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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

The Aprī Hymn of the Praskṇva Ṛṣi: Inviting the Divine Host

📜 12 Verses

Act 1

The Kindling of Agni and the Primal Invocation

Verses 1, 2, 3, 4

Verse 1

सुस॑मिद्धो न॒ आ व॑ह दे॒वाँ अ॑ग्ने ह॒विष्म॑ते । होतः॑ पावक॒ यक्षि॑ च ॥

súsamiddho na ā́ vaha devā́m̐ agne havíṣmate ǀ hótaḥ pāvaka yákṣi ca ǁ

Verse 2

मधु॑मंतं तनूनपाद्य॒ज्ञं दे॒वेषु॑ नः कवे । अ॒द्या कृ॑णुहि वी॒तये॑ ॥

mádhumantam tanūnapādyajñám devéṣu naḥ kave ǀ adyā́ kṛṇuhi vītáye ǁ

Verse 3

नरा॒शंस॑मि॒ह प्रि॒यम॒स्मिन्य॒ज्ञ उप॑ ह्वये । मधु॑जिह्वं हवि॒ष्कृतं॑ ॥

nárāśáṃsamihá priyámasmínyajñá úpa hvaye ǀ mádhujihvam haviṣkṛ́tam ǁ

Verse 4

अग्ने॑ सु॒खत॑मे॒ रथे॑ दे॒वाँ ई॑ळि॒त आ व॑ह । असि॒ होता॒ मनु॑र्हितः ॥

ágne sukhátame ráthe devā́m̐ īḷitá ā́ vaha ǀ ási hótā mánurhitaḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In these opening verses of the Aprī Sūkta, the Ṛṣi Medhātithi Kanva turns his focus toward Agni in his multiple liturgical and cosmic offices. Agni is first addressed as well-kindled and purifying, bringing the radiant gods to the sacrificer. Then, the poet invokes Tanūnapāt, the 'son of his own body'—a mystical aspect of Agni representing dynamic, self-generated divine energy—to make the sacrifice sweet and acceptable to the gods. Following this, Narāśaṃsa, 'praised of men,' is summoned, representing the honey-tongued sweetness of divine praise and manifestation. Finally, Agni is envisioned upon the easiest-riding chariot, bearing the gods as the primeval Hotṛ appointed by Manu. These verses establish the foundational geometry of the Vedic sacrifice: the inner fire must be perfectly ignited so that the divine powers can descend into the human arena.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: O well-kindled Agni, bring the gods hither to the bearer of oblations; O purifying Hotṛ, worship them well.

Verse 2: O Tanūnapāt, O Kavi, make our honey-sweet sacrifice pleasant among the gods for our enjoyment today.

Verse 3: I invoke here into this sacrifice the beloved Narāśaṃsa, honey-tongued and maker of the oblation.

Verse 4: O Agni, praised by all, bring the gods hither on your smoothest chariot; you are the Hotṛ appointed by Manu.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets these figures as various manifestations or names of Agni within the ritual structure. Sri Aurobindo views them as psychological states of inner purification, where Agni's diverse energies prepare the consciousness to receive higher divine illuminations.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सुसमिद्धः	susamiddhaḥ	well-kindled, perfectly ignited
पावक	pāvaka	purifying, cleansing
यक्षि	yakṣi	worship, sacrifice, invoke

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
तनूनापात्	tanūnapāt	Son of the body, an epithet of Agni
कवि	kavi	seer, wise sage
वीतये	vītaye	for enjoyment, for consumption

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
नराशंसम्	narāśaṃsam	praised of men, an aspect of Agni
मधुजिह्वम्	madhu-jihvam	having a honeyed tongue
हविष्कृतम्	haviḥ-kṛtam	maker of the oblation

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सुखतमे	sukha-tame	most pleasant, smoothest
रथे	rathe	on the chariot
मनुहितः	manuḥ-hitaḥ	placed or appointed by Manu (the primal human sacrificer)

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a magnificent chariot driven by a blazing, purifying flame that races down from the heavens, carrying every divine quality straight to the altar of the human heart.

Act 2

The Sacred Grass, the Celestial Doors, and the Divine Dwellers

Verses 5, 6, 7, 8

Verse 5

स्तृ॒णी॒त ब॒र्हिरा॑नु॒षग्घृ॒तपृ॑ष्ठं मनीषिणः । यत्रा॒मृत॑स्य॒ चक्ष॑णं ॥

stṛṇītá barhírānuṣágghṛtápṛṣṭham manīṣiṇaḥ ǀ yátrāmṛ́tasya cákṣaṇam ǁ

Verse 6

वि श्र॑यंतामृता॒वृधो॒ द्वारो॑ दे॒वीर॑स॒श्चतः॑ । अ॒द्या नू॒नं च॒ यष्ट॑वे ॥

ví śrayantāmṛtāvṛ́dho dvā́ro devī́rasaścátaḥ ǀ adyā́ nūnám ca yáṣṭave ǁ

Verse 7

नक्तो॒षासा॑ सु॒पेश॑सा॒स्मिन्य॒ज्ञ उप॑ ह्वये । इ॒दं नो॑ ब॒र्हिरा॒सदे॑ ॥

náktoṣā́sā supéśasāsmínyajñá úpa hvaye ǀ idám no barhírāsáde ǁ

Verse 8

ता सु॑जि॒ह्वा उप॑ ह्वये॒ होता॑रा॒ दैव्या॑ क॒वी । य॒ज्ञं नो॑ यक्षतामि॒मं ॥

tā́ sujihvā́ úpa hvaye hótārā dáivyā kavī́ ǀ yajñám no yakṣatāmimám ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The ritual space now expands to welcome the cosmic framework. First, the wise ones are enjoined to spread the sacred barhiḥ (sacrificial grass) which is 'butter-backed'—glowing with the fat of consecration—where the vision of immortality is experienced. Next, the great divine doors are asked to swing wide open, allowing passage for the worship today and always. Then come Night and Dawn, beautifully adorned, who are invited to sit upon the sacred grass. Finally, the two divine Hotṛs, the celestial seers, are called upon to perform the sacrifice on behalf of the seekers, bridging earth and heaven through rhythmic invocation.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 5: O wise ones, spread out the sacrificial grass continuously, butter-backed, where the vision of immortality shines.

Verse 6: May the divine doors, augmenters of truth, swing wide open today and now for worship.

Verse 7: Night and Dawn, richly adorned, I invoke to this sacrifice, to sit upon this sacred grass of ours.

Verse 8: Those two divine, sweet-tongued seer-priests I invoke; may they perform this our sacrifice.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The ritual elements—grass, doors, twilight goddesses—are understood literally by ritualists as physical props of the Vedic altar, while esoteric commentators see them as psychic boundaries, gateways of perception, and alternating states of spiritual illumination (Night and Dawn).

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
बर्हिः	barhiḥ	sacrificial grass strewn on the altar
घृतपृष्ठम्	ghṛta-pṛṣṭham	having its back sprinkled with ghee
चक्षणम्	cakṣaṇam	sight, vision, appearance

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ऋतवृधः	ṛta-vṛdhaḥ	increasing or thriving through Ṛta (cosmic order)
द्वारः	dvāraḥ	doors
यष्टवे	yaṣṭave	for the sake of worship

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
नक्तोषसा	naktoṣasā	Night and Dawn as a dual deity
सुपेशसा	su-peśasā	beautifully adorned, well-formed
आसदे	ā-sade	to sit down upon

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
होतारा	hotārā	the two Hotṛ priests (usually divine counterparts like Heaven and Earth)
दैव्या	daivyā	divine, celestial
कवी	kavī	two seers

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine entering a sacred temple at dawn where soft green grass is laid out, the grand cosmic gates swing wide open, and Day and Night stand side by side as welcoming priestesses.

Act 3

The Goddesses of Speech, the Divine Architect, and the Final Offering

Verses 9, 10, 11, 12

Verse 9

इळा॒ सर॑स्वती म॒ही ति॒स्रो दे॒वीर्म॑यो॒भुवः॑ । ब॒र्हिः सी॑दंत्व॒स्रिधः॑ ॥

íḷā sárasvatī mahī́ tisró devī́rmayobhúvaḥ ǀ barhíḥ sīdantvasrídhaḥ ǁ

Verse 10

इ॒ह त्वष्टा॑रमग्रि॒यं वि॒श्वरू॑प॒मुप॑ ह्वये । अ॒स्माक॑मस्तु॒ केव॑लः ॥

ihá tváṣṭāramagriyám viśvárūpamúpa hvaye ǀ asmā́kamastu kévalaḥ ǁ

Verse 11

अव॑ सृजा वनस्पते॒ देव॑ दे॒वेभ्यो॑ ह॒विः । प्र दा॒तुर॑स्तु॒ चेत॑नं ॥

áva sṛjā vanaspate déva devébhyo havíḥ ǀ prá dātúrastu cétanam ǁ

Verse 12

स्वाहा॑ य॒ज्ञं कृ॑णोत॒नेंद्रा॑य॒ यज्व॑नो गृ॒हे । तत्र॑ दे॒वाँ उप॑ ह्वये ॥

svā́hā yajñám kṛṇotanéndrāya yájvano gṛhé ǀ tátra devā́m̐ úpa hvaye ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The final movement of the Sūkta brings in the maternal and creative forces of the cosmos. Iḷā, Sarasvatī, and Mahī—the three great goddesses of inspiration, speech, and vastness—are seated upon the sacred grass, faultless and life-giving. Following them, Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine artisan who shapes all forms, is invoked to be solely for the protection and welfare of the sacrificer. Vanaspati, the lord of the forest (representing the sacrificial post or tree), is then asked to release the oblation to the gods, ensuring that the giver's consciousness is recognized. Finally, the hymn culminates in the ritual cry of 'Svāhā,' establishing the sacrifice in the house of the worshipper for Indra and all the assembled gods.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 9: Iḷā, Sarasvatī, and Mahī—three goddesses who bring bliss, faultless, may they sit upon the sacred grass.

Verse 10: Here I invoke the primordial Tvaṣṭṛ of manifold forms; may he be solely ours.

Verse 11: O Vanaspati, release the oblation to the gods, and let the awareness of the giver go forth.

Verse 12: Perform the sacrifice with 'Svāhā' in the house of the sacrificer for Indra; there I invoke the gods.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Traditional exegetes treat these as the concluding deities of the Aprī series prior to the main oblations. Spiritually, Tvaṣṭṛ represents the power that molds our earthly vessel, while Iḷā and Sarasvatī represent the streams of higher knowledge that nourish the soul.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
इळा	iḷā	Goddess of sacred speech and refreshment
मयभुवः	mayaḥ-bhuvaḥ	bringing joy or bliss
अस्रिधः	asridhaḥ	unerring, faultless, failing not

Verse 10

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
त्वष्टारम्	tvaṣṭāram	Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine shaper and craftsman
अग्रियम्	agriyam	foremost, primordial
विश्वरूपम्	viśva-rūpam	omniform, having all forms

Verse 11

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वनस्पते	vanaspate	O Lord of the Forest (sacrificial pillar)
चेतनम्	cetanam	consciousness, awakening, recognition
दातुरस्तु	dātuḥ astu	let there be for the giver

Verse 12

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
स्वाहा	svāhā	sacrificial exclamation of offering
यज्वनः	yajvanaḥ	of the sacrificer
गृहे	gṛhe	in the house

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a master sculptor (Tvaṣṭṛ) carving a wooden pillar (Vanaspati) while divine rivers of inspiration (Iḷā and Sarasvatī) flow around it, culminating in a joyful shout of 'Svāhā!' that seals the offering.