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The tenth mandala, or chapter, of the Rigveda contains 191 hymns. Together with Mandala 1, it forms the latest part of the Rigveda, containing material, including the Purusha Sukta (10.90) and the dialogue of Sarama with the Panis (10.108), and notably containing several dialogue hymns.
The subjects of the hymns cover a wider spectrum than in the other books, dedicated not only to deities or natural phenomena, including deities that are not prominent enough to receive their own hymns in the other books (Nirrti 10.59, Asamati 10.60, Ratri 10.127, Aranyani 10.146, Indrani 10.159), but also to objects like dice (10.34), herbs (10.97), press-stones (for Soma, 10.94, 175) and abstract concepts like liberality (towards the rishi, 10.117), creation (10.129 (the Nasadiya Sukta), 130, 190), knowledge (10.71), speech, spirit (10.58), faith (10.151), a charm against evil dreams (10.164).
10.15, dedicated to the forefathers, contains a reference to the emerging rite of cremation in verse 14, where ancestors "both cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated (ánagnidagdha-)" are invoked.
10.47 to 50 are to Indra Vaikuntha, "Indra son of Vikuntha". Vikuntha was an Asuri whom Indra had allowed to become his second mother. The rishi of 10.47 is called Saptagu, while that of 10.48–50 is likewise called Indra Vaikuntha.
10.85 is a marriage hymn, evoking the marriage of Suryā, daughter of Surya (the Sun), another form of Ushas, the prototypical bride.
RV 10.121 (the Hiranyagarbha Sukta) is another hymn dealing with creation, containing elements of monotheism. It has a recurring pada "what God shall we adore with our oblation?", in verse 1 named Hiranyagarbha "the golden egg" or Cosmic egg, [1] [2] [3] later a name of Brahma, in verse 10 addressed as Prajapati.
10.129 (the Nasadiya Sukta) and 130 are creation hymns, probably the best known Rigvedic hymns in the west, especially 10.129.7:
These hymns exhibit a level of philosophical speculation very atypical of the Rigveda, which for the most part is occupied with ritualistic invocation.
10.145 is attributed to Indrani. It is a spell for a jealous wife to get rid of more favoured rival. Atypical of the Rigveda, similar spells are found in the Atharvaveda.
10.154 is a funeral hymn, asking for that the departed may join those who attained heaven through tapas. Padas 1 cd is reminiscent of the Norse concept of Valhalla:
10.155 is against the "one-eyed limping hag" Arayi.
10.166, attributed to Anila, is a spell for the destruction of rivals, similar to 10.145, but this time to be uttered by men who want to be rid of male rivals.
10.173 and 174 are benedictions of a newly elected king.
The rishis of the 10th Mandala are divided into Shudrasuktas and Mahasuktas, that is, sages who have composed "small" vs. "great" hymns.
| Sukta | Name | Deity | Rishi | Metre | Incipit |
| 1013 | Havirdhanas | yujé vām bráhma pūrviyáṃ námobhir | |||
| 1075 | Nadistuti Sukta | Rivers | prá sú va āpo mahimânam uttamáṃ | ||
| 1081 | Vishwakarma Sukta | Vishvakarman | Vishwakarma | yá imâ víśvā bhúvanāni júhvad | |
| 1083 | Manyu Sukta | Manyu | yás te manyo ávidhad vajra sāyaka | ||
| 1090 | Purusha Sukta | Purusha | sahásraśīrṣā púruṣaḥ | ||
| 1095 | Urvashi and Pururavas | hayé jâye mánasā tíṣṭha ghore | |||
| 10107 | Dakṣiṇā | āvír abhūn máhi mâghonam eṣāṃ | |||
| 10108 | Sarama and the Panis | kím ichántī sarámā prédám ānaḍ | |||
| 10121 | Hiranyagarbha Sukta | Hiranyagarbha/Prajapati | hiraṇyagarbháḥ sám avartatâgre | ||
| 10123 | Vena | ayáṃ venáś codayat pŕśnigarbhā | |||
| 10129 | Nasadiya Sukta | Creation | nâsad āsīn nó sád āsīt tadânīṃ | ||
| 10136 | Keśin | keśî agníṃ keśî viṣáṃ | |||
| 10145 | Sapatnibadhana | Indrani | imâṃ khanāmi óṣadhiṃ | ||
| 10178 | Tarkshya | tiyám ū ṣú vājínaṃ devájūtaṃ | |||
| 10183 | the sacrificer and his wife | Prajavan | ápaśyaṃ tvā mánasā cékitānaṃ | ||
Dyaus, or Dyauspitar, is the Ṛigvedic sky deity. His consort is Prithvi, the earth goddess, and together they are the archetypal parents in the Rigveda.
Aditi is an important Vedic goddess in Hinduism.
Prajapati is a Vedic deity of Hinduism.
Atri or Attri is a Vedic sage, who is credited with composing numerous hymns to Agni, Indra, and other Vedic deities of Hinduism. Atri is one of the Saptarishi in the Hindu tradition, and the one most mentioned in its scripture Rigveda.
Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar and the word "Vishvakarma" was originally used as an epithet for any powerful deity. However, in many later traditions, Vishvakarma became the name of the craftsman god.
Hindu cosmology is the description of the universe and its states of matter, cycles within time, physical structure, and effects on living entities according to Hindu texts. Hindu cosmology is also intertwined with the idea of a creator who allows the world to exist and take shape.
Hiraṇyagarbha is the source of the creation of the universe or the manifested cosmos in Vedic philosophy. It finds mention in one hymn of the Rigveda, known as the Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta, suggesting a single creator deity, identified in the hymn as Prajāpati. The concept of the "golden womb" is first mentioned in the Vishvakarma Sūkta which picturized the "primeval womb" as being rested set upon the navel of Vishvakarman. This imagery was later transferred to Vishnu and Surya.
Vedic metre refers to the poetic metre in the Vedic literature. The study of Vedic metre, along with post-Vedic metre, is part of Chandas, one of the six Vedanga disciplines.
Purusha Sukta is the 90th hymn of the 10th mandala of the Rigveda. It is dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being".
The Nadistuti sukta, or "the hymn in praise of rivers", is 75th hymn (sukta) of 10th Mandala of the Rigveda. Nadistuti sukta is important for the reconstruction of the geography of the Vedic civilization. Sindhu is addressed as the mightiest of rivers and addressed specifically in verses 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9.
The seventh Mandala of the Rigveda has 104 hymns. In the Rigveda Anukramani, all hymns in this book are attributed to Vashista. Hymn 32 is additionally credited to Sakti Vashista, and hymns 101-102 are additionally credited to Kumara Agneya. It is one of the "family books", the oldest core of the Rigveda, which were composed in early vedic period.
Vasishtha is one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis. Vasishtha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Vasishtha and his family are mentioned in Rigvedic verse 10.167.4, other Rigvedic mandalas and in many Vedic texts. His ideas have been influential and he was called the first sage of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy by Adi Shankara.
The Nāsadīya Sūkta, also known as the Hymn of Creation, is the 129th hymn of the 10th mandala of the Rigveda (10:129). It is concerned with cosmology and the origin of the universe.
The Shri Sukta(Sanskrit: श्रीसूक्तम्, romanized: Śrīsūktam), also called the Shri Suktam, is the earliest recorded Sanskrit devotional hymns that revere Shri-Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, and fertility. The Shri Sukta is recited, with a strict adherence to Sanskrit prosody for the veneration of the goddess. This hymn is found in the Rigvedic khilanis, which are appendices to the Rigveda that can dated back to the pre-Buddhist era.
The Rigveda contains a number of dialogue hymns in the form of dialogues, representing the earliest surviving sample of this genre. It can be argued to be an early precursor of Indian classical drama. They are found in the youngest part of the Rigveda, dating to roughly the 12th to 10th centuries BC, with the exception of the older River hymn, where the rivers answer in reply to Vishvamitra's prayer.
Mayabheda, (Sanskrit:मायाभेद:), means the breaching or removal of Avidya ("ignorance"). It means the destruction of the illusion caused by Maya which occurs coinciding with the gain/dawn of Right Knowledge, the knowledge of Brahman. The Rig Veda Sukta R.V.X.177 addressed to Mayabheda in its three Mantras in its own cryptic way serves this purpose. The central theme of this hymn is the discernment of Maya or illusion, the cause of material creation. Mayabheda is also one of the Rigvedic deities.
The Rigveda or Rig Veda is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (sūktas). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (śruti) known as the Vedas. Only one Shakha of the many survive today, namely the Śakalya Shakha. Much of the contents contained in the remaining Shakhas are now lost or are not available in the public forum. Rigveda Samhita was composed in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent
The Avyakta Upanishad is a Sanskrit text and a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. It is one of 16 Upanishads attached to the Samaveda, and classified under the 17 Vaishnava Upanishad.
Medha Suktam is a suktam addressed to Medha (wisdom), personified as a goddess. Because goddess Medha is considered as a form of Saraswati, Medha Suktam is quite popular as a hymn to goddess Saraswati; as a prayer seeking wisdom and capability to learn.
The Hiranyagarbha Suktam is the 121st hymn of the tenth mandala of the Rigveda. In this sukta, Hiranyagarbha is mentioned as the God of the gods and there is no one like Him. The Hiranyagarbha Sukta declares that Brahman manifested Himself from the beginning as the Creator of the universe, including everything, including His own everything, the collective totality, as it were, to make it the chief intelligence of the whole creation.
Works related to The Rig Veda/Mandala 10 at Wikisource – English translation by Ralph T. H. Griffith