Hymn to Agni

Rigveda X.21 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 10 of the Rigveda, one of the 1,028 hymns organized within the ten books of the oldest Veda. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit and preserved through oral transmission across millennia.

This is a Good Works Translation produced for the Good Works Library from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.

1. With hymns of our own weaving we choose you, Agni, as Hotar-priest for the sacrifice where the sacred grass is strewn — keen one, of purifying flame, in your exultation you wish to speak out.

2. Your own kinsmen, rich in horses, adorn you; the pouring ladle moves toward you. O Agni, in your exultation the straight-flowing oblation would proclaim itself.

3. In you rest the fixed ordinances, firm as women pouring with their tongues of flame; you wear forms both black and bright. In your exultation you take on every glory, and would proclaim it.

4. Whatever wealth you deem worthy, Agni, mighty and immortal one — bring it to us, that we may win the prize. In your exultation, bring the wondrous gift to our sacrifices, so you would proclaim.

5. Agni, newly born, found all the poet's arts through Atharvan; he became the messenger of Vivasvant. In your exultation, beloved and longed for by Yama, you would proclaim.

6. They call upon you at the sacrifices, Agni, as the rite moves forward; you give desirable treasures. In your exultation you bestow them all on the one who offers, and would proclaim it.

7. At the sacrifices they have seated you, Agni, as the lovely officiating priest of Manu's people, your face bright with ghee. In your exultation, bright one, keenest of sight with your eyes, you would proclaim.

8. Agni, with your bright flame you spread yourself wide and high; bellowing, you play the bull. In your exultation you plant the seed among your kindred, and would proclaim it.

Translator's note: Every verse of this hymn is broken by the same recurring formula — "vi vo made ... vivakṣase" ("in your exultation ... you wish to proclaim") — interrupting the main clause with a floating epithet or image. The syntax is compressed and elliptical in the Sanskrit itself, not merely difficult to render; this translation keeps the formula's placement and sense as literally as English allows rather than smoothing it into ordinary prose.

Colophon

Rigveda X.21 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation rendered verse by verse from the Sanskrit text printed below. Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation.

🌲

Source Text: ṛgveda X.21

Sanskrit source text from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

āgniṁ na svavṛktibhir hotāraṁ tvā vṛṇīmahe |
yajñāya stīrṇabarhiṣe vi vo made śīram pāvakaśociṣaṁ vivakṣase || 1 ||

tvām u te svābhuvaḥ śumbhanty aśvarādhasaḥ |
veti tvām upasecanī vi vo mada ṛjītir agna āhutir vivakṣase || 2 ||

tve dharmāṇa āsate juhūbhiḥ siñcatīr iva |
kṛṣṇā rūpāṇy arjunā vi vo made viśvā adhi śriyo dhiṣe vivakṣase || 3 ||

yam agne manyase rayiṁ sahasāvann amartya |
tam ā no vājasātaye vi vo made yajñeṣu citram ā bharā vivakṣase || 4 ||

agnir jāto atharvaṇā vidad viśvāni kāvyā |
bhuvad dūto vivasvato vi vo made priyo yamasya kāmyo vivakṣase || 5 ||

tvāṁ yajñeṣv īḻate 'gne prayaty adhvare |
tvaṁ vasūni kāmyā vi vo made viśvā dadhāsi dāśuṣe vivakṣase || 6 ||

tvāṁ yajñeṣv ṛtvijaṁ cārum agne ni ṣedire |
ghṛtapratīkam manuṣo vi vo made śukraṁ cetiṣṭham akṣabhir vivakṣase || 7 ||

agne śukreṇa śociṣoru prathayase bṛhat |
abhikrandan vṛṣāyase vi vo made garbhaṁ dadhāsi jāmiṣu vivakṣase || 8 ||

Source Colophon

Sanskrit text of the Rigveda, Śākala recension. The standard scholarly edition is the Bombay Oriental (Vishva Bandhu, 5 vols., 1963–66). IAST transliteration available from GRETIL (Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages) and Vedaweb (University of Cologne). Both sources are open access. IAST transliteration from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).