HYMN XLIX. Agni – Rig Veda – Book 8

अभि पर वः सुराधसमिन्द्रमर्च यथा विदे |
यो जरित्रिभ्यो मघवा पुरूवसुः सहस्रेणेव शिक्षति ||

शतानीकेव पर जिगाति धर्ष्णुया हन्ति वर्त्राणि दाशुषे |
गिरेरिव पर रसा अस्य पिन्विरे दत्राणि पुरुभोजसः ||

आ तवा सुतास इन्दवो मदा य इन्द्र गिर्वणः |
आपो न वज्रिन्नन्वोक्यं सरः पर्णन्ति शूर राधसे ||

अनेहसं परतरणं विवक्षणं मध्वः सवादिष्ठमीं पिब |
आ यथा मन्दसानः किरासि नः पर कषुद्रेव तमना धर्षत ||

आ न सतोममुप दरवद धियानो अश्वो न सोत्र्भिः |
यं तेस्वधावन सवदयन्ति धेनव इन्द्र कण्वेषु रातयः ||

उग्रं न वीरं नमसोप सेदिम विभूतिमक्षितावसुम |
उद्रीव वज्रिन्नवतो न सिञ्चते कषरन्तीन्द्र धीतयः ||

यद ध नूनं यद वा यज्ञे यद वा पर्थिव्यामधि |
अतो नो यज्ञमाशुभिर्महेमत उग्र उग्रेभिरा गहि ||

अजिरासो हरयो ये त आशवो वाता इव परसक्षिणः |
येभिरपत्यं मनुषः परीयसे येभिर्विश्वं सवर्द्र्शे ||

एतावतस्त ईमह इन्द्र सुम्नस्य गोमतः |
यथा परावो मघवन मेध्यातिथिं यथा नीपातिथिं धने ||

यथा कण्वे मघवन तरसदस्यवि यथा पक्थे दशव्रजे |
यथा गोशर्ये असनोरजिश्वनीन्द्र गोमद धिरण्यवत ||

 

abhi pra vaḥ surādhasamindramarca yathā vide |
yo jaritribhyo maghavā purūvasuḥ sahasreṇeva śikṣati ||

śatānīkeva pra jighāti dhṛṣṇuyā hanti vṛtrāṇi dāśuṣe |
ghireriva pra rasā asya pinvire datrāṇi purubhojasaḥ ||

ā tvā sutāsa indavo madā ya indra ghirvaṇaḥ |
āpo na vajrinnanvokyaṃ saraḥ pṛṇanti śūra rādhase ||

anehasaṃ prataraṇaṃ vivakṣaṇaṃ madhvaḥ svādiṣṭhamīṃ piba |
ā yathā mandasānaḥ kirāsi naḥ pra kṣudreva tmanā dhṛṣat ||

ā na stomamupa dravad dhiyāno aśvo na sotṛbhiḥ |
yaṃ tesvadhāvan svadayanti dhenava indra kaṇveṣu rātayaḥ ||

ughraṃ na vīraṃ namasopa sedima vibhūtimakṣitāvasum |
udrīva vajrinnavato na siñcate kṣarantīndra dhītayaḥ ||

yad dha nūnaṃ yad vā yajñe yad vā pṛthivyāmadhi |
ato no yajñamāśubhirmahemata ughra ughrebhirā ghahi ||

ajirāso harayo ye ta āśavo vātā iva prasakṣiṇaḥ |
yebhirapatyaṃ manuṣaḥ parīyase yebhirviśvaṃ svardṛśe ||

etāvatasta īmaha indra sumnasya ghomataḥ |
yathā prāvo maghavan medhyātithiṃ yathā nīpātithiṃ dhane ||

yathā kaṇve maghavan trasadasyavi yathā pakthe daśavraje |
yathā ghośarye asanorjiśvanīndra ghomad dhiraṇyavat ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. AGNI, come hither with thy fires; we choose thee as Invoking Priest.
Let the extended ladle full of oil balm thee, best Priest, to sit on sacred grass.

2 For unto thee, O Aṅgiras, O Son of Strength, move ladles in the sacrifice.
To Agni, Child of Force, whose locks drop oil, we seek, foremost in sacrificial rites.

3 Agni, thou art Disposer, Sage, Herald, bright God! and worshipful,
Best offerer, cheerful, to be praised in holy rites, pure Lord! by singers with their hymns.

4 Most Youthful and Eternal, bring the longing Gods to me, the guileless, for the feast.
Come, Vasu, to the banquet that is well-prepared: rejoice thee, gracious, with our songs.

5 Famed art thou, Agni, far and wide, Preserver, righteous, and a Sage.
The holy singers, O refulgent kindled God! arrangers, call on thee to come.

6 Shine, Most Resplendent! blaze, send bliss unto the folk, and to thy worshipper
Great art thou.
So may my princes, with good fires, subduing foes, rest in the keeping of the Gods.

7 O Agni, as thou burnest down to earth even high-grown underwood,
So, bright as Mitra is, burn him who injures us, him who plots ill against thy friend.

8 Give us not as a prey to mortal enemy, nor to the wicked friend of fiends.
With conquering guards, auspicious, unassailable, protect us, O Most Youthful God.

9 Protect us, Agni, through the first, protect us through the second hymn,
Protect us through three hymns, O Lord of Power and Might, through four hymns, Vasu, guard thou us.

10 Preserve us from each fiend who brings the Gods no gift, preserve thou us in deeds of strength:
For we possess in thee the nearest Friend of all, for service of the Gods and weal.

11 O Holy Agni, give us wealth renowned with men and strengthening life.
Bestow on us, O Helper, that which many crave, more glorious still by righteousness;

12 Wherewith we may o’ercome our rivals in the war, o’erpowering the foe’s designs.
So wax thou by our food, O Excellent in strength. Quicken our thoughts that find out wealth.

13 Agni is even as a bull who whets and brandishes his horns.
Well-sharpened are his jaws which may not be withstood: the Child of Strength hath powerful teeth.

14 Not to be stayed, O Bull, O Agni, are thy teeth when thou art spreading far and wide.
Make our oblations duly offered up, O Priest, and give us store of precious things.

15 Thou liest in the wood: from both thy Mothers mortals kindle thee.
Unweariedly thou bearest up the offerer’s gifts, then shinest bright among the Gods.

16 And so the seven priests, O Agni, worship thee, Free-giver, Everlasting One.
Thou cleavest through the rock with heat and fervent glow. Agni, rise up above the men.

17 For you let us whose grass is trimmed call Agni, Agni, restless God.
Let us whose food is offered call to all the tribes Agni the Invoking Priest of men.

18 Agni, with noble psalm that tells his wish he dwells, thinking on thee who guardest him.
Speedily bring us strength of many varied sorts to be most near to succour us.

19 Agni, Praise-singer! Lord of men, God burner-up of Rākṣasas,
Mighty art thou, the ever-present Household-Lord, Home-friend and Guardian from the sky.

20 Let no fiend come among us, O thou rich in light, no spell of those who deal in spells.
To distant pastures drive faint hunger: far away, O Agni, chase the demons’ friends.