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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 13 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN XIII. Agni

1.AGNI, well-kindled, bring the Gods for him who offers holy gifts. Worship them, Purifier, Priest.

2.Son of Thyself, present, O Sage, our sacrifice to the Gods today. Sweet to the taste, that they may feast.

3.Dear Narāśaṁsa, sweet of tongue, the giver of oblations, I Invoke to this our sacrifice.

4.Agni, on thy most easy car, glorified, hither bring the Gods: Manu appointed thee as Priest.

5.Strew, O ye wise, the sacred grass that drips with oil, in order due, Where the Immortal is beheld.

6.Thrown open be the Doors Divine, unfailing, that assist the rite, For sacrifice this day and now.

7.I call the lovely Night and Dawn to seat them on the holy grass At this our solemn sacrifice.

8.The two Invokers I invite, the wise, divine and sweet of tongue, To celebrate this our sacrifice.

9.Iḷā, Sarasvatī, Mahī, three Goddesses who bring delight, Be seated, peaceful, on the grass.

10.Tvaṣṭar I call, the earliest born, the wearer of all forms at will: May he be ours and ours alone.

11.God, Sovran of the Wood, present this our oblation to the Gods, And let the giver be renowned.

12.With Svāhā pay the sacrifice to Indra in the offerer’s house: Thither I call the Deities.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn call Agni repeatedly to bring the Gods to the sacrifice?

The hymn treats Agni as the ritual mediator: „Agni, well-kindled, bring the Gods,“ because Agni carries offerings and summons deities to the ritual hearth. Lines like “Son of Thyself, present, O Sage, our sacrifice” show Agni is invoked as priest and courier whose presence makes the sacrifice effective.

The poet layers invitations—Night, Dawn, Sarasvatī, Tvaṣṭar—around Agni to populate the ritual space; Agni is the focal channel through which these invited powers receive the oblation. This matches how the Rig Veda consistently locates efficacy in the sacrificial fire as in other hymns where Agni is both messenger and host.

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