अग्ने शुक्रेण शोचिषा विश्वाभिर्देवहूतिभिः ।
इमं स्तोमं जुषस्व नः ॥ १२ ॥

Agne Shukrena Shochisha Vishvabhir Devahutibhih ।
Imam Stomam Jushasva Nah ॥ 12 ॥

Meaning

अग्ने (Agne): O Agni! O One who leads on the path of progress! Here, ‘Agni’ does not refer merely to physical fire. It refers to the divine light that leads human beings forward on the path of higher development, and also to the inner spiritual power of the living being that progresses towards the Supreme Being. Thus, the address ‘Agne’ can also be understood as an inner call: “O being moving towards higher development! Move forward on the path of the Divine.”

शुक्रेण (Shukrena): Through that which is pure; through that which is stainless; through that which is luminous. ‘Shukra’ signifies purity, radiance and clarity. Here it refers to pure knowledge and its illuminating light. When the impurities of the mind are removed through devotion to God and the heart becomes pure, knowledge begins to shine clearly.

शोचिषा (Shochisha): By the flame; by the light; by the radiance of knowledge. ‘Shochis’ refers to a shining flame or radiance. Here it indicates the light of knowledge. When tendencies and ignorance diminish through devotion to God, the lamp of knowledge within a person shines more brightly.

विश्वाभिः (Vishvabhih): By all; with everything; in every way. Here, ‘Vishvabhih’ conveys the meaning of through all higher paths and through all noble qualities. Divine worship should not remain confined to one part of human life; it should encompass the whole of life.

देवहूतिभिः (Devahutibhih): Through divine invocations; through the means of invoking the divine; through the means of welcoming noble qualities. ‘Devahuti’ means invoking the divine. Here ‘Deva’ refers not merely to external deities, but to divine qualities that should become established within human beings, such as compassion, truth, discipline and knowledge. Through devotion to God, these noble qualities are welcomed into the heart.

इमम् (Imam): This; this present one; this here. It refers to the praise being offered in this mantra. The prayer, worship and practice of noble qualities that a person performs now are offered to God.

स्तोमम् (Stomam): Praise; collection of praises; hymn of glorification; praise of divine qualities. ‘Stoma’ is not merely a song. It refers to praising God after understanding His qualities and accepting those qualities in one’s own life. Singing the divine qualities through mantras and making an effort to establish them within the heart is ‘Stoma’.

जुषस्व (Jushasva): Accept; graciously accept; accept with love and joy. This is a prayer addressed to God. It contains the prayer: “May You lovingly accept our praise and devotion.” It indicates that God does not seek merely words, but true devotion and purity of heart.

नः (Nah): Of us; belonging to us; concerning us. This is not merely an individual prayer; it is the collective prayer of the worshippers. It expresses the universal feeling: “May You accept our praise, our remembrance of God and our effort of devotion.”

Explanation

This mantra deeply explains the purifying power of devotion to God and how, through that devotion, the light of knowledge and divine qualities become established in human life.

This mantra begins by addressing God as “Agni” (Agni). Here ‘Agni’ does not refer merely to external fire. It refers to the divine light that leads human beings on the path of higher development and to the inner spiritual power of the living being that moves towards progress. Therefore, this mantra can also be understood as an inner call: “O Agni! Lead us on the path of higher development and make us progress on the path of the Divine.”

The mantra states that this progress takes place through “Shukrena” (Shukrena), the path of pure and stainless purity, and through “Shochisha” (Shochisha), the radiance of the flame of knowledge. ‘Shukra’ signifies purity, radiance and clarity. When the human mind becomes covered by desires, tendencies, ignorance and impure thoughts, its natural light becomes obscured. But devotion to God purifies the mind. Then the inner lamp of knowledge begins to shine clearly. This light is the ‘Shochis’ (Shochis), the flame of knowledge. Therefore, devotion is not merely an emotional expression; it is a purifying power that removes the impurities of the mind and reveals knowledge.

The mantra further expands this through the words “Vishvabhir Devahutibhih” (Vishvabhir Devahutibhih). ‘Vishvabhih’ conveys the meaning of through all ways and in every sphere of life. The path of the Divine should not remain limited to one part of life; it should be expressed in thought, speech, action, relationships and duties. ‘Devahuti’ means divine invocation. Here ‘Deva’ does not refer only to external deities; it refers to the higher divine qualities that should become established in the human heart, such as compassion, truth, discipline, self control and knowledge. Through devotion to God, the heart becomes like a temple, and such divine qualities come to dwell within that temple.

After this, the mantra prays, “Imam Stomam Jushasva Nah” (Imam Stomam Jushasva Nah). ‘Stoma’ is not merely a song or the recitation of a mantra. It refers to praise offered after understanding the qualities of God and accepting those qualities in one’s own life. When a person praises God, it should not be merely a collection of words; it should become a glorification of the qualities that elevate life and a dedication towards inner transformation. Therefore, the mantra says ‘Jushasva’ (Jushasva), “May You lovingly accept our praise.” What is dear to God is not external praise alone, but devotion accompanied by purity of heart.

The deeper teaching of this mantra is that devotion to God creates a higher vision of life and noble ideals within a human being. It turns a person away from impure tendencies, harmful habits and lower desires and encourages the acceptance of higher qualities. Through devotion, the flame of knowledge becomes radiant, and at the same time divine qualities become established within the heart. As a result, human life becomes luminous and righteous.

Therefore, this mantra teaches that devotion to God is not merely a method of worship. It is a spiritual power that purifies the mind, illuminates knowledge and establishes divine qualities in the human heart. A person should offer his ‘Stoma’ (Stoma), the praise of divine qualities and his devotion, to God with genuine inner purity. Then, through divine grace, his life becomes filled with the light of knowledge, noble qualities and spiritual progress. This is the deep and complete teaching of this mantra.

Conclusion

This mantra teaches that God, as ‘Agni’ (Agni), is the divine light that leads human beings on the path of higher development, and through the principles represented by ‘Shukra’ (Shukra) and ‘Shochis’ (Shochis), He purifies the mind and causes the flame of knowledge to shine. Devotion to God is not merely an emotional expression or a ritual. It is a purifying power that removes impure tendencies, lower desires and ignorance from life and reveals the inner light of knowledge.

According to the principle expressed in ‘Vishvabhir Devahutibhih’ (Vishvabhir Devahutibhih), the divine way of life should not be confined to one part of life. It should be expressed in thought, speech, action and every sphere of living. Only then do divine qualities such as compassion, truth, discipline, self control and knowledge become established in the heart.

The ‘Stoma’ (Stoma) offered by a person, the praise of divine qualities and glorification of God, should not remain merely a collection of words. It should become a journey of inner transformation in which the qualities of God are accepted and practiced in life. When such praise is offered with a pure heart and genuine devotion, God lovingly accepts it.

Therefore, devotion to God, the light of knowledge and the establishment of divine qualities together transform human life into a luminous, righteous and spiritually progressive higher life. This is the deep and complete teaching of this mantra.