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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 74 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN LXXIV. Agni.

1.As forth to sacrifice we go, a hymn to a hymn let us say, Who hears us even when afar;

2.Who, from of old, in carnage, when the people gathered, hath preserved His household for the worshipper.

3.And let men say, Agni is born, e’en he who slayeth Vṛtra, he Who winneth wealth in every fight.

4.Him in whose house an envoy thou lovest to taste his offered gifts, And strengthenest his sacrifice,

5.Him, Aṅgiras, thou Son of Strength, all men call happy in his God, His offerings, and his sacred grass.

6.Hitherward shalt thou bring these Gods to our laudation and to taste. These offered gifts, fair-shining One.

7.When, Agni, on thine embassage thou goest not a sound is heard of steed or straining of thy car.

8.Aided by thee uninjured, strong, one after other, goes he forth: Agni, the offerer forward steps.

9.And splendid strength, heroic, high, Agni, thou grantest from the Gods, Thou God, to him who offers gifts.

Asked of Guide

Why does this hymn call Agni an envoy who brings gods to the offerings?

The hymn describes Agni as the mediator who carries offerings and the gods’ presence: “Hitherward shalt thou bring these Gods to our laudation and to taste.” It presents Agni’s movement—silent on his chariot, bearing gifts—as the ritual fact by which worshippers and deities meet.

Calling Agni an envoy explains his power: he preserves households, strengthens sacrifice, and grants “splendid strength” to the offerer. This role matches what Max Müller and other translators note about Agni in the Rig Veda as the priestly carrier of oblations and the link between mortals and gods.

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