HYMN LXXXVIII. Agni. – Rig Veda – Book 10

हविष पान्तमजरं सवर्विदि दिविस्प्र्श्याहुतं जुष्टमग्नौ |
तस्य भर्मणे भुवनाय देवा धर्मणे कंस्वधया पप्रथन्त ||

गीर्णं भुवनं तमसपगूळमाविः सवरभवज्जातेग्नौ |
तस्य देवाः पर्थिवि दयौरुतापो.अरणयन्नोषधीः सख्ये अस्य ||

देवेभिर्न्विषितो यज्ञियेभिरग्निं सतोषाण्यजरम्ब्र्हन्तम |
यो भानुना पर्थिविं दयामुतेमामाततानरोदसी अन्तरिक्षम ||

यो होतासीत परथमो देवजुष्टो यं समञ्जन्नाज्येनाव्र्णानः |
स पतत्रीत्वरं सथ जगद यच्छ्वात्रमग्निरक्र्नोज्जातवेदः ||

यज्जतवेदो भुवनस्य मूर्धन्नतिष्ठो अग्ने सह रोचनेन |
तं तवहेम मतिभिर्गीर्भिरुक्थैः स यज्ञियो अभवोरोदसिप्राः ||

मूर्धा भुवो भवति नक्तमग्निस्ततः सुर्यो जायतेप्रातरुद्यन |
मयामु तु यज्ञियानामेतमपो यत्तूर्णिश्चरति परजानन ||

दर्शेन्यो यो महिना समिद्धो.अरोचत दिवियोनिर्विभावा |
तस्मिन्नग्नौ सूक्तवाकेन देवा हविर्विश्व अजुहवुस्तनूपाः ||

सूक्तवकं परथममादिदग्निमादिद धविरजनयन्तदेवाः |
स एषां यज्ञो अभवत तनूपस्तं दयौर्वेदतं परिथिवि तमापः ||

यं देवासो अजनयन्ताग्निं यस्मिन्नाजुहवुर्भुवनानिविश्वा |
सो अर्चिषा पर्थिवीं दयामुतेमां रजूयमानोतपन महित्वा ||

सतोमेन हि दिवि देवासो अग्निमजीजनञ्छक्तिभीरोदसिप्राम |
तमू अक्र्ण्वन तरेधा भुवे कं स ओषधीःपचति विश्वरूपाः ||

यदेदेनमदधुर्यज्ञियासो दिवि देवाः सूर्यमादितेयम |
यदा चरिष्णू मिथुनावभूतामादित परापश्यन्भुवनानि विश्वा ||

विश्वस्मा अग्निं भुवनाय देवा वैश्वानरं केतुमह्नामक्र्ण्वन |
आ यस्ततानोषसो विभातीरपो ऊर्णोति तमोर्चिषा यन ||

वैश्वानरं कवयो यज्ञियासो.अग्निं देवा अजनयन्नजुर्यम |
नक्षत्रं परत्नममिनच्चरिष्णु यक्षस्याध्यक्षन्तविषं बर्हन्तम ||

वैश्वानरं विश्वहा दीदिवांसं मन्त्रैरग्निं कविमछा वदामः |
यो महिम्ना परिबभूवोर्वी उतावस्तादुतदेवः परस्तात ||

दवे सरुती अश्र्णवं पितॄणामहं देवानामुतमर्त्यानाम |
ताभ्यामिदं विश्वमेजत समेति यदन्तरापितरं मातरं च ||

दवे समीची बिभ्र्तश्चरन्तं शीर्षतो जातं मनसाविम्र्ष्टम |
स परत्यं विश्वा भुवनानि तस्थावप्रयुछन्तरणिर्भ्राजमानः ||

यत्रा वदेते अवरः परश्च यज्ञन्योः कतरो नौ वि वेद |
आ शेकुरित सधमादं सखायो नक्षन्त यज्ञं कैदं वि वोचत ||

कत्यग्नयः कति सूर्यासः कत्युषासः कत्यु सविदापः |
नोपस्पिजं वः पितरो वदामि पर्छामि वः कवयोविद्मने कम ||

यावन्मात्रमुषसो न परतीकं सुपर्ण्यो वसतेमातरिश्वः |
तावद दधात्युप यज्ञमायन बराह्मणोहोतुरवरो निषीदन ||

haviṣ pāntamajaraṃ svarvidi divispṛśyāhutaṃ juṣṭamaghnau |
tasya bharmaṇe bhuvanāya devā dharmaṇe kaṃsvadhayā paprathanta ||

ghīrṇaṃ bhuvanaṃ tamasapaghūḷamāviḥ svarabhavajjāteaghnau |
tasya devāḥ pṛthivi dyaurutāpo.araṇayannoṣadhīḥ sakhye asya ||

devebhirnviṣito yajñiyebhiraghniṃ stoṣāṇyajarambṛhantam |
yo bhānunā pṛthiviṃ dyāmutemāmātatānarodasī antarikṣam ||

yo hotāsīt prathamo devajuṣṭo yaṃ samañjannājyenāvṛṇānaḥ |
sa patatrītvaraṃ stha jaghad yacchvātramaghnirakṛnojjātavedaḥ ||

yajjatavedo bhuvanasya mūrdhannatiṣṭho aghne saha rocanena |
taṃ tvahema matibhirghīrbhirukthaiḥ sa yajñiyo abhavorodasiprāḥ ||

mūrdhā bhuvo bhavati naktamaghnistataḥ suryo jāyateprātarudyan |
mayāmu tu yajñiyānāmetamapo yattūrṇiścarati prajānan ||

dṛśenyo yo mahinā samiddho.arocata diviyonirvibhāvā |
tasminnaghnau sūktavākena devā havirviśva ajuhavustanūpāḥ ||

sūktavakaṃ prathamamādidaghnimādid dhavirajanayantadevāḥ |
sa eṣāṃ yajño abhavat tanūpastaṃ dyaurvedataṃ prithivi tamāpaḥ ||

yaṃ devāso ajanayantāghniṃ yasminnājuhavurbhuvanāniviśvā |
so arciṣā pṛthivīṃ dyāmutemāṃ ṛjūyamānoatapan mahitvā ||

stomena hi divi devāso aghnimajījanañchaktibhīrodasiprām |
tamū akṛṇvan tredhā bhuve kaṃ sa oṣadhīḥpacati viśvarūpāḥ ||

yadedenamadadhuryajñiyāso divi devāḥ sūryamāditeyam |
yadā cariṣṇū mithunāvabhūtāmādit prāpaśyanbhuvanāni viśvā ||

viśvasmā aghniṃ bhuvanāya devā vaiśvānaraṃ ketumahnāmakṛṇvan |
ā yastatānoṣaso vibhātīrapo ūrṇoti tamoarciṣā yan ||

vaiśvānaraṃ kavayo yajñiyāso.aghniṃ devā ajanayannajuryam |
nakṣatraṃ pratnamaminaccariṣṇu yakṣasyādhyakṣantaviṣaṃ bṛhantam ||

vaiśvānaraṃ viśvahā dīdivāṃsaṃ mantrairaghniṃ kavimachā vadāmaḥ |
yo mahimnā paribabhūvorvī utāvastādutadevaḥ parastāt ||

dve srutī aśṛṇavaṃ pitṝṇāmahaṃ devānāmutamartyānām |
tābhyāmidaṃ viśvamejat sameti yadantarāpitaraṃ mātaraṃ ca ||

dve samīcī bibhṛtaścarantaṃ śīrṣato jātaṃ manasāvimṛṣṭam |
sa pratyaṃ viśvā bhuvanāni tasthāvaprayuchantaraṇirbhrājamānaḥ ||

yatrā vadete avaraḥ paraśca yajñanyoḥ kataro nau vi veda |
ā śekurit sadhamādaṃ sakhāyo nakṣanta yajñaṃ kaidaṃ vi vocat ||

katyaghnayaḥ kati sūryāsaḥ katyuṣāsaḥ katyu svidāpaḥ |
nopaspijaṃ vaḥ pitaro vadāmi pṛchāmi vaḥ kavayovidmane kam ||
yāvanmātramuṣaso na pratīkaṃ suparṇyo vasatemātariśvaḥ |
tāvad dadhātyupa yajñamāyan brāhmaṇohoturavaro niṣīdan ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. DEAR, ageless sacrificial drink is offered in light-discovering, heaven-pervading Agni.
The Gods spread forth through his Celestial Nature, that he might bear the world up and sustain it.

2 The world was swallowed and concealed in darkness: Agni was born, and light became apparent.
The Deities, the broad earth, and the heavens, and plants, and waters gloried in his friendship.

3 Inspired by Gods who claim our adoration, I now will laud Eternal Lofty Agni,
Him who hath spread abroad the earth with lustre, this heaven, and both the worlds, and air’s mid-region.

4 Earliest Priest whom all the Gods accepted, and chose him, and anointed him with butter,
He swiftly made all things that fly, stand, travel, all that hath motion, Agni Jātavedas.

5 Because thou, Agni, Jātavedas, stoodest at the world’s head with thy refulgent splendour,
We sent thee forth with hymns and songs and praises: thou filledst heaven and earth, God meet for worship.

6 Head of the world is Agni in the night-time; then, as the Sun, at morn springs up and rises.
Then to his task goes the prompt Priest foreknowing the wondrous power of Gods who must be honoured.

7 Lovely is he who, kindled in his greatness, hath shone forth, seated in the heavens, refulgent.
With resonant hymns all Gods who guard our bodies have offered up oblation in this Agni.

8 First the Gods brought the hymnal into being; then they engendered Agni, then oblation.
He was their sacrifice that guards our bodies: him the heavens know, the earth, the waters know him.

9 He, Agni, whom the Gods have generated, in whom they offered up all worlds and creatures,
He with his bright glow heated earth and heaven, urging himself right onward in his grandeur.

10 Then by the laud the Gods engendered Agni in heaven, who fills both worlds through strength and vigour.
They made him to appear in threefold essence: he ripens plants of every form and nature.

11 What time the Gods, whose due is worship, set him as Sūrya, Son of Aditi, in heaven,
When the Pair, ever wandering, sprang to being, all creatures that existed looked upon them.

12 For all the world of life the Gods made Agni Vaiśvānara to be the days’ bright Banner,—
Him who hath spread abroad the radiant Mornings, and, coming with his light, unveils the darkness.

13 The wise and holy Deities engendered Agni Vaiśvānara whom age ne’er touches.
The Ancient Star that wanders on for ever, lofty and. strong, Lord of the Living Being.

14 We call upon the Sage with holy verses, Agni Vaiśvānara the ever-beaming,
Who hath surpassed both heaven and earth in greatness: he is a God below, a God above us.

15 I have heard mention of two several pathways, ways of the Fathers and of Gods and mortals.
On these two paths each moving creature travels, each thing between the Father and the Mother.

16 These two united paths bear him who journeys born from the head and pondered with the spirit
He stands directed to all things existing, hasting, unresting in his fiery splendour.

17 Which of us twain knows where they speak together, upper and lower of the two rite-leaders?
Our friends have helped to gather our assembly. They came to sacrifice; who will announce it?

18 How many are the Fires and Suns in number? What is the number of the Dawns and Waters?
Not jestingly I speak to you, O Fathers. Sages, I ask you this for information.

19 As great as is the fair-winged Morning’s presence to him who dwells beside us, Mātariśvan!
Is what the Brahman does when he approaches to sacrifice and sits below the Hotar.