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

यज्ञेन वर्धत जातवेदसमग्निं यजध्वं हविषा तना गिरा |
समिधानं सुप्रयसं सवर्णरं दयुक्षं होतारंव्र्जनेषु धूर्षदम ||

अभि तवा नक्तीरुषसो ववाशिरे.अग्ने वत्सं न सवसरेषुधेनवः |
दिव इवेदरतिर्मानुषा युगा कषपो भासि पुरुवार संयतः ||

तं देवा बुध्ने रजसः सुदंससं दिवस्प्र्थिव्योररतिंन्येरिरे |
रथमिव वेद्यं शुक्रशोचिषमग्निं मित्रं नक्षितिषु परशंस्यम ||

तमुक्षमाणं रजसि सव आ दमे चन्द्रमिव सुरुचं हवार आ दधुः |
पर्श्न्याः पतरं चितयन्तमक्षभिः पाथो न पायुं जनसी उभे अनु ||

स होता विश्वं परि भूत्वध्वरं तमु हव्यैर्मनुष रञ्जते गिरा |
हिरिशिप्रो वर्धसानासु जर्भुरद दयौर्न सत्र्भिश्चितयद रोदसी अनु ||

स नो रेवत समिधानः सवस्तये सन्ददस्वान रयिमस्मासु दीदिहि |
आ नः कर्णुष्व सुविताय रोदसी अग्ने हव्या मनुषोदेव वीतये ||

दा नो अग्ने बर्हतो दाः सहस्रिणो दुरो न वाजं शरुत्या अपा वर्धि |
पराची दयावाप्र्थिवी बरह्मणा कर्धि सवर्ण शुक्रमुषसो वि दिद्युतः ||

स इधान उषसो राम्या अनु सवर्ण दीदेदरुषेण भानुना |
होत्राभिरग्निर्मनुषः सवध्वरो राजा विशामतिथिश्चारुरायवे ||

एवा नो अग्ने अम्र्तेषु पूर्व्य धीष पीपाय बर्हद्दिवेषु मानुषा |
दुहाना धेनुर्व्र्जनेषु कारवे तमना शतिनं पुरुरूपमिषणि ||

वयमग्ने अर्वता वा सुवीर्यं बरह्मणा वा चितयेमा जनानति |
अस्माकं दयुम्नमधि पञ्च कर्ष्टिषूच्चा सवर्णशुशुचीत दुष्टरम ||

स नो बोधि सहस्य परशंस्यो यस्मिन सुजाता इषयन्त सूरयः |
यमग्ने यज्ञमुपयन्ति वाजिनो नित्ये तोके दीदिवांसं सवे दमे ||

उभयासो जातवेदः सयाम ते सतोतारो अग्ने सूरयश्च शर्मणि |
वस्वो रायः पुरुश्चन्द्रस्य भूयसः परजावतः सवपत्यस्य शग्धि नः ||
ये सतोत्र्भ्यो … ||

yajñena vardhata jātavedasamaghniṃ yajadhvaṃ haviṣā tanā ghirā |
samidhānaṃ suprayasaṃ svarṇaraṃ dyukṣaṃ hotāraṃvṛjaneṣu dhūrṣadam ||

abhi tvā naktīruṣaso vavāśire.aghne vatsaṃ na svasareṣudhenavaḥ |
diva ivedaratirmānuṣā yughā kṣapo bhāsi puruvāra saṃyataḥ ||

taṃ devā budhne rajasaḥ sudaṃsasaṃ divaspṛthivyoraratiṃnyerire |
rathamiva vedyaṃ śukraśociṣamaghniṃ mitraṃ nakṣitiṣu praśaṃsyam ||

tamukṣamāṇaṃ rajasi sva ā dame candramiva surucaṃ hvāra ā dadhuḥ |
pṛśnyāḥ pataraṃ citayantamakṣabhiḥ pātho na pāyuṃ janasī ubhe anu ||

sa hotā viśvaṃ pari bhūtvadhvaraṃ tamu havyairmanuṣa ṛñjate ghirā |
hiriśipro vṛdhasānāsu jarbhurad dyaurna stṛbhiścitayad rodasī anu ||

sa no revat samidhānaḥ svastaye sandadasvān rayimasmāsu dīdihi |
ā naḥ kṛṇuṣva suvitāya rodasī aghne havyā manuṣodeva vītaye ||

dā no aghne bṛhato dāḥ sahasriṇo duro na vājaṃ śrutyā apā vṛdhi |
prācī dyāvāpṛthivī brahmaṇā kṛdhi svarṇa śukramuṣaso vi didyutaḥ ||

sa idhāna uṣaso rāmyā anu svarṇa dīdedaruṣeṇa bhānunā |
hotrābhiraghnirmanuṣaḥ svadhvaro rājā viśāmatithiścārurāyave ||

evā no aghne amṛteṣu pūrvya dhīṣ pīpāya bṛhaddiveṣu mānuṣā |
duhānā dhenurvṛjaneṣu kārave tmanā śatinaṃ pururūpamiṣaṇi ||

vayamaghne arvatā vā suvīryaṃ brahmaṇā vā citayemā janānati |
asmākaṃ dyumnamadhi pañca kṛṣṭiṣūccā svarṇaśuśucīta duṣṭaram ||

sa no bodhi sahasya praśaṃsyo yasmin sujātā iṣayanta sūrayaḥ |
yamaghne yajñamupayanti vājino nitye toke dīdivāṃsaṃ sve dame ||

ubhayāso jātavedaḥ syāma te stotāro aghne sūrayaśca śarmaṇi |
vasvo rāyaḥ puruścandrasya bhūyasaḥ prajāvataḥ svapatyasya śaghdhi naḥ ||
ye stotṛbhyo … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. WITH sacrifice exalt Agni who knows all life; worship him with oblation and the song of praise,
Well kindled, nobly fed; heaven’s Lord, Celestial Priest, who labours at the pole where deeds of might are done.

2 At night and morning, Agni, have they called to thee, like milch-kine in their stalls lowing to meet their young.
As messenger of heaven thou lightest all night long the families of men. Thou Lord of precious boons.

3 Him have the Gods established at the region’s base, doer of wondrous deeds, Herald of heaven and earth;
Like a most famous car, Agni the purely bright, like Mitra to be glorified among the folk.

4 Him have they set in his own dwelling, in the vault, like the Moon waxing, fulgent, in the realm of air.
Bird of the firmament, observant with his eyes, guard of the place as ’twere, looking to Gods and men.

5 May he as Priest encompass all the sacrifice. men throng to him with offerings and with hymns of praise.
Raging with jaws of gold among the growing plants, like heaven with all the stars, he quickens earth and sky.

6 Such as thou art, brilliantly kindled for our weal, a liberal giver, send us riches in thy shine,
For our advantage, Agni, God, bring Heaven and Earth hither that they may taste oblation brought by man.

7 Agni, give us great wealth, give riches thousandfold. unclose to us, like doors, strength that shall bring renown.
Make Heaven and Earth propitious through the power of prayer, and like the sky’s bright sheen let mornings beam on us.

8 Enkindled night by night at every morning’s dawn, may he shine forth with red flame like the realm of light,—
Agni adored in beauteous rites with lauds of men, fair guest of living man and King of all our folk.

9 Song chanted by us men, O Agni, Ancient One, has swelled unto the deathless Gods in lofty heaven—
A milch-cow yielding to the singer in the rites wealth manifold, in hundreds, even as he wills.

10 Agni, may we show forth our valour with the steed or with the power of prayer beyond all other men;
And over the Five Races let our glory shine high like the realm of light and unsurpassable.

11 Such, Conqueror! be to us, be worthy of our praise, thou for whom princes nobly born exert themselves;
Whose sacrifice the strong seek, Agni, when it shines for never-failing offspring in thine own abode.

12 Knower of all that lives, O Agni may we both, singers of praise and chiefs, be in thy keeping still.
Help us to wealth exceeding good and glorious, abundant, rich in children and their progeny.

13 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.