Yash: Respected sir, I started reading vedas online. and in first verse second part- “hotarum ratnadhatamum” i think people are wrong in taking it’s meaning. I think this is giving information about formation of gemstones from magma inside earth. So Agni holds it and then is also giver of it. Not only Griffith but even others are translating it as “Agni is giver of wealth”. So, I want to know, am I right in my guess, in finding true meaning?
Swami Ram Swarup: Here in Rigveda mantra 1/1/1 meaning of agni is “God as well as corporal fire”. Corporal fire, being non-alive matter can give nothing until we with our mind make use of it for example- engineers make use of fire (agni) to work motorcycles, aeroplanes etc . but Almighty God is giver of all “Ratna dhatmam” etc., God being alive, Almighty, Who creates, nurses and destroys the universe. I also paste my article in this regard:-
Translation of Rigveda mantra 1/1/1 is as under:-
Rigveda mantra 1/1/1 is as under:-
“ Agnimedey Purohitam Yajasya Devam,
Ritvijam Hotaaram Ratandhaatamam .”
The Hindi translation of Rigveda mantra 1/1/1 is as under-
(YAJASYA) Yajyen ke (HOTARAM) dene wale (PUROHITAM) srishti ko dharann karnewale or (RITVIJAM) srishti ke rachne wale or pratyek ritu mein upasana karne yogya (RATNADHAATMAM) prithvi, sona-chandi, heere aadi ratnon ke dharann karne wale or (DEVAM) sab padarthon ko dene wale parmeshwar ki hum (IDEY) stuti kartein hain.
Idea- Here the meaning of “Agni” is formless, Almighty God and worldly fire also. God preaches us here that we must desire to worship and to realise the God who is (YAJASYA HOTARAM) i.e., who has preached us in Vedas, the process of performing Yajyen. The meaning of Yajyen in Vedas is to make contact with learned acharya and Ashtang Vedas’ philosophy to learn the Vedic knowledge by giving them respect, money, clothes, food etc. Similarly, we should give respect to parents and elders. (PUROHITAM) The God is our Purohit. The meaning of Purohit is He who takes care of the world, nurses us and holds us. (RITVIJAM) Who is worshippable in all seasons (Rituan) (RATNADHATAMUM) who holds the Ratan= wealth like earth, gold, silver etc. (DEVAM) who gives all the matters/articles of the world to us. So, the said are the adjectives of the Almighty God. In this mantra, I mean to say, the divine quality of the God are unlimited amongst which some qualities have been mentioned here.
So, we must worship only formless, Almighty God whose some divine qualities have been mentioned in this mantra. Secondly, we must always listen/study the other remaining divine qualities mentioned in four Vedas, then only we will be able say that Who is God? Due to the lack of knowledge of Four Vedas, people probably do not become able to decide that who is God? And duly indulged in illusion, we make the
several paths of worship.
Rohan: Pranam Gurudev and charansparsh, I have noticed (in books and when you explain us) that there are so many words (or all words) that I am not able to explain myself. Is it just god explaning us that this is from where this xyz word originates from or there is a particular explanation to it. Pranam Gurudev Kind Regards Rohan
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my son. You may put your question at Ved Mandir, just after finishing yajyen. Here, I can explain to you in detail.
