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

सखायः सं वः सम्यञ्चम इषं सतोमं चाग्नये |
वर्षिष्ठाय कषितीनाम ऊर्जो नप्त्रे सहस्वते ||

कुत्रा चिद यस्य सम्र्तौ रण्वा नरो नर्षदने |
अर्हन्तश चिद यम इन्धते संजनयन्ति जन्तवः ||

सं यद इषो वनामहे सं हव्या मानुषाणाम |
उत दयुम्नस्य शवस रतस्य रश्मिम आ ददे ||

स समा कर्णोति केतुम आ नक्तं चिद दूर आ सते |
पावको यद वनस्पतीन पर समा मिनात्य अजरः ||

अव सम यस्य वेषणे सवेदम पथिषु जुह्वति |
अभीम अह सवजेन्यम भूमा पर्ष्ठेव रुरुहुः ||

यम मर्त्यः पुरुस्प्र्हं विदद विश्वस्य धायसे |
पर सवादनम पितूनाम अस्ततातिं चिद आयवे ||

स हि षमा धन्वाक्षितं दाता न दात्य आ पशुः |
हिरिश्मश्रुः शुचिदन्न रभुर अनिभ्र्ष्टतविषिः ||

शुचिः षमा यस्मा अत्रिवत पर सवधितीव रीयते |
सुषूर असूत माता कराणा यद आनशे भगम ||

आ यस ते सर्पिरासुते ऽगने शम अस्ति धायसे |
ऐषु दयुम्नम उत शरव आ चित्तम मर्त्येषु धाः ||

इति चिन मन्युम अध्रिजस तवादातम आ पशुं ददे |
आद अग्ने अप्र्णतो ऽतरिः सासह्याद दस्यून इषः सासह्यान नॄन ||

sakhāyaḥ saṃ vaḥ samyañcam iṣaṃ stomaṃ cāghnaye |
varṣiṣṭhāya kṣitīnām ūrjo naptre sahasvate ||

kutrā cid yasya samṛtau raṇvā naro nṛṣadane |
arhantaś cid yam indhate saṃjanayanti jantavaḥ ||

saṃ yad iṣo vanāmahe saṃ havyā mānuṣāṇām |
uta dyumnasya śavasa ṛtasya raśmim ā dade ||

sa smā kṛṇoti ketum ā naktaṃ cid dūra ā sate |
pāvako yad vanaspatīn pra smā mināty ajaraḥ ||

ava sma yasya veṣaṇe svedam pathiṣu juhvati |
abhīm aha svajenyam bhūmā pṛṣṭheva ruruhuḥ ||

yam martyaḥ puruspṛhaṃ vidad viśvasya dhāyase |
pra svādanam pitūnām astatātiṃ cid āyave ||

sa hi ṣmā dhanvākṣitaṃ dātā na dāty ā paśuḥ |
hiriśmaśruḥ śucidann ṛbhur anibhṛṣṭataviṣiḥ ||

śuciḥ ṣmā yasmā atrivat pra svadhitīva rīyate |
suṣūr asūta mātā krāṇā yad ānaśe bhagham ||

ā yas te sarpirāsute ‘ghne śam asti dhāyase |
aiṣu dyumnam uta śrava ā cittam martyeṣu dhāḥ ||

iti cin manyum adhrijas tvādātam ā paśuṃ dade |
ād aghne apṛṇato ‘triḥ sāsahyād dasyūn iṣaḥ sāsahyān nṝn ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. OFFER to Agni, O my friends, your seemly food, your seemly praise;
To him supremest o’er the folk, the Son of Strength, the mighty Lord:

2 Him in whose presence, when they meet in full assembly, men rejoice;
Even him whom worthy ones inflame, and living creatures bring to life.

3 When we present to him the food and sacrificial gifts of men,
He by the might of splendour grasps the holy Ordinance’s rein.

4 He gives a signal in the night even to him who is afar,
When he, the Bright, unchanged by eld, consumes the sovrans of the wood.

5 He in whose service on the ways they offer up their drops of sweat,
On him is their high kin have they mounted, as ridges on the earth.

6 Whom, sought of many, mortal man hath found to be the Stay of all;
He who gives flavour to our food, the home of every man that lives.

7 Even as a herd that crops the grass he shears the field and wilderness,
With flashing teeth and beard of gold, deft with his unabated might.

8 For him, to whom, bright as an axe he, as to Atri, hath flashed forth,
Hath the well-bearing Mother borne, producing when her time is come.

9 Agni to whom the oil is shed by him thou lovest to support,
Bestow upon these mortals fame and splendour and intelligence.

10 Such zeal hath he, resistless one: he gained the cattle given by thee.
Agni, may Atri overcome the Dasyus who bestow no gifts, subdue the men who give no food.