Hinduism is believed to be one of the oldest living religions on Earth, with origins tracing back to the ancient Vedic civilization in India.

The earliest Hindu spiritual text, the Rig Veda, was compiled in approximately 900 B.C. Other sacred Hindu scriptures include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana, among others. With its deep spiritual roots, Hinduism is a vastly diverse and colorful religion. Hindus believe in reincarnation, the law of cause and effect (karma), a single Divine Being with multiple manifestations, and the desire of all beings for liberation from the cycle of birth and death. One of the most cherished values of Hinduism is “ahimsa,” or non-violence.

According to Hinduism, religious belief and the practices of everyday life are inseparable. An example of this is how ahimsa is honored through a vegetarian diet, which shows compassion to all beings. We now present an excerpt of Hinduism’s sacred text, the Samaveda, First Part,Book 1, Chapters I and II.

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HYMNS OF THE SAMAVEDA FIRST PART BOOK I CHAPTER I

Om. Glory to the Samaveda! To Lord Ganesa glory! Om. DECADE I Agni Come, Agni (Hindu god of fire), praised with song, to feast and sacrificial offering: sit As Hotar on the holy grass! O Agni, thou hast been ordained Hotar (priest) of every sacrifice (offerings of cereals, fruits, various powders, vegetables and flowers, etc.), By Gods, among the race of men. Agni we choose as envoy, skilled performer of this holy rite, Hotar, possessor of all wealth.

I laud your most beloved guest like a dear friend, O Agni, him Who, like a chariot, wins us wealth. Do thou, O Agni, with great might guard us from all malignity, Yea, from the hate of mortal man! O Agni, come; far other songs of praise will I sing forth to thee. Wax mighty with these Soma-drops! May Vatsa draw thy mind away even from thy loftiest dwelling place! Agni, I yearn for thee with song.

Agni, Atharvan (legendary Vedic sage) brought thee forth by rubbing from the sky, the head Of all who offer sacrifice. O Agni, bring us radiant light to be our mighty succor, for Thou art our visible deity! DECADE II Agni O Agni, God, the people sing reverent praise to thee for strength: With terrors trouble thou the foe I seek with song your messenger, oblation-bearer, lord of wealth, Immortal, best at sacrifice (offerings of cereals, fruits, various powders, vegetables and flowers, etc.). Still turning to their aim in thee the sacrificer's sister hymns Have come to thee before the wind. To thee, illuminer of night, O Agni, day by day with prayer, Bringing thee reverence, we come.

Help, thou who knowest lauds, this work, a lovely hymn in Rudra's (atmospheric god) praise, Adorable in every house! To this fair sacrifice to drink the milky draught art thou called forth: O Agni, with the Maruts (storm deities) come! With homage will I reverence thee, Agni, like a long-tailed steed, Imperial lord of holy rites. As Aurva (a sage) and as Bhrigu (a sage) called, as Apnavana (a sage) called, I call The radiant Agni robed with sea. When he enkindles Agni, man should with his heart attend the song: I kindle Agni till he glows. Then, verily, they see the light refulgent of primeval seed, Kindled on yonder side of heaven. DECADE III Agni Hither, for powerful kinship, I call Agni, him who prospers you, Most frequent at our solemn rites.

Agni, be gracious; thou art great: thou hast approached the pious man, Hast come to sit on sacred grass. Agni, peserve us, from distress consume our enemies, O God, Eternal, with thy hottest flames Harness, O Agni, O thou God, thy steeds which are most excellent! The fleet ones bring thee rapidly. Lord of the tribes, whom all must seek, we worshipped Agni set thee down, Refulgent, rich in valiant men.

Agni is head and height of heaven, the master of the earth is he He quickeneth the waters' seed. O Agni, graciously announce this our good fortune of the Gods, And this our newest hymn of praise! By song, O Agni, Angiras (a sage)! Gopavana (a sage) hath brought thee forth Hear thou my call, refulgent one! Agni, the Sage, the Lord of Strength, hath moved around the sacred gifts, Giving the offerer precious things. His heralds bear him up aloft, the God who knoweth all that lives, The Sun, that all may look on him. Praise Agni in the sacrifice, the Sage whose holy laws are true The God who driveth grief away. Kind be the Goddesses to lend us help, and kind that we may drink: May their streams bring us health and wealth Lord of the brave, whose songs dost thou in thine abundance now inspire…?

DECADE IV Agni Sing to your Agni with each song, at every sacrifice for strength. Come, let us praise the wise and everlasting God even as a well-beloved friend, Agni, protect thou us by one, protect us by the second song, Protect us by three hymns, O Lord of power and might, bright God, by four hymns guard us well! O Agni, with thy lofty beams, with thy pure brilliancy, O God, Kindled, most youthful one! by Bharadvaja's (one of the great sages who lived in ancient India) hand, shine on us richly, holy Lord!

O Agni who art worshipped well, dear let our princes be to thee, Our wealthy patrons who are governors of men, who part, as gifts, the stall of kine! Agni, praise-singer! Lord of men, God! burning up the Rakshasas (earth-bound evil beings), Mighty art thou, the ever-present, household-lord! home-friend and guardian from the sky. Immortal Jatavedas (Agni), thou bright-hued refulgent gift of Dawn, Agni, this day to him who pays oblations bring the Gods who waken with the morn! Wonderful, with thy favoring help, send us thy bounties, gracious Lord.

Thou art the charioteer, Agni, of earthly wealth: find rest and safety for our seed! Famed art thou, Agni, far and wide, preserver, righteous, and a Sage. The holy singers, O enkindled radiant one, ordainers, call on thee to come. O holy Agni, give us wealth famed among men and strengthening life! Bestow on us, O helper, that which many crave, more glorious still through righteousness! To him, who dealeth out all wealth, the sweet-toned Hotar-priest of men, To him like the first vessels filled with savory juice, to Agni

let the lauds go forth. DECADE V Agni With this mine homage I invoke Agni for you, the Son of Strength, Dear, wisest envoy, skilled in noble sacrifice, immortal messenger of all. Thou liest in the logs that are thy mothers: mortals kindle thee. Alert thou bearest off the sacri-fleer's (one that brings an offering to the gods) gift, and then thou shinest to the Gods. He hath appeared, best prosperer, in whom men lay their holy acts: So may our songs of praise come nigh to Agni who was born to give the Arya (a person of noble descent) strength! Chief Priest is Agni at the laud, as stones and grass at sacrifice. Gods! Maruts! Brahmanaspati (Brahma, the creator of all beings in this world)!

I crave with song the help that is most excellent. Pray Agni of the piercing flame, with sacred songs, to be our help; For wealth, famed Agni, Purumilha and ye men! He is Suditi's sure defense. Hear, Agni who hast ears to hear, with all thy train of escort Gods! With those who come at dawn let Mitra, Aryaman (one of the principle solar divinities) sit on the grass at sacrifice. Agni of Divodasa, God, comes forth like Indra in his might. Rapidly hath he moved along his mother earth: he stands in high heaven's dwelling-place. Whether thou come from earth or from the lofty lucid realm of heaven, Wax stronger in thy body through my song of praise: fill full all creatures, O most wise!

If, loving well the forests, thou wentest to thy maternal floods, Not to be scorned, Agni, is that return of thine when, from afar, thou now art here. O Agni, Manu (a progenitor of humankind) stablished thee a light for all the race of men: With Kanva (ancient Hindu sage) hast thou blazed, Law-born and waxen strong, thou whom the people reverence.

CHAPTER II DECADE I Agni The God who giveth wealth accept your full libation poured to, him! Pour ye it out, then fill the vessel full again, for so the God regardeth you. Let Brahmanaspati come forth, let Sunrita the Goddess come, And Gods bring to our rite which yields a fivefold gift the hero, lover of mankind!

Stand up erect to lend us aid, stand up like Savitar the God, Erect as strength-bestower when we call on thee with priests who balm our offerings! The man who bringeth gifts to thee, bright God who fain wouldst lead to wealth, Winneth himself a brave son, Agni! skilled in lauds, one prospering in a thousand ways. With hymns and holy eulogies we supplicate your Agni, Lord Of many families who duly serve the Gods, yea, him whom others too inflame.

Thou, Agni, art the homestead's Lord, our Hotar-priest at sacrifice (offerings of cereals, fruits, various powders, vegetables and flowers, etc.). Lord of all boons, thou art the Potar, passing wise. Pay worship, and enjoy the good! We as thy friends have chosen thee, mortals a God, to be our help. The Waters' Child, the blessed, the most mighty one, swift conqueror, and without a peer.

DECADE II Agni Present oblations, make him splendid: set ye as Hotar in his place the Home's Lord, worshipped With gifts and homage where they pour libations!

Honor him meet for reverence in our houses. Verily wondrous is the tender youngling's growth who never draweth nigh to drink his mother's milk. As soon as she who hath no udder bore him, he, faring on his great errand, suddenly grew strong. Here is one light for thee, another yonder: enter the third and, be therewith united. Beautiful be thy union with the body, beloved in the Gods' sublimest birthplace! For Jatavedas, worthy of our praise, will we frame with our mind this eulogy as 'twere a car; For good, in his assembly, is this care of ours.

Let us not, in thy friendship, Agni, suffer harm! Agni Vaisvanara, born in course of Order, the messenger of earth, the head of heaven, The Sage, the sovran, guest of men, our vessel fit for their mouth, the Gods have generated. Even as the waters from the mountain ridges, so sprang the Gods, through lauds, from thee, O Agni. To thee speed hymns and eulogies, as horses haste, bearing him who loves the song… Win to protect you, Rudra, lord of worship, priest of both worlds, effectual sacrificer, Agni, invested with his golden colours, before the thunder strike and lay you senseless!

The King whose face is decked with oil is kindled with homage offered by his faithful servant. The men, the priests adore him with oblations. Agni hath shone forth at the flush of morning. Agni advanceth with his lofty banner: through earth and heaven the Bull hath loudly bellowed He hath come nigh from the sky's farthest limit: the Steer hath waxen in the waters' bosom. From the two fire-sticks have the men engendered with thoughts, urged by the hand, the glorious Agni, Far-seen, with pointed flame, Lord of the Homestead.

DECADE III Agni Agni is wakened by the people's fuel to meet the Dawn who cometh like a milch-cow. Like young trees shooting up on high their branches, his flames are mounting to the vault of heaven. Thou art like heaven: one form is bright, one holy, like Day and Night dissimilar in color. All magic powers thou aidest, self-dependent! Auspicious be thy bounty here, O Pushan (a solar deity)!

Stablished to fill the juice with vital vigor, giver of wealth, guard of his servant's body, The great Priest, born, who knows the clouds, abider with men, is seated in the waters' eddy. Let the song, honoring the best, with longing honor the Asura's most famous sovran, The deeds of him the mighty, deeds like Indra's, the manly one in whom the folk must triumph!

DECADE IV Agni Bring us most mighty splendor thou, Agni, resistless on thy way: Prepare for us the path that leads to glorious opulence and strength! May the brave man, if full of zeal he serve and kindle Agni's flame, Duly presenting sacred gifts, enjoy the Gods' protecting help. Thy bright smoke lifts itself aloft, and far-extended shines in heaven, For, Purifier! like the Sun thou beamest with thy radiant glow.

Thou, Agni, even as Mitra, hast a princely glory of thine own. Bright, active God, thou makest fame increase like means of nourishment. At dawn let Agni, much-beloved, guest of the house, be glorified, In whom, the everlasting one, all mortals make their offerings blaze. Most moving song be Agni's: shine on high, O rich in radiant light! Like the chief consort of a King riches and strength proceed from thee. Exerting all our strength with thoughts of power we glorify in speech Agni your dear familiar friend, the darling guest in every house.

His beam hath lofty power of life: sing praise to Agni, to the God Whom men have set in foremost place, like Mitra for their eulogy! To noblest Agni, friend of man, chief Vritra-slayer, have we come- Who with Srutarvan, Riksha's son, in lofty presence is inflamed. Born as the loftiest Law commands, comrade of those who grew with him. Agni, the sire of Kasyapa by faith, the mother, Manu, Sage.

DECADE V Agni We in King Soma place our trust, in Agni, and in Varuna (god of natural and moral law), The Aditya (seven celestial deities), Vishnu (a Hindu Trinity, the preserver of the universe), Surya (Sun god), and the Brahman-priest Brihaspati (Brahma). Hence have these men gone up on high and mounted to the heights of heaven: On! conquer on the path by which Angirasas travelled to the skies! That thou mayst send us ample wealth, O Agni, we will kindler thee: So, for the great oblation, Steer,

pray Heaven and Earth to come to us! He runs when one calls after him, This is the prayer of him who prays. He holds all knowledge in his grasp even as the felly rounds the wheel. Shoot forth, O Agni, with thy flame: demolish them on every side! Break down the Yatudhana's (an earth-bound evil being) strength, the vigor of the Rakshasa! Worship the Vasus (Wealthy Ones), Agni! here, the Rudras and Adityas, all Who know fair sacrifices (offerings of cereals, fruits, various powders, vegetables and flowers, etc.), sprung from Mann (mind), scattering blessings down!