HYMN I. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 2 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

तवमग्ने दयुभिस्त्वमाशुशुक्षणिस्त्वमद्भ्यस्त्वमश्मनस परि |
तवं वनेभ्यस्त्वमोषधीभ्यस्त्वं नर्णां नर्पते जायसे शुचिः ||

तवाग्ने होत्रं तव पोत्रं रत्वियं तव नेष्ट्रं तवमग्निद रतायतः |
तव परशास्त्रं तवमध्वरीयसि बरह्मा चासि गर्हपतिश्च नो दमे ||

तवमग्न इन्द्रो वर्षभः सतामसि तवं विष्णुरुरुगायो नमस्यः |
तवं बरह्मा रयिविद बरह्मणस पते तवं विधर्तःसचसे पुरन्ध्या ||

तवमग्ने राजा वरुणो धर्तव्रतस्त्वं मित्रो भवसि दस्म ईड्यः |
तवमर्यमा सत्पतिर्यस्य सम्भुजं तवमंशो विदथे देव भाजयुः ||

तवमग्ने तवष्टा विधते सुवीर्यं तव गनावो मित्रमहः सजात्यम |
तवमाशुहेमा ररिषे सवश्व्यं तवं नरां शर्धो असि पुरूवसुः ||

तवमग्ने रुद्रो असुरो महो दिवस्त्वं शर्धो मारुतं पर्क्ष ईशिषे |
तवं वातैररुणैर्यासि शंगयस्त्वं पूषा विधतः पासि नु तमना ||

तवमग्ने दरविणोदा अरंक्र्ते तवं देवः सविता रत्नधासि |
तवं भगो नर्पते वस्व ईशिषे तवं पायुर्दमे यस्तेऽविधत ||

तवमग्ने दम आ विश्पतिं विशस्त्वां राजानं सुविदत्रं रञ्जते |
तवं विश्वानि सवनीक पत्यसे तवं सहस्राणि शता दश परति ||

तवामग्ने पितरमिष्टिभिर्नरस्त्वां भरात्राय शम्या तनूरुचम |
तवं पुत्रो भवसि यस्ते.अविधत तवं सखा सुशेवः पास्याध्र्षः ||

तवमग्न रभुराके नमस्यस्त्वं वाजस्य कषुमतो राय ईशिषे |
तवं वि भास्यनु दक्षि दावने तवं विशिक्षुरसियज्ञमातनिः ||

तवमग्ने अदितिर्देव दाशुषे तवं होत्रा भारती वर्धसेगिरा |
तवमिळा षतहिमासि दक्षसे तवं वर्त्रहा वसुपते सरस्वती ||

तवमग्ने सुभ्र्त उत्तमं वयस्तव सपार्हे वर्ण आ सन्द्र्शि शरियः |
तवं वाजः परतरणो बर्हन्नसि तवं रयिर्बहुलो विश्वतस पर्थुः ||

तवामग्न आदित्यास आस्यं तवां जिह्वां शुचयश्चक्रिरेकवे |
तवां रातिषाचो अध्वरेषु सश्चिरे तवे देवा हविरदन्त्याहुतम ||

तवे अग्ने विश्वे अन्र्तासो अद्रुह आसा देवा हविरदन्त्याहुतम |
तवया मर्तासः सवदन्त आसुतिं तवं गर्भो वीरुधां जज्ञिषे शुचिः ||

तवं तान सं च परति चासि मज्मनाग्ने सुजात पर च देवरिच्यसे |
पर्क्षो यदत्र महिना वि ते भुवदनु दयावाप्र्थिवी रोदसी उभे ||

ये सतोत्र्भ्यो गोग्रामश्वपेशसमग्ने रातिमुपस्र्जन्ति सूरयः |
अस्माञ्च तांश्च पर हि नेषि वस्य आ बर्हद वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ||

tvamaghne dyubhistvamāśuśukṣaṇistvamadbhyastvamaśmanas pari |
tvaṃ vanebhyastvamoṣadhībhyastvaṃ nṛṇāṃ nṛpate jāyase śuciḥ ||

tavāghne hotraṃ tava potraṃ ṛtviyaṃ tava neṣṭraṃ tvamaghnid ṛtāyataḥ |
tava praśāstraṃ tvamadhvarīyasi brahmā cāsi ghṛhapatiśca no dame ||

tvamaghna indro vṛṣabhaḥ satāmasi tvaṃ viṣṇururughāyo namasyaḥ |
tvaṃ brahmā rayivid brahmaṇas pate tvaṃ vidhartaḥsacase purandhyā ||

tvamaghne rājā varuṇo dhṛtavratastvaṃ mitro bhavasi dasma īḍyaḥ |
tvamaryamā satpatiryasya sambhujaṃ tvamaṃśo vidathe deva bhājayuḥ ||

tvamaghne tvaṣṭā vidhate suvīryaṃ tava ghnāvo mitramahaḥ sajātyam |
tvamāśuhemā rariṣe svaśvyaṃ tvaṃ narāṃ śardho asi purūvasuḥ ||

tvamaghne rudro asuro maho divastvaṃ śardho mārutaṃ pṛkṣa īśiṣe |
tvaṃ vātairaruṇairyāsi śaṃghayastvaṃ pūṣā vidhataḥ pāsi nu tmanā ||

tvamaghne draviṇodā araṃkṛte tvaṃ devaḥ savitā ratnadhāasi |
tvaṃ bhagho nṛpate vasva īśiṣe tvaṃ pāyurdame yaste’vidhat ||

tvamaghne dama ā viśpatiṃ viśastvāṃ rājānaṃ suvidatraṃ ṛñjate |
tvaṃ viśvāni svanīka patyase tvaṃ sahasrāṇi śatā daśa prati ||

tvāmaghne pitaramiṣṭibhirnarastvāṃ bhrātrāya śamyā tanūrucam |
tvaṃ putro bhavasi yaste.avidhat tvaṃ sakhā suśevaḥ pāsyādhṛṣaḥ ||

tvamaghna ṛbhurāke namasyastvaṃ vājasya kṣumato rāya īśiṣe |
tvaṃ vi bhāsyanu dakṣi dāvane tvaṃ viśikṣurasiyajñamātaniḥ ||

tvamaghne aditirdeva dāśuṣe tvaṃ hotrā bhāratī vardhaseghirā |
tvamiḷā ṣatahimāsi dakṣase tvaṃ vṛtrahā vasupate sarasvatī ||

tvamaghne subhṛta uttamaṃ vayastava spārhe varṇa ā sandṛśi śriyaḥ |
tvaṃ vājaḥ prataraṇo bṛhannasi tvaṃ rayirbahulo viśvatas pṛthuḥ ||

tvāmaghna ādityāsa āsyaṃ tvāṃ jihvāṃ śucayaścakrirekave |
tvāṃ rātiṣāco adhvareṣu saścire tve devā haviradantyāhutam ||

tve aghne viśve anṛtāso adruha āsā devā haviradantyāhutam |
tvayā martāsaḥ svadanta āsutiṃ tvaṃ gharbho vīrudhāṃ jajñiṣe śuciḥ ||

tvaṃ tān saṃ ca prati cāsi majmanāghne sujāta pra ca devaricyase |
pṛkṣo yadatra mahinā vi te bhuvadanu dyāvāpṛthivī rodasī ubhe ||

ye stotṛbhyo ghoaghrāmaśvapeśasamaghne rātimupasṛjanti sūrayaḥ |
asmāñca tāṃśca pra hi neṣi vasya ā bṛhad vadema vidathe suvīrāḥ ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THOU, Agni, shining in thy glory through the days, art brought to life from out the waters, from the stone:
From out the forest trees and herbs that grow on ground, thou, Sovran Lord of men art generated pure.

2 Thine is the Herald’s task and Cleanser’s duly timed; Leader art thou, and Kindler for the pious man.
Thou art Director, thou the ministering Priest: thou art the Brahman, Lord and Master in our home.

3 Hero of Heroes, Agni! Thou art Indra, thou art Viṣṇu of the Mighty Stride, adorable:
Thou, Brahmaṇaspati, the Brahman finding wealth: thou, O Sustainer, with thy wisdom tendest us.

4 Agni, thou art King Varuṇa whose laws stand fast; as Mitra, Wonder-Worker, thou must be implored.
Aryaman, heroes’ Lord, art thou, enriching all, and liberal Aṁśa in the synod, O thou God.

5 Thou givest strength, as Tvaṣṭar, to the worshipper: thou wielding Mitra’s power hast kinship with the Dames.
Thou, urging thy fleet coursers, givest noble steeds: a host of heroes art thou with great store of wealth.

6 Rudra art thou, the Asura of mighty heaven: thou art the Maruts’ host, thou art the Lord of food,
Thou goest with red winds: bliss hast thou in thine home. As Pūṣan thou thyself protectest worshippers.

7 Giver of wealth art thou to him who honours thee; thou art God Savitar, granter of precious things.
As Bhaga, Lord of men! thou rulest over wealth, and guardest in his house him who hath served thee well.

8 To thee, the people’s Lord within the house, the folk press forward to their King most graciously inclined.
Lord of the lovely look, all things belong to thee: ten, hundred, yea, a thousand are outweighed by thee.

9 Agni, men seek thee as a Father with their prayers, win thee, bright-formed, to brotherhood with holy act.
Thou art a Son to him who duly worships thee, and as a trusty Friend thou guardest from attack.

10 A Ṛbhu art thou, Agni, near to be adored thou art the Sovran Lord of foodful spoil and wealth.
Thou shinest brightly forth, thou burnest to bestow: pervading sacrifice, thou lendest us thine help.

11 Thou, God, art Aditi to him who offers gifts: thou, Hotrā, Bhāratī, art strengthened by the song.
Thou art the hundred-wintered Iḷā to give strength, Lord of Wealth! Vṛtra-slayer and Sarasvatī.

12 Thou, Agni, cherished well, art highest vital power; in thy delightful hue are glories visible.
Thou art the lofty might that furthers each design: thou art wealth manifold, diffused on every side.

13 Thee, Agni, have the Ādityas taken as their mouth; the Bright Ones have made thee, O Sage, to be their tongue.
They who love offerings cling to thee at solemn rites: by thee the Gods devour the duly offered food.

14 By thee, O Agni, all the Immortal guileless Gods cat with thy mouth the oblation that is offered them.
By thee do mortal men give sweetness to their drink. Bright art thou born, the embryo of the plants of earth.

15 With these thou art united, Agni; yea thou, God of noble birth, surpassest them in majesty,
Which, through the power of good, here spreads abroad from thee, diffused through both the worlds, throughout the earth and heaven.

16 The princely worshippers who send to those who sing thy praise, O Agni, guerdon graced with kine and steeds,—
Lead thou both these and us forward to higher bliss. With brave men in the assembly may we speak aloud.