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

यो मर्त्येष्व अम्र्त रतावा देवो देवेष्व अरतिर निधायि |
होता यजिष्ठो मह्ना शुचध्यै हव्यैर अग्निर मनुष ईरयध्यै ||

इह तवं सूनो सहसो नो अद्य जातो जातां उभयां अन्तर अग्ने |
दूत ईयसे युयुजान रष्व रजुमुष्कान वर्षणः शुक्रांश च ||

अत्या वर्धस्नू रोहिता घर्तस्नू रतस्य मन्ये मनसा जविष्ठा |
अन्तर ईयसे अरुषा युजानो युष्मांश च देवान विश आ च मर्तान ||

अर्यमणं वरुणम मित्रम एषाम इन्द्राविष्णू मरुतो अश्विनोत |
सवश्वो अग्ने सुरथः सुराधा एद उ वह सुहविषे जनाय ||

गोमां अग्ने ऽविमां अश्वी यज्ञो नर्वत्सखा सदम इद अप्रम्र्ष्यः |
इळावां एषो असुर परजावान दीर्घो रयिः पर्थुबुध्नः सभावान ||

यस त इध्मं जभरत सिष्विदानो मूर्धानं वा ततपते तवाया |
भुवस तस्य सवतवांः पायुर अग्ने विश्वस्मात सीम अघायत उरुष्य ||

यस ते भराद अन्नियते चिद अन्नं निशिषन मन्द्रम अतिथिम उदीरत |
आ देवयुर इनधते दुरोणे तस्मिन रयिर धरुवो अस्तु दास्वान ||

यस तवा दोषा य उषसि परशंसात परियं वा तवा कर्णवते हविष्मान |
अश्वो न सवे दम आ हेम्यावान तम अंहसः पीपरो दाश्वांसम ||

यस तुभ्यम अग्ने अम्र्ताय दाशद दुवस तवे कर्णवते यतस्रुक |
न स राया शशमानो वि योषन नैनम अंहः परि वरद अघायोः ||

यस्य तवम अग्ने अध्वरं जुजोषो देवो मर्तस्य सुधितं रराणः |
परीतेद असद धोत्रा सा यविष्ठासाम यस्य विधतो वर्धासः ||

चित्तिम अचित्तिं चिनवद वि विद्वान पर्ष्ठेव वीता वर्जिना च मर्तान |
राये च नः सवपत्याय देव दितिं च रास्वादितिम उरुष्य ||

कविं शशासुः कवयो ऽदब्धा निधारयन्तो दुर्यास्व आयोः |
अतस तवं दर्श्यां अग्न एतान पड्भिः पश्येर अद्भुतां अर्य एवैः ||

तवम अग्ने वाघते सुप्रणीतिः सुतसोमाय विधते यविष्ठ |
रत्नम भर शशमानाय घर्ष्वे पर्थु शचन्द्रम अवसे चर्षणिप्राः ||

अधा ह यद वयम अग्ने तवाया पड्भिर हस्तेभिश चक्र्मा तनूभिः |
रथं न करन्तो अपसा भुरिजोर रतं येमुः सुध्य आशुषाणाः ||

अधा मातुर उषसः सप्त विप्रा जायेमहि परथमा वेधसो नॄन |
दिवस पुत्रा अङगिरसो भवेमाद्रिं रुजेम धनिनं शुचन्तः ||

अधा यथा नः पितरः परासः परत्नासो अग्न रतम आशुषाणाः |
शुचीद अयन दीधितिम उक्थशासः कषामा भिन्दन्तो अरुणीर अप वरन ||

सुकर्माणः सुरुचो देवयन्तो ऽयो न देवा जनिमा धमन्तः |
शुचन्तो अग्निं वव्र्धन्त इन्द्रम ऊर्वं गव्यम परिषदन्तो अग्मन ||

आ यूथेव कषुमति पश्वो अख्यद देवानां यज जनिमान्त्य उग्र |
मर्तानां चिद उर्वशीर अक्र्प्रन वर्धे चिद अर्य उपरस्यायोः ||

अकर्म ते सवपसो अभूम रतम अवस्रन्न उषसो विभातीः |
अनूनम अग्निम पुरुधा सुश्चन्द्रं देवस्य मर्म्र्जतश चारु चक्षुः ||

एता ते अग्न उचथानि वेधो ऽवोचाम कवये ता जुषस्व |
उच छोचस्व कर्णुहि वस्यसो नो महो रायः पुरुवार पर यन्धि ||

yo martyeṣv amṛta ṛtāvā devo deveṣv aratir nidhāyi |
hotā yajiṣṭho mahnā śucadhyai havyair aghnir manuṣa īrayadhyai ||

iha tvaṃ sūno sahaso no adya jāto jātāṃ ubhayāṃ antar aghne |
dūta īyase yuyujāna ṛṣva ṛjumuṣkān vṛṣaṇaḥ śukrāṃś ca ||

atyā vṛdhasnū rohitā ghṛtasnū ṛtasya manye manasā javiṣṭhā |
antar īyase aruṣā yujāno yuṣmāṃś ca devān viśa ā ca martān ||

aryamaṇaṃ varuṇam mitram eṣām indrāviṣṇū maruto aśvinota |
svaśvo aghne surathaḥ surādhā ed u vaha suhaviṣe janāya ||

ghomāṃ aghne ‘vimāṃ aśvī yajño nṛvatsakhā sadam id apramṛṣyaḥ |
iḷāvāṃ eṣo asura prajāvān dīrgho rayiḥ pṛthubudhnaḥ sabhāvān ||

yas ta idhmaṃ jabharat siṣvidāno mūrdhānaṃ vā tatapate tvāyā |
bhuvas tasya svatavāṃḥ pāyur aghne viśvasmāt sīm aghāyata uruṣya ||

yas te bharād anniyate cid annaṃ niśiṣan mandram atithim udīrat |
ā devayur inadhate duroṇe tasmin rayir dhruvo astu dāsvān ||

yas tvā doṣā ya uṣasi praśaṃsāt priyaṃ vā tvā kṛṇavate haviṣmān |
aśvo na sve dama ā hemyāvān tam aṃhasaḥ pīparo dāśvāṃsam ||

yas tubhyam aghne amṛtāya dāśad duvas tve kṛṇavate yatasruk |
na sa rāyā śaśamāno vi yoṣan nainam aṃhaḥ pari varad aghāyoḥ ||

yasya tvam aghne adhvaraṃ jujoṣo devo martasya sudhitaṃ rarāṇaḥ |
prīted asad dhotrā sā yaviṣṭhāsāma yasya vidhato vṛdhāsaḥ ||

cittim acittiṃ cinavad vi vidvān pṛṣṭheva vītā vṛjinā ca martān |
rāye ca naḥ svapatyāya deva ditiṃ ca rāsvāditim uruṣya ||

kaviṃ śaśāsuḥ kavayo ‘dabdhā nidhārayanto duryāsv āyoḥ |
atas tvaṃ dṛśyāṃ aghna etān paḍbhiḥ paśyer adbhutāṃ arya evaiḥ ||

tvam aghne vāghate supraṇītiḥ sutasomāya vidhate yaviṣṭha |
ratnam bhara śaśamānāya ghṛṣve pṛthu ścandram avase carṣaṇiprāḥ ||

adhā ha yad vayam aghne tvāyā paḍbhir hastebhiś cakṛmā tanūbhiḥ |
rathaṃ na kranto apasā bhurijor ṛtaṃ yemuḥ sudhya āśuṣāṇāḥ ||

adhā mātur uṣasaḥ sapta viprā jāyemahi prathamā vedhaso nṝn |
divas putrā aṅghiraso bhavemādriṃ rujema dhaninaṃ śucantaḥ ||

adhā yathā naḥ pitaraḥ parāsaḥ pratnāso aghna ṛtam āśuṣāṇāḥ |
śucīd ayan dīdhitim ukthaśāsaḥ kṣāmā bhindanto aruṇīr apa vran ||

sukarmāṇaḥ suruco devayanto ‘yo na devā janimā dhamantaḥ |
śucanto aghniṃ vavṛdhanta indram ūrvaṃ ghavyam pariṣadanto aghman ||

ā yūtheva kṣumati paśvo akhyad devānāṃ yaj janimānty ughra |
martānāṃ cid urvaśīr akṛpran vṛdhe cid arya uparasyāyoḥ ||

akarma te svapaso abhūma ṛtam avasrann uṣaso vibhātīḥ |
anūnam aghnim purudhā suścandraṃ devasya marmṛjataś cāru cakṣuḥ ||

etā te aghna ucathāni vedho ‘vocāma kavaye tā juṣasva |
uc chocasva kṛṇuhi vasyaso no maho rāyaḥ puruvāra pra yandhi ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THE, Faithful One, Immortal among mortals, a God among the Gods, appointed envoy,
Priest, best at worship, must shine forth in glory . Agni shall be raised high with man’s oblations.

2 Born for us here this day, O Son of Vigour, between both races of born beings, Agni,
Thou farest as an envoy, having harnessed, Sublime One! thy strong-muscled radiant stallions.

3 I laud the ruddy steeds who pour down blessing, dropping oil, flectest through the thoualit of Order.
Yoking red horses to and fro thou goest between you Deities and mortal races.

4 Aryaman, Mitra, Varuṇa, and Indra with Viṣṇu, of the Gods, Maruts and Aśvins-
These, Agni, with good car and steeds, bring hither, most bountiful, to folk with fair oblations.

5 Agni, be this our sacrifice eternal, with brave friends, rich in kine and sheep and horses,
Rich, Asura! in sacred food and children, in full assembly, wealth broad-based and during.

6 The man who, sweating, brings for thee the fuel, and makes his head to ache, thy faithful servant,—
Agni, to him be a self-strong Protector guard him from all who seek to do him mischief.

7 Who brings thee food, though thou hast food in plenty, welcomes his cheerful guest and speeds him onward,
Who kindles thee devoutly in his dwelling,to him be wealth secure and freely giving.

8 Whoso sings praise to thee at eve or morning, and, with oblation, doth the thing thou lovest,—
In his own home, even as a goId-girt courser, rescue him from distress, the bounteous giver.

9 Whoso brings gifts to thee Immortal, Agni, and doth thee service with uplifted ladle,—
Let him not, sorely toiling, lose his riches; let not the sinner’s wickedness enclose him.

10 Whose well-wrought worship thou acceptest, Agni, thou God a mortal’s gift, thou liberal Giver,—
Dear be his sacrifice to thee, Most Youthful! and may we strengthen him when he adores thee.

11 May he who knows distinguish sense and folly of men, like straight and crooked backs of horses.
Lead us, O God, to wealth and noble offspring: keep penury afar and grant us plenty.

12 This Sage the Sages, ne’er deceived, commanded, setting him down in dwellings of the living.
Hence mayst thou, friendly God, with rapid footsteps behold the Gods, wonderful, fair to look on.

13 Good guidance hast thou for the priest, O Agni, who, Youngest God! with outpoured Soma serves thee.
Ruler of men, thou joyous God, bring treasure splendid and plentiful to aid the toiler.

14 Now all that we, thy faithful servants, Agni, have done with feet, with hands, and with our bodies,
The wise, with toil, the holy rite have guided, as those who frame a car with manual cunning.

15 May we, seven sages first in rank, engender, from Dawn the Mother, men to be ordainers.
May we, Aṅgirases, be sons of Heaven, and, radiant, burst the wealth-containing mountain.

16 As in the days of old our ancient Fathers, speeding the work of holy worship, Agni,
Sought pure light and devotion, singing praises; they cleft the ground and made red Dawns apparent.

17 Gods, doing holy acts, devout, resplendent, smelting like ore their human generations.
Enkindling Agni and exalting Indra, they came encompassing the stall of cattle.

18 Strong One! he marked them-and the Gods before them-like herds of cattle in a foodful pasture.
There they moaned forth their strong desire for mortals, to aid the True, the nearest One, the Living.

19 We have worked for thee, we have laboured nobly-bright Dawns have shed their light upon our worship-
Adding a beauty to the perfect Agni, and the God’s beauteous eye that shines for ever.

20 Agni, Disposer, we have sung these praises to thee the Wise: do thou accept them gladly.
Blaze up on high and ever make us richer. Give us great wealth, O thou whose boons are many.