Rig Veda 8.23.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 23, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.23
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
उदु तिष्ठ स्वध्वर स्तवानो देव्या कृपा । अभिख्या भासा बृहता शुशुक्वनिः ॥
úd u tiṣṭha sv-adhvara stavā́no devyā́ kṛpā́ | abhi-khyā́ bhāsā́ bṛhatā́ śuśukvániḥ ||
اے اچھی قربانی کی طاقت، اٹھ کھڑا ہو، الہانی تشکیل کی طاقت سے بڑھ۔ وسیع روشنی کے ساتھ ظاہر ہو، گونجتا ہوا، اپنی صاف لہر سے وجود کو جگاتا ہوا۔
Word by Word
- उदु
- up, forth (indeed)Indeclinableनिपात; ‘उद्’ = ‘ऊर्ध्वम्/उत्’ (up/out), ‘उ’ = emphatic/enclitic particleRoot उद् (उपसर्ग) + उ (एन्क्लिटिक/निपात)
- तिष्ठ
- stand up; ariseVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; 2nd sg imperativeRole (कर्तृ-आह्वान) — addressed agentRoot स्था (धातु)
- स्वध्वरः
- the well-rited / good-sacrifice(-performing) oneAdjective (used substantively) / Noun-like epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बोधनार्थे/आह्वानस्य विषयः)Root स्वध्वर (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + अध्वर ‘यज्ञ’)
- स्तवानः
- being praised; while being laudedParticipleवर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/आत्मनेपद-भावे शानच् (स्तवमान/स्तवान); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (स्वध्वरः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्तु (धातु) → स्तव (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- देव्या
- with/through divineAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (कृपा-सम्बद्धं साधनम्/हेतुः)Root देव्य (देव-प्रातिपदिक + यत्)
- कृपा
- grace; favor; compassionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभिख्या
- look toward; behold; recognizeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; (Vedic injunctive/imperatival use) ‘अभि-ख्य’ = ‘look upon/recognize’Role (कर्तृ-आह्वान) — addressed agentRoot अभि- + ख्या (धातु)
- भासा
- with light; with radianceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot भासा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘भास्’/‘भा’ से)
- बृहता
- great; vastAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-तृतीया एकवचन रूप (Vedic instr. sg.); here agreeing with भासा (instr. sg.) as ‘great’Role करण (भासा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुशुक्वनिः
- the loudly crackling/roaring one (resounding)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उक्त/आहूत देवता/अग्नि-विशेषणम्)Root शुशुक्वनि (प्रातिपदिक; reduplicated/onomatopoetic from √क्वन् ‘to sound’ with intensification)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उदु | तिष्ठ | स्वध्वरः | स्तवानः | देव्या | कृपा | अभिख्या | भासा | बृहता | शुशुक्वनिः । 1) ‘उदु’ = ‘उद्’ (उपसर्ग/निपात ‘ऊर्ध्वम्’) + एन्क्लिटिक ‘उ’ (emphasis)
- 2) ‘स्वध्वर॒ स्तवा॑नो’ इत्यत्र संधि: स्वध्वरः + स्तवानः (विसर्गः सibilant-पूर्वे प्रायः जिह्वामूलीय/उपध्मानीय-प्रवृत्तिः; संहितायां ‘स्वध्वर॒ स्त-’)
- 3) ‘दे॒व्या कृ॒पा’ = देव्या + कृपा (संधि-परिवर्तनं नास्ति; केवलं पदसीमा)
- 4) ‘अ॒भि॒ख्या भा॒सा’ = अभिख्या + भासा (संधि-परिवर्तनं नास्ति)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Rise up, O power of the good sacrifice, being praised; increase by the divine shaping power. Become manifest with vast light, resounding.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls Agni to stand upright in the being (ud u tiṣṭha): not a flicker but an established flame. Svadhvara indicates the sacrifice that is ‘of its own right law’—a sincere inner offering aligned with the soul. Devyā kṛpā is the divine forming-force, the shaping intelligence-grace that refines raw ardor into right expression. Abhi-khyā: become clearly seen; bhāsā bṛhatā: with vast light; śuśukvaniḥ: with an awakening resonance—mantric vibration that stirs dormant parts of consciousness.
Universal truth
Aspiration must be established, shaped by higher guidance, and made luminous and audible in life as a clear, uplifting vibration.
Themes
Awakening, Widening consciousness, Divine grace in the work, Mantric resonance
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.23.6
Significance
A direct yogic imperative: establish the flame, allow divine shaping, then let vast light and resonant mantra awaken the whole nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- svadhvara (of the good sacrifice), stavāna (praised), śuśukvani (resounding)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (illumination), Sarasvatī (mantric flow)
Cosmic role
Uplifts and stabilizes the sacrificial fire; makes the divine presence manifest; spreads the Vast.
Inner power
Awakening vibration and luminous expansion under divine guidance (kṛpā).
In ritual
Where it is used
Agni kindling/invocation; stuti to increase the fire
उदु॑ तिष्ठ स्वध्वर॒ स्तवा॑नो दे॒व्या कृ॒पा । अ॒भि॒ख्या भा॒सा बृ॑ह॒ता शु॑शु॒क्वनि॑: ॥
उत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । ति॒ष्ठ॒ । सु॒ऽअ॒ध्व॒र॒ । स्तवा॑नः । दे॒व्या । कृ॒पा । अ॒भि॒ऽख्या । भा॒सा । बृ॒ह॒ता । शु॒शु॒क्वनिः॑ ॥
ut | oṃ iti | tiṣṭha | su-adhvara | stavānaḥ | devyā | kṛpā | abhi-khyā | bhāsā | bṛhatā | śuśukvaniḥ
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4 × ~11
Commanding and ascending; ends with a resonant cadence.
Encourages upright posture, clarity, and a felt widening of awareness.
- स्वध्वर (svadhvara)
- Literal: good/true sacrifice. Symbolic: inner offering aligned with the soul’s law (svadhā)
- देव्या कृपा (devyā kṛpā)
- Literal: divine compassion/forming. Symbolic: higher shaping grace-intelligence that perfects aspiration
- अभिख्या (abhi-khyā)
- Literal: become manifest/clearly seen. Symbolic: bring inner fire into conscious clarity, not hidden effort
- भासा बृहता (bhāsā bṛhatā)
- Literal: with vast light. Symbolic: expansive illumination (bṛhat) filling mind and life
- शुशुक्वनिः (śuśukvaniḥ)
- Literal: resounding, loudly sounding. Symbolic: mantric resonance that awakens and harmonizes the being
Kindling/quickening formula: raising the fire to active presence; also inwardly a practice-instruction to awaken the will and widen the consciousness.
At beginning of daily agnihotra-like practice or any inner/outer lighting of lamp/fire
Raising/brightening the flame; offering ghee; reciting as the fire catches and steadies
As a ‘start-of-meditation’ mantra: sit upright, kindle aspiration, invoke shaping grace, feel vast light.
su- ‘good’ + adhvara ‘rite/journey’ (often ‘non-injuring’, a- + dhvara ‘crookedness’ per traditional etymology; psychologically ‘straight movement’). √khyā ‘to appear, be renowned’ → abhi-khyā. bhāsā from √bhās ‘shine’. bṛhat from √bṛh ‘grow, widen’. kvan ‘sound’ → (śuśukvaniḥ intensive/onomatopoetic formation).
Bṛhat (wideness), Manifestation (khyā), Grace/skill (kṛpā) as divine formative power
Svadhvara implies sacrifice according to right law; kṛpā shapes tapas into ṛta-aligned action.
Abhi-khyā: truth must become visible/explicit in consciousness.
Manifestation: from hidden flame to visible vast light and audible vibration.
Integral yoga: grace as formative power; mantra as awakening vibration.
dawn (suggested by vast light)
Upright flame = steady will; vast light = widened consciousness; resonance = mantra awakening subtle centers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘arising’ of Agni into manifest wideness: a ritual-psychological epiphany where the kindled Fire becomes visible (abhi-khyā) and expansive (bṛhat), accompanied by the sign of sound—awakening the field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bṛh (widen/grow) continues PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise, high’ (semantic overlap in growth/height). √khyā ‘appear’ relates to PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear, be renowned’ in the broader sense of becoming known (semantic development within Indo-Iranian).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi’s praise (stavānaḥ) is not flattery but a sustaining vibration; through it the divine kṛpā shapes Agni into a manifest, vast light—showing reciprocity between human mantra and divine forming power.
Establish the inner fire upright; invoke divine shaping; widen into vast light; listen inwardly to the mantra’s resonance.
Anahata (resonance) and Sahasrara (vastness)
Inhale 6 (rise), exhale 8 (spread); silently repeat bhāsā bṛhatā on exhale.
Upright, widened, quietly vibrant awareness.
Sit erect; imagine a flame in the heart; ask for devyā kṛpā to shape your day; feel light widen around the head and chest; listen for a subtle inner hum.
Keep imperative ‘ud u tiṣṭha’ crisp; allow a gentle swell on bhāsā bṛhatā; finish with a resonant fall on śuśukvaniḥ.
Do not rush the opening; slight pause after svadhvara | to let the command land.
tiṣṭha: retroflex ṭh with clear aspiration, svadhvara: combine sva-dhvara smoothly; dhv cluster careful, devyā: palatal y; long ā, abhi-khyā: khy cluster articulated (khyā, not khā), śuśukvaniḥ: śu-śu distinct; final ḥ light
Warm, resonant, slightly nasalized focus for inner vibration.
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