HYMN CXL. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

वेदिषदे परियधामाय सुद्युते धासिम इव पर भरा योनिम अग्नये |
वस्त्रेणेव वासया मन्मना शुचिं जयोतीरथं शुक्रवर्णं तमोहनम ||

अभि दविजन्मा तरिव्र्दन्नं रज्यते संवत्सरे वाव्र्धे जग्धमी पुनः |
अन्यस्यासा जिह्वय जेन्यो वर्षा नयन्येन वनिनोम्र्ष्ट वरणः ||

कर्ष्णप्रुतौ वेविजे अस्य सक्षिता उभा तरेते अभि मतरा शिशुम |
पराचजिह्वं धवसयन्तं तर्षुच्युतमा साच्यं कुपयं वर्धनं पितुः ||

मुमुक्ष्वो मनवे मनवस्यते रघुद्रुवः कर्ष्णसीतास ऊ जुवः |
असमना अजिरासो रघुष्यदो वातजूता उप युज्यन्त आशवः ||

आदस्य ते धवसयन्तो वर्थेरते कर्ष्णमभ्वं महि वर्पःकरिक्रतः |
यत सीं महीमवनिं पराभि मर्म्र्शदभिश्वसन सतनयन्नेति नानदत ||

भूषन न यो.अधि बभ्रूषु नम्नते वर्षेव पत्नीरभ्येति रोरुवत |
ओजायमानस्तन्वश्च शुम्भते भीमो न शर्न्गादविधव दुर्ग्र्भिः ||

स संस्तिरो विष्टिरः सं गर्भयति जनन्नेव जानतीर्नित्य आ शये |
पुनर्वर्धन्ते अपि यन्ति देव्यमन्यद वर्पः पित्रोः कर्ण्वते सचा ||

तमग्रुवः केशिनीः सं हि रेभिर ऊर्ध्वास्तस्थुर्मम्रुषीः परायवे पुनः |
तासां जरां परमुञ्चन्नेति नानददसुं परं जनयञ जीवमस्त्र्तम ||

अधीवसं परि मतु रिहन्नह तुविग्रेभिः सत्वभिर्याति वि जरयः |
वयो दधत पद्वते रेरिहत सदानु शयेनी सचतेवर्तनीरह ||

अस्माकमग्ने मघवत्सु दीदिह्यध शवसीवान वर्षभो दमूनाः |
अवास्या शिशुमतीरदीदेर्वर्मेव युत्सु परिजर्भुराणः ||

इदमग्ने सुधितं दुर्धितादधि परियादु चिन मन्मनः परेयो अस्तु ते |
यत ते शुक्रं तन्वो रोचते शुचि तेनास्मभ्यंवनसे रत्नमा तवम ||

रथाय नावमुत नो गर्हाय नित्यारित्रां पद्वतीं रास्यग्ने |
अस्माकं वीरानुत नो मघोनो जनांश्च या] पारयाच्छर्म या च ||

अभी नो अग्न उक्थमिज्जुगुर्या दयावाक्षामा सिन्धवश्च सवगूर्ताः |
गव्यं यव्यं यन्तो दीर्घाहेषं वरमरुण्यो वरन्त ||

vediṣade priyadhāmāya sudyute dhāsim iva pra bharā yonim aghnaye |
vastreṇeva vāsayā manmanā śuciṃ jyotīrathaṃ śukravarṇaṃ tamohanam ||

abhi dvijanmā trivṛdannaṃ ṛjyate saṃvatsare vāvṛdhe jaghdhamī punaḥ |
anyasyāsā jihvaya jenyo vṛṣā nyanyena vaninomṛṣṭa varaṇaḥ ||

kṛṣṇaprutau vevije asya sakṣitā ubhā tarete abhi matarā śiśum |
prācajihvaṃ dhvasayantaṃ tṛṣucyutamā sācyaṃ kupayaṃ vardhanaṃ pituḥ ||

mumukṣvo manave manavasyate raghudruvaḥ kṛṣṇasītāsa ū juvaḥ |
asamanā ajirāso raghuṣyado vātajūtā upa yujyanta āśavaḥ ||

ādasya te dhvasayanto vṛtherate kṛṣṇamabhvaṃ mahi varpaḥkarikrataḥ |
yat sīṃ mahīmavaniṃ prābhi marmṛśadabhiśvasan stanayanneti nānadat ||

bhūṣan na yo.adhi babhrūṣu namnate vṛṣeva patnīrabhyeti roruvat |
ojāyamānastanvaśca śumbhate bhīmo na śṛnghādavidhava durghṛbhiḥ ||

sa saṃstiro viṣṭiraḥ saṃ ghṛbhayati jananneva jānatīrnitya ā śaye |
punarvardhante api yanti devyamanyad varpaḥ pitroḥ kṛṇvate sacā ||

tamaghruvaḥ keśinīḥ saṃ hi rebhira ūrdhvāstasthurmamruṣīḥ prāyave punaḥ |
tāsāṃ jarāṃ pramuñcanneti nānadadasuṃ paraṃ janayañ jīvamastṛtam ||

adhīvasaṃ pari matu rihannaha tuvighrebhiḥ satvabhiryāti vi jrayaḥ |
vayo dadhat padvate rerihat sadānu śyenī sacatevartanīraha ||

asmākamaghne maghavatsu dīdihyadha śvasīvān vṛṣabho damūnāḥ |
avāsyā śiśumatīradīdervarmeva yutsu parijarbhurāṇaḥ ||

idamaghne sudhitaṃ durdhitādadhi priyādu cin manmanaḥ preyo astu te |
yat te śukraṃ tanvo rocate śuci tenāsmabhyaṃvanase ratnamā tvam ||

rathāya nāvamuta no ghṛhāya nityāritrāṃ padvatīṃ rāsyaghne |
asmākaṃ vīrānuta no maghono janāṃśca yā] pārayāccharma yā ca ||

abhī no aghna ukthamijjughuryā dyāvākṣāmā sindhavaśca svaghūrtāḥ |
ghavyaṃ yavyaṃ yanto dīrghāheṣaṃ varamaruṇyo varanta ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. To splendid Agni seated by the altar, loving well his home, I bring the food as ’twere his place of birth.
I clothe the bright One with my hymn as with a robe, him with the car of light, bright-hued, dispelling gloom.

2 Child of a double birth he grasps at triple food; in the year’s course what he hath swallowed grows anew.
He, by another’s mouth and tongue a noble Bull, with other, as an elephant, consumes the trees.

3 The pair who dwell together, moving in the dark bestir themselves: both parents hasten to the babe,
Impetuous-tongued, destroying, springing swiftly forth, one to be watched and cherished, strengthener of his sire.

4 For man, thou Friend of men, these steeds of thine are yoked, impatient, lightly running, ploughing blackened lines,
Discordant-minded, fleet, gliding with easy speed, urged onward by the wind and rapid in their course.

5 Dispelling on their way the horror of black gloom, making a glorious show these flames of his fly forth,
When o’er the spacious tract he spreads himself abroad, and rushes panting on with thunder and with roar.

6 Amid brown plants he stoops as if adorning them, and rushes bellowing like a bull upon his wives.
Proving his might, he decks the glory of his form, and shakes his horns like one terrific, hard to stay.

7 Now covered, now displayed he grasps as one who knows his resting-place in those who know him well.
A second time they wax and gather Godlike power, and blending both together change their Parents’ form.

8 The maidens with long, tresses hold him in embrace; dead, they rise up again to meet the Living One.
Releasing them from age with a loud roar he comes, filling them with new spirit, living, unsubdued.

9 Licking the mantle of the Mother, far and wide he wanders over fields with beasts that flee apace.
Strengthening all that walk, licking up all around, a blackened path, forsooth, he leaves where’er he goes.

10 O Agni, shine resplendent with our wealthy chiefs, like a loud-snorting bull, accustomed to the house.
Thou casting off thine infant wrappings blazest forth as though thou hadst put on a coat of mail for war.

11 May this our perfect prayer be dearer unto thee than an imperfect prayer although it please thee well.
With the pure brilliancy that radiates from thy form, mayest thou grant to us abundant store of wealth.

12 Grant to our chariot, to our house, O Agni, a boat with moving feet and constant oarage,
One that may further well our wealthy princes and all the folk, and be our certain refuge.

13 Welcome our laud with thine approval, Agni. May earth and heaven and freely flowing rivers
Yield us long life and food and corn and cattle, and may the red Dawns choose for us their choicest.