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1. ASSOCIATE
with fires, make your God Agni envoy at sacrifice, best skilled in worship,
Established firm among mankind,
the Holy, flame-crowned and fed with oil, the Purifier.
2 Like a steed
neighing eager for the pasture, when he hath stepped forth from the great
enclosure:
Then the wind following blows
upon his splendour, and, straight, the path is black which thou hast travelled.
3 From thee a
Bull but newly born, O Agni, the kindled everlasting flames rise upward.
Aloft to heaven thy ruddy smoke
ascendeth: Agni, thou speedest to the Gods as envoy.
4 Thou whose
fresh lustre o'er the earth advanceth when greedily with thy jaws thy food thou
eatest.
Like a host hurried onward
comes thy lasso: fierce, with thy tongue thou piercest, as 'twere barley.
5 The men have
decked him both at eve and morning, Most Youthful Agni, as they tend a courser.
They kindle him, a guest within
his dwelling: bright shines the splendour of the worshipped Hero.
6 O fair of
face, beautiful is thine aspect when, very near at hand, like gold thou
gleamest,
Like Heaven's thundering roar
thy might approaches, and like the wondrous Sun thy light thou showest.
7 That we may
worship, with your Hail to Agni! with sacrificial cakes and fat oblations,
Guard us, O Agni, with those
boundless glories as with a hundred fortresses of iron.
8 Thine are
resistless songs for him who offers, and hero-giving hymns wherewith thou
savest;
With these, O Son of Strength,
O Jatavedas, guard us, preserve these princes and the singers.
9 When forth
he cometh, like an axe new-sharpened, pure in his form, resplendent in his
body,
Sprung, sought with eager
longing, from his Parents, for the Gods' worship, Sage and Purifier:
10 Shine this
felicity on us, O Agni: may we attain to perfect understanding.
All happiness be theirs who
sing and praise thee. Ye Gods, preserve us evermore with blessings.
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