HYMN CXXIV. Agni, Etc. – Rig Veda – Book 10

इमं नो अग्न उप यज्ञमेहि पञ्चयामं तरिव्र्तंसप्ततन्तुम |
असो हव्यवाळ उत नः पुरोगा जयोगेवदीर्घं तम आशयिष्ठाः ||

अदेवाद देवः परचता गुहा यन परपश्यमानो अम्र्तत्वमेमि |
शिवं यत सन्तमशिवो जहामि सवात सख्यादरणींनाभिमेमि ||

पश्यन्नन्यस्या अतिथिं वयाया रतस्य धाम वि मिमेपुरूणि |
शंसामि पित्रे असुराय शेवमयज्ञियाद्यज्ञियं भागमेमि ||

बह्वीः समा अकरमन्तरस्मिन्निन्द्रं वर्णानः पितरंजहामि |
अग्निः सोमो वरुणस्ते चयवन्ते पर्यावर्द्राष्ट्रं तदवाम्यायन ||

निर्माया उ तये असुरा अभूवन तवं च मा वरुण कामयासे |
रतेन राजन्नन्र्तं विविञ्चन मम राष्ट्रस्याधिपत्यमेहि ||

इदं सवरिदमिदास वाममयं परकाश उर्वन्तरिक्षम |
हनाव वर्त्रं निरेहि सोम हविष टवा सन्तं हविषायजाम ||

कविः कवित्वा दिवि रूपमासजदप्रभूती वरुणो निरपः सर्जत |
कषेमं कर्ण्वाना जनयो न सिन्धवश ता अस्यवर्णं शुचयो भरिभ्रति ||

ता अस्य जयेष्ठमिन्द्रियं सचन्ते ता ईमा कषेतिस्वधया मदन्तीः |
ता इं विशो न राजानं वर्णानाबीभत्सुवो अप वर्त्रादतिष्ठन ||

बीभत्सूनां सयुजं हंसमाहुरपां दिव्यानांसख्ये चरन्तम |
अनुष्टुभमनु चर्चूर्यमाणमिन्द्रं निचिक्युः कवयो मनीषा ||

imaṃ no aghna upa yajñamehi pañcayāmaṃ trivṛtaṃsaptatantum |
aso havyavāḷ uta naḥ puroghā jyoghevadīrghaṃ tama āśayiṣṭhāḥ ||

adevād devaḥ pracatā ghuhā yan prapaśyamāno amṛtatvamemi |
śivaṃ yat santamaśivo jahāmi svāt sakhyādaraṇīṃnābhimemi ||

paśyannanyasyā atithiṃ vayāyā ṛtasya dhāma vi mimepurūṇi |
śaṃsāmi pitre asurāya śevamayajñiyādyajñiyaṃ bhāghamemi ||

bahvīḥ samā akaramantarasminnindraṃ vṛṇānaḥ pitaraṃjahāmi |
aghniḥ somo varuṇaste cyavante paryāvardrāṣṭraṃ tadavāmyāyan ||

nirmāyā u tye asurā abhūvan tvaṃ ca mā varuṇa kāmayāse |
ṛtena rājannanṛtaṃ viviñcan mama rāṣṭrasyādhipatyamehi ||

idaṃ svaridamidāsa vāmamayaṃ prakāśa urvantarikṣam |
hanāva vṛtraṃ nirehi soma haviṣ ṭvā santaṃ haviṣāyajāma ||

kaviḥ kavitvā divi rūpamāsajadaprabhūtī varuṇo nirapaḥ sṛjat |
kṣemaṃ kṛṇvānā janayo na sindhavaś tā asyavarṇaṃ śucayo bharibhrati ||

tā asya jyeṣṭhamindriyaṃ sacante tā īmā kṣetisvadhayā madantīḥ |
tā iṃ viśo na rājānaṃ vṛṇānābībhatsuvo apa vṛtrādatiṣṭhan ||

bībhatsūnāṃ sayujaṃ haṃsamāhurapāṃ divyānāṃsakhye carantam |
anuṣṭubhamanu carcūryamāṇamindraṃ nicikyuḥ kavayo manīṣā ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. COME to this sacrifice of ours, O Agni, threefold, with seven threads and five divisions.
Be our oblation-bearer and preceder: thou hast lain long enough in during darkness.

2 I come a God foreseeing from the godless to immortality by secret pathways,
While I, ungracious one, desert the gracious, leave mine own friends and seek the kin of strangers.

3 1, looking to the guest of other lineage, have founded many a rule of Law and Order.
I bid farewell to the Great God, the Father, and, for neglect, obtain my share of worship.

4 I tarried many a year within this altar: I leave the Father, for my choice is Indra.
Away pass Agni, Varuṇa and Soma. Rule ever changes: this I come to favour.

5 These Asuras have lost their powers of magic. But thou, O Varuṇa, if thou dost love me,
O King, discerning truth and right from falsehood, come and be Lord and Ruler of my kingdom.

6 Here is the light of heaven, here allis lovely; here there is radiance, here is air’s wide region.
Let us two slaughter Vṛtra. Forth, O Soma! Thou art oblation: we therewith will serve thee.

7 The Sage hath fixed his form by wisdom in the heavens: Varuṇa with no violence let the waters flow.
Like women-folk, the floods that bring prosperity have eau lit his hue and colour as they gleamed and shone.

8 These wait upon his loftiest power and vigour: he dwells in these who triumph in their Godhead;
And they, like people who elect their ruler, have in abhorrence turned away from Vṛtra.

9 They call him Swan, the abhorrent floods’ Companion, moving in friendship with celestial Waters.
The poets in their thought have looked on Indra swiftly approaching when Anustup calls him.