आ त्वा कण्वा अहूषत गृणन्ति विप्र ते धियः ।
देवेभिरग्न आ गहि ॥ २ ॥

Aa tvaa kanvaa ahooshata grinanti vipra te dhiyah ।
Devebhiragnaa aa gahi ॥ 2 ॥

Meaning

आ (Aa): Near, here, among us, from all directions. This word conveys that the Divine is not to be regarded as someone dwelling far away, but as one who should come near us and manifest within us. It also indicates that the wise perceive Divine glory in all directions and approach the Divine.

त्वा (Tvaa): You, You alone. Here the Divine is directly addressed. It expresses the idea that a human being should not depend upon personal fame, strength or possessions, but should seek refuge in the Divine and call upon Him.

कण्वाः (Kanvaah): The wise, the enlightened, those who have understood the true meaning of the mantra. According to the explanation, the “Kanvas” are wise people of profound thought. They see Divine glory in every event of the world. This word refers to those enlightened people who understand that everything in nature praises the Divine.

अहूषत (Ahooshata): Called, prayed to, invoked. The wise call upon the Divine with all their heart. This is not merely a verbal call; it is an expression of inner devotion, spiritual seeking and the longing for Divine grace.

गृणन्ति (Grinanti): Praise, glorify. Since complete wisdom and order are seen in all the actions of the Divine, the wise praise Him. The deeper meaning of this word is that they perceive Divine glory in everything, in mountains, the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, and praise the Divine.

विप्र (Vipra): One who is wise, filled with knowledge, one who brings about special fulfilment. In the explanatory meaning, it is understood as “O Divine One who specially brings us to fulfilment.” This word conveys that the Divine is the supreme intelligence who governs everything with knowledge and purpose.

ते (Te): Your, belonging to You. It indicates that all the actions of the Divine are expressions of His divine wisdom. It conveys the idea that the order and movement of the world are established through His wisdom.

धियः (Dhiyah): Intelligent actions, actions performed with wisdom, divine acts of intelligence. Deep wisdom and purpose are present in every action of the Divine. Creation, preservation and the order of nature are all expressions of divine intelligence, which is what this word conveys.

देवेभिः (Devebhih): With divine qualities, with all divine powers. According to the explanation, the prayer is that the Divine should approach us not alone, but together with all divine qualities such as compassion, light, purity, wisdom and strength.

अग्ने (Agne): O Agni! O One who leads forward! O One who gives light! O supreme divine power! Here “Agni” is not merely physical fire; it is the Divine light that leads a human being on the path of elevation. The Divine is praised as the divine guide who removes the darkness of ignorance and gives progress.

आ (Aa): Here, among us, towards us. It expresses the profound prayer that the Divine should manifest in human life and within the inner being.

गहि (Gahi): Come, reach us, approach us. This is the final prayer addressed to the Divine. It is a devotional invocation meaning, “Come to us with divine qualities and bless us.” It expresses the prayer that Divine grace, light and wisdom should come into human life and become established there.

Explanation

This Vedic mantra deeply explains the glory of the Divine, the spiritual vision of the wise who have experienced Him, and the need for the Divine to approach human beings together with divine qualities.

The mantra first speaks about the wise known as the “Kanvas”, who have experienced the truth of the Divine. They are not ordinary scholars; they are enlightened beings who have understood the inner meaning of the mantras and the hidden divine order within the world. They do not see the Divine only in temples or rituals; they perceive Divine glory in every direction of the world and in every expression of nature. Therefore, they call upon and pray to the Divine with all their heart, as expressed by अहूषत (Ahooshata).

This invocation is not merely a matter of words; it is an expression of deep spiritual experience. The mantra teaches that true knowledge leads a human being towards the Divine. It contains the higher understanding that a person should not depend upon personal pride, wealth or strength, but should seek refuge in the Divine and call upon Him.

The mantra then states through the word गृणन्ति (Grinanti) that the wise praise the Divine. This praise is not merely devotional speech; it is praise arising from direct experience. When they look upon the world, they perceive the wisdom and order of the Divine expressed in everything. Snow-covered mountains, the earth that supports living beings, the sun that gives light, the moon that brings calmness and the orderly movement of the stars all appear to them as expressions of Divine glory. The whole of nature becomes, in their vision, a language of praise to the Divine.

The words विप्र (Vipra) and ते धियः (Te Dhiyah) convey the divine wisdom of the Divine and the supreme intelligence present in His actions. Every action of the Divine contains a noble purpose, order, wisdom and complete design. Creation, preservation and the movement of the universe are not random occurrences; the wise understand them as the actions of the supremely intelligent Divine and therefore praise Him.

The final portion of the mantra presents a very important prayer: “Devebhiragnaa aa gahi.” Here “Agni” is not merely physical fire; it is the Divine light that leads a human being on the path of progress and the Divine guide who removes the darkness of ignorance. The prayer is that this Divine presence should approach human beings not alone, but together with all divine qualities. The essence of this prayer is that the Divine should manifest within us together with divine powers such as compassion, wisdom, light, purity, strength and noble qualities.

Therefore, this mantra is not merely an ordinary hymn of praise. It expresses the spiritual experience of the wise who perceive Divine glory in everything in the world. Having recognized the supreme wisdom of the Divine, they praise Him wholeheartedly and pray that He should approach their lives with divine qualities and guide them from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light and from ordinary human existence towards a higher spiritual life.

Conclusion

This mantra explains that the wise who have experienced the truth of the Divine perceive His glory and supreme wisdom in everything in the world. In every expression of nature, in the mountains, the earth, the sun, the moon and the orderly movement of the stars, they perceive Divine activity and therefore call upon and praise the Divine with all their heart. Recognizing that every action of the Divine is filled with wisdom, order and complete purpose, they pray that the Divine light in the form of Agni, which leads human beings towards elevation, should manifest in life together with divine qualities.

Thus, this mantra stands as a profound prayer to perceive Divine glory in the world, seek refuge in the Divine and praise Him, and to be guided from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light and from ordinary human life towards higher spiritual fulfilment.