HYMN XXXVI. Agni: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

पर वो यह्वं पुरूणां विशां देवयतीनाम |
अग्निं सूक्तेभिर्वचोभिरीमहे यं सीमिदन्य ईळते ||

जनासो अग्निं दधिरे सहोव्र्धं हविष्मन्तो विधेम ते |
स तवं नो अद्य सुमना इहाविता भवा वाजेषु सन्त्य ||

पर तवा दूतं वर्णीमहे होतारं विश्ववेदसम |
महस्ते सतो वि चरन्त्यर्चयो दिवि सप्र्शन्ति भानवः ||

देवासस्त्वा वरुणो मित्रो अर्यमा सं दूतं परत्नमिन्धते |
विश्वं सो अग्ने जयति तवया धनं यस्ते ददाश मर्त्यः ||

मन्द्रो होता गर्हपतिरग्ने दूतो विशामसि |
तवे विश्वा संगतानि वरता धरुवा यानि देवा अक्र्ण्वत ||

तवे इदग्ने सुभगे यविष्ठ्य विश्वमा हूयते हविः |
सत्वं नो अद्य सुमना उतापरं यक्षि देवान सुवीर्या ||

तं घेमित्था नमस्विन उप सवराजमासते |
होत्राभिरग्निं मनुषः समिन्धते तितिर्वांसो अति सरिधः ||

घनन्तो वर्त्रमतरन रोदसी अप उरु कषयाय चक्रिरे |
भुवत कण्वे वर्षा दयुम्न्याहुतः करन्ददश्वो गविष्टिषु ||

सं सीदस्व महानसि शोचस्व देववीतमः |
वि धूममग्ने अरुषं मियेध्य सर्ज परशस्त दर्शतम ||

यं तवा देवासो मनवे दधुरिह यजिष्ठं हव्यवाहन |
यं कण्वो मेध्यातिथिर्धनस्प्र्तं यं वर्षा यमुपस्तुतः ||

यमग्निं मेध्यातिथिः कण्व ईध रतादधि |
तस्य परेषो दीदियुस्तमिमा रचस्तमग्निं वर्धयामसि ||

रायस पूर्धि सवधावो.अस्ति हि ते.अग्ने देवेष्वाप्यम |
तवंवाजस्य शरुत्यस्य राजसि स नो मर्ळ महानसि ||

ऊर्ध्व ऊ षु ण ऊतये तिष्ठा देवो न सविता |
ऊर्ध्वोवाजस्य सनिता यदञ्जिभिर्वाघद्भिर्विह्वयामहे ||

ऊर्ध्वो नः पाह्यंहसो नि केतुना विश्वं समत्रिणं दह |
कर्धी न ऊर्ध्वाञ्चरथाय जीवसे विदा देवेषु नो दुवः ||

पाहि नो अग्ने रक्षसः पाहि धूर्तेरराव्णः |
पाहि रीषत उत वा जिघांसतो बर्हद्भानो यविष्ठ्य ||

घनेव विष्वग वि जह्यराव्णस्तपुर्जम्भ यो अस्मध्रुक |
यो मर्त्यः शिशीते अत्यक्तुभिर्मा नः स रिपुरीशत ||

अग्निर्वव्ने सुवीर्यमग्निः कण्वाय सौभगम |
अग्निः परावन मित्रोत मेध्यातिथिमग्निः साता उपस्तुतम ||

अग्निना तुर्वशं यदुं परावत उग्रादेवं हवामहे |
अग्निर्नयन नववास्त्वं बर्हद्रथं तुर्वीतिं दस्यवे सहः ||

नि तवामग्ने मनुर्दधे जयोतिर्जनाय शश्वते |
दीदेथ कण्व रतजात उक्षितो यं नमस्यन्ति कर्ष्टयः ||

तवेषासो अग्नेरमवन्तो अर्चयो भीमासो न परतीतये |
रक्षस्विनः सदमिद यातुमावतो विश्वं समत्रिणं दह ||

 

pra vo yahvaṃ purūṇāṃ viśāṃ devayatīnām |
aghniṃ sūktebhirvacobhirīmahe yaṃ sīmidanya īḷate ||

janāso aghniṃ dadhire sahovṛdhaṃ haviṣmanto vidhema te |
sa tvaṃ no adya sumanā ihāvitā bhavā vājeṣu santya ||

pra tvā dūtaṃ vṛṇīmahe hotāraṃ viśvavedasam |
mahaste sato vi carantyarcayo divi spṛśanti bhānavaḥ ||

devāsastvā varuṇo mitro aryamā saṃ dūtaṃ pratnamindhate |
viśvaṃ so aghne jayati tvayā dhanaṃ yaste dadāśa martyaḥ ||

mandro hotā ghṛhapatiraghne dūto viśāmasi |
tve viśvā saṃghatāni vratā dhruvā yāni devā akṛṇvata ||

tve idaghne subhaghe yaviṣṭhya viśvamā hūyate haviḥ |
satvaṃ no adya sumanā utāparaṃ yakṣi devān suvīryā ||

taṃ ghemitthā namasvina upa svarājamāsate |
hotrābhiraghniṃ manuṣaḥ samindhate titirvāṃso ati sridhaḥ ||

ghnanto vṛtramataran rodasī apa uru kṣayāya cakrire |
bhuvat kaṇve vṛṣā dyumnyāhutaḥ krandadaśvo ghaviṣṭiṣu ||

saṃ sīdasva mahānasi śocasva devavītamaḥ |
vi dhūmamaghne aruṣaṃ miyedhya sṛja praśasta darśatam ||

yaṃ tvā devāso manave dadhuriha yajiṣṭhaṃ havyavāhana |
yaṃ kaṇvo medhyātithirdhanaspṛtaṃ yaṃ vṛṣā yamupastutaḥ ||

yamaghniṃ medhyātithiḥ kaṇva īdha ṛtādadhi |
tasya preṣo dīdiyustamimā ṛcastamaghniṃ vardhayāmasi ||

rāyas pūrdhi svadhāvo.asti hi te.aghne deveṣvāpyam |
tvaṃvājasya śrutyasya rājasi sa no mṛḷa mahānasi ||

ūrdhva ū ṣu ṇa ūtaye tiṣṭhā devo na savitā |
ūrdhvovājasya sanitā yadañjibhirvāghadbhirvihvayāmahe ||

ūrdhvo naḥ pāhyaṃhaso ni ketunā viśvaṃ samatriṇaṃ daha |
kṛdhī na ūrdhvāñcarathāya jīvase vidā deveṣu no duvaḥ ||

pāhi no aghne rakṣasaḥ pāhi dhūrterarāvṇaḥ |
pāhi rīṣata uta vā jighāṃsato bṛhadbhāno yaviṣṭhya ||

ghaneva viṣvagh vi jahyarāvṇastapurjambha yo asmadhruk |
yo martyaḥ śiśīte atyaktubhirmā naḥ sa ripurīśata ||

aghnirvavne suvīryamaghniḥ kaṇvāya saubhagham |
aghniḥ prāvan mitrota medhyātithimaghniḥ sātā upastutam ||

aghninā turvaśaṃ yaduṃ parāvata ughrādevaṃ havāmahe |
aghnirnayan navavāstvaṃ bṛhadrathaṃ turvītiṃ dasyave sahaḥ ||

ni tvāmaghne manurdadhe jyotirjanāya śaśvate |
dīdetha kaṇva ṛtajāta ukṣito yaṃ namasyanti kṛṣṭayaḥ ||

tveṣāso aghneramavanto arcayo bhīmāso na pratītaye |
rakṣasvinaḥ sadamid yātumāvato viśvaṃ samatriṇaṃ daha ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1 WITH words sent forth in holy hymns, Agni we supplicate, the Lord
Of many families who duly serve the Gods, yea, him whom others also praise.

2 Men have won Agni, him who makes their strength abound: we, with oblations, worship thee.
Our gracious-minded Helper in our deeds of might, be thou, O Excellent, this day.

3 Thee for our messenger we choose, thee, the Omniscient, for our Priest.
The flames of thee the mighty are spread wide around: thy splendour reaches to the sky.

4 The Gods enkindle thee their ancient messenger,—Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman.
That mortal man, O Agni, gains through thee all wealth, who hath poured offerings unto thee.

5 Thou, Agni, art a cheering Priest, Lord of the House, men’s messenger:
All constant high decrees established by the Gods, gathered together, meet in thee.

6 In thee, the auspicious One, O Agni, youthfullest, each sacred gift is offered up:
This day, and after, gracious, worship thou our Gods, that we may have heroic sons.

7 To him in his own splendour bright draw near in worship the devout.
Men kindle Agni with their sacrificial gifts, victorious o’er the enemies.

8 Vṛtra they smote and slew, and made the earth and heaven and firmament a wide abode.
The glorious Bull, invoked, hath stood at Kaṇva’s side: loud neighed the Steed in frays for kine.

9 Seat thee, for thou art mighty; shine, best entertainer of the Gods.
Worthy of sacred food, praised Agni! loose the smoke, ruddy and beautiful to see.

10 Bearer of offerings, whom, best sacrificing Priest, the Gods for Manu’s sake ordained;
Whom Kaṇva, whom Medhyātithi made the source of wealth, and Vṛṣan and Upastuta.

11 Him, Agni, whom Medhyātithi, whom Kaṇva kindled for his rite,
Him these our songs of praise, him, Agni, we extol: his powers shine out preeminent.

12 Make our wealth perfect thou, O Agni, Lord divine: for thou hast kinship with the Gods.
Thou rulest as a King o’er widely-famous strength: be good to us, for thou art great.

13 Stand up erect to lend us aid, stand up like Savitar the God:
Erect as strength-bestower we call aloud, with unguents and with priests, on thee.

14 Erect, preserve us from sore trouble; with thy flame burn thou each ravening demon dead.
Raise thou us up that we may walk and live: so thou shalt find our worship mid the Gods.

15 Preserve us, Agni, from the fiend, preserve us from malicious wrong.
Save us from him who fain would injure us or slay, Most Youthful, thou with lofty light.

16 Smite down as with a club, thou who hast fire for teeth, smite thou the wicked, right and left.
Let not the man who plots against us in the night, nor any foe prevail o’er us.

17 Agni hath given heroic might to Kaṇva, and felicity:
Agni hath helped our friends, hath helped Medhyātithi, hath helped Upastuta to win.

18 We call on Ugradeva, Yadu, Turvaśa, by means of Agni, from afar;
Agni, bring Navavāstva and Bṛhadratha, Turvīti, to subdue the foe.

19 Manu hath stablished thee a light, Agni, for all the race of men:
Sprung from the Law, oil-fed, for Kaṇva hast thou blazed, thou whom the people reverence.

20 The flames of Agni full of splendour and of might are fearful, not to be approached.
Consume for ever all demons and sorcerers, consume thou each devouring fiend.