HYMN IV. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 4 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

कर्णुष्व पाजः परसितिं न पर्थ्वीं याहि राजेवामवां इभेन |
तर्ष्वीम अनु परसितिं दरूणानो ऽसतासि विध्य रक्षसस तपिष्ठैः ||

तव भरमास आशुया पतन्त्य अनु सप्र्श धर्षता शोशुचानः |
तपूंष्य अग्ने जुह्वा पतंगान असंदितो वि सर्ज विष्वग उल्काः ||

परति सपशो वि सर्ज तूर्णितमो भवा पायुर विशो अस्या अदब्धः |
यो नो दूरे अघशंसो यो अन्त्य अग्ने माकिष टे वयथिर आ दधर्षीत ||

उद अग्ने तिष्ठ परत्य आ तनुष्व नय अमित्रां ओषतात तिग्महेते |
यो नो अरातिं समिधान चक्रे नीचा तं धक्ष्य अतसं न शुष्कम ||

ऊर्ध्वो भव परति विध्याध्य अस्मद आविष कर्णुष्व दैव्यान्य अग्ने |
अव सथिरा तनुहि यातुजूनां जामिम अजामिम पर मर्णीहि शत्रून ||

स ते जानाति सुमतिं यविष्ठ य ईवते बरह्मणे गातुम ऐरत |
विश्वान्य अस्मै सुदिनानि रायो दयुम्नान्य अर्यो वि दुरो अभि दयौत ||

सेद अग्ने अस्तु सुभगः सुदानुर यस तवा नित्येन हविषा य उक्थैः |
पिप्रीषति सव आयुषि दुरोणे विश्वेद अस्मै सुदिना सासद इष्टिः ||

अर्चामि ते सुमतिं घोष्य अर्वाक सं ते वावाता जरताम इयं गीः |
सवश्वास तवा सुरथा मर्जयेमास्मे कषत्राणि धारयेर अनु दयून ||

इह तवा भूर्य आ चरेद उप तमन दोषावस्तर दीदिवांसम अनु दयून |
करीळन्तस तवा सुमनसः सपेमाभि दयुम्ना तस्थिवांसो जनानाम ||

यस तवा सवश्वः सुहिरण्यो अग्न उपयाति वसुमता रथेन |
तस्य तराता भवसि तस्य सखा यस त आतिथ्यम आनुषग जुजोषत ||

महो रुजामि बन्धुता वचोभिस तन मा पितुर गोतमाद अन्व इयाय |
तवं नो अस्य वचसश चिकिद्धि होतर यविष्ठ सुक्रतो दमूनाः ||

अस्वप्नजस तरणयः सुशेवा अतन्द्रासो ऽवर्का अश्रमिष्ठाः |
ते पायवः सध्र्यञ्चो निषद्याग्ने तव नः पान्त्व अमूर ||

ये पायवो मामतेयं ते अग्ने पश्यन्तो अन्धं दुरिताद अरक्षन |
ररक्ष तान सुक्र्तो विश्ववेदा दिप्सन्त इद रिपवो नाह देभुः ||

तवया वयं सधन्यस तवोतास तव परणीत्य अश्याम वाजान |
उभा शंसा सूदय सत्यताते ऽनुष्ठुया कर्णुह्य अह्रयाण ||

अया ते अग्ने समिधा विधेम परति सतोमं शस्यमानं गर्भाय |
दहाशसो रक्षसः पाह्य अस्मान दरुहो निदो मित्रमहो अवद्यात ||

kṛṇuṣva pājaḥ prasitiṃ na pṛthvīṃ yāhi rājevāmavāṃ ibhena |
tṛṣvīm anu prasitiṃ drūṇāno ‘stāsi vidhya rakṣasas tapiṣṭhaiḥ ||

tava bhramāsa āśuyā patanty anu spṛśa dhṛṣatā śośucānaḥ |
tapūṃṣy aghne juhvā pataṃghān asaṃdito vi sṛja viṣvagh ulkāḥ ||

prati spaśo vi sṛja tūrṇitamo bhavā pāyur viśo asyā adabdhaḥ |
yo no dūre aghaśaṃso yo anty aghne mākiṣ ṭe vyathir ā dadharṣīt ||

ud aghne tiṣṭha praty ā tanuṣva ny amitrāṃ oṣatāt tighmahete |
yo no arātiṃ samidhāna cakre nīcā taṃ dhakṣy atasaṃ na śuṣkam ||

ūrdhvo bhava prati vidhyādhy asmad āviṣ kṛṇuṣva daivyāny aghne |
ava sthirā tanuhi yātujūnāṃ jāmim ajāmim pra mṛṇīhi śatrūn ||

sa te jānāti sumatiṃ yaviṣṭha ya īvate brahmaṇe ghātum airat |
viśvāny asmai sudināni rāyo dyumnāny aryo vi duro abhi dyaut ||

sed aghne astu subhaghaḥ sudānur yas tvā nityena haviṣā ya ukthaiḥ |
piprīṣati sva āyuṣi duroṇe viśved asmai sudinā sāsad iṣṭiḥ ||

arcāmi te sumatiṃ ghoṣy arvāk saṃ te vāvātā jaratām iyaṃ ghīḥ |
svaśvās tvā surathā marjayemāsme kṣatrāṇi dhārayer anu dyūn ||

iha tvā bhūry ā cared upa tman doṣāvastar dīdivāṃsam anu dyūn |
krīḷantas tvā sumanasaḥ sapemābhi dyumnā tasthivāṃso janānām ||

yas tvā svaśvaḥ suhiraṇyo aghna upayāti vasumatā rathena |
tasya trātā bhavasi tasya sakhā yas ta ātithyam ānuṣagh jujoṣat ||

maho rujāmi bandhutā vacobhis tan mā pitur ghotamād anv iyāya |
tvaṃ no asya vacasaś cikiddhi hotar yaviṣṭha sukrato damūnāḥ ||

asvapnajas taraṇayaḥ suśevā atandrāso ‘vṛkā aśramiṣṭhāḥ |
te pāyavaḥ sadhryañco niṣadyāghne tava naḥ pāntv amūra ||

ye pāyavo māmateyaṃ te aghne paśyanto andhaṃ duritād arakṣan |
rarakṣa tān sukṛto viśvavedā dipsanta id ripavo nāha debhuḥ ||

tvayā vayaṃ sadhanyas tvotās tava praṇīty aśyāma vājān |
ubhā śaṃsā sūdaya satyatāte ‘nuṣṭhuyā kṛṇuhy ahrayāṇa ||

ayā te aghne samidhā vidhema prati stomaṃ śasyamānaṃ ghṛbhāya |
dahāśaso rakṣasaḥ pāhy asmān druho nido mitramaho avadyāt ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. PUT forth like a wide-spreading net thy vigour; go like a mighty King with his attendants.
Thou, following thy swift net, shootest arrows: transfix the fiends with darts that burn most fiercely.

2 Forth go in rapid flight thy whirling weapons: follow them closely, glowing in thy fury.
Spread with thy tongue the winged flames, O Agni; unfettered, cast thy firebrands all around thee.

3 Send thy spies forward, fleetest in thy motion; be, ne’er deceived, the guardian of this people
From him who, near or far, is bent on evil, and let no trouble sent from thee o’ercome us.

4 Rise up, O Agni, spread thee out before us: burn down our foes, thou who hast sharpened arrows.
Him, blazing Agni! who hath worked us mischief, consume thou utterly like dried-up stubble.

5 Rise, Agni, drive off those who fight against us: make manifest thine own celestial vigour.
Slacken the strong bows of the demon-driven: destroy our foemen whether kin or stranger.

6 Most Youthful God, he knoweth well thy favour who gave an impulse to this high devotion.
All fair days and magnificence of riches hast thou beamed forth upon the good man’s portals.

7 Blest, Agni, be the man, the liberal giver, who with his lauds and regular oblation
Is fain to please thee for his life and dwelling. May all his days be bright: be this his longing.

8 I praise thy gracious favour: sing in answer. May this my song sing like a loved one with thee.
Lords of good steeds and cars may we adorn thee, and day by day vouchsafe thou us dominion.

9 Here of free choice let each one serve thee richly, resplendent day by day at eve and morning.
So may we honour thee, content and joyous, passing beyond the glories of the people.

10 Whoso with good steeds and fine gold, O Agni, comes nigh thee on a car laden with treasure,
His Friend art thou, yea, thou art his Protector whose joy it is to entertain thee duly.

11 Through words and kinship I destroy the mighty: this power I have from Gotama my father.
Mark thou this speech of ours, O thou Most Youthful, Friend of the House, exceeding wise, Invoker.

12 Knowing no slumber, speedy and propitious, alert and ever friendly, most unwearied,
May thy protecting powers, unerring Agni, taking their places here, combined, preserve us.

13 Thy guardian rays, O Agni, when they saw him, preserved blind Māmateya from affliction.
Lord of all riches, he preserved the pious: the fees who fain would harm them did no mischief

14 Aided by thee with thee may we be wealthy, may we gain strength with thee to guide us onward.
Fulfil the words of both, O Ever Truthful: straightway do this, thou God whom power emboldens.

15 O Agni, with this fuel will we serve thee; accept the laud we sing to thee with favour
Destroy the cursing Rākṣasas: preserve us, O rich in friends, from guile and scorn and slander.