HYMN XXIX. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 3 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

अस्तीदमधिमन्थनमस्ति परजननं कर्तम |
एतां विश्पत्नीमा भराग्निं मन्थाम पूर्वथा ||

अरण्योर्निहितो जातवेदा गर्भ इव सुधितो गर्भिणीषु |
दिवे-दिव ईड्यो जाग्र्वद्भिर्हविष्मद्भिर्मनुष्येभिरग्निः ||

उत्तानायामव भरा चिकित्वान सद्यः परवीता वर्षणं जजान |
अरुषस्तूपो रुशदस्य पाज इळायास पुत्रो वयुने.अजनिष्ट ||

इळायास्त्वा पदे वयं नाभा पर्थिव्या अधि |
जातवेदो नि धीमह्यग्ने हव्याय वोळ्हवे ||

मन्थता नरः कविमद्वयन्तं परचेतसमम्र्तं सुप्रतीकम |
यज्ञस्य केतुं परथमं पुरस्तादग्निं नरो जनयता सुशेवम ||

यदी मन्थन्ति बाहुभिर्वि रोचते.अश्वो न वाज्यरुषो वनेष्वा |
चित्रो न यामन्नश्विनोरनिव्र्तः परि वर्णक्त्यश्मनस्त्र्णा दहन ||

जातो अग्नी रोचते चेकितानो वाजी विप्रः कविशस्तः सुदानुः |
यं देवास ईड्यं विश्वविदं हव्यवाहमदधुरध्वरेषु ||

सीद होतः सव उ लोके चिकित्वान सादया यज्ञं सुक्र्तस्य योनौ |
देवावीर्देवान हविषा यजास्यग्ने बर्हद यजमाने वयो धाः ||

कर्णोत धूमं वर्षणं सखायो.अस्रेधन्त इतन वाजमछ |
अयमग्निः पर्तनाषाट सुवीरो येन देवासो असहन्त दस्यून ||

अयं ते योनिर्र्त्वियो यतो जातो अरोचथाः |
तं जानन्नग्न आ सीदाथा नो वर्धया गिरः ||

तनूनपादुच्यते गर्भ आसुरो नराशंसो भवति यद विजायते |
मातरिश्वा यदमिमीत मातरि वातस्य सर्गो अभवत्सरीमणि ||

सुनिर्मथा निर्मथितः सुनिधा निहितः कविः |
अग्ने सवध्वरा कर्णु देवान देवयते यज ||

अजीजनन्नम्र्तं मर्त्यासो.अस्रेमाणं तरणिं वीळुजम्भम |
दश सवसारो अग्रुवः समीचीः पुमांसं जातमभि सं रभन्ते ||

पर सप्तहोता सनकादरोचत मातुरुपस्थे यदशोचदूधनि |
न नि मिषति सुरणो दिवे-दिवे यदसुरस्य जठरादजायत ||

अमित्रायुधो मरुतामिव परयाः परथमजा बरह्मणो विश्वमिद विदुः |
दयुम्नवद बरह्म कुशिकास एरिर एक-एको दमे अग्निं समीधिरे ||

यदद्य तवा परयति यज्ञे अस्मिन होतश्चिकित्वो.अव्र्णीमहीह |
धरुवमया धरुवमुताशमिष्ठाः परजानन विद्वानुप याहि सोमम ||

 

astīdamadhimanthanamasti prajananaṃ kṛtam |
etāṃ viśpatnīmā bharāghniṃ manthāma pūrvathā ||

araṇyornihito jātavedā gharbha iva sudhito gharbhiṇīṣu |
dive-diva īḍyo jāghṛvadbhirhaviṣmadbhirmanuṣyebhiraghniḥ ||

uttānāyāmava bharā cikitvān sadyaḥ pravītā vṛṣaṇaṃ jajāna |
aruṣastūpo ruśadasya pāja iḷāyās putro vayune.ajaniṣṭa ||

iḷāyāstvā pade vayaṃ nābhā pṛthivyā adhi |
jātavedo ni dhīmahyaghne havyāya voḷhave ||

manthatā naraḥ kavimadvayantaṃ pracetasamamṛtaṃ supratīkam |
yajñasya ketuṃ prathamaṃ purastādaghniṃ naro janayatā suśevam ||

yadī manthanti bāhubhirvi rocate.aśvo na vājyaruṣo vaneṣvā |
citro na yāmannaśvinoranivṛtaḥ pari vṛṇaktyaśmanastṛṇā dahan ||

jāto aghnī rocate cekitāno vājī vipraḥ kaviśastaḥ sudānuḥ |
yaṃ devāsa īḍyaṃ viśvavidaṃ havyavāhamadadhuradhvareṣu ||

sīda hotaḥ sva u loke cikitvān sādayā yajñaṃ sukṛtasya yonau |
devāvīrdevān haviṣā yajāsyaghne bṛhad yajamāne vayo dhāḥ ||

kṛṇota dhūmaṃ vṛṣaṇaṃ sakhāyo.asredhanta itana vājamacha |
ayamaghniḥ pṛtanāṣāṭ suvīro yena devāso asahanta dasyūn ||

ayaṃ te yonirṛtviyo yato jāto arocathāḥ |
taṃ jānannaghna ā sīdāthā no vardhayā ghiraḥ ||

tanūnapāducyate gharbha āsuro narāśaṃso bhavati yad vijāyate |
mātariśvā yadamimīta mātari vātasya sargho abhavatsarīmaṇi ||

sunirmathā nirmathitaḥ sunidhā nihitaḥ kaviḥ |
aghne svadhvarā kṛṇu devān devayate yaja ||

ajījanannamṛtaṃ martyāso.asremāṇaṃ taraṇiṃ vīḷujambham |
daśa svasāro aghruvaḥ samīcīḥ pumāṃsaṃ jātamabhi saṃ rabhante ||

pra saptahotā sanakādarocata māturupasthe yadaśocadūdhani |
na ni miṣati suraṇo dive-dive yadasurasya jaṭharādajāyata ||

amitrāyudho marutāmiva prayāḥ prathamajā brahmaṇo viśvamid viduḥ |
dyumnavad brahma kuśikāsa erira eka-eko dame aghniṃ samīdhire ||

yadadya tvā prayati yajñe asmin hotaścikitvo.avṛṇīmahīha |
dhruvamayā dhruvamutāśamiṣṭhāḥ prajānan vidvānupa yāhi somam ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. HERE is the gear for friction, here tinder made ready for the spark.
Bring thou the Matron: we will rub Agni in ancient fashion forth.

2 1n the two fire-sticks Jātavedas lieth, even as the well-set germ in pregnant women,
Agni who day by day must be exalted by men who watch and worship with oblations.

3 Lay this with care on that which lies extended: straight hath she borne the Steer when made prolific.
With his red pillar—radiant is his splendour—in our skilled task is born the Son of Iḷā.

4 In Iḷā’s place we set thee down, upon the central point of earth,
That, Agni Jātavedas, thou mayst bear our offerings to the Gods.

5 Rub into life, ye men, the Sage, the guileless, Immortal, very wise and fair to look on.
O men, bring forth the most propitious Agni, first ensign of the sacrifice to eastward.

6 When with their arms they rub him straight he shineth forth like a strong courser, red in colour, in the wood.
Bright, checkless, as it were upon the Aśvins’ path, he passeth by the stones and burneth up the grass.

7 Agni shines forth when born, observant, mighty, the bountiful, the Singer praised by sages;
Whom, as adorable and knowing all things, Gods set at solemn rites as offering-bearer.

8 Set thee, O Priest, in, thine own place, observant: lay down the sacrifice in the home of worship.
Thou, dear to Gods, shalt serve them with oblation: Agni, give long life to the sacrificer.

9 Raise ye a mighty smoke, my fellow-workers! Ye shall attain to wealth without obstruction.
This Agni is the battle-winning Hero by whom the Gods have overcome the Dasyus.

10 This is thine ordered place of birth whence sprung to life thou shonest forth.
Knowing this, Agni, sit thee down, and prosper thou the songs we sing.

11 As Germ Celestial he is called Tanūnapāt, and Narāśaṁsa born diffused in varied shape.
Formed in his Mother he is Mātariśvan; he hath, in his course, become the rapid flight of wind.

12 With strong attrition rubbed to life, laid down with careful hand, a Sage,
Agni, make sacrifices good, and for the pious bring the Gods.

13 Mortals have brought to life the God Immortal, the Conqueror with mighty jaws, unfailing.
The sisters ten, unwedded and united, together grasp the Babe, the new-born Infant.

14 Served by the seven priests, he shone forth from ancient time, when in his Mother’s bosom, in her lap, he glowed.
Giving delight each day he closeth not his eye, since from the Asura’s body hewas brought to life.

15 Even as the Maruts, onslaughts who attack the foe, those born the first of all knew the full power of prayer.
The Kuśikas have made the glorious hymn ascend, and, each one singly in his home, have kindled fire.

16 As we, O Priest observant, have elected thee this day, what time the solemn sacrifice began,
So surely hast thou worshipped, surely hast thou toiled: come thou unto the Soma, wise and knowing all.