Verses 1, 2, 3
बळि॒त्था तद्वपु॑षे धायि दर्श॒तं दे॒वस्य॒ भर्गः॒ सह॑सो॒ यतो॒ जनि॑ । यदी॒मुप॒ ह्वर॑ते॒ साध॑ते म॒तिर्ऋ॒तस्य॒ धेना॑ अनयंत स॒स्रुतः॑ ॥
báḷitthā́ tádvápuṣe dhāyi darśatám devásya bhárgaḥ sáhaso yáto jáni ǀ yádīmúpa hvárate sā́dhate matírṛtásya dhénā anayanta sasrútaḥ ǁ
पृ॒क्षो वपुः॑ पितु॒मान्नित्य॒ आ श॑ये द्वि॒तीय॒मा स॒प्तशि॑वासु मा॒तृषु॑ । तृ॒तीय॑मस्य वृष॒भस्य॑ दो॒हसे॒ दश॑प्रमतिं जनयंत॒ योष॑णः ॥
pṛkṣó vápuḥ pitumā́nnítya ā́ śaye dvitī́yamā́ saptáśivāsu mātṛ́ṣu ǀ tṛtī́yamasya vṛṣabhásya doháse dáśapramatim janayanta yóṣaṇaḥ ǁ
निर्यदीं॑ बु॒ध्नान्म॑हि॒षस्य॒ वर्प॑स ईशा॒नासः॒ शव॑सा॒ क्रंत॑ सू॒रयः॑ । यदी॒मनु॑ प्र॒दिवो॒ मध्व॑ आध॒वे गुहा॒ संतं॑ मात॒रिश्वा॑ मथा॒यति॑ ॥
níryádīm budhnā́nmahiṣásya várpasa īśānā́saḥ śávasā kránta sūráyaḥ ǀ yádīmánu pradívo mádhva ādhavé gúhā sántam mātaríśvā mathāyáti ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi introduces us to the miraculous manifestation of Agni, the divine flame born from strength and cosmic friction. Agni is not merely physical fire; he is the radiant splendor of the divine, made visible for the glory of creation. When the sacrifice is set in motion, the intuitive mind (matiḥ) aligns with the streams of Ṛta, the cosmic order, guiding the sacred currents forward. The imagery shifts to the mysterious multi-tiered existence of the flame. Agni rests securely in his own native home, nurtured by the seven auspicious mother-streams, and is coaxed into manifestation by devoted maidens for the milking of divine plenitude. From the deep foundational abyss of cosmic existence, the radiant masters of wisdom seize the vast, bull-like energy of the flame. Even when concealed in the secret cave, Mātariśvā—the wind-god or the breath of life—stirs him into fiery action, bridging the hidden and the manifest.
Verse 1: Truly, the bright and wondrous splendor of the deity born of strength was manifested for supreme glory; when the mind bends in worship and achieves its aim, the streams of the cosmic order flow forth.
Verse 2: Rich in sustenance and innate form, he rests in his eternal place; a second time he reposes within the seven auspicious mothers, and the radiant maidens generate him as the ten-minded wisdom for the milking of the mighty bull.
Verse 3: The lords of might seized him by their spiritual power from the foundational depths of the cosmic bull's vast form, when Mātariśvā stirs him into being, hidden in secret, for the flowing of the ancient honey-wine.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| भर्गः | bhargaḥ | radiant splendor, spiritual light |
| सहसः | sahasaḥ | of strength or power |
| ऋतस्य | ṛtasya | of the cosmic truth/order |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पितुमान् | pitumān | possessing nourishment or sap |
| सप्तशिवासु | sapta-śivāsu | in the seven auspicious ones (rivers/mothers) |
| वृषभस्य | vṛṣabhasya | of the bull (the generous showerer) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| बुध्नात् | budhnāt | from the bottom or abyss |
| मातरिश्वा | mātariśvā | the wind-spirit moving in the mother (space) |
| गुहा | guhā | in secret, hidden |
Picture a sleeping giant volcano (the hidden bull in the abyss) suddenly ignited from deep within by the breath of the wind (Mātariśvā), shooting rivers of golden lava (the streams of Ṛta) into the world.
Verses 4, 5, 6
प्र यत्पि॒तुः प॑र॒मान्नी॒यते॒ पर्या पृ॒क्षुधो॑ वी॒रुधो॒ दंसु॑ रोहति । उ॒भा यद॑स्य ज॒नुषं॒ यदिन्व॑त॒ आदिद्यवि॑ष्ठो अभवद्घृ॒णा शुचिः॑ ॥
prá yátpitúḥ paramā́nnīyáte páryā́ pṛkṣúdho vīrúdho dáṃsu rohati ǀ ubhā́ yádasya janúṣam yádínvata ā́dídyáviṣṭho abhavadghṛṇā́ śúciḥ ǁ
आदिन्मा॒तॄरावि॑श॒द्यास्वा शुचि॒रहिं॑स्यमान उर्वि॒या वि वा॑वृधे । अनु॒ यत्पूर्वा॒ अरु॑हत्सना॒जुवो॒ नि नव्य॑सी॒ष्वव॑रासु धावते ॥
ā́dínmātṝ́rā́viśadyā́svā́ śúciráhiṃsyamāna urviyā́ ví vāvṛdhe ǀ ánu yátpū́rvā áruhatsanājúvo ní návyasīṣvávarāsu dhāvate ǁ
आदिद्धोता॑रं वृणते॒ दिवि॑ष्टिषु॒ भग॑मिव पपृचा॒नास॑ ऋंजते । दे॒वान्यत्क्रत्वा॑ म॒ज्मना॑ पुरुष्टु॒तो मर्तं॒ शंसं॑ वि॒श्वधा॒ वेति॒ धाय॑से ॥
ā́díddhótāram vṛṇate díviṣṭiṣu bhágamiva papṛcānā́sa ṛñjate ǀ devā́nyátkrátvā majmánā puruṣṭutó mártam śáṃsam viśvádhā véti dhā́yase ǁ
The journey of Agni continues as he is led forth from his supreme divine origin, stepping into the realm of growing vegetation, seizing upon the plants that crave nourishment. Both heaven and earth bear him with intense care, and right at the moment of his birth, he becomes the youthful, brilliantly pure flame whose touch is immaculate. He enters his mothers—the fuel and the flowing waters—spreading vastly without ever suffering harm or diminution, transcending ancient forms to rush swiftly into newer, fresher vessels of manifestation. Because of this dynamic and untamed purity, the worshippers choose him above all others as their supreme Hotṛ priest during sacred gatherings. Like Bhaga, the divine dispenser of fortune, Agni blends intimately with the gathering of sacrificers. Praised by multitudes, he carries the human invocation through his divine will (kratu) and might directly to the gods, establishing an eternal bridge between mortality and immortality.
Verse 4: When he is led forth from his supreme father's abode, he climbs luxuriantly among the food-craving plants; when both worlds foster his birth, then indeed he becomes the youngest, brilliant and pure in his burning.
Verse 5: Then indeed he entered his mothers, in whom, pure and uninjured, he grew vastly in wideness; following the ancient paths that surge with primal vigor, he hastens downward into the newer, lesser ones.
Verse 6: Then they choose him as the invoking priest in sacred rites, blending with him and welcoming him as Bhaga; by his divine will and mighty power, the much-praised one ever conveys the human prayer to attain the divine state.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वीरुधः | vīrudhaḥ | plants, creepers |
| यविष्ठः | yaviṣṭhaḥ | the youngest (a frequent epithet of Agni) |
| शुचिः | śuciḥ | pure, bright |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अहिंस्यमानः | ahiṃsyamānaḥ | unharmed, uninjured |
| उर्विया | urviyā | widely, extensively |
| सनाजुवः | sanā-juvaḥ | urged on by antiquity, ancient-impelled |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| होतारम् | hotāram | the invoker, sacrificial priest |
| भगमिव | bhagam-iva | like the god Bhaga (dispenser of grace/fortune) |
| मज्मना | majmanā | by greatness, might |
Imagine a young prince (the youngest/yaviṣṭha Agni) leaving his royal palace to walk among his people in the fields and forests, immediately chosen by everyone as their trusted ambassador to the king.
Verses 7, 8, 9
वि यदस्था॑द्यज॒तो वात॑चोदितो ह्वा॒रो न वक्वा॑ ज॒रणा॒ अना॑कृतः । तस्य॒ पत्म॑न्द॒क्षुषः॑ कृ॒ष्णजं॑हसः॒ शुचि॑जन्मनो॒ रज॒ आ व्य॑ध्वनः ॥
ví yádásthādyajató vā́tacodito hvāró ná vákvā jaráṇā ánākṛtaḥ ǀ tásya pátmandakṣúṣaḥ kṛṣṇájaṃhasaḥ śúcijanmano rája ā́ vyádhvanaḥ ǁ
रथो॒ न या॒तः शिक्व॑भिः कृ॒तो द्यामंगे॑भिररु॒षेभि॑रीयते । आद॑स्य॒ ते कृ॒ष्णासो॑ दक्षि सू॒रयः॒ शूर॑स्येव त्वे॒षथा॑दीषते॒ वयः॑ ॥
rátho ná yātáḥ śíkvabhiḥ kṛtó dyā́máṅgebhiraruṣébhirīyate ǀ ā́dasya té kṛṣṇā́so dakṣi sūráyaḥ śū́rasyeva tveṣáthādīṣate váyaḥ ǁ
त्वया॒ ह्य॑ग्ने॒ वरु॑णो धृ॒तव्र॑तो मि॒त्रः शा॑श॒द्रे अ॑र्य॒मा सु॒दान॑वः । यत्सी॒मनु॒ क्रतु॑ना वि॒श्वथा॑ वि॒भुर॒रान्न ने॒मिः प॑रि॒भूरजा॑यथाः ॥
tváyā hyágne váruṇo dhṛtávrato mitráḥ śāśadré aryamā́ sudā́navaḥ ǀ yátsīmánu krátunā viśváthā vibhúrarā́nná nemíḥ paribhū́rájāyathāḥ ǁ
Agni stands forth, propelled by the winds like a magnificent, unbending orator or a crooked path that leads straight through the forest. In his flight across the atmosphere, he carries a dark-footed stride, trailing smoke and consuming the fuel of the earth, yet retaining his pure, bright origin. His movement is compared to a master-crafted chariot drawn by ruddy, reddish horses that sweep across the vault of heaven. His black smoke trails behind like opposing adversaries fleeing in terror before the fierce onslaught of a heroic warrior. Through Agni's foundational presence, the great cosmic guardians—Varuṇa of firm law, Mitra, and Aryaman—shine forth in their generous power. As the rim of a wheel encompasses the spokes, Agni encompasses all existence, born everywhere as the all-pervading, universal principle that supports the divine laws.
Verse 7: When the adorable one stands forth, driven by the wind, crooked yet eloquent like an unmarred sage, upon his flight through the regions of space move his dark-footed stride and pure-born flames.
Verse 8: Like a chariot fashioned by skilled artisans, he traverses heaven with his ruddy, glowing limbs; then your dark smoke-forms scatter like defeated foes, fleeing in terror from the fierce charge of a hero.
Verse 9: By you indeed, O Agni, Varuṇa of steadfast vow, Mitra, and Aryaman shine forth in munificence; for you were born as the all-pervading perimeter of existence, like the rim enclosing the spokes of a wheel.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वातचोदितः | vāta-coditaḥ | urged or driven by the wind |
| कृष्णजंहसः | kṛṣṇa-jaṃhasaḥ | having black steps/movement (smoke) |
| शुचिजन्मनः | śuci-janmanaḥ | of pure birth |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शिक्वभिः | śikvabhiḥ | by skillful artisans |
| अरुषेभिः | aruṣebhiḥ | by ruddy/red horses or flames |
| कृष्णासः | kṛṣṇāsaḥ | the black ones (smoke) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| धृतव्रतः | dhṛta-vrataḥ | upholding sacred laws/vows |
| विभुः | vibhuḥ | all-pervading, vast |
| नेमिः | nemiḥ | the rim of a wheel |
Visualize a magnificent golden chariot racing across the sky, its fiery horses leaving trails of dark smoke, while the great wheel of the cosmos spins with Agni acting as its outer rim holding everything together.
Verses 10, 11, 12, 13
त्वम॑ग्ने शशमा॒नाय॑ सुन्व॒ते रत्नं॑ यविष्ठ दे॒वता॑तिमिन्वसि । तं त्वा॒ नु नव्यं॑ सहसो युवन्व॒यं भगं॒ न का॒रे म॑हिरत्न धीमहि ॥
tvámagne śaśamānā́ya sunvaté rátnam yaviṣṭha devátātiminvasi ǀ tám tvā nú návyam sahaso yuvanvayám bhágam ná kāré mahiratna dhīmahi ǁ
अ॒स्मे र॒यिं न स्वर्थं॒ दमू॑नसं॒ भगं॒ दक्षं॒ न प॑पृचासि धर्ण॒सिं । र॒श्मीँरि॑व॒ यो यम॑ति॒ जन्म॑नी उ॒भे दे॒वानां॒ शंस॑मृ॒त आ च॑ सु॒क्रतुः॑ ॥
asmé rayím ná svártham dámūnasam bhágam dákṣam ná papṛcāsi dharṇasím ǀ raśmī́m̐riva yó yámati jánmanī ubhé devā́nām śáṃsamṛtá ā́ ca sukrátuḥ ǁ
उ॒त नः॑ सु॒द्योत्मा॑ जी॒राश्वो॒ होता॑ मं॒द्रः शृ॑णवच्चं॒द्रर॑थः । स नो॑ नेष॒न्नेष॑तमै॒रमू॑रो॒ऽग्निर्वा॒मं सु॑वि॒तं वस्यो॒ अच्छ॑ ॥
utá naḥ sudyótmā jīrā́śvo hótā mandráḥ śṛṇavaccandrárathaḥ ǀ sá no neṣannéṣatamairámūro’gnírvāmám suvitám vásyo áccha ǁ
अस्ता॑व्य॒ग्निः शिमी॑वद्भिर॒र्कैः साम्रा॑ज्याय प्रत॒रं दधा॑नः । अ॒मी च॒ ये म॒घवा॑नो व॒यं च॒ मिहं॒ न सूरो॒ अति॒ निष्ट॑तन्युः ॥
ástāvyagníḥ śímīvadbhirarkáiḥ sā́mrājyāya pratarám dádhānaḥ ǀ amī́ ca yé maghávāno vayám ca míham ná sū́ro áti níṣṭatanyuḥ ǁ
In these final verses, the Ṛṣi turns to personal and communal prayer. Addressing Agni as the youthful master of treasures, he asks him to flood the devoted sacrificer with divine riches and foster the divine state within human consciousness. Agni is invoked like Bhaga, the personification of fortune, to be cherished in song as a magnificent repository of wealth. He holds both realms of creation in his grasp like reins, guiding the universal praise into the domain of Ṛta with supreme wisdom. The Sūkta concludes with a grand benediction: May the brilliant-horsed, joyous Hotṛ priest, whose chariot glitters like light, hear our call and lead us safely past all trouble toward superior welfare and supreme bliss. The hymn itself has been forged through inspired, skillful hymns for the sake of universal lordship, allowing both the generous patrons and the singers to break through the veils of darkness just as the sun bursts through the morning mist.
Verse 10: O youthful Agni, you bestow great treasures and nurture divine existence for the mortal who worships and presses the Soma; now we hold you in our song as our new-born fortune, O lord of mighty riches.
Verse 11: Pour forth upon us wealth that leads to true goals, a home-loving fortune, a sustaining power like Dakṣa; with supreme wisdom you restrain both births like reins, guiding the praise of the gods into the truth.
Verse 12: And may the joyous, brilliant-horsed invoking priest with his glittering chariot hear us; faultless Agni, lead us by the safest paths toward higher and better welfare.
Verse 13: Agni has been praised with skillful, active hymns, establishing himself further for supreme universal lordship; may both our generous patrons and ourselves pierce through the mist of darkness like the shining sun.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शशमानाय | śaśamānāya | to the worshipper/devotee |
| देवतातिम् | devatātim | divine worship or divine state |
| महिरत्न | mahi-ratna | possessor of great jewels/treasures |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दमूनसम् | damūnasam | household-loving, familiar |
| धर्णसिम् | dharṇasim | sustaining, upholding |
| सुकृतुः | sukratuḥ | of excellent will or wisdom |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुद्योत्मा | sudyoatmā | bright-lighted, of radiant form |
| जीरअश्वः | jīra-aśvaḥ | having swift or living horses |
| अमूरः | amūraḥ | wise, unfoolable |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| साम्राज्याय | sāmrājyāya | for universal sovereignty/empire |
| मिहम् | miham | mist, darkness, gloom |
| निष्ठतanyuः | niṣṭatanyuḥ | bursting through, pushing across |
Picture the morning sun piercing cleanly through thick mountain fog (the miham), while a joyous charioteer guides his horses straight into a gleaming city of gold and light.