HYMN I. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 3 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

सोमस्य मा तवसं वक्ष्यग्ने वह्निं चकर्थ विदथे यजध्यै |
देवानछा दीद्यद युञ्जे अद्रिं शमाये अग्ने तन्वंजुषस्व ||

पराञ्चं यज्ञं चक्र्म वर्धतां गीः समिद्भिरग्निं नमसा दुवस्यन |
दिवः शशासुर्विदथा कवीनां गर्त्साय चित तवसे गातुमीषुः ||

मयो दधे मेधिरः पूतदक्षो दिवः सुबन्धुर्जनुषा पर्थिव्याः |
अविन्दन्नु दर्शतमप्स्वन्तर्देवासो अग्निमपसि सवसॄणाम ||

अवर्धयन सुभगं सप्त यह्वीः शवेतं जज्ञानमरुषम्महित्वा |
शिशुं न जातमभ्यारुरश्वा देवासो अग्निंजनिमन वपुष्यन ||

शुक्रेभिरङगै रज आततन्वान करतुं पुनानः कविभिः पवित्रैः |
शोचिर्वसानः पर्यायुरपां शरियो मिमीते बर्हतीरनूनाः ||

वव्राजा सीमनदतीरदब्धा दिवो यह्वीरवसाना अनग्नाः |
सना अत्र युवतयः सयोनीरेकं गर्भं दधिरे सप्त वाणीः ||

सतीर्णा अस्य संहतो विश्वरूपा घर्तस्य योनौ सरवथे मधूनाम |
अस्थुरत्र धेनवः पिन्वमाना मही दस्मस्य मातरा समीची ||

बभ्राणः सूनो सहसो वयद्यौद दाधानः शुक्रा रभसा वपूंषि |
शचोतन्ति धारा मधुनो घर्तस्य वर्षा यत्र वाव्र्धे काव्येन ||

पितुश्चिदूधर्जनुषा विवेद वयस्य धारा अस्र्जद वि धेनाः |
गुहा चरन्तं सखिभिः शिवेभिर्दिवो यह्वीभिर्नगुहा बभूव ||

पितुश्च गर्भं जनितुश्च बभ्रे पूर्वीरेको अधयत पीप्यानाः |
वर्ष्णे सपत्नी शुचये सबन्धू उभे अस्मै मनुष्येनि पाहि ||

उरौ महाननिबाधे ववर्धापो अग्निं यशसः सं हि पूर्वीः |
रतस्य योनावशयद दमूना जामीनामग्निरपसिस्वसॄणाम ||

अक्रो न बभ्रिः समिथे महीनां दिद्र्क्षेयः सूनवे भार्जीकः |
उदुस्रिया जनिता यो जजानापां गर्भो नर्तमो यह्वो अग्निः ||

अपां गर्भं दर्शतमोषधीनां वना जजान सुभगा विरूपम |
देवासश्चिन मनसा सं हि जग्मुः पनिष्ठं जातं तवसं दुवस्यन ||

बर्हन्त इद भानवो भार्जीकमग्निं सचन्त विद्युतो न शुक्राः |
गुहेव वर्द्धं सदसि सवे अन्तरपार ऊर्वे अम्र्तन्दुहानाः ||

ईळे च तवा यजमानो हविर्भिरीळे सखित्वं सुमतिं निकामः |
देवैरवो मिमीहि सं जरित्रे रक्षा च नो दम्येभिरनीकैः ||

उपक्षेतारस्तव सुप्रणीते.अग्ने विश्वानि धन्या दधानाः |
सुरेतसा शरवसा तुञ्जमाना अभि षयाम पर्तनायून्रदेवान ||

आ देवानामभवः केतुरग्ने मन्द्रो विश्वानि काव्यानि विद्वान |
परति मर्तानवासयो दमूना अनु देवान रथिरो यासिसाधन ||

नि दुरोणे अम्र्तो मर्त्यानां राजा ससाद विदथानि साधन |
घर्तप्रतीक उर्विया वयद्यौदग्निर्विश्वानि काव्यानि विद्वान ||

आ नो गहि सख्येभिः शिवेभिर्महान महीभिरूतिभिः सरण्यन |
अस्मे रयिं बहुलं सन्तरुत्रं सुवाचं भागं यशसं कर्धी नः ||

एता ते अग्ने जनिमा सनानि पर पूर्व्याय नूतनानि वोचम |
महान्ति वर्ष्णे सवना कर्तेमा जन्मञ-जन्मन निहितो जातवेदाः ||

जन्मञ-जन्मन निहितो जातवेदा विश्वामित्रेभिरिध्यते अजस्रः |
तस्य वयं सुमतौ यज्ञियस्यापि भद्रे सौमनसे सयाम ||

इमं यज्ञं सहसावन तवं नो देवत्रा धेहि सुक्रतो रराणः |
पर यंसि होतर्ब्र्हतीरिषो नो.अग्ने महि दरविनमा यजस्व ||

इळामग्ने पुरुदंसं सनिं गोः शश्वत्तमं हवमानायसाध |
सयान नः सूनुस्तनयो विजावाग्ने सा ते सुमतिर्भुत्वस्मे ||

somasya mā tavasaṃ vakṣyaghne vahniṃ cakartha vidathe yajadhyai |
devānachā dīdyad yuñje adriṃ śamāye aghne tanvaṃjuṣasva ||

prāñcaṃ yajñaṃ cakṛma vardhatāṃ ghīḥ samidbhiraghniṃ namasā duvasyan |
divaḥ śaśāsurvidathā kavīnāṃ ghṛtsāya cit tavase ghātumīṣuḥ ||

mayo dadhe medhiraḥ pūtadakṣo divaḥ subandhurjanuṣā pṛthivyāḥ |
avindannu darśatamapsvantardevāso aghnimapasi svasṝṇām ||

avardhayan subhaghaṃ sapta yahvīḥ śvetaṃ jajñānamaruṣammahitvā |
śiśuṃ na jātamabhyāruraśvā devāso aghniṃjaniman vapuṣyan ||

śukrebhiraṅghai raja ātatanvān kratuṃ punānaḥ kavibhiḥ pavitraiḥ |
śocirvasānaḥ paryāyurapāṃ śriyo mimīte bṛhatīranūnāḥ ||

vavrājā sīmanadatīradabdhā divo yahvīravasānā anaghnāḥ |
sanā atra yuvatayaḥ sayonīrekaṃ gharbhaṃ dadhire sapta vāṇīḥ ||

stīrṇā asya saṃhato viśvarūpā ghṛtasya yonau sravathe madhūnām |
asthuratra dhenavaḥ pinvamānā mahī dasmasya mātarā samīcī ||

babhrāṇaḥ sūno sahaso vyadyaud dādhānaḥ śukrā rabhasā vapūṃṣi |
ścotanti dhārā madhuno ghṛtasya vṛṣā yatra vāvṛdhe kāvyena ||

pituścidūdharjanuṣā viveda vyasya dhārā asṛjad vi dhenāḥ |
ghuhā carantaṃ sakhibhiḥ śivebhirdivo yahvībhirnaghuhā babhūva ||

pituśca gharbhaṃ janituśca babhre pūrvīreko adhayat pīpyānāḥ |
vṛṣṇe sapatnī śucaye sabandhū ubhe asmai manuṣyeni pāhi ||

urau mahānanibādhe vavardhāpo aghniṃ yaśasaḥ saṃ hi pūrvīḥ |
ṛtasya yonāvaśayad damūnā jāmīnāmaghnirapasisvasṝṇām ||

akro na babhriḥ samithe mahīnāṃ didṛkṣeyaḥ sūnave bhāṛjīkaḥ |
udusriyā janitā yo jajānāpāṃ gharbho nṛtamo yahvo aghniḥ ||

apāṃ gharbhaṃ darśatamoṣadhīnāṃ vanā jajāna subhaghā virūpam |
devāsaścin manasā saṃ hi jaghmuḥ paniṣṭhaṃ jātaṃ tavasaṃ duvasyan ||

bṛhanta id bhānavo bhāṛjīkamaghniṃ sacanta vidyuto na śukrāḥ |
ghuheva vṛddhaṃ sadasi sve antarapāra ūrve amṛtanduhānāḥ ||

īḷe ca tvā yajamāno havirbhirīḷe sakhitvaṃ sumatiṃ nikāmaḥ |
devairavo mimīhi saṃ jaritre rakṣā ca no damyebhiranīkaiḥ ||

upakṣetārastava supraṇīte.aghne viśvāni dhanyā dadhānāḥ |
suretasā śravasā tuñjamānā abhi ṣyāma pṛtanāyūnradevān ||

ā devānāmabhavaḥ keturaghne mandro viśvāni kāvyāni vidvān |
prati martānavāsayo damūnā anu devān rathiro yāsisādhan ||

ni duroṇe amṛto martyānāṃ rājā sasāda vidathāni sādhan |
ghṛtapratīka urviyā vyadyaudaghnirviśvāni kāvyāni vidvān ||

ā no ghahi sakhyebhiḥ śivebhirmahān mahībhirūtibhiḥ saraṇyan |
asme rayiṃ bahulaṃ santarutraṃ suvācaṃ bhāghaṃ yaśasaṃ kṛdhī naḥ ||

etā te aghne janimā sanāni pra pūrvyāya nūtanāni vocam |
mahānti vṛṣṇe savanā kṛtemā janmañ-janman nihito jātavedāḥ ||

janmañ-janman nihito jātavedā viśvāmitrebhiridhyate ajasraḥ |
tasya vayaṃ sumatau yajñiyasyāpi bhadre saumanase syāma ||

imaṃ yajñaṃ sahasāvan tvaṃ no devatrā dhehi sukrato rarāṇaḥ |
pra yaṃsi hotarbṛhatīriṣo no.aghne mahi dravinamā yajasva ||

iḷāmaghne purudaṃsaṃ saniṃ ghoḥ śaśvattamaṃ havamānāyasādha |
syān naḥ sūnustanayo vijāvāghne sā te sumatirbhutvasme ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THOU, Agni, who wilt have the strong, hast made me the Soma’s priest, to worship in assembly.
Thou shinest to the Gods, I set the press-stones. I toil; be joyful in thyself, O Agni.

2 East have we turned the rite; may the hymn aid it. With wood and worship shall they honour Agni.
From heaven the synods of the wise have learnt it: e’en for the quick and strong they seek advancement.

3 The Prudent, he whose will is pure, brought welfare, allied by birth to Heaven and Earth in kinship.
The Gods discovered in the midst of waters beautiful Agni with the Sisters’ labour.

4 Him, Blessed One, the Seven strong Floods augmented, him white at birth and red when waxen mighty.
As mother mares run to their new-born you ling, so at his birth the Gods wondered at Agni.

5 Spreading with radiant limbs throughout the region, purging his power with wise purifications,
Robing himself in light, the life of waters, he spreads abroad his high and perfect glories.

6 He sought heaven’s Mighty Ones, the unconsuming, the unimpaired, not clothed and yet not naked.
Then they, ancient and young, who dwell together, Seven sounding Rivers, as one germ received him.

7 His piles, assuming every form, are scattered where flow sweet waters, at the spring of fatness;
There stood the milch-kine with full-laden udders, and both paired Mighty Mothers of the Wondrous.

8 Carefully cherished, Son of Strength, thou shoncst assuming lasting and refulgent beauties.
Full streams of fatness and sweet juice descended, there where the Mighty One grew strong by wisdom.

9 From birth he knew even his Father’s bosom, he set his voices and his streams in motion;
Knew him who moved with blessed Friends in secret, with the young Dames of heaven. He stayed not hidden.

10 He nursed the Infant of the Sire and Maker: alone the Babe sucked many a teeming bosom.
Guard, for the Bright and Strong, the fellow-spouses friendly to men and bound to him in kinship.

11 The Mighty One increased in space unbounded; full many a glorious flood gave strength to Agni.
Friend of the house, within the lap of Order lay Agni, in the Sister Rivers’ service.

12 As keen supporter where great waters gather, light-shedder whom the brood rejoice to look on;
He who begat, and will beget, the dawnlights, most manly, Child of Floods, is youthful Agni.

13 Him, varied in his form, the lovely Infant of floods and plants the blessed wood hath gendered.
Gods even, moved in spirit, came around him, and served him at his birth, the Strong, the Wondrous.

14 Like brilliant lightnings, mighty luminaries accompany the light-diffusing Agni,
Waxen, as ’twere in secret, in his dwelling, while in the boundless stall they milk out Amṛta.

15 I sacrificing serve thee with oblations and crave with longing thy good-will and friendship.
Grant, with the Gods, thy grace to him who lauds thee, protect us with thy rays that guard the homestead.

16 May we, O Agni, thou who leadest wisely, thy followers and masters of all treasures,
Strong in the glory of our noble offspring, subdue the godless when they seek the battle.

17 Ensign of Gods hast thou become, O Agni, joy-giver, knower of all secret wisdom.
Friend of the homestead, thou hast lightened mortals: carborne thou goest to the Gods, fulfilling.

18 Within the house hath sate the King immortal of mortals, filling full their sacred synods.
Bedewed with holy oil he shineth widely, Agni, the knower of all secret wisdom.

19 Come unto us with thine auspicious friendship, come speeding, Mighty, with thy mighty succours.
Grant us abundant wealth that saves from danger, that brings a good repute, a glorious portion.

20 To thee who art of old these songs, O Agni, have I declared, the ancient and the later.
These great libations to the Strong are offiered: in every birth is Jātavedas stablished.

21 Stablished in every birth is Jātavedas, kindled perpetual by the Viśvāmitras.
May we rest ever in the loving-kindness, in the auspicious grace of him the Holy.

22 This sacrifice of ours do thou, O Mighty, O truly Wise, bear to the Gods rejoicing.
Grant us abundant food, thou priestly Herald, vouchsafe to give us ample wealth, O Agni.

23 As holy food, Agni, to thine’invoker give wealth in cattle, lasting, rich in marvels.
To us he born a son, and spreading offspring. Agni, be this thy gracious will to us-ward.