HYMN IV. Agni. – Rig Veda – Book 10 – Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

पर ते यक्षि पर त इयर्मि मन्म भुवो यथा वन्द्यो नोहवेषु |
धन्वन्निव परपा असि तवमग्न इयक्षवे पूरवेप्रत्न राजन ||

यं तवा जनासो अभि संचरन्ति गाव उष्णमिव वरजंयविष्ठ |
दूतो देवानामसि मर्त्यानामन्तर्महांश्चरसि रोचनेन ||

शिशुं न तवा जेन्यं वर्धयन्ती माता बिभर्तिसचनस्यमाना |
धनोरधि परवता यासि हर्यञ जिगीषसेपशुरिवावस्र्ष्टः ||

मूरा अमूर न वयं चिकित्वो महित्वमग्ने तवमङग वित्से |
शये वव्रिश्चरति जिह्वयादन रेरिह्यते युवतिंविश्पतिः सन ||

कूचिज्जायते सनयासु नव्यो वने तस्थौ पलितो धूमकेतुः |
अस्नातापो वर्षभो न पर वेति सचेतसो यं पर्णयन्तमर्ताः ||

तनूत्यजेव तस्करा वनर्गु रशनाभिर्दशभिरभ्यधीताम |
इयं ते अग्ने नव्यसी मनीषा युक्ष्वा रथंन शुचयद्भिरङगैः ||

बरह्म च ते जातवेदो नमश्चेयं च गीः सदमिद्वर्धनी भूत |
रक्षा णो अग्ने तनयानि तोका रक्षोत नस्तन्वो अप्रयुछन ||

pra te yakṣi pra ta iyarmi manma bhuvo yathā vandyo nohaveṣu |
dhanvanniva prapā asi tvamaghna iyakṣave pūravepratna rājan ||

yaṃ tvā janāso abhi saṃcaranti ghāva uṣṇamiva vrajaṃyaviṣṭha |
dūto devānāmasi martyānāmantarmahāṃścarasi rocanena ||

śiśuṃ na tvā jenyaṃ vardhayantī mātā bibhartisacanasyamānā |
dhanoradhi pravatā yāsi haryañ jighīṣasepaśurivāvasṛṣṭaḥ ||

mūrā amūra na vayaṃ cikitvo mahitvamaghne tvamaṅgha vitse |
śaye vavriścarati jihvayādan rerihyate yuvatiṃviśpatiḥ san ||

kūcijjāyate sanayāsu navyo vane tasthau palito dhūmaketuḥ |
asnātāpo vṛṣabho na pra veti sacetaso yaṃ parṇayantamartāḥ ||

tanūtyajeva taskarā vanarghu raśanābhirdaśabhirabhyadhītām |
iyaṃ te aghne navyasī manīṣā yukṣvā rathaṃna śucayadbhiraṅghaiḥ ||

brahma ca te jātavedo namaśceyaṃ ca ghīḥ sadamidvardhanī bhūt |
rakṣā ṇo aghne tanayāni tokā rakṣota nastanvo aprayuchan ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. To thee will send praise and bring oblation, as thou hast merited lauds when we invoked thee.
A fountain in the desert art thou, Agni, O Ancient King, to man who fain would worship,

2 Thou unto whom resort the gathered people, as the kine seek the warm stall, O Most Youthful.
Thou art the messenger of Gods and mortals, and goest glorious with thy light between them.

3 Making thee grow as ’twere some noble infant, thy Mother nurtures thee with sweet affection.
Over the desert slopes thou passest longing, and seekest, like some beast set free, thy fodder.

4 Foolish are we, O Wise and free from error: verily, Agni, thou dost know thy grandeur.
There lies the form: he moves and licks, and swallows, and, as House-Lord, kisses the Youthful Maiden.

5 He rises ever fresh in ancient fuel: smoke-bannered, gray, he makes the wood his dwelling.
No swimmer, Steer, he presses through the waters, and to his place accordant mortals bear him.

6 Like thieves who risk their lives and haunt the forest, the twain with their ten girdles have secured him.
This is a new hymn meant for thee, O Agni: yoke as it were thy car with parts that glitter.

7 Homage and prayer are thine, O Jātavedas, and this my song shall evermore exalt thee.
Agni, protect our children and descendants, and guard with ever-watcliful care our bodies.