Hymn to Agni
Rigveda I.14 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) addressed to Agni, the divine fire, messenger between mortals and gods, the eternal priest of the sacred rite. It is one of the 1,028 hymns of the Rigveda organized within Maṇḍala 1, the first of ten books. The ṛṣi (seer) to whom this hymn is attributed and its precise liturgical context are recorded in the traditional Śākalya Anukramaṇī.
The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and one of the oldest surviving religious texts in the world, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Indus-Sarasvatī region. Its hymns were preserved through oral transmission across millennia before being committed to writing. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
O Viśvedevas, all-gods who dwellest in every place! Ye are the mightiest among the celestial powers. To each of you do we make our offering; from each of you do we seek blessing.
Thou, Indra, art the mighty one; thou, Agni, art the flame; thou, Varuṇa, art the lord of truth; thou, Mitra, art the friend of all. Ye are the witnesses of all deeds; ye see all that is done in secret and in the light of day.
Come, O Viśvedevas, to our sacrifice! Ye are the helpers of all mortals; ye are the defenders of the righteous. When we call upon you, ye do hear; when we pray to you, ye do turn your gaze upon us. This offering is for all of you.
The strong do find strength in you; the weak do find courage in you. The poor do find riches in your favor; the lonely do find companionship in your presence. O Viśvedevas, ye are the hope of all living things.
As the earth holdeth all creatures, so ye hold all the world in your keeping. As the sky stretcheth over all lands, so your protection covereth all people. O Viśvedevas, ye are both mighty and merciful.
Accept our offering with gladness. Let our prayer ascend unto you on the wings of smoke and flame. Grant us your favor; grant us your protection. Let us dwell under your watchful eye; let us prosper in your blessing. O Viśvedevas, all-gods, hear our prayer and make us glad.
Colophon
Rigveda I.14 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, the version that has been transmitted and is considered canonical in the mainstream tradition. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE; this hymn addresses Agni, the divine fire, messenger between mortals and gods, the eternal priest of the sacred rite. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation session to be documented during Kshatriya Blood Rule audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda I.14
aibhir agne duvo giro viśvebhiḥ somapītaye |
devebhir yāhi yakṣi ca || 1 ||
ā tvā kaṇvā ahūṣata gṛṇanti vipra te dhiyaḥ |
devebhir agna ā gahi || 2 ||
indravāyū bṛhaspatim mitrāgnim pūṣaṇam bhagam |
ādityān mārutaṁ gaṇam || 3 ||
pra vo bhriyanta indavo matsarā mādayiṣṇavaḥ |
drapsā madhvaś camūṣadaḥ || 4 ||
īḻate tvām avasyavaḥ kaṇvāso vṛktabarhiṣaḥ |
haviṣmanto araṁkṛtaḥ || 5 ||
ghṛtapṛṣṭhā manoyujo ye tvā vahanti vahnayaḥ |
ā devān somapītaye || 6 ||
tān yajatrām̐ ṛtāvṛdho 'gne patnīvatas kṛdhi |
madhvaḥ sujihva pāyaya || 7 ||
ye yajatrā ya īḍyās te te pibantu jihvayā |
madhor agne vaṣaṭkṛti || 8 ||
ākīṁ sūryasya rocanād viśvān devām̐ uṣarbudhaḥ |
vipro hoteha vakṣati || 9 ||
viśvebhiḥ somyam madhv agna indreṇa vāyunā |
pibā mitrasya dhāmabhiḥ || 10 ||
tvaṁ hotā manurhito 'gne yajñeṣu sīdasi |
semaṁ no adhvaraṁ yaja || 11 ||
yukṣvā hy aruṣī rathe harito deva rohitaḥ |
tābhir devām̐ ihā vaha || 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).
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