Sukta 25

Mantra 1

अच्छा वो अग्निमवसे देवं गासि स नो वसुः । रासत्पुत्र ऋषूणामृतावा पर्षति द्विषः ॥

Straight to the divine Agni for help you go; he, the Good, shall give us his riches. The Son of the seers, established in the Truth, will carry us beyond the hostile powers.

Mantra 2

स हि सत्यो यं पूर्वे चिद्देवासश्चिद्यमीधिरे । होतारं मन्द्रजिह्वमित्सुदीतिभिर्विभावसुम् ॥

For he is the true one—him whom even the ancient gods kindled: the Invoker with the rapturous tongue, the all-illumining One with bright kindlings.

Mantra 3

स नो धीती वरिष्ठया श्रेष्ठया च सुमत्या । अग्ने रायो दिदीहि नः सुवृक्तिभिर्वरेण्य ॥

May he—Agni—by the most wide-ranging and the most excellent power of understanding, by the luminous right-mindedness, shine out for us the plenitudes of being; O Agni, worthy of choosing, make these riches blaze forth for us through our well-fashioned utterances.

Mantra 4

अग्निर्देवेषु राजत्यग्निर्मर्तेष्वाविशन् । अग्निर्नो हव्यवाहनोऽग्निं धीभिः सपर्यत ॥

Agni shines as king among the gods; Agni enters and dwells among mortals. Agni, our carrier of the offering, is to be served and fulfilled by our thought-powers.

Mantra 5

अग्निस्तुविश्रवस्तमं तुविब्रह्माणमुत्तमम् । अतूर्तं श्रावयत्पतिं पुत्रं ददाति दाशुषे ॥

Agni gives to the giver a son—one most famed, rich in the force of mantra, the highest; unconquered, a lord who makes the hearing of truth resound (in the world and in the soul).

Mantra 6

अग्निर्ददाति सत्पतिं सासाह यो युधा नृभिः । अग्निरत्यं रघुष्यदं जेतारमपराजितम् ॥

Agni grants a true lord of the being—one who has prevailed in battle with the heroes; Agni grants the swift coursing steed, a winner unconquered: the powers of victorious movement in the journey.

Mantra 7

यद्वाहिष्ठं तदग्नये बृहदर्च विभावसो । महिषीव त्वद्रयिस्त्वद्वाजा उदीरते ॥

Whatever is most potent for the carrying (of the offering and the soul’s aspiration), that vast hymn chant to Agni, O all-illuminer. From you rise up the riches and the plenitudes of force, like a great queen in her power.

Mantra 8

तव द्युमन्तो अर्चयो ग्रावेवोच्यते बृहत् । उतो ते तन्यतुर्यथा स्वानो अर्त त्मना दिवः ॥

Your luminous flames—your chants of fire—are spoken of as the Vast, like the pressing-stone that utters. And your thunderous power too resounds, as the heaven’s own sounding calls forth by its very self-nature.

Mantra 9

एवाँ अग्निं वसूयवः सहसानं ववन्दिम । स नो विश्वा अति द्विषः पर्षन्नावेव सुक्रतुः ॥

Thus we, seekers of the true riches, have made obeisance to Agni the mighty. May he, of good and right will, carry us beyond all hatreds and hostile forces, as a ship bears one across.