Rig Veda 4.58.3

The entire suktam RV 4.58 of rishi Vāmadeva is clearly highly symbolic and mystical in expression.

Sometimes, the esoteric expressions of the Vedic rishis eludes the compartmentalization that is the goal of tradition. For the tradition of guru-shishya-paramparA, the transmission of Vedas is supposed to be well-defined. With this purpose, each Vedic mantra was assigned a rishi (the originator), a chandas (the meter) and a devatA (the entity being addressed).

The devatA for this suktam is “अग्निसूर्याब्गोघृतानामन्यतमः”, i.e. “any one of agni, sUrya, ap, go or ghRtam”.

• Agni and Surya are standard deities;
• ap is water
• go has several meanings, including earth, cow and light
• ghRtam has several meanings, including ghee (clarified butter) used in yajna, and light (because ghRtam literally means “shining”)

So if tradition itself ascribes multiple possibilities, we can take it that the mantras have multiple interpretations.

The mantra in question is:

चत्वारि शृङ्गा त्रयो अस्य पादा द्वे शीर्षे सप्त हस्तासो अस्य ।

त्रिधा बद्धो वृषभो रोरवीति महो देवो मर्त्यान् आ विवेश ॥

“Four horns, three are his feet, two heads and seven are his hands. Bound threefold, the bull roars, the great God has entered the mortals.”

Clearly, this verse has so many subtle shades of meaning. The body parts can be used as symbols in so many contexts. But I think the most crucial aspect is that the great God has entered mortals, i.e. he is the immortal spirit within mortals. This description is very apt for Agni, who has been called “amRto martyeShu अमृतो मर्त्येषु” (the immortal within mortals) hundreds of times in the Rig Veda.

Instead of giving my interpretation, I will quote 2 standard traditional interpretations. One is the adhiyajna or adhyAtma interpretation given by Sayana as per earlier traditions. Another is the adhibhASha interpretation given by Patanjali for language.

Sayana’s commentary in his RgvedabhAShya:

“Although this suktam having been assigned five devatAs, can be explained in five ways, in the tradition of niruktam and others, the primary interpretation is of Agni or Surya. The four horns are the four Vedas. The three feet are the three savanas, so called because they are the modes of activity in the yajna. The two heads are brahmaudana and pravargya, because of the prominence of iShTi and soma rituals. The seven hands are the seven Vedic meters, so called because hands are the primary tools of worship and the meters are used in the mantras to please the gods. “Bound threefold” refers to mantra, brAhmaNa and kalpa, as these are the three modes of worship. “Bull” (vRShabha) because he showers (varShitA) blessings on the worshiper. He roars through the Rig, Yajus and Sama chants and other prayers coming from the priests during the various yajnas. Thus the great lord enters mortals.”

(There is a similar explanation for Surya, although not as convincing.)

Patanjali’s commentary in his mahAbhAShya:

“Four horns are the four components of words — nouns, verbs, prefixes, and indeclinables. Three feet are the three tenses of past, future and present. Two heads are the two modes of active and passive voice. Seven hands are the seven cases (vibhakti). Bound threefold means bound in three places — in the chest, throat and head (as places of origin of sounds). “Bull” (vRShabha) because he showers down (varShaNa). He roars, because he is speech (sound). The great God Speech has entered mortals. We should hence study grammar as a means of achieving identity with this great God.”