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

वैश्वानराय धिषणां रताव्र्धे घर्तं न पूतमग्नयेजनामसि |
दविता होतारं मनुषश्च वाघतो धिया रथंन कुलिशः सं रण्वति ||

स रोचयज्जनुषा रोदसी उभे स मात्रोरभवत पुत्र ईड्यः |
हव्यवाळ अग्निरजरश्चनोहितो दूळभो विशामतिथिर्विभावसुः ||

करत्वा दक्षस्य तरुषो विधर्मणि देवासो अग्निं जनयन्त चित्तिभिः |
रुरुचानं भानुना जयोतिषा महामत्यं न वाजं सनिष्यन्नुप बरुवे ||

आ मन्द्रस्य सनिष्यन्तो वरेण्यं वर्णीमहे अह्रयं वाजम्र्ग्मियम |
रातिं भर्गूणामुशिजं कविक्रतुमग्निं राजन्तं दिव्येन शोचिषा ||

अग्निं सुम्नाय दधिरे पुरो जना वाजश्रवसमिह वर्क्तबर्हिषः |
यतस्रुचः सुरुचं विश्वदेव्यं रुद्रं यज्ञानांसाधदिष्टिमपसाम ||

पावकशोचे तव हि कषयं परि होतर्यज्ञेषु वर्क्तबर्हिषो नरः |
अग्ने दुव इछमानास आप्यमुपासते दरविणं धेहि तेभ्यः ||

आ रोदसी अप्र्णदा सवर्महज्जातं यदेनमपसो अधारयन |
सो अध्वराय परि णीयते कविरत्यो न वाजसातयेचनोहितः ||

नमस्यत हव्यदातिं सवध्वरं दुवस्यत दम्यं जातवेदसम |
रथीर्र्तस्य बर्हतो विचर्षणिरग्निर्देवानामभवत पुरोहितः ||

तिस्रो यह्वस्य समिधः परिज्मनो.अग्नेरपुनन्नुशिजो अम्र्त्यवः |
तासामेकामदधुर्मर्त्ये भुजमु लोकमु दवे उप जामिमीयतुः ||

विशां कविं विश्पतिं मानुषीरिषः सं सीमक्र्ण्वन सवधितिं न तेजसे |
स उद्वतो निवतो याति वेविषत स गर्भमेषु भुवनेषु दीधरत ||

स जिन्वते जठरेषु परजज्ञिवान वर्षा चित्रेषु नानदन न सिंहः |
वैश्वानरः पर्थुपाजा अमर्त्यो वसु रत्ना दयमानो वि दाशुषे ||

वैश्वानरः परत्नथा नाकमारुहद दिवस पर्ष्ठं भन्दमानः सुमन्मभिः |
स पूर्ववज्जनयञ जन्तवे धनं समानमज्मं पर्येति जाग्र्विः ||

रतावानं यज्ञियं विप्रमुक्थ्यमा यं दधे मातरिश्वा दिवि कषयम |
तं चित्रयामं हरिकेशमीमहे सुदीतिमग्निं सुविताय नव्यसे ||

शुचिं न यामन्निषिरं सवर्द्र्शं केतुं दिवो रोचनस्थामुषर्बुधम |
अग्निं मूर्धानं दिवो अप्रतिष्कुतं तमीमहे नमसा वाजिनं बर्हत ||

मन्द्रं होतारं शुचिमद्वयाविनं दमूनसमुक्थ्यं विश्वचर्षणिम |
रथं न चित्रं वपुषाय दर्शतं मनुर्हितं सदमिद राय ईमहे ||

 

vaiśvānarāya dhiṣaṇāṃ ṛtāvṛdhe ghṛtaṃ na pūtamaghnayejanāmasi |
dvitā hotāraṃ manuṣaśca vāghato dhiyā rathaṃna kuliśaḥ saṃ ṛṇvati ||

sa rocayajjanuṣā rodasī ubhe sa mātrorabhavat putra īḍyaḥ |
havyavāḷ aghnirajaraścanohito dūḷabho viśāmatithirvibhāvasuḥ ||

kratvā dakṣasya taruṣo vidharmaṇi devāso aghniṃ janayanta cittibhiḥ |
rurucānaṃ bhānunā jyotiṣā mahāmatyaṃ na vājaṃ saniṣyannupa bruve ||

ā mandrasya saniṣyanto vareṇyaṃ vṛṇīmahe ahrayaṃ vājamṛghmiyam |
rātiṃ bhṛghūṇāmuśijaṃ kavikratumaghniṃ rājantaṃ divyena śociṣā ||

aghniṃ sumnāya dadhire puro janā vājaśravasamiha vṛktabarhiṣaḥ |
yatasrucaḥ surucaṃ viśvadevyaṃ rudraṃ yajñānāṃsādhadiṣṭimapasām ||

pāvakaśoce tava hi kṣayaṃ pari hotaryajñeṣu vṛktabarhiṣo naraḥ |
aghne duva ichamānāsa āpyamupāsate draviṇaṃ dhehi tebhyaḥ ||

ā rodasī apṛṇadā svarmahajjātaṃ yadenamapaso adhārayan |
so adhvarāya pari ṇīyate kaviratyo na vājasātayecanohitaḥ ||

namasyata havyadātiṃ svadhvaraṃ duvasyata damyaṃ jātavedasam |
rathīrṛtasya bṛhato vicarṣaṇiraghnirdevānāmabhavat purohitaḥ ||

tisro yahvasya samidhaḥ parijmano.aghnerapunannuśijo amṛtyavaḥ |
tāsāmekāmadadhurmartye bhujamu lokamu dve upa jāmimīyatuḥ ||

viśāṃ kaviṃ viśpatiṃ mānuṣīriṣaḥ saṃ sīmakṛṇvan svadhitiṃ na tejase |
sa udvato nivato yāti veviṣat sa gharbhameṣu bhuvaneṣu dīdharat ||

sa jinvate jaṭhareṣu prajajñivān vṛṣā citreṣu nānadan na siṃhaḥ |
vaiśvānaraḥ pṛthupājā amartyo vasu ratnā dayamāno vi dāśuṣe ||

vaiśvānaraḥ pratnathā nākamāruhad divas pṛṣṭhaṃ bhandamānaḥ sumanmabhiḥ |
sa pūrvavajjanayañ jantave dhanaṃ samānamajmaṃ paryeti jāghṛviḥ ||

ṛtāvānaṃ yajñiyaṃ vipramukthyamā yaṃ dadhe mātariśvā divi kṣayam |
taṃ citrayāmaṃ harikeśamīmahe sudītimaghniṃ suvitāya navyase ||

śuciṃ na yāmanniṣiraṃ svardṛśaṃ ketuṃ divo rocanasthāmuṣarbudham |
aghniṃ mūrdhānaṃ divo apratiṣkutaṃ tamīmahe namasā vājinaṃ bṛhat ||

mandraṃ hotāraṃ śucimadvayāvinaṃ damūnasamukthyaṃ viśvacarṣaṇim |
rathaṃ na citraṃ vapuṣāya darśataṃ manurhitaṃ sadamid rāya īmahe ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. To him, Vaiśvānara, who strengthens Holy Law, to Agni we present our praise like oil made pure.
With thoughtful insight human priests bring him anear, our Herald from of old, as an axe forms a car.

2 He made the heaven and earth resplendent by his birth: Child of two Mothers he was meet to be implored,
Agni, oblation-bearer, gracious, ever-young, infallible, rich in radiant light, the guest of men.

3 Within the range of their surpassinq power, by might, the Gods created Agni with inventive thought.
I, eager to win strength, address him, like a steed, resplendent with his brilliance, with his ample light.

4 Eager to gain, we crave from him the friendly God strength confident, choiceworthy meet to be extolled:
The Bhṛgus’ bounty, willing, strong with sages’ lore, even Agni shining forth with light that comes from heaven.

5 For happiness, men, having trimmed the sacred grass, set Agni glorious for his strength before them here;
Yea, with raised ladles, him bright, dear to all the Gods, perfecting aims of works, Rudra of solemn rites.

6 Around thy dwelling-place, O brightly-shining Priest, are men at sacrifice, whose sacred grass is trimmed.
Wishing to do thee service, Agni, they are there, desirous of thy friendship grant them store of wealth.

7 He hath filled heaven and earth and the great realm of light, when at his birth the skilful held him in their hold.
He like a horse is led forth to the sacrifice Sage, graciously inclined, that he may win us strength.

8 Honour the oblation-bearer, him who knows fair rites, serve ye the Household Friend who knows all things that be.
He drives the chariot of the lofty ordinance: Agni most active, is the great High Priest of Gods.

9 They who are free from death, fain for him, purified three splendours of the mighty Agni, circling all.
To man, for his enjoyment, one of these they gave: the other two have passed into the sister sphere.

10 Man’s sacrificial food hath sharpened like an axe, for brightness, him the Sage of men, the people’s Lord,
Busied with sacred rites he mounts and he descends. He hath laid down his vital germ within these worlds.

11 He stirs with life in wombs dissimilar in kind, born as a Lion or a loudly-bellowing Bull:
Vaiśvānara immortal with wide-reaching might, bestowing goods and wealth on him who offiers gifts.

12 Vaiśvānara, as of old, mounted the cope of heaven, heaven’s ridge, well greeted, by those skilled in noble songs.
He, as of old, producing riches for the folk, still watchful, traversesthe common way again.

13 For new prosperity we seek to Agni, him whose course is splendid, gold-haired, excellently bright,
Whom Mātariśvan stablished, dweller in the heaven, meet for high praise and holy, sage and true to Law.

14 As pure and swift of course, beholder of the light, who stands in heaven’s bright sphere a sign, who wakes at dawn,
Agni, the head of heaven, whom none may turn aside-to him the Powerful with mighty prayer we seek.

15 The cheerful Priest, the pure, in whom no guile is found, Friend of the House, praise-worthy, dear to all mankind,
Fair to behold for beauty like a splendid car,—Agni the Friend of men we ever seek for wealth.