Hymn to Indra and Agni
Rigveda VIII.38 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 8 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. You two are indeed the priests of the sacrifice, victorious in deeds of contest for the prize. Indra and Agni, be attentive to it.
2. The two givers of bounty, the two who ride in chariots, the two slayers of Vṛtra, unconquered — Indra and Agni, be attentive to it.
3. This intoxicating sweet drink the men have pressed out for you two with the stones. Indra and Agni, be attentive to it.
4. Enjoy the sacrifice for its fulfillment, and the pressed soma, together at the place of praise. Come here, Indra and Agni, you two heroes.
5. Enjoy these pressings by which you have carried the oblations. Come here, Indra and Agni, you two heroes.
6. Enjoy this fine hymn of mine that moves in the gāyatrī measure. Come here, Indra and Agni, you two heroes.
7. Come with the gods who travel at dawn, you two of true wealth — Indra and Agni, for the drinking of soma.
8. Hear the call of Śyāvāśva, who presses soma, of the Atris — Indra and Agni, for the drinking of soma.
9. Thus I have called you two for help, as the wise ones have called before — Indra and Agni, for the drinking of soma.
10. I choose the favor of Indra and Agni, who are accompanied by Sarasvatī, and by whom the gāyatra hymn is sung.
Translator's note: "jenyāvasū" (7) is rendered "of true wealth" — the word marks wealth as genuine or of noble origin rather than describing its amount. "Śyāvāśva… atrīṇām" (8) names the poet Śyāvāśva of the Atri clan, who speaks in the first person through the rest of the hymn.
Colophon
Rigveda VIII.38 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 VIII.38
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.
yajñasya hi stha ṛtvijā sasnī vājeṣu karmasu |
indrāgnī tasya bodhatam || 1 ||
tośāsā rathayāvānā vṛtrahaṇāparājitā |
indrāgnī tasya bodhatam || 2 ||
idaṁ vām madiram madhv adhukṣann adribhir naraḥ |
indrāgnī tasya bodhatam || 3 ||
juṣethāṁ yajñam iṣṭaye sutaṁ somaṁ sadhastutī |
indrāgnī ā gataṁ narā || 4 ||
imā juṣethāṁ savanā yebhir havyāny ūhathuḥ |
indrāgnī ā gataṁ narā || 5 ||
imāṁ gāyatravartaniṁ juṣethāṁ suṣṭutim mama |
indrāgnī ā gataṁ narā || 6 ||
prātaryāvabhir ā gataṁ devebhir jenyāvasū |
indrāgnī somapītaye || 7 ||
śyāvāśvasya sunvato 'trīṇāṁ śṛṇutaṁ havam |
indrāgnī somapītaye || 8 ||
evā vām ahva ūtaye yathāhuvanta medhirāḥ |
indrāgnī somapītaye || 9 ||
āhaṁ sarasvatīvator indrāgnyor avo vṛṇe |
yābhyāṁ gāyatram ṛcyate || 10 ||
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).