🌐 Language:

Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

Rigveda Maṇḍala 1, Sūkta 14: The Divine Invitation and Procession of the Gods

📜 12 Verses

Act 1

Act I: The Summoning of Agni and the Universal Deities

Verses 1, 2, 3

Verse 1

ऐभि॑रग्ने॒ दुवो॒ गिरो॒ विश्वे॑भिः॒ सोम॑पीतये । दे॒वेभि॑र्याहि॒ यक्षि॑ च ॥

áibhiragne dúvo gíro víśvebhiḥ sómapītaye ǀ devébhiryāhi yákṣi ca ǁ

Verse 2

आ त्वा॒ कण्वा॑ अहूषत गृ॒णंति॑ विप्र ते॒ धियः॑ । दे॒वेभि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

ā́ tvā káṇvā ahūṣata gṛṇánti vipra te dhíyaḥ ǀ devébhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

Verse 3

इं॒द्र॒वा॒यू बृह॒स्पतिं॑ मि॒त्राग्निं पू॒षणं॒ भगं॑ । आ॒दि॒त्यान्मारु॑तं ग॒णं ॥

indravāyū́ bṛ́haspátim mitrā́gním pūṣáṇam bhágam ǀ ādityā́nmā́rutam gaṇám ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi of the Kaṇva family addresses Agni with profound reverence, urging him to arrive alongside all the divine powers for the sacred Soma libation. The seers declare that their songs and praises are streaming forth toward the flame, inviting the luminous presence of the gods. Agni is not merely a physical fire here; he is the divine mediator who holds the cosmic key, bridging the mortal hearth with the immortal realms. Moving beyond a singular focus, verse three introduces a majestic pantheon of deities—Indra, Vāyu, Bṛhaspati, Mitra, Agni, Pūṣan, Bhaga, the Ādityas, and the Marut host. This widening circle of invocation establishes the cosmic scope of the sacrifice, showing how Agni serves as the central hub through which all divine energies converge to partake in the sacred offering and uplift human consciousness.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: O Agni, come hither with all these universal gods for the drinking of Soma, accompanied by our praises and oblations, and perform the sacred worship.

Verse 2: The Kaṇvas have called upon thee, O wise Agni; our thoughts and hymns praise thee. Come hither, O divine one, with the company of the gods.

Verse 3: Invoke Indra and Vāyu, Bṛhaspati, Mitra, Agni, Pūṣan, Bhaga, the Ādityas, and the host of the Maruts.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets these verses through the lens of ritual sacrifice where specific priests invite actual deities to partake in physical offerings. Sri Aurobindo views these divine names as psychological faculties and cosmic powers descending into the human vessel to elevate the inner consciousness.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अग्ने	agne	O Agni, the divine fire and leader
सोमपीतये	sōmapītaye	for the drinking of Soma
यक्षि	yakṣi	worship or perform the sacrifice

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
कण्वाः	kaṇvāḥ	the seers of the Kaṇva lineage
विप्र	vipra	O inspired sage or wise one
धियः	dhiyaḥ	thoughts, prayers, or visions

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
इन्द्रवायू	indravāyū	Indra and Vāyu
बृहस्पतिम्	bṛhaspatim	lord of prayer and devotion
मारुतं गणम्	mārutam gaṇam	the host of storm-gods (Maruts)

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a grand royal banquet hall where the chief host (Agni) is sent out by the family (Kaṇvas) to personally escort all the distinguished lords of the kingdom (Indra, Vāyu, and others) to the feast.

Act 2

Act II: The Flowing Soma and the Steeds of Light

Verses 4, 5, 6

Verse 4

प्र वो॑ भ्रियंत॒ इंद॑वो मत्स॒रा मा॑दयि॒ष्णवः॑ । द्र॒प्सा मध्व॑श्चमू॒षदः॑ ॥

prá vo bhriyanta índavo matsarā́ mādayiṣṇávaḥ ǀ drapsā́ mádhvaścamūṣádaḥ ǁ

Verse 5

ईळ॑ते॒ त्वाम॑व॒स्यवः॒ कण्वा॑सो वृ॒क्तब॑र्हिषः । ह॒विष्मं॑तो अरं॒कृतः॑ ॥

ī́ḷate tvā́mavasyávaḥ káṇvāso vṛktábarhiṣaḥ ǀ havíṣmanto araṃkṛ́taḥ ǁ

Verse 6

घृ॒तपृ॑ष्ठा मनो॒युजो॒ ये त्वा॒ वहं॑ति॒ वह्न॑यः । आ दे॒वान्त्सोम॑पीतये ॥

ghṛtápṛṣṭhā manoyújo yé tvā váhanti váhnayaḥ ǀ ā́ devā́ntsómapītaye ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The focus now shifts to the preparation and flow of the divine nectar, the Soma. The pressed drops are described as exhilarating, joy-bringing, and resting gracefully within the wooden vessels. They are ready to intoxicate the gods with spiritual bliss and vigor. The seers of the Kaṇva clan sit upon the strewn barhis (sacred grass), their hearts and oblations fully prepared, longing for the divine presence of Agni. In verse six, Agni's own charioteers are vividly described: horses with backs glistening with clarified butter (ghṛta), yoked by the mind itself. These mental steeds carry Agni swiftly across the cosmos to gather the gods for the Soma feast. Here, the vehicle of the divine is not merely material, but is powered by pure intentionality and spiritual clarity.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 4: For you are borne forth these exhilarating, joy-giving drops of Soma, the flowing streams resting in the vessel, rich in sweetness.

Verse 5: The Kaṇvas, seeking your grace, with sacred grass neatly strewn and laden with offerings, invoke you with beautifully crafted devotion.

Verse 6: Those steeds that bear you, butter-backed and yoked by the mind, bring the gods hither for the drinking of Soma.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The term 'mano-yujaḥ' (yoked by the mind) is highlighted by esoteric commentators as proof that the Vedic sacrifice is fundamentally a psychological and meditative operation, where thought-power precedes physical action.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
इन्दवः	indavaḥ	drops of Soma
मत्सराः	matsarāḥ	exhilarating or gladdening
चमूषदः	camū-sadaḥ	sitting or resting in the wooden pressing vessels

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अवस्यवः	avasyavaḥ	desiring help or protection
वृक्तबर्हिषः	vṛkta-barhiṣaḥ	with the sacred grass trimmed and strewn
अरंकृताः	aram-kṛtāḥ	well-prepared, adorned

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
घृतपृष्ठाः	ghṛta-pṛṣṭhāḥ	having backs glistening with ghee
मनोजुजः	mano-yujaḥ	yoked by the mind
वह्नयः	vahnayaḥ	bearers, horses, or carriers

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine a chariot whose horses are made of pure thought and lightning, flashing across the sky with golden manes anointed in radiant oil, bringing heaven down to earth.

Act 3

Act III: The Divine Consorts and the Priestly Office

Verses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Verse 7

तान्यज॑त्राँ ऋता॒वृधोऽग्ने॒ पत्नी॑वतस्कृधि । मध्वः॑ सुजिह्व पायय ॥

tā́nyájatrām̐ ṛtāvṛ́dhó’gne pátnīvataskṛdhi ǀ mádhvaḥ sujihva pāyaya ǁ

Verse 8

ये यज॑त्रा॒ य ईड्या॒स्ते ते॑ पिबंतु जि॒ह्वया॑ । मधो॑रग्ने॒ वष॑ट्कृति ॥

yé yájatrā yá ī́ḍyāsté te pibantu jihváyā ǀ mádhoragne váṣaṭkṛti ǁ

Verse 9

आकीं॒ सूर्य॑स्य रोच॒नाद्विश्चा॑न्दे॒वाँ उ॑ष॒र्बुधः॑ । विप्रो॒ होते॒ह व॑क्षति ॥

ā́kīm sū́ryasya rocanā́dvíśvāndevā́m̐ uṣarbúdhaḥ ǀ vípro hótehá vakṣati ǁ

Verse 10

विश्वे॑भिः सो॒म्यं मध्वग्न॒ इंद्रे॑ण वा॒युना॑ । पिबा॑ मि॒त्रस्य॒ धाम॑भिः ॥

víśvebhiḥ somyám mádhvágna índreṇa vāyúnā ǀ píbā mitrásya dhā́mabhiḥ ǁ

Verse 11

त्वं होता॒ मनु॑र्हि॒तोऽग्ने॑ य॒ज्ञेषु॑ सीदसि । सेमं नो॑ अध्व॒रं य॑ज ॥

tvám hótā mánurhitó’gne yajñéṣu sīdasi ǀ sémám no adhvarám yaja ǁ

Verse 12

यु॒क्ष्वा ह्यरु॑षी॒ रथे॑ ह॒रितो॑ देव रो॒हितः॑ । ताभि॑र्दे॒वाँ इ॒हा व॑ह ॥

yukṣvā́ hyáruṣī ráthe haríto deva rohítaḥ ǀ tā́bhirdevā́m̐ ihā́ vaha ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In the concluding movement of the Sūkta, Agni is petitioned to seat the adorable, truth-increasing gods alongside their divine consorts (patnīvatas), offering them the sweet Soma with his auspicious tongue. The Ṛṣi emphasizes Agni's role as the supreme Hotṛ priest—ordained by Manu himself in ancient times—who sits at every sacrifice to bridge the human and divine worlds. Verse nine describes the Vipra (inspired sage/hotṛ) bringing the universal gods who awaken with the dawn all the way from the luminous realms of the sun. Finally, in verse twelve, Agni is commanded to yoke his red, tawny, and brilliant horses to his chariot and bring the assembly of gods directly to the sacrificial enclosure. The Sūkta closes in a blaze of kinetic divine energy, sealing the communion between mortals and immortals.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 7: Make these adorable, truth-growing gods accompanied by their consorts, O Agni; with your sweet tongue, make them drink the sweetness.

Verse 8: May those adorable and worthy deities drink the sweet elixir with their tongues, upon your utterance of the vaṣaṭ-call, O Agni.

Verse 9: From the radiant realm of the sun, the inspired Hotṛ priest brings hither all the universal gods who awaken with the dawn.

Verse 10: Drink the sweet Soma, O Agni, together with all the gods, with Indra, with Vāyu, and by the paths of Mitra.

Verse 11: Thou art the Hotṛ priest established by Manu in sacrifices, O Agni; do thou worship this our sacred ritual.

Verse 12: Yoke, O divine one, your red, tawny, and bay steeds to the chariot, and with them bring the gods hither.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Traditional commentators dwell extensively on the title 'Manu-hita' (established by Manu), explaining how Agni was first entrusted to humanity as the foundational heritage for all spiritual evolution. Modern translators see this as an ancient archetype of the primordial civilizing pact between gods and humans.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ऋतावृधः	ṛta-vṛdhaḥ	increasing or growing by truth/cosmic order
पत्नीवतः	patnī-vataḥ	accompanied by their divine consorts/wives
सुजिह्व	su-jihva	O one with a pleasant or auspicious tongue

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
यजत्राः	yajatrāḥ	worthy of worship
ईड्याः	īḍyāḥ	praiseworthy, adorable
वषट्कृति	vaṣaṭ-kṛti	at the ritual invocation/offering exclamation vaṣaṭ

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
रोचनात्	rocanāt	from the luminous sphere or heaven
उषर्बुधः	uṣar-budhaḥ	awakening with the dawn
होता	hotā	the invoking priest (Agni)

Verse 10

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सोम्यं मधु	somyam madhu	the sweet Soma juice
इन्द्रेण	indreṇa	along with Indra
धामभिः	dhāmabhiḥ	by the abodes, rays, or paths

Verse 11

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
मनुहितः	manu-hitaḥ	established or appointed by Manu (the primal father of mankind)
अध्वरम्	adhvaram	the unhurtful sacrifice or ritual journey
सीदसि	sīdasi	you sit or take your place

Verse 12

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अरुषीः	aruṣīḥ	red or ruddy mares
हरितः	haritaḥ	golden or tawny horses
रोहितः	rohitaḥ	bright red horses

🧠

Memory Hook

Visualize a celestial chariot driver snapping his reins over magnificent red and golden horses, descending straight from the golden sunbeams right down to the altar fire.