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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 96 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN XCVI. Agni.

1.HE in the ancient way by strength engendered, lo! straight hath taken to himself all wisdom. The waters and the bowl have made him friendly. The Gods possessed the wealth bestowing Agni.

2.At Āyu’s ancient call he by his wisdom gave all this progeny of men their being, And, by refulgent light, heaven and the waters. The Gods possessed the wealth. bestowing Agni.

3.Praise him, ye Āryan folk, as chief performer of sacrifice adored and ever toiling, Well-tended, Son of Strength, the Constant Giver. The Gods possessed the wealth bestowing Agni.

4.That Mātariśvan rich in wealth and treasure, light-winner, finds a pathway for his offspring. Guard of our folk, Father of earth and heaven. The Gods possessed the wealth bestowing Agni.

5.Night and Dawn, changing each the other’s colour, meeting together suckle one same Infant: Golden between the heaven and earth he shineth. The Gods possessed the wealth bestowing Agni.

6.Root of wealth, gathering-place of treasures, banner of sacrifice, who grants the suppliant’s wishes: Preserving him as their own life immortal, the Gods possessed the wealth-bestowing Agni.

7.Now and of old the home of wealth, the mansion of what is born and what was born aforetime, Guard of what is and what will be hereafter,—the Gods possessed the wealth bestowing Agni.

8.May the Wealth-Giver grant us conquering riches; may the Wealth-Giver grant us wealth with heroes. May the Wealth-Giver grant us food with offspring, and length of days may the Wealth-Giver send us.

9.Fed with our fuel, purifying Agni, so blaze to us auspiciously for glory. This prayer of ours may Varuṇa grant, and Mitra, and Aditi and Sindhu, Earth and Heaven.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn keep calling Agni “the wealth-bestowing” and say “The Gods possessed the wealth bestowing Agni” repeatedly?

The hymn presents Agni as the sacred fire who concentrates prosperity: he is “Root of wealth, gathering-place of treasures” and “banner of sacrifice,” the medium through which offerings become blessing. Repeating “The Gods possessed the wealth bestowing Agni” insists that the gods claim Agni as their source of bounty and power, so worship of Agni secures wealth, offspring, and longevity for the worshippers.

The poem connects Agni’s role to cosmic ordering—he brings light between heaven and earth, guides the offspring, and is “Guard of our folk, Father of earth and heaven.” That sacrificial function echoes what Max Müller and later translators note about Vedic rites: fire transforms human gift into divine favor, making Agni both intermediary and the very treasury the gods hold.

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