HYMN XVI. Agni. – Rig Veda – Book 10

मैनमग्ने वि दहो माभि शोचो मास्य तवचं चिक्षिपो माशरीरम |
यदा शर्तं कर्णवो जातवेदो.अथेमेनं परहिणुतात पित्र्भ्यः ||

शर्तं यदा करसि जातवेदो.अथेमेनं परि दत्तात्पित्र्भ्यः |
यदा गछात्यसुनीतिमेतामथा देवानांवशनीर्भवाति ||

सूर्यं चक्षुर्गछतु वातमात्मा दयां च गछप्र्थिवीं च धर्मणा |
अपो वा गछ यदि तत्र ते हितमोषधीषु परति तिष्ठा शरीरैः ||

अजो भागस्तपसा तं तपस्व तं ते शोचिस्तपतु तं तेर्चिः |
यास्ते शिवास्तन्वो जातवेदस्ताभिर्वहैनंसुक्र्तामु लोकम ||

अव सर्ज पुनरग्ने पित्र्भ्यो यस्त आहुतश्चरतिस्वधाभिः |
अयुर्वसान उप वेतु शेषः सं गछतान्तन्वा जातवेदः ||

यत ते कर्ष्णः शकुन आतुतोद पिपीलः सर्प उत वाश्वापदः |
अग्निष टद विश्वादगदं कर्णोतु सोमश्च योब्राह्मणानाविवेश ||

अग्नेर्वर्म परि गोभिर्व्ययस्व सं परोर्णुष्व पीवसामेदसा च |
नेत तवा धर्ष्णुर्हरसा जर्ह्र्षाणो दध्र्ग्विधक्ष्यन पर्यङखयाते ||

इममग्ने चमसं मा वि जिह्वरः परियो देवानामुतसोम्यानाम |
एष यश्चमसो देवपानस्तस्मिन देवा अम्र्तामादयन्ते ||

करव्यादमग्निं पर हिणोमि दूरं यमराज्ञो गछतुरिप्रवाहः |
इहैवायमितरो जातवेदा देवेभ्यो हव्यंवहतु परजानन ||

यो अग्निः करव्यात परविवेश वो गर्हमिमं पश्यन्नितरंजातवेदसम |
तं हरामि पित्र्यज्ञाय देवं स घर्ममिन्वात परमे सधस्थे ||

यो अग्निः करव्यवाहनः पितॄन यक्षद रताव्र्धः |
परेदुहव्यानि वोचति देवेभ्यश्च पित्र्भ्य आ ||

उशन्तस्त्वा नि धीमह्युशन्तः समिधीमहि |
उशन्नुशत आ वह पितॄन हविषे अत्तवे ||

यं तवमग्ने समदहस्तमु निर्वापया पुनः |
कियाम्ब्वत्र रोहतु पाकदूर्वा वयल्कशा ||

शीतिके शीतिकावति हलादिके हलादिकावति |
मण्डूक्या सुसं गम इमं सवग्निं हर्षय ||

mainamaghne vi daho mābhi śoco māsya tvacaṃ cikṣipo māśarīram |
yadā śṛtaṃ kṛṇavo jātavedo.athemenaṃ prahiṇutāt pitṛbhyaḥ ||

śṛtaṃ yadā karasi jātavedo.athemenaṃ pari dattātpitṛbhyaḥ |
yadā ghachātyasunītimetāmathā devānāṃvaśanīrbhavāti ||

sūryaṃ cakṣurghachatu vātamātmā dyāṃ ca ghachapṛthivīṃ ca dharmaṇā |
apo vā ghacha yadi tatra te hitamoṣadhīṣu prati tiṣṭhā śarīraiḥ ||

ajo bhāghastapasā taṃ tapasva taṃ te śocistapatu taṃ tearciḥ |
yāste śivāstanvo jātavedastābhirvahainaṃsukṛtāmu lokam ||

ava sṛja punaraghne pitṛbhyo yasta āhutaścaratisvadhābhiḥ |
ayurvasāna upa vetu śeṣaḥ saṃ ghachatāntanvā jātavedaḥ ||

yat te kṛṣṇaḥ śakuna ātutoda pipīlaḥ sarpa uta vāśvāpadaḥ |
aghniṣ ṭad viśvādaghadaṃ kṛṇotu somaśca yobrāhmaṇānāviveśa ||

aghnervarma pari ghobhirvyayasva saṃ prorṇuṣva pīvasāmedasā ca |
net tvā dhṛṣṇurharasā jarhṛṣāṇo dadhṛghvidhakṣyan paryaṅkhayāte ||

imamaghne camasaṃ mā vi jihvaraḥ priyo devānāmutasomyānām |
eṣa yaścamaso devapānastasmin devā amṛtāmādayante ||

kravyādamaghniṃ pra hiṇomi dūraṃ yamarājño ghachaturipravāhaḥ |
ihaivāyamitaro jātavedā devebhyo havyaṃvahatu prajānan ||

yo aghniḥ kravyāt praviveśa vo ghṛhamimaṃ paśyannitaraṃjātavedasam |
taṃ harāmi pitṛyajñāya devaṃ sa gharmaminvāt parame sadhasthe ||

yo aghniḥ kravyavāhanaḥ pitṝn yakṣad ṛtāvṛdhaḥ |
preduhavyāni vocati devebhyaśca pitṛbhya ā ||

uśantastvā ni dhīmahyuśantaḥ samidhīmahi |
uśannuśata ā vaha pitṝn haviṣe attave ||

yaṃ tvamaghne samadahastamu nirvāpayā punaḥ |
kiyāmbvatra rohatu pākadūrvā vyalkaśā ||

śītike śītikāvati hlādike hlādikāvati |
maṇḍūkyā susaṃ ghama imaṃ svaghniṃ harṣaya ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. Burn him not up, nor quite consume him, Agni: let not his body or his skin be scattered.
O Jātavedas, when thou hast matured him, then send him on his way unto the Fathers.

2 When thou hast made him ready, Jātavedas, then do thou give him over to the Fathers.
When he attains unto the life that waits him, he shall become the Deities’ controller.

3 The Sun receive thine eye, tne Wind thy spirit; go, as thy merit is, to earth or heaven.
Go, if it be thy lot, unto the waters; go, make thine home in plants with all thy members.

4 Thy portion is the goat: with heat consume him: let thy fierce flame, thy glowing splendour, burn him
With thine auspicious forms, o Jātavedas, bear this man to the region of the pious.

5 Again, O Agni, to the Fathers send him who, offered in thee, goes with our oblations.
Wearing new life let him increase his offspring: let him rejoin a body, Jātavedas.

6 What wound soe’er the dark bird hath inflicted, the emmet, or the serpent, or the jackal,
May Agni who devoureth all things heal it and Soma who hath passed into the Brahmans.

7 Shield thee with flesh against the flames of Agni, encompass thee about with fat and marrow,
So will the Bold One, eager to attack thee with fierce glow fail to girdle and consume thee.

8 Forbear, O Agni, to upset this ladle: the Gods and they who merit Soma love it.
This ladle, this which serves the Gods to drink from, in this the Immortal Deities rejoice them.

9 1 send afar flesh eating Agni, bearing off stains may he depart to Yama’s subjects.
But let this other Jātavedas carry oblation to the Gods, for he is skilful.

10 I choose as God for Father-worship Agni, flesh-eater, who hath past within your dwelling,
While looking on this other Jātavedas. Let him light flames in the supreme assembly.

11 With offerings meet let Agni bring the Fathers who support the Law.
Let him announce oblations paid to Fathers and to Deities.

12 Right gladly would we set thee down, right gladly make thee burn and glow.
Gladly bring yearning Fathers nigh to cat the food of sacrifice.

13 Cool, Agni, and again refresh the spot which thou hast scorched and burnt.
Here let the water-lily grow, and tender grass and leafy herb.

14 O full of coolness, thou cool Plant, full of fresh moisture, freshening Herb,
Come hither with the female frog: fill with delight this Agni here.