Rig Veda · 247 of 1027
Mandala 3: HYMN XIII. Agni.
1.To Agni, to this God of yours I sing aloud with utmost power. May he come to us with the Gods, and sit, best Offerer, on the grass.
2.The Holy, whose are earth and heaven, and succour waits upon his strength; Him men who bring oblations laud, and they who wish to gain, for grace.
3.He is the Sage who guides these men, Leader of sacred rites is he. Him your own Agni, serve ye well, who winneth and bestoweth wealth.
4.So may the gracious Agni grant most goodly shelter for our use; Whence in the heavens or in the floods he shall pour wealth upon our lands.
5.The singers kindle him, the Priest, Agni the Lord of tribes of men, Resplendent and without a peer through his own excellent designs.
6.Help us, thou Brahman, best of all invokers of the Gods in song. Beam, Friend of Maruts, bliss on us, O Agni, a most liberal God.
7.Yea, grant us treasure thousandfold with children and with nourishment, And, Agni, splendid hero strength, exalted, wasting not away.
Asked of Guide
Why do the hymns call Agni both 'Sage' and 'Leader of sacred rites' here?
The hymn presents Agni as an active presence who mediates between humans and gods: he is the one “who guides these men” and the “Leader of sacred rites,” so his intelligence is practical — a guiding, ceremonial wisdom that makes sacrifice effective. Calling him “Sage” names his role in ordering ritual action and dispensing wealth and shelter; the poem treats liturgical competence as a kind of sacred knowing embodied in Agni.
This portrayal matches other Vedic passages where Agni functions as priest, messenger, and patron, especially in Mandala 1 and the later Brāhmaṇas that elaborate his priestly office. The idea is continuous: Agni’s wisdom is ritual authority, the power that organizes sacrifice and secures divine favor.
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.