Rigveda 1.161.01
Rigveda · Mandala 1, Sukta 161 · Verse 1.161.1
Vedic Classification
Sanskrit Original
किमु॒ श्रेष्ठः॒ किं यवि॑ष्ठो न॒ आज॑ग॒न्किमी॑यते दू॒त्यं१॒॑ कद्यदू॑चि॒म । न नि॑न्दिम चम॒सं यो म॑हाकु॒लोऽग्ने॑ भ्रात॒र्द्रुण॒ इद्भू॒तिमू॑दिम
kimu śreṣṭhaḥ kiṃ yaviṣṭho na ājagankimīyate dūtyaṃ1 kadyadūcima na nindima camasaṃ yo mahākulo'gne bhrātardruṇa idbhūtimūdima
What is best, what most excellent — who has proclaimed the message? When was it spoken? Not the slanderer who divides the flesh, O Agni, the great kin, the brother who rends — that stirred up glory.
Is this our senior or our junior who has come (to us); has he come upon a message (from the gods); what is it we should say? Agni,brother, we revile not the ladle which is of exalted race; verily we assert the dignity of the wooden (implement).
WHY hath the Best, why hath the Youngest come to us? Upon what embassy comes he? What have we said? We have not blamed the chalice of illustrious birth. We, Brother Agni, praised the goodness of the wood.