Sukta 31

Mantra 1

त्वमग्ने प्रथमो अङ्गिरा ऋषिर्देवो देवानामभवः शिवः सखा । तव व्रते कवयो विद्मनापसोऽजायन्त मरुतो भ्राजदृष्टयः ॥

O Agni, you are the first Angiras—seer and divine power among the gods, a blissful friend. In the law of your working, the luminous poets, skilled in the knowledge of action, are born; and the Maruts arise with shining spears—forces of the storm of energy that clear the way for the Truth.

Mantra 2

त्वमग्ने प्रथमो अङ्गिरस्तमः कविर्देवानां परि भूषसि व्रतम् । विभुर्विश्वस्मै भुवनाय मेधिरो द्विमाता शयुः कतिधा चिदायवे ॥

O Agni, you are the most Angiras, the first—seer-poet who fashions and perfects the law of the gods. Wide in being for all existence, you are the wise intelligence; double-born, you rest in many forms for the life-soul’s growth.

Mantra 3

त्वमग्ने प्रथमो मातरिश्वन आविर्भव सुक्रतूया विवस्वते । अरेजेतां रोदसी होतृवूर्येऽसघ्नोर्भारमयजो महो वसो ॥

O Agni, first, become manifest to Mātariśvan, to Vivasvat, by your power of right skill. Heaven and Earth trembled at your priestly might; you bore the burden unwearied and performed the great offering, O giver of richness.

Mantra 4

त्वमग्ने मनवे द्यामवाशयः पुरूरवसे सुकृते सुकृत्तरः । श्वात्रेण यत्पित्रोर्मुच्यसे पर्या त्वा पूर्वमनयन्नापरं पुनः ॥

O Agni, for Manu you made the heaven a dwelling; for Purūravas, the well-doer, you became the yet greater doer. When by your own strength you are released from your parents, they lead you first around and then again onward—so you may grow into your further work.

Mantra 5

त्वमग्ने वृषभः पुष्टिवर्धन उद्यतस्रुचे भवसि श्रवाय्यः । य आहुतिं परि वेदा वषट्कृतिमेकायुरग्रे विश आविवाससि ॥

O Agni, you are the bull, increaser of plenitude; when the ladle is raised you become the one worthy of hearing and fame. You who know the offering all around, and the Vaṣaṭ-cry that seals it—you, the one life in the front, lead the peoples into adoration.

Mantra 6

त्वमग्ने वृजिनवर्तनिं नरं सक्मन्पिपर्षि विदथे विचर्षणे । यः शूरसाता परितक्म्ये धने दभ्रेभिश्चित्समृता हंसि भूयसः ॥

O Agni, you carry safely the man who moves on the perilous path, in every assembly, O discerner of men. When in the circling battle for the hero’s gain, even with scant means he strives by the right, you smite the greater opposing powers.

Mantra 7

त्वं तमग्ने अमृतत्व उत्तमे मर्तं दधासि श्रवसे दिवेदिवे । यस्तातृषाण उभयाय जन्मने मयः कृणोषि प्रय आ च सूरये ॥

O Agni, that mortal you place in the highest immortality, for glory day by day. He who strives for both births, you make joy and full delight for him, and you bring forward the nourishment and the advance for the illumined worker.

Mantra 8

त्वं नो अग्ने सनये धनानां यशसं कारुं कृणुहि स्तवानः । ऋध्याम कर्मापसा नवेन देवैर्द्यावापृथिवी प्रावतं नः ॥

O Agni, praised by us, make us a glorious doer for the winning of plenitudes. May we prosper in the work by a new power of action; and with the gods may Heaven and Earth widen and protect us.

Mantra 9

त्वं नो अग्ने पित्रोरुपस्थ आ देवो देवेष्वनवद्य जागृविः । तनूकृद्बोधि प्रमतिश्च कारवे त्वं कल्याण वसु विश्वमोपिषे ॥

O Agni, come to us into the lap of the two parents, a god wakeful and faultless among the gods. Become the shaper of our being and our wise guidance for the maker; you, O auspicious one, bring near to us all riches of harmony and power.

Mantra 10

त्वमग्ने प्रमतिस्त्वं पितासि नस्त्वं वयस्कृत्तव जामयो वयम् । सं त्वा रायः शतिनः सं सहस्रिणः सुवीरं यन्ति व्रतपामदाभ्य ॥

O Agni, you are our guiding thought, you are our father; you are the maker of our growth—we are your kin. To you come the riches by hundreds and by thousands, bringing heroic force, to you the guardian of the law, invincible.

Mantra 11

त्वामग्ने प्रथममायुमायवे देवा अकृण्वन्नहुषस्य विश्पतिम् । इळामकृण्वन्मनुषस्य शासनीं पितुर्यत्पुत्रो ममकस्य जायते ॥

O Agni, the gods first established you as the life-force for the one who seeks the plenitude of life; they made you the lord of the clan for Nahusha. They made you Iḷā—the inspired flow of revelation—for Man, a power of right governance; for you are born as the son of the Father, of the One who makes all things ‘mine’ (the indwelling Possessor).

Mantra 12

त्वं नो अग्ने तव देव पायुभिर्मघोनो रक्ष तन्वश्च वन्द्य । त्राता तोकस्य तनये गवामस्यनिमेषं रक्षमाणस्तव व्रते ॥

O Agni, with your divine safeguards protect us—the givers of offering—and protect also our embodied being, O adorable one. You are the guardian of our lineage, our growing offspring, and our rays of Light; sleeplessly watching, keep us within your law of working.

Mantra 13

त्वमग्ने यज्यवे पायुरन्तरोऽनिषङ्गाय चतुरक्ष इध्यसे । यो रातहव्योऽवृकाय धायसे कीरेश्चिन्मन्त्रं मनसा वनोषि तम् ॥

O Agni, for the one who offers you are the inner protector; you are kindled as a four-eyed watch against the attacker. You who are upheld for the harmless one with offerings given—yes, you win even the singer’s mantra by your mind, that power of thought.

Mantra 14

त्वमग्न उरुशंसाय वाघते स्पार्हं यद्रेक्णः परमं वनोषि तत् । आध्रस्य चित्प्रमतिरुच्यसे पिता प्र पाकं शास्सि प्र दिशो विदुष्टरः ॥

O Agni, to the wide-praising seeker you win that most desirable summit of plenitude. Even for the needy you are called the forward-leading wisdom; you are a father who instructs the ripening being, and you know the directions more perfectly than the knowing.

Mantra 15

त्वमग्ने प्रयतदक्षिणं नरं वर्मेव स्यूतं परि पासि विश्वतः । स्वादुक्षद्मा यो वसतौ स्योनकृज्जीवयाजं यजते सोपमा दिवः ॥

O Agni, the man who offers with a well-prepared giving, you protect him on every side like a stitched coat of armor. He who in the dwelling makes a happy home, who offers a sacrifice that gives life—he rises upward toward the luminous heaven.

Mantra 16

इमामग्ने शरणिं मीमृषो न इममध्वानं यमगाम दूरात् । आपिः पिता प्रमतिः सोम्यानां भृमिरस्यृषिकृन्मर्त्यानाम् ॥

O Agni, lead us safely to this refuge; guard this path on which we have come from afar. You are the near-help and the father, the guiding intelligence of those who seek the Soma; you are the moving power that makes seers out of mortals.

Mantra 17

मनुष्वदग्ने अङ्गिरस्वदङ्गिरो ययातिवत्सदने पूर्ववच्छुचे । अच्छ याह्या वहा दैव्यं जनमा सादय बर्हिषि यक्षि च प्रियम् ॥

O Agni, come as for Manu, come as for the Angiras; come as in the house as for Yayāti, as of old, O bright one. Come near; bring the divine people, seat them on the sacred grass, and offer what is dear.

Mantra 18

एतेनाग्ने ब्रह्मणा वावृधस्व शक्ती वा यत्ते चकृमा विदा वा । उत प्र णेष्यभि वस्यो अस्मान्त्सं नः सृज सुमत्या वाजवत्या ॥

By this word of power, O Agni, grow in your might—by the strength we have fashioned for you, or by the knowledge. And lead us forward toward the better; join us together in a happy-mindedness that is full of plenitude of force.