Hymn to Agni
Rigveda VII.4 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 7 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.
The dawn breaketh upon the eastern horizon, and Agni's light precedeth her. Like unto a maiden adorned with gold, the dawn shineth forth in splendor. Yet Agni's flames are even brighter; his radiance is even more glorious.
When darkness covereth the earth, mortals dwell in fear and uncertainty. The shadows seem to hide countless dangers; the silence seemeth pregnant with menace. But when Agni's flames arise, all is revealed. The darkness fleeth away like a cowardly foe; the shadows vanish as if they had never been.
Thy brightness filleth the universe, O Agni! From the highest heaven to the lowest earth, thy light penetrateth all places. There is no corner so dark that thy flames cannot reach it; there is no cavern so deep that thy radiance cannot illumine it.
The animals see thy light and know that day hath come. The birds hear thy crackle and begin their morning songs. The flowers turn their faces toward thee, as if thou wert the sun itself. All creation is called forth by thy brightness; all things awaken and rejoice.
More brilliant than a thousand stars, O Agni! More radiant than the full moon! Thy flames dance like the daughters of heaven; thy sparks leap like wild horses. Each coal gloweth with an inner light that seemeth almost alive. Thy beauty is fearful; thy splendor is overwhelming.
Yet even as we gaze upon thee, we are drawn closer. The warmth of thy flames attracteth us; the light of thy fire calleth to something deep within our hearts. We cannot turn away; we cannot remain indifferent. Thou hast a power over us that we do not fully understand.
In the morning, when the light first cometh, the worshippers gather around thee. They chant their prayers; they offer their gifts. They feel thy warmth; they see thy brightness. For a moment, the veil between earth and heaven is lifted. For a moment, we mortals can touch the divine.
Yet too soon the moment passeth. We must return to our labors; we must go forth into the world. But the memory remaineth; the warmth remaineth. Something of thee, O Agni, hath entered into us. We carry thy light within our hearts throughout the day.
Dispel the darkness, O Agni! Drive back the night! Let the sun arise in the east! Make the sky turn from black to blue to crimson! Let the whole world be filled with thy radiance!
We praise thee, O bringer of light! We honor thee, O dispeller of shadows! Thou art the friend of all creatures; thou art the enemy of darkness. Forever shall we sing thy praises; forever shall we call upon thee!
Thy flames reach upward toward the sky, seeking to touch the heavens. Thy smoke riseth like a prayer, carrying our desires to the gods. Each tendril of smoke is a word; each flame is a wish; each spark is a dream.
The gods see thy flames from their celestial palaces. They know that mortals below still remember them; they know that we still honor them. Thy fire is the bridge between earth and heaven; thy flames are the highway upon which the prayers travel.
O Agni, glory of the Vasiṣṭhas! Thou didst kindle in the heart of our ancestor Vasiṣṭha. Through him, thou didst bless his children and his children's children. Even now, his descendants kindle thee with the same reverence and the same love.
Accept this hymn, O radiant one! Let thy light shine forever! Let thy flames never fail! Be thou our guide, our guardian, and our friend! Accept our offerings and dwell with us in blessing!
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 VII.4
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.
pra vaḥ śukrāya bhānave bharadhvaṁ havyam matiṁ cāgnaye supūtam |
yo daivyāni mānuṣā janūṁṣy antar viśvāni vidmanā jigāti || 1 ||
sa gṛtso agnis taruṇaś cid astu yato yaviṣṭho ajaniṣṭa mātuḥ |
saṁ yo vanā yuvate śucidan bhūri cid annā sam id atti sadyaḥ || 2 ||
asya devasya saṁsady anīke yam martāsaḥ śyetaṁ jagṛbhre |
ni yo gṛbham pauruṣeyīm uvoca durokam agnir āyave śuśoca || 3 ||
ayaṁ kavir akaviṣu pracetā marteṣv agnir amṛto ni dhāyi |
sa mā no atra juhuraḥ sahasvaḥ sadā tve sumanasaḥ syāma || 4 ||
ā yo yoniṁ devakṛtaṁ sasāda kratvā hy a1gnir amṛtām̐ atārīt |
tam oṣadhīś ca vaninaś ca garbham bhūmiś ca viśvadhāyasam bibharti || 5 ||
īśe hy a1gnir amṛtasya bhūrer īśe rāyaḥ suvīryasya dātoḥ |
mā tvā vayaṁ sahasāvann avīrā māpsavaḥ pari ṣadāma māduvaḥ || 6 ||
pariṣadyaṁ hy araṇasya rekṇo nityasya rāyaḥ patayaḥ syāma |
na śeṣo agne anyajātam asty acetānasya mā patho vi dukṣaḥ || 7 ||
nahi grabhāyāraṇaḥ suśevo 'nyodaryo manasā mantavā u |
adhā cid okaḥ punar it sa ety ā no vājy abhīṣāḻ etu navyaḥ || 8 ||
tvam agne vanuṣyato ni pāhi tvam u naḥ sahasāvann avadyāt |
saṁ tvā dhvasmanvad abhy etu pāthaḥ saṁ rayiḥ spṛhayāyyaḥ sahasrī || 9 ||
etā no agne saubhagā didīhy api kratuṁ sucetasaṁ vatema |
viśvā stotṛbhyo gṛṇate ca santu yūyam pāta svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ || 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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