Sukta 3

Mantra 1

शत्रुनाशनम्। रक्षोहणं वाजिनमा जिघर्मि मित्रं प्रथिष्ठमुप यामि शर्म । शिशानो अग्निः क्रतुभिः समिद्धः स नो दिवा स रिषः पातु नक्तम्

Enemy-destroying, demon-smiting, the vigorous one—him I anoint; unto the Friend, the firm-established, I draw near for shelter. Keen-flaming Agni, kindled with his powers—may he guard us from harm by day, may he (guard) by night.

Mantra 2

अयोदंष्ट्रो अर्चिषा यातुधानानुप स्पृश जातवेदः समिद्धः । आ जिह्वया मूरदेवान् रभस्व क्रव्यादो वृष्ट्वापि धत्स्वासन्

Iron-tusked, with thy flame touch thou, in pursuit, the Yātudhānas, O Jātavedas, when kindled. With thy tongue seize the deluding spirits; the flesh-eaters—having smitten them—set them fast in thy mouth.

Mantra 3

उभोभयाविन्नुप धेहि दंष्ट्रौ हिंस्रः शिशानोऽवरं परं च । उतान्तरिक्षे परि याह्यग्ने जम्भैः सं धेह्यभि यातुधानान्

O Agni, thou who makest fear on either side, set on thy fangs; destructive, self-whetted, smite the lower and the upper. And in the mid-air go about in circuit: with thy jaws close wholly upon the Yātudhānas.

Mantra 4

अग्ने त्वचं यातुधानस्य भिन्धि हिंस्राशनिर्हरसा हन्त्वेनम्। प्र पर्वाणि जातवेदः शृणीहि क्रव्यात् क्रविष्णुर्वि चिनोत्वेनम्

O Agni, cleave the skin of the Yātudhāna: let the hurtful thunderbolt with vehement force smite him. Break forth his joints, O Jātavedas; let the flesh-eater, flesh-devouring, tear him asunder and strip him away.

Mantra 5

यत्रेदानीं पश्यसि जातवेदस्तिष्ठन्तमग्न उत वा चरन्तम्। उतान्तरिक्षे पतन्तं यातुधानं तमस्ता विध्य शर्वा शिशानः

Where now thou seest him, O Jātavedas—standing, O Agni, or moving to and fro; yea, though in the mid-air flying—the Yātudhāna: him, O Śarva, keen-whetted, pierce with thy missile.

Mantra 6

यज्ञरिषूः संनममानो अग्ने वाचा शल्याँ अशनिभिर्दिहानः । ताभिर्विध्य हृदये यातुधानान् प्रतीचो बाहून् प्रति भङ्ग्ध्येषाम्

Armed with sacrificial arrows, bending to the aim, O Agni—arming thyself with barbs and thunderbolts by speech—therewith pierce the Yātudhānas in the heart; break back their arms, turned backward upon themselves.

Mantra 7

उतारब्धान्त्स्पृनुहि जातवेद उतारेभाणाँ ऋष्टिभिर्यातुधानान्। अग्ने पूर्वो नि जहि शोशुचान आमादः क्ष्विङ्कास्तमदन्त्वेनीः

And those that have laid hold, O Jātavedas, tear thou away; and the Yātudhānas that are not yet upon us—smite them with thy spears. O Agni, foremost, blazing, slay them down: let the raw-eater, the yelping devourers, the swift ones, eat him up.

Mantra 8

इह प्र ब्रूहि यतमः सो अग्ने यातुधानो य इदं कृणोति । तमा रभस्व समिधा यविष्ठ नृचक्षसश्चक्षुषे रन्धयैनम्

Here, speak forth and tell us which of them, O Agni, is the Yātudhāna who worketh this. Seize thou that one with the kindling-stick, O youngest; O man-discerning, subject him to thine eye, and bring him under.

Mantra 9

तीक्ष्णेनाग्ने चक्षुषा रक्ष यज्ञं प्राञ्चं वसुभ्यः प्र णय प्रचेतः । हिंस्रं रक्षांस्यभि शोशुचानं मा त्वा दभन् यातुधाना नृचक्षः

With sharp-eyed vision, O Agni, guard the sacrifice, and lead it forward unto the Vasus, O thou of forethought. Blazing against the injurious Rākṣasas, let not the Yātudhānas circumvent thee, O man-discerning.

Mantra 10

नृचक्षा रक्षः परि पश्य विक्षु तस्य त्रीणि प्रति शृणीह्यग्रा । तस्याग्ने पृष्टीर्हरसा शृणीहि त्रेधा मूलं यातुधानस्य वृश्च

O man-discerning, look round about for the Rākṣas among the peoples; smite back his three foremost points. Of him, O Agni, hew down the backs with thy might; in threefold wise cut off the very root of the Yātudhāna.

Mantra 11

त्रिर्यातुधानः प्रसितिं त एत्वृतं यो अग्ने अनृतेन हन्ति । तमर्चिषा स्फूर्जयन् जातवेदः समक्षमेनं गृणते नि युङ्ग्धि

Thrice let the Yātudhāna pass into thy noose, he who, O Agni, smiteth ṛta with untruth. Him, flashing with thy flame, O Jātavedas, bind down in open sight, for the singer who extolleth thee.

Mantra 12

यदग्ने अद्य मिथुना शपातो यद् वाचस्तृष्टं जनयन्त रेभाः । मन्योर्मनसः शरव्या३जायते या तया विध्य हृदये यातुधानान्

What, O Agni, even to-day, from mutual cursing, and what sharpened weapon of speech the clamorous utterers beget—an arrow that is born of wrath and mind—therewith do thou pierce the Yātudhānas in the heart.

Mantra 13

परा शृणीहि तपसा यातुधानान् पराग्ने रक्षो हरसा शृणीहि । परार्चिषा मूरदेवान्छृणीहि परासुतृपः शोशुचतः शृणीहि

Smite thou away, with burning ardour, the Yātudhānas; smite thou away, O Agni, the Rákṣas with thy fierce heat. With thy flame smite thou away the Mūra-devas; smite thou away the life-devouring, the blazing ones.

Mantra 14

पराद्य देवा वृजिनं शृणन्तु प्रत्यगेनं शपथा यन्तु सृष्टाः । वाचास्तेनं शरव ऋच्छन्तु मर्मन् विश्वस्यैतु प्रसितिं यातुधानः

Away this day let the Gods smite down the evil; back upon him let the launched imprecations go. By speech let the arrows reach the thief at the vital spot: let the Yātudhāna pass into the snare of all.

Mantra 15

यः पौरुषेयेण क्रविषा समङ्क्ते यो अश्व्येन पशुना यातुधानः । यो अघ्न्याया भरति क्षीरमग्ने तेषां शीर्षाणि हरसापि वृश्च

Whoso with human flesh anoints himself, whoso the Yātudhāna with horse and beast (for victim) — whoso bears away the milk of the inviolable cow, O Agni: of such cut off the heads with thy fierce heat.

Mantra 16

विषं गवां यातुधाना भरन्तामा वृश्चन्तामदितये दुरेवाः । परैणान् देवः सविता ददातु परा भागमोषधीनां जयन्ताम्

Let the Yātudhānas bear the poison of the cows; let the evil-goers be cut down unto Aditi. Away let the god Savitar deliver them; away let the herbs conquer (and drive off) their portion.

Mantra 17

संवत्सरीणं पय उस्रियायास्तस्य माशीद् यातुधानो नृचक्षः । पीयूषमग्ने यतमस्तितृप्सात् तं प्रत्यञ्चमर्चिषा विध्य मर्मणि

The year-aged milk of the ruddy cow—thereof let not the man-watching Yātudhāna partake. Whosoever, O Agni, would glut himself on the ambrosial sweetness, him, turned back, with thy flame pierce at the vital spot.

Mantra 18

सनादग्ने मृणसि यातुधानान् न त्वा रक्षांसि पृतनासु जिग्युः । सहमूराननु दह क्रव्यादो मा ते हेत्या मुक्षत दैव्यायाः

From ancient time, O Agni, thou dost crush the Yātudhānas; the Rākṣases have not conquered thee in battles. Pursue and burn the flesh-devourers, with their confounding crew: let not the heavenly missile be loosed against thee.

Mantra 19

त्वं नो अग्ने अधरादुदक्तस्त्वं पश्चादुत रक्षा पुरस्तात्। प्रति त्ये ते अजरासस्तपिष्ठा अघशंसं शोशुचतो दहन्तु

Do thou, O Agni, guard us from below and from above; do thou protect from behind and also from the front. Against the evil-speaker let thy unaging, most burning flames, all ablaze, consume him.

Mantra 20

पश्चात् पुरस्तादधरादुतोत्तरात् कविः काव्येन परि पाह्यग्ने । सखा सखायमजरो जरिम्णे अग्ने मर्ताँ अमर्त्यस्त्वं नः

From behind, from before, from below and from above, do thou, O Agni, the Sage, with thy inspired craft, protect us round about. A friend protecting his friend against decay—O Agni, immortal, thou [guardest] us mortals.

Mantra 21

तदग्ने चक्षुः प्रति धेहि रेभे शफारुजो येन पश्यसि यातुधानान्। अथर्ववज्ज्योतिषा दैव्येन सत्यं धूर्वन्तमचितं न्योऽष

Set thou, O Agni, that eye upon thee, O Singer—hoof-shattering—wherewith thou seest the Yātudhānas. With Atharvan-like, heavenly light, burn down the unseen assailant, the true [foe] that works harm.

Mantra 22

परि त्वाग्ने पुरं वयं विप्रं सहस्य धीमहि । धृषद्वर्णं दिवेदिवे हन्तारं भङ्गुरावतः

Round about thee, O Agni, as a fortress, we establish the inspired, the mighty: of flashing hue, day by day, the slayer of the breakable foe.

Mantra 23

विषेण भङ्गुरावतः प्रति स्म रक्षसो जहि । अग्ने तिग्मेन शोचिषा तपुरग्राभिरर्चिभिः

With poison-power smite thou, full against them, the shatterable Rākṣasas. O Agni, with thy keen blaze, with flames whose forefront is burning heat, strike them down.

Mantra 24

वि ज्योतिषा बृहता भात्यग्निराविर्विश्वानि कृणुते महित्वा। प्रादेवीर्मायाः सहते दुरेवाः शिशीते शृङ्गे रक्षोभ्यो विनिक्ष्वे

With mighty light Agni shineth forth; in majesty he maketh all things manifest. Forth he overcometh the ungodly spells, the evil goings; he whetteth his horns against the Rākṣasas, to thrust them down.

Mantra 25

ये ते शृङ्गे अजरे जातवेदस्तिग्महेती ब्रह्मसंशिते । ताभ्यां दुर्हार्दमभिदासन्तं किमीदिनं प्रत्यञ्चमर्चिषा जातवेदो वि निक्ष्व

Those horns of thine, unaging Jātavedas, sharp-weaponed, whetted by the holy spell—with those twain, with flame, thrust down and scatter the hard-hearted Kīmīdin, who assaileth, turned full against us.

Mantra 26

अग्नी रक्षांसि सेधति शुक्रशोचिरमर्त्यः । शुचिः पावक ईड्यः

Agni repelleth the Rākṣasas—bright-flamed, immortal; pure, purifying, worthy to be invoked with praise.