अग्निं नो होतारां न्यृञ्जते दिवो यज्ञस्य केतुं प्रथमो ह्यध्वर ऋतावृधं काव्यं प्र शंसत ॥
agniṃ no hotāraṃ nyṛñjate divo yajñasya ketuṃ prathamo hyadhvara ṛtāvṛdhaṃ kāvyaṃ pra śaṃsata ॥
Study Guide to Rigveda Mandala 3 Sukta 1
Act 1
Act I: Invoking the Divine Priest
Verses 1, 2
प्र वो होतारं मनसा विवासेमग्निं यज्ञेषु मनुष्व धायसं। रथेम न संजिगीषन्तमूर्धनि हविष्मन्तो नमसा दिधिष्यामहे ॥
pra vo hotāraṃ manasā vivāsemagniṃ yajñeṣu manuṣva dhāyasaṃ। rathema na saṃjigīṣantamūrdhani haviṣmanto namasā didhiṣyāmahe ॥
📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context
The opening verses establish the foundational theme of the third mandala, attributed to the sage Vishvamitra. Agni is not merely physical fire, but the conscious divine force that illuminates the human intellect and connects earth to heaven. He is described as the Hotar, the one who invokes the higher divine powers into our consciousness.
💭 Flowing Translation
Verse 1: They adorn Agni as the supreme sacrificial priest and banner of the divine realm.
Verse 2: With mind and oblations we approach Agni like a victorious chariot.
📝 Scholar's Reading Note
Sāyaṇa interprets these verses through a ritualistic lens, focusing on the external fire sacrifice. Sri Aurobindo views Agni psychologically as the inner flame of aspiration leading the soul upward.
📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown
Verse 1
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अग्निम् | agnim | Agni, the fire |
| होतारेम् | hotāram | the sacrificial invoker |
| ऋतावृधम् | ṛtāvṛdham | increaser of cosmic order |
Verse 2
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मनसा | manasā | with the mind |
| हविष्मन्तः | haviṣmantaḥ | bearing oblations |
| नमसा | namasā | with reverence |
🧠
Memory Hook
Agni as Hotar and chariot leader bridging heaven and earth.