Ṛgvedaऋग्वेद
The oldest collection of Vedic hymns. 7 passages in the chapters come from it.
- What it is
- 1,028 hymns in 10 books, about 10,600 verses
- Composed
- Composed roughly 1500–1000 BCE, and handed down orally for many centuries before it was written
- By
- Families of poets (ṛṣis), named by the tradition hymn by hymn
- References on this site
- Book.hymn.verse: 10.191.2 is book 10, hymn 191, verse 2.
The oldest of the four Vedas, and among the oldest texts in any Indo-European language. Most of its hymns praise and petition gods such as Agni, Indra and Varuṇa. Some late hymns in the tenth book turn to the origin of things and to human community, and most passages on this site come from those: the closing hymn, 10.191, calls an assembly to move together and speak together.
It was handed down by memory with extraordinary precision. Reciters learned each hymn in several orders of words, a check against any change, and the tradition is still alive.
Read it in full
- R. T. H. Griffith's translation (1890s), at sacred-texts.com (free, opens another site)
Translations in print
- Stephanie W. Jamison and Joel P. Brereton, The Rigveda (Oxford, 2014)
Names with marks such as ā, ṣ or ṛ are explained in how to read the names and terms.
The 7 passages the chapters quote
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Management and Its Principles
Unity of direction, esprit de corps and the hymn of concord
Read it in its chapter“Move together, speak together, let your minds be of one accord.” सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । saṃ gacchadhvaṃ saṃ vadadhvaṃ saṃ vo manāṃsi jānatām. Ṛgveda 10.191.2; common purpose at 10.191.4
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Functions of Management
Coordination and the hymn of concord
Read it in its chapter“Move together, speak together, let your minds be of one accord.” सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । saṃ gacchadhvaṃ saṃ vadadhvaṃ saṃ vo manāṃsi jānatām. Ṛgveda 10.191.2
“Where the wise shaped speech with the mind, as grain is sifted with a sieve.” सक्तुमिव तितउना पुनन्तो यत्र धीरा मनसा वाचमक्रत । saktum iva titaünā punanto yatra dhīrā manasā vācam akrata. Ṛgveda 10.71.2; four parts of speech at 1.164.45
- DocumentedUnit 1 · Business Ethics and CSR
Profit and social welfare and sharing what is earned
Read it in its chapterकेवलाघो भवति केवलादी । kevalāgho bhavati kevalādī. “He who eats alone eats only sin.” Ṛgveda 10.117.6; Bhagavad Gītā 3.13, 3.20
Also cites: Bhagavad GītāDiscuss
समानी व आकूतिः समाना हृदयानि वः । samānī va ākūtiḥ samānā hṛdayāni vaḥ. Ṛgveda 10.191.4
- My viewUnit 2 · Organisational Behaviour
The collegial model: partnership and a common purpose
Read it in its chapter“Common be your purpose, common your hearts, common your mind, so that you may be well together.” समानी व आकूतिः समाना हृदयानि वः । समानमस्तु वो मनो यथा वः सुसहासति । samānī va ākūtiḥ samānā hṛdayāni vaḥ; samānam astu vo mano yathā vaḥ susahāsati. Ṛgveda 10.191.4
- My viewUnit 2 · Workforce Diversity
Diversity, not mere tolerance and one truth, many names
Read it in its chapter“Truth is one; the wise call it by many names.” एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति । ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti. Ṛgveda 1.164.46
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