Sukta 80

Mantra 1

अग्निः सप्तिं वाजम्भरं ददात्यग्निर्वीरं श्रुत्यं कर्मनिष्ठाम् । अग्नी रोदसी वि चरत्समञ्जन्नग्निर्नारीं वीरकुक्षिं पुरंधिम् ॥

Agni gives the team that bears plenitude of force; Agni gives the hero, famed, firm in works. Agni moves through the two worlds, joining them; Agni gives the woman, bearing heroes, the bountiful accomplisher. (Inner sense) The divine Will grants the yoked energies that carry fullness of power; it grants the heroic soul that is heard-of and steadfast in action. It traverses mind and body and harmonizes them; it grants the fruitful power of formation that can hold the heroic seed and accomplish the works.

Mantra 2

अग्नेरप्नसः समिदस्तु भद्राग्निर्मही रोदसी आ विवेश । अग्निरेकं चोदयत्समत्स्वग्निर्वृत्राणि दयते पुरूणि ॥

May the kindling of Agni’s work be auspicious; Agni has entered the great two worlds. Agni impels the One in the battles; Agni cuts down many obstructions. (Inner sense) Let the fuel of the divine work be rightly set; the Fire has taken possession of mind and body. It drives the single-pointed power in the inner conflicts and breaks the many formations of resistance that block the truth.

Mantra 3

अग्निर्ह त्यं जरतः कर्णमावाग्निरद्भ्यो निरदहज्जरूथम् । अग्निरत्रिं घर्म उरुष्यदन्तरग्निर्नृमेधं प्रजयासृजत्सम् ॥

Agni indeed protected that ear of the old man; Agni burned out Jarūtha from the waters. Agni guarded Atri within the heat; Agni brought Nṛmedha forth together with progeny. (Inner sense) The divine Fire preserves the faculty of hearing in the aging nature; it burns out the entrenched affliction even from the waters of the vital. It protects the seer-consciousness in the ordeal of heat, and releases the human formation into completeness together with the power of future growth.

Mantra 4

अग्निर्दाद्द्रविणं वीरपेशा अग्निॠषिं यः सहस्रा सनोति । अग्निर्दिवि हव्यमा ततानाग्नेर्धामानि विभृता पुरुत्रा ॥

Agni has given wealth of heroic form; Agni (has given) the seer who wins thousands. Agni has stretched the offering in heaven; Agni’s abodes are borne in many places. (Inner sense) The divine Fire grants the fullness of being shaped into heroic power, and it brings forth the seer-consciousness that wins vast plenitudes. It extends the offering into the higher mind (heaven), and its stations are upheld throughout the many levels of the being.

Mantra 5

अग्निमुक्थैॠषयो वि ह्वयन्तेऽग्निं नरो यामनि बाधितासः । अग्निं वयो अन्तरिक्षे पतन्तोऽग्निः सहस्रा परि याति गोनाम् ॥

The seers call Agni again and again with their inspired utterances; men too, pressed in their journey, invoke Agni. Even the bird-souls flying in the mid-region seek Agni; and Agni moves around the thousand rays of Light (the Cows), guarding and leading them into our field.

Mantra 6

अग्निं विश ईळते मानुषीर्या अग्निं मनुषो नहुषो वि जाताः । अग्निर्गान्धर्वीं पथ्यामृतस्याग्नेर्गव्यूतिर्घृत आ निषत्ता ॥

The human clans adore Agni—those lineages of Man and Nahusha that are born for the Fire. Agni is the Gandharva-path of the Truth (ṛta), and Agni’s track that leads to the Light-herds is seated in the clarified sweetness (ghṛta), firm within the luminous mind.

Mantra 7

अग्नये ब्रह्म ऋभवस्ततक्षुरग्निं महामवोचामा सुवृक्तिम् । अग्ने प्राव जरितारं यविष्ठाग्ने महि द्रविणमा यजस्व ॥

For Agni the Ribhus fashioned the sacred Word; we have spoken a well-wrought hymn to the great Agni. O youngest Agni, protect the singer; and, O Agni, sacrifice to us a vast plenitude of being (draviṇa)—make it descend into our life.