prati-) between human act and divine reception.
At the lighting/strengthening of the sacred fire; also as a general opening invocation to establish the priestly force.
Offering with clarified butter; recitation to invite Agni to “turn toward” the sacrificer and carry the oblation.
Use as a short pre-meditation sankalpa: consciously ‘beget’ a clear aspiration and invite the inner Fire to lead the session.
jāta-vedas: jāta ‘born’ (√jan) + vedas ‘knowing’ (√vid) → knowing all becomings. vi-carṣaṇi: from √carṣ ‘move, act among people’ with vi- ‘widely’ → wide-ranging among men. prati-haryate: from √hṛ ‘take, carry’ with prati- ‘back/again’ → a taking in return; suggests the Vedic economy of exchange (offering ↔ response).
Reciprocity of sacrifice (exchange principle), Agni as knower of becomings (jāta-vedas)
Agni is invoked as the restorer of right movement in the human field; right speech (suṣṭuti) aligns the being with ṛta.
Jātavedas ‘knows’ the true intention behind movements; his return re-establishes truth in the will.
Speech as a creative power: the mantra ‘begets’ a formative vibration that calls the divine force.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindo-Kashyap psychological reading) emphasizing inner yajña and ascent.
Fire = awakened will; smoke = upward striving of aspiration; ‘return’ = re-ignition after inertia or dispersion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘exchange’ mythologem of yajña: Agni is ‘taken in return’ (prati-haryate) through rightly generated praise (su-stuti). The hymn is a birth (janāmi) that calls forth a divine response.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vedas from √vid ‘know’ reflects PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (cf. Greek oida, English wise). Agni ~ PIE *h₁n̥gʷnis (Latin ignis). The compound jāta-vedas is a characteristically Indo-European compositional strategy for divine epithets.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi ‘begets’ the hymn as a living formation; Agni, present in all human movements, receives and returns power. The relationship is artisan-like and intimate: the seer crafts speech that awakens the god’s answering flame within the sacrificer.
Rekindling the inner will: invite the ‘leader flame’ to take the front of consciousness.
Manipura (inner fire/will)
Gentle ujjayi or slow nasal breathing; on exhale, inwardly repeat ‘agne’ to recall the flame.
Collected, aspiration-centered, receptive to guidance.
Before practice, shape a single clear intention (suṣṭuti). Then pause and feel for the answering warmth/clarity that indicates Agni’s ‘turning toward’ you.
Use Vedic svara as per Śākala tradition where available; otherwise chant in a steady reciting tone with marked emphasis on accented syllables from the Saṃhitā ( = udātta cue in many pedagogies; treat carefully by your śākhā).
Keep ‘jātáved’ and ‘vícarṣaṇe’ clearly articulated; slight lift on marked accents; avoid flattening compound breaks (prati-haryate).
(agne): short ‘e’, not ‘ai’, (jātavedo): long ā; clear dental ‘d’, (vicarṣaṇe): ‘ṣ’ retroflex; ‘ṇe’ dental-nasal + e, (suṣṭutim): ‘ṣṭu’ cluster clean, no extra vowel
Clear, steady, intent—like calling a guiding presence.
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