Rig Veda 10.21.6: Mandala 10, Sukta 21, Mantra 6
Sukta 10.21
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
त्वां यज्ञेष्वीळतेऽग्ने प्रयत्यध्वरे । त्वं वसूनि काम्या वि वो मदे विश्वा दधासि दाशुषे विवक्षसे ॥
tvā́ṃ yajñéṣv ī́ḷate 'gne prayaty ádhvare | tváṃ vásūni kā́myā ví vo made víśvā dadhāsi dāśúṣe vívakṣase ||
آپ کو یجña میں پوجتے ہیں، اے اگنی، آگے بڑھنے والی رسم میں۔ آپ تمام قابلِ خواہش دولت ہماری خوشی میں دینے والے کے لیے رکھتے ہیں - نذر کرنے والے میں ان کا اظہار چاہتے ہوئے۔
Word by Word
- त्वाम्
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञेषु
- in sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईळते
- he/she worships, invokesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root ईळ्/ईड् (स्तुतौ/आह्वाने) धातु
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रयति
- with preparation/effortNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (वेदिक प्रयोग: -इ)Role करणRoot प्रयति (प्रातिपदिक; √यत्/यम् ‘to strive/prepare’ से भाव)
- अध्वरे
- in the rite (sacrificial ceremony)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वसूनि
- goods/treasuresNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- काम्या
- desirableAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन (वसूनि इति विशेषण)Role कर्मRoot काम्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कम् ‘to desire’ से ‘desirable’)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वः
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (वेदिक एनक्लिटिक रूप)Role सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मदे
- in exhilaration/joy (in the soma-rapture)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन (वसूनि इत्यर्थे समाहार)Role कर्मRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधासि
- you place/bestowVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root धा (धातु) ‘to place, bestow’
- दाशुषे
- to the giver/worshipperParticiple (as noun)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दाश्वस्/दाशुष् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दाश् ‘to give, worship’)
- विवक्षसे
- you wish/intend to proclaim (or: you speak forth)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root वि + वच् (धातु) ‘to speak, utter’
Sandhi Notes
- सन्धि-विच्छेद: यज्ञेष्वीळतेऽग्ने → यज्ञेषु + ईळते + अग्ने (उ + ई = वी; ए + अ = ’/अवग्रह)
- प्रयत्यध्वरे → प्रयति + अध्वरे (इ + अ = य)
- काम्या वि → काम्या + वि (सन्धि नहीं)
- मदे विश्वा → मदे + विश्वा (सन्धि नहीं)
- दाशुषे विवक्षसे → दाशुषे + विवक्षसे (सन्धि नहीं)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the sacrifices they adore you, O Agni, in the advancing rite. You place all desirable riches for the giver in our rapture, seeking to manifest them.
Inner meaning
As the inner journey advances (prayati adhvare), the seeker repeatedly invokes Agni—not as external flame alone but as the conscious will that leads. For the dāśuṣa (the one who gives/offers), Agni ‘places’ (dadhāsi) the true riches: capacities, supports, harmonies, and inner enjoyments that are legitimately desired (kāmyā) because they serve the soul’s progress. The key is reciprocity: the more sincere the offering, the more the divine will can manifest its gifts in the instrument.
Universal truth
When effort becomes consecration, life itself becomes a sacrifice; then the deepest riches appear as inner capacities and right circumstances, naturally accruing to the one who gives.
Themes
adoration in sacrifice, desirable riches as inner powers, installation of gains in the giver, manifestation through Agni
The seer
Significance
The seer underlines a central Vedic yoga law: gifts come to the dāśuṣa—the one who offers. Prosperity is a byproduct of consecration, not its motive.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- yajñīya (worthy of worship—implicit), dātā vasūnām (giver of riches—implicit), vivakṣas (seeking manifestation)
- Related deities
- Bhaga (distributor of shares—conceptual link to ‘placing riches’), Pūṣan (guide on paths—conceptual link to ‘advancing rite’)
Cosmic role
Sustainer of the sacrificial progression; distributor of boons according to offering and right order.
Inner power
Power that concretizes spiritual gains (‘places’ riches) into stable capacities and supportive conditions.
In ritual
Where it is used
Daily/regular fire worship within larger śrauta frameworks; general Agni praise during ongoing rites
त्वां य॒ज्ञेष्वी॑ळ॒तेऽग्ने॑ प्रय॒त्य॑ध्व॒रे । त्वं वसू॑नि॒ काम्या॒ वि वो॒ मदे॒ विश्वा॑ दधासि दा॒शुषे॒ विव॑क्षसे ॥
त्वाम् । य॒ज्ञेषु॑ । ई॒ळ॒ते॒ । अग्ने॑ । प्र॒ऽय॒ति । अ॒ध्व॒रे । त्वम् । वसू॑नि । काम्या॑ । वि । वः॒ । मदे॑ । विश्वा॑ । द॒धा॒सि॒ । दा॒शुषे॑ । विव॑क्षसे ॥
tvām | yajñeṣu | īḷate | agne | pra-yati | adhvare | tvam | vasūni | kāmyā | vi | vaḥ | made | viśvā | dadhāsi | dāśuṣe | vivakṣase
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (approximate)
Processional rhythm: adoration in advancing movement; cadences feel like steady steps.
Encourages perseverance; turns devotion into forward motion rather than passive prayer.
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: sacrifice/rite (often ‘uninjured’). Symbolic: the journey of practice when it is sincere, undivided, and progressing
- प्रयति (prayati)
- Literal: advancing/going forward. Symbolic: progressive movement of sadhana; growth in consecrated action
- ईळते (īḻate)
- Literal: they adore/praise. Symbolic: steady turning of mind and heart toward the divine will
- वसूनी (vasūni)
- Literal: riches/goods. Symbolic: inner and outer supports for the path; resources of consciousness
- काम्या (kāmyā)
- Literal: desirable. Symbolic: rightly desired powers that aid transformation (not ego-demand)
- दाशुषे (dāśuṣe)
- Literal: to the giver/offerer. Symbolic: the consecrating being who offers self, works, and energies
General praise and boon: emphasizes the reciprocity of offering (dāśuṣ) and divine placement (dadhāsi) of vasus; suitable in any rite stressing the giver’s reward as inner possessions.
During sustained sequences of offerings; when affirming Agni’s role as giver to the sacrificer
Adoration (īḻate) with oblation; reaffirming intention of giving (dāśuṣa)
As a ‘work-yoga’ mantra: before offering one’s work, repeat to remember that right resources come through consecration.
īḷate from √īḷ ‘praise, invoke’; prayati from pra+√i ‘go forward’; adhvara ‘sacrifice’ (traditional etymologies vary; in Vedic usage it denotes the rite as ordered movement); vasu ‘good/wealth’ (PIE *wesu- ‘good’, cf. Av. vohu ‘good’); dadhāsi from √dhā (PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘put, place’); dāśuṣe from √dāś ‘give/offer’.
reciprocity of yajña, progressive ascent (prayati)
The dāśuṣa receives according to ṛta: a lawful reciprocity between offering and increase.
Vasūni become stable (‘dadhāsi’) when they are truth-aligned capacities, not fleeting gains.
Sustained manifestation through progressive sacrifice: gifts are ‘placed’ into the evolving being.
Integral yoga reading: yajña as life-practice; riches as inner powers and supports.
Advancing rite = progressive sadhana; riches = stable inner competencies; fire = will that assimilates and distributes.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The yajña-exchange mythologem: the giver (dāśuṣ) offers; Agni installs (dadhāsi) the vasus—desirable powers—within the offerer. The rite is an advancing journey (prayati) where gains become stable possessions of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vasu reflects PIE *wesu- ‘good’ (Avestan vohu). dadhāsi from √dhā is PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘put’. These inherited roots support a core Indo-European poetic economy: offering → placement/establishment of ‘goods’ as enduring state.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the seeker as dāśuṣ (one who gives) and Agni as the one who concretely establishes the fruits in the being. The relationship is pedagogic and transactional in the higher sense: self-giving yields inner riches.
Consecrate your next action as an offering; feel Agni ‘placing’ the needed resources into you (clarity, stamina, goodwill).
Maṇipūra (steady will) with Anāhata (giver’s attitude—dāśuṣa).
Ujjāyī light, 21 breaths; on each exhale mentally offer; on each inhale receive ‘vasūni’ as quiet strength.
Steady devotion-in-action; calm confidence.
Make one tangible act of giving (time, attention, help) as a conscious āhuti; observe how inner resources increase and stabilize.
Vedic recitation with clear udatta on invocatory and key action words; keep cadence step-like to match ‘advancing’ sense.
Slightly emphasize ‘prayati adhvare’ as a single phrase; keep ‘dadhāsi dāśuṣe’ clean and grounded.
īḻate: retroflex ḻ (as in Vedic īḻ) may be rendered carefully as a distinct sound; avoid collapsing to plain ‘l’., adhvare: clear ‘dhv’ cluster (adh-va-re)., kāmyā: long ‘ā’., dāśuṣe: long ‘ā’; ṣ retroflex.
Steady, devotional, slightly warm; not forceful—more sustaining.
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