Rigveda — Oldest Sacred Text of Hinduism: Summary, Key Hymns & Spiritual Significance

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्

Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt

Meaning: We meditate upon the glorious radiance of the divine Savitṛ (Sun), who illuminates the three worlds (bhūr, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ); may He inspire and enlighten our intellects.

सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वा अऽत्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम् ॥ पुरुष एवेदं सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भव्यम् । उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यदन्नेनातिरोहति ॥

Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt | sa bhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvā'tyatiṣṭhaddaśāṅgulam || Puruṣa evedaṃ sarvaṃ yadbhūtaṃ yacca bhavyam | utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yadannenaatirohati ||

Meaning: The Cosmic Person (Puruṣa) has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet; He pervades the universe and extends ten fingers beyond. The Puruṣa alone is all this — what was, what is, and what will be; He is the lord of immortality, which He transcends through sacrificial offering.

नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् । किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥ न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः । आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किञ्चनास ॥

Nāsad āsīn no sad āsīt tadānīṃ nāsid rajo no vyomā paro yat | kim āvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmann ambhaḥ kim āsīd gahanaṃ gabhīram || Na mṛtyur āsīd amṛtaṃ na tarhi na rātryā ahna āsīt praketaḥ | ānīd avātaṃ svadhayā tad ekaṃ tasmād dhānyan na paraḥ kiṃ canāsa ||

Meaning: Then neither non-existence nor existence was; there was no realm of air, no sky beyond. What covered it? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, unfathomable and deep? There was neither death nor immortality then; no sign of night or day. That One breathed windlessly by its own power; apart from it, nothing whatsoever existed.

अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम् । होतारं रत्नधातमम् ॥

Agniṃ īḷe purohitaṃ yajñasya devam ṛtvijam | hotāraṃ ratnadhātamam ||

Meaning: I invoke Agni, the domestic priest (purohita), the divine minister (ṛtvij) of the sacrifice, the invoker (hotṛ), the bestower of highest treasure.

अहं राष्ट्री संगमनी वसूनाम् चिकितुषी प्रथमा यज्ञियानाम् । तां मा देवा व्यदधुः पुरुत्रा भूरिदा भूर्यावी भूर्यहं ददामि ॥

Ahaṃ rāṣṭrī saṅgamanī vasūnāṃ cikituṣī prathamā yajñiyānām | Tāṃ mā devā vyadadhuḥ purutrā bhūridā bhūryāvī bhūryahaṃ dadāmi ||

Meaning: I am the Queen, the gatherer of treasures, the first among those worthy of sacrifice. The gods placed me in many places; I enter and dwell in many forms. I bestow abundance on the giver, I am the abundant one, I give abundantly.

श्रद्धाया देवा श्रद्धां तपन्ति सूर्यं चन्द्रमसम् । श्रद्धां वा वयं मनुष्याः काङ्क्षमहे काङ्क्षितं वरम् ॥ श्रद्धां प्रातरनुव्रज श्रद्धां सायं परि व्रज । श्रद्धामिन्द्रं बृहस्पतिं श्रद्धां वा वयं वयम् ॥

Śraddhayā devā śraddhāṃ tapanti sūryaṃ candramasam | Śraddhāṃ vā vayaṃ manuṣyāḥ kāṅkṣimahe kāṅkṣitaṃ varam || Śraddhāṃ prātaranuvraja śraddhāṃ sāyaṃ pari vraja | Śraddhām indraṃ bṛhaspatiṃ śraddhāṃ vā vayaṃ vayam ||

Meaning: Through faith (śraddhā) the gods kindle the sun and moon. We humans, through faith, desire the desired boon. Follow faith in the morning, follow faith in the evening. Faith is Indra, faith is Bṛhaspati; we are faith itself.