Rig Veda 8.44.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 44, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.44
- Devata
- Agni
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
समिधान उ सन्त्य शुक्रशोच इहा वह । चिकित्वान्दैव्यं जनम् ॥
samidhāná u santya śúkraśoce ihá ā́ vaha | cikitvā́n daívyaṁ jánam ||
اے ہمیشہ موجود روشن شعلے والے، جب تو جلتا ہے، دیوی لوگوں کو یہاں لے آ۔ اے جاننے اور پہچاننے والے، انہیں اس وجود کی جگہ میں لے آ۔
Word by Word
- समिधानः
- being kindled; kindling (one)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्यय (सम्+इध् ‘प्रज्वल्’)Role KartāRoot सम्-इध् (धातु) → समिध्/समिधान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed; andIndeclinableनिपात/अव्यय; अर्थे ‘एव/हि/च’ (emphatic/connecting particle)Root उ (निपात)
- सन्ति
- they areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot अस् (धातु)
- शुक्रशोचः
- bright-flamed; having shining blazeAdjective (compound epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (अग्नेः/अग्नयः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शोचस् (प्रातिपदिक) → बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास
- इह
- hereIndeclinableदेशवाचक-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः; ‘आ-’ (towards, hither)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वह
- carry/bring (hither)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot वह् (धातु)
- चिकित्वान्
- knowing; discerningAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परिपूर्ण/स्थिर-ज्ञाता अर्थे (वेदिक प्रयोगः)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root चित्/चिकित् (धातु ‘जान्/बुध्’) → चिकित्वस्/चिकित्वान् (कृदन्त)
- दैव्यम्
- the divineAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दैव्य’ = divineRole KarmaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक) → दैव्य (तद्धित)
- जनम्
- people; race; folkNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: समिधानः उ सन्ति शुक्रशोचः इह आ वह । चिकित्वान् दैव्यम् जनम् ॥ 1) ‘समिधान उ’ इति: ‘समिधानः’ (visarga/ḥ) परे स्वरादौ ‘उ’—पदपाठे विसर्गः स्थिरः
- संहितायां उच्चारणे ‘समिधान उ’ (ḥ + u) प्रकारः। 2) ‘इहा’ = ‘इह’ + ‘आ’ (अव्यय + उपसर्ग) संधिः: अ + आ → आ (दीर्घ). 3) ‘चिकित्वान्दैव्यम्’ = ‘चिकित्वान्’ + ‘दैव्यम्’: न् + द् संयोगः (अनुस्वार/नकार-परसवर्णत्वं न; स्पष्ट ‘न्’ + ‘द’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
When you are kindled, O ever-present bright-flamed one, bring here the divine people (the gods), you who know and discern.
Inner meaning
When Agni is ‘samidhāna’—kindled in the being—he becomes ‘śukraśocis’, the bright flame of purified energy. Then he can ‘bring the divine people’ (daivyaṃ janam): the higher powers—illumination, strength, harmony—into our embodied field (‘ihā’). ‘Cikitvān’ means discerning intelligence: Agni is not blind force but conscious will that knows what to call and how to integrate it.
Universal truth
When inner will is consciously kindled and purified, higher qualities can descend and organize life; spiritual force must be intelligent and discerning to integrate the divine in the human.
Themes
divine host, discernment, pure flame, invitation/descent
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.12 (Agni bringing gods), Rig Veda 3.4 (Agni as carrier and knower, thematic)
Family tradition
Invocation pattern typical of Agni as carrier (vah) and knower (cikitvān), bridging human and divine.
Significance
A practical yogic instruction: kindle the flame, purify it, then call the higher powers into embodied life—guided by discernment.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni
- Epithets
- Samidhāna, Santya, Śukraśocis, Cikitvān
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Mitra-Varuṇa, Aśvins
Cosmic role
Bearer of the gods; awakener of divine forces within the sacrificial field.
Inner power
Discerning will that, once kindled, can invoke and integrate higher consciousness into the embodied nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Āvāhana (invitation) function: after kindling, Agni is asked to bring the gods
स॒मि॒धा॒न उ॑ सन्त्य॒ शुक्र॑शोच इ॒हा व॑ह । चि॒कि॒त्वान्दैव्यं॒ जन॑म् ॥
स॒म्ऽइ॒धा॒नः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । स॒न्त्य॒ । शुक्र॑ऽशोचे । इ॒ह । आ । व॒ह॒ । चि॒कि॒त्वान् । दैव्य॑म् । जन॑म् ॥
sam-idhānaḥ | oṃ iti | santya | śukra-śoce | iha | ā | vaha | cikitvān | daivyam | janam
32
4×8 (approx.)
Quick, invitational; imperative ‘ā vaha’ gives a clear energetic lift.
Energizes and opens; evokes a sense of descent/arrival of higher presences into the ‘here’ of practice.
- समिधानः (samidhānaḥ)
- Literal: being kindled. Symbolic: awakening of the inner fire through practice and aspiration
- सन्त्य (santya)
- Literal: ever-present, constant. Symbolic: the perennial flame in the heart that can be uncovered anytime
- शुक्रशोचे (śukraśoce)
- Literal: bright-flamed. Symbolic: purified luminous energy; clarity in life-force
- इह (iha)
- Literal: here. Symbolic: in the body-life-mind field; embodiment of the higher
- आ वह (ā vaha)
- Literal: bring, carry here. Symbolic: invoke and draw down higher powers into the nature
- चिकित्वान् (cikitvān)
- Literal: knowing, discerning. Symbolic: intelligent will; right selection and integration
- दैव्यं जनम् (daivyaṃ janam)
- Literal: divine people. Symbolic: the host of inner gods: powers of light, strength, joy, harmony
Invitation of devatās after kindling; Agni requested to convey the divine host to the sacrifice.
After fire is lit/strengthened and before offerings to other deities
Kindle (samidh), then invoke arrival of devatās via Agni
After centering and ‘kindling’ attention, invite specific higher qualities (peace, strength, clarity) into the body; use as a descent mantra.
santya from sat (‘being’) emphasizes Agni as stable presence once kindled. śukra-śoca links purity and burning—psychologically, a will that is both intense and clear. cikitvān indicates discriminative awareness, not blind force. daivya jana: the gods as a host of faculties/powers to be brought into operative presence.
sat (being/presence), discernment (cikitvān) as illumined intelligence, descent/arrival of divine powers
Calling the ‘daivya jana’ is effective when the fire is bright and discerning—ṛta is the law of right manifestation in the human field.
Cikitvān emphasizes truth-discrimination: the divine descent must be intelligently received.
Descent of higher powers into the ‘here’ of embodiment; manifestation through awakened fire.
Integral Vedism: ascent (kindling) enabling descent (bringing gods) and integration.
Kindling = awakening aspiration; bright flame = purified prāṇa; bringing gods = descent of higher faculties into embodied awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Agni as conveyor of the divine host: once kindled, the bright-knowing fire brings the gods to the rite; inwardly, awakened will and discernment summon higher faculties into the practitioner’s present consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- daivya relates to *dei̯w- ‘bright/sky’ (divinity as shining). √jan ‘beget, people’ from PIE *ǵenh₁- (cf. Latin genus, Greek génos) frames ‘the gods’ as a ‘people/kin’—a collective of powers rather than a single abstraction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi depends on Agni’s discriminative agency (cikitvān): the human cannot directly command the divine host; Agni mediates, selecting and bringing the right powers into the right place (iha).
Kindle the inner fire, then invite descent of higher qualities into the body and life.
anahata
3-part breath: inhale to heart (kindle), brief hold (brighten), exhale downward through torso (bring ‘here’) while chanting softly
Awakened, descending, integrative awareness—luminous embodiment.
Begin with a minute of concentration at the heart. Feel warmth/brightness. Then on ‘ā vaha’ invite one specific divine power (peace/strength/light). On ‘cikitvān’ practice discernment: accept only what increases clarity and harmony.
Rigvedic accents; give a distinct energetic lift on ‘ā vaha’ and a knowing steadiness on ‘cikitvān’.
Chant in two waves: (1) samidhāna…ihā vaha (invocation), (2) cikitvān daivyaṃ janam (discernment + object).
(samidhānaḥ): ‘dhā’ long ā; visarga lightly aspirated, (śukraśoce): śukra with ś; śoce with long o; keep both ś sounds clear, (cikitvān): ‘ci’ palatal; ‘tv’ cluster clean
Bright, calling tone; clear consonants; end with a grounded, receptive cadence.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
