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1. THE, Faithful One, Immortal among
mortals, a God among the Gods, appointed envoy,
Priest, best at worship, must shine forth in glory . Agni
shall be raised high with man's oblations.
2 Born for us here this day, O Son of
Vigour, between both races of born beings, Agni,
Thou farest as an envoy, having harnessed, Sublime One! thy
strong-muscled radiant stallions.
3 I laud the ruddy steeds who pour down
blessing, dropping oil, flectest through the thoualit of Order.
Yoking red horses to and fro thou goest between you Deities
and mortal races.
4 Aryaman, Mitra, Varuna, and Indra with
Visnu, of the Gods, Maruts and Asvins -
These, Agni, with good car and steeds, bring hither, most
bountiful, to folk with fair oblations.
5 Agni, be this our sacrifice eternal, with
brave friends, rich in kine and sheep and horses,
Rich, Asura! in sacred food and children, in full assembly,
wealth broad-based and during.
6 The man who, sweating, brings for thee
the fuel, and makes his head to ache, thy faithful servant, -
Agni, to him be a self-strong Protector guard him from all
who seek to do him mischief.
7 Who brings thee food, though thou hast
food in plenty, welcomes his cheerful guest and speeds him onward,
Who kindles thee devoutly in his dwelling,to him be wealth
secure and freely giving.
8 Whoso sings praise to thee at eve or
morning, and, with oblation, doth the thing thou lovest, -
In his own home, even as a goId-girt courser, rescue him
from distress, the bounteous giver.
9 Whoso brings gifts to thee Immortal,
Agni, and doth thee service with uplifted ladle, -
Let him not, sorely toiling, lose his riches; let not the
sinner's wickedness enclose him.
10 Whose well-wrought worship thou
acceptest, Agni, thou God a mortal's gift, thou liberal Giver, -
Dear be his sacrifice to thee, Most Youthful! and may we
strengthen him when he adores thee.
11 May he who knows distinguish sense and
folly of men, like straight and crooked backs of horses.
Lead us, O God, to wealth and noble offspring: keep penury
afar and grant us plenty.
12 This Sage the Sages, ne'er deceived,
commanded, setting him down in dwellings of the living.
Hence mayst thou, friendly God, with rapid footsteps behold
the Gods, wonderful, fair to look on.
13 Good guidance hast thou for the priest,
O Agni, who, Youngest God! with outpoured Soma serves thee.
Ruler of men, thou joyous God, bring treasure splendid and
plentiful to aid the toiler.
14 Now all that we, thy faithful servants,
Agni, have done with feet, with hands, and with our bodies,
The wise, with toil, the holy rite have guided, as those who
frame a car with manual cunning.
15 May we, seven sages first in rank,
engender, from Dawn the Mother, men to be ordainers.
May we, Angirases, be sons of Heaven, and, radiant, burst
the wealth-containing mountain.
16 As in the days of old our ancient
Fathers, speeding the work of holy worship, Agni,
Sought pure light and devotion, singing praises; they cleft
the ground and made red Dawns apparent.
17 Gods, doing holy acts, devout,
resplendent, smelting like ore their human generations.
Enkindling Agni and exalting Indra, they came encompassing
the stall of cattle.
18 Strong One! he marked them-and the Gods
before them-like herds of cattle in a foodful pasture.
There they moaned forth their strong desire for mortals, to
aid the True, the nearest One, the Living.
19 We have worked for thee, we have
laboured nobly-bright Dawns have shed their light upon our worship -
Adding a beauty to the perfect Agni, and the God's beauteous
eye that shines for ever.
20 Agni, Disposer, we have sung these praises
to thee the Wise: do thou accept them gladly.
Blaze up on high and ever make us richer. Give us great
wealth, O thou whose boons are many.
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