Mandala 3

The third Mandala of the Rigveda is a collection of 62 hymns. These hymns are mostly dedicated to two important gods, Agni and Indra. This part of the Rigveda is very old, created during the early Vedic period between 1500 and 1000 BCE. It is one of the "family books," which includes mandalas 2 through 7 and forms the heart of the Rigveda.

Most of the hymns in this book are said to have been written by a wise person named Viśvāmitra Gāthinaḥ. One special verse, found in hymn 3.62.10, became very important in Hinduism. This verse is known as the Gayatri Mantra, and many people still use it today for prayers and meditation.

List of incipits

The dedication as given by Griffith is in square brackets:

3.1 (235) [ Agni.] sómasya mā tavásaṃ vákṣi agne
3.2 (236) [Agni.] vaiśvānarâya dhiṣáṇām ṛtāvŕdhe
3.3 (237) [Agni.] vaiśvānarâya pṛthupâjase vípo
3.4 (238) [ Apris.] samít-samit sumánā bodhi asmé
3.5 (239) [Agni.] práti agnír uṣásaś cékitāno
3.6 (240) [Agni.] prá kāravo mananâ vacyámānā
3.7 (241) [Agni.] prá yá ārúḥ śitipṛṣṭhásya dhāsér
3.8 (242) [Sacrificial Post.] añjánti tvâm adhvaré devayánto
3.9 (243) [Agni.] sákhāyas tvā vavṛmahe
3.10 (244) [Agni.] tuvâm agne manīṣíṇaḥ
3.11 (245) [Agni.] agnír hótā puróhito
3.12 (246) [ Indra-Agni.] índrāgnī â gataṃ sutáṃ
3.13 (247) [Agni.] prá vo devâya agnáye
3.14 (248) [Agni.] â hótā mandró vidáthāni asthāt
3.15 (249) [Agni.] ví pâjasā pṛthúnā śóśucāno
3.16 (250) [Agni.] ayám agníḥ suvîryasya
3.17 (251) [Agni.] samidhyámānaḥ prathamânu dhármā
3.18 (252) [Agni.] bhávā no agne sumánā úpetau
3.19 (253) [Agni.] agníṃ hótāram prá vṛṇe miyédhe
3.20 (254) [Agni.] agním uṣásam aśvínā dadhikrâṃ
3.21 (255) [Agni.] imáṃ no yajñám amŕteṣu dhehi
3.22 (256) [Agni.] ayáṃ só agnír yásmin sómam índraḥ
3.23 (257) [Agni.] nírmathitaḥ súdhita â sadhásthe
3.24 (258) [Agni.] ágne sáhasva pŕtanā
3.25 (259) [Agni.] ágne diváḥ sūnúr asi prácetās
3.26 (260) [Agni.] vaiśvānarám mánasāgníṃ nicâyiyā
3.27 (261) [Agni.] prá vo vâjā abhídyavo
3.28 (262) [Agni.] ágne juṣásva no havíḥ
3.29 (263) [Agni.] ástīdám adhimánthanam
3.30 (264) [Indra.] ichánti tvā somiyâsaḥ sákhāyaḥ
3.31 (265) [Indra.] śâsad váhnir duhitúr naptíyaṃ gād
3.32 (266) [Indra.] índra sómaṃ somapate píbemám
3.33 (267) [Indra.] prá párvatānām uśatî upásthād
3.34 (268) [Indra.] índraḥ pūrbhíd âtirad dâsam arkaír
3.35 (269) [Indra.] tíṣṭhā hárī rátha â yujyámānā
3.36 (270) [Indra.] imâm ū ṣú prábhṛtiṃ sātáye dhāḥ
3.37 (271) [Indra.] vârtrahatyāya śávase
3.38 (272) [Indra.] abhí táṣṭeva dīdhayā manīṣâm
3.39 (273) [Indra.] índram matír hṛdá â vacyámānā
3.40 (274) [Indra.] índra tvā vṛṣabháṃ vayáṃ
3.41 (275) [Indra.] â tû na indra madríag
3.42 (276) [Indra.] úpa naḥ sutám â gahi
3.43 (277) [Indra.] â yāhi arvâṅ úpa vandhureṣṭhâs
3.44 (278) [Indra.] ayáṃ te astu haryatáḥ
3.45 (279) [Indra.] â mandraír indra háribhir
3.46 (280) [Indra.] yudhmásya te vṛṣabhásya svarâja
3.47 (281) [Indra.] marútvāṁ indra vṛṣabhó ráṇāya
3.48 (282) [Indra.] sadyó ha jātó vṛṣabháḥ kanînaḥ
3.49 (283) [Indra.] śáṃsā mahâm índaraṃ yásmi * víśvā
3.50 (284) [Indra.] índraḥ svâhā pibatu yásya sóma
3.51 (285) [Indra.] carṣaṇīdhŕtam maghávānam ukthíyam
3.52 (286) [Indra.] dhānâvantaṃ karambhíṇam
3.53 (287) [Indra, Parvata, Etc.] índrāparvatā bṛhatâ ráthena
3.54 (288) [ Visvedevas.] imám mahé vidathíyāya śūṣáṃ
3.55 (289) [Visvedevas.] uṣásaḥ pûrvā ádha yád viūṣúr
3.56 (290) [Visvedevas.] ná tâ minanti māyíno ná dhîrā
3.57 (291) [Visvedevas.] prá me vivikvâṁ avidan manīṣâṃ
3.58 (292) [ Asvins.] dhenúḥ pratnásya kâmiyaṃ dúhānā
3.59 (293) [ Mitra.] mitró jánān yātayati bruvāṇó
3.60 (294) [ Rbhus.] ihéha vo mánasā bandhútā nara
3.61 (295) [ Uṣas.] úṣo vâjena vājini prácetā
3.62 (296) [Indra and Others.] imâ u vām bhṛmáyo mányamānā