Ayaṃ sujāto 'stu mama āvaḥ ma ārtavām | ṛtaṃ na mṛta dadhad viśvataḥ
“May this well-born (Agni) come to me, may he come to me unhurt; not slain by death (in the form of kindling), may he burn on all sides.”
Structure
Ayaṃ sujāto 'stu mama āvaḥ mā ārtavām ṛtaṃ na mṛta dadad viśvataḥ
Ayaṃ (this) sujāto (well-born one) 'stu (let him be) mama (my) āvaḥ (protector),mā (not) ārtavām (let me not suffer) ṛtaṃ (truth) na (and) mṛta (death) dadad (giving) viśvataḥ (on all sides)
Word-by-Word Grammar
| Word | IAST | Type | Grammar | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayaṃ | Ayaṃ | pronoun | nominative · singular · masculine | this |
| sujāto | sujāto | adjective | — | well-born |
| 'stu | 'stu | verb | √sthā · liṭ-third person optative · third | may be |
| mama | mama | pronoun | genitive · singular · masculine | my |
| āvaḥ | āvaḥ | noun | nominative · singular · masculine | helper |
| mā | mā | indeclinable | — | not |
| ārtavām | ārtavām | verb | √tṛ · liṅ-first person optative · first | I may not be |
| ṛtaṃ | ṛtaṃ | noun | accusative · singular · neuter | truth |
| na | na | indeclinable | — | not |
| mṛta | mṛta | noun | accusative · singular · neuter | death |
| dadad | dadad | verb | √dā · laṭ-present · third | he gives |
| viśvataḥ | viśvataḥ | indeclinable | — | on all sides |
Scholarly Commentary
Advaita Vedānta (Ādi Śaṅkarācārya): In this verse, the seer invokes Agni, the divine fire, to descend and illuminate the path. According to Shankara, Agni represents the inner Self, which is non-different from Brahman. The phrase 'sujāto' or 'well-born' signifies the unconditioned and untainted nature of the ultimate reality. The supplication 'mā ārtavām' or 'may he come to me unhurt' indicates the desire for a direct, unmediated experience of the Self, unobstructed by the limitations of the conditioned world. Shankara, in his commentary on the Taittiriya Upanishad, explains that the realization of this unity is the ultimate goal of the spiritual seeker, and this verse exemplifies the longing for that realization. The line 'ṛtaṃ na mṛta dadad viśvataḥ' suggests that this illumination is not bound by mortality but is all-pervading, much like the Brahman-ātman identity that underlies all existence. Thus, this verse points to the non-dualistic understanding that the ultimate reality, Agni or Brahman, is not different from the Self (ātman).
Vaiṣṇava tradition (Rāmānujācārya): From a Vaiṣṇava perspective, this invocation of Agni is seen as a call to the divine, where Agni acts as a messenger between the individual self (jīva) and the Supreme Lord (Īśvara). Rāmānujācārya would interpret 'Ayaṃ sujāto' as referring to the Lord's inherent divine nature, which is pure and untainted. The prayer 'mā ārtavām' reflects the devotee's desire for an intimate, unobstructed relationship with God, free from the sufferings and limitations of the material world. The phrase 'ṛtaṃ na mṛta dadad viśvataḥ' underscores the omnipresent and eternal nature of the Lord, which transcends mortality and is the source of all truth and existence. In his commentary on the Brahma Sutras, Rāmānuja discusses the concept of 'śeṣa-śeṣi-bhāva' or the relationship between the Lord and the individual self, where the self is inherently connected to and dependent on the Lord, much like the relationship implied in this verse between the devotee and Agni as a symbol of the divine.
Neo-Vedānta (Swami Vivekānanda): Swami Vivekānanda would interpret this verse as a powerful call to inner illumination and strength. The 'Agni' here symbolizes the spark of divinity within every individual, waiting to be fanned into a blazing fire of realization and service. The supplication 'mā ārtavām' can be seen as the longing of the modern individual for a genuine, unmediated experience of the divine, untainted by the superficialities of worldly life. The phrase 'ṛtaṃ na mṛta dadad viśvataḥ' suggests that this inner light is not limited by the constraints of mortality or space but is universal and eternal, echoing Vivekananda's emphasis on the potential for human liberation and the realization of one's true nature. In his lectures and writings, Vivekananda often stressed the importance of self-realization and the cultivation of inner strength as the key to overcoming the challenges of life and achieving a state of harmony and peace. This verse, with its invocation of the divine fire, resonates with Vivekananda's call to awaken the dormant potential within each individual and to live a life of purpose, service, and enlightenment.