Ṛgveda · Maṇḍala 1 · Sūkta 31

Ṛk 1.31.11

Agni · Hiraṇyastūpa Āṅgirasa

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Saṃhitā

त्वाम॑ग्ने प्रथ॒ममा॒युमा॒यवे॑ दे॒वा अ॑कृण्व॒न्नहु॑षस्य वि॒श्पतिं॑ ।
इळा॑मकृण्व॒न्मनु॑षस्य॒ शास॑नीं पि॒तुर्यत्पु॒त्रो मम॑कस्य॒ जाय॑ते ॥

त्वाम् अग्ने प्रथमम् आयुम् आयवे देवा अकृण्वन् नहुषस्य विश्पतिम् |
इऌआम् अकृण्वन् मनुषस्य शासनीम् पितुर् यत् पुत्रो ममकस्य जायते ||

tvā́magne prathamámāyúmāyáve devā́ akṛṇvannáhuṣasya viśpátim ǀ
íḷāmakṛṇvanmánuṣasya śā́sanīm pitúryátputró mámakasya jā́yate ǁ

tvām agne prathamam āyum āyave devā akṛṇvan nahuṣasya viśpatim |
iḷām akṛṇvan manuṣasya śāsanīm pitur yat putro mamakasya jāyate ||

Padapāṭha

त्वाम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । प्र॒थ॒मम् । आ॒युम् । आ॒यवे॑ । दे॒वाः । अ॒कृ॒ण्व॒न् । नहु॑षस्य । वि॒श्पति॑म् ।
इळा॑म् । अ॒कृ॒ण्व॒न् । मनु॑षस्य । शास॑नीम् । पि॒तुः । यत् । पु॒त्रः । मम॑कस्य । जाय॑ते ॥

त्वाम् । अग्ने । प्रथमम् । आयुम् । आयवे । देवाः । अकृण्वन् । नहुषस्य । विश्पतिम् ।
इळाम् । अकृण्वन् । मनुषस्य । शासनीम् । पितुः । यत् । पुत्रः । ममकस्य । जायते ॥

tvā́m ǀ agne ǀ prathamám ǀ āyúm ǀ āyáve ǀ devā́ḥ ǀ akṛṇvan ǀ náhuṣasya ǀ viśpátim ǀ
íḷām ǀ akṛṇvan ǀ mánuṣasya ǀ śā́sanīm ǀ pitúḥ ǀ yát ǀ putráḥ ǀ mámakasya ǀ jā́yate ǁ

tvām ǀ agne ǀ prathamam ǀ āyum ǀ āyave ǀ devāḥ ǀ akṛṇvan ǀ nahuṣasya ǀ viśpatim ǀ
iḷām ǀ akṛṇvan ǀ manuṣasya ǀ śāsanīm ǀ pituḥ ǀ yat ǀ putraḥ ǀ mamakasya ǀ jāyate ǁ

References

Maṇḍala · Sūkta · Ṛk
01.031.11
Aṣṭaka · Adhyāya · Varga · Ṛk
1.2.34.01
Maṇḍala · Anuvāka · Ṛk
01.07.011
Devatā देवता
Agni
Ṛṣi ऋषि
Hiraṇyastūpa Āṅgirasa
Chandas छन्दस्
Jagatī, Triṣṭubh
Svara स्वरः
निषादः

Text and interpretations from the Ṛgveda database of theveda.org.in.

Ṛgveda 1.31.11

Interpretations

Kapali Shastri

Translation

Tr. O Agni, the gods made thee the first man of men, the king of men. When my father's son is born, they made him the seeing word, the instructress of man

Commentary

O agne Agni, devah gods āyave for the man, dative in the sense of purpose. nahușasya of the man vispatim king prathamam important or first āyum man, the living being akļņvan did. yat when mamakasya of mine pituḥ of the protector, of the person in the heavenly station putrah his portion jāyate is manifest is man, then thou Agni alone manușasya of man sāsanim instructress iļām seeing word akşnvan did, doest in the sense of Present is appropriate. āyum from i to go-already said. nahușasya affix uşa on nah to tie. manuşasya—affix ușa on man to know. śāsanim it is instructed by her śāsani form in the instrumental sense. mamakasya- The form mamaka on the word asmat. Absence of lengthening.

In this Mantra, the words āyu, nahușa and manușa synonymous with manuşya man are of significance and help in the understanding of the purport. Although in this hymn names like yayāti and nahușa well-known in legendary lore are mentioned, although it is possible to take a superficial view that historical personages have been indicated, also although such hymns have been commented upon somehow by the ancients by citing Puranic stories and have become as though proofs to the lofty sense in Puranic stories, even then the purport becomes easy when the sense of Mantra is discussed understanding the derivating sense of the synonymous words like nahușa and manuşa. The gods employed in managing the affairs of the world, being manifestations of the Supreme Lord make Agni the first living being of Pranic strength of man endowed with Pranic strength or for his purpose. 'For āyu the first āyu', if dative is in the sense of genitive, like prāṇaḥ of prāna living being of living being, Ayu of Ayu. Then they make him king of man who is endowed with mutual ties of friendship ’nahușasya viśpatim'. When the bond of friendship is forged between Agni and man, then he (Agni) himself becomes the leader and the lord. Here it has to be seen that in explaining the sense of the word nahușa Sayana's has been used (1.122.8). When in man Agni, the son born from the portion of the Divine Father takes birth, they make that Agni himself the seeing word, ilā of the man of knowledge, manuşah. Agni himself becomes iļā of the man in whom knowledge has dawned. In the Apri hymn to distinguish between iļā and sarasvati, the strength of vision of iļā had been mentioned there. The iļā vāk is famous in the Veda. It has to be understood that it is the seeing word. mamakasya pituḥ—here one notices the personal relation and the special devotion of the Rishi in his dealing with the Divine Father, the Father of all the world himself, as his own Father.