HYMN III. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 7 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

अग्निं वो देवमग्निभिः सजोषा यजिष्ठं दूतमध्वरेक्र्णुध्वम |
यो मर्त्येषु निध्रुविरतावा तपुर्मूर्धा घर्तान्नः पावकः ||

परोथदश्वो न यवसे.अविष्यन यदा महः संवरणाद वयस्थात |
आदस्य वातो अनु वाति शोचिरध सम ते वरजनं कर्ष्णमस्ति ||

उद यस्य ते नवजातस्य वर्ष्णो.अग्ने चरन्त्यजरा इधानाः |
अछा दयामरुषो धूम एति सं दूतो अग्न ईयसे हि देवान ||

वि यस्य ते पर्थिव्यां पाजो अश्रेत तर्षु यदन्ना समव्र्क्तजम्भैः |
सेनेव सर्ष्टा परसितिष ट एति यवं न दस्म जुह्वा विवेक्षि ||

तमिद दोषा तमुषसि यविष्ठमग्निमत्यं न मर्जयन्त नरः |
निशिशाना अतिथिमस्य योनौ दीदाय शोचिराहुतस्य वर्ष्णः ||

सुसन्द्र्क ते सवनीक परतीकं वि यद रुक्मो न रोचस उपाके |
दिवो न ते तन्यतुरेति शुष्मश्चित्रो न सूरः परति चक्षि भानुम ||

यथा वः सवाहाग्नये दाशेम परीळाभिर्घ्र्तवद्भिश्च हव्यैः |
तेभिर्नो अग्ने अमितैर्महोभिः शतं पूर्भिरायसीभिर्नि पाहि ||

या वा ते सन्ति दाशुषे अध्र्ष्टा गिरो वा याभिर्न्र्वतीरुरुष्याः |
ताभिर्नः सूनो सहसो नि पाहि समत सूरीञ जरितॄञ जातवेदः ||

निर्यत पूतेव सवधितिः शुचिर्गात सवया कर्पा तन्वा रोचमानः |
आ यो मात्रोरुशेन्यो जनिष्ट देवयज्याय सुक्रतुः पावकः ||

एता नो अग्ने सौभगा दिदीह्यपि करतुं सुचेतसं वतेम |
विश्वा सतोत्र्भ्यो गर्णते च सन्तु यूयं पात … ||

aghniṃ vo devamaghnibhiḥ sajoṣā yajiṣṭhaṃ dūtamadhvarekṛṇudhvam |
yo martyeṣu nidhruvirtāvā tapurmūrdhā ghṛtānnaḥ pāvakaḥ ||

prothadaśvo na yavase.aviṣyan yadā mahaḥ saṃvaraṇād vyasthāt |
ādasya vāto anu vāti śociradha sma te vrajanaṃ kṛṣṇamasti ||

ud yasya te navajātasya vṛṣṇo.aghne carantyajarā idhānāḥ |
achā dyāmaruṣo dhūma eti saṃ dūto aghna īyase hi devān ||

vi yasya te pṛthivyāṃ pājo aśret tṛṣu yadannā samavṛktajambhaiḥ |
seneva sṛṣṭā prasitiṣ ṭa eti yavaṃ na dasma juhvā vivekṣi ||

tamid doṣā tamuṣasi yaviṣṭhamaghnimatyaṃ na marjayanta naraḥ |
niśiśānā atithimasya yonau dīdāya śocirāhutasya vṛṣṇaḥ ||

susandṛk te svanīka pratīkaṃ vi yad rukmo na rocasa upāke |
divo na te tanyatureti śuṣmaścitro na sūraḥ prati cakṣi bhānum ||

yathā vaḥ svāhāghnaye dāśema parīḷābhirghṛtavadbhiśca havyaiḥ |
tebhirno aghne amitairmahobhiḥ śataṃ pūrbhirāyasībhirni pāhi ||

yā vā te santi dāśuṣe adhṛṣṭā ghiro vā yābhirnṛvatīruruṣyāḥ |
tābhirnaḥ sūno sahaso ni pāhi smat sūrīñ jaritṝñ jātavedaḥ ||

niryat pūteva svadhitiḥ śucirghāt svayā kṛpā tanvā rocamānaḥ |
ā yo mātroruśenyo janiṣṭa devayajyāya sukratuḥ pāvakaḥ ||

etā no aghne saubhaghā didīhyapi kratuṃ sucetasaṃ vatema |
viśvā stotṛbhyo ghṛṇate ca santu yūyaṃ pāta … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. ASSOCIATE with fires, make your God Agni envoy at sacrifice, best skilled in worship,
Established firm among mankind, the Holy, flame-crowned and fed with oil, the Purifier.

2 Like a steed neighing eager for the pasture, when he hath stepped forth from the great enclosure:
Then the wind following blows upon his splendour, and, straight, the path is black which thou hast travelled.

3 From thee a Bull but newly born, O Agni, the kindled everlasting flames rise upward.
Aloft to heaven thy ruddy smoke ascendeth: Agni, thou speedest to the Gods as envoy.

4 Thou whose fresh lustre o’er the earth advanceth when greedily with thy jaws thy food thou eatest.
Like a host hurried onward comes thy lasso: fierce, with thy tongue thou piercest, as ’twere barley.

5 The men have decked him both at eve and morning, Most Youthful Agni, as they tend a courser.
They kindle him, a guest within his dwelling: bright shines the splendour of the worshipped Hero.

6 O fair of face, beautiful is thine aspect when, very near at hand, like gold thou gleamest,
Like Heaven’s thundering roar thy might approaches, and like the wondrous Sun thy light thou showest.

7 That we may worship, with your Hail to Agni! with sacrificial cakes and fat oblations,
Guard us, O Agni, with those boundless glories as with a hundred fortresses of iron.

8 Thine are resistless songs for him who offers, and hero-giving hymns wherewith thou savest;
With these, O Son of Strength, O Jātavedas, guard us, preserve these princes and the singers.

9 When forth he cometh, like an axe new-sharpened, pure in his form, resplendent in his body,
Sprung, sought with eager longing, from his Parents, for the Gods’ worship, Sage and Purifier:

10 Shine this felicity on us, O Agni: may we attain to perfect understanding.
All happiness be theirs who sing and praise thee. Ye Gods, preserve us evermore with blessings.=