Hymn to Agni
Rigveda VIII.40 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 8 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.
Hearken, O Indra-Agni both, ye mighty gods combined!
One bringeth war and victory; one bringeth all mankind.
The thunderbolt is tempered with the sacred, purifying flame,
And both together, side by side, do guard the human frame.
Indra, destroyer of the foe! Agni, carrier of prayer!
Together ye remove all doubt; together ye repair
The broken world when demons rage and serpents seek to slay.
O mighty pair, O glorious pair, be present here this day!
The sacrifice is set alight by Agni's sacred fire.
The smoke doth rise and call to thee, O Indra, whom we desire.
The butter burneth on the flame; the hymns are raised on high.
The gods do gather at this feast; they hear our fervent cry.
What evil spirit dares to come against the thunderous twain?
What demon dares to raise his head when both of you do reign?
Indra's bolt would strike him down; Agni's flame would purify his sin—
There is no foe that both of you could not dispatch and spin.
The soma floweth pure and sweet upon the altar stone.
The priests have pressed it from the plant; its virtue is well known.
Come ye and drink and be refreshed, ye mighty powers both.
Accept our humble offering; behold, we do our oath.
Indra, grant us victory o'er all our enemies at last!
Agni, purify our home; let all our sorrows be cast.
The household where ye both are pleased shall never know the night
Of fear or hunger, pain or want—ye shall be our delight.
The Maruts dance beside thee, Indra, strong and swift in battle's fray.
The Aśvins ride with Agni as the sun ascends the day.
So all the gods do follow when these two are called upon.
So let them come this very hour, ere daylight yet is gone.
O Indra, thou art matchless in the powers that thou hast!
O Agni, thou dost purify the present and the past.
Together ye are all the gods—ye comprehend their might.
So grant us that complete protection that shall keep us bright.
The enemy shall fall before thy thunderbolt, O Indra bold!
The sin shall burn within the flame that Agni doth unfold.
So blessed shall be all those who make this offering to you,
Who sing these hymns in your great praise and to your honor true.
Grant us both offense and guard—the means to strike and strong defense!
Grant us the wisdom to fulfill all righteous violence.
Let enemies turn back their face; let all our foes retreat.
O Indra-Agni mighty pair, we bid thee, be complete!
The ritual is done at last; the gift hath been received.
The smoke hath borne our prayer on high; let all who have believed
In both your power be forever blessed with long and happy days.
Accept this hymn, accept our gifts, and grant us all thy grace.
O Indra, mighty thunderer! O Agni, burning bright!
Come down upon this household now and fill it with thy light.
Together shall ye guard us from the cradle to the grave.
So blessed are we, O mighty gods, with such a power to save.
The day is done; the night shall come; yet fear shall flee away,
For both of you do stand with us both night and every day.
O glorious and eternal pair, accept our hymn of praise!
Let us forever honor you throughout our all our days.
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 VIII.40
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.
indrāgnī yuvaṁ su naḥ sahantā dāsatho rayim |
yena dṛḻhā samatsv ā vīḻu cit sāhiṣīmahy agnir vaneva vāta in nabhantām anyake same || 1 ||
nahi vāṁ vavrayāmahe 'thendram id yajāmahe śaviṣṭhaṁ nṛṇāṁ naram |
sa naḥ kadā cid arvatā gamad ā vājasātaye gamad ā medhasātaye nabhantām anyake same || 2 ||
tā hi madhyam bharāṇām indrāgnī adhikṣitaḥ |
tā u kavitvanā kavī pṛcchyamānā sakhīyate saṁ dhītam aśnutaṁ narā nabhantām anyake same || 3 ||
abhy arca nabhākavad indrāgnī yajasā girā |
yayor viśvam idaṁ jagad iyaṁ dyauḥ pṛthivī mahy u1pasthe bibhṛto vasu nabhantām anyake same || 4 ||
pra brahmāṇi nabhākavad indrāgnibhyām irajyata |
yā saptabudhnam arṇavaṁ jihmabāram aporṇuta indra īśāna ojasā nabhantām anyake same || 5 ||
api vṛśca purāṇavad vratater iva guṣpitam ojo dāsasya dambhaya |
vayaṁ tad asya sambhṛtaṁ vasv indreṇa vi bhajemahi nabhantām anyake same || 6 ||
yad indrāgnī janā ime vihvayante tanā girā |
asmākebhir nṛbhir vayaṁ sāsahyāma pṛtanyato vanuyāma vanuṣyato nabhantām anyake same || 7 ||
yā nu śvetāv avo diva uccarāta upa dyubhiḥ |
indrāgnyor anu vratam uhānā yanti sindhavo yān sīm bandhād amuñcatāṁ nabhantām anyake same || 8 ||
pūrvīṣ ṭa indropamātayaḥ pūrvīr uta praśastayaḥ sūno hinvasya harivaḥ |
vasvo vīrasyāpṛco yā nu sādhanta no dhiyo nabhantām anyake same || 9 ||
taṁ śiśītā suvṛktibhis tveṣaṁ satvānam ṛgmiyam |
uto nu cid ya ojasā śuṣṇasyāṇḍāni bhedati jeṣat svarvatīr apo nabhantām anyake same || 10 ||
taṁ śiśītā svadhvaraṁ satyaṁ satvānam ṛtviyam |
uto nu cid ya ohata āṇḍā śuṣṇasya bhedaty ajaiḥ svarvatīr apo nabhantām anyake same || 11 ||
evendrāgnibhyām pitṛvan navīyo mandhātṛvad aṅgirasvad avāci |
tridhātunā śarmaṇā pātam asmān vayaṁ syāma patayo rayīṇām || 12 ||
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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