HYMN III. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 6 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

अग्ने स कषेषद रतपा रतेजा उरु जयोतिर्नशते देवयुष टे |
यं तवं मित्रेण वरुणः सजोषा देव पासि तयजसा मर्तमंहः ||

ईजे यज्ञेभिह शशमे शमीभिर्र्धद्वारायाग्नये ददाश |
एवा चन तं यशसामजुष्टिर्नांहो मर्तं नशते न परद्र्प्तिः ||

सूरो न यस्य दर्शतिररेपा भीमा यदेति शुचतस्त आ धीः |
हेषस्वतः शुरुधो नायमक्तोः कुत्रा चिद रण्वो वसतिर्वनेजाः ||

तिग्मं चिदेम महि वर्पो अस्य भसदश्वो न यमसान आसा |
विजेहमानः परशुर्न जिह्वां दरविर्न दरावयति दारु धक्षत ||

स इदस्तेव परति धादसिष्यञ्छिशीत तेजो.अयसो न धाराम |
चित्रध्रजतिररतिर्यो अक्तोर्वेर्न दरुषद्वा रघुपत्मजंहाः ||

स ईं रेभो न परति वस्त उस्राः शोचिषा रारपीति मित्रमहाः |
नक्तं य ईमरुषो यो दिवा नॄनमर्त्यो अरुषो यो दिवा नॄन ||

दिवो न यस्य विधतो नवीनोद वर्षा रुक्ष ओषधीषु नूनोत |
घर्णा न यो धरजसा पत्मना यन्ना रोदसी वसुनादं सुपत्नी ||

धायोभिर्वा यो युज्येभिरर्कैर्विद्युन न दविद्योत सवेभिःशुष्मैह |
शर्धो वा यो मरुतां ततक्ष रभुर्न तवेषोरभसानो अद्यौत ||

aghne sa kṣeṣad ṛtapā ṛtejā uru jyotirnaśate devayuṣ ṭe |
yaṃ tvaṃ mitreṇa varuṇaḥ sajoṣā deva pāsi tyajasā martamaṃhaḥ ||

īje yajñebhih śaśame śamībhirṛdhadvārāyāghnaye dadāśa |
evā cana taṃ yaśasāmajuṣṭirnāṃho martaṃ naśate na pradṛptiḥ ||

sūro na yasya dṛśatirarepā bhīmā yadeti śucatasta ā dhīḥ |
heṣasvataḥ śurudho nāyamaktoḥ kutrā cid raṇvo vasatirvanejāḥ ||

tighmaṃ cidema mahi varpo asya bhasadaśvo na yamasāna āsā |
vijehamānaḥ paraśurna jihvāṃ dravirna drāvayati dāru dhakṣat ||

sa idasteva prati dhādasiṣyañchiśīta tejo.ayaso na dhārām |
citradhrajatiraratiryo aktorverna druṣadvā raghupatmajaṃhāḥ ||

sa īṃ rebho na prati vasta usrāḥ śociṣā rārapīti mitramahāḥ |
naktaṃ ya īmaruṣo yo divā nṝnamartyo aruṣo yo divā nṝn ||

divo na yasya vidhato navīnod vṛṣā rukṣa oṣadhīṣu nūnot |
ghṛṇā na yo dhrajasā patmanā yannā rodasī vasunādaṃ supatnī ||

dhāyobhirvā yo yujyebhirarkairvidyun na davidyot svebhiḥśuṣmaih |
śardho vā yo marutāṃ tatakṣa ṛbhurna tveṣorabhasāno adyaut ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. TRUE, guardian of the Law, thy faithful servant wins ample light and dwells in peace, O Agni,
Whom thou, as Varuṇa in accord with Mitra, guardest, O God, by banishing his trouble.

2 He hath paid sacrifices, toiled in worship, and offered gifts to wealth-increasing Agni.
Him the displeasure of the famous moves not, outrage and scorn affect not such a mortal.

3 Bright God, whose look is free from stain like Sūrya’s, thou, swift, what time thou earnestly desirest,
Hast gear to give us. Come with joy at evening, where, Child of Wood, thou mayest also tarry.

4 Fierce is his gait and vast his wondrous body: he champeth like a horse with bit and bridle,
And, darting forth his tongue, as ’twere a hatchet, burning the woods, smelteth them like a smelter.

5 Archer-like, fain toshoot, he sets his arrow, and whets his splendour like the edge of iron:
The messenger of night with brilliant pathway, like a tree-roosting bird of rapid pinion.

6 In beams of morn he clothes him like the singer, and bright as Mitra with his splendour crackles.
Red in the night, by day the men’s possession: red, he belongs to men by day, Immortal.

7 Like Heaven’s when scattering beams his voice was uttered: among the plants the radiant Hero shouted,
Who with his glow in rapid course came hither to fill both worlds, well-wedded Dames, with treasure.

8 Who, with supporting streams and rays that suit him, hath flashed like lightning with his native vigour.
Like the deft Maker of the band of Maruts, the bright impetuous One hath shone refulgent.