Rig Veda Mandala 1

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 dating to the Early Iron Age.

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 (the later Hindu god) Vishnu. Verse 1.164.46, part of a hymn to the Vishvadevas, is often quoted as an example of emerging monism or monotheism:

índram mitráṃ váruṇam agním āhur / átho divyáḥ sá suparṇó garútmān

ékaṃ sád víprā bahudhâ vadanty / agníṃ yamám mātaríśvānam āhuḥ

"They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni / and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutman."

"To what is One, sages give many a title / they call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan." (trans. Griffith)

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.

List of hymns

Sukta	Name	Deity	Rishi	Metre	Incipit
1 1	Agni-Sukta	Agni	Vishvamitra	gayatri	agním īḷe puróhitaṃ
1 22	Vishnu-Sukta	Ashvins and others	Medhatithi Kanva	gayatri	prātaryújā ví bodhaya
1 32	Indra-Sukta	Indra	Hiranyastupa Angiras	trishtubh	índrasya nú vīríyāṇi prá vocaṃ
1 89	Shanti-Sukta	Vishvedevas	Gotama Rahugana	jagati (trishtubh)	â no bhadrâḥ krátavo yantu viśváto
1 90	Madhu-Sukta	Vishvedevas	Gotama Rahugana	gayatri (anushtubh)	ṛjunītî no váruṇo
1 99	Agni-Durga-Sukta	Agni	Kashyapa Marica	trishtubh	jātávedase sunavāma sómam
1 162	Ashvamedha-Sukta	The Horse	Dīrghatamas Aucathya	(trishtubh)	mâ no mitró váruṇo aryamâyúr