Hymn to Agni
Rigveda X.20 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 by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
Let auspicious thought draw nigh, and become as one of our own—our hearthmate, our guide.
Agni I call, the youngest among the gods, for delights; a friend hard to hold back, for he is moved by his own command.
Upon his steady ground, the dappled flames give honor to the sun above, and to the breast of their mother, the fire’s own seat.
With his very body he buildeth his nest; his shining beam is as a beacon set aloft.
By their breath they feed him, and he waxeth strong— he flasheth forth, his teeth aflame in a row.
The path he marketh goeth onward for stranger and kin alike, for he hath stretched himself to the farthest ends of heaven.
He is the shining poet, but also the swelling cloud.
Gladly he feedeth on the offerings of Manu’s sons.
The craftsman riseth tall at the rite;
Agni setteth his seat and leadeth the way.
For he is peace of home, the gift, the sacrifice itself.
By heeding him alone, the path unfoldeth:
the gods walk the road to Agni, whose limbs are like axes of flame.
To Agni I turn, he who ruleth through the rite, and seek the friendship of that kindly one of old.
Some call Āyu his name—born, say they, from the stone.
Whosoever among us are counted the highest of men, let them find wealth indeed, for they make Agni thrive through their gift.
His course is of black, white, and red;
his glory gleameth copper, silver, and ruddy gold.
The begetter hath begotten him in golden form.
Thus, O Agni, thou child of nurture,
Vimada cometh with the deathless ones to bring thee his soul’s deep song and his breath-born praises.
Thou hast brought refreshment, good dwelling, and the fullness of bread.
Colophon
This hymn is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation are to be documented during audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda X.20
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.
bhadraṁ no api vātaya manaḥ || 1 ||
agnim īḻe bhujāṁ yaviṣṭhaṁ śāsā mitraṁ durdharītum |
yasya dharman sva1r enīḥ saparyanti mātur ūdhaḥ || 2 ||
yam āsā kṛpanīḻam bhāsāketuṁ vardhayanti |
bhrājate śreṇidan || 3 ||
aryo viśāṁ gātur eti pra yad ānaḍ divo antān |
kavir abhraṁ dīdyānaḥ || 4 ||
juṣad dhavyā mānuṣasyordhvas tasthāv ṛbhvā yajñe |
minvan sadma pura eti || 5 ||
sa hi kṣemo havir yajñaḥ śruṣṭīd asya gātur eti |
agniṁ devā vāśīmantam || 6 ||
yajñāsāhaṁ duva iṣe 'gnim pūrvasya śevasya |
adreḥ sūnum āyum āhuḥ || 7 ||
naro ye ke cāsmad ā viśvet te vāma ā syuḥ |
agniṁ haviṣā vardhantaḥ || 8 ||
kṛṣṇaḥ śveto 'ruṣo yāmo asya bradhna ṛjra uta śoṇo yaśasvān |
hiraṇyarūpaṁ janitā jajāna || 9 ||
evā te agne vimado manīṣām ūrjo napād amṛtebhiḥ sajoṣāḥ |
gira ā vakṣat sumatīr iyāna iṣam ūrjaṁ sukṣitiṁ viśvam ābhāḥ || 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).
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