Rig Veda 8.11.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 11, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.11
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
स त्वमस्मदप द्विषो युयोधि जातवेदः । अदेवीरग्ने अरातीः ॥
sá tvám asmád ápa dvíṣo yuyódhi jā́tavēdaḥ | ádēvīr agne árātīḥ ||
اے جات ویدس، تو ہم سے دشمنوں کو دور بھگا، اے اگنی، غیر الہی دشمن قوتوں اور گمراہیوں کو ہٹا۔
Word by Word
- सः
- he/that (indeed)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (अन्वयतः ‘सः त्वम्’ = ‘तू ही’)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- त्वम्
- youPronounउत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person), प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मत्
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचनम् (वेदे ‘अस्मद्’ = ‘our’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitival relation to ‘द्विषः’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अप
- away, offIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः; ‘युयोधि’ इत्यस्य सहRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थः)Root अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्विषः
- haters, enemiesNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karma (युयोधि—whom to repel)Root द्विष् (धातु) → द्विष् (शत्रु/द्वेषक) (प्रातिपदिक)
- युयोधि
- fight off / repelVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot युध् (धातु) ‘to fight, repel’
- जातवेदः
- O Jātavedas (Agni)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधन (address)Root जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘he whose knowledge is born/innate’, epithet of Agni)
- अदेवीः
- non-divine, hostileAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘अरा॑तीः’ इति विशेषणम्Role Karma (with ‘अरा॑तीः’ as the object of implied/continued action)Root अ-देवी (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास/उपपद-निषेधः) ‘non-divine, hostile’
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरा॑तीः
- hostilities, harmsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karma (objects to be driven away/repelled)Root अरा॑ति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘harm, hostility, mischief’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): स त्वम् अस्मद् अप द्विषः युयोधि जातवेदः । अदेवीः अग्ने अरा॑तीः ॥ 1) अस्मदप → अस्मद् + अप (व्यञ्जन-सन्धिः: द् + अ → द + अ; लेखने ‘दप’)
- 2) अदेवीरग्ने → अदेवीः + अग्ने (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + अ → र्; ‘वीरग्ने’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Agni as Jātavedas is asked to drive away haters from the worshipper and to repel the undivine hostile powers and misdirections (arātīs).
Inner meaning
When the inner Fire is awake as Jātavedas (knower of all births—knower of all arising movements), it can discern and reject hostile formations: thoughts that deny, impulses that sabotage, and forces that turn the will away from the straight path. ‘Dviṣaḥ’ are inner haters—movements of aversion to truth; ‘adevīḥ arātīḥ’ are undivine misleadings—false lights, wrong turns, and perversions of energy.
Universal truth
A luminous will that knows the origins of our movements is essential for protection; discernment and inner fire drive out negativity and keep the path aligned to the good.
Themes
Protection, Expulsion of hostility, Inner battle
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.11.1, Rig Veda 8.11.2, Rig Veda 8.11.4, Rig Veda 8.11.5
Significance
The seer speaks from a protective yoga: Agni is not only invoked for uplift but for inner warfare against denial and distortion—central to the Vedic battle symbolism adopted by Sri Aurobindo.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (Jātavedas)
- Epithets
- Jātavedas, Protector against dviṣaḥ, Repeller of adevī arātīḥ
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra—parallel battle motif), Bṛhaspati (breaker of obstructions in speech/thought), Rudra (protector/healer against harm)
Cosmic role
Divine guardian who separates truth from falsehood and maintains the purity of the sacrificial field.
Inner power
Discriminative flame (viveka-like) that burns impurity, detects hostile origins, and fortifies the seeker.
In ritual
Where it is used
Apotropaic (protective) Agni-invocation within rites; could accompany moments of guarding the altar/space
स त्वम॒स्मदप॒ द्विषो॑ युयो॒धि जा॑तवेदः । अदे॑वीरग्ने॒ अरा॑तीः ॥
सः । त्वम् । अ॒स्मत् । अप॑ । द्विषः॑ । यु॒यो॒धि । जा॒त॒ऽवे॒दः॒ । अदे॑वीः । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अरा॑तीः ॥
saḥ | tvam | asmat | apa | dviṣaḥ | yuyodhi | jāta-vedaḥ | adevīḥ | agne | arātīḥ
32
4 x ~8 syllables (approximate)
Martial, imperative phrasing; quick turns around verbs (yuyodhi).
Invokes protective intensity; strengthens resolve and boundary-setting.
- जातवेदस् (jātavedas)
- Literal: knower of births/origins. Symbolic: inner fire of discernment that knows the arising of thoughts/desires and their roots
- द्विषः (dviṣaḥ)
- Literal: haters, enemies. Symbolic: inner resistances—negations, self-sabotage, hostile suggestions
- युयोधि (yuyodhi)
- Literal: fight off, repel. Symbolic: active rejection through vigilant will
- अदेवीः (adevīḥ)
- Literal: undivine, not of the gods. Symbolic: forces not aligned with truth-consciousness; anti-evolutionary tendencies
- अरातीः (arātīḥ)
- Literal: hostilities, harms; also misdirections. Symbolic: wrong movements, false impulses, perversions that divert the sacrifice
Apotropaic/protective use within rite; removal of hostile influences that would break the ṛta of the sacrifice.
When warding off inimical influences or correcting deviations in ritual performance
Recitation while circling/guarding the fire, or during offerings meant for protection
Use as a protective mantra before meditation or sleep to reject intrusive thoughts and reaffirm alignment.
: perfect/imperative-like injunctive from √ 'to fight'. : jāta- 'born' + vedas- from √ 'know' → 'he who knows all births/manifestations'. : a- (negation) + rāti- 'gift, giving' from √ 'to give' → 'non-giving, deprivation/hostility', hence obstructive force.
battle of light vs. negation, purification and protection of the yajña-field, alignment with deva vs. adeva
Hostile forces are anṛta-movements; Agni restores ṛta by rejection and purification.
Jātavedas ‘knows origins’—truth as discernment of causes.
Evolution through conflict: light must actively overcome coverings and distortions.
Yoga of purification and inner battle (Aurobindonian ‘hostile forces’ framework)
night (protective use implied)
Psychic heat that burns tamas and protects the inner space from invasion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic action is apotropaic: Agni as warrior-purifier repels the 'haters' and 'non-divine' hostilities. Psychologically, it is the ignition of conscious will that expels divisive impulses and energies of depletion (arāti) from the practitioner’s field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ 'fight' is a common Indo-European martial root (cf. wider IE battle lexicon). The opposition deva/adeva mirrors Indo-Iranian religious polarity (daēva in Iranian as reversed valuation), showing an inherited system of categorizing powers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi asks for active intervention, not merely blessing: Agni must fight on behalf of the sacrificer. The reciprocity is functional—invocation and offering secure a protective clearing of the inner and outer ritual space.
Witness arising thoughts; ignite a steady inner flame that refuses entry to hostile or deviating movements.
Manipura (will) and Ajna (discernment)
Short protective exhale (not forceful) while mentally repeating yuyodhi; then return to calm nasal breathing
Vigilant, protected, inwardly firm
Name the ‘dviṣaḥ’ as patterns (doubt, resentment, inertia). On each recognition, offer it into Agni; practice non-consent and replacement with a truth-affirmation.
Notated svara unavailable; keep imperatives crisp; slight udatta lift on yuyodhi and jātavedas.
sa tvám | asmád ápa | dvíṣo | yuyódhi | jātavédaḥ || adevī́r ágne | arātī́ḥ || (approximate).
‘asmad apa’ link smoothly: asmad-apa., ‘yuyodhi’ = yu-yo-dhi (dh voiced aspirate)., ‘jātavedas’ long ā; keep ‘ve’ clear., ‘adevīḥ’ long ī; visarga light., ‘arātīḥ’ long ā and ī; avoid shortening.
Firm, protective, slightly intensified on the expulsive phrases.
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