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HYMN XVI. Agni.

1. PRIEST of all sacrifices hast thou been appointed by the Gods,
Agni, amid the race of man.
2 So with thy joyous tongues for us sacrifice nobly in this rite.
Bring thou the Gods and worship them.
3 For well, O God, Disposer, thou knowest, straight on, the paths and ways,
Agni, most wise in sacrifice.
4 Thee, too, hath Bharata of old, with mighty men, implored for bliss.
And worshipped thee the worshipful.
5 Thou givest these abundant boons to Divodasa pouring forth,
To Bharadvaja offering gifts.
6 Do thou, Immortal Messenger, bring hither the Celestial Folk;
Hearing the singer's eulogy.
7 Mortals with pious thought implore thee, Agni, God, at holy rites,
To come unto the feast of Gods.
8 I glorify thine aspect and the might of thee the Bountilul.
All those who love shall joy in thee,
9 Invoker placed by Manus, thou, Agni, art near, the wisest Priest:
Pay worship to the Tribes of Heaven.
10 Come, Agni, lauded, to the feast; come to the offering of the gifts.
As Priest be seated on the grass.
11 So, Angiras, we make thee strong with fuel and with holy oil.
Blaze high, thou youngest of the Gods.
12 For us thou winnest, Agni, God, heroic strength exceeding great,
Far-spreading and of high renown.
13 Agni, Atharvan brought thee forth, by rubbing, from the lotus-flower,
The head of Visva, of the Priest.
14 Thee. Vrtra's slayer, breaker down of castles, hath Atharvan's son,
Dadhyac the Rsi, lighted up.
15 The hero Pathya kindled thee the Dasyus'. most destructive foe,
Winner of spoil in every fight.
16 Come, here, O Agni, will I sing verily other songs to thee,
And with these drops shalt thou grow strong.
17 Where'er tby mind applies itself, vigour preeminent bast thou:
There wilt thou gain a dwelling-place.
18 Not for a moment only lasts thy bounty, good to many a one!
Our service therefore shalt thou gain.
19 Agni, the Bharata, hath been sought, the Vrtra-slayer, marked of all,
Yea, Divodasa's Hero Lord.
20 For he gave riches that surpass in greatness all the things of earth,
Fighting untroubled, unsubdued.
21 Thou, Agni, as in days of old, with recent glory, gathered light,
Hast overspread the lofty heaven.
22 Bring to your Agni, O my friends, boldly your laud and sacrifice:
Give the Disposer praise and song.
23 For as sagacious Herald he hath sat through every age of man,
Oblation-bearing messenger.
24 Bring those Two Kings whose ways are pure, Adityas, and the Marut host,
Excellent God! and Heaven and Earth.
25 For strong and active mortal man, excellent, Agni, is the look Of thee Immortal, Son of Strength
26 Rich through his wisdom, noblest be the giver serving thee to-day:
The man hath brought his hymn of praise.
27 These, Agni, these are helped by thee, who strong and active all their lives,
O'ercome the malice of the foe, fight down the malice ofthe foe.
28 May Agni with his pointed blaze cast down each fierce devouring fiend
May Agni win us wealth by war.
29 O active Jatavedas, bring riches with store of hero sons:
Slay thou the demons, O Most Wise.
30 Keep us, O Jatavedas, from the troubling of the man of sin:
Guard us thou Sage who knowest prayer.
31 Whatever sinner, Agni, brings oblations to procure our death,
Save us from woe that he would work.
32 Drive from us with thy tongue, O God, the man who doeth evil deeds,
The mortal who would strike us dead.
33 Give shelter reaching far and wide to Bharadvaja, conquering Lord!
Agni, send wealth most excellent.
34 May Agni slay the Vrtras,-fain for riches, through the lord of song,
Served with oblation, kindled, bright.
35 His Father's Father, shining in his Mother's everlasting side,
Set on the seat of holy Law.
36 O active Jatavedas, bring devotion that wins progeny, Agni, that it may shine to heaven.
37 O Child of Strength, to thee whose look is lovely we with dainty food,
O Agni, have poured forth our songs.
38 To thee for shelter are we come, as to the shade from fervent heat
Agni, who glitterest like gold.
39 Mighty as one who slays with shafts, or like a bull with sharpened horn,
Agni, thou breakest down the forts.
40 Whom, like an infant newly born, devourer, in their arms they bear,
Men's Agni, skilled in holy rites.
41 Bear to the banquet of the Gods the God best finder-out of wealth,
Let him he seated in his place.
42 In Jatavedas kindle ye the dear guest who hath now appeared
In a soft place, the homestead's Lord.
43 Harness, O Agni, O thou God, thy steeds which are most excellent:
They bear thee as thy spirit wills.
44 Come hither, bring the Gods to us to taste the sacrificial feast,
To drink the draught of Soma juice.
45 O Agni of the Bharatas, blaze high with everlasting might,
Shine forth and gleam, Eternal One.
46 The mortal man who serves the God with banquet, and, bringing gifts at sacrifice, lauds Agni,
May well attract, with prayer and hands uplifted, the Priest of Heaven and Earth, true Sacrificer.
47 Agni, we bring thee, with our hymn, oblation fashioned in the heart.
Let these be oxen unto thee, let these be bulls and kine to thee.
48 The Gods enkindle Agni, best slayer of Vrtra, first in rank,
The Mighty, One who brings us wealth and crushes down the Raksasas.

Next: HYMN XVII. Indra.