Rig Veda · 367 of 1027
Mandala 5: HYMN XIII. Agni.
1.WITH songs of praise we call on thee, we kindle thee with songs of praise, Agni, with songs of praise, for help.
2.Eager for wealth, we meditate Agni’s effectual praise to-day, Praise of the God who touches heaven.
3.May Agni, Priest among mankind, take pleasure in our songs of praise, And worship the Celestial Folk.
4.Thou, Agni, art spread widely forth, Priest dear and excellent; through thee Men make the sacrifice complete.
5.Singers exalt thee, Agni, well lauded, best giver of our strength: So grant thou us heroic might.
6.Thou Agni, as the felly rings the spokes, encompassest the Gods. I yearn for bounty manifold.
Asked of Guide
Why is Agni called a Priest among mankind and linked to both sacrifice and the Gods here?
The hymn presents Agni as the mediator who makes sacrifice complete: “Priest dear and excellent; through thee Men make the sacrifice complete.” Agni carries human offerings upward and, by being “spread widely forth” and encircling the gods like a wheel, connects the earthly ritual to the celestial assembly.
Calling Agni Priest stresses function rather than personhood—Agni performs the ritual role of intercession and sustenance. This matches themes in the Bhagavad‑Gita where sacrifice and duty bind human acts to cosmic order, showing ritual action as a bridge between people and the divine.
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