HYMN III. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 5 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

तवम अग्ने वरुणो जायसे यत तवम मित्रो भवसि यत समिद्धः |
तवे विश्वे सहसस पुत्र देवास तवम इन्द्रो दाशुषे मर्त्याय ||

तवम अर्यमा भवसि यत कनीनां नाम सवधावन गुह्यम बिभर्षि |
अञ्जन्ति मित्रं सुधितं न गोभिर यद दम्पती समनसा कर्णोषि ||

तव शरिये मरुतो मर्जयन्त रुद्र यत ते जनिम चारु चित्रम |
पदं यद विष्णोर उपमं निधायि तेन पासि गुह्यं नाम गोनाम ||

तव शरिया सुद्र्शो देव देवाः पुरू दधाना अम्र्तं सपन्त |
होतारम अग्निम मनुषो नि षेदुर दशस्यन्त उशिजः शंसम आयोः ||

न तवद धोता पूर्वो अग्ने यजीयान न काव्यैः परो अस्ति सवधावः |
विशश च यस्या अतिथिर भवासि स यज्ञेन वनवद देव मर्तान ||

वयम अग्ने वनुयाम तवोता वसूयवो हविषा बुध्यमानाः |
वयं समर्ये विदथेष्व अह्नां वयं राया सहसस पुत्र मर्तान ||

यो न आगो अभ्य एनो भरात्य अधीद अघम अघशंसे दधात |
जही चिकित्वो अभिशस्तिम एताम अग्ने यो नो मर्चयति दवयेन ||

तवाम अस्या वयुषि देव पूर्वे दूतं कर्ण्वाना अयजन्त हव्यैः |
संस्थे यद अग्न ईयसे रयीणां देवो मर्तैर वसुभिर इध्यमानः ||

अव सप्र्धि पितरं योधि विद्वान पुत्रो यस ते सहसः सून ऊहे |
कदा चिकित्वो अभि चक्षसे नो ऽगने कदां रतचिद यातयासे ||

भूरि नाम वन्दमानो दधाति पिता वसो यदि तज जोषयासे |
कुविद देवस्य सहसा चकानः सुम्नम अग्निर वनते वाव्र्धानः ||

तवम अङग जरितारं यविष्ठ विश्वान्य अग्ने दुरिताति पर्षि |
सतेना अद्र्श्रन रिपवो जनासो ऽजञातकेता वर्जिना अभूवन ||

इमे यामासस तवद्रिग अभूवन वसवे वा तद इद आगो अवाचि |
नाहायम अग्निर अभिशस्तये नो न रीषते वाव्र्धानः परा दात ||

tvam aghne varuṇo jāyase yat tvam mitro bhavasi yat samiddhaḥ |
tve viśve sahasas putra devās tvam indro dāśuṣe martyāya ||

tvam aryamā bhavasi yat kanīnāṃ nāma svadhāvan ghuhyam bibharṣi |
añjanti mitraṃ sudhitaṃ na ghobhir yad dampatī samanasā kṛṇoṣi ||

tava śriye maruto marjayanta rudra yat te janima cāru citram |
padaṃ yad viṣṇor upamaṃ nidhāyi tena pāsi ghuhyaṃ nāma ghonām ||

tava śriyā sudṛśo deva devāḥ purū dadhānā amṛtaṃ sapanta |
hotāram aghnim manuṣo ni ṣedur daśasyanta uśijaḥ śaṃsam āyoḥ ||

na tvad dhotā pūrvo aghne yajīyān na kāvyaiḥ paro asti svadhāvaḥ |
viśaś ca yasyā atithir bhavāsi sa yajñena vanavad deva martān ||

vayam aghne vanuyāma tvotā vasūyavo haviṣā budhyamānāḥ |
vayaṃ samarye vidatheṣv ahnāṃ vayaṃ rāyā sahasas putra martān ||

yo na āgho abhy eno bharāty adhīd agham aghaśaṃse dadhāta |
jahī cikitvo abhiśastim etām aghne yo no marcayati dvayena ||

tvām asyā vyuṣi deva pūrve dūtaṃ kṛṇvānā ayajanta havyaiḥ |
saṃsthe yad aghna īyase rayīṇāṃ devo martair vasubhir idhyamānaḥ ||

ava spṛdhi pitaraṃ yodhi vidvān putro yas te sahasaḥ sūna ūhe |
kadā cikitvo abhi cakṣase no ‘ghne kadāṃ ṛtacid yātayāse ||

bhūri nāma vandamāno dadhāti pitā vaso yadi taj joṣayāse |
kuvid devasya sahasā cakānaḥ sumnam aghnir vanate vāvṛdhānaḥ ||

tvam aṅgha jaritāraṃ yaviṣṭha viśvāny aghne duritāti parṣi |
stenā adṛśran ripavo janāso ‘jñātaketā vṛjinā abhūvan ||

ime yāmāsas tvadrigh abhūvan vasave vā tad id āgho avāci |
nāhāyam aghnir abhiśastaye no na rīṣate vāvṛdhānaḥ parā dāt ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THOU at thy birth art Varuṇa, O Agni; when thou art kindled thou becomest Mitra.
In thee, O Son of Strength, all Gods are centred. Indra art thou to man who brings oblation.

2 Aryaman art thou as regardeth maidens mysterious, is thy name, O Self-sustainer.
As a kind friend with streams of milk they balm thee what time thou makest wife and lord one-minded.

3 The Maruts deck their beauty for thy glory, yea, Rudra! for thy birth fair, brightly-coloured.
That which was fixed as Viṣṇu’s loftiest station—therewith the secret of the Cows thou guardest.

4 Gods through thy glory, God who art so lovely! granting abundant gifts gained life immortal.
As their own Priest have men established Agni; and serve him fain for praise from him who liveth.

5 There is no priest more skilled than thou in worship; none Self-sustainer pass thee in wisdom.
The man within whose house as guest thou dwellest, O God, by sacrifice shall conquer mortals.

6 Aided by thee, O Agni may we conquer through our oblation, fain for wealth, awakened:
May we in battle, in the days’ assemblies, O Son of Strength, by riches conquer mortals.

7 He shall bring evil on the evil-plotter whoever turns against us sin and outrage.
Destroy this calumny of him, O Agni, whoever injures us with double-dealing.

8 At this dawn’s flushing, God! our ancient fathers served thee with offerings, making thee their envoy,
When, Agni, to the store of wealth thou goest, a God enkindled with good things by mortals.

9 Save, thou who knowest, draw thy father near thee, who counts as thine own son, O Child of Power.
O sapient Agni, when wilt thou regard us? When, skilled in holy Law, wilt thou direct us?

10 Adoring thee he gives thee many a title, when thou, Good Lord! acceptest this as Father.
And doth not Agni, glad in strength of Godhead, gain splendid bliss when he hath waxen mighty?

11 Most Youthful Agni, verily thou bearest thy praiser safely over all his troubles.
Thieves have been seen by us and open foemen: unknown have been the plottings of the wicked.

12 To thee these eulogies have been directed: or to the Vasu hath this sin been spoken.
But this our Agni, flaming high, shall never yield us to calumny, to him who wrongs us.