Rig Veda · 78 of 1027
Mandala 1: HYMN LXXVIII. Agni.
1.O JĀTAVEDAS, keen and swift, we Gotamas with sacred song exalt thee for thy glories’ sake.
2.Thee, as thou art, desiring wealth Gotama worships with his song: We laud thee for thy glories’ sake.
3.As such, like Aṅgiras we call on thee best winner of the spoil: We laud thee for thy glories’ sake.
4.Thee, best of Vṛtra-slayers, thee who shakest off our Dasyu foes: We laud thee for thy glories’ sake.
5.A pleasant song to Agni we, sons of Rahūgaṅa, have sung: We laud thee for thy glories’ sake.
Asked of Guide
Why do these verses repeat “We laud thee for thy glories' sake” so insistently?
The hymn uses repeated refrain—“We laud thee for thy glories’ sake”—to fix attention on Agni’s role: mediator, warrior, and wealth-bestower. Repetition makes the invocation communal and ritual, turning praise into a steady offering each time the rishi names a function of Agni.
This pattern matches other Rig Veda hymns where refrain binds verses into one liturgical act; see Mandala 1, Hymn LXX for similar technique. The effect is practical: the circle of praise keeps the deity present across images—Jātavedas, Vṛtra-slayer, best winner—so the household or fire-rite continually reasserts Agni’s power.
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