Hymn to Agni
Rigveda X.6 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.
Behold him—Agni, in whose ward, whose keeping, and by whose strength the singer flourisheth— the far-shining flame, who ever circling, is ringed about with beams peerless and bright as the dawn's own light.
He shineth afar, radiant among the radiant, with the gods around him— Agni, the true-hearted and tireless, who hath sought out fellowship for his friends, swerving not, like a yoked steed pressing on in stride.
He guideth all who strive toward the gods, and ruleth o’er the dawn as she riseth, day by day through the length of a man’s life.
Upon him doth the faithful man lean his offering, as upon a chariot that cannot be overthrown— his sacrifice made firm with hallowing songs.
Grown mighty through praise and glad in the sound of chant, he soareth swift to the gods.
As the joyful and best of priests, Agni, with his tongue, anointeth the gods, mingling himself with them in the rite.
Draw him to us, with hymn and with holy sign, at the break of day— like Indra, let trembling Agni come.
The poets, filled with spirit, sing him with their thoughts— Jātavedas, the tongue of the strong gods.
In thee all blessings have been yoked together, as steeds are joined in team at the games, each in his way—
O Agni, bring nigh unto us those shapes of aid most dear to Indra.
For then, O Agni, when thou didst sit in thy greatness, even from birth did men call upon thee.
And so the gods bent to thy will, and the foremost of helpers waxed strong through thee.
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.6
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.
ayaṁ sa yasya śarmann avobhir agner edhate jaritābhiṣṭau |
jyeṣṭhebhir yo bhānubhir ṛṣūṇām paryeti parivīto vibhāvā || 1 ||
yo bhānubhir vibhāvā vibhāty agnir devebhir ṛtāvājasraḥ |
ā yo vivāya sakhyā sakhibhyo 'parihvṛto atyo na saptiḥ || 2 ||
īśe yo viśvasyā devavīter īśe viśvāyur uṣaso vyuṣṭau |
ā yasmin manā havīṁṣy agnāv ariṣṭarathaḥ skabhnāti śūṣaiḥ || 3 ||
śūṣebhir vṛdho juṣāṇo arkair devām̐ acchā raghupatvā jigāti |
mandro hotā sa juhvā3 yajiṣṭhaḥ sammiślo agnir ā jigharti devān || 4 ||
tam usrām indraṁ na rejamānam agniṁ gīrbhir namobhir ā kṛṇudhvam |
ā yaṁ viprāso matibhir gṛṇanti jātavedasaṁ juhvaṁ sahānām || 5 ||
saṁ yasmin viśvā vasūni jagmur vāje nāśvāḥ saptīvanta evaiḥ |
asme ūtīr indravātatamā arvācīnā agna ā kṛṇuṣva || 6 ||
adhā hy agne mahnā niṣadyā sadyo jajñāno havyo babhūtha |
taṁ te devāso anu ketam āyann adhāvardhanta prathamāsa ūmāḥ || 7 ||
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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