HYMN IV. Agni.
1. PUT forth like a wide-spreading net thy vigour; go like a mighty King with his attendants.
Thou, following thy swift net, shootest arrows: transfix the fiends with darts that burn most fiercely.
2. Forth go in rapid flight thy whirling weapons: follow them closely, glowing in thy fury.
Spread with thy tongue the winged flames, O Agni; unfettered, cast thy firebrands all around thee.
3. Send thy spies forward, flectest in thy motion; be, ne’er deceived, the guardian of this people
From him who, near or far, is bent on evil, and let no trouble sent from thee o’ercome us.
4. Rise up, O Agni, spread thee out before us: burn down our foes, thou who hast sharpened arrows.
Him, blazing Agni! who hath worked us mischief, consume thou utterly like dried-up stubble.
5. Rise, Agni, drive off those who fight against us: make manifest thine own celestial vigour.
Slacken the strong bows of the demondriven: destroy our foemen whether kin or stranger.
6. Most Youthful God, he knoweth well thy favour who gave an impulse to this high devotion.
All fair days and magnificence of riches hast thou beamed forth upon the good man’s portals.
7. Blest, Agni, be the man, the liberal giver, who with his lauds and regular oblation
Is fain to please thee for his life and dwelling. May all his days be bright: be this his longing.
8. I praise thy gracious favour: sing in answer. May this my song sing like a loved one with thee.
Lords of good steeds and cars may we adorn thee, and day by day vouchsafe thou us dominion.
9. Here of free choice let each one serve thee richly, resplendent day by day at eve and morning.
So may we honour thee, content and joyous, passing beyond the glories of the people.
10. Whoso with good steeds and fine gold, O Agni, comes nigh thee on a car laden with trcasure,
His Friend art thou, yea, thou art his Protector whose joy it is to entertain thee duly.
11. Through words and kinship I destroy the miglity: this power I have from Gotama my father.
Mark thou this speech of ours, O thou Most Youthful, Friend of the House, exceeding wise, Invoker.
12. Knowing no slumber, speedy and propitious, alert and ever friendly, most unwearied,
May thy protecting powers, unerring Agni, taking their places here, combined, preserve us.
13. Thy guardian rays, O Agni, when they saw him, preserved blind Mamateya from affliction.
Lord of all riches, he preserved the pious: the fees who fain would harm them did no mischief
14. Aided by thee with thee may we be wealthy, may we gain strength with thee to guide us onward.
Fulfil the words of both, O Ever Truthful: straightway do this, thou God whom power emboldens.
15. O Agni, with this fuel will we serve thee; accept the laud we sing to thee with favour
Destroy the cursing Raksasas: preserve us, O rich in friends, from guile and scorn and slander.
HYMN V. Agni.
1. How shall we give with one accord oblation to Agni, to Vaisvanara the Bounteous?
Great light, with full high growth hath he uplifted, and, as a pillar bears the roof, sustains it.
2. Reproach not him who, God and selfreliant, vouchsafed this bounty unto me a mortal,-
Deathless, discerner, wise, to me the simple, Vaisvanara most manly, youthful Aini.
3. Sharp-pointed, powerful, strong, of boundless vigour, Agni who knows the lofty hymn, kept secret
As the lost milch-cow’s track, the doubly Mighty,-he hath declared to me this hidden knowledge.
4. May he with sharpened teeth, the Bounteous Giver, Agni, consume with flame most fiercely glowing.
Those who regard not Varuna’s commandments and the dear stedfast laws of sapient Mitra.
5. Like youthful women without brothers, straying, like dames who hate their lords, of evil conduct,
They who are full of sin, untrue, unfaithful, they have engendered this abysmal station.
6. To me, weak, innocent, thou, luminous Agni, bast boldly given as ’twere a heavy burthen,
This Prstha hymn, profound and strong and mighty, of seven elements, and with offered dainties.
7. So may our song that purifies, through wisdom reach in a moment him the Universal,
Established on the height, on earth’s best .station, above the beauteous grassy skin of Prsni.
8. Of this my speech what shall I utter further? They indicate the milk stored up in secret
When they have thrown as ’twere the cows’ stalls open. The Bird protects earths’ best and well-loved station.
9. This is the Great Ones’ mighty apparition which from of old the radiant Cow hath followed.
This, shining brightly in the place of Order, swift, hasting on in secret, she discovered.
10. He then who shone together with his Parents remembered Prsni’s fair and secret treasure,
Which, in the Mother Cow’s most lofty station, the Bull’s tongue, of the flame bent forward, tasted.
11. With reverence I declare the Law, O Agni; what is, comes by thine order, Jatavedas.
Of this, whate’er it be, thou art the Sovran, yea, all the wealth that is in earth or
heaven.
12. What is our wealth therefrom, and what our treasure? Tell us O Jatavedas, for thou
knowest,
What is our best course in this secret passage: we, unreproached, have reached a t)lace far distant.
13. What is the limit, what the rules, the guerdon? Like fleet-foot coursers speed we to the contest.
When will the Goddesses, the Immortal’s Spouses, the Dawns, spread over us the Sun-God’s splendour?
14. Unsatisfied, with speech devoid of vigour, scanty and frivolous and inconclusive,
Wherefore do they address thee here, O Agni? Let these who have no weapons suffer sorrow.
15. The majesty of him the Good, the Mighty, aflame, hath shone for glory in the dwelling.
He, clothed in light, hath shone most fair to look on, wealthy in boons, as a home shines with riches.
HYMN VI. Agni.
1. PRIEST of our rite, stand up erect, O Agni, in the Gods’ service best of sacrificers,
For over evei y thought thou art the Ruler: thou furtherest e’en the wisdom of the pious.
2. He was set down mid men as Priest unerring, Agni, wise, welcome in our holy synods.
Like Savitar he hath lifted up his splendour, and like a builder raised his smoke to heaven.
3. The glowing ladle, filled with oil, is lifted; choosing Gods’ service to the right he circles.
Eager he rises like the new-wrought pillar which, firmly set and fixed, anoints the victims.
4. When sacred grass is strewn and Agni kindled, the Adhvaryu rises to, his task rej o cing.
Agni the Priest, like one who tends the cattle, goes three times round, as from of old he wills it.
5. Agni himself, the Priest, with measured motion, goes round, with sweet speech, cheerful, true to Order.
His fulgent flames run forth like vigorous horses; all creatures are affrighted when he blazes.
6. Beautiful and auspicious is thine aspect, O lovely Agni, terrible when spreading.
Thy splendours are not covered by the darkness: detraction leaves no stain upon thy body.
7. Naught hindered his production, Bounteous Giver: his Mother and his Sire were free to send him.
Then as Friend benevolent, refulgent, Agni shone forth in human habitations.
8. He, Agni, whom the twice-five sisters, dwelling together, in the homes of men engendered,
Bright like a spear’s tooth, wakened in the morning, with powerful mouth and like an axe well-sharpened.
9. These thy Bay Coursers, Agni, dropping fatness, ruddy vigorous, speeding straightly forward,
And red steeds, wonderful, of mighty muscle, are to this service of the Gods invited:
10. These brightly-shining games of thine, O Agni, that move for ever restless, allsubduing,
Like falcons hasting eagerly to the quarry, roar loudly like the army of the Maruts.
11. To thee, O flaming God, hath prayer been offered. Let the priest laud thee: give to him who worships.
Men have established Agni as Invoker, fain to adore the glory of the living.
HYMN VII. Agni.
1. HERE by ordainers was this God appointed first Invoker, best at worship, to be praised at rites:
Whom Apnavana, and the Bhrgus caused to shine bright-coloured in the wood, spreading from home to home.
2. When shall thy glory as a God, Agni, be suddenly shown forth.
For mortal men have held thee fast, adorable in all their homes,
3. Seeing thee faithful to the Law, most sapient, like the starry heaven,
Illumining with cheerful ray each solemn rite in every house.
4. Vivasvan’s envoy living men have taken as their ensign, swift,
The ruler over all mankind, moving like Bhrgu in each home.
5. Him the intelligent have they placed duly as Invoking Priest,
Welcome, with sanctifying flame, best worshipper, with sevenfold might;
6. In his Eternal Mothers, in the wood, concealed and unapproached,
Kept secret though his flames are bright seekingon all sides, quickly found.
7. That as food spreads forth in this earthly udder, Gods may rejoice them in the home of Order,
Great Agni, served with reverence and oblation, flies ever to the sacrifice, the Faithful.
8. Bird of each rite, skilled in an envoy’s duties, knowing both worlds and that which lies between them,
Thou goest from of old a willing Herald, knowing full well heaven’s innermost recesses.
9. Bright God, thy path is black: light is before thee: thy moving splendour is the chief of wonders.
When she, yet unimpregnate, hath conceived thee, even when newly born thou art an envoy.
10. Yet newly born, his vigour is apparent when the wind blows upon his fiery splendour,
His sharpened tongue he layeth on the brushwood, and with his teeth e’en solid food consumeth.
11. When he hath borne off food with swift flame swiftly, strong Agni makes himself a speedy envoy,
Follows the rustling of the wind, consuming, and courser-like, speeds, drives the swift horse onward.
