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

पराग्नये बर्हते यज्ञियाय रतस्य वर्ष्णे असुराय मन्म |
घर्तं न यज्ञ आस्य सुपूतं गिरम भरे वर्षभाय परतीचीम ||

रतं चिकित्व रतम इच चिकिद्ध्य रतस्य धारा अनु तर्न्धि पूर्वीः |
नाहं यातुं सहसा न दवयेन रतं सपाम्य अरुषस्य वर्ष्णः ||

कया नो अग्न रतयन्न रतेन भुवो नवेदा उचथस्य नव्यः |
वेदा मे देव रतुपा रतूनां नाहम पतिं सनितुर अस्य रायः ||

के ते अग्ने रिपवे बन्धनासः के पायवः सनिषन्त दयुमन्तः |
के धासिम अग्ने अन्र्तस्य पान्ति क आसतो वचसः सन्ति गोपाः ||

सखायस ते विषुणा अग्न एते शिवासः सन्तो अशिवा अभूवन |
अधूर्षत सवयम एते वचोभिर रजूयते वर्जिनानि बरुवन्तः ||

यस ते अग्ने नमसा यज्ञम ईट्ट रतं स पात्य अरुषस्य वर्ष्णः |
तस्य कषयः पर्थुर आ साधुर एतु परसर्स्राणस्य नहुषस्य शेषः ||

prāghnaye bṛhate yajñiyāya ṛtasya vṛṣṇe asurāya manma |
ghṛtaṃ na yajña āsy supūtaṃ ghiram bhare vṛṣabhāya pratīcīm ||

ṛtaṃ cikitva ṛtam ic cikiddhy ṛtasya dhārā anu tṛndhi pūrvīḥ |
nāhaṃ yātuṃ sahasā na dvayena ṛtaṃ sapāmy aruṣasya vṛṣṇaḥ ||

kayā no aghna ṛtayann ṛtena bhuvo navedā ucathasya navyaḥ |
vedā me deva ṛtupā ṛtūnāṃ nāham patiṃ sanitur asya rāyaḥ ||

ke te aghne ripave bandhanāsaḥ ke pāyavaḥ saniṣanta dyumantaḥ |
ke dhāsim aghne anṛtasya pānti ka āsato vacasaḥ santi ghopāḥ ||

sakhāyas te viṣuṇā aghna ete śivāsaḥ santo aśivā abhūvan |
adhūrṣata svayam ete vacobhir ṛjūyate vṛjināni bruvantaḥ ||

yas te aghne namasā yajñam īṭṭa ṛtaṃ sa pāty aruṣasya vṛṣṇaḥ |
tasya kṣayaḥ pṛthur ā sādhur etu prasarsrāṇasya nahuṣasya śeṣaḥ ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. To Agni, lofty Asura, meet for worship, Steer of eternal Law, my prayer I offer;
I bring my song directed to the Mighty like pure oil for his mouth at sacrifices.

2 Mark the Law, thou who knowest, yea, observe it: send forth the full streams of eternal Order.
I use no sorcery with might or falsehood the sacred Law of the Red Steer I follow.

3 How hast thou, follower of the Law eternal, become the knower of a new song, Agni?
The God, the Guardian of the seasons, knows me: the Lord of him who won this wealth I know not.

4 Who, Agni, in alliance with thy foeman, what splendid helpers won for them their riches?
Agni, who guard the dwelling-place of falsehood? Who are protectors of the speech of liars?

5 Agni, those friends of thine have turned them from thee: gracious of old, they have become ungracious.
They have deceived themselves by their own speeches, uttering wicked words against the righteous.

6 He who pays sacrifice to thee with homage, O Agni, keeps the Red Steer’s Law eternal;
Wide is his dwelling. May the noble offspring of Nahuṣa who wandered forth come hither.