Rig Veda 1.71.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 71, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.71
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shringara (love)
महे यत्पित्र ईं रसं दिवे करव त्सरत्पृशन्यश्चिकित्वान् । सृजदस्ता धृषता दिद्युमस्मै स्वायां देवो दुहितरि त्विषिं धात् ॥
mahe yat pitrá īṃ rásaṃ divé karavát tsarat pṛśányāś cikitvān | sṛjádatā dhṛṣatā didyúm asmai svāyāṃ devó duhitári tviṣíṃ dhāt ||
جب دانشور نے عظیم باپ اور آسمان کے لیے رس, اندرونی جوہر, بنایا، تب جاننے والا پرشنیا آگے بڑھا۔ اس تیر انداز نے ہمت سے اس کے لیے چمکتی روشنی چھوڑی؛ اور دیوتا نے اپنی بیٹی میں, اس کے اپنے گھر میں, چمک رکھی۔
Word by Word
- म॒हे
- for the great (one)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचन (महते)Role सम्प्रदानRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक) / मह्
- यत्
- that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पि॒त्रे
- to/for the fatherNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईम्
- indeed, justIndeclinableअव्ययRoot ईम् (निपात)
- रसम्
- sap, essenceNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रस (प्रातिपदिक)
- दि॒वे
- to/for heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- करवत्
- he madeVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot कृ (धातु)
- सरत्
- flowing, runningVerb (participle)शतृ-प्रत्यय; वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सृ (धातु)
- पृश॒न्यः
- the dappled one (speckled)Adjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot पृश्नि (प्रातिपदिक) → पृश्न्य (विशेषण)
- चिकि॒त्वान्
- wise, discerningAdjective (perfect participle-like)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot चित् (धातु) / चिकित्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सृ॒जत्
- releasing, letting looseVerb (participle)शतृ-प्रत्यय; वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सृज् (धातु)
- अस्ता
- weaponsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- धृष॒ता
- with boldness, daringlyAdjective (instrumental)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot धृष् (धातु) → धृषत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दि॒द्युम्
- flash, brillianceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot दिद्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अयम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वायाम्
- in his own (place/realm)Adjective (pronominal)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दे॒वः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- दु॑हि॒तरि
- in/at the daughterNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्विषिम्
- splendour, glowNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
- धात्
- he placed, setVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot धा (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved sandhi/pada-splitting: यत्पि॒त्र → यत् + पि॒त्रे (dative)
- ईं॒ retained as particle ईम्
- करव॑ त्सरत् → करवत् + सरत् (t + s junction)
- पृश॒न्य॑श्चिकि॒त्वान् → पृश॒न्यः + चिकि॒त्वान् (visarga before c)
- सृ॒जदस्ता॑ → सृ॒जत् + अस्ता (final -d/-t before vowel)
- दि॒द्युम॑स्मै॒ → दि॒द्युम् + अस्मै
- स्वायां॑ दे॒वो → स्वायाम् + दे॒वः (o is sandhi for aḥ)
- दु॑हि॒तरि॒ त्विषिं॑ → दु॑हि॒तरि + त्विषिम्. Accents preserved as in Saṃhitā where applicable
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the Wise One made the savour/essence for the Great Father and for Heaven, the knowing Pṛśanya moved forth. The archer released with daring the flashing light for him; the god placed the splendour in his own daughter, in her proper home.
Inner meaning
Agni (the Wise One) prepares rasa—the inner essence or sap of delight—for the Great Father (the transcendent source, often Dyaus/Heaven-Father as a symbol of the higher principle) and for the luminous heaven (dive). Then Pṛśanya (a dynamic force, here read as an active power of manifestation) moves forth knowingly—suggesting the mobilization of life-energy in response to that essence. The ‘archer’ (astā) releasing didyu (flashing light) signifies a decisive projection of illumination into the field of consciousness. The splendour (tviṣi) is placed in the ‘daughter’—a receptive vessel of manifestation (often read as Uṣas or a dawn-like power, or the Earth-nature as the daughter of the divine)—so that the light can dwell in its proper home: embodied life becomes capable of holding divine radiance.
Universal truth
When the inner essence (rasa) is prepared and offered to the Highest, illumination is released and then stabilized in a receptive vessel—our manifested nature—so the light does not merely flash but becomes a resident splendour.
Themes
illumination, emanation and establishment of divine power, inner alchemy (distillation of rasa), cosmic-family symbolism (father/daughter as origin/manifestation)
The seer
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Lineage
- Śāktya (Parāśara lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.71.1, RV 1.71.2, RV 1.71.3, RV 1.71.4
Family tradition
Visionary Agni hymn tradition that frequently moves from kindling and opening (earlier verses) to stabilization of light and delight (rasa, tviṣi) in manifestation.
Significance
This verse points to a mature stage of the inner sacrifice: not only the release of light, but its embodiment—splendour seated in the ‘daughter’ nature as a stable home.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Heaven/Father and a receptive ‘daughter’ power)
- Epithets
- cikitvān (wise), deva (the god), astā (archer, as functional image)
- Related deities
- Dyaus (Father/Heaven), Uṣas (possible ‘daughter’ vessel), Sūrya (light-token), Soma (rasa as bliss)
Cosmic role
Agni distills the essence of offerings and distributes light; he mediates between Father-Heaven principle and manifested receptacle.
Inner power
Transformative intelligence that turns experience into essence (rasa) and installs stable brilliance (tviṣi) in life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni praise in offering contexts where rasa (essence) and light are invoked; could be used in soma-associated contemplations though addressed to Agni.
म॒हे यत्पि॒त्र ईं॒ रसं॑ दि॒वे करव॑ त्सरत्पृश॒न्य॑श्चिकि॒त्वान् । सृ॒जदस्ता॑ धृष॒ता दि॒द्युम॑स्मै॒ स्वायां॑ दे॒वो दु॑हि॒तरि॒ त्विषिं॑ धात् ॥
म॒हे । यत् । पि॒त्रे । ई॒म् । रस॑म् । दि॒वे । कः । अव॑ । त्स॒र॒त् । पृ॒श॒न्यः॑ । चि॒कि॒त्वान् । सृ॒जत् । अस्ता॑ । धृष॒ता । दि॒द्युम् । अ॒स्मै॒ । स्वाया॑म् । दे॒वः । दु॒हि॒तरि॑ । त्विषि॑म् । धा॒त् ॥
mahe | yat | pitre | īm | rasam | dive | kaḥ | ava | tsarat | pṛśanyaḥ | cikitvān | sṛjat | astā | dhṛṣatā | didyum | asmai | svāyām | devaḥ | duhitari | tviṣim | dhāt
44
4 × 11; imagery-rich with energetic verbs (tsarat, sṛjat, dhāt).
Fluid then sudden: a smooth ‘rasa’ movement followed by the sharp ‘didu’ flash.
First sweetens and opens the heart, then concentrates into a vivid spark of illumination; ends with a settling, ‘placing’ cadence.
- cikitvān
- Literal: the knowing/wise one. Symbolic: Agni as conscious will and discernment
- rasaṃ
- Literal: sap, savour, essence. Symbolic: inner delight/essence of experience offered to the Divine (ananda-sap)
- mahe pitre
- Literal: to the great father. Symbolic: transcendent source; higher Father-principle
- dive
- Literal: to heaven/sky. Symbolic: luminous plane of consciousness
- Pṛśanyaḥ
- Literal: Pṛśanya (name/epithet). Symbolic: dynamic manifesting force; energized movement responding to the essence
- astā
- Literal: archer. Symbolic: directed will that projects illumination precisely
- didyum
- Literal: flash, lightning. Symbolic: sudden illumination; breakthrough light
- tviṣiṃ
- Literal: splendour, brilliance. Symbolic: stable radiance; empowered clarity
- duhitari
- Literal: in the daughter. Symbolic: receptive manifestation (dawn/earth-nature/soul-form) as vessel of light
- svāyām
- Literal: in her own (proper). Symbolic: right seat of the force; true locus in the being
Agni-stotra contexts; recitation in fire-kindling/praise sequences (general Śrauta usage; not uniquely tied to a single soma-day chant here)
During stotra sequences emphasizing illumination and the ‘placing’ of splendour; also suitable for dawn or fire-kindling rites as an inward completion.
Offering of clarified essence (ghee/soma analog) with prayer for illumination to be established in the sacrificer’s domain.
As a mantra for integrating insight: after a meditation ‘flash’, chant to seat the light into daily life and relationships (the ‘daughter’ field).
Key roots: rasa (from √ras ‘to taste/enjoy’) indicates the inner essence/delight distilled from experience; cikitvān from √cit ‘to perceive/know’ marks awakened discrimination; sṛjat from √sṛj ‘release, manifest’ indicates outward expression of inner light; dhṛṣatā from √dhṛṣ ‘to dare’ conveys the heroic push needed for illumination; didyu ‘flash, lightning’ (cf. √dīdī ‘to shine’) symbolizes sudden revelation; dhāt from √dhā ‘to set/establish’ shows stabilization of a higher force in a receptive ‘daughter’ (a manifesting faculty/plane).
R̥ta as the right placing/establishing of powers (dhāt as stabilization), manifestation of light into form (sṛj), delight/essence as a principle of realization (rasa)
Light is not random; it is ‘placed’ in its right home—ṛta as correct seating of forces in the nature.
Didhyu as truth-flash; tviṣi as truth stabilized as power.
From essence to illumination to embodiment: delight distilled, light projected, radiance installed in manifestation.
Integral-Vedic psychology: ananda (rasa) and jyotis are coordinated; realization must be seated in prakriti (daughter) as stable force.
Rasa = inner sweetness of offering; lightning = sudden intuition; daughter/home = embodied receptivity where realization is housed.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘release of the flash’ and the ‘placing of splendour in the daughter’: a cosmogonic-psychological motif where a knowing power (cikitvān) projects illumination (didyu) and then stabilizes it (dhā) in a manifesting faculty (duhitṛ). This encodes the movement from hidden essence (rasa) to sudden revelation and finally to established luminous capacity in the human vessel.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Several terms preserve archaic Indo-European patterns: dyu/div ‘heaven’ continues PIE *dyew- (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iūpiter); √dhā ‘to place’ continues PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Greek títhēmi); √sṛj ‘send forth’ aligns with Indo-Iranian productive ‘release/creation’ semantics; the deva/dyau cluster reflects the old luminous-divinity complex central to Indo-European sacral diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet frames Agni (and allied luminous agencies) as an initiator of inner realization: the Devata does not merely grant external goods but performs a transformative act—releasing illumination and establishing splendour in a receptive inner ‘daughter’ (a faculty of manifestation such as inspired speech/vision). The Rishi’s stance is that of witness and articulator of the process of right-placing (r̥ta): divine action becomes a reproducible inner discipline.
Distill experience into rasa (quiet delight) and seat illumination as stable tviṣi in the receptive nature.
vishuddha
Sama-vṛtti (equal inhale/exhale) while feeling a ‘nectar’ coolness in the throat/heart, then a brief retention to let the ‘flash’ clarify.
From devotional sweetness to illumined clarity and integration.
After practice, recall one moment of gratitude (rasa). Chant once, then visualize a small lightning of insight entering the brow and descending to the heart, settling as a steady glow in the day’s actions.
Keep clear udātta on rásaṃ, cikitvān, sṛjád, didyúm, tviṣím; observe svarita where vowels combine in sandhi.
Let the first half be smoother (rasa), then sharpen articulation on sṛjad astā dhṛṣatā didyum.
rasaṃ: short a; final anusvāra nasalized, pṛśanyaḥ: retroflex ṛ; ś palatal; ny cluster clear, sṛjad: vocalic ṛ; j soft but distinct, dhṛṣatā: retroflex ṛ; ṣ retroflex, tviṣiṃ: tv cluster clean; ṣ retroflex; nasal ending, duhitari: dh aspirated; i vowels clear
Warm and ‘nectar-like’ in pādas 1–2; bright and precise in pādas 3–4.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
