Rig Veda 1.21.3: Mandala 1, Sukta 21, Mantra 3
Sukta 1.21
- Devata
- Indrāgnī
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
ता मित्रस्य प्रशस्तय इन्द्राग्नी ता हवामहे । सोमपा सोमपीतये ॥
tā́ mitrásya práśastaya indrāgnī tā́ havāmahe | somapā́ soma-pītáye ||
ان دونوں کو، جو متر کی ہم آہنگی میں تعریف کیے گئے، ہم پکارتے ہیں، اِندر اور اگنی کو، سوما پینے والو، سوما پینے کے لیے آؤ، ہم میں خوشی اور درست ہم آہنگی بڑھانے کے لیے۔
Word by Word
- ताः
- those (praises)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → सा/तत्
- मित्रस्य
- of MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रशस्तयः
- praises, laudationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot प्र-शस् (धातु ‘शस्’ = praise) → प्रशस्ति (स्त्री) / प्रशस्तयः (प्रातिपदिक-रूप)
- इन्द्राग्नी
- O Indra and AgniNoun (dual deity compound)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole Sambodhana (address)Root इन्द्र + अग्नि (द्वन्द्व-समास)
- ताः
- those (praises)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → सा/तत्
- हवामहे
- we invoke/callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole Kriyā (verbal action)Root √ह्वा (ह्वयति/ह्वयते) ‘to call, invoke’
- सोमपाः
- O Soma-drinkersAdjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचन (इन्द्राग्नी-विशेषण)Role Sambodhana (address)Root सोम + पा (√पा ‘to drink’) → सोमपा (बहुव्रीहि/उपपद-समास)
- सोमपीतये
- for the drinking of SomaNoun (action/occasion)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna / Prayojana (purpose)Root सोम + पीत (√पा ‘drink’ → पीत ‘drunk’) + -ये (दत्तिव-एकवचन) → सोमपीति (स्त्री) / सोमपीतये
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ताः | मित्रस्य | प्रशस्तयः | इन्द्राग्नी | ताः | हवामहे | सोमपाः | सोमपीतये । सन्धि/समास: (1) ‘इन्द्रा॒ग्नी’ = इन्द्र + अग्नी (द्वन्द्व; दीर्घ/स्वर-संयोग). (2) ‘सोमपाः’ = सोम + पाः (उपपद-समास; ‘सोम’ कर्म, ‘पा’ कर्तृ-विशेषण). (3) ‘सोमपीतये’ = सोम + पीतये (समास; चतुर्थी-एकवचन ‘-ये’). उच्चारण/स्वर: मन्त्रपाठ में उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न (॒, ॑) यथास्थान
- पदपाठ में प्रत्येक पद स्वतंत्र उच्चरित होता है।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Those two, praised in Mitra’s commendation, we call—Indra and Agni; Soma-drinkers, come for Soma-drinking.
Inner meaning
Indra and Agni are invoked under the auspice of Mitra—harmony, right relation, and luminous concord. Illumination and will can act turbulently unless governed by Mitra’s balance; therefore the seer calls them ‘in Mitra’s praise’: let their action be harmonious, not disruptive. As Soma-drinkers, they are invited to take in the delight-essence and thereby establish within the seeker a concordant force of light and aspiration—joy that is ordered, not intoxicating.
Universal truth
True power must be harmonized: illumination and force become beneficent when guided by right relationship and inner concord; delight then becomes a stabilizing nectar rather than a disturbance.
Themes
Invocation, Harmony and right relation, Soma-ritual
The seer
Significance
The seer adds a crucial modifier to the Indra-Agni yoga: Mitra’s harmony must preside, so that force and light integrate into a balanced divine life.
The deity
- Devata
- Indrāgnī (with Mitra as contextual harmonizer)
- Epithets
- Somapā
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa (often paired with Mitra as law/vastness; conceptually relevant), Soma
Cosmic role
Indra: victorious illumination; Agni: transformative will; Mitra: cosmic harmony and right measure that sustains Ṛta in relations.
Inner power
A triune functional harmony: clear mind (Indra) + upward will (Agni) regulated by concord (Mitra), producing stable delight (Soma) in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña invocation to Indrāgnī, with Mitra’s harmony invoked implicitly
ता मि॒त्रस्य॒ प्रश॑स्तय इन्द्रा॒ग्नी ता ह॑वामहे । सो॒म॒पा सोम॑पीतये ॥
ता । मि॒त्रस्य॑ । प्रऽश॑स्तये । इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्नी इति॑ । ता । ह॒वा॒म॒हे॒ । सो॒म॒ऽपा । सोम॑ऽपीतये ॥
tā | mitrasya | pra-śastaye | indrāgnī iti | tā | havāmahe | soma-pā | soma-pītaye
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3×8
Invocatory with a softening harmonic tone (Mitra reference) amid the usual Indra-Agni vigor.
Balances energy: evokes strength without agitation; encourages a calm, friendly inner atmosphere.
- मित्रस्य (mitrasya)
- Literal: of Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, right measure, luminous friendship—power of concord that regulates forces
- प्रशस्तये (praśastaye)
- Literal: for/through praise/commendation. Symbolic: affirmation that calls forth the harmonizing principle
- हवामहे (havāmahe)
- Literal: we call, we invoke. Symbolic: active aspiration summoning inner powers
- सोमपा (somapā)
- Literal: Soma-drinkers. Symbolic: powers that can receive and transmute delight into light and will
- सोमपीतये (somapītaye)
- Literal: for Soma-drinking. Symbolic: for the increase and stabilization of ānanda in the system
- इन्द्राग्नी (indrāgnī)
- Literal: Indra and Agni. Symbolic: illumination + will, acting together
Soma offering invitation: calling Indra-Agni as Soma-drinkers; liturgically aligns invocation with Mitra’s principle of concord (proper ritual relationship).
When calling Indra-Agni to partake Soma in a spirit of concord and right relation
Recitation during Soma offering; establishing auspicious harmony among participants (outer) and faculties (inner)
Chant when seeking balanced power—before decisive action, to ensure clarity and will remain harmonized and benevolent.
mitrá-: ‘friend, pact, harmony’; from √mi ‘to bind/measure’ semantic field; Mitra embodies ordered relation (Rita socially/psychically). pra-śastaye: from √śaṃs/√śās ‘praise/proclaim; set in order’; suggests praise that establishes order. havāmahe: 1pl middle of √hū ‘invoke’, indicating calling ‘for ourselves’ (inner appropriation).
Mitra as harmony/contract (Rita in relations), Soma as Ananda (delight) enabling divine action
Mitra is a guardian-mode of Ṛta as harmonious relation; it ensures Indra-Agni act in right measure.
Praise/affirmation (praśasti) as truthful alignment that invites right-acting powers.
Integration of forces: delight supports harmony; harmony supports effective illumination and will.
Integral-psychological Vedism: synthesis of powers under a harmonizing law.
Mitra = solar harmony/clarity in relations; Soma = nectar of joy; Indra-Agni = light and flame within.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘calling under Mitra’: divine powers are invoked within the law of harmony/true relation. Mythically, the gods come to drink Soma; psychologically, force and will are made to act under the governance of concord (Mitra), preventing distortion by ego or violence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The social-sacral concept of ‘pact/friend’ (mitra-) has Indo-Iranian parallels (Av. Miθra). The middle voice havāmahe encodes beneficiary involvement, a common archaic Indo-European trait where the subject participates in the action’s fruit.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the invocation as an act of right relationship: praise and calling are not mere request but alignment with Mitra’s order; the devatā respond as ‘Soma-drinkers’, i.e., powers that grow by the offered delight and then enlarge the seeker’s capacity.
Bring illumination and will under the governance of harmony; invite a calm, friendly strength; receive Soma as stable joy.
Anāhata (heart) for Mitra (friendliness/harmony); Ajñā for Indra; Maṇipūra for Agni (optional mapping).
Coherent breathing (5s inhale, 5s exhale) while chanting mentally; feel heart warmth (Mitra) stabilizing head clarity (Indra) and belly fire (Agni).
Harmonized, quietly powerful, joy-bearing.
If practice becomes forceful or restless, chant this verse to ‘Mitra-ize’ the energies. After chanting, recall one relationship (inner or outer) and offer it into harmony; then act from clear will and calm joy.
Rigvedic accents apply; without marked svara, maintain gentle musicality with slight lift on key names (mitrasya, indrāgnī, somapā).
Keep ‘tā … tā’ as a balanced call; soften the delivery on ‘mitrasya praśastaye’ to convey harmony; articulate ‘somapītaye’ clearly.
(mitrasya): dental t; ‘tra’ conjunct clean, (praśastaye): śa palatal; avoid ‘prasastaye’ flattening, (havāmahe): ‘va’ clear; final ‘he’ longish, (somapītaye): long ī; retroflex ṭ
Warm, harmonizing, slightly softer than 1.21.1–2.
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