The Rig Veda Blog
Journeys into Vedic Thought
Long-form, researched essays on the deities, language, ritual and history of the Rig Veda. All free to read.
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The Frogs of Vasiṣṭha: Rain-Charm, Parody, or Both in RV 7.103
One Rigvedic hymn praises frogs as if they were Brahmin priests. For a century scholars asked whether it mocks the priesthood or works as a serious rain-charm. The honest answer is that it does both, and the false choice is the real lesson.
The Price of Praise: The Dānastuti and the Gift Economy of the Rigveda
At the end of dozens of Rigvedic hymns the poets stop praising gods and start counting cattle. These 'praise of the gift' verses record what a patron paid for a song, and they are among the most revealing lines in the whole collection.