Sukta 48

Mantra 1

यज्ञायज्ञा वो अग्नये गिरागिरा च दक्षसे । प्रप्र वयममृतं जातवेदसं प्रियं मित्रं न शंसिषम् ॥

With each offering and again with each offering, with each word and again with each word, we affirm Agni for the growth of skill and right capacity. We proclaim ever forward the immortal Jātavedas, the dear Friend, as one who brings harmony.

Mantra 2

ऊर्जो नपातं स हिनायमस्मयुर्दाशेम हव्यदातये । भुवद्वाजेष्वविता भुवद्वृध उत त्राता तनूनाम् ॥

To the Son of Energy we would offer, urged on with an inward longing, for he is the giver of the oblation. May he become our helper in plenitudes of force, may he become our increaser, and also the protector of our embodied being.

Mantra 3

वृषा ह्यग्ने अजरो महान्विभास्यर्चिषा । अजस्रेण शोचिषा शोशुचच्छुचे सुदीतिभिः सु दीदिहि ॥

Truly, O Agni, you are the mighty Bull, unaging; you shine out with your flame. With your unfailing blaze you burn ever more, O pure one; with your perfect kindlings blaze well in us.

Mantra 4

महो देवान्यजसि यक्ष्यानुषक्तव क्रत्वोत दंसना । अर्वाचः सीं कृणुह्यग्नेऽवसे रास्व वाजोत वंस्व ॥

You worship the great gods; you will sacrifice to them in their due sequence by your will and your effective skill. Turn them hither for our help, O Agni; give plenitudes of force and also win them for us.

Mantra 5

यमापो अद्रयो वना गर्भमृतस्य पिप्रति । सहसा यो मथितो जायते नृभिः पृथिव्या अधि सानवि ॥

Him the Waters, the Stones, the Woods nourish as the embryo of the Truth. He who is born by force when churned by the human powers, is generated upon the ridge of Earth.

Mantra 6

आ यः पप्रौ भानुना रोदसी उभे धूमेन धावते दिवि । तिरस्तमो ददृश ऊर्म्यास्वा श्यावास्वरुषो वृषा श्यावा अरुषो वृषा ॥

He who has filled both Heaven and Earth with his radiance, who runs in the sky with his smoke—he is seen beyond the darkness. In the surging waves, in the dark currents, the Ruddy Bull appears, the Ruddy Bull amid the dark.

Mantra 7

बृहद्भिरग्ने अर्चिभिः शुक्रेण देव शोचिषा । भरद्वाजे समिधानो यविष्ठ्य रेवन्नः शुक्र दीदिहि द्युमत्पावक दीदिहि ॥

With your vast flames, O Agni, with your bright divine blaze—kindled among the Bharadvājas, O youngest—shine for us richly. O luminous one, shine; O radiant purifier, shine.

Mantra 8

विश्वासां गृहपतिर्विशामसि त्वमग्ने मानुषीणाम् । शतं पूर्भिर्यविष्ठ पाह्यंहसः समेद्धारं शतं हिमाः स्तोतृभ्यो ये च ददति ॥

You, O Agni, are the lord of the house for all the human clans. O youngest, with a hundred strongholds protect the one who kindles you from the crookedness; a hundred winters—protect the singers and those who give.

Mantra 9

त्वं नश्चित्र ऊत्या वसो राधांसि चोदय । अस्य रायस्त्वमग्ने रथीरसि विदा गाधं तुचे तु नः ॥

You, O Agni, luminous in thy help, impel for us the powers of fulfilment, O Vasu. Of this plenitude (rayi) thou art the charioteer; find for our striving a firm ford, a safe passage through the difficult movement.

Mantra 10

पर्षि तोकं तनयं पर्तृभिष्ट्वमदब्धैरप्रयुत्वभिः । अग्ने हेळांसि दैव्या युयोधि नोऽदेवानि ह्वरांसि च ॥

Carry safely our child and our lineage by thy unfailing, unwithdrawing protectors. O Agni, ward off from us the divine smitings, and also the crooked hostile movements that are not of the gods.

Mantra 11

आ सखायः सबर्दुघां धेनुमजध्वमुप नव्यसा वचः । सृजध्वमनपस्फुराम् ॥

Come, comrades, yoke the cow that yields the strong draught; draw near with ever-new speech. Send forth the stream that does not falter—an unbroken outpouring of inspired utterance.

Mantra 12

या शर्धाय मारुताय स्वभानवे श्रवोऽमृत्यु धुक्षत । या मृळीके मरुतां तुराणां या सुम्नैरेवयावरी ॥

She who for the Marut-host, for the self-luminous ones, milks out fame that conquers death; she who is the grace of the swift Maruts, she who by her benedictions brings the desirable approach—let that power of inspiration flow.

Mantra 13

भरद्वाजायाव धुक्षत द्विता । धेनुं च विश्वदोहसमिषं च विश्वभोजसम् ॥

For Bharadvāja, milk out again and again the cow that yields all boons, and the impulsion of nourishment that feeds all powers—so the seeker may be filled with universal giving.

Mantra 14

तं व इन्द्रं न सुक्रतुं वरुणमिव मायिनम् । अर्यमणं न मन्द्रं सृप्रभोजसं विष्णुं न स्तुष आदिशे ॥

Him I praise for you—like Indra in strong will, like Varuṇa in wise mastery, like Aryaman in glad harmony and generous nurture, like Viṣṇu in wide ordering—him I hymn as the guiding power to be followed.

Mantra 15

त्वेषं शर्धो न मारुतं तुविष्वण्यनर्वाणं पूषणं सं यथा शता । सं सहस्रा कारिषच्चर्षणिभ्य आँ आविर्गूळ्हा वसू करत्सुवेदा नो वसू करत् ॥

May Pūṣan, vehement like a Marut-host, far-resounding and unwearied, gather for us riches as in hundreds, as in thousands for the peoples; may he make the hidden treasures manifest—may the good-knower bring forth for us the true riches.

Mantra 16

आ मा पूषन्नुप द्रव शंसिषं नु ते अपिकर्ण आघृणे । अघा अर्यो अरातयः ॥

Come to me, O Pūṣan; run near—now I would declare thee, O attentive, glowing one. Evil are the hostile deniers that oppose the noble movement.

Mantra 17

मा काकम्बीरमुद्वृहो वनस्पतिमशस्तीर्वि हि नीनशः । मोत सूरो अह एवा चन ग्रीवा आदधते वेः ॥

Do not uproot the kākambīra tree; the ill-praised forces scatter men in many ways. Let not the ‘hero’ say, ‘it is day’, and yet lay the noose upon the neck—let not the being be trapped by a false clarity.

Mantra 18

दृतेरिव तेऽवृकमस्तु सख्यम् । अच्छिद्रस्य दधन्वतः सुपूर्णस्य दधन्वतः ॥

May thy friendship be unbroken and wolf-free, like that of the steadfast; of one who holds the unpierced, who holds the well-filled—may such firm companionship guard the journey.

Mantra 19

परो हि मर्त्यैरसि समो देवैरुत श्रिया । अभि ख्यः पूषन्पृतनासु नस्त्वमवा नूनं यथा पुरा ॥

O Pūṣan, thou art beyond the mortal limitation; thou art equal to the gods and even in thy radiant plenitude. Look upon us with thy seeing-force; in our battles protect us now, as thou didst in the ancient days.

Mantra 20

वामी वामस्य धूतयः प्रणीतिरस्तु सूनृता । देवस्य वा मरुतो मर्त्यस्य वेजानस्य प्रयज्यवः ॥

O Maruts, may the impelling movements of the Delight be for us a right leading and a true, luminous speech—whether of the god-nature or of the mortal who strives forward; O ye fit for the offering, confirm it.

Mantra 21

सद्यश्चिद्यस्य चर्कृतिः परि द्यां देवो नैति सूर्यः । त्वेषं शवो दधिरे नाम यज्ञियं मरुतो वृत्रहं शवो ज्येष्ठं वृत्रहं शवः ॥

Swift is that whirling energy—like the Sun-god who circles the heaven without pause. The Maruts have set in themselves a fierce power, a name meet for sacrifice: the Vṛtra-slaying force, the eldest and foremost Vṛtra-slaying might.

Mantra 22

सकृद्ध द्यौरजायत सकृद्भूमिरजायत । पृश्न्या दुग्धं सकृत्पयस्तदन्यो नानु जायते ॥

Once indeed Heaven was born, once Earth was born; once from Pṛśnī was milked the nourishing milk. That primal bringing-forth does not arise again in another: it stands as the unique foundation of creation.