Vedas: Rigveda Madnala – 04/10
📖 Rigveda Mandala 4 – Hymns of Vāmadeva and the Mystical Vision of Creation
From Inner Revelation to Cosmic Realization
🔆 Introduction
Mandala 4 of the Rigveda contains 58 profound hymns, primarily attributed to the seer Ṛṣi Vāmadeva Gautama. This Mandala is unique in its tone—highly symbolic, introspective, and visionary. It explores the origins of creation, the interplay of opposites, the soul’s journey, and the power of mantra and mind. While deities like Agni and Indra are present, Vāmadeva’s verses also venture into the esoteric and metaphysical realms.
These hymns are not only spiritual poetry—they are meditative experiences, drawing seekers toward the heart of the Vedic mystery: Who am I? What is this universe? And what lies beyond?
📚 Overview of Mandala 4
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| 🔢 Total Sūktas | 58 |
| 👳♂️ Primary Ṛṣi | Vāmadeva Gautama |
| 🕉️ Key Deities | Agni, Indra, Rudra, Maruts, Soma, Aditi, Varuṇa |
| 🔎 Central Themes | Mystical creation, inner light, the self (ātman), cosmic energy |
| 🗣️ Metrical Style (Chandas) | Predominantly Trishtubh and Gayatri |
| 🪔 Mood | Meditative, symbolic, philosophical |
🌟 10 Most Significant Hymns from Rigveda Mandala 4
Below are ten powerful hymns from this Mandala—each presented with Sanskrit, transliteration, and English translation—chosen for their depth and spiritual value.
1. 🔥 Agni as Cosmic Power (4.1.1) – Fire That Perceives All
Sanskrit:
अग्निरग्निर्हविष्कृतिः स जातो देव ईड्यः।
स नो यक्षद्विचेतसः॥
Transliteration:
agnir agnir haviṣkṛtiḥ sa jāto deva īḍyaḥ |
sa no yakṣad vicetasaḥ ||
Translation:
“Agni, Agni—born of offering—is the divine and worthy of praise. Let him, the all-knower, accept our oblation.”
2. 🧬 Mystical Vision of Indra (4.17.4) – All in One
Sanskrit:
सूर्यो न दीदिवाँ, अजस्र इन्द्रः
सर्वं स होता स विदाथ्यायुः।
Transliteration:
sūryo na dīdivāṃ ajasra indraḥ
sarvaṃ sa hotā sa vidāthy āyuḥ ||
Translation:
“Like the sun, Indra shines eternally. He is all—the priest, the power, the knowledge, and the life itself.”
3. 🌪️ Maruts Hymn (4.3.1) – Children of the Storm
Sanskrit:
ये मरुतो दिविष्ण्यायुधा
दधिरे सद्यो भवथ सूरयः।
Transliteration:
ye maruto diviṣṇy āyudhā
dadhire sadyo bhavatha sūrayaḥ ||
Translation:
“O Maruts, armed with celestial weapons—you who are born from the sky, become sages in an instant.”
4. 💧 Soma the Inspirer (4.26.1) – Divine Ecstasy and Intellect
Sanskrit:
इन्दो समद्वृषा रयिं सुशेवं
नशते सुतः।
Transliteration:
indo samad vṛṣā rayiṃ suśevaṃ
naśate sutaḥ ||
Translation:
“O Soma, strong with delight, grant us inspiring wealth and bliss. You, when pressed, destroy ignorance.”
5. 🌊 Creation Hymn (4.6.1) – Waves of Time and Being
Sanskrit:
यत्रा नरः समयन्ते
परि विश्वानि सप्त साग्रियां।
Transliteration:
yatrā naraḥ samayante
pari viśvāni sapta sāgriyāṃ ||
Translation:
“There where the sages align, around the sevenfold ocean of all that exists—they form the sacred gathering.”
6. 🕉️ Mantra’s Power (4.10.2) – Sound Creates the Cosmos
Sanskrit:
यो मंत्रेभिर्हवते
तमिद्विप्रा गृणंति धीतिभिः।
Transliteration:
yo mantrebhir havate
tam id viprā gṛṇanti dhītibhiḥ ||
Translation:
“He who is invoked with mantras—that one is praised by sages with inspired thoughts.”
7. 🌞 Agni the Inner Light (4.5.1) – Flame Within the Seer
Sanskrit:
अग्निं सुम्नाय दीद्यं
घृतप्रतीकमन्मयम्।
Transliteration:
agniṃ sumnāya dīdyaṃ
ghṛtaprātīkam anmayam ||
Translation:
“Agni, shining brightly for well-being, who assumes the form of melted ghee and lives within the mind.”
8. 🧘 Rudra Invocation (4.3.6) – God of Wild Healing
Sanskrit:
शं नो भव द्विपदे
शं चतुर्ष्पदे रुद्र।
Transliteration:
śaṃ no bhava dvipade
śaṃ catuṣpade rudra ||
Translation:
“May Rudra bless our two-legged beings, and our four-legged too. Let all creatures be in peace.”
9. 🌀 Cosmic Intelligence (4.40.5) – Mind That Moves the World
Sanskrit:
धियं जविष्ठां पतयन्तो, अस्याः
द्राघीयसां पथ्या, अपि व्रजन्ति।
Transliteration:
dhiyaṃ javiṣṭhāṃ patayanto asyāḥ
drāghīyasāṃ pathyā api vrajanti ||
Translation:
“Those who launch their swiftest thoughts through her (the inspired mind), reach the longest spiritual paths.”
10. 🌈 Unity of the Divine (4.58.3) – One in Many Forms
Sanskrit:
त्वं स्तोत्रस्य प्रवणस्य
भूरि त्वं देवानामभवत्सकृधि।
Transliteration:
tvaṃ stotrasya pravaṇasya bhūri
tvaṃ devānām abhavat sakṛd dhi ||
Translation:
“You, O divine one, are the flow of all hymns. You alone have become all the gods in a single instant.”
🌄 Themes and Symbolism in Mandala 4
| Theme | Symbolism | Modern Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Fire as Consciousness | Agni in the heart and mind | Self-awareness, transformation |
| Rudra and Maruts | Storm, healing, inner rebalancing | Emotional cleansing, holistic health |
| Sound and Creation | Mantra, vibration, speech | Affirmation, communication, manifestation |
| Cosmic Mind (Mahad) | Thought creates reality | Meditation, neuroplasticity, intentionality |
| Mystical Unity | One becoming many | Non-duality, Vedantic insight |
🧘♂️ Daily Practice Using Mandala 4
Suggested Morning Reflection (6–8 minutes):
- Light a lamp or candle before sunrise
- Chant Agni Sūkta (4.1.1)
- Reflect silently on “Agni lives in the mind” (4.5.1)
- Recite Rudra’s prayer for peace (4.3.6) to bless your environment
- Meditate with the affirmation: “Truth is One; I recognize the Divine in All”
🛕 Conclusion
Rigveda Mandala 4 is a spiritual mirror—showing us the inner cosmos through the poetic eyes of Ṛṣi Vāmadeva. These hymns stretch beyond the ritual and into the realms of consciousness, vibration, and divine imagination. For anyone seeking to combine depth of thought with poetic devotion, Mandala 4 is an open sky.
It is not merely scripture—it is the echo of the first breath of realization. To chant it is to awaken not just the gods, but the Self.