Hymn to Agni
Rigveda II.10 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 2 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.
Agni, grant unto us the wealth of the gods! The cattle that multiply like the stars in heaven! The gold that shineth in the sunlight! The treasures of princes! The harvests that bend the fields beneath their abundance!
We are poor, O flame, and thou alone knowest the depths of our need. Our herds are small; our granaries stand half-empty; our chests contain no gold. Yet thou hast power to change all things. When thou acceptest our offering, thou speakest to the gods on high, and they pour down upon us their blessings. The Maruts bring the rain; the earth yieldeth her increase; the cattle become fruitful; the herds grow fat and numerous.
Grant unto us also the victory of warriors! When our enemies come against us, let our men be strong and fearless! Let their arrows fly true! Let their swords be sharp and their hearts be brave! Through thy power, O Agni, the few shall overcome the many. The weak shall become mighty. The defeated shall rise in triumph.
Give unto us sons, O Agni — strong sons who shall be wise and valiant! Give unto us daughters fair and virtuous, who shall bear sons in their turn! Let our household grow numerous and strong, that our name may not perish from the earth! Let our family flourish from generation unto generation!
Long life also we crave, O flame! Give unto us many years to see our grandsons' grandsons born! Let us live to see our fields harvested, our cattle increased, our wealth secure! Do not permit the dark messengers of death to claim us before our time!
All these blessings, O Agni, we ask through thy power. Thou alone art the giver of good gifts. Accept our praise and our offerings. Hear our prayer and grant us thy favor!
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 II.10
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.
johūtro agniḥ prathamaḥ piteveḻas pade manuṣā yat samiddhaḥ |
śriyaṁ vasāno amṛto vicetā marmṛjenyaḥ śravasya1ḥ sa vājī || 1 ||
śrūyā agniś citrabhānur havam me viśvābhir gīrbhir amṛto vicetāḥ |
śyāvā rathaṁ vahato rohitā votāruṣāha cakre vibhṛtraḥ || 2 ||
uttānāyām ajanayan suṣūtam bhuvad agniḥ purupeśāsu garbhaḥ |
śiriṇāyāṁ cid aktunā mahobhir aparīvṛto vasati pracetāḥ || 3 ||
jigharmy agniṁ haviṣā ghṛtena pratikṣiyantam bhuvanāni viśvā |
pṛthuṁ tiraścā vayasā bṛhantaṁ vyaciṣṭham annai rabhasaṁ dṛśānam || 4 ||
ā viśvataḥ pratyañcaṁ jigharmy arakṣasā manasā taj juṣeta |
maryaśrīḥ spṛhayadvarṇo agnir nābhimṛśe tanvā3 jarbhurāṇaḥ || 5 ||
jñeyā bhāgaṁ sahasāno vareṇa tvādūtāso manuvad vadema |
anūnam agniṁ juhvā vacasyā madhupṛcaṁ dhanasā johavīmi || 6 ||
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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