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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

The Weaver of the Cosmic Thread: Apri Sūkta of Ṛgveda 1.142

📜 13 Verses

Act 1

Act I: Kindling the Primordial Flame

Verses 1, 2, 3

Verse 1

समि॑द्धो अग्न॒ आ व॑ह दे॒वाँ अ॒द्य य॒तस्रु॑चे । तंतुं॑ तनुष्व पू॒र्व्यं सु॒तसो॑माय दा॒शुषे॑ ॥

sámiddho agna ā́ vaha devā́m̐ adyá yatásruce ǀ tántum tanuṣva pūrvyám sutásomāya dāśúṣe ǁ

Verse 2

घृ॒तवं॑त॒मुप॑ मासि॒ मधु॑मंतं तनूनपात् । य॒ज्ञं विप्र॑स्य॒ माव॑तः शशमा॒नस्य॑ दा॒शुषः॑ ॥

ghṛtávantamúpa māsi mádhumantam tanūnapāt ǀ yajñám víprasya mā́vataḥ śaśamānásya dāśúṣaḥ ǁ

Verse 3

शुचिः॑ पाव॒को अद्भु॑तो॒ मध्वा॑ य॒ज्ञं मि॑मिक्षति । नरा॒शंस॒स्त्रिरा दि॒वो दे॒वो दे॒वेषु॑ य॒ज्ञियः॑ ॥

śúciḥ pāvakó ádbhuto mádhvā yajñám mimikṣati ǀ nárāśáṃsastrírā́ divó devó devéṣu yajñíyaḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In this opening act, the Ṛṣi invokes Agni not merely as a domestic hearth fire, but as the cosmic priest and weaver of the ancient sacrifice. He is the one who extends the eternal thread of the ritual—the unbroken continuity between the mortal realm and the divine order. Agni is beseeched to bring the gods to the pristine seat prepared by the worshipper, whose hands are ready with the ladles of oblation. He is addressed as Tanūnapāt, the 'Son of the Body' or self-engendered energy, pouring forth the sweet ghee of illumination into the sacred enclosure. Following this, the fire is praised as Śuci (pure) and Pāvaka (cleansing), an extraordinary presence that mingles the honeyed currents of devotion with the divine essence. Then comes the invocation of Narāśaṃsa, the 'Praise of Men,' who stands triply radiant across the three realms of heaven, earth, and mid-space. Through these deities, the ritual space is purified, transforming the earthly altar into a mirror of cosmic harmony where human intention meets celestial grace.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: O well-kindled Agni, bring hither the gods today for the mortal whose ladles are poised; extend the ancient, unbroken thread of the sacrifice for the giver of the soma-juice.

Verse 2: O Tanūnapāt, approach our butter-rich, honey-sweet sacrifice like a surging wave, honoring the ritual of the wise worshipper who strives like us.

Verse 3: Pure, cleansing, and wondrous, he mingles the sacrifice with honeyed streams; Narāśaṃsa, three times from heaven, shines as the divine among the gods, worthy of worship.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The translation adheres closely to Sāyaṇa's ritualistic commentary while keeping the psychological dimension noted by Sri Aurobindo in view, where 'ghee' and 'honey' symbolize clarified mental states and divine sweetness.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
समिद्धः	samiddhaḥ	well-kindled, fully ignited
अग्ने	agne	O Agni, O divine fire
तन्तुम्	tantum	thread, continuity of the ritual
सुतसोमाय	sutasomāya	for the presser of the soma

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
घृतवन्तम्	ghṛtavantam	rich in ghee or clarity
मधुमन्तम्	madhumantam	sweet like honey
तनूनपात्	tanūnapāt	Son of the body, a form of Agni
विप्रस्य	viprasya	of the inspired sage or poet

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
शुचिः	śuciḥ	radiant, pure
पावकः	pāvakaḥ	purifying, cleansing fire
नराशंसः	narāśaṃsaḥ	Praised of men, a divine epithet
यज्ञियः	yajñiyaḥ	worthy of sacrifice, divine

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a master weaver stretching a golden thread across a loom at sunrise—that thread is the unbroken ritual connecting human breath to the heavens.

Act 2

Act II: Opening the Portals of the Sacred Space

Verses 4, 5, 6, 7

Verse 4

ई॒ळि॒तो अ॑ग्न॒ आ व॒हेंद्रं॑ चि॒त्रमि॒ह प्रि॒यं । इ॒यं हि त्वा॑ म॒तिर्ममाच्छा॑ सुजिह्व व॒च्यते॑ ॥

īḷitó agna ā́ vahéndram citrámihá priyám ǀ iyám hí tvā matírmámā́cchā sujihva vacyáte ǁ

Verse 5

स्तृ॒णा॒नासो॑ य॒तस्रु॑चो ब॒र्हिर्य॒ज्ञे स्व॑ध्व॒रे । वृं॒जे दे॒वव्य॑चस्तम॒मिंद्रा॑य॒ शर्म॑ स॒प्रथः॑ ॥

stṛṇānā́so yatásruco barhíryajñé svadhvaré ǀ vṛñjé devávyacastamamíndrāya śárma sapráthaḥ ǁ

Verse 6

वि श्र॑यंतामृता॒वृधः॑ प्र॒यै दे॒वेभ्यो॑ म॒हीः । पा॒व॒कासः॑ पुरु॒स्पृहो॒ द्वारो॑ दे॒वीर॑स॒श्चतः॑ ॥

ví śrayantāmṛtāvṛ́dhaḥ prayái devébhyo mahī́ḥ ǀ pāvakā́saḥ puruspṛ́ho dvā́ro devī́rasaścátaḥ ǁ

Verse 7

आ भंद॑माने॒ उपा॑के॒ नक्तो॒षासा॑ सु॒पेश॑सा । य॒ह्वी ऋ॒तस्य॑ मा॒तरा॒ सीद॑तां ब॒र्हिरा सु॒मत् ॥

ā́ bhándamāne úpāke náktoṣā́sā supéśasā ǀ yahvī́ ṛtásya mātárā sī́datām barhírā́ sumát ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

Having established the inner fire, the Ṛṣi turns his attention to inviting the specific cosmic forces that populate the ritual landscape. Agni, possessed of a sweet tongue, is urged to escort Indra—vivid, beloved, and radiant—into the gathering. This act is propelled by the poet's own inner realization and inspired speech. The worshippers spread the sacred grass (barhis) in a well-ordered sacrifice, laying down a vast, expansive shelter of peace (śarma) that embraces all beings and honors Indra. Next, the cosmic doors (dvāras) are commanded to swing wide open. Described as increasers of truth, majestic, purifying, and yearned for by many, these divine portals allow the gods to pass from the transcendent unmanifest into the immanent ritual space. They are immediately followed by Night and Dawn (Naktoṣāsā), beautifully adorned, twin mothers of cosmic order (ṛta), who take their proper seat upon the sacred grass like two graceful sisters joining hands at the threshold of twilight.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 4: O invoked Agni, bring hither Indra, wonderful and dear; for this very prayer of mine breaks forth toward you, O sweet-tongued one.

Verse 5: Strewing the sacred grass in the well-ordered sacrifice with ladles poised, I fashion for Indra a vast, all-embracing shelter of peace.

Verse 6: Let the vast, purifying, much-desired doors, increasers of truth, swing wide open for the passage of the gods.

Verse 7: Radiant and close at hand, Night and Dawn, beautifully adorned, the mighty mothers of Truth, let them take their seat upon the sacred grass with grace.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Yāska identifies Naktoṣāsā as cosmic rhythms of alternating light and shadow, while ritual commentators view them as specific liturgical offerings made during dusk and dawn.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ईळितः	īḷitaḥ	praised, invoked
इन्द्रम्	indram	Indra, lord of luminous mind
सुजिह्व	sujihva	O sweet-tongued (Agni)

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
बर्हिः	barhiḥ	sacred strewn grass
स्वध्वरे	svadhvare	in the well-conducted sacrifice
शर्म	śarma	shelter, protection, bliss

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ऋतवृधः	ṛtavṛdhaḥ	increasers of truth or cosmic law
पावकासः	pāvakāsaḥ	purifying ones
द्वारः	dvāraḥ	doors, portals

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
नक्तोषसा	naktoṣāsā	Night and Dawn
सुपेशसा	supeśasā	beautifully adorned
ऋतस्य	ṛtasya	of cosmic order or truth

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine massive ancient temple gates swinging wide open at dawn, while Night and Dawn stand as twin golden guardians on either side.

Act 3

Act III: The Divine Priests and Celestial Mothers

Verses 8, 9

Verse 8

मं॒द्रजि॑ह्वा जुगु॒र्वणी॒ होता॑रा॒ दैव्या॑ क॒वी । य॒ज्ञं नो॑ यक्षतामि॒मं सि॒ध्रम॒द्य दि॑वि॒स्पृशं॑ ॥

mandrájihvā jugurváṇī hótārā dáivyā kavī́ ǀ yajñám no yakṣatāmimám sidhrámadyá divispṛ́śam ǁ

Verse 9

शुचि॑र्दे॒वेष्वर्पि॑ता॒ होत्रा॑ म॒रुत्सु॒ भार॑ती । इळा॒ सर॑स्वती म॒ही ब॒र्हिः सी॑दंतु य॒ज्ञियाः॑ ॥

śúcirdevéṣvárpitā hótrā marútsu bhā́ratī ǀ íḷā sárasvatī mahī́ barhíḥ sīdantu yajñíyāḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The sanctuary is now fully open, and the divine Hotar priests—the celestial seers possessing honey-sweet tongues and resonant voices—step forward to conduct the supreme rite. They are asked to make this present sacrifice successful and touching the very heavens. Their invocation bridges human utterance with divine echo. Following them come the great feminine personifications of sacred speech and inspiration: Hotrā among the gods, Bhāratī among the Maruts, along with Iḷā, Sarasvatī, and the mighty Mahī. These divine goddesses take their rightful place upon the sacred grass. They represent the descending currents of illumination, nourishment, and vastness that flood the meditating consciousness during the height of the ritual.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 8: O honey-tongued, eloquent divine seers and priests, may you perform this our sacrifice so that it succeeds and reaches the heavens today.

Verse 9: Radiant Hotrā established among the gods, Bhāratī among the Maruts, Iḷā, Sarasvatī, and mighty Mahī—may all these divine powers take their seat upon the sacred grass.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The listing of these goddesses (often termed the Āprī devīs) reflects the ancient taxonomy of speech and inspiration, where each deity embodies a specific frequency of divine articulation.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
मन्द्रजिह्वा	mandrajihvā	having pleasant, honeyed tongues
होतारा	hotārā	the two divine invoking priests
दिविस्पृशम्	divispṛśam	touching or reaching heaven

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
होत्रा	hotrā	invocation, goddess of invocation
भारती	bhāratī	goddess of vast speech/light
सरस्वती	sarasvatī	goddess of flowing inspiration
मही	mahī	the vast earth or cosmic mother

🧠

Memory Hook

Envision a circle of luminous wise women sitting around a hearth, whispering streams of pure poetry that rise like smoke to the stars.

Act 4

Act IV: The Divine Artisan and the Forest King

Verses 10, 11

Verse 10

तन्न॑स्तु॒रीप॒मद्भु॑तं पु॒रु वारं॑ पु॒रु त्मना॑ । त्वष्टा॒ पोषा॑य॒ वि ष्य॑तु रा॒ये नाभा॑ नो अस्म॒युः ॥

tánnasturī́pamádbhutam purú vā́ram purú tmánā ǀ tváṣṭā póṣāya ví ṣyatu rāyé nā́bhā no asmayúḥ ǁ

Verse 11

अ॒व॒सृ॒जन्नुप॒ त्मना॑ दे॒वान्य॑क्षि वनस्पते । अ॒ग्निर्ह॒व्या सु॑षूदति दे॒वो दे॒वेषु॒ मेधि॑रः ॥

avasṛjánnúpa tmánā devā́nyakṣi vanaspate ǀ agnírhavyā́ suṣūdati devó devéṣu médhiraḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

Attention now shifts to the crafting of material and spiritual abundance. Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine architect and shaper of forms, is invoked to release multiple forms of wondrous wealth and turīpa (surging bounty) from his own inner essence. He is intimately connected to our lineage, desiring our growth and flourishing in every dimension of existence. Alongside Tvaṣṭṛ stands Vanaspati, the 'Lord of the Forest,' representing the wooden pillars and sacrificial implements crafted from nature. Vanaspati is asked to lead the divine powers directly into the ritual by his own innate drive, while Agni, functioning as the wise mediator among the gods, tenderly and skillfully refines all the oblations offered by the worshipper.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 10: May Tvaṣṭṛ, desiring our welfare, release for us wondrous, abundant, and manifold bounty from his own being, for our growth and supreme attainment.

Verse 11: O Vanaspati, releasing the gods by your own power, cause them to partake in the sacrifice. Agni, the wise divine among the gods, perfects and sweetens the oblations.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets Vanaspati as the sacrificial stake (yūpa), whereas esoteric commentators see it as the primordial tree of existence linking earth to heaven.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 10

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
तुरीपम्	turīpam	prolific, abundant bounty
अद्भुतम्	adbhutam	wondrous, marvelous
त्वष्टा	tvaṣṭā	Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine architect
पोषाय	poṣāya	for flourishing and nourishment

Verse 11

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वनस्पते	vanaspate	O Lord of the Forest, wooden pillar
हव्या	havyā	oblations, offerings
सुसूदति	suṣūdati	makes well-flowing, perfects
मेधिरः	medhiraḥ	wise, possessing profound intellect

🧠

Memory Hook

Think of a master sculptor chiseling a magnificent wooden statue out of a forest tree—shaping raw nature into a vehicle for the divine.

Act 5

Act V: The Final Swāhā and Indra's Arrival

Verses 12, 13

Verse 12

पू॒ष॒ण्वते॑ म॒रुत्व॑ते वि॒श्वदे॑वाय वा॒यवे॑ । स्वाहा॑ गाय॒त्रवे॑पसे ह॒व्यमिंद्रा॑य कर्तन ॥

pūṣaṇváte marútvate viśvádevāya vāyáve ǀ svā́hā gāyatrávepase havyámíndrāya kartana ǁ

Verse 13

स्वाहा॑कृता॒न्या ग॒ह्युप॑ ह॒व्यानि॑ वी॒तये॑ । इंद्रा ग॑हि श्रु॒धी हवं॒ त्वां ह॑वंते अध्व॒रे ॥

svā́hākṛtānyā́ gahyúpa havyā́ni vītáye ǀ índrā́ gahi śrudhī́ hávam tvā́m havante adhvaré ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The Sūkta reaches its magnificent crescendo in these final verses. The collective oblations are directed toward a grand pantheon: Pūṣan (the nourisher), the Maruts (storm-gods of dynamic energy), Viśvadeva (all the universal gods), Vāyu (the vital wind), and Indra, who is praised with the vibrant rhythm of the Gāyatrī meter. The sacred exclamation 'Svāhā!' seals the offerings with definitive power. In the ultimate verse, the Ṛṣi directly calls upon Indra, who is imbued with all the consecrated oblations, to come forward for the feast of delight. 'O Indra, come hither, hear our cry! We invoke you in this sacred rite.' The journey concludes with the immediate, tangible presence of the king of luminous mind answering the call of the devoted singer.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 12: To Pūṣan, to the Maruts, to the All-Gods, to Vāyu, and to Indra who dances to the Gāyatrī rhythm, fashion and offer the sacred oblation with 'Svāhā!'

Verse 13: Come hither, O Indra, to the oblations consecrated with Svāhā for the feast of delight! Come hither, hear our call; we invoke you in this sacrifice.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The repetition of 'ā gahi' (come hither) underscores the heartfelt urgency and personal intimacy of the Ṛṣi's relationship with the divine.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 12

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
पूषण्वते	pūṣaṇvate	accompanied by Pūṣan
मरुत्वते	marutvate	accompanied by the Maruts
वायवे	vāyave	to Vāyu, the wind god
स्वाहा	svāhā	exclamation of surrender/offering

Verse 13

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
स्वाहाकृतानि	svāhākṛtāni	made sacred with the Svāhā cry
वीतये	vītaye	for the feast or enjoyment
इन्द्र	indra	O Indra
श्रुधि	śrudhi	hear, listen

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture throwing aromatic herbs into a blazing fire with a triumphant shout of 'Svāhā!', immediately followed by a sudden flash of lightning as Indra arrives.