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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

The Invocation of Agni with the Maruts

📜 9 Verses

Act 1

The Call to the Delightful Sacrifice

Verses 1, 2

Verse 1

प्रति॒ त्यं चारु॑मध्व॒रं गो॑पी॒थाय॒ प्र हू॑यसे । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

práti tyám cā́rumadhvarám gopīthā́ya prá hūyase ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

Verse 2

न॒हि दे॒वो न मर्त्यो॑ म॒हस्तव॒ क्रतुं॑ प॒रः । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

nahí devó ná mártyo mahástáva krátum paráḥ ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In these opening verses of the sūkta, the Ṛṣi Medhātithi Kanva calls upon Agni, the divine flame and priest of the sacrifice, to arrive accompanied by the Maruts, the storm-deities of dynamic energy and vital breath. The sacrifice is described as 'cārum adhvaram'—delightful, beautiful, and free from injury—intended for 'gopīthāyá', the drinking of the milk of illumination, often symbolizing the nourishment of divine insight. The Ṛṣi reminds Agni that no god or mortal can surpass his innate divine will or sacred power (kratu). By invoking Agni alongside the Maruts, the seeker bridges the earthly fire of aspiration with the swift, thunderous energies of divine transformation. Agni is not merely a static hearth fire, but a dynamic cosmic leader who moves in unison with the hosts of wind and breath, descending into the ritual space of the human heart to partake in the sweet offering.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: Towards that delightful and pleasant sacrifice, you are powerfully invoked for the drinking of the soma-milk; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

Verse 2: Neither god nor mortal can surpass your majestic will and sacred insight, O Agni; come hither with the Maruts.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The narrative draws upon Sāyaṇa’s traditional commentary where 'adhvara' means sacrifice and 'gopīthāya' refers to drinking the milk or Soma. From an Aurobindonian perspective, Agni represents the divine will-force and flame of aspiration, while the Maruts are the Life-Powers (prāṇa) that surge upward to lift human consciousness toward truth.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
प्रति	prati	towards, against
त्यम्	tyam	that (acc.)
चारुम्	cārum	delightful, beautiful
अध्वरम्	adhvaram	sacrifice, ritual (uninjured)
गोपीथाय	gopīthāya	for the drinking of milk / soma
प्र हूयसे	pra hūyase	you are invoked forth
मरुद्भिः	marudbhiḥ	with the Maruts
अग्ने	agne	O Agni
आ गहि	ā gahi	come hither

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
नहि	nahi	for not, indeed not
देवः	devaḥ	a god, celestial being
मर्त्यः	martyaḥ	a mortal human
महः	mahaḥ	great, majestic
तव	tava	your
क्रतुम्	kratum	will, mental power, sacrificial action
परः	paraḥ	beyond, superior to

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine a roaring bonfire on a dark night, suddenly whipped into towering heights by a fierce, refreshing gust of wind—Agni and the Maruts arriving together in majestic harmony.

Act 2

The Cosmic Might and Radiance of the Maruts

Verses 3, 4, 5

Verse 3

ये म॒हो रज॑सो वि॒दुर्विश्वे॑ दे॒वासो॑ अ॒द्रुहः॑ । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

yé mahó rájaso vidúrvíśve devā́so adrúhaḥ ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

Verse 4

य उ॒ग्रा अ॒र्कमा॑नृ॒चुरना॑धृष्टास॒ ओज॑सा । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

yá ugrā́ arkámānṛcúránādhṛṣṭāsa ójasā ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

Verse 5

ये शु॒भ्रा घो॒रव॑र्पसः सुक्ष॒त्रासो॑ रि॒शाद॑सः । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

yé śubhrā́ ghorávarpasaḥ sukṣatrā́so riśā́dasaḥ ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

Here the Ṛṣi elaborates on the majestic nature of the Maruts themselves, whose presence Agni is asked to bring. They are the universal, benevolent deities (devāsaḥ adruhaḥ) who know the vast realms of the cosmic space (rajas). They are fierce and unconquered in their sheer vigor (ojas), singing hymns of praise (arkam ānṛcuḥ) and shining with a brilliant, formidable splendor (śubhrā ghoravarpasaḥ). These verses paint a picture of divine energies that are not gentle or passive, but rather embody the unstoppable, purifying storm-force of spiritual awakening. They are described as 'riśādasaḥ'—destroyers of foes or devourers of falsehood—possessing true dominion (sukṣatrāsaḥ). By invoking Agni alongside such powerful allies, the seeker calls for a transformation that sweeps away inner obscurations.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 3: They who know the vast and lofty realms of space—all the gods who are free from malice; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

Verse 4: They who, fierce and unassailable by their own vital power, have chanted the hymn of praise; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

Verse 5: They who are radiant, of formidable forms, possessing true lordship and consuming the malicious; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets 'riśādasaḥ' as destroyers of the wicked or protectors of the pious, while modern philologists often trace it to roots connected with subduing adversaries. The psychological rendering sees these fierce forms as the intense, purifying pressures of spiritual discipline.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ये	ye	who (plural)
महः	mahaḥ	vast, great
रजसः	rajasaḥ	of space, atmosphere, realm
विदुः	viduḥ	know
विश्वे	viśve	all
देवासः	devāsaḥ	gods, divine ones
अद्रुहः	adruhaḥ	harmless, free from deceit or malice

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
उग्राः	ugrāḥ	fierce, mighty
अर्कम्	arkam	hymn, song of praise, sun
आनृचुः	ānṛcuḥ	have sung, chanted
अनाधृष्टासः	anādhṛṣṭāsaḥ	unassailable, undaunted
ओजसा	ojasā	by strength, by vital energy

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
शुभ्राः	śubhrāḥ	radiant, bright, clean
घोरवर्पसः	ghora-varpasaḥ	of formidable or terrifying forms
सुक्षत्रासः	su-kṣatrāsaḥ	possessing true rule or good dominion
रिशादसः	riśādasaḥ	devourers of foes / destroyers of evil

🧠

Memory Hook

Visualize a magnificent mountain thunderstorm at high noon—lightning flashing with brilliant radiance, the wind roaring with unassailable power, sweeping away all stagnation.

Act 3

The Cosmic Sweep and the Offering of Sweet Soma

Verses 6, 7, 8, 9

Verse 6

ये नाक॒स्याधि॑ रोच॒ने दि॒वि दे॒वास॒ आस॑ते । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

yé nā́kasyā́dhi rocané diví devā́sa ā́sate ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

Verse 7

य ईं॒खयं॑ति॒ पर्व॑तान् ति॒रः स॑मु॒द्रम॑र्ण॒वं । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

yá īṅkháyanti párvatāntiráḥ samudrámarṇavám ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

Verse 8

आ ये त॒न्वंति॑ र॒श्मिभि॑स्ति॒रः स॑मु॒द्रमोज॑सा । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

ā́ yé tanvánti raśmíbhistiráḥ samudrámójasā ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

Verse 9

अ॒भि त्वा॑ पू॒र्वपी॑तये सृ॒जामि॑ सो॒म्यं मधु॑ । म॒रुद्भि॑रग्न॒ आ ग॑हि ॥

abhí tvā pūrvápītaye sṛjā́mi somyám mádhu ǀ marúdbhiragna ā́ gahi ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The final movement of the sūkta expands the Maruts' domain across the entire cosmos. They sit in the highest luminous realm of heaven (nakasya adhi rocane divi), shake the very mountains, and cross over the roaring ocean ('tiraḥ samudram arṇavam'). Their radiance and power stretch across the waters of existence like beams of light. Having established the grandeur of these companions, the Ṛṣi concludes in verse 9 with a personal act of devotion: he pours out the sweet, flowing Soma (somyam madhu) specifically for Agni's prior drinking (pūrvapītaye), ensuring that the divine flame is fully satiated and empowered alongside his tempestuous companions.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 6: They who dwell in the highest luminous realm of heaven, upon the vault of the sky; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

Verse 7: They who make the mountains tremble, across the surging ocean; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

Verse 8: They who extend themselves with their rays across the ocean by their mighty energy; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

Verse 9: Unto you I pour forth the sweet, flowing Soma for your prior drinking; O Agni, come hither with the Maruts.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Commentators note that 'pūrvapītaye' designates Agni's prerogative to partake of the Soma first among the deities before the sacrifice proceeds further. Spiritually, this represents offering the purest essence of delight (madhu) to awaken the inner divine will.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
नाकस्य	nākasya	of the vault of heaven, sorrowless realm
अधि	adhi	upon, above
रोचने	rocane	in the luminous realm / light
दिवि	divi	in heaven, in the sky
देवासः	devāsaḥ	the gods
आसते	āsate	sit, dwell

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
ईङ्खयन्ति	īṅkhayanti	cause to shake or swing
पर्वतान्	parvatān	mountains, clouds
तिरः	tiraḥ	across, beyond
समुद्रम्	samudram	ocean, gathering of waters
अर्णवम्	arṇavam	surging, flood-like

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आ	ā	hither, fully
तन्वन्ति	tanvanti	stretch, extend, weave
रश्मिभिः	raśmibhiḥ	with rays or reins
ओजसा	ojasā	by might, by power

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अभि	abhi	towards
त्वा	tvā	you (acc.)
पूर्वपीतये	pūrvapītaye	for the first/prior draught
सृजामि	sṛjāmi	I release, I pour forth
सोम्यम्	somyam	pertaining to Soma
मधु	madhu	sweetness, honey, soma juice

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a vast, golden ocean spanning the horizon under a glowing sky, across which gale-force winds sweep effortlessly—and on the shore, a devoted priest pouring a chalice of sweet honey-wine into a sacred flame.