Sukta 2

Mantra 1

यज्ञेन वर्धत जातवेदसमग्निं यजध्वं हविषा तना गिरा । समिधानं सुप्रयसं स्वर्णरं द्युक्षं होतारं वृजनेषु धूर्षदम् ॥

By the sacrifice increase Jātavedas; worship Agni with the offering, with the body of your being, with the word. Kindled, full of right delight, a man of the luminous world, shining—he is the Hotar seated in the fields of our life.

Mantra 2

अभि त्वा नक्तीरुषसो ववाशिरेऽग्ने वत्सं न स्वसरेषु धेनवः । दिव इवेदरतिर्मानुषा युगा क्षपो भासि पुरुवार संयतः ॥

Night-powers and the Dawns cry out to you, O Agni, as the many-formed milch-cows call to their calf in their own stalls. Like a messenger from the heaven-world, you shine through the human ages; through the nights you blaze, O wide-giving One, self-restrained and gathered into your luminous force.

Mantra 3

तं देवा बुध्ने रजसः सुदंससं दिवस्पृथिव्योररतिं न्येरिरे । रथमिव वेद्यं शुक्रशोचिषमग्निं मित्रं न क्षितिषु प्रशंस्यम् ॥

Him the gods have set in place at the foundation of the mid-world, the good-worker, the messenger between Heaven and Earth. Like a chariot fit to be brought to the altar, flaming with pure radiance, they established Agni—like Mitra—praiseworthy among the peoples, the power of harmony in the human habitations.

Mantra 4

तमुक्षमाणं रजसि स्व आ दमे चन्द्रमिव सुरुचं ह्वार आ दधुः । पृश्न्याः पतरं चितयन्तमक्षभिः पाथो न पायुं जनसी उभे अनु ॥

Him, growing in strength in his own mid-region and in his home, they set in the enclosure like the Moon—beautifully shining. He awakens the speckled Mother’s wings with his rays; like a guardian of the path, he follows after both the births, Heaven and Earth, protecting the passage of the journey.

Mantra 5

स होता विश्वं परि भूत्वध्वरं तमु हव्यैर्मनुष ऋञ्जते गिरा । हिरिशिप्रो वृधसानासु जर्भुरद्द्यौर्न स्तृभिश्चितयद्रोदसी अनु ॥

He becomes the Hotar encompassing the whole sacrifice; and him the human being adorns with offerings and with the word. Golden-jawed, he works and labors in the growing sessions, awakening with his supports the two worlds, as Heaven does, following after them with luminous perception.

Mantra 6

स नो रेवत्समिधानः स्वस्तये संददस्वान्रयिमस्मासु दीदिहि । आ नः कृणुष्व सुविताय रोदसी अग्ने हव्या मनुषो देव वीतये ॥

Kindled, become for us full of richness for our well-being; gather and place the spiritual plenitude within us—shine it in our being. Make for us Heaven and Earth wide for the good passage, O Agni; come to the human offerings, O god, to enjoy and accept them.

Mantra 7

दा नो अग्ने बृहतो दाः सहस्रिणो दुरो न वाजं श्रुत्या अपा वृधि । प्राची द्यावापृथिवी ब्रह्मणा कृधि स्वर्ण शुक्रमुषसो वि दिद्युतः ॥

Give to us, O Agni, the vast; give the thousandfold. Open for our hearing the doors to the plenitude of force, as one opens a gate. Make Heaven and Earth turn towards us by the power of the mantra; like the sun’s own bright gold, let the Dawns flash out their pure radiance.

Mantra 8

स इधान उषसो राम्या अनु स्वर्ण दीदेदरुषेण भानुना । होत्राभिरग्निर्मनुषः स्वध्वरो राजा विशामतिथिश्चारुरायवे ॥

Kindled, he shines following the lovely Dawns, like the sun’s own light, with his ruddy beam. By the priestly powers of invocation, Agni becomes for the human the right-guided sacrifice; king of the peoples, he is the welcome guest, beautiful to the seeker of plenitude.

Mantra 9

एवा नो अग्ने अमृतेषु पूर्व्य धीष्पीपाय बृहद्दिवेषु मानुषा । दुहाना धेनुर्वृजनेषु कारवे त्मना शतिनं पुरुरूपमिषणि ॥

So, O Agni, in the immortal ranges, O ancient One, nourish our thought in the wide heavens of the human being. Like a milch-cow, yielding in the fields of our labor, may she—by her own power—milk out for the doer a hundredfold nourishment, manifold in form, the impulse of increase.

Mantra 10

वयमग्ने अर्वता वा सुवीर्यं ब्रह्मणा वा चितयेमा जनाँ अति । अस्माकं द्युम्नमधि पञ्च कृष्टिषूच्चा स्वर्ण शुशुचीत दुष्टरम् ॥

We, O Agni, by the steed of force or by the power of mantra, would rise beyond the human limitations. Let our luminous glory stand above the five tribes; blaze high like the sun’s truth-light—hard to assail, impossible to cross.

Mantra 11

स नो बोधि सहस्य प्रशंस्यो यस्मिन्त्सुजाता इषयन्त सूरयः । यमग्ने यज्ञमुपयन्ति वाजिनो नित्ये तोके दीदिवांसं स्वे दमे ॥

Awaken for us, O mighty one, worthy of praise—he in whom the well-born seers set their impulsion. O Agni, whom the possessors of force approach as the sacrifice, shining ever in the home, in the perpetual lineage and in the inner dwelling.

Mantra 12

उभयासो जातवेदः स्याम ते स्तोतारो अग्ने सूरयश्च शर्मणि । वस्वो रायः पुरुश्चन्द्रस्य भूयसः प्रजावतः स्वपत्यस्य शग्धि नः ॥

O Jātavedas, may we become your twofold companions—your singers, O Agni, and your illumined seers—established in your peace. Grant us, O Vasus’ lord, a greater share of the many-shining plenitude of being: wealth that is fruitful with increase, rich with progeny, and with a noble lineage of inner powers.

Mantra 13

ये स्तोतृभ्यो गोअग्रामश्वपेशसमग्ने रातिमुपसृजन्ति सूरयः । अस्माञ्च ताँश्च प्र हि नेषि वस्य आ बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ॥

Those illumined givers who release to the singers the gift—leading in it the rays of Light and clothed with the force of the steed—O Agni, lead forward both them and us into the better good. May we speak the Vast in the assemblies of the sacrifice, possessed of heroic inner powers.