Rig Veda · 97 of 1027
Mandala 1: HYMN XCVII. Agni.
1.CHASING with light our sin away, O Agni, shine thou wealth on us. May his light chase our sin away.
2.For goodly fields, for pleasant homes, for wealth we sacrifice to thee. May his light chase our sin away.
3.Best praiser of all these be he; foremost, our chiefs who sacrifice. May his light chase our sin away.
4.So that thy worshippers and we, thine, Agni, in our sons may live. May his light chase our sin away.
5.As ever-conquering Agni’s beams of splendour go to every side, May his light chase our sin away.
6.To every side thy face is turned, thou art triumphant everywhere. May his light chase our sin away.
7.O thou whose face looks every way, bear us past foes as in a ship. May his light chase our sin away.
8.As in a ship, convey thou us for our advantage o’er the flood. May his light chase our sin away.
Asked of Guide
Why does this hymn repeat “May his light chase our sin away” so often?
The hymn makes Agni’s light the central action: each stanza asks Agni to cleanse, protect, and grant prosperity, so the repeated line becomes a ritual refrain that refocuses every petition on purification. Repetition here is functional—each invocation of wealth, chiefs, offspring, triumph, and safe passage returns to the single salvific image of light chasing sin away.
This pattern appears elsewhere in the Vedas where a recurring line secures the community’s intent; compare the repetitive refrains in other hymns of Mandala 1 that bind varied requests to one sustaining divine act. Naming Agni’s light ties concrete needs to a single sacred power able to purify and deliver.
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.