HYMN I. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 4 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

तवां हय अग्ने सदम इत समन्यवो देवासो देवम अरतिं नयेरिर इति करत्वा नयेरिरे |
अमर्त्यं यजत मर्त्येष्व आ देवम आदेवं जनत परचेतसं विश्वम आदेवं जनत परचेतसम ||

स भरातरं वरुणम अग्न आ वव्र्त्स्व देवां अछा सुमती यज्ञवनसं जयेष्ठं यज्ञवनसम |
रतावानम आदित्यं चर्षणीध्र्तं राजानं चर्षणीध्र्तम ||

सखे सखायम अभ्य आ वव्र्त्स्वाशुं न चक्रं रथ्येव रंह्यास्मभ्यं दस्म रंह्या |
अग्ने मर्ळीकं वरुणे सचा विदो मरुत्सु विश्वभानुषु तोकाय तुजे शुशुचान शं कर्ध्य अस्मभ्यं दस्म शं कर्धि ||

तवं नो अग्ने वरुणस्य विद्वान देवस्य हेळो ऽव यासिसीष्ठाः |
यजिष्ठो वह्नितमः शोशुचानो विश्वा दवेषांसि पर मुमुग्ध्य अस्मत ||

स तवं नो अग्ने ऽवमो भवोती नेदिष्ठो अस्या उषसो वयुष्टौ |
अव यक्ष्व नो वरुणं रराणो वीहि मर्ळीकं सुहवो न एधि ||

अस्य शरेष्ठा सुभगस्य संद्र्ग देवस्य चित्रतमा मर्त्येषु |
शुचि घर्तं न तप्तम अघ्न्याया सपार्हा देवस्य मंहनेव धेनोः ||

तरिर अस्य ता परमा सन्ति सत्या सपार्हा देवस्य जनिमान्य अग्नेः |
अनन्ते अन्तः परिवीत आगाच छुचिः शुक्रो अर्यो रोरुचानः ||

स दूतो विश्वेद अभि वष्टि सद्मा होता हिरण्यरथो रंसुजिह्वः
रोहिदश्वो वपुष्यो विभावा सदा रण्वः पितुमतीव संसत ||

स चेतयन मनुषो यज्ञबन्धुः पर तम मह्या रशनया नयन्ति
स कषेत्य अस्य दुर्यासु साधन देवो मर्तस्य सधनित्वम आप ||

स तू नो अग्निर नयतु परजानन्न अछा रत्नं देवभक्तं यद अस्य |
धिया यद विश्वे अम्र्ता अक्र्ण्वन दयौष पिता जनिता सत्यम उक्षन ||

स जायत परथमः पस्त्यासु महो बुध्ने रजसो अस्य योनौ |
पर शर्ध आर्त परथमं विपन्यं रतस्य योना वर्षभस्य नीळे |
सपार्हो युवा वपुष्यो विभावा सप्त परियासो ऽजनयन्त वर्ष्णे ||

अस्माकम अत्र पितरो मनुष्या अभि पर सेदुर रतम आशुषाणाः |
अश्मव्रजाः सुदुघा वव्रे अन्तर उद उस्रा आजन्न उषसो हुवानाः ||

ते मर्म्र्जत दद्र्वांसो अद्रिं तद एषाम अन्ये अभितो वि वोचन |
पश्वयन्त्रासो अभि कारम अर्चन विदन्त जयोतिश चक्र्पन्त धीभिः ||

ते गव्यता मनसा दर्ध्रम उब्धं गा येमानम परि षन्तम अद्रिम |
दर्ळ्हं नरो वचसा दैव्येन वरजं गोमन्तम उशिजो वि वव्रुः ||

ते मन्वत परथमं नाम धेनोस तरिः सप्त मातुः परमाणि विन्दन |
तज जानतीर अभ्य अनूषत वरा आविर भुवद अरुणीर यशसा गोः ||

नेशत तमो दुधितं रोचत दयौर उद देव्या उषसो भानुर अर्त |
आ सूर्यो बर्हतस तिष्ठद अज्रां रजु मर्तेषु वर्जिना च पश्यन ||

आद इत पश्चा बुबुधाना वय अख्यन्न आद इद रत्नं धारयन्त दयुभक्तम |
विश्वे विश्वासु दुर्यासु देवा मित्र धिये वरुण सत्यम अस्तु ||

अछा वोचेय शुशुचानम अग्निं होतारं विश्वभरसं यजिष्ठम |
शुच्य ऊधो अत्र्णन न गवाम अन्धो न पूतम परिषिक्तम अंशोः ||

विश्वेषाम अदितिर यज्ञियानां विश्वेषाम अतिथिर मानुषाणाम |
अग्निर देवानाम अव आव्र्णानः सुम्र्ळीको भवतु जातवेदाः ||

tvāṃ hy aghne sadam it samanyavo devāso devam aratiṃ nyerira iti kratvā nyerire |
amartyaṃ yajata martyeṣv ā devam ādevaṃ janata pracetasaṃ viśvam ādevaṃ janata pracetasam ||

sa bhrātaraṃ varuṇam aghna ā vavṛtsva devāṃ achā sumatī yajñavanasaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ yajñavanasam |
ṛtāvānam ādityaṃ carṣaṇīdhṛtaṃ rājānaṃ carṣaṇīdhṛtam ||

sakhe sakhāyam abhy ā vavṛtsvāśuṃ na cakraṃ rathyeva raṃhyāsmabhyaṃ dasma raṃhyā |
aghne mṛḷīkaṃ varuṇe sacā vido marutsu viśvabhānuṣu tokāya tuje śuśucāna śaṃ kṛdhy asmabhyaṃ dasma śaṃ kṛdhi ||

tvaṃ no aghne varuṇasya vidvān devasya heḷo ‘va yāsisīṣṭhāḥ |
yajiṣṭho vahnitamaḥ śośucāno viśvā dveṣāṃsi pra mumughdhy asmat ||

sa tvaṃ no aghne ‘vamo bhavotī nediṣṭho asyā uṣaso vyuṣṭau |
ava yakṣva no varuṇaṃ rarāṇo vīhi mṛḷīkaṃ suhavo na edhi ||

asya śreṣṭhā subhaghasya saṃdṛgh devasya citratamā martyeṣu |
śuci ghṛtaṃ na taptam aghnyāyā spārhā devasya maṃhaneva dhenoḥ ||

trir asya tā paramā santi satyā spārhā devasya janimāny aghneḥ |
anante antaḥ parivīta āghāc chuciḥ śukro aryo rorucānaḥ ||

sa dūto viśved abhi vaṣṭi sadmā hotā hiraṇyaratho raṃsujihvaḥ
rohidaśvo vapuṣyo vibhāvā sadā raṇvaḥ pitumatīva saṃsat ||

sa cetayan manuṣo yajñabandhuḥ pra tam mahyā raśanayā nayanti
sa kṣety asya duryāsu sādhan devo martasya sadhanitvam āpa ||

sa tū no aghnir nayatu prajānann achā ratnaṃ devabhaktaṃ yad asya |
dhiyā yad viśve amṛtā akṛṇvan dyauṣ pitā janitā satyam ukṣan ||

sa jāyata prathamaḥ pastyāsu maho budhne rajaso asya yonau |
pra śardha ārta prathamaṃ vipanyaṃ ṛtasya yonā vṛṣabhasya nīḷe |
spārho yuvā vapuṣyo vibhāvā sapta priyāso ‘janayanta vṛṣṇe ||

asmākam atra pitaro manuṣyā abhi pra sedur ṛtam āśuṣāṇāḥ |
aśmavrajāḥ sudughā vavre antar ud usrā ājann uṣaso huvānāḥ ||

te marmṛjata dadṛvāṃso adriṃ tad eṣām anye abhito vi vocan |
paśvayantrāso abhi kāram arcan vidanta jyotiś cakṛpanta dhībhiḥ ||

te ghavyatā manasā dṛdhram ubdhaṃ ghā yemānam pari ṣantam adrim |
dṛḷhaṃ naro vacasā daivyena vrajaṃ ghomantam uśijo vi vavruḥ ||

te manvata prathamaṃ nāma dhenos triḥ sapta mātuḥ paramāṇi vindan |
taj jānatīr abhy anūṣata vrā āvir bhuvad aruṇīr yaśasā ghoḥ ||

neśat tamo dudhitaṃ rocata dyaur ud devyā uṣaso bhānur arta |
ā sūryo bṛhatas tiṣṭhad ajrāṃ ṛju marteṣu vṛjinā ca paśyan ||

ād it paścā bubudhānā vy akhyann ād id ratnaṃ dhārayanta dyubhaktam |
viśve viśvāsu duryāsu devā mitra dhiye varuṇa satyam astu ||

achā voceya śuśucānam aghniṃ hotāraṃ viśvabharasaṃ yajiṣṭham |
śucy ūdho atṛṇan na ghavām andho na pūtam pariṣiktam aṃśoḥ ||

viśveṣām aditir yajñiyānāṃ viśveṣām atithir mānuṣāṇām |
aghnir devānām ava āvṛṇānaḥ sumṛḷīko bhavatu jātavedāḥ ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1, THEE Agni, have the Gods, ever of one accord, sent hither down, a God, appointed messenger, yea, with their wisdom sent thee down.
The Immortal, O thou Holy One, mid mortal men, the God-devoted God, the wise, have they brought forth, brought forth the omnipresent God-devoted Sage.

2 As such, O Agni, bring with favour to the Gods thy Brother Varuṇa who loveth sacrifice,
True to the Law, the Āditya who supporteth men, the King, supporter of mankind.

3 Do thou, O Friend, turn hither him who is our Friend, swift as a wheel, like two car-steeds in rapid course, Wondrous! to us in rapid course.
O Agni, find thou grace for us with Varuṇa, with Maruts who illumine all.
Bless us, thou Radiant One, for seed and progeny, yea, bless us, O thou Wondrous God.

4 Do thou who knowest Varuṇa, O Agni, put far away from us the God’s displeasure.
Best Sacrificer, brightest One, refulgent remove thou far from us all those who hate us.

5 Be thou, O Agni, nearest us with succour, our closest Friend while now this Morn is breaking.
Reconcile to us Varuṇa, be bounteous enjoy the gracious juice; be swift to hear us.

6 Excellent is the glance, of brightest splendour, which the auspicious God bestows on mortals-
The God’s glance, longed-for even as the butter, pure, heated, of the cow, the milch-cow’s bounty.

7 Three are those births, the true, the most exalted, eagerly longed-for, of the God, of Agni.
He came invested in the boundless region, pure, radiant, friendly, mightily resplendent.

8 This envoy joyeth in all seats of worship, borne on his golden car, sweet-tongued Invoker:
Lovely to look on, with red steeds, effulgent, like a feast rich in food, joyous for ever.

9 Allied by worship, let him give man knowledge: by an extended cord they lead him onward.
He stays, effectual in this mortal’s dwelling, and the God wins a share in his possessions.

10 Let Agni -for he knows the way- conduct us to all that he enjoys of God-sent riches,
What all the Immortals have prepared with wisdom, Dyaus, Sire, Begetter, raining down true blessings.

11 In houses first he sprang into existence, at great heaven’s base, and in this region’s bosom;
Footless and headless, both his ends concealing, in his Bull’s lair drawing himself together.

12 Wondrously first he rose aloft, defiant, in the Bull’s lair, the homeof holy Order,
Longed-for, young, beautiful, and far-resplendent: and sevendear frieuds sprang up unto the Mighty.

13 Here did our human fathers take their places, fain to fulfil the sacred Law of worship.
Forth drave they, with loud call, Dawn’s teeming Milch-kine bid in the mountainstable, in the cavern.

14 Splendid were they when they had rent the mountain: others, around, shall tell forth this their exploit.
They sang their song, prepared to free the cattle: they found the light; with holy hymns they worshipped.

15 Eager, with thought intent upon the booty, the men with their celestial speech threw open,
The solid mountain firm, compact, enclosing, confining Cows, the stable full of cattle.

16 The Milch-cow’s earliest name they comprehended: they found the Mother’s thrice-seven noblest titles.
This the bands knew, and sent forth acclamation:with the Bull’s sheen the Red One was apparent.

17 The turbid darkness fled, the heaven was sp, endid! up rose the bright beam of celestial Morning.
Sūrya ascended to the wide expanses, beholding deeds of men both good and evil.

18 Then, afterwards they looked around, awakened, when first they held that Heaven allotted treasure.
Now all the Gods abide in all their dwellings. Varuṇa, Mitra, be the prayer effective.

19 I will call hither brightly-beaming Agni, the Herald, all-supporting, best at worship.
He hath disclosed, like the milch cows’ pure udder, the Sorria’s juice when cleansed and poured from beakers.

20 The freest God of all who should be worshipped, the guest who is received in all men’s houses,
Agni who hath secured the Gods’ high favour,—may he be gracious, to us Jātavedas.