Sukta 151
Sukta 10.151
Śraddhā (Faith/Assent) with reference to Agni and Bhaga
This brief hymn personifies Śraddhā (Faith/Assent) as the hidden power that makes sacrifice effective—kindling Agni, raising the offering, and securing auspicious allotment through Bhaga. It asks that the same steadfast confidence the gods established amid hostile forces be established in the sacrificer’s aims. Faith is invoked across the day’s three joints—dawn, midday, and sunset—so that truth-oriented intention becomes firm within the heart.
Mantras
Mantra 1
श्रद्धयाग्निः समिध्यते श्रद्धया हूयते हविः । श्रद्धां भगस्य मूर्धनि वचसा वेदयामसि ॥
श्रद्धा से अग्नि जलता है। श्रद्धा से ही हवन का सामान ऊपर उठाया जाता है। हम भगवान के सर पे श्रद्धा रखते हैं। अपनी बात से हम उसे दिखाते हैं।
Mantra 2
प्रियं श्रद्धे ददतः प्रियं श्रद्धे दिदासतः । प्रियं भोजेषु यज्वस्विदं म उदितं कृधि ॥
हे श्रद्धा, जो देता है उसे प्यारा बना। जो बाँटता है उसे भी प्यारा बना। जो यज्ञ करता है उसे सब में प्यारा बना। मेरी यह इच्छा पूरी कर दे।
Mantra 3
यथा देवा असुरेषु श्रद्धामुग्रेषु चक्रिरे । एवं भोजेषु यज्वस्वस्माकमुदितं कृधि ॥
जैसे देवताओं ने असुरों में श्रद्धा पैदा की। वैसे ही हमारे बीच भी श्रद्धा पैदा कर। जो यज्ञ करता है उसके लिए भी श्रद्धा बना। हमारी इच्छा को पूरा कर दे।
Mantra 4
श्रद्धां देवा यजमाना वायुगोपा उपासते । श्रद्धां हृदय्ययाकूत्या श्रद्धया विन्दते वसु ॥
देवी-देवता और जो यज्ञ करते हैं, सब श्रद्धा के पास आते हैं। वायु उनकी हिफाज़त करता है। दिल से श्रद्धा की तरफ जाते हैं। श्रद्धा से इंसान को अंदर का धन मिलता है।
Mantra 5
श्रद्धां प्रातर्हवामहे श्रद्धां मध्यंदिनं परि । श्रद्धां सूर्यस्य निम्रुचि श्रद्धे श्रद्धापयेह नः ॥
हम सुबह उठ के श्रद्धा को बुलाते हैं। दोपहर में भी श्रद्धा के साथ रहते हैं। जब सूरज ढलता है तब भी श्रद्धा को पुकारते हैं। हे श्रद्धा, हमारे दिल में सच का विश्वास बसा दे।
Inside Sukta 151
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Faith is declared the indispensable cause of ritual ignition and offering—Agni and havis function through śraddhā.
- Development
Śraddhā is elevated as a power aligned with Bhaga (auspicious allotment) and requested to make the sacrificer’s intentions effective, as the gods once established faith amid fierce opposition.
- Climax
The hymn universalizes faith across cosmic and daily time—invoking it at dawn, midday, and the sun’s descent—so it pervades the entire cycle of action.
- Where it settles
A direct plea to Śraddhā to ‘establish here in us’ firm assent, sealing the rite with inward steadiness and truth-oriented resolve.
The deity: Śraddhā, with reference to Agni and Bhaga
- In the VedaŚraddhā is invoked as the enabling force by which Agni is kindled and havis is offered; she is ‘placed on the summit of Bhaga,’ aligning faith with auspicious sharing and fortunate outcome.
- Cosmic functionShe stabilizes order and effectiveness in sacred action—turning intention, speech, and offering into a result-bearing act, even amid opposing or ‘asuric’ pressures.
- Inner significanceThe inner capacity to assent to truth and to persevere—confidence that unifies mind, speech, and action so that one’s resolve (udita) becomes accomplished.
The seer
- Śraddhā (personified; Anukramaṇī attribution)A rare case where an abstract principle—Śraddhā—is treated both as the hymn’s deity and (by tradition) its seer, highlighting faith as a Vedic power that actualizes ritual and intention.
Famous verses
śraddhayāgniḥ sam idhyate
यथा देवा असुरेषु श्रद्धामुग्रेषु चक्रिरे । एवं भोजेषु यज्वस्वस्माकमुदितं कृधि ॥śraddhām prātar havāmahe
Attributes of the deity
- Efficacy-giving power in yajña
- Inner assent and trust in ṛta/satya
- Sustains resolve and courage amid opposition
- Linked to Agni (activation) and Bhaga (fortunate portion)
- Invoked at the day’s three junctions (prātaḥ–madhyaṃdina–nimruc)
Also by this seer
- Associated in later Vedic and post-Vedic thought with the efficacy of yajña and the inner assent that sustains mantra and discipline
- Cited in discussions of śraddhā as a prerequisite for ritual success and spiritual practice (conceptual continuity rather than strict hymn-attribution)
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the altar/fireplace; collect fuel and purifying water.
- Kindle or rekindle Agni with mindful recollection that ‘by faith Agni is kindled’ (RV 10.151.1).
- Offer havis (ghee/milk/grain) with the intention that faith ‘lifts’ and completes the offering.
- Recite the hymn to establish śraddhā in the sacrificer and household, dedicating the fruit to auspicious Bhaga.
- Conclude with a silent resolve (saṅkalpa) that the ‘raised intention’ be fulfilled (RV 10.151.3).
Offerings
- Ghee (ājya)
- Milk or curds (as customary in household rites)
- Grain cakes or simple food-offerings (anna/havis)
- Samidh (kindling sticks)
Frequently Asked Questions
The hymn addresses Śraddhā—Faith or inner assent—personified as a divine power. Agni and Bhaga are referenced because faith makes the fire-rite work and brings an auspicious share of results.
That sacrifice and spiritual effort succeed through śraddhā: faith kindles Agni, empowers the offering, and makes one’s intention effective, even when circumstances are difficult.
It is especially fitting at dawn before lighting the fire or beginning worship, and it can also be recited at midday and sunset, following the hymn’s own three daily invocations of Śraddhā.
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