अग्ने व्रतपते व्रतमुपैष्यामि तत् शकेयं तन्मे राध्यताम् इदमहम् अनृतात् सत्यम् उपैमि
agne vratapate vratamupaiṣyāmi tat śakeyaṃ tanme rādhyatām idamaham anṛtāt satyam upaimi
Study Guide on Yajurveda Adhyāya 2 Section 21
Act 1
Act I: Vow of Truth and Divine Protection
Verses 1, 2
स जुषताम् हविषा जातवेदोऽग्निः सुक्षेत्राल्लोकात् प्र वहात्यस्मान्
sa juṣatām haviṣā jātavedo'gniḥ sukṣetrāllokāt pra vahātyasmān
📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context
This act opens with the solemn declaration of the devotee entering into a sacred covenant (vrata) under the guidance of Agni. The transition from untruth (anṛta) to truth (satya) marks the foundational prerequisite of all Vedic ritual and inner transformation. Agni is revered not merely as an external physical flame, but as Jātavedas—the knower of all births and realities—who guides the soul through elevated realms.
💭 Flowing Translation
Verse 1: O Agni, Lord of vows, I accept this discipline to move from untruth to truth.
Verse 2: May Jātavedas accept the oblation and carry us to higher worlds.
📝 Scholar's Reading Note
Sāyaṇa interprets these verses within the framework of sacrificial rites and moral purification, whereas Sri Aurobindo sees them as psychological keys representing the ascension of the mortal mind into the divine light of Truth (Ṛta).
📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown
Verse 1
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| व्रतपते | vratapate | O Lord of sacred vows |
| सत्यम् | satyam | Truth |
Verse 2
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| जातवेदाः | jātavedāḥ | Knower of all created beings |
| हविषा | haviṣā | By the oblation |
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Memory Hook
Remember this section by the dual movement: taking the vow of truth with Agni, and letting Him carry your consciousness upward.