Rig Veda · 21 of 1027
Mandala 1: HYMN XXI. Indra-Agni.
1.INDRA and Agni I invoke fain are we for their song of praise: Chief Soma-drinkers are they both.
2.Praise ye, O men, and glorify Indra-Agni in the holy rites: Sing praise to them in sacred songs.
3.Indra and Agni we invite, the Soma-drinkers, for the fame Of Mitra, to the Soma-draught.
4.Strong Gods, we bid them come to this libation that stands ready here: Indra and Agni, come to us.
5.Indra and Agni, mighty Lords of our assembly, crush the fiends: Childless be the devouring ones.
6.Watch ye, through this your truthfulness, there in the place of spacious view Indra and Agni, send us bliss.
Asked of Guide
Why are Indra and Agni called “Soma-drinkers” and invited together in this hymn?
The hymn names Indra and Agni as “Soma-drinkers” because both partake in the sacrificial Soma and thereby embody the ritual power poured at the rite; the text repeats invitations—“we invite…the Soma-drinkers”—to bring the divine presence into the libation. Their shared drinking links Indra’s martial, world-shaping might with Agni’s mediating role as sacrificial priest who carries offerings to the gods.
Calling them together concentrates communal purpose: praise, protection, and blessing are asked through their combined agency—“come to this libation that stands ready here.” This pairing resembles other Vedic hymns where gods act as a team to secure prosperity and ward off foes, a dynamic echoed across the Rig Veda’s collaborative deity-pairs.
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