The first Mandala ("book") of the Rigveda has 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 10, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda. Its composition likely dates to the late Vedic period (1000-500 BCE) or the Early Iron Age (around 1000 BCE).

Contents

Hymn 1.1 is addressed to Agni, arranged so that the name of this god is the first word of the Rigveda. The remaining hymns are mainly addressed to Agni and Indra. Hymns 1.154 to 1.156 are addressed to Vishnu. Hymn 1.3 is dedicated to the Ashvins. Hymn 1.164.46, part of a hymn to the Vishvadevas, is often quoted as an example of emerging monism or monotheism. It forms the basis for the well-known statement "Truth is one, sages call it by various names":

Interpretation

Max Muller described the character of the Vedic hymns as a form of henotheism, in which "numerous deities are successively praised as if they were one ultimate God." According to Graham, in the Vedic society it was believed that humans could contact the gods through the spoken utterances of the Vedic seers, and "the One Real" (ekam sat) in 1.164.46 refers to Vāc, both "speech" and goddess of speech, the "one ultimate, supreme God", and "one supreme Goddess." In later Vedic literature, "Speech or utterance is also identified with the supreme power or transcendent reality," and "equated with Brahman in this sense." Frauwallner states that "many gods are traced back to the one Godhead. The one (ekam) is not meant adjectively as a quality but as a substantive, as the upholding centre of reality." The Vedic henotheism may have grown out of a growing recognition of a "unitary essence beyond all the deities," in which the deities were conceptualized as pluralistic manifestations of the same divine essence beyond this plurality. The Vedic era conceptualization of the divine or the One, states Jeaneane Fowler, is more abstract than a monotheistic God, it is the Reality behind the phenomenal universe, which it treats as "limitless, indescribable, absolute principle", thus the Vedic divine is something of a panentheism. In late Vedic era, with the start of Upanishadic age (~800-600 BCE), from the henotheistic, panentheistic concepts emerge the concepts which scholars variously call nondualism or monism, as well as forms of non-theism.

Selected hymns

<!-- # List of incipits The dedication as given by Griffith is in square brackets 1.1 (1) [ [Agni](https://bliptext.com/articles/agni).] agním īḷe puróhitaṃ 1.2 (2) [ [Vayu](https://bliptext.com/articles/vayu).] vâyav â yāhi darśata 1.3 (3) [ [Asvins](https://bliptext.com/articles/asvins).] áśvinā yájvarīr íṣo 1.4 (4) [ [Indra](https://bliptext.com/articles/indra).] surūpakṛtnúm ūtáye 1.5 (5) [Indra.] â tú ! étā ní ṣīdata 1.6 (6) [Indra.] yuñjánti bradhnám aruṣáṃ 1.7 (7) [Indra.] índram íd gāthíno bṛhád 1.8 (8) [Indra.] â indra sānasíṃ rayíṃ 1.9 (9) [Indra.] índréhi mátsi ándhaso 1.10 (10) [Indra.] gâyanti tvā gāyatríṇo 1.11 (11) [Indra.] índraṃ víśvā avīvṛdhan 1.12 (12) [Agni.] agníṃ dūtáṃ vṛṇīmahe 1.13 (13) [Agni.] súsamiddho na â vaha 1.14 (14) [ [Visvedevas](https://bliptext.com/articles/visvedevas).] aíbhir agne dúvo gíro 1.15 (15) [ [Rtu](https://bliptext.com/articles/rtu).] índra sómam píba rtúnā 1.16 (16) [Indra.] â tvā vahantu hárayo 1.17 (17) [Indra-[Varuna](https://bliptext.com/articles/varuna).] índrāváruṇayor aháṃ 1.18 (18) [ [Brahmanaspati](https://bliptext.com/articles/brahmanaspati).] somânaṃ suáraṇaṃ 1.19 (19) [Agni, [Maruts](https://bliptext.com/articles/maruts).] práti tyáṃ cârum adhvaráṃ 1.20 (20) [ [Rbhus](https://bliptext.com/articles/rbhus).] ayáṃ devâya jánmane 1.21 (21) [Indra-Agni.] ihéndrāgnî úpa hvaye 1.22 (22) [Asvins and Others.] prātaryújā ví bodhaya 1.23 (23) [Vayu and Others.] tīvrâḥ sómāsa â gahi 1.24 (24) [Varuna and Others.] kásya nūnáṃ katamásyāmŕtānām 1.25 (25) [Varuna.] yác cid dhí te víśo yathā 1.26 (26) [Agni.] vásiṣvā hí miyedhiya 1.27 (27) [Agni.] áśvaṃ ná tvā vâravantaṃ 1.28 (28) [Indra, Etc.] yátra grâvā pṛthúbudhna 1.29 (29) [Indra.] yác cid dhí satya somapā 1.30 (30) [Indra.] â va índraṃ kríviṃ yathā 1.31 (31) [Agni.] tuvám agne prathamó áṅgirā ŕṣir 1.32 (32) [Indra.] índrasya nú vīríyāṇi prá vocaṃ 1.33 (33) [Indra.] étâyāma úpa gavyánta índram 1.34 (34) [Asvins.] tríś cin no adyâ bhavataṃ navedasā 1.35 (35) [ [Savitar](https://bliptext.com/articles/savitar).] hváyāmi agním prathamáṃ suastáye 1.36 (36) [Agni.] prá vo yahvám purūṇ~âṃ 1.37 (37) [Maruts.] krīḷáṃ vaḥ śárdho mârutam 1.38 (38) [Maruts.] kád dha nūnáṃ kadhapriyaḥ 1.39 (39) [Maruts.] prá yád itthâ parāvátaḥ 1.40 (40) [Brahmanaspati.] út tiṣṭha brahmaṇas pate 1.41 (41) [Varuna, Mitra, [Aryaman](https://bliptext.com/articles/aryaman).] yáṃ rákṣanti prácetaso 1.42 (42) [ [Pusan](https://bliptext.com/articles/pusan).] sám pūṣann ádhvanas tira 1.43 (43) [ [Rudra](https://bliptext.com/articles/rudra).] kád rudrâya prácetase 1.44 (44) [Agni.] ágne vívasvad uṣásaś 1.45 (45) [Agni.] tuvám agne vásūṁr ihá 1.46 (46) [Asvins.] eṣó uṣâ ápūrviyā 1.47 (47) [Asvins.] ayáṃ vām mádhumattamaḥ 1.48 (48) [ [Dawn](https://bliptext.com/articles/ushas).] sahá vāména na uṣo 1.49 (49) [Dawn.] úṣo bhadrébhir â gahi 1.50 (50) [ [Surya](https://bliptext.com/articles/surya).] úd u tyáṃ jātávedasaṃ 1.51 (51) [Indra.] abhí tyám meṣám puruhūtám ṛgmíyam 1.52 (52) [Indra.] tiyáṃ sú meṣám mahayā suvarvídaṃ 1.53 (53) [Indra.] ní ū ṣú vâcam prá mahé bharāmahe 1.54 (54) [Indra.] mâ no asmín maghavan pṛtsú áṃhasi 1.55 (55) [Indra.] diváś cid asya varimâ ví papratha 1.56 (56) [Indra.] eṣá prá pūrvîr áva tásya camríṣo 1.57 (57) [Indra.] prá máṃhiṣṭhāya bṛhaté bṛhádraye 1.58 (58) [Agni.] nû cit sahojâ amŕto ní tundate 1.59 (59) [Agni.] vayâ íd agne agnáyas te anyé 1.60 (60) [Agni.] váhniṃ yaśásaṃ vidáthasya ketúṃ 1.61 (61) [Indra.] asmâ íd u prá taváse turâya 1.62 (62) [Indra.] prá manmahe śavasānâya śūṣám 1.63 (63) [Indra.] tuvám mahâṁ indara yó ha śúṣmair 1.64 (64) [Maruts.] vŕṣṇe śárdhāya súmakhāya vedháse 1.65 (65) [Agni.] paśvâ ná tāyúṃ gúhā cátantaṃ 1.66 (66) [Agni.] rayír ná citrâ sûro ná saṃdŕg 1.67 (67) [Agni.] váneṣu jāyúr márteṣu mitró 1.68 (68) [Agni.] śrīṇánn úpa sthād dívam bhuraṇyú 1.69 (69) [Agni.] śukráḥ śuśukvâṁ uṣó ná jāráḥ 1.70 (70) [Agni.] vanéma pūrvîr aryó manīṣâ 1.71 (71) [Agni.] úpa prá jinvann uśatîr uśántam 1.72 (72) [Agni.] ní kâviyā vedhásaḥ śáśvatas kar 1.73 (73) [Agni.] rayír ná yáḥ pitṛvittó vayodhâḥ 1.74 (74) [Agni.] upaprayánto adhvarám 1.75 (75) [Agni.] juṣásva sapráthastamaṃ 1.76 (76) [Agni.] kâ ta úpetir mánaso várāya 1.77 (77) [Agni.] kathâ dāśema agnáye kâ asmai 1.78 (78) [Agni.] abhí tvā gótamā girâ 1.79 (79) [Agni.] híraṇyakeśo rájaso visāré 1.80 (80) [Indra.] itthâ hí sóma ín máde 1.81 (81) [Indra.] índro mádāya vāvṛdhe 1.82 (82) [Indra.] úpo ṣú śṛṇuhî gíro 1.83 (83) [Indra.] áśvāvati prathamó góṣu gachati 1.84 (84) [Indra.] ásāvi sóma indra te 1.85 (85) [Maruts.] prá yé śúmbhante jánayo ná sáptayo 1.86 (86) [Maruts.] máruto yásya hí kṣáye 1.87 (87) [Maruts.] prátvakṣasaḥ prátavaso virapśíno 1.88 (88) [Maruts.] â vidyúnmadbhir marutaḥ suarkaí 1.89 (89) [Visvedevas.] â no bhadrâḥ krátavo yantu viśváto 1.90 (90) [Visvedevas.] ṛjunītî no váruṇo 1.91 (91) [ [Soma](https://bliptext.com/articles/soma).] tuváṃ soma prá cikito manīṣâ 1.92 (92) [Dawn.] etâ u tyâ uṣásaḥ ketúm akrata 1.93 (93) [Agni-Soma.] ágnīṣomāv imáṃ sú me 1.94 (94) [Agni.] imáṃ stómam árhate jātávedase 1.95 (95) [Agni.] duvé vírūpe carataḥ suárthe 1.96 (96) [Agni.] sá pratnáthā sáhasā jâyamānaḥ 1.97 (97) [Agni.] ápa naḥ śóśucad aghám 1.98 (98) [Agni.] vaiśvānarásya sumataú siyāma 1.99 (99) [Agni.] jātávedase sunavāma sómam 1.100 (100) [Indra.] sá yó vŕṣā vŕṣṇiyebhiḥ sámokā 1.101 (101) [Indra.] prá mandíne pitumád arcatā váco 1.102 (102) [Indra.] imâṃ te dhíyam prá bhare mahó mahîm 1.103 (103) [Indra.] tát ta indriyám paramám parācaír 1.104 (104) [Indra.] yóniṣ ṭa indra niṣáde akāri 1.105 (105) [Visvedevas.] candrámā apsú antár â 1.106 (106) [Visvedevas.] índram mitráṃ váruṇam agním ūtáye 1.107 (107) [Visvedevas.] yajñó devânām práti eti sumnám 1.108 (108) [Indra-Agni.] yá indrāgnī citrátamo rátho vām 1.109 (109) [Indra-Agni.] ví hí ákhyam mánasā vásya ichánn 1.110 (110) [Rbhus.] tatám me ápas tád u tāyate púnaḥ 1.111 (111) [Rbhus.] tákṣan ráthaṃ suvŕtaṃ vidmanâpasas 1.112 (112) [Asvins.] îḷe dyâvāpṛthivî pūrvácittaye 1.113 (113) [Dawn.] idáṃ śréṣṭhaṃ jyótiṣāṃ jyótir âgāc 1.114 (114) [Rudra.] imâ rudrâya taváse kapardíne 1.115 (115) [Surya.] citráṃ devânām úd agād ánīkaṃ 1.116 (116) [Asvins.] nâsatyābhyām barhír iva prá vṛñje 1.117 (117) [Asvins.] mádhvaḥ sómasya aśvinā mádāya 1.118 (118) [Asvins.] â vāṃ rátho aśvinā śyenápatvā 1.119 (119) [Asvins.] â vāṃ rátham purumāyám manojúvaṃ 1.120 (120) [Asvins.] kâ rādhad dhótrāśvinā vāṃ 1.121 (121) [Indra.] kád itthâ nřṁḥ pâtaraṃ devayatâṃ 1.122 (122) [Visvadevas.] prá vaḥ p~ântaṃ raghumanyavó 'ndho 1.123 (123) [Dawn.] pṛthû rátho dákṣiṇāyā ayoji 1.124 (124) [Dawn.] uṣâ uchántī samidhāné agnâ 1.125 (125) [ [Svanaya](https://bliptext.com/articles/svanaya).] prātâ rátnam prātarítvā dadhāti 1.126 (126) [ [Bhavayavya](https://bliptext.com/articles/bhavayavya).] ámandān stómān prá bhare manīṣâ 1.127 (127) [Agni.] agníṃ hótāram manye dâsuvantaṃ 1.128 (128) [Agni.] ayáṃ jāyata mánuṣo dhárīmaṇi 1.129 (129) [Indra.] yáṃ tváṃ rátham indara medhásātaye 1.130 (130) [Indra.] â indra yāhi úpa naḥ parāváto 1.131 (131) [Indra.] índrāya hí dyaúr ásuro ánamnata 1.132 (132) [Indra.] tváyā vayám maghavan pûrviye dhána 1.133 (133) [Indra.] ubhé punāmi ródasī ṛténa 1.134 (134) [Vayu.] â tvā júvo rārahāṇâ abhí práyo 1.135 (135) [Vayu, Indra-Vayu.] stīrṇám barhír úpa no yāhi vītáye 1.136 (136) [ [Mitra](https://bliptext.com/articles/mitra-vedic)-Varuna.] prá sú jyéṣṭhaṃ nicirâbhyām bṛhán námo 1.137 (137) [Mitra-Varuna.] suṣumâ yātam ádribhir 1.138 (138) [Pusan.] prá-pra pūṣṇás tuvijātásya śasyate 1.139 (139) [Visvedevas.] ástu śraúṣaṭ puró agnîṃ dhiyâ dadha 1.140 (140) [Agni.] vediṣáde priyádhāmāya sudyúte 1.141 (141) [Agni.] báḷ itthâ tád vápuṣe dhāyi darśatáṃ 1.142 (142) [ [Apris](https://bliptext.com/articles/apris).] sámiddho agna â vaha 1.143 (143) [Agni.] prá távyasīṃ návyasīṃ dhītím agnáye 1.144 (144) [Agni.] éti prá hótā vratám asya māyáyā 1.145 (145) [Agni.] tám pṛchatā sá jagāmā sá veda 1.146 (146) [Agni.] trimūrdhânaṃ saptáraśmiṃ gṛṇīṣe 1.147 (147) [Agni.] kathâ te agne śucáyanta āyór 1.148 (148) [Agni.] máthīd yád īṃ. viṣṭó mātaríśvā 1.149 (149) [Agni.] maháḥ sá rāyá éṣate pátir dánn 1.150 (150) [Agni.] purú tvā dāśuvân voce 1.151 (151) [Mitra and Varuna.] mitráṃ ná yáṃ śímiyā góṣu gavyávaḥ 1.152 (152) [Mitra-Varuna.] yuváṃ vástrāṇi pīvasâ vasāthe 1.153 (153) [Mitra-Varuna.] yájāmahe vām maháḥ sajóṣā 1.154 (154) [Visnu.] víṣṇor nú kaṃ vīríyāṇi prá vocaṃ 1.155 (155) [Visnu-Indra.] prá vaḥ p~ântam ándhaso dhiyāyaté 1.156 (156) [Visnu.] bhávā mitró ná śéviyo ghṛtâsutir 1.157 (157) [Asvins.] ábodhi agnír jmá úd eti sûriyo 1.158 (158) [Asvins.] vásū rudrâ purumántū vṛdhántā 1.159 (159) [ [Heaven](https://bliptext.com/articles/dyaus) and [Earth](https://bliptext.com/articles/prthivi).] prá dyâvā yajñaíḥ pṛthivî ṛtāvŕdhā 1.160 (160) [Heaven and Earth.] té hí dyâvāpṛthivî viśváśambhuva 1.161 (161) [Rbhus.] kím u śréṣṭhaḥ kíṃ yáviṣṭho na âjagan 1.162 (162) [ [The Horse](https://bliptext.com/articles/ashvamedha).] mâ no mitró váruṇo aryamâyúr 1.163 (163) [The Horse.] yád ákrandaḥ prathamáṃ jâyamāna 1.164 (164) [Visvedevas.] asyá vāmásya palitásya hótus 1.165 (165) [Indra. Maruts.] káyā śubhâ sávayasaḥ sánīḷāḥ 1.166 (166) [Maruts.] tán nú vocāma rabhasâya jánmane 1.167 (167) [Indra. Maruts.] sahásraṃ ta indara ūtáyo naḥ 1.168 (168) [Maruts.] yajñâ-yajñā vaḥ samanâ tuturváṇir 1.169 (169) [Indra.] maháś cit tvám indara yatá etân 1.170 (170) [Indra. Maruts.] ná nūnám ásti nó śuváḥ 1.171 (171) [Maruts.] práti va enâ námasāhám emi 1.172 (172) [Maruts.] citró vo astu yâmaś 1.173 (173) [Indra.] gâyat sâma nabhaníyaṃ yáthā vér 1.174 (174) [Indra.] tuváṃ râjā indara yé ca devâ 1.175 (175) [Indra.] mátsi ápāyi te máhaḥ 1.176 (176) [Indra.] mátsi no vásya+iṣṭaya 1.177 (177) [Indra.] â carṣaṇiprâ vṛṣabhó jánānāṃ 1.178 (178) [Indra.] yád dha syâ ta indara śruṣṭír ásti 1.179 (179) pūrvîr aháṃ śarádaḥ śaśramāṇâ 1.180 (180) [Asvins.] yuvó rájāṃsi suyámāso áśvā 1.181 (181) [Asvins.] kád u práyiṣṭhāv iṣ~âṃ rayīṇâm 1.182 (182) [Asvins.] ábhūd idáṃ vayúnam ó ṣú bhūṣatā 1.183 (183) [Asvins.] táṃ yuñjāthām mánaso yó jávīyān 1.184 (184) [Asvins.] tâ vām adyá tâv aparáṃ huvema 1.185 (185) [Heaven and Earth.] katarâ pûrvā katarâparāyóḥ 1.186 (186) [Visvedevas.] â na íḷābhir vidáthe suśastí 1.187 (187) [Praise of Food.] pitúṃ nú stoṣam 1.188 (188) [Apris.] sámiddho adyá rājasi 1.189 (189) [Agni.] ágne náya supáthā rāyé asmân 1.190 (190) [Brhaspati.] anarvâṇaṃ vṛṣabhám mandrájihvam 1.191 (191) [Water. Grass. Sun.] káṅkato ná káṅkato -->

Publications

The editio princeps of the book is due to Friedrich August Rosen, published posthumously in 1838. It was the earliest edition of a Rigvedic Mandala, predating Max Müller's edition of the entire Rigveda by more than 50 years.

Sources