The Rig Veda: An Anthology

Virtually all the poems in the Rig Veda are liturgical hymns that accompanied religious ritual. The Soma sacrifice was the most important and complex ritual of Vedic religion, and the majority of hymns in the text relate to the rite. The gods most frequently invoked in the Rig Veda—Indra, Soma, and Agni—are intimately related to the Soma sacrifice specifically, and the ritual context in general. Poems about the origins of the cosmos and mankind are also closely associated with, and provide information about, ritual practices, since creation often takes the form of a cosmic sacrifice. Vedic hymns also reflect other ritual contexts, such as the horse sacrifice (1.162), the installation of kings (10.173), the marriage ceremony (10.85), and the funeral (10.14, 16, 18).

Vedic ritual typically involves a meal prepared for the gods on a plot of temporarily sanctified ground defined by the ritual fire. Many hymns begin by invoking the deity or deities, inviting them to attend the sacrifice and partake of the offerings, which include the sacred beverage Soma. A festive meal accompanied by entertainment honors the gods, as poets recite praise-poetry recounting the deities’ glorious deeds and requesting their favor as recompense for worship.