Rig Veda 1.72.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 72, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.72
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ रोदसी बृहती वेविदानाः प्र रुद्रिया जभ्रिरे यज्ञियासः । विदन्मर्तो नेमधिता चिकित्वानग्निं पदे परमे तस्थिवांसम् ॥
ā ródasī bṛhatī́ vevidānā́ḥ prá rudriyā́ jabhrire yajñiyā́saḥ | vidán márto nemadhitā́ cikitvān agníṃ padé paramé tasthivā́ṃsam ||
دونوں وسیع جہانوں تک، علم میں جاگے ہوئے، قربانی کرنے والوں نے رودر کی طاقت آگے بڑھائی۔ فانی انسان، جاننے والا، پیمانے کو مضبوطی سے رکھ کر، اگنی کو سب سے اونچے مقام پر کھڑے ہوئے پایا۔
Word by Word
- आ
- towards; untoIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (Heaven and Earth)Nounfeminine, nominative dualRole KartāRoot रोदसी (प्रातिपदिक; dual of रोदस्)
- बृहती
- great, loftyAdjectivefeminine, nominative dualRole Kartā (agreeing adjective)Root बृहती (प्रातिपदिक; from बृहत्)
- वेविदानाः
- having found/attained; having come to knowParticiplefeminine, nominative dual (Vedic form; agreeing with रोदसी)Role Kartā (agreeing participle)Root √विद् (विदँ ‘to know/find’) → वेविदान (intensive/perfect participial base)
- प्र
- forth; forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- रुद्रियाः
- Rudra-like; belonging to Rudra (the Maruts)Adjective/Nounmasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot रुद्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; from रुद्र)
- जभ्रिरे
- they have brought; they boreVerbperfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot √भृ (भृञ् ‘to bear, bring’) with reduplication (perfect)
- यज्ञियासः
- worthy of sacrifice; fit for worshipAdjectivemasculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (agreeing adjective)Root यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक; from यज्ञ)
- विदन्
- he knew; he found outVerbimperfect/aorist injunctive form used as finite; 3rd person singular (Vedic usage)Root √विद् (विदँ ‘to know’)
- मर्तः
- a mortalNounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- नेमधिता
- well-established; duly set/orderedAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (agreeing adjective)Root नेमधित (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic, ‘one who has set/placed/assigned’)
- चिकित्वान्
- wise; discerningParticiplemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (agreeing participle)Root √चित् (चिती ‘to perceive, notice, understand’) → चिकित्वांस् (perfect participle)
- अग्निम्
- Agni (fire)Nounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पदे
- in the place/footstepNounneuter, locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पद (प्रातिपदिक)
- परमे
- highest; supremeAdjectiveneuter, locative singularRole Adhikaraṇa (agreeing adjective)Root परम (प्रातिपदिक)
- तस्थिवांसम्
- standing; having taken his standParticiplemasculine, accusative singularRole Karma (agreeing participle with अग्निम्)Root √स्था (ष्ठा ‘to stand’) → तस्थिवांस् (perfect participle)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi is minimal in this verse. Segmentations: रोदसी (dual) + बृहती (dual adj.) + वेविदानाः (Vedic nom. dual agreeing with रोदसी). रुद्रियाः यज्ञियासः are nominative plural subjects to जभ्रिरे. Final pāda: अग्निं पदे परमे तस्थिवांसम्: locative phrase ‘in the highest place’ qualifies the accusative object ‘Agni, standing…’. Accent marks in the saṃhitā text are not reproduced in the pada forms here
- they do not change morphological parsing
The meaning
Outer meaning
To the two vast worlds, awakened into knowledge, the consecrated ones brought forward the Rudra-force. The mortal, knowing, with firm placing of the measure, discovered Agni standing in the highest station.
Inner meaning
The ‘two worlds’ (rodasī) are the inner heaven and earth—mind and life/body—made vast (bṛhatī) when awakened to knowledge (vevidānāḥ). The consecrated powers (yajñiyāsaḥ) bring forward the Rudra-force: the intense purifying/transforming energy needed to break limitations and make the being fit. Then the mortal seeker, becoming conscious and discerning (cikitvān), by right measurement and steadfast establishment (nemadhitā—firmly set the limit/measure), discovers Agni already standing at the supreme station: the divine Will established above the ordinary mind, ready to lead the ascent.
Universal truth
Transformation requires both wideness (expansion of consciousness) and intensity (Rudra’s purifying force); with right measure and discernment, the divine flame is found as the stable summit within.
Themes
discovery of Agni, establishing measure, expansion to the vast, purifying force
The seer
- Rishi
- Parāśara Śāktya
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-line (Śāktya branch)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.65, RV 1.66, RV 1.67, RV 1.68, RV 1.69, RV 1.70, RV 1.71, RV 1.72, RV 1.73
Family tradition
Agni hymns integrating expansion (bṛhat) with purification (Rudra) to enable discovery of the summit-fire.
Significance
This verse is a compact yoga-map: widen the two worlds, invoke transformative force, apply right measure, and recognize Agni in the supreme station.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (with Rudra-force as auxiliary)
- Epithets
- parame pade-stha (standing in the highest station), cāru (lovely, implied by hymn context), śuci (pure, implied)
- Related deities
- Rudra, Indra (illumination that discovers), Varuṇa/Mitra (measure, law, harmony—supporting nemadhitā)
Cosmic role
Agni as summit-guide and mediator; Rudra as purifier and remover of obstruction in the manifested worlds.
Inner power
Agni: steady divine will above mind; Rudra: force of radical sincerity and purification that breaks inner resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni invocation in rites emphasizing establishment of the fire and expansion of the sacred space; Rudra element suggests purificatory undertone
आ रोद॑सी बृह॒ती वेवि॑दाना॒: प्र रु॒द्रिया॑ जभ्रिरे य॒ज्ञिया॑सः । वि॒दन्मर्तो॑ ने॒मधि॑ता चिकि॒त्वान॒ग्निं प॒दे प॑र॒मे त॑स्थि॒वांस॑म् ॥
आ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । बृ॒ह॒ती इति॑ । वेवि॑दानाः॑ । प्र । रु॒द्रिया॑ । ज॒भ्रि॒रे॒ । य॒ज्ञिया॑सः । वि॒दत् । मर्तः॑ । ने॒मऽधि॑ता । चि॒कि॒त्वान् । अ॒ग्निम् । प॒दे । प॒र॒मे । त॒स्थि॒ऽवांस॑म् ॥
ā | rodasī iti | bṛhatī iti | vevidānāḥ | pra | rudriyā | jabhrire | yajñiyāsaḥ | vidat | martaḥ | nema-dhitā | cikitvān | agnim | pade | parame | tasthi-vāṃsam
44
4×11 (approx.)
Expansive opening (rodasī bṛhatī) followed by a decisive discovery cadence; strong triṣṭubh ‘turn’ in the final pāda.
Creates inner wideness and then a clean ‘click’ of recognition—supporting discernment and stable aspiration.
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds (heaven and earth). Symbolic: mind and body/life; the upper and lower consciousness to be harmonized
- बृहती (bṛhatī)
- Literal: vast, expansive. Symbolic: widened consciousness beyond narrow ego-frames
- वेविदानाः (vevidānāḥ)
- Literal: knowing/awakened into knowledge. Symbolic: illumined awareness arising in both planes
- रुद्रिया (rudriyā)
- Literal: Rudra-force. Symbolic: fierce purifying, transformative energy breaking resistance
- नेमधिता (nemadhitā)
- Literal: with measure firmly placed; well-established boundary/measure. Symbolic: right discipline, proportion, and stable foundation in practice
- चिकित्वान् (cikitvān)
- Literal: discerning, intelligent, aware. Symbolic: the awakened seeker-mind capable of right recognition
- पदे परमे (pade parame)
- Literal: in the highest station. Symbolic: the summit-consciousness where Agni is established
Ritual and inner context of establishing r̥ta-measure (nema) and discovering Agni in the supreme station; applicable in consecratory fire hymns
When consecrating the ritual field and invoking protective/purifying forces alongside Agni
Recitation during setting of boundaries/measure (dikṣā-like ordering) and tending of Agni
Useful before deep meditation: widen awareness (two worlds), invoke purification (Rudra), then settle into the higher heart-flame.
rodasī (dual) signals the paired cosmic planes; bṛhatī from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ connects to Brihat (the Vast). rudriyā indicates Rudra’s dynamic purifying force brought into the yajña. nema-dhita: nema ‘measure, right portion’ + dhita ‘placed’ (√dhā) implies r̥ta as right measure established in the being. tasthivāṃsam (√sthā) indicates stable realization at the supreme pada.
Bṛhat (vastness) as expansion of consciousness, r̥ta as right measure (nema), stable realization (tasthivāṃsam) in parama pada
Nemadhitā represents ṛta as right measure—discipline that allows stable revelation.
Cikitvān: truth-recognition; seeing Agni where he stands, not constructing him mentally.
Manifestation as harmonization of upper and lower worlds through expansion and purifying force.
Integral Yoga reading: wideness + intensity + right measure → stable higher will.
Sky/earth = mind/body; storm-force = transformative purification; measure = disciplined containment enabling true expansion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘finding Agni in the supreme station’ mythologem: through consecration and the bringing-forward of Rudra’s purifying force, the mortal establishes right measure and discovers the hidden Fire standing in the highest step. It is the climax of the quest motif—revelation by r̥ta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘carry/bring’ is PIE *bʰer- (cf. English bear). √sthā ‘stand’ is PIE *steh₂-. The heaven-earth dyad is a pervasive IE cosmological structure; Vedic rodasī preserves it with distinctive dual morphology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi presents realization as conditional on inner law: the seeker (martaḥ) must become cikitvān (discerning) and establish nema (right measure). Then Agni is not merely invoked but ‘found’ as a stable presence in the parama pada—divinity revealed as a state of consciousness.
Expand awareness to include both mind and body; then invite a purifying force to remove falsehood; finally rest attention at the ‘highest station’ above the heart as a steady flame.
anahata
Three-part breath: inhale—widen chest/space; brief hold—invoke Rudra’s sincerity; exhale—settle into still flame-awareness.
Wide, intense, discerning; stable aspiration above reactive mind.
Practice ‘right measure’ today: reduce one excess (speech, media, indulgence) and increase one sustaining discipline; this nemā supports discovery of the higher Agni.
Keep the opening expansive with clear udatta rises on marked syllables like rodasī; intensify slightly on ‘rudriyā’.
Use a firmer stress articulation on ‘nemadhitā cikitvān’ to convey ‘right measure’ and discernment; culminate with a lifted cadence on ‘pade parame’.
‘rodasī’ with long ī at end., ‘rudriyā’ keep ‘dr’ cluster clear (rud-ri-yā)., ‘tasthivāṃsam’ articulate nasalization (vāṃ) distinctly.
Wide and resonant at start; more incisive in middle; steady and luminous at the end.
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