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

अयम इह परथमो धायि धात्र्भिर होता यजिष्ठो अध्वरेष्व ईड्यः |
यम अप्नवानो भर्गवो विरुरुचुर वनेषु चित्रं विभ्वं विशे-विशे ||

अग्ने कदा त आनुषग भुवद देवस्य चेतनम |
अधा हि तवा जग्र्भ्रिरे मर्तासो विक्ष्व ईड्यम ||

रतावानं विचेतसम पश्यन्तो दयाम इव सत्र्भिः |
विश्वेषाम अध्वराणां हस्कर्तारं दमे-दमे ||

आशुं दूतं विवस्वतो विश्वा यश चर्षणीर अभि |
आ जभ्रुः केतुम आयवो भर्गवाणं विशे-विशे ||

तम ईं होतारम आनुषक चिकित्वांसं नि षेदिरे |
रण्वम पावकशोचिषं यजिष्ठं सप्त धामभिः ||

तं शश्वतीषु मात्र्षु वन आ वीतम अश्रितम |
चित्रं सन्तं गुहा हितं सुवेदं कूचिदर्थिनम ||

ससस्य यद वियुता सस्मिन्न ऊधन्न रतस्य धामन रणयन्त देवाः |
महां अग्निर नमसा रातहव्यो वेर अध्वराय सदम इद रतावा ||

वेर अध्वरस्य दूत्यानि विद्वान उभे अन्ता रोदसी संचिकित्वान |
दूत ईयसे परदिव उराणो विदुष्टरो दिव आरोधनानि ||

कर्ष्णं त एम रुशतः पुरो भाश चरिष्ण्व अर्चिर वपुषाम इद एकम |
यद अप्रवीता दधते ह गर्भं सद्यश चिज जातो भवसीद उ दूतः ||

सद्यो जातस्य दद्र्शानम ओजो यद अस्य वातो अनुवाति शोचिः |
वर्णक्ति तिग्माम अतसेषु जिह्वां सथिरा चिद अन्ना दयते वि जम्भैः ||

तर्षु यद अन्ना तर्षुणा ववक्ष तर्षुं दूतं कर्णुते यह्वो अग्निः |
वातस्य मेळिं सचते निजूर्वन्न आशुं न वाजयते हिन्वे अर्वा ||

ayam iha prathamo dhāyi dhātṛbhir hotā yajiṣṭho adhvareṣv īḍyaḥ |
yam apnavāno bhṛghavo virurucur vaneṣu citraṃ vibhvaṃ viśe-viśe ||

aghne kadā ta ānuṣagh bhuvad devasya cetanam |
adhā hi tvā jaghṛbhrire martāso vikṣv īḍyam ||

ṛtāvānaṃ vicetasam paśyanto dyām iva stṛbhiḥ |
viśveṣām adhvarāṇāṃ haskartāraṃ dame-dame ||

āśuṃ dūtaṃ vivasvato viśvā yaś carṣaṇīr abhi |
ā jabhruḥ ketum āyavo bhṛghavāṇaṃ viśe-viśe ||

tam īṃ hotāram ānuṣak cikitvāṃsaṃ ni ṣedire |
raṇvam pāvakaśociṣaṃ yajiṣṭhaṃ sapta dhāmabhiḥ ||

taṃ śaśvatīṣu mātṛṣu vana ā vītam aśritam |
citraṃ santaṃ ghuhā hitaṃ suvedaṃ kūcidarthinam ||

sasasya yad viyutā sasminn ūdhann ṛtasya dhāman raṇayanta devāḥ |
mahāṃ aghnir namasā rātahavyo ver adhvarāya sadam id ṛtāvā ||

ver adhvarasya dūtyāni vidvān ubhe antā rodasī saṃcikitvān |
dūta īyase pradiva urāṇo viduṣṭaro diva ārodhanāni ||

kṛṣṇaṃ ta ema ruśataḥ puro bhāś cariṣṇv arcir vapuṣām id ekam |
yad apravītā dadhate ha gharbhaṃ sadyaś cij jāto bhavasīd u dūtaḥ ||

sadyo jātasya dadṛśānam ojo yad asya vāto anuvāti śociḥ |
vṛṇakti tighmām ataseṣu jihvāṃ sthirā cid annā dayate vi jambhaiḥ ||

tṛṣu yad annā tṛṣuṇā vavakṣa tṛṣuṃ dūtaṃ kṛṇute yahvo aghniḥ |
vātasya meḷiṃ sacate nijūrvann āśuṃ na vājayate hinve arvā ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. HERE by ordainers was this God appointed first Invoker, best at worship, to be praised at rites:
Whom Apnavāna, and the Bhṛgus caused to shine bright-coloured in the wood, spreading from home to home.

2 When shall thy glory as a God, Agni, be suddenly shown forth.
For mortal men have held thee fast, adorable in all their homes,

3 Seeing thee faithful to the Law, most sapient, like the starry heaven,
Illumining with cheerful ray each solemn rite in every house.

4 Vivasvān’s envoy living men have taken as their ensign, swift,
The ruler over all mankind, moving like Bhṛgu in each home.

5 Him the intelligent have they placed duly as Invoking Priest,
Welcome, with sanctifying flame, best worshipper, with sevenfold might;

6 In his Eternal Mothers, in the wood, concealed and unapproached,
Kept secret though his flames are bright seeking on all sides, quickly found.

7 That as food spreads forth in this earthly udder, Gods may rejoice them in the home of Order,
Great Agni, served with reverence and oblation, flies ever to the sacrifice, the Faithful.

8 Bird of each rite, skilled in an envoy’s duties, knowing both worlds and that which lies between them,
Thou goest from of old a willing Herald, knowing full well heaven’s innermost recesses.

9 Bright God, thy path is black: light is before thee: thy moving splendour is the chief of wonders.
When she, yet unimpregnate, hath conceived thee, even when newly born thou art an envoy.

10 Yet newly born, his vigour is apparent when the wind blows upon his fiery splendour,
His sharpened tongue he layeth on the brushwood, and with his teeth e’en solid food consumeth.

11 When he hath borne off food with swift flame swiftly, strong Agni makes himself a speedy envoy,
Follows the rustling of the wind, consuming, and courser-like, speeds, drives the swift horse onward.