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Rigveda

coreattestedc. 1500 BCEHinduism

Oldest of the Vedas; foundational Hindu scripture.

Influence92

Antiquity98

Wisdom86

Mystery79

✦Signature powerThe WordIts verses bind, guide, and outlive the hands that wrote them.

Relics & objects

Sacred and cursed things that belong to the world of Rigveda.

The AmritaSacred

Read the story

Illustrated chapters where Rigveda appears. Start reading in a click.

Illustrated storyThe Churning of the OceanCursed into weakness, the gods cannot win immortality by force, so they invite their enemies to help churn it out of the Ocean of Milk, with a mountain for a churning-rod, the serpent king for a rope, and Vishnu as the tortoise underneath it all. What rises first is not nectar but Halahala, the poison of everything, and Shiva must drink it and hold it in his throat forever. The nectar comes last, and is won by a single enchanting glance.Begin reading →