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

तवाम अग्ने हविष्मन्तो देवम मर्तास ईळते |
मन्ये तवा जातवेदसं स हव्या वक्ष्य आनुषक ||

अग्निर होता दास्वतः कषयस्य वर्क्तबर्हिषः |
सं यज्ञासश चरन्ति यं सं वाजासः शरवस्यवः ||

उत सम यं शिशुं यथा नवं जनिष्टारणी |
धर्तारम मानुषीणां विशाम अग्निं सवध्वरम ||

उत सम दुर्ग्र्भीयसे पुत्रो न हवार्याणाम |
पुरू यो दग्धासि वनाग्ने पशुर न यवसे ||

अध सम यस्यार्चयः सम्यक संयन्ति धूमिनः |
यद ईम अह तरितो दिव्य उप धमातेव धमति शिशीते धमातरी यथा ||

तवाहम अग्न ऊतिभिर मित्रस्य च परशस्तिभिः |
दवेषोयुतो न दुरिता तुर्याम मर्त्यानाम ||

तं नो अग्ने अभी नरो रयिं सहस्व आ भर |
स कषेपयत स पोषयद भुवद वाजस्य सातय उतैधि पर्त्सु नो वर्धे ||

tvām aghne haviṣmanto devam martāsa īḷate |
manye tvā jātavedasaṃ sa havyā vakṣy ānuṣak ||

aghnir hotā dāsvataḥ kṣayasya vṛktabarhiṣaḥ |
saṃ yajñāsaś caranti yaṃ saṃ vājāsaḥ śravasyavaḥ ||

uta sma yaṃ śiśuṃ yathā navaṃ janiṣṭāraṇī |
dhartāram mānuṣīṇāṃ viśām aghniṃ svadhvaram ||

uta sma durghṛbhīyase putro na hvāryāṇām |
purū yo daghdhāsi vanāghne paśur na yavase ||

adha sma yasyārcayaḥ samyak saṃyanti dhūminaḥ |
yad īm aha trito divy upa dhmāteva dhamati śiśīte dhmātarī yathā ||

tavāham aghna ūtibhir mitrasya ca praśastibhiḥ |
dveṣoyuto na duritā turyāma martyānām ||

taṃ no aghne abhī naro rayiṃ sahasva ā bhara |
sa kṣepayat sa poṣayad bhuvad vājasya sātaya utaidhi pṛtsu no vṛdhe ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. BEARING; oblations mortal men, O Agni, worship thee the God.
I deem thee Jātavedas: bear our offerings, thou, unceasingly.

2 In the man’s home who offers gifts, where grass is trimmed, Agni is Priest,
To whom all sacrifices come and strengthenings that win renown.

3 Whom, as an infant newly-born, the kindling-sticks have brought to life,
Sustainer of the tribes of men, skilled in well-ordered sacrifice.

4 Yea, very hard art thou to grasp, like offspring of the wriggling snakes,
When thou consumest many woods like an ox, Agni, in the mead.

5 Whose flames, when thou art sending forth the smoke, completely reach the mark,
When Tṛta in the height of heaven, like as a smelter fanneth thee, e’en as a smelter sharpeneth thee.

6 O Agni, by thy succour and by Mitra’s friendly furtherance,
May we, averting hate, subdue the wickedness of mortal men.

7 O Agni, to our heroes bring such riches, thou victorious God.
May he protect and nourish us, and help in gaining strength: be thou near us in fight for our success.