Sukta 21
Sukta 1.21
Indrāgnī (dual deity: Indra and Agni)
Gāyatrī (likely for early RV dual-invocation hymns; not verified from input)
This brief Indrāgnī hymn is a dual-invocation calling Indra and Agni to approach the Soma-pressing and accept the praise offered to them together. It emphasizes their shared might, their readiness to come to the sacrifice, and their capacity to keep the worshipper awake in truth and grant protective peace (śarma).
Mantras
Mantra 1
इहेन्द्राग्नी उप ह्वये तयोरित्स्तोममुश्मसि । ता सोमं सोमपातमा ॥
मैं यहाँ इंद्र और अग्नि को बुलाता हूँ। इन दोनों के लिए हम गाना चाहते हैं। आओ, तुम दोनों सोम पीने वाले, इस प्याले के पास।
Mantra 2
ता यज्ञेषु प्र शंसतेन्द्राग्नी शुम्भता नरः । ता गायत्रेषु गायत ॥
यज्ञ में इनका नाम लो, इंद्र और अग्नि का। तुम लोग चमक के रहो। गायत्री छंद के साथ इनकी बड़ाई करो।
Mantra 3
ता मित्रस्य प्रशस्तय इन्द्राग्नी ता हवामहे । सोमपा सोमपीतये ॥
मित्र के साथ जो लोग हैं, उनमें इंद्र और अग्नि की बड़ाई होती है। हम उन्हें बुलाते हैं। आओ सोम पीने वाले, सोम पीने के लिए।
Mantra 4
उग्रा सन्ता हवामह उपेदं सवनं सुतम् । इन्द्राग्नी एह गच्छताम् ॥
हम दोनों को बुलाते हैं, इंद्र और अग्नि। आप दोनों बहुत ताकतवर हैं। यह सोम रस तैयार है, आप इसके पास आओ। आप यहाँ आके अपनी जगह लो।
Mantra 5
ता महान्ता सदस्पती इन्द्राग्नी रक्ष उब्जतम् । अप्रजाः सन्त्वत्रिणः ॥
इंद्र और अग्नि, आप दोनों बड़े हैं और इस पवित्र स्थान के स्वामी हैं। बुरी ताकतों को कुचल दो। जो लोग यह ऑफरिंग खा जाते हैं, उनकी ताकत खत्म हो जाए।
Mantra 6
तेन सत्येन जागृतमधि प्रचेतुने पदे । इन्द्राग्नी शर्म यच्छतम् ॥
सत्य की ताकत से जागते रहो। सही रास्ते पर चलते रहो। इंद्र और अग्नि, हमें शांति और सुरक्षा दो।
Inside Sukta 21
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Immediate invitation: the poet calls Indra and Agni ‘here’ to come near and receive praise and Soma (RV 1.21.1).
- Development
The hymn reinforces their might and nearness to the rite, repeatedly directing them toward the pressed savana and the act of offering (notably RV 1.21.4).
- Climax
A shift from ritual arrival to spiritual vigilance: ‘by that Truth’ they are asked to stay awake upon the ‘luminous step’ of discernment (RV 1.21.6).
- Where it settles
The closing petition asks the paired gods to bestow śarma—protective peace and secure well-being—sealing the rite’s aim in safety and right consciousness.
The deity: Indrāgnī
- In the VedaIndra is the heroic, soma-loving slayer of obstacles and winner of spoils; Agni is the divine fire, priest (hotṛ), and messenger who carries offerings to the gods. As Indrāgnī they are praised as a coordinated power—force and flame—invited together to the pressed Soma and the hymn (stoma).
- Cosmic functionThey jointly secure victory and protection: Indra breaks resistance and releases vitality, while Agni establishes the sacrificial channel and conveys oblations, ensuring the rite reaches the divine order.
- Inner significanceIndra represents courageous will and expansive power; Agni represents awakened aspiration, purification, and the inner priestly intelligence. Together they symbolize empowered, disciplined consciousness—energy guided by clarity—kept vigilant in truth (satya) and supported by sheltering peace (śarma).
The seer
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra (traditionally ascribed)Vaiśvāmitra (Gāthina line) · An early Rigvedic seer of Mandala 1, associated with foundational invocations and with the Vaiśvāmitra tradition that later becomes prominent in Mandala 3.
Famous verses
iha indrāgnī upa hvaye
indrāgnī eha gacchatām
tena satyena jāgṛtam
Attributes of the deity
- Dual-invoked recipients of Soma
- Mighty (ugrā) and near-at-hand when called
- Protectors who grant śarma (secure well-being)
- Awakeners of vigilance through satya
- Ritually central: strength (Indra) + sacrificial mediation (Agni)
Also by this seer
- Traditionally credited with several early hymns in RV Maṇḍala 1 (including introductory-style invocations)
- Associated in later tradition with the Viśvāmitra stream of revelation and its sacrificial-poetic style
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the altar and kindle/maintain Agni as the ritual mouth of the gods.
- Press and clarify Soma; arrange the offering at the savana (pressing session).
- Recite the Indrāgnī verses as an āhvāna (invitation) for the pair to ‘come near’ (upa hvaye).
- Offer Soma into/through Agni while continuing stoma (praise) addressed to both.
- Conclude with a protective petition: remain vigilant in satya and grant śarma (well-being, shelter).
Offerings
- Soma (pressed juice)
- Ghee/oblations into Agni (as the carrying medium)
- Stoma (formal praise-hymn as a verbal offering)
Frequently Asked Questions
Indrāgnī means Indra and Agni invoked together as a paired power—Indra as heroic strength and Agni as the sacrificial fire and messenger.
It invites Indra and Agni to come near the ritual and drink the pressed Soma, while asking them to protect the worshipper and support wakeful, truthful awareness.
Śarma is protective peace or secure shelter—well-being that keeps one safe and steady, both outwardly in life and inwardly in mind.
Ask anything about Sukta 21 of the Rig Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
