Containing 11 sacred Sanskrit shlokas with multi-author commentaries and translations.
ऊ॒र्ध्व ऊ॒ षु णो॑ अध्वरस्य होत॒रग्ने॒ तिष्ठ॑ दे॒वता॑ता॒ यजी॑यान् त्वं हि विश्व॑म॒भ्यसि॒ मन्म॒ प्र वे॒धस॑श्चित्तिरसि मनी॒षाम्
"PRIEST of our rite, stand up erect, O Agni, in the Gods' service best of sacrificers, For over evei y thought thou art the Ruler: thou furtherest e'en the wisdom of the pious."
अमू॑रो॒ होता॒ न्य॑सादि वि॒क्ष्व१॒॑ग्निर्म॒न्द्रो वि॒दथे॑षु॒ प्रचे॑ताः ऊ॒र्ध्वं भा॒नुं स॑वि॒तेवा॑श्रे॒न्मेते॑व धू॒मं स्त॑भाय॒दुप॒ द्याम्
"He was set down mid men as Priest unerring, Agni, wise, welcome in our holy synods. Like Savitar he hath lifted up his splendour, and like a builder raised his smoke to heaven."
य॒ता सु॑जू॒र्णी रा॒तिनी॑ घृ॒ताची॑ प्रदक्षि॒णिद्दे॒वता॑तिमुरा॒णः उदु॒ स्वरु॑र्नव॒जा नाक्रः प॒श्वो अ॑नक्ति॒ सुधि॑तः सु॒मेकः॑
"The glowing ladle, filled with oil, is lifted; choosing Gods' service to the right he circles. Eager he rises like the new-wrought pillar which, firmly set and fixed, anoints the victims."
स्ती॒र्णे ब॒र्हिषि॑ समिधा॒ने अ॒ग्ना ऊ॒र्ध्वो अ॑ध्व॒र्युर्जु॑जुषा॒णो अ॑स्थात् पर्य॒ग्निः प॑शु॒पा न होता॑ त्रिवि॒ष्ट्ये॑ति प्र॒दिव॑ उरा॒णः
"When sacred grass is strewn and Agni kindled, the Adhvaryu rises to, his task rej o cing. Agni the Priest, like one who tends the cattle, goes three times round, as from of old he wills it."
परि॒ त्मना॑ मि॒तद्रु॑रेति॒ होता॒ग्निर्म॒न्द्रो मधु॑वचा ऋ॒तावा॑ द्रव॑न्त्यस्य वा॒जिनो॒ न शोका॒ भय॑न्ते॒ विश्वा॒ भुव॑ना॒ यदभ्रा॑ट्
"Agni himself, the Priest, with measured motion, goes round, with sweet speech, cheerful, true to Order. His fulgent flames run forth like vigorous horses; all creatures are affrighted when he blazes."
भ॒द्रा ते॑ अग्ने स्वनीक सं॒दृग्घो॒रस्य॑ स॒तो विषु॑णस्य॒ चारुः॑ न यत्ते॑ शो॒चिस्तम॑सा॒ वर॑न्त॒ न ध्व॒स्मान॑स्त॒न्वी॒३॒॑ रेप॒ आ धुः॑
"Beautiful and auspicious is thine aspect, O lovely Agni, terrible when spreading. Thy splendours are not covered by the darkness: detraction leaves no stain upon thy body."
न यस्य॒ सातु॒र्जनि॑तो॒रवा॑रि॒ न मा॒तरा॑पि॒तरा॒ नू चि॑दि॒ष्टौ अधा॑ मि॒त्रो न सुधि॑तः पाव॒को॒३॒॑ऽग्निर्दी॑दाय॒ मानु॑षीषु वि॒क्षु
"Naught hindered his production, Bounteous Giver: his Mother and his Sire were free to send him. Then as Friend benevolent, refulgent, Agni shone forth in human habitations."
द्विर्यं पञ्च॒ जीज॑नन्त्सं॒वसा॑नाः॒ स्वसा॑रो अ॒ग्निं मानु॑षीषु वि॒क्षु उ॒ष॒र्बुध॑मथ॒र्यो॒३॒॑ न दन्तं॑ शु॒क्रं स्वासं॑ पर॒शुं न ति॒ग्मम्
"He, Agni, whom the twice-five sisters, dwelling together, in the homes of men engendered, Bright like a spear's tooth, wakened in the morning, with powerful mouth and like an axe wellsharpened."
तव॒ त्ये अ॑ग्ने ह॒रितो॑ घृत॒स्ना रोहि॑तास ऋ॒ज्वञ्चः॒ स्वञ्चः॑ अ॒रु॒षासो॒ वृष॑ण ऋजुमु॒ष्का आ दे॒वता॑तिमह्वन्त द॒स्माः
"These thy Bay Coursers, Agni, dropping fatness, ruddy vigorous, speeding straightly forward, And red steeds, wonderful, of mighty muscle, are to this service of the Gods invited:"
ये ह॒ त्ये ते॒ सह॑माना अ॒यास॑स्त्वे॒षासो॑ अग्ने अ॒र्चय॒श्चर॑न्ति श्ये॒नासो॒ न दु॑वस॒नासो॒ अर्थं॑ तुविष्व॒णसो॒ मारु॑तं॒ न शर्धः॑
"These brightly-shining games of thine, O Agni, that move for ever restless, allsubduing, Like falcons hasting eagerly to the quarry, roar loudly like the army of the Maruts."
अका॑रि॒ ब्रह्म॑ समिधान॒ तुभ्यं॒ शंसा॑त्यु॒क्थं यज॑ते॒ व्यू॑ धाः होता॑रम॒ग्निं मनु॑षो॒ नि षे॑दुर्नम॒स्यन्त॑ उ॒शिजः॒ शंस॑मा॒योः
"To thee, O flaming God, hath prayer been offered. Let the priest laud thee: give to him who worships. Men have established Agni as Invoker, fain to adore the glory of the living."