Hymn to Agni
Rigveda V.44 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 5 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.
To thee, O Indra, the foremost of the gods! We offer this praise. Mighty art thou, matchless in valor, unrivaled in power. Thou hast slain the demons and protected the righteous. Thy name shall endure while the mountains stand and the rivers flow.
To thee, O Agni, keeper of the sacred flame! We honor thee as the intermediary between gods and men. Through thy form, our offerings reach the heavenly realm. Thou burnest away all impurity and dross. In thy heat, all things are transformed and made new.
To thee, O Varuṇa, lord of the cosmic order! Thou who seest all and knowest all. Thou who hast bound the universe with thy laws. We revere thy wisdom and tremble at thy justice. Through thee, the worlds remain in their courses; through thee, all things hold their place.
To thee, O Sūrya, eye of the heavens! Thou who risest each day to bring light to all creation. Thy rays pierce the darkness and awaken all living things. Without thee, naught could grow or flourish. Thou art the visible form of the divine.
To thee, O Mitra, guardian of the sacred oath! Thou who upholdest the bonds between man and man. Thou who seest that promises are kept and contracts honored. In thee do men place their trust, knowing thee to be just and reliable.
To thee, O all the gods assembled! We raise this hymn in your praise and honor. Each of you holdeth dominion over a realm; each of you playeth a part in the great cosmic drama. Together ye form the circle of divinity that encompasseth all being. Accept our worship and our gratitude evermore.
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 V.44
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.
tam pratnathā pūrvathā viśvathemathā jyeṣṭhatātim barhiṣadaṁ svarvidam |
pratīcīnaṁ vṛjanaṁ dohase girāśuṁ jayantam anu yāsu vardhase || 1 ||
śriye sudṛśīr uparasya yāḥ svar virocamānaḥ kakubhām acodate |
sugopā asi na dabhāya sukrato paro māyābhir ṛta āsa nāma te || 2 ||
atyaṁ haviḥ sacate sac ca dhātu cāriṣṭagātuḥ sa hotā sahobhariḥ |
prasarsrāṇo anu barhir vṛṣā śiśur madhye yuvājaro visruhā hitaḥ || 3 ||
pra va ete suyujo yāmann iṣṭaye nīcīr amuṣmai yamya ṛtāvṛdhaḥ |
suyantubhiḥ sarvaśāsair abhīśubhiḥ krivir nāmāni pravaṇe muṣāyati || 4 ||
saṁjarbhurāṇas tarubhiḥ sutegṛbhaṁ vayākinaṁ cittagarbhāsu susvaruḥ |
dhāravākeṣv ṛjugātha śobhase vardhasva patnīr abhi jīvo adhvare || 5 ||
yādṛg eva dadṛśe tādṛg ucyate saṁ chāyayā dadhire sidhrayāpsv ā |
mahīm asmabhyam uruṣām uru jrayo bṛhat suvīram anapacyutaṁ sahaḥ || 6 ||
vety agrur janivān vā ati spṛdhaḥ samaryatā manasā sūryaḥ kaviḥ |
ghraṁsaṁ rakṣantam pari viśvato gayam asmākaṁ śarma vanavat svāvasuḥ || 7 ||
jyāyāṁsam asya yatunasya ketuna ṛṣisvaraṁ carati yāsu nāma te |
yādṛśmin dhāyi tam apasyayā vidad ya u svayaṁ vahate so araṁ karat || 8 ||
samudram āsām ava tasthe agrimā na riṣyati savanaṁ yasminn āyatā |
atrā na hārdi kravaṇasya rejate yatrā matir vidyate pūtabandhanī || 9 ||
sa hi kṣatrasya manasasya cittibhir evāvadasya yajatasya sadhreḥ |
avatsārasya spṛṇavāma raṇvabhiḥ śaviṣṭhaṁ vājaṁ viduṣā cid ardhyam || 10 ||
śyena āsām aditiḥ kakṣyo3 mado viśvavārasya yajatasya māyinaḥ |
sam anyam-anyam arthayanty etave vidur viṣāṇam paripānam anti te || 11 ||
sadāpṛṇo yajato vi dviṣo vadhīd bāhuvṛktaḥ śrutavit taryo vaḥ sacā |
ubhā sa varā praty eti bhāti ca yad īṁ gaṇam bhajate suprayāvabhiḥ || 12 ||
sutambharo yajamānasya satpatir viśvāsām ūdhaḥ sa dhiyām udañcanaḥ |
bharad dhenū rasavac chiśriye payo 'nubruvāṇo adhy eti na svapan || 13 ||
yo jāgāra tam ṛcaḥ kāmayante yo jāgāra tam u sāmāni yanti |
yo jāgāra tam ayaṁ soma āha tavāham asmi sakhye nyokāḥ || 14 ||
agnir jāgāra tam ṛcaḥ kāmayante 'gnir jāgāra tam u sāmāni yanti |
agnir jāgāra tam ayaṁ soma āha tavāham asmi sakhye nyokāḥ || 15 ||
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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