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

वैश्वानराय पर्थुपाजसे विपो रत्ना विधन्त धरुणेषु गातवे |
अग्निर्हि देवानम्र्तो दुवस्यत्यथा धर्माणि सनता न दूदुषत ||

अन्तर्दूतो रोदसी दस्म ईयते होता निषत्तो मनुषः पुरोहितः |
कषयं बर्हन्तं परि भूषति दयुभिर्देवेभिरग्निरिषितो धियावसुः ||

केतुं यज्ञानां विदथस्य सा धनं विप्रासो अग्निं महयन्त चित्तिभिः |
अपांसि यस्मिन्नधि सन्दधुर्गिरस्तस्मिन सुम्नानि यजमान आ चके ||

पिता यज्ञानामसुरो विपश्चितां विमानमग्निर्वयुनं च वाघताम |
आ विवेश रोदसी भूरिवर्पसा पुरुप्रियो भन्दते धामभिः कविः ||

चन्द्रमग्निं चन्द्ररथं हरिव्रतं वैश्वानरमप्सुषदं सवर्विदम |
विगाहं तूर्णिं तविषीभिराव्र्तं भूर्णिं देवास इह सुश्रियं दधुः ||

अग्निर्देवेभिर्मनुषश्च जन्तुभिस्तन्वानो यज्ञं पुरुपेशसं धिया |
रथीरन्तरीयते साधदिष्टिभिर्जीरो दमूना अभिशस्तिचातनः ||

अग्ने जरस्व सवपत्य आयुन्यूर्जा पिन्वस्व समिषो दिदीहि नः |
वयांसि जिन्व बर्हतश्च जाग्र्व उशिग देवानामसि सुक्रतुर्विपाम ||

विश्पतिं यह्वमतिथिं नरः सदा यन्तारं धीनामुशिजं च वाघताम |
अध्वराणां चेतनं जातवेदसं पर शंसन्ति नमसा जूतिभिर्व्र्धे ||

विभावा देवः सुरणः परि कषितीरग्निर्बभूव शवसासुमद्रथः |
तस्य वरतानि भूरिपोषिणो वयमुप भूषेमदम आ सुव्र्क्तिभिः ||

वैश्वानर तव धामान्या चके येभिः सवर्विदभवो विचक्षण |
जात आप्र्णो भुवनानि रोदसी अग्ने ता विस्वा परिभूरसि तमना ||

वैश्वानरस्य दंसनाभ्यो बर्हदरिणादेकः सवपस्यया कविः |
उभा पितरा महयन्नजायताग्निर्द्यावाप्र्थिवी भूरिरेतसा ||

 

vaiśvānarāya pṛthupājase vipo ratnā vidhanta dharuṇeṣu ghātave |
aghnirhi devānamṛto duvasyatyathā dharmāṇi sanatā na dūduṣat ||

antardūto rodasī dasma īyate hotā niṣatto manuṣaḥ purohitaḥ |
kṣayaṃ bṛhantaṃ pari bhūṣati dyubhirdevebhiraghniriṣito dhiyāvasuḥ ||

ketuṃ yajñānāṃ vidathasya sā dhanaṃ viprāso aghniṃ mahayanta cittibhiḥ |
apāṃsi yasminnadhi sandadhurghirastasmin sumnāni yajamāna ā cake ||

pitā yajñānāmasuro vipaścitāṃ vimānamaghnirvayunaṃ ca vāghatām |
ā viveśa rodasī bhūrivarpasā purupriyo bhandate dhāmabhiḥ kaviḥ ||

candramaghniṃ candrarathaṃ harivrataṃ vaiśvānaramapsuṣadaṃ svarvidam |
vighāhaṃ tūrṇiṃ taviṣībhirāvṛtaṃ bhūrṇiṃ devāsa iha suśriyaṃ dadhuḥ ||

aghnirdevebhirmanuṣaśca jantubhistanvāno yajñaṃ purupeśasaṃ dhiyā |
rathīrantarīyate sādhadiṣṭibhirjīro damūnā abhiśasticātanaḥ ||

aghne jarasva svapatya āyunyūrjā pinvasva samiṣo didīhi naḥ |
vayāṃsi jinva bṛhataśca jāghṛva uśigh devānāmasi sukraturvipām ||

viśpatiṃ yahvamatithiṃ naraḥ sadā yantāraṃ dhīnāmuśijaṃ ca vāghatām |
adhvarāṇāṃ cetanaṃ jātavedasaṃ pra śaṃsanti namasā jūtibhirvṛdhe ||

vibhāvā devaḥ suraṇaḥ pari kṣitīraghnirbabhūva śavasāsumadrathaḥ |
tasya vratāni bhūripoṣiṇo vayamupa bhūṣemadama ā suvṛktibhiḥ ||

vaiśvānara tava dhāmānyā cake yebhiḥ svarvidabhavo vicakṣaṇa |
jāta āpṛṇo bhuvanāni rodasī aghne tā visvā paribhūrasi tmanā ||

vaiśvānarasya daṃsanābhyo bṛhadariṇādekaḥ svapasyayā kaviḥ |
ubhā pitarā mahayannajāyatāghnirdyāvāpṛthivī bhūriretasā ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. To him who shines afar, Vaiśvānara, shall bards give precious things that he may go on certain paths:
For Agni the Immortal serves the Deities, and therefore never breaks their everlasting laws.

2 He, wondrous envoy, goes between the earth and heaven, firm seated as the Herald, great High Priest of men.
He compassethwith rays the lofty dwelling-place, Agni, sent forward by the Gods, enriched with piayer.

3 Sages shall glorify Agni with earnest thoughts, ensign of sacrifice, who fills the synod full:
In whom the singers have stored up their holy acts to him the worshipper looks for joy and happiness.

4 The Sire of sacrifice, great God of holy bards, Agni, the measure and the symbol of the priests,
Hath entered heaven and earth that show in varied form: the Sage whom many love rejoiceth in his might.

5 Bright Agni with the bright car, Lord of green domains, Vaiśvānara dweller in the floods, who finds the light,
Pervading, swift and wild, encompassed round with powers, him very glorious have the Gods established here.

6 Agni, together with the Gods and Manu’s folk by thought extending sacrifice in varied form,
Goes, car-borne, to and fro with those who crown each rite, the fleet, the Household Friend, who turns the curse aside.

7 Sing, Agni, for long life to us and noble sons: teem thou with plenty, shine upon us store of food.
Increase the great man’s strength, thou ever-vigilant: thou, longing for the Gods, knowest their hymns full well.

8 The Mighty One, Lord of the people and their guest, the leader of their thoughts, devoted Friend of priests,
Our solemn rites’ announcer, Jātavedas, men with worship ever praise, with urgings for their weal.

9 Agni the God resplendent, giver of great joy, hath on his lovely car compassed the lands with, might.
Let us with pure laudations in his house approach the high laws of the nourisher of multitudes.

10 I celebrate thy glories, O Vaiśvānara, wherewith thou, O farsighted God, has found the light.
Thou filledst at thy birth both worlds, the earth and heaven: all this, O Agni, hast thou compassed of thyself.

11 By his great skill the Sage alone hath brought to pass a great deed, mightier than Vaiśvānara’s wondrous acts.
Agni sprang into being, magnifying both his Parents, Heaven and Earth, rich in prolific seed.