HYMN LI. Agni. Gods. – Rig Veda – Book 10
महत तदुल्बं सथविरं तदासीद येनाविष्टितःप्रविवेशिथापः |
विश्वा अपश्यद बहुधा ते अग्ने जातवेदस्तन्वो देव एकः ||
को मा ददर्श कतमः स देवो यो मे तन्वो बहुधापर्यपश्यत |
कवाह मित्रावरुणा कषियन्त्यग्नेर्विस्वाःसमिधो देवयानीः ||
ऐछाम तवा बहुधा जातवेदः परविष्टमग्ने अप्स्वोषधीषु |
तं तवा यमो अचिकेच्चित्रभानो दशान्तरुष्यादतिरोचमानम ||
होत्रादहं वरुण बिभ्यदायं नेदेव मा युनजन्नत्रदेवाः |
तस्य मे तन्वो बहुधा निविष्टा एतमर्थं नचिकेताहमग्निः ||
एहि मनुर्देवयुर्यज्ञकामो.अरंक्र्त्या तमसि कषेष्यग्ने |
सुगान पथः कर्णुहि देवयानान वह हव्यानिसुमनस्यमानः ||
अग्नेः पूर्वे भरातरो अर्थमेतं रथीवाध्वानमन्वावरीवुः |
तस्माद भिया वरुण दूरमायं गौरो नक्षेप्नोरविजे जयायाः ||
कुर्मस्त आयुरजरं यदग्ने यथा युक्तो जातवेदो नरिष्याः |
अथा वहासि सुमनस्यमानो भागं देवेभ्योहविषः सुजात ||
परयाजान मे अनुयाजांश्च केवलानूर्जस्वन्तं हविषोदत्त भागम |
घर्तं चापां पुरुषं चौषधीनामग्नेश्च दीर्घमायुरस्तु देवाः ||
तव परयाजा अनुयाजाश्च केवल ऊर्जस्वन्तो हविषः सन्तुभागाः |
तवाग्ने यज्ञो.अयमस्तु सर्वस्तुभ्यं नमन्ताम्प्रदिशश्चतस्रः ||
mahat tadulbaṃ sthaviraṃ tadāsīd yenāviṣṭitaḥpraviveśithāpaḥ |
viśvā apaśyad bahudhā te aghne jātavedastanvo deva ekaḥ ||
ko mā dadarśa katamaḥ sa devo yo me tanvo bahudhāparyapaśyat |
kvāha mitrāvaruṇā kṣiyantyaghnervisvāḥsamidho devayānīḥ ||
aichāma tvā bahudhā jātavedaḥ praviṣṭamaghne apsvoṣadhīṣu |
taṃ tvā yamo acikeccitrabhāno daśāntaruṣyādatirocamānam ||
hotrādahaṃ varuṇa bibhyadāyaṃ nedeva mā yunajannatradevāḥ |
tasya me tanvo bahudhā niviṣṭā etamarthaṃ naciketāhamaghniḥ ||
ehi manurdevayuryajñakāmo.araṃkṛtyā tamasi kṣeṣyaghne |
sughān pathaḥ kṛṇuhi devayānān vaha havyānisumanasyamānaḥ ||
aghneḥ pūrve bhrātaro arthametaṃ rathīvādhvānamanvāvarīvuḥ |
tasmād bhiyā varuṇa dūramāyaṃ ghauro nakṣepnoravije jyāyāḥ ||
kurmasta āyurajaraṃ yadaghne yathā yukto jātavedo nariṣyāḥ |
athā vahāsi sumanasyamāno bhāghaṃ devebhyohaviṣaḥ sujāta ||
prayājān me anuyājāṃśca kevalānūrjasvantaṃ haviṣodatta bhāgham |
ghṛtaṃ cāpāṃ puruṣaṃ cauṣadhīnāmaghneśca dīrghamāyurastu devāḥ ||
tava prayājā anuyājāśca kevala ūrjasvanto haviṣaḥ santubhāghāḥ |
tavāghne yajño.ayamastu sarvastubhyaṃ namantāmpradiśaścatasraḥ ||
English Translation
Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
1. LARGE was that covering, and firm of texture, folded wherein thou enteredst the waters.
One Deity alone, O Jātavedas Agni, saw all thy forms in sundry places.
2 What God hath seen me? Who of all their number clearly beheld my forms in many places?
Where lie, then, all the sacred logs of Agni that lead him God-ward, Varuṇa and Mitra?
3 In many places, Agni Jātavedas, we sought thee hidden in the plants and waters.
Then Yama marked thee, God of wondrous splendour! effulgent from thy tenfold secret dwelling,
4 I fled in fear from sacrificial worship, Varuṇa, lest the Gods should thus engage me.
Thus were my forms laid down in many places. This, as my goal, I Agni saw before me.
5 Come; man is pious and would fain do worship, he waits prepared: in gloom thou, Agni, dwellest.
Make pathways leading God-ward clear and easy, and bear oblations with a kindly spirit.
6 This goal mine elder brothers erst selected, as he who drives a car the way to travel.
So,Varuṇa, I fled afar through terror, as flies the wild-bull from an archer’s bowstring.
7 We give thee life unwasting, Jātavedas, so that, employed, thou never shalt be injured.
So, nobly born! shalt thou with kindly spirit bear to the Gods their share of men’s oblations.
8 Grant me the first oblations and the latter, entire, my forceful shares of holy presents,
The soul of plants, the fatness of the waters, and let there be long life, ye Gods, to Agni.
9 Thine be the first oblations and the latter, entire, thy forceful shares of holy presents.
Let all this sacrifice be thine, O Agni, and let the world’s four regions how before thee.