Rig Veda 2.1.16: Mandala 2, Sukta 1, Mantra 16
Sukta 2.1
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Agni
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ये स्तोतृभ्यो गोअग्रामश्वपेशसमग्ने रातिमुपसृजन्ति सूरयः । अस्माञ्च ताँश्च प्र हि नेषि वस्य आ बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ॥
yé stotṛ́bhyo góagrām áśvapeśasam agne rātím upasṛjánti sūráyaḥ | asmā́ṃś ca tā́ṃś ca prá hí néṣi vásya ā́ bṛhád vadema vidáthe suvī́rāḥ ||
وہ دانا لوگ جو گلوکاروں کے لیے روشنی کے مویشی اور طاقت کے گھوڑوں سے بھرپور نذر پیش کرتے ہیں، اے اگنی، انہیں اور ہمیں بہتر بھلائی کی طرف لے جا۔ ہم اسمبلی میں وسیع بات کریں، ہمت کی طاقت سے نوازے ہوئے۔
Word by Word
- ये
- who (those who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- स्तोतृभ्यः
- to the praisersNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot स्तोतृ (√स्तु ‘to praise’)
- गो-अग्राम्
- a gift with cows at its head (foremost in cows)Noun (compound) / Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (रातिम् विशेषयति)Role KarmaRoot गो + अग्र (prātipadika)
- अश्व-पेशसम्
- adorned with horses (rich in horses)Adjective (compound)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (रातिम् विशेषयति)Role KarmaRoot अश्व + पेशस् (prātipadika)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role (Address)Root अग्नि
- रातिम्
- gift, bountyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot राति (√रा ‘to give’)
- उपसृजन्ति
- they bestow / send forth towardVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (Kriyā)Root उप-√सृज्
- सूरयः
- patrons, bountiful lordsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सूरि
- अस्मान्
- usPronoun(त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः), द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अस्मद् (sarvanāma)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययम्Role (Connector)Root च
- तान्
- themPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (sarvanāma)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययम्Role (Connector)Root च
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRole (Preverb)Root प्र
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपातः (emphatic/causal)Role (Particle)Root हि
- नेषि
- you leadVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (Kriyā)Root √नी (नयति)
- वस्यः
- to a better (state/way)Adjective (comparative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (गन्तव्यं/पदं ‘better [state/way]’)Role KarmaRoot वसु (comparative: वस्यस्)
- आ
- toward, untoIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRole (Preverb)Root आ
- बृहत्
- great (speech/thing)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (वदेम इत्यस्य कर्म/लक्ष्य-भावः)Role KarmaRoot बृहन्त्
- वदेम
- may we speakVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (Kriyā)Root √वद्
- विदथे
- in the rite/assembly (at the worship)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot विदथ
- सुवीराः
- having good heroes/sons; strong in heroesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (वयम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot सु + वीर
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): स्तोतृभ्यो गोअग्राम् अश्वपेशसम् अग्ने रातिम् उपसृजन्ति सूरयः । अस्मान् च तान् च प्र हि नेषि वस्यः आ बृहत् वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ॥ Key points: (1) गोअग्राम् is a tatpuruṣa with hiatus (go + agrām) preserved in Vedic
- in saṃhitā it appears as गोअग्राम्. (2) अश्वपेशसम् = अश्व + पेशसम् (bahuvrīhi/karma-dhāraya adjectival compound qualifying रातिम्). (3) अस्माञ्च → अस्मान् + च (final -न् before च). (4) ताँश्च → तान् + च (anusvāra/length in saṃhitā). (5) वस्य॒ = वस्यः (comparative stem वस्यस्; visarga often weakened/assimilated in saṃhitā). (6) आ बृहत् वदेम: preverb आ with optative वदेम
- bृहत् as neut. acc. sg. object/goal of speech. Accents are as in saṃhitā text
- padapāṭha typically removes some saṃhitā accent sandhi effects
The meaning
Outer meaning
The wise who grant to singers gifts rich in cows and horses—lead them and us forward to the better good. May we speak the Vast in the assembly, with heroic sons/energies.
Inner meaning
The ‘wise’ (sūrayaḥ) are inner or outer helpers—those luminous faculties or beneficent forces that provide to the stotṛ (the part in us that aspires and praises) gifts of go and aśva: rays of knowledge and energies of action. The mantra asks Agni to lead both the givers and receivers forward—so generosity and receptivity grow together in the yoga. ‘Speak the Vast’ (bṛhat vadema) is not mere eloquence: it is to utter from wideness-consciousness in the vidatha (gathering/inner assembly of faculties). ‘Suvīrāḥ’ becomes inner heroism: strong life-energies disciplined by truth, capable of carrying realization into action.
Universal truth
Progress requires a double movement: receiving light and force, and being led onward into a greater good. When consciousness widens, speech and action become instruments of the Vast.
Themes
gift and reciprocity, guidance to higher good, speech of the Vast, heroic soul-force
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional attribution)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.1.16 (closing), RV 2.2.1 (opening of next hymn: increase Jātavedas)
Family tradition
His Agni hymns often end with pragmatic boons, but in an inner reading these ‘boons’ are powers of knowledge and force for the yoga.
Significance
The seer frames spiritual progress as guided movement (Agni leading) supported by gifts of light (go) and force (aśva), culminating in speech from wideness (bṛhat).
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Neta (leader; implied by neṣi), Jātavedas (contextually adjacent)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (lord of the Vast word; thematic), Indra (heroic force; thematic)
Cosmic role
Guide of the path; distributor of boons through the sacrifice; awakener of heroic energies.
Inner power
Leader-flame that converts received light into effective force and right speech in the inner assembly.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dāna (gift) ethos within yajña; concluding prayer for prosperity and strength
ये स्तो॒तृभ्यो॒ गोअ॑ग्रा॒मश्व॑पेशस॒मग्ने॑ रा॒तिमु॑पसृ॒जन्ति॑ सू॒रय॑: । अ॒स्माञ्च॒ ताँश्च॒ प्र हि नेषि॒ वस्य॒ आ बृ॒हद्व॑देम वि॒दथे॑ सु॒वीरा॑: ॥
ये । स्तो॒तृऽभ्यः॑ । गोऽअ॑ग्राम् । अश्व॑ऽपेशसम् । अग्ने॑ । रा॒तिम् । उ॒प॒ऽसृ॒जन्ति॑ । सू॒रयः॑ । अ॒स्मान् । च॒ । तान् । च॒ । प्र । हि । नेषि॑ । वस्यः॑ । आ । बृ॒हत् । व॒दे॒म॒ । वि॒दथे॑ । सु॒ऽवीराः॑ ॥
ye | stotṛ-bhyaḥ | go--agrām | aśva-peśasam | agne | rātim | upa-sṛjanti | sūrayaḥ | asmān | ca | tān | ca | pra | hi | neṣi | vasyaḥ | ā | bṛhat | vadema | vidathe | su-vīrāḥ
44
4 × ~11
Invocatory and directive; ends with an expansive aspiration (bṛhat).
Energizes resolve and evokes confidence; the cadence supports forward movement and aspiration.
- सूरयः (sūrayaḥ)
- Literal: wise ones. Symbolic: luminous faculties/teachers; powers of right discernment
- स्तोतृ (stotṛ)
- Literal: praiser, singer. Symbolic: the aspiring part that articulates the soul’s call
- गोअग्राम् (go-agrām)
- Literal: rich in cows at the front. Symbolic: foremost rays of knowledge leading the march
- अश्वपेशसम् (aśva-peśasam)
- Literal: adorned with horses. Symbolic: equipped with vital energies and powers of action
- राति (rāti)
- Literal: gift, giving. Symbolic: grace/boon; inflow of help and capacity
- नेषि (neṣi)
- Literal: you lead. Symbolic: Agni as inner guide conducting the journey
- वस्यः (vasyaḥ)
- Literal: the better good. Symbolic: higher felicity; the truer, more luminous state
- बृहत् (bṛhat)
- Literal: the Vast. Symbolic: wideness-consciousness; expansive truth-being
- विदथ (vidatha)
- Literal: assembly, distribution, rite. Symbolic: inner council of faculties; the field where powers are arranged and offered
- सुवीराः (suvīrāḥ)
- Literal: having good heroes/sons. Symbolic: possessing heroic energies; strong, illumined life-forces
Dāna-stuti resonance: acknowledges gifts to priests/chanters; prayer that Agni lead patrons and poets to higher good; suitable in concluding or patron-invoking portions of a rite.
As a concluding or transitional verse—seeking guidance and boons for the sacrificer and community
Recited with offerings and blessings; aligns patron, priests, and rite toward ‘better good’
Use as a mantra for community practice: dedicate merits, ask for guidance for both helpers and those helped; cultivate wideness in speech.
go (cow) as 'ray of light/knowledge' is justified by Vedic usage where go is linked with illumination and dawn-recovery motifs; 'front-leading' (agra) makes the image of knowledge guiding the gift. aśva (horse) from √aś 'to move swiftly' symbolizes dynamic force. √nī 'lead' is a core guidance verb; bṛhat is the key term for vastness of consciousness.
bṛhat (vast truth-consciousness), right leadership (nī) towards the better (vasyaḥ)
Agni leads toward ‘vasyaḥ’—a movement of becoming aligned with ṛta rather than drifting in desire.
‘Speak the Vast’ implies speech from truth-consciousness, not ego speech.
Knowledge-rays and action-forces are ‘born’ and distributed in the inner assembly through Agni’s leadership.
Integral yoga reading: gifts as inner siddhis (light/force) used for widening and right expression.
Cows = rays of knowledge; horses = vital force of action; leading = guidance of will; Vast = open sky-like consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The gift-as-light-and-force motif: cows and horses are symbolic wealth—illumination and dynamism—offered to the singers. The mythic action is ascent by guidance: Agni leads patrons and poets into the 'better good' and into speech of the Vast (bṛhat).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The patron–poet reciprocity is an Indo-European social-poetic institution (gift exchange sustaining sacred speech). √nī 'lead' is widely cognate in function across IE guidance verbs; the comparative vasyaḥ encodes an evaluative ascent ('better'), central to archaic praise-poetry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges human generosity (rāti) but asks Agni to convert it into spiritual progress: to lead both giver and receiver toward higher excellence (vasyaḥ) and to grant the capacity to utter bṛhat in the vidatha with heroic energies (suvīrāḥ).
Invoke Agni as inner guide; receive ‘cows and horses’ as light and force; then practice speaking/acting from wideness.
Viśuddha (truthful speech) supported by Anāhata (wideness) and Maṇipūra (force)
Before speaking or work: 3 slow breaths; on each exhale repeat mentally ‘ā bṛhad’.
Confident, forward-moving, spacious.
Make one concrete offering: dedicate today’s speech and action to the Vast. Watch for narrow, reactive speech; pause, kindle Agni inwardly, then speak from spaciousness.
Accents as marked; keep the imperative/prayerful tone; let ‘ā bṛhad vadema’ open and ring.
Slight lift on key prayer verbs (neṣi, vadema). Keep compounds (goagrām, aśvapeśasam) clean and unbroken.
stotṛbhyo: ṛ in stotṛ; bhy cluster, goagrām: go + agrām (avoid inserting extra vowel), aśvapeśasam: śv cluster; long e in peśa, upasṛjanti: sṛ with ṛ; j soft, neṣi: retroflex ṣ, bṛhad: bṛ with ṛ; final d crisp, suvīrāḥ: long ī; visarga lightly aspirated
Bright, encouraging, forward-driving; end with open resonance on ‘suvīrāḥ’.
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