While part of a larger sukta, this specific mantra is one of the most famous and widely chanted mantras in Hinduism, a sacred verse dedicated to the solar deity Savitr.
The very first hymn of the entire Rigveda is dedicated to Agni (the fire deity), who is lauded as the chosen priest, the minister of sacrifice, and the intermediary between humans and the gods.
This is arguably the most important and well-known sukta. It describes the nature of the Purusha (Cosmic Being) and the creation of the universe and social orders through a primeval sacrifice. It is still recited regularly during many religious events.
Known as the "golden embryo" hymn, it speculates on the origin of the universe and praises a single creator deity, asking "Who is the God to whom we shall offer our sacrifice?".
Also called the "Hymn of Creation," this is a profound and philosophical hymn that ponders the origin of the universe, the nature of being and non-being, and the limits of human knowledge about creation. It is noted for its skeptical tone and is a favorite of philosophers.
The sacred plant hymn, celebrating the divine essence and spiritual elixir
The chart below visualizes the distribution of shlokas across the ten books of the Rigveda. Each bar represents a book (mandala), and the segments within each bar represent individual suktas, showing how many shlokas each sukta contains.