Rig Veda 10.79.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 79, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.79
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
यो अस्मा अन्नं तृष्वादधात्याज्यैर्घृतैर्जुहोति पुष्यति । तस्मै सहस्रमक्षभिर्वि चक्षेऽग्ने विश्वतः प्रत्यङ्ङसि त्वम् ॥
yó asmai ánnaṁ tṛṣú ā́dadhāty ā́jyair ghṛtáir juhóti púṣyati | tásmai sahásram ákṣabhir ví cakṣe ’gne viśvátas prátyaṅ asi tvám ||
جو اس کے لیے تہہ میں خوراک رکھتا ہے، جو گھی سے پیشکش کرتا ہے اور پالتا ہے, اس کی طرف تم ہزار آنکھوں سے دیکھتے ہو، اے اگنی؛ ہر طرف سے تم پھرے ہوئے ہو۔
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मै
- to himPronoun(पुं/नपुं), चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्नम्
- food, oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- तृष्वा
- being thirsty / after thirstingVerb (absolutive) / Kṛdantaक्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (पूर्वक्रिया): ‘having thirsted/being thirsty’Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root तृष् (धातु) → तृष् + त्वा (क्त्वा)
- दधाति
- places, gives, offersVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot धा (धातु)
- आज्यैः
- with ghee (oblations)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot आज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतैः
- with clarified butterNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुहोति
- offers (into fire), sacrificesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot हु (धातु) (जुहोति-प्रकारः)
- पुष्यति
- prospers, thrivesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot पुष् (धातु)
- तस्मै
- to himPronoun(पुं/नपुं), चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्रम्
- a thousandNumeral (used substantively) / Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अक्षभिः
- with eyes; with dice (contextually ‘eyes’ fits with √cakṣ)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, widely, distinctlyIndeclinable (preverb) / Particleअव्ययम्Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- चक्षे
- is seen / appears; looksVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot चक्ष् (धातु) (आत्मनेपद)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role (सम्बोधन)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वतः
- from all sides, on every sideIndeclinable (adverb)अव्ययम्Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) → विश्वतः (तसिल्-अव्यय)
- प्रत्यङ्ङसि
- you are facing toward (us) / turned towardCompound (Adj + Verb)असि: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; प्रत्यङ्: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (विशेषणरूपेण)Role Kriyā (असि) / Kartā-विशेषणम् (प्रत्यङ्)Root प्रति + अञ्च् (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘अञ्च्/अञ्च’) → प्रत्यङ् (विशेषण) + असि (अस् धातु)
- त्वम्
- youPronoun(पुं), प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरसनम्): यो | अस्मै | अन्नम् | तृष्वा | दधाति | आज्यैः | घृतैः | जुहोति | पुष्यति | तस्मै | सहस्रम् | अक्षभिः | वि | चक्षे | अग्ने | विश्वतः | प्रत्यङ् | असि | त्वम् । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) दधाति + आज्यैः → दधात्याज्यैः (इको यणचि: इ + आ → या)
- (2) घृतैः + जुहोति → घृतैर्जुहोति (विसर्जनीयस्य रुत्व/रेफः: ः + ज् → र्)
- (3) चक्षे + अग्ने → चक्षेऽग्ने (ए + अ → एऽ)
- (4) प्रत्यङ् + असि → प्रत्यङ्ङसि (ङ् + अ → ङ्ङ; परसवर्ण-सन्धिः/अनुस्वार-नासिक्य-समायोजनम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whoever places food in the threefold supports and offers with ghee, nourishing (Agni), to him Agni looks with a thousand eyes; from every side you are turned, O Agni.
Inner meaning
The practitioner establishes the sustaining substance (anna) in the triple foundation of the being—body, life-force, and mind (or the three worlds within). With luminous oblations (ājya/ghṛta = clarified, light-filled offering), he feeds the inner Fire. As a result, Agni becomes ‘thousand-eyed’: an all-around awakened awareness and protection, turning from every side—vigilant discernment surrounding the work.
Universal truth
When our effort is grounded in a balanced triple base and nourished by clarity and sincerity, the guiding will in us becomes panoramic awareness—seeing many-sidedly and safeguarding the path.
Themes
Feeding Agni, Thousand-eyed vision, Triple-world integration, Reciprocity of offering and illumination
The seer
Significance
Represents a practical yogic instruction in Vedic idiom: build the triple base, feed Agni with clarified offering, and awaken all-around seeing—an inner discipline rather than mere ritual technique.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- sahasrākṣa (implicit ‘thousand-eyed’), viśvataḥ-pratyaṅ (turned from all sides, vigilant)
- Related deities
- Mitra (harmonizing oversight, thematic), Varuṇa (all-seeing order, thematic), Soma (as bliss-nourishment that often accompanies ghṛta symbolism)
Cosmic role
Guardian-fire and knower; receives offerings and returns vision/protection; pervades directions as watchful power.
Inner power
Integral awareness born of purified offering; protective discernment that notices deviations early.
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni offerings with ghṛta (general iṣṭi/Agnihotra-type action)
यो अ॑स्मा॒ अन्नं॑ तृ॒ष्वा॒३॒॑दधा॒त्याज्यै॑र्घृ॒तैर्जु॒होति॒ पुष्य॑ति । तस्मै॑ स॒हस्र॑म॒क्षभि॒र्वि च॒क्षेऽग्ने॑ वि॒श्वत॑: प्र॒त्यङ्ङ॑सि॒ त्वम् ॥
यः । अ॒स्मै॒ । अन्न॑म् । तृ॒षु । आ॒ऽदधा॑ति । आज्यैः॑ । घृ॒तैः । जु॒होति॑ । पुष्य॑ति । तस्मै॑ । स॒हस्र॑म् । अ॒क्षऽभिः॑ । वि । च॒क्षे॒ । अग्ने॑ । वि॒श्वतः॑ । प्र॒त्यङ् । अ॒सि॒ । त्वम् ॥
yaḥ | asmai | annamḥtṛṣuḥādadhātiḥājyaiḥḥghṛtaiḥḥjuhotiḥpuṣyatiḥtasmaiḥsahasramḥakṣa-bhiḥḥviḥcakṣeḥagneḥviśvataḥḥpratyaṅḥasiḥtvam
44
4×11 (approx.)
Forward-moving instructional cadence; strong mid-line stresses support ‘doing’ and ‘establishing’.
Energizes disciplined offering while opening a sense of wide, surrounding awareness.
- annam
- Literal: food. Symbolic: sustaining substance of experience; what the being assimilates as energy for growth
- tṛṣu
- Literal: in the three. Symbolic: triple foundation (body–life–mind) or triple world (earth–midworld–heaven) internalized
- ādadhāti
- Literal: places, establishes. Symbolic: consecrates and stabilizes the supports of practice
- ājya/ghṛta
- Literal: clarified butter/ghee. Symbolic: luminous clarity; purified mental substance offered to the flame
- juhoti
- Literal: offers into fire. Symbolic: inner act of surrender and self-giving
- puṣyati
- Literal: nourishes, prospers. Symbolic: strengthens the inner fire and the growth of consciousness
- sahasram akṣabhiḥ
- Literal: with a thousand eyes. Symbolic: multi-directional awareness; vigilant intuition and protection
- viśvataḥ pratyaṅ
- Literal: turned toward from all sides. Symbolic: Agni’s surrounding guardianship; total engagement of consciousness
Oblation-focused: juhoti with ājya/ghṛta; fits general havis-offerings, Agnihotra and Soma-sacrifice contexts where ghṛta is poured to kindle and widen Agni’s ‘vision’ (cakṣas).
During oblation sequences; also suitable as a consecration verse when establishing supports of a rite.
Offering ghee; placing ‘anna’ (oblatory substance) and nourishing the fire.
As a pre-meditation sankalpa: stabilize body–breath–mind, then offer clarity (ghṛta) to awaken all-around mindfulness.
Key roots/terms: (1) ā-dadhāti from √dhā ‘place’ → right establishment of offering in the triple base (tṛṣu). (2) ghṛtá/ājya: ritual ‘ghee’ also from semantic field of brightness/unctuous clarity; in Vedic symbolism ghṛta = clarified luminous mind-substance that feeds Agni. (3) cakṣe from √cakṣ ‘see’ (PIE *kweks-?; cognates debated) → vision/illumination. (4) sahasra ‘thousand’ marks plenitude, not arithmetic.
triple foundation (tṛṣu) as integrated being, expansion of consciousness (vi-cakṣ), protective omnivision
Right placement in the triple support aligns the being with ṛta, yielding true sight.
The ‘thousand-eyed’ gaze symbolizes truth-perception beyond partiality.
Formation of an integral field of awareness through sacrifice (yajña) as conscious self-offering.
Integral-yogic psychology (triple nature integration) resonant with later Upaniṣadic interiorization of yajña.
Ghee is clarified mind-substance; directions are facets of consciousness; ‘three’ are layered supports of being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘all-seeing Agni’ awakened by correct nourishment: by feeding the fire with luminous oblation, the worshipper evokes a many-eyed divine awareness that turns from all sides—mythically omnivision, psychologically the widening of inner perception and guidance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘place’ (ā-dadhāti) reflects PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘put, set’ (cf. Greek tithēmi, English do). √hu ‘pour/offer’ (juhoti) is Indo-Iranian with ritual specialization; the formulaic pairing of ‘placing’ and ‘offering’ preserves archaic IE sacrificial diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- It is explicitly transactional but inwardly developmental: the human establishes and nourishes Agni in the triple base; Agni reciprocates by becoming universally attentive and granting expanded vision—protection and right direction for the seeker’s work.
Establish the ‘three supports’: relax body, steady breath, clarify mind; then mentally offer a bright, clear intention into the heart-flame.
Maṇipūra–Anāhata axis
3-part breath awareness (abdomen–chest–clavicle) then smooth exhale ‘offering’.
From centered concentration to open monitoring (panoramic mindfulness) without dispersion.
Before action, ‘place anna in the three’: ensure body is cared for, prāṇa is steady, mind is clarified; then proceed—Agni’s thousand-eyed discernment will guard the work.
Standard Vedic three-tone with svarita turns around compounds; emphasize semantic peaks on ánnam, tṛ́ṣu, ghṛtáiḥ, sahásram, ákṣabhiḥ, viśvátah.
Keep udātta clarity on ‘tṛṣu’ and ‘sahasram’; do not over-accent particles (yo, asmai).
tṛ-ṣu (vocalic ṛ), ā-jyaiḥ (long ā; palatal ‘jy’), ghṛ-taiḥ (vocalic ṛ; aspirated gh), ju-ho-ti (clear h), ak-ṣa-bhiḥ (kṣ conjunct), prat-yaṅ (final ṅ)
Bright and attentive; slightly expansive on ‘viśvataḥ’ to suggest all-around turning.
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