Maa Kali dressed with lights, flowers, and the scythe of the shrine.

Sacred Learning

ṚV 1.1.1 (Śākala saṃhitā)

ṚV 1.1.1 (Śākala saṃhitā)

ṚV 1.1.1 (Śākala saṃhitā)

Canonical source text

अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम् । होतारं रत्नधातमम् ॥

IAST transliteration

agnim īḷe purohitaṃ yajñasya devam ṛtvijam | hotāraṃ ratnadhātamam ||

Close translation

I praise Agni, the priest set in front, god of the rite, the invoker, most rich in treasure.

Reader-friendly meaning

The saṃhitā opens by naming fire as the one who stands first at the rite and carries the offering.

Meenananda editorial explanation

In this house the first ṛk is a greeting: sit before the flame as a guest sits before the Guru.

Word meanings

  • अग्निम् — Agni
  • ईळे — I praise
  • पुरोहितम् — the one placed in front

Śākala Ṛgveda 1.1.1 as printed in public-domain saṃhitā editions. Sanskrit: public domain. Foundation translations: CC BY-SA 4.0.