Hymn to Agni
Rigveda X.45 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. From heaven Agni was born first; a second time he was born from us, as Jātavedas. A third time, in the waters — the manly-minded, unwearying one — the devoted worshipper kindles him and sings his praise.
2. We know, O Agni, your three triads; we know your abodes spread abroad in many places. We know your highest name, though it is hidden; we know the spring from which you have come.
3. In the sea, within the waters, the manly-minded one kindled you; at the udder of heaven, the one who sees like a man set you aflame, O Agni. Standing in the third realm, the mighty ones strengthened you in the lap of the waters.
4. Agni cried out like thundering heaven, licking the earth, anointing the plants. As soon as he was born, once kindled, he looked out over all things; he shines between the two world-halves with his light.
5. Generous with splendors, sustainer of riches, driver forth of insight, guardian of the soma — the good one, son of strength, king in the waters, shines forth, kindled at the front of the dawns.
6. The banner of all that is, the embryo of the world — being born, he filled the two world-halves. He split even the firm rock as he went forth, when the five peoples worshipped Agni.
7. The eager, purifying, wise one, set in motion among mortals — the immortal Agni was placed there. He sends up ruddy smoke, carrying it, reaching toward heaven with bright flame.
8. Visible like gold, he shone out widely, life not to be forgotten, gleaming for splendor. Agni became immortal through his vital powers, when heaven, of true seed, gave him birth.
9. Whoever today prepares for you, O fair-flaming Agni, a ghee-rich cake, O god — lead him onward toward greater wealth, toward the favor allotted by the gods, O youngest one.
10. Give him a share in deeds of fair renown, O Agni; give him a share at every hymn that is recited. He becomes dear to Sūrya, dear to Agni; he rises up through what is born to him, rises up through his begettings.
11. Sacrificers, day after day, have set upon you, Agni, all the choice goods there are. Seeking wealth together with you, the eager ones have thrown open the cattle-pen.
12. Agni has been praised, kind to men, Vaiśvānara, guardian of the soma, by the seers. Free of hostility, let us call upon Heaven and Earth. O gods, grant us wealth rich in good sons.
Translator's note: Verse 10's closing pāda ("uj jātena bhinadad uj janitvaiḥ") is compressed and its exact sense is debated; it is rendered conservatively here as the worshipper's rising up through his offspring. Verse 5's "somagopāḥ" and verse 12's identical epithet are both rendered "guardian of the soma."
Colophon
Rigveda X.45 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.
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Source Text: ṛgveda X.45
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.
divas pari prathamaṁ jajñe agnir asmad dvitīyam pari jātavedāḥ |
tṛtīyam apsu nṛmaṇā ajasram indhāna enaṁ jarate svādhīḥ || 1 ||
vidmā te agne tredhā trayāṇi vidmā te dhāma vibhṛtā purutrā |
vidmā te nāma paramaṁ guhā yad vidmā tam utsaṁ yata ājagantha || 2 ||
samudre tvā nṛmaṇā apsv a1ntar nṛcakṣā īdhe divo agna ūdhan |
tṛtīye tvā rajasi tasthivāṁsam apām upasthe mahiṣā avardhan || 3 ||
akrandad agniḥ stanayann iva dyauḥ kṣāmā rerihad vīrudhaḥ samañjan |
sadyo jajñāno vi hīm iddho akhyad ā rodasī bhānunā bhāty antaḥ || 4 ||
śrīṇām udāro dharuṇo rayīṇām manīṣāṇām prārpaṇaḥ somagopāḥ |
vasuḥ sūnuḥ sahaso apsu rājā vi bhāty agra uṣasām idhānaḥ || 5 ||
viśvasya ketur bhuvanasya garbha ā rodasī apṛṇāj jāyamānaḥ |
vīḻuṁ cid adrim abhinat parāyañ janā yad agnim ayajanta pañca || 6 ||
uśik pāvako aratiḥ sumedhā marteṣv agnir amṛto ni dhāyi |
iyarti dhūmam aruṣam bharibhrad uc chukreṇa śociṣā dyām inakṣan || 7 ||
dṛśāno rukma urviyā vy adyaud durmarṣam āyuḥ śriye rucānaḥ |
agnir amṛto abhavad vayobhir yad enaṁ dyaur janayat suretāḥ || 8 ||
yas te adya kṛṇavad bhadraśoce 'pūpaṁ deva ghṛtavantam agne |
pra taṁ naya prataraṁ vasyo acchābhi sumnaṁ devabhaktaṁ yaviṣṭha || 9 ||
ā tam bhaja sauśravaseṣv agna uktha-uktha ā bhaja śasyamāne |
priyaḥ sūrye priyo agnā bhavāty uj jātena bhinadad uj janitvaiḥ || 10 ||
tvām agne yajamānā anu dyūn viśvā vasu dadhire vāryāṇi |
tvayā saha draviṇam icchamānā vrajaṁ gomantam uśijo vi vavruḥ || 11 ||
astāvy agnir narāṁ suśevo vaiśvānara ṛṣibhiḥ somagopāḥ |
adveṣe dyāvāpṛthivī huvema devā dhatta rayim asme suvīram || 12 ||
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).