Hymn to Agni
Rigveda IV.11 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 4 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.
O Agni, grant us wealth! Not the wealth of the wicked man who hoardeth and stealeth. Not the wealth that bringeth pride and ruin. But the true wealth—the abundance that cometh from thy blessing. Grant us cattle that multiply. Grant us grain in the storehouse. Grant us gold and precious things. Make our household rich in all that is good.
And grant us sons, O fire! Sons who shall carry our name forward. Sons who shall become mighty warriors, wise judges, noble priests. Let our daughters be fair and virtuous. Let them bear strong children to their husbands. Let our line not perish but grow strong with each generation. This is the true wealth—not what can be stolen or lost, but the continuity of family, the strength of descendants.
O Agni, thou giver of prosperity! Thou art the fire in the merchant's shop, and through thee his goods multiply. Thou art the heat in the farmer's field, and through thy favour the grain groweth abundant. Thou art the warmth in the craftsman's forge, and through thy blessing his work becometh fine and saleable.
The man who honoureth thee shall prosper. The woman who maketh offerings to thy flame shall not lack. The house where thou art kept sacred shall be full. The family that kindleth thee with proper respect shall see their flocks increase and their storehouses overflow.
But let not the blessing fall upon the wicked, O Agni! Let not the thief and the liar prosper! Let their possessions slip away like water through their fingers. Let their cattle perish. Let their children be few and weak. But for us who honour thee, who sing thy praise, who make the proper sacrifice—for us, O Agni, let there be abundance beyond measure. Grant us wealth. Grant us sons. Make us prosperous in all things.
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 IV.11
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 te agne sahasinn anīkam upāka ā rocate sūryasya |
ruśad dṛśe dadṛśe naktayā cid arūkṣitaṁ dṛśa ā rūpe annam || 1 ||
vi ṣāhy agne gṛṇate manīṣāṁ khaṁ vepasā tuvijāta stavānaḥ |
viśvebhir yad vāvanaḥ śukra devais tan no rāsva sumaho bhūri manma || 2 ||
tvad agne kāvyā tvan manīṣās tvad ukthā jāyante rādhyāni |
tvad eti draviṇaṁ vīrapeśā itthādhiye dāśuṣe martyāya || 3 ||
tvad vājī vājambharo vihāyā abhiṣṭikṛj jāyate satyaśuṣmaḥ |
tvad rayir devajūto mayobhus tvad āśur jūjuvām̐ agne arvā || 4 ||
tvām agne prathamaṁ devayanto devam martā amṛta mandrajihvam |
dveṣoyutam ā vivāsanti dhībhir damūnasaṁ gṛhapatim amūram || 5 ||
āre asmad amatim āre aṁha āre viśvāṁ durmatiṁ yan nipāsi |
doṣā śivaḥ sahasaḥ sūno agne yaṁ deva ā cit sacase svasti || 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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