Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

Rig Veda · 366 of 1027

Mandala 5: HYMN XII. Agni.

1.To Agni, lofty Asura, meet for worship, Steer of eternal Law, my prayer I offer; I bring my song directed to the Mighty like pure oil for his mouth at sacrifices.

2.Mark the Law, thou who knowest, yea, observe it: send forth the full streams of eternal Order. I use no sorcery with might or falsehood the sacred Law of the Red Steer I follow.

3.How hast thou, follower of the Law eternal, become the knower of a new song, Agni? The God, the Guardian of the seasons, knows me: the Lord of him who won this wealth I know not.

4.Who, Agni, in alliance with thy foeman, what splendid helpers won for them their riches? Agni, who guard the dwelling-place of falsehood? Who are protectors of the speech of liars?

5.Agni, those friends of thine have turned them from thee: gracious of old, they have become ungracious. They have deceived themselves by their own speeches, uttering wicked words against the righteous.

6.He who pays sacrifice to thee with homage, O Agni, keeps the Red Steer’s Law eternal; Wide is his dwelling. May the noble offspring of Nahuṣa who wandered forth come hither.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn accuse some of Agni’s friends of guarding falsehood and turning ungracious?

The hymn says those companions of Agni have “turned them from thee” and “uttered wicked words against the righteous,” portraying a moral rupture: allies who once served the sacrificial order now protect “the speech of liars.” The poet frames this as a betrayal of the Red Steer’s Law, since Agni is “Steer of eternal Law” and patrons who honor him keep that Law and a “wide…dwelling.”

This complaint is a ritual and ethical claim: fidelity to Agni equals fidelity to ṛta, the cosmic order, and deviation becomes social corruption. The tension echoes debates in later Vedic texts like the Gṛhyasūtras, which link correct ritual conduct to social standing and condemn those who subvert sacrificial norms.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.