The Rig Veda: An Anthology

This section contains eight hymns, mostly from Book 10 of the Rig Veda, that focus on the performance of religious sacrifice in Vedic society. Most of the hymns in the Rig Veda are liturgical texts composed for various rituals; this group of poems emphasizes the role of priests and the sacred power of language in the sacrificial rite while demonstrating the complex network of metaphors and correspondences that underlies Vedic poetry and mythology.

A hymn on the origins of speech (10.71) describes the birth of language in mythic times and its ritual recreation by poets in the competitions that accompanied Vedic sacrifice. The original sages either named or found the hidden names of the objects of the world, expressing their divine knowledge in an act of love. Truthful speech undergirds friendship and the social order; false speech is fruitless, ignorant, and impious. Those gifted with insight rely on the joint working of heart and mind, as opposed to the shallow-minded, who lack understanding. Four classes of priests use sacred speech in their assigned roles; the eloquent poet wins fame in the verbal contest of the sacrifice.

In another hymn (10.125), Speech, personified as a goddess (Vac), praises herself and her powers. A cosmic, divine force, Speech identifies herself with the source of all creation and the pantheon of Hindu gods.