HYMN XLIII. Agni – Rig Veda – Book 8

इमे विप्रस्य वेधसो.अग्नेरस्त्र्तयज्वनः |
गिरः सतोमास ईरते ||

अस्मै ते परतिहर्यते जातवेदो विचर्षणे |
अग्ने जनामि सुष्टुतिम ||

आरोका इव घेदह तिग्मा अग्ने तव तविषः |
दद्भिर्वनानि बप्सति ||

हरयो धूमकेतवो वातजूता उप दयवि |
यतन्ते वर्थगग्नयः ||

एते तये वर्थगग्नय इद्धासः समद्र्क्षत |
उषसामिव केतवः ||

कर्ष्णा रजांसि पत्सुतः परयाणे जातवेदसः |
अग्निर्यद रोधति कषमि ||

धासिं कर्ण्वान ओषधीर्बप्सदग्निर्न वायति |
पुनर्यन तरुणीरपि ||

जिह्वाभिरह नन्नमदर्चिषा जञ्जणाभवन |
अग्निर्वनेषु रोचते ||

अप्स्वग्ने सधिष टव सौशधीरनु रुध्यसे |
गर्भे सञ्जायसे पुनः ||

उदग्ने तव तद घर्तादर्ची रोचत आहुतम |
निंसानं जुह्वो मुखे ||

उक्षान्नाय वशान्नाय सोमप्र्ष्ठाय वेधसे |
सतोमैर्विधेमाग्नये ||

उत तवा नमसा वयं होतर्वरेण्यक्रतो |
अग्ने समिद्भिरीमहे ||

उत तवा भर्गुवच्छुचे मनुष्वदग्न आहुत |
अङगिरस्वद धवामहे ||

तवं हयग्ने अग्निना विप्रो विप्रेण सन सता |
सखा सख्या समिध्यसे ||

स तवं विप्राय दाशुषे रयिं देहि सहस्रिणम |
अग्ने वीरवतीमिषम ||

अग्ने भरातः सहस्क्र्त रोहिदश्व शुचिव्रत |
इमं सतोमंजुषस्व मे ||

उत तवाग्ने मम सतुतो वाश्राय परतिहर्यते |
गोष्ठं गाव इवाशत ||

तुभ्यं ता अङगिरस्तम विश्वाः सुक्षितयः पर्थक |
अग्ने कामाय येमिरे ||

अग्निं धीभिर्मनीषिणो मेधिरासो विपश्चितः |
अद्मसद्याय हिन्विरे ||

तं तवामज्मेषु वाजिनं तन्वाना अग्ने अध्वरम |
वह्निंहोतारमीळते ||

पुरुत्रा हि सद्रंं असि विशो विश्वा अनु परभुः |
समत्सुत्वा हवामहे ||

तमीळिष्व य आहुतो.अग्निर्विभ्राजते घर्तैः |
इमं नःश्र्णवद धवम ||

तं तवा वयं हवामहे शर्ण्वन्तं जातवेदसम |
अग्ने घनन्तमप दविषः ||

विशां राजानमद्भुतमध्यक्षं धर्मणामिमम |
अग्निमीळे स उ शरवत ||

अग्निं विश्वायुवेपसं मर्यं न वाजिनं हितम |
सप्तिं न वाजयामसि ||

घनन मर्ध्राण्यप दविषो दहन रक्षांसि विश्वहा |
अग्नेतिग्मेन दीदिहि ||

यं तवा जनास इन्धते मनुष्वदङगिरस्तम |
अग्ने स बोधिमे वचः ||

यदग्ने दिविजा अस्यप्सुजा वा सहस्क्र्त |
तं तवा गीर्भिर्हवामहे ||

तुभ्यं घेत ते जना इमे विश्वाः सुक्षितयः पर्थक |
धासिं हिन्वन्त्यत्तवे ||

ते घेदग्ने सवाध्यो.अहा विश्वा नर्चक्षसः |
तरन्तः सयाम दुर्गहा ||

अग्निं मन्द्रं पुरुप्रियं शीरं पावकशोचिषम |
हर्द्भिर्मन्द्रेभिरीमहे ||

स तवमग्ने विभावसुः सर्जन सूर्यो न रश्मिभिः |
शर्धन तमांसि जिघ्नसे ||

तत ते सहस्व ईमहे दात्रं यन नोपदस्यति |
तवदग्ने वार्यं वसु ||

 

ime viprasya vedhaso.aghnerastṛtayajvanaḥ |
ghiraḥ stomāsa īrate ||

asmai te pratiharyate jātavedo vicarṣaṇe |
aghne janāmi suṣṭutim ||

ārokā iva ghedaha tighmā aghne tava tviṣaḥ |
dadbhirvanāni bapsati ||

harayo dhūmaketavo vātajūtā upa dyavi |
yatante vṛthaghaghnayaḥ ||

ete tye vṛthaghaghnaya iddhāsaḥ samadṛkṣata |
uṣasāmiva ketavaḥ ||

kṛṣṇā rajāṃsi patsutaḥ prayāṇe jātavedasaḥ |
aghniryad rodhati kṣami ||

dhāsiṃ kṛṇvāna oṣadhīrbapsadaghnirna vāyati |
punaryan taruṇīrapi ||

jihvābhiraha nannamadarciṣā jañjaṇābhavan |
aghnirvaneṣu rocate ||

apsvaghne sadhiṣ ṭava sauśadhīranu rudhyase |
gharbhe sañjāyase punaḥ ||

udaghne tava tad ghṛtādarcī rocata āhutam |
niṃsānaṃ juhvo mukhe ||

ukṣānnāya vaśānnāya somapṛṣṭhāya vedhase |
stomairvidhemāghnaye ||

uta tvā namasā vayaṃ hotarvareṇyakrato |
aghne samidbhirīmahe ||

uta tvā bhṛghuvacchuce manuṣvadaghna āhuta |
aṅghirasvad dhavāmahe ||

tvaṃ hyaghne aghninā vipro vipreṇa san satā |
sakhā sakhyā samidhyase ||

sa tvaṃ viprāya dāśuṣe rayiṃ dehi sahasriṇam |
aghne vīravatīmiṣam ||

aghne bhrātaḥ sahaskṛta rohidaśva śucivrata |
imaṃ stomaṃjuṣasva me ||

uta tvāghne mama stuto vāśrāya pratiharyate |
ghoṣṭhaṃ ghāva ivāśata ||

tubhyaṃ tā aṅghirastama viśvāḥ sukṣitayaḥ pṛthak |
aghne kāmāya yemire ||

aghniṃ dhībhirmanīṣiṇo medhirāso vipaścitaḥ |
admasadyāya hinvire ||

taṃ tvāmajmeṣu vājinaṃ tanvānā aghne adhvaram |
vahniṃhotāramīḷate ||

purutrā hi sadṛṃṃ asi viśo viśvā anu prabhuḥ |
samatsutvā havāmahe ||

tamīḷiṣva ya āhuto.aghnirvibhrājate ghṛtaiḥ |
imaṃ naḥśṛṇavad dhavam ||

taṃ tvā vayaṃ havāmahe śṛṇvantaṃ jātavedasam |
aghne ghnantamapa dviṣaḥ ||

viśāṃ rājānamadbhutamadhyakṣaṃ dharmaṇāmimam |
aghnimīḷe sa u śravat ||

aghniṃ viśvāyuvepasaṃ maryaṃ na vājinaṃ hitam |
saptiṃ na vājayāmasi ||

ghnan mṛdhrāṇyapa dviṣo dahan rakṣāṃsi viśvahā |
aghnetighmena dīdihi ||

yaṃ tvā janāsa indhate manuṣvadaṅghirastama |
aghne sa bodhime vacaḥ ||

yadaghne divijā asyapsujā vā sahaskṛta |
taṃ tvā ghīrbhirhavāmahe ||

tubhyaṃ ghet te janā ime viśvāḥ sukṣitayaḥ pṛthak |
dhāsiṃ hinvantyattave ||

te ghedaghne svādhyo.ahā viśvā nṛcakṣasaḥ |
tarantaḥ syāma durghahā ||

aghniṃ mandraṃ purupriyaṃ śīraṃ pāvakaśociṣam |
hṛdbhirmandrebhirīmahe ||

sa tvamaghne vibhāvasuḥ sṛjan sūryo na raśmibhiḥ |
śardhan tamāṃsi jighnase ||

tat te sahasva īmahe dātraṃ yan nopadasyati |
tvadaghne vāryaṃ vasu ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THESE songs of mine go forth as lauds of Agni, the disposing Sage,
Whose worshipper is ne’er o’erthrown.

2 Wise Agni Jātavedas, I beget a song of praise for thee.
Who willingly receivest it.

3 Thy sharpened flames, O Agni, like the gleams of light that glitter through,
Devour the forests with their teeth.

4 Gold-coloured, bannered with the smoke, urged by the wind, aloft to heaven
Rise, lightly borne, the flames of fire.

5 These lightly kindled fiery flames are all around made visible,
Even as the gleanings of the Dawns.

6 As Jātavedas speeds along, the dust is black beneath his feet,
When Agni spreads upon the earth.

7 Making the plants his nourishment, Agni devours and wearies not,
Seeking the tender shrubs again.

8 Bending him down with all his tongues, he flickers with his fiery glow
Splendid is Agni in the woods.

9 Agni, thine home is in the floods: into the plants thou forcest way,
And as their Child art born anew.

10 Worshipped with offerings shines thy flame, O Agni, from the sacred oil,
With kisses on the ladle’s mouth.

11 Let us serve Agni with our hymns, Disposer, fed on ox and cow,
Who bears the Soma on his back.

12 Yea, thee, O Agni, do we seek with homage and with fuel, Priest
Whose wisdom is most excellent.

13 O worshipped with oblations, pure Agni, we call on thee as erst,
Did Bhṛgu, Manus, Aṅgiras.

14 For thou, O Agni, by the fire, Sage by the Sage, Good by the Good,
Friend by the Friend, art lighted up.

15 So wealth in thousands, food with store of heroes give thou to the sage,
O Agni, to the worshipper.

16 O Agni, Brother, made by strength, Lord of red steeds and brilliant sway,
Take pleasure in this laud of mine.

17 My praises, Agni, go to thee, as the cows seek the stall to meet,
The lowing calf that longs for milk.

18 Agni, best Aṅgiras, to thee all people who have pleasant homes,
Apart, have turned as to their wish.

19 The sages skilled in holy song and thinkers with their thoughts have urged
Agni to share the sacred feast.

20 So, Agni, unto thee the Priest, Invoker, strong in forays, pray
Those who spin out the sacrifice.

21 In many a place, the same in look art thou, a Prince o’er all the tribes
In battles we invoke thine aid.

22 Pray thou to Agni, pray to him who blazes served with sacred oil:
Let him give ear to this our call.

23 We call on thee as such, as one who hears, as Jātavedas, one,
Agni! who beats away our foes.

24 I pray to Agni, King of men, the Wonderful, the President
Of holy Laws: may he give ear.

25 Him like a bridegroom, him who stirs all people, like a noble horse,
Like a fleet steed, we instigate.

26 Slaying things deadly, burning up foes, Rākṣasas, on every side,
Shine, Agni, with thy sharpened flame.

27 Thou whom the people kindle even as Manus did, best Aṅgiras!
O Agni, mark thou this my speech.

28 O Agni, made by strength! be thou born in the heavens or born in floods,
As such we call on thee with songs.

29 Yea, all the people, all the folk who have good dwellings, each apart,
Send food for thee to eat thereof.

30 O Agni, so may we, devout, gazed at by men, throughout our days,
Pass lightly over all distress.

31 We venerate with cheerful hearts the cheerful Agni, dear to all,
Burning, with purifying flame.

32 So thou, O Agni rich in light, beaming like Sūrya with thy rays
Boldly demolishest the gloom,

33 We pray to thee for this thy gift, Victor the gift that faileth not,
O Agni, choicest wealth from thee.