Sukta 1

Mantra 1

त्वां ह्यग्ने सदमित्समन्यवो देवासो देवमरतिं न्येरिर इति क्रत्वा न्येरिरे । अमर्त्यं यजत मर्त्येष्वा देवमादेवं जनत प्रचेतसं विश्वमादेवं जनत प्रचेतसम् ॥

O Agni, it is you whom the gods, in a constant unanimity of will, have set in front as the divine Guide and unfailing Leader; by conscious intention they have established you. Worship the Immortal Power within mortals; bring to birth in us the godhead that leads to godhead, the wide and luminous Awareness—yes, bring to birth everywhere that god-leading, foreknowing consciousness.

Mantra 2

स भ्रातरं वरुणमग्न आ ववृत्स्व देवाँ अच्छा सुमती यज्ञवनसं ज्येष्ठं यज्ञवनसम् । ऋतावानमादित्यं चर्षणीधृतं राजानं चर्षणीधृतम् ॥

O Agni, turn hither and draw near Varuṇa, your brother; bring the gods to us in a happy understanding—Varuṇa, eldest in the power of sacrifice. The Aditya who is full of the working of Truth, the king who upholds the peoples: bring that Varuṇa, the supporter of man’s law and order.

Mantra 3

सखे सखायमभ्या ववृत्स्वाशुं न चक्रं रथ्येव रंह्यास्मभ्यं दस्म रंह्या । अग्ने मृळीकं वरुणे सचा विदो मरुत्सु विश्वभानुषु । तोकाय तुजे शुशुचान शं कृध्यस्मभ्यं दस्म शं कृधि ॥

O Friend, turn toward your Friend; come swiftly, like a wheel’s rapid rush along the road—come with speed for us, O Wonder-worker. O Agni, find for us the grace of Varuṇa, together with the Maruts of universal light. For our offspring and for our striving, O flaming one, make peace and well-being for us; O Wonder-worker, make that peace.

Mantra 4

त्वं नो अग्ने वरुणस्य विद्वान्देवस्य हेळोऽव यासिसीष्ठाः । यजिष्ठो वह्नितमः शोशुचानो विश्वा द्वेषांसि प्र मुमुग्ध्यस्मत् ॥

You, O Agni, who know the ways of Varuṇa, lead us down away from the divine wrath and constriction. Most fit for sacrifice, most carrying in your flame, intensely blazing—drive far from us all hostilities and inner hatreds.

Mantra 5

स त्वं नो अग्नेऽवमो भवोती नेदिष्ठो अस्या उषसो व्युष्टौ । अव यक्ष्व नो वरुणं रराणो वीहि मृळीकं सुहवो न एधि ॥

So be for us, O Agni, the nearest and lowest-reaching help—closest at this Dawn’s spreading out. Offer for us to Varuṇa with delight; bring in the grace, and being easy to call, grow in us and make us grow.

Mantra 6

अस्य श्रेष्ठा सुभगस्य संदृग्देवस्य चित्रतमा मर्त्येषु । शुचि घृतं न तप्तमघ्न्यायाः स्पार्हा देवस्य मंहनेव धेनोः ॥

This blessed one’s vision is the best, most wondrous among mortals—the vision of the god. Pure, like clarified butter heated to perfection from the uninjured Cow, it is desirable: the god’s giving is like the overflowing bounty of a milch-cow.

Mantra 7

त्रिरस्य ता परमा सन्ति सत्या स्पार्हा देवस्य जनिमान्यग्नेः । अनन्ते अन्तः परिवीत आगाच्छुचिः शुक्रो अर्यो रोरुचानः ॥

Three are his highest births, true and desirable—these becomings of Agni the god. Wrapped within the Infinite, he has come: pure, bright, noble, shining forth again and again.

Mantra 8

स दूतो विश्वेदभि वष्टि सद्मा होता हिरण्यरथो रंसुजिह्वः । रोहिदश्वो वपुष्यो विभावा सदा रण्वः पितुमतीव संसत् ॥

He, the messenger, encompasses all dwellings; the priest with golden chariot, with tongue that delights in the offering. With ruddy steeds, beautiful in form, shining widely, he sits always in the pleasant assembly like one rich in sustenance.

Mantra 9

स चेतयन्मनुषो यज्ञबन्धुः प्र तं मह्या रशनया नयन्ति । स क्षेत्यस्य दुर्यासु साधन्देवो मर्तस्य सधनित्वमाप ॥

He awakens the human as kin of the sacrifice; then they lead him forward with a mighty rein. He dwells in this one’s houses, accomplishing the work: the god attains comradeship in the mortal’s gaining and fulfillment.

Mantra 10

स तू नो अग्निर्नयतु प्रजानन्नच्छा रत्नं देवभक्तं यदस्य । धिया यद्विश्वे अमृता अकृण्वन्द्यौष्पिता जनिता सत्यमुक्षन् ॥

May that Agni lead us, knowing the paths, toward the jewel of divine portion—what is his to give. For by the thought they fashioned it, all the Immortals; and Heaven the Father, the begetter, has poured out the Truth as seed and substance.

Mantra 11

स जायत प्रथमः पस्त्यासु महो बुध्ने रजसो अस्य योनौ । अपादशीर्षा गुहमानो अन्तायोयुवानो वृषभस्य नीळे ॥

He is born first in the dwelling-places, in the vast foundation of the mid-world, in this womb of the luminous realm. Footless, headless, he hides in the secret within, growing ever young in the settled seat of the Bull (the mighty Power).

Mantra 12

प्र शर्ध आर्त प्रथमं विपन्याँ ऋतस्य योना वृषभस्य नीळे । स्पार्हो युवा वपुष्यो विभावा सप्त प्रियासोऽजनयन्त वृष्णे ॥

Forth the host presses—first the inspired word—into the womb of the Truth, into the settled seat of the Bull. Desirable, youthful, radiant in form and wide-shining, the seven beloved powers brought him to birth for the Mighty.

Mantra 13

अस्माकमत्र पितरो मनुष्या अभि प्र सेदुॠतमाशुषाणाः । अश्मव्रजाः सुदुघा वव्रे अन्तरुदुस्रा आजन्नुषसो हुवानाः ॥

Here our human forefathers moved forward toward the Truth with swift striving. Breakers of the stone-enclosure, they opened within the well-milking (streams of plenty); they drove upward the ruddy lights, calling the Dawns.

Mantra 14

ते मर्मृजत ददृवांसो अद्रिं तदेषामन्ये अभितो वि वोचन् । पश्वयन्त्रासो अभि कारमर्चन्विदन्त ज्योतिश्चकृपन्त धीभिः ॥

They worked upon the stone, those who had the vision; and the others around them gave voice to it. Like herdsmen who guide the cattle, they sang toward the act of making; they found the Light and shaped it by their illumined thoughts.

Mantra 15

ते गव्यता मनसा दृध्रमुब्धं गा येमानं परि षन्तमद्रिम् । दृळ्हं नरो वचसा दैव्येन व्रजं गोमन्तमुशिजो वि वव्रुः ॥

They, desiring the Rays, with the mind encompassed the firm, obstructing stone that held the lights. The seekers by the divine word broke open the strong enclosure; the ardent ones uncovered the pen full of luminous herds.

Mantra 16

ते मन्वत प्रथमं नाम धेनोस्त्रिः सप्त मातुः परमाणि विन्दन् । तज्जानतीरभ्यनूषत व्रा आविर्भुवदरुणीर्यशसा गोः ॥

They discerned the first name of the fostering Cow and found the highest measures of the Mother—three times seven. Knowing that, the powers acclaimed it; the luminous ruddy rays of the Cow became manifest in glory.

Mantra 17

नेशत्तमो दुधितं रोचत द्यौरुद्देव्या उषसो भानुरर्त । आ सूर्यो बृहतस्तिष्ठदज्राँ ऋजु मर्तेषु वृजिना च पश्यन् ॥

The thickened darkness perished; heaven shone out. The beam of the divine Dawn rose upward. Then the Sun stood in the Vast on the unbroken fields, seeing straight among mortals—and also seeing the crookedness.

Mantra 18

आदित्पश्चा बुबुधाना व्यख्यन्नादिद्रत्नं धारयन्त द्युभक्तम् । विश्वे विश्वासु दुर्यासु देवा मित्र धिये वरुण सत्यमस्तु ॥

Afterwards, awakening, they clearly perceived; and then they held the treasure apportioned by the luminous worlds. In all the doors of the being may all the gods be present; O Mitra, O Varuṇa—let there be the Truth for our thought.

Mantra 19

अच्छा वोचेय शुशुचानमग्निं होतारं विश्वभरसं यजिष्ठम् । शुच्यूधो अतृणन्न गवामन्धो न पूतं परिषिक्तमंशोः ॥

To him I would speak—Agni, blazing pure, the priest who bears all and is most fit for sacrifice. He has filled the bright udder like the milk of the cows, like the purified soma-juice poured all around.

Mantra 20

विश्वेषामदितिर्यज्ञियानां विश्वेषामतिथिर्मानुषाणाम् । अग्निर्देवानामव आवृणानः सुमृळीको भवतु जातवेदाः ॥

Aditi for all the worshipful ones, and a guest for all human beings—Agni, choosing the protection of the gods, may Jātavedas become wholly gracious to us.