Rigveda

By Rajbali Pandey

?Veda? literally means ?knowledge? in Sanskrit. It is because the term was derived when the ancients thought of putting their experiences in an organised manner. It can?t be said in the written form because it is certain that in that hoary past period writing had not been invented. Nevertheless, the four of them, viz. Rigveda, Saamveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda, are known to contain the pristine gems of Indian wisdom. They appear universally important because they constitute one of the first records of the human ?awakened? experiences. They can be said to be the very fount of Indian wisdom. It is their status, apart from the contents, that made them universally popular. The German indologist, Max Mueller, almost devoted his entire lifetime in explaining to the west the gems that they contain. While their extreme significance cannot be denied, a few words need to be written for explaining the reason behind undertaking this project of revealing before the curious readers their Sookta or Aphorism-wise translation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diamond Books
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9788128822780

Book preview

First Canto

Sooktas dedicated to Agni

Sookta 1: I hymn Agni (fire), the priest in the Yagna, the one who invokes the deities to the Yagna and bears the fruit of the sacrifice. Seers and sages of ancient times as well as today hymn the glories of mighty Agni. It is only through Agni that the host of this Yagna gets all the benefits of wealth, fame and prosperity. O Agni! Please be gracious to us and come to this Yagna. Bring along all the deities responsible for the welfare of the host performing this sacrifice.

Sookta 12: O messenger of the Gods, the one who invokes the deities, the authority on all the material riches and the one who grace lets a Yagya get consummated! O Agni, we choose you and invoke you to receive our oblations. Please incinerate our enemies. Your manifestations in the form of Krantidarshi Agni and Juhumukh Agni are fired by you. O singers and learned men! Let us sing the praise of Agni!

O Lord of all oblations and offerings! Protect the host and his sacrifice, so that the oblations may be duly apportioned to the deities. Be propitiated by our hymns, sung in the Gayatri meter and give s wealth and progeny. Please accept our hymn and bless us!

Sookta 13: O Agni ablaze! Take our Yagya to its culmination. You are the bringer of happiness and welfare. Take our honeyed oblations to the respective deities. Keep open the gates of this sacrifice and let Ila and Saraswati take their seats on the Kusha asana. I invoke Twashta to this grand performance, endow us with Soma juice and let the deities receive their due oblations.

Sookta 14: O Agni! Come to this Yagna with the other deities and imbibe the Soma nectar. The progeny of Kanva invokes you to come and complete this yajna. Let us hymn the glories of Indra, Vayu, Brihaspai, Mitra, Agni, Poosha, Bhaag, the Adityas and Murdganas. O divine lord Agni! May these deities imbibe Soma juice through your tongue!

Sookta 24: First of all, I invoke the Fire God, among all deities. It is you who lets me dwell on the earth and look after my parents. I invoke the Sun god, the master of all riches! Bless us O lord, so that we may grow in wealth. I invoke Varuna, by whose command the moon shines brightly at night. He is the master of all herbs. May the lord grant me a long, healthy life! May he release the fetters around us, so that we may remain devoted to this yajna and transcend all sins and merits!

Sookta 26: O Agni, who nourishes all cereals fit to be used in a Yajna! We invoke you with hymns and prayers. Come and grace this sacrifice as you came to the yajna performed by Manu, Indra, Varuna and Aryama. Give us our desired reward, as a friend gives to another friend and a father gives to his son. Let us be dear to you. O Agni! Kindly accept our hymns and endow us with cereals.

Sookta 27: O Agni! You are the emperor of this Yagna. You are the son of energy, travelling fast, like the steed with a comely tail. Please fulfill our desires and protect us. May you bestow us with cereals available in the divine realms and all the riches of the earth! We realize your power and hymn your glories. We bow to all divinities. Please accept our prayers!

Sookta 31: O Agni! You are the primal sage of the Angira Gotra. In order to bless the world with your divine grace, you manifest yourself in a variety of forms. Your presence in the Yagya performed by the deities; helped them consummate their Yagna. It was you who granted a beautiful fruit to Puroorva. Your actions bred the Murdganas. You are the one who bestows the earth with cereals. Your gracious blessings instill courage in the cowards and confirm the birth of a male child. Your blessings condone our sins and you shower the host with all kinds of material benefits and happiness. You were born as the son of Angira and through the medium of Ila, you discoursed on religion for the benefit of Manu. O gracious lord Agni! Forgive us for the lapses that we might have committed in performing this Yajna and bless us.

Sookta 36: Varuna, Mitra and Aryama enhance the dazzling flames of Agni. Those who desire to defeat their enemy invariably invoke the Fire God and seek his divine grace. Indra, the master of rains, has also selected Agni. O Agni! Please grant us wealth and protect us from our enemies. We bow to you and praise your glory.

Sookta 44: O immortal Agni! Grant us sustainable wealth and bring the deities close to us. Smoke is your holy flag and your flames shine the like waves of an ocean in the holy altar. O Agni! The host of this oblation invokes you to accept his oblation.

Sookta 45: O Agni! We bow to thee. Begin this Yagna with the blessings of the Vasus, the Rudras and the Adityas. Bring the thirty three divinities to this sacrifice. The host of this Yagna invokes you to grace this sacrifice and accept his oblation. We invite you and the Gods to imbibe the sacred food prepared from the Soma nectar.

Sookta 56: O Agni! You permeate all men and reside in their navel as the fire of hunger. You are the master of the realm existing between the earth and sky. The men serve and worship you in order to get rains. The son of Shatani, Raja Puruneetha, had also hymned Agni through many yagnas, in order to attain his desired wishes.

Sookta 58: When Agni was chosen as the messenger of this yagya, to carry forward the oblations, it was he who created the realm of space. Carrying forward the oblations, Agni took his position before the Rudras and the Vasus. When the learned men hymn and invoke the fire god, he bestows them with divine grace and enriches them with wealth. Agni is immortal, ageless and beyond decay. All animate and inanimate beings are scared of Agni. I request the fire god to grant me wealth. May he protect us and wash away our sins!

Sookta 60: Agni is established at the consecrated spot at the venue of the yagna. Like a rider cleaning his horse before the journey, we cleanse the altar and purify the Agni. Let the hymns emerging from our life breath surround Agni from all sides. Let Matarishwa bring Agni close to us as a friend of Bhrigu's descendents. The host who offers oblation and the Gods desirous of getting their holy share from the sacrifice bow before Agni and praise the fire god. O Agni! Help us to get our desires fulfilled and light our path to eternal wisdom.

Sookta 65: Just as the divinities shower you with blessings, you must take their share of oblations to them. When Agni was absconding, the deities searched him, following the trail of his deeds. In his quest, Indra landed on the earth, which became as good as heaven. Agni who is the first to arise in the morning is as pleasant as the swan reposing on the surface of water. Both Agni and water always seek our welfare. Like Soma, Agni resides deep in the heart of every herb and vegetation.

Sookta 66: Agni is the jewel of the Yagya site, like a wife adorns her household, like a ripe fruit fit to be consumed instantly. It is as caring as a son and the life giver of vital breath. Having myriad forms, he is quite daunting in war, providing us reinforcement at every moment. Like a cow eventually reaches its home, we reach close to Agni with our offerings for the sacrifice.

Sookta 67: Agni, who permeates the Sun, the earth, space and sky, showers his grace upon those who adhere by truth. The lord of all vegetation, he is a faithful companion of the worthy. He is the lord of cereals, the one who causes the petals, leaves and fruits to sprout.

Sookta 68: When the Agni is enkindled, the animate and inanimate beings become effulgent. O Agni! You are the lord of all hosts, the descendents of Manu and all the wealth that they command. The hosts of the sacrifice follow the instructions of Agni as a son obeys his father's commands.

Sookta 69: Like the dawning Sun, Agni enlightens all things evenly. Even though he is the messenger of deities, he is like a sire to them, nourishing and nurturing them like cow's milk, which makes every edible product tasty. The yagyas dedicated to Agni cannot be disturbed or destroyed even by the demons.

Sookta 70: O Agni! Please protect and nurture all beings as you are well acquainted with the basic instincts of men and Gods. Just as the king protects his subjects and his kingdom, may Agni be a chivalrous archer, causing fear in the heart of enemies and lead us on the right path!

Sookta 71: The fingers offering oblation to Agni experience a divine satisfaction in performing the service, just as the rays of the Sun servicing dawn, or the satisfaction a woman experiences on the consummation of her marriage. When the winds churn up Agni, a more beautiful and vibrant form is illuminated. Like the seven major rivers, merging into the ocean, the various materials collected for sacred oblations get consigned to Agni. Let the consumed cereals get properly digested and produce energy to create semen, which gives birth to a son who fulfills all necessary auspicious rites to carry on the lineage.

Sookta 72: Agni, the master of all prosperities, bestows his blessings on all those who hymn his praise. The hosts worship Agni with twenty one elements and in return, Agni protects their health and wealth. It is by the grace of Agni, that Sarama could get cow's milk from the Angiras. O Agni! May thou keep us away from old age and disease!

Sookta 73: Agni is a benevolent bestower of cereals and deserves to be offered all the necessary oblations. He is like a guest who brings prosperity to the home of the host. Like the sun, it graces the entire world. Agni has a soothing effect on the self, just as the body soothes the soul. O Agni! May our hymns please you!

Sookta 74: O Agni! We pray to thee. All of us present in this Yagya hymn unto you. You are the destroyer of enemies and protector of our wealth. May you grant effulgence and abundant wealth to the host of this sacrifice!

Sookta 75: O ever friendly Agni! You deserve ovations and praise from all your friends. Let this Yagya, dedicated to Mitra, Varuna and other deities, be completed for our sake. Please depart to the sacrificial venue to complete the ceremony and grant our wishes.

Sookta 76: O Aagni! May thou be our foremost leader! Please escort Lord Indra to this sacrifice, so that we may treat him lavishly. Be seated with the other Gods at the altar and be our Hotar priest, who offers oblation.

Sookta 77: O hosts of this holy sacrifice! Make Agni shower his blessings upon us, as we eulogize and praise him. May Agni, the lord of this ceremony, become strong by imbibing the Soma juice offered by the sages! He is the omniscient lord, the chief deity of this sacrifice.

Sookta 78: O Agni! Our knowledge received from the Vedas is responsible for your birth. We hymn your glories, just as Sage Gautam of the lunar dynasty. Please displace the dacoits and the non-Aryanas from their position. We praise you with sweet words and eulogies.

Sookta 79: O Agni! You are the electricity in the clouds which produce rain. Just as you nourish the vegetation on earth, may your blessings always lead us to greater prosperity, destroying our enemies near and far! Please accept our hymns in the Gayatri meter.

Sookta 93: O Soma! O Agni! Please endow the host of this Yagna with a healthy, wealthy and blissful life. Bless him with a noble lineage of worthy sons and grandsons. May our cattle and horses be strong, healthy and free from diseases! You have redeemed the rivers from the sin of killing a Brahmana. Accept our service in the form of oblations and dispel the fear of diseases from our mind. Grant us power and endow our Yagya with all kinds of riches.

Sookta 94: As a carpenter carefully carves out a chariot, we carve out words of praise and reverence for the fire god. We offer you our oblations at every festive occasion. You are the ultimate objective of this Yagya and the final purifier. May this