Why did the rishi bharadvāja bārhaspatya pray to AGNI for aiding to two people first and thereafter for all the people?

 

Rig Veda 6.9.7 says

विश्वे देवा अनमस्यन्भियानास्त्वामग्ने तमसि तस्थिवांसम् । वैश्वानरोऽवतूतये नोऽमर्त्योऽवतूतये नः ॥
viśve devā anamasyan bhiyānās tvām agne tamasi tasthivāṃsam | vaiśvānaro 'vatūtaye no 'martyo 'vatūtaye naḥ ||

English translation:

All the gods, in fear, offered homage to you, Agni, while you were (still) standing in the darkness. Let Vaiśvānara give help to aid two of us (अवतु ऊतये नो); let the immortal one give help to aid all of us (अवतु ऊतये नः).

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It is clear from the above that the rishi bharadvāja bārhaspatya did pray for the aid of AGNI, the BRAHMAN, to two people and thereafter again for all the people.

Now a question arises, as to why did the rishi pray for aiding to two people and thereafter for all the people?

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The different interpretations as to who the two people, referred to in this Rik, are as follows:

• the protection of the internal duality of the human being—the Atman (individual self) and the Antaratman (inner self or divine spark within).
• the protection of the Shishya (disciple) and the Guru (teacher), who together create the sacred space of learning.
• the protection of the intellectual and spiritual faculty
• protection to the seeker during both states of consciousness—the light (conscious, enlightened state) and the night (obscure, ignorant, or trial-filled state)
• protection to the Seer/Rishi (singer) and the Patron (nobleman/king) supporting the sacrifice

——-

Unless we correlate spirituality with the Rig Vedic Riks, they continue to tease us in finding their inner meaning.

According to my understanding, rishi bharadvāja bārhaspatya was praying in the above Rik to aid him in adhering to 2 vital requirements in spiritual path, ie., the path of truth and not committing any sin, but not praying to aid any two persons.

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(i) ऋतम् - ṛtam

Rig Veda tells any spiritual practitioner to adhere continuously to ऋतम् - ṛtam or the DIVINE formless ENERGY, from which everything emanated, with trikāraṇaśuddhi - त्रिकारणशुद्धि (purity in thoughts, words and action).

It is called ṛtasya panthām - the path of ṛtam/TRUTH.

Rig Veda 7.44.5

आ नो दधिक्राः पथ्यामनक्त्वृतस्य पन्थामन्वेतवा उ । शृणोतु नो दैव्यं शर्धो अग्निः शृण्वन्तु विश्वे महिषा अमूराः ॥
ā no dadhikrāḥ pathyām anaktv ṛtasya panthām anvetavā u | śṛṇotu no daivyaṃ śardho agniḥ śṛṇvantu viśve mahiṣā amūrāḥ ||

English translation:

Let Dadhikrā anoint our pathway, for us to follow along the path of truth. Let the divine troop and Agni hear us. Let all the buffaloes, who are never fooled, hear us.

ii) अस्तेय -asteya

Theft/deceits is called स्तेय - steya. The status of being non-commiting of any theft or misdeed is called अस्तेय -asteya.

The spiritual practitioner is expected to follow the path of अस्तेय -asteya.

Ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha prays to Varuṇa (King), the BRAHMAN, to relieve him from any past deceits/misdeeds (द्रुग्धानि - drugdhāni) committed, as a calf is being released from the thief.

Rig Veda 7.86.5

अव द्रुग्धानि पित्र्या सृजा नोऽव या वयं चकृमा तनूभिः । अव राजन्पशुतृपं न तायुं सृजा वत्सं न दाम्नो वसिष्ठम् ॥
ava drugdhāni pitryā sṛjā no 'va yā vayaṃ cakṛmā tanūbhiḥ | ava rājan paśutṛpaṃ na tāyuṃ sṛjā vatsaṃ na dāmno vasiṣṭham ||

English translation:

Release from us ancestral deceits and those that we ourselves have committed. O king, release Vasiṣṭha from his bond like a cattle-stealing thief, like a calf.