HYMN XIII.

Agui.

To Agni, to this god of yours I sing aloud with utmost power.

May he come to us with the gods, and sit, best offerer, on the grass.

2 The holy, whose are earth and heaven, and succour waits upon his strength;

Him men who bring oblations laud, and they who wish to gain, for grace.

3 He is the sage who guides these men, leader of sacred rites is he.

Him, your own Agni, serve ye well, who winneth and bestoweth wealth.

4 So may the gracious Agni grant most goodly shelter for our use;

Whence in the heavens or in the floods he shall pour wealth upon our lands.

5 The singers kindle him, the priest, Agni the lord of tribes of men,

Resplendent and without a peer through his own excellent designs.

6 Help us, thou Brahman, best of all invokers of the gods in song.

Beam, friend of Maruts, bliss on us, O Agni, a most liberal god.

7 Yea, grant us treasure thousandfold with children and with nourishment,

And, Agni, splendid hero strength, exalted, wasting not away.

The metre is Anushṭup, four Pâdas of eight syllables each. The hymn and that which follows are ascribed to the Rishi Rishabha, a son of Visvamitra.

6 Thou Brahman: Agni is here addressed as the Brahman or pray. ing priest.

THE pleasant priest is come into the synod, true, skilled in sacrifice, most wise, ordainer.

Agni, the son of strength, whose car is lightning, whose hair is flame, hath shown on earth his vigour. 2 To thee I offer reverent speech: accept it: to thee who markest it, victorious, faithful!

Bring, thou who knowest, those who know, and seat thee amid the sacred grass, for help, O holy.

3 The two who show their vigour, Night and Morning, by the wind's paths shall haste to thee, O Agni. When men adorn the ancient with oblations, as 'twere two chariot-seats these seek the dwelling. 4 To thee, strong Agni! Varuna and Mitra and all the Maruts sang a song of triumph,

What time unto the people's lauds thou camest, spreading them as the Sun of men, with lustre.

5 Approaching with raised hands and adoration, we have this day fulfilled for thee thy longing.

Worship the gods with most devoted spirit, a priest with no unfriendly thought, O Agni.

6 For, son of strength, from thee come many succours, and powers abundant that a god possesses.

Agni, to us with speech that hath no falsehood grant riches, real, to be told in thousands.

7 Whatever, god, in sacrifice we mortals have wrought is all for thee, strong, wise of purpose!

Be thou the friend of each good chariot's master. All this enjoy thou here, immortal Agni.

The metre is Trishṭup, four Pâdas of eleven syllables each.

2 Those who know: the gods.

3 The ancient: Agni.

4 Spreading them: causing Aryan men to spread as the sun spreads

his rays.

RESPLENDENT with thy wide-extending vigour, quell foes and demons and tormenting spirits.

May lofty Agni be my guide and shelter, the easilyinvoked, the good protector.

2 Be thou to us, while now the morn is breaking, be thou a guardian when the Sun hath mounted.

Accept, as men accept a true-born infant, my laud, O Agni nobly born in body.

3 Bull, who beholdest men, through many mornings, among the dark ones shine forth red, Ŏ Agni.

Lead us, good lord, and bear us over trouble: Help us who long, most youthful god, to riches.

4 Shine forth, a Bull invincible, O Agni, winning by conquest all the forts and treasures.

Thou Jâtavedas who art skilled in guiding, the chief high saving sacrifice's leader.

5 Lighting gods hither, Agni, wisest singer, bring thou to us many and flawless shelters.

Bring vigour, like a car that gathers booty: bring us, O Agni, beauteous Earth and Heaven.

6 Swell, O thou Bull, and give those powers an impulse, e'en earth and heaven which yield their milk in plenty,

Shining, O god, with gods in clear effulgence. Let not a mortal's evil will obstruct us.

7 Agni, as holy food to thine invoker, give wealth in cattle, lasting, rich in marvels.

To us be born a son and spreading offspring. Agni, be this thy gracious will to us-ward.

The Rishi of the hymu is Utkîla; the metre is Trishṭup (11 x 4).

3 Among the dark ones: in the darkness of the nights.

6 Their milk: rain and all fertilizing influence.

THIS Agni is the lord of great felicity and hero strength;

Lord of wealth rich in children, wealth in herds of kine; lord of the battles with the foe.

2 Wait, Maruts, heroes, upon him the prosperer in whom is bliss-increasing wealth;

Who in fights ever conquer evil-hearted men, who overcome the enemy.

3 As such, O Agni, deal us wealth and hero might, O bounteous one!

Most lofty, very glorious, rich in progeny, free from disease and full of power.

4 He who made all that lives, who passes all in might, who orders service to the gods,

He works among the gods, he works in hero strength, yea, also in the praise of men.

5 Give us not up to indigence, Agni, nor want of hero

sons,

Nor, son of strength, to lack of cattle, nor to blame. Drive thou our enemies away.

6 Help us to strength, blest Agni! rich in progeny, abundant, in our sacrifice.

Flood us with riches yet more plenteous, bringing weal, with high renown, most glorious one!

The Rishi is Utkila. The metre is Brihati (8+8+12+8) in stanzas 1, 3, and 5, and Satobrihatî (12 +8 + 12 + 8) in stanzas 2, 4, and 6.

3 Most lofty, etc: these epithets qualify wealth and hero might.

DULY enkindled after ancient customs, bringing all treasures he is balmed with unguents,

Flame-haired, oil-clad, the purifying Agni, skilled in fair rites, to bring the gods for worship.

2 As thou, O Agni, skilful Jâtavedas, hast sacrificed as priest of Earth, of Heaven,

So with this offering bring the gods, and prosper this sacrifice to-day as erst for Manu.

3 Three are thy times of life, O Jâtavedas, and the three mornings are thy births, O Agni.

With these, well-knowing, grant the gods' kind favour, and be thou health and wealth to him who worships.

4 Agni most bright and fair with song we honour, yea, thee adorable, O Játavedas.

Thee, envoy, messenger, oblation-bearer, the gods have made centre of life eternal.

5 That priest before thee, yet more skilled in worship, stablished of old, health-giver by his nature,After his custom offer, thou who knowest, and lay our sacrifice where gods may taste it.

The Rishi of the hymn is Kata, son of Vigvâmitra. The metre is Trishṭup, four Pâdas of eleven syllables each.

3 Three are thy times of life: the existence of Agni upon earth is said to be threefold as dependent on the supply of fuel, clarified butter, and Soma. The three mornings: Agni is re-born every morning, and the number three appears to be used merely for the sake of accordance with the three times of life previously mentioned. 5 That priest before thee: Agni's more skilful predecessor is probably the celestial Agni, the high priest who sacrifices for the gods. The terrestrial Agni is to take him for his model.