Hymns To Agni, Rig Veda Samhita 7 Hymn 3

The mortal who longs for the Godhead shall take up his home with thee, O Fire, he is born into the Truth and a guardian of the Truth and comes to thy wide Light, -he in whom thou being Varuna takest with Mitra a common delight and thou guardest that mortal, O God by thy casting away from him of evil.

He has sacrificed with sacrifices, he has achieved his labor by his works, he has given to the Fire whose boons grew ever in opulence. And so there befalls him not the turning away of the Glorious Ones; evil comes not to him nor the insolence of the adversary.

Faultless is thy seeing like the sun's; terrible marches thy thought when blazing with light thou neighest aloud like force of battle. This Fire was born in the pleasant woodland and is a rapturous dweller somewhere in the night.

Fiery-sharp is his march and great his body, - he is like a horse that eats and champs with his mouth: he casts his tongue like an axe to every side, like a smelter he melts the log that he burns.

He sets like an archer his shaft for the shooting, he sharpens his powers of light like an edge of steel. He is the traveler of the night with rich rapid movements; he has thighs of swift motion and is like a bird that settles on a tree.

This friendly Light is like a singer of the word and clothes himself with the Rays, he rhapsodizes with his flame. This is the shining One who journeys by night and by day to the Gods, the shining Immortal who journeys through the day to the Gods.

The cry of him is like the voice of ordaining Heaven;1 he is the shining Bull that bellows aloud in the growths of the forest. He goes with his light and his race and his running and fills Earth and Heaven with his riches; they are like wives happy in their spouse.

He flashes like the lightning with his own proper strength, his own founding and helpful illuminations. As if heaven's craftsman he has fashioned the army of the Life-Gods and lightens ablaze in his exultant speed.

Original Sanskrit Text

agn¡ü vo devám agn¡bhiþ saj¢ùà yájiùñhaü dåtám adhvar‚ kçõudhvam |
y¢ mártyeùu n¡dhruvir çtµvà tápurmårdhà ghçtµnnaþ pàvakáþ ||
pr¢thad á÷vo ná yávase 'viùyán yadµ maháþ saüváraõàd vy ásthàt |
µd asya vµto ánu vàti ÷oc¡r ádha sma te vrájanaü kçùõám asti ||
£d yásya te návajàtasya vÆùõ¢ 'gne cáranty ajárà idhànµþ |
áchà dyµm aruù¢ dhåmá eti sáü dåt¢ agna ·yase h¡ devµn ||
v¡ yásya te pçthivyµm pµjo á÷ret tçù£ yád ánnà samávçkta jámbhaiþ |
s‚neva sçùñµ prásitiù ña eti yávaü ná dasma juhv¶ vivekùi ||
tám ¡d doùµ tám uùási yáviùñham agn¡m átyaü ná marjayanta náraþ |
ni÷¡÷ànà átithim asya y¢nau dãdµya ÷oc¡r µhutasya vÆùõaþ ||
susaüdÆk te svanãka prátãkaü v¡ yád rukm¢ ná r¢casa upàk‚ |
div¢ ná te tanyat£r eti ÷£ùma÷ citr¢ ná s½raþ práti cakùi bhàn£m ||
yáthà vaþ svµhàgnáye dµ÷ema pár·×àbhir ghçtávadbhi÷ ca havya¡þ |
t‚bhir no agne ámitair máhobhiþ ÷atám pårbh¡r µyasãbhir n¡ pàhi ||
yµ và te sánti dà÷£ùe ádhçùñà g¡ro và yµbhir nçvátãr uruùyµþ |
tµbhir naþ såno sahaso n¡ pàhi smát sår·¤ jaritϤ jàtavedaþ ||
n¡r yát påt‚va svádhitiþ ÷£cir gµt sváyà kçpµ tanv¶ r¢camànaþ |
µ y¢ màtr¢r u÷‚nyo jániùña devayájyàya sukrátuþ pàvakáþ ||
etµ no agne sa£bhagà didãhy ápi krátuü suc‚tasaü vatema |
v¡÷và stotÆbhyo gçõat‚ ca santu yåyám pàta svast¡bhiþ sádà naþ ||