Rigveda 2.4

2.4.1

हु॒वे व॑: सु॒द्योत्मा॑नं सुवृ॒क्तिं वि॒शाम॒ग्निमति॑थिं सुप्र॒यस॑म् | मि॒त्र इ॑व॒ यो दि॑धि॒षाय्यो॒ भूद् दे॒व आदे॑वे॒ जने॑ जा॒तवे॑दाः ||

FOR you I call the glorious refulgent Agni, the guest of men, rich in oblations Whom all must strive to win even as a lover, God among godly people, Jātavedas.

2.4.2

इ॒मं वि॒धन्तो॑ अ॒पां स॒धस्थे॑ द्वि॒ताद॑धु॒र्भृग॑वो वि॒क्ष्वा॒३योः | ए॒ष विश्वा॑न्य॒भ्य॑स्तु॒ भूमा॑ दे॒वाना॑म॒ग्निर॑र॒तिर्जी॒राश्व॑: ||

Bhṛgus who served him in the home of waters set him of old in houses of the living. Over all worlds let Agni be the Sovran, the messenger of Gods with rapid coursers.

2.4.3

अ॒ग्निं दे॒वासो॒ मानु॑षीषु वि॒क्षु प्रि॒यं धु॑: क्षे॒ष्यन्तो॒ न मि॒त्रम् | स दी॑दयदुश॒तीरूर्म्या॒ आ द॒क्षाय्यो॒ यो दास्व॑ते॒ दम॒ आ ||

Among the tribes of men the Gods placed Agni as a dear Friend when they would dwell among them. Against the longing nights may he shine brightly, and show the offerer in the house his vigour.

2.4.4

अ॒स्य र॒ण्वा स्वस्ये॑व पु॒ष्टिः संदृ॑ष्टिरस्य हिया॒नस्य॒ दक्षो॑: | वि यो भरि॑भ्र॒दोष॑धीषु जि॒ह्वामत्यो॒ न रथ्यो॑ दोधवीति॒ वारा॑न् ||

Sweet is his growth as of one's own possessions; his look when rushing fain to burn is lovely. He darts his tongue forth, like a harnessed courser who shakes his flowing tail, among the bushes.

2.4.5

आ यन्मे॒ अभ्वं॑ व॒नद॒: पन॑न्तो॒शिग्भ्यो॒ नामि॑मीत॒ वर्ण॑म् | स चि॒त्रेण॑ चिकिते॒ रंसु॑ भा॒सा जु॑जु॒र्वाँ यो मुहु॒रा युवा॒ भूत् ||

Since they who honour me have praised my greatness,—he gave, as ’twere, his hue to those who love him. Known is he by his bright delightful splendour, and waxing old renews his youth for ever.

2.4.6

आ यो वना॑ तातृषा॒णो न भाति॒ वार्ण प॒था रथ्ये॑व स्वानीत् | कृ॒ष्णाध्वा॒ तपू॑ र॒ण्वश्चि॑केत॒ द्यौरि॑व॒ स्मय॑मानो॒ नभो॑भिः ||

Like one athirst, he lighteth up the forests; like water down the chariot ways he roareth. On his black path he shines in burning beauty, marked as it were the heaven that smiles through vapour.

2.4.7

स यो व्यस्था॑द॒भि दक्ष॑दु॒र्वीं प॒शुर्नैति॑ स्व॒युरगो॑पाः | अ॒ग्निः शो॒चिष्माँ॑ अत॒सान्यु॒ष्णन् कृ॒ष्णव्य॑थिरस्वदय॒न्न भूम॑ ||

Around, consuming the broad earth, he wanders, free roaming like an ox without a herdsman,— Agni refulgent, burning up the bushes, with blackened lines, as though the earth he seasoned.

2.4.8

नू ते॒ पूर्व॒स्याव॑सो॒ अधी॑तौ तृ॒तीये॑ वि॒दथे॒ मन्म॑ शंसि | अ॒स्मे अ॑ग्ने सं॒यद्वी॑रं बृ॒हन्तं॑ क्षु॒मन्तं॒ वाजं॑ स्वप॒त्यं र॒यिं दा॑: ||

I, in remembrance of thine ancient favour have sung my hymn in this our third assembly. O Agni, give us wealth with store of heroes and mighty strength in food and noble offspring.

2.4.9

त्वया॒ यथा॑ गृत्सम॒दासो॑ अग्ने॒ गुहा॑ व॒न्वन्त॒ उप॑राँ अ॒भि ष्युः | सु॒वीरा॑सो अभिमाति॒षाह॒: स्मत् सू॒रिभ्यो॑ गृण॒ते तद् वयो॑ धाः ||

May the Gṛtsamadas, serving in secret, through thee, O Agni, overcome their neighbours, Rich in good heroes and subduing foemen. That vital power give thou to chiefs and singers.