null 7

1 INDRA the singers with high praise, Indra reciters with their lauds, 2 Indra hath ever close to him his two bay steeds and word−yoked car, 3 Indra hath raised the Sun on high in heaven, that he may see afar: 4 Help us, O Indra, in the frays, yea, frays, where thousand spoils are gained, 5 In mighty battle we invoke Indra, Indra in lesser fight, 6 Unclose, our manly Hero, thou for ever bounteous, yonder cloud, 7 Still higher, at each strain of mine, thunder−armed Indra's praises rise: 8 Even as the bull drives on the herds, he drives the people with his might, 9 Indra who rules with single sway men, riches, and the fivefold race 10 For your sake from each side we call Indra away from other men:

2 Let no malignity prevail against us, either God's or man's. 3 So through thy favour may we force through all our enemies a way, 4 Thou, Purifier Agni, high shinest forth, bright, adorable, 5 Ours art thou, Agni, Bharata, honoured by us with barren cows, 6 Wood−fed, bedewed with sacred oil, ancient, Invoker, excellent, 2 Who, guiding worshippers aright, withers, untouched by age, the foe: 3 Who for his glory is extolled at eve and morning in our homes, 4 Who shines refulgent like the Sun, with brilliance and with fiery flame, 5 Him Atri, Agni, have our songs Strengthened according to his sway: 6 May we with Agni's, Indra's help, with Soma's, yea, of all the Gods,

2 When shall thy glory as a God, Agni, be suddenly shown forth. 3 Seeing thee faithful to the Law, most sapient, like the starry heaven, 4 Vivasvan's envoy living men have taken as their ensign, swift, 5 Him the intelligent have they placed duly as Invoking Priest, 6 In his Eternal Mothers, in the wood, concealed and unapproached, 7 That as food spreads forth in this earthly udder, Gods may rejoice them in the home of Order, 8 Bird of each rite, skilled in an envoy's duties, knowing both worlds and that which lies between them, 9 Bright God, thy path is black: light is before thee: thy moving splendour is the chief of wonders. 10 Yet newly born, his vigour is apparent when the wind blows upon his fiery splendour, His sharpened t

2 Him in whose presence, when they meet in full assembly, men rejoice; 3 When we present to him the food and sacrificial gifts of men, 4 He gives a signal in the night even to him who is afar, 5 He in whose service on the ways they offer up their drops of sweat, 6 Whom, sought of many, mortal man hath found to be the Stay of all; 7 Even as a herd that crops the grass he shears the field and wilderness, 8 For him, to whom, bright as an axe he, as to Atri, hath flashed forth, 9 Agni to whom the oil is shed by him thou lovest to support, 10 Such zeal hath he, resistless one: he gained the cattle given by thee.

2 Him have they praised, mid−point of sacrifices, great cistern of libations, seat of riches. 3 From thee, O Agni, springs the mighty singer, from thee come heroes who subdue the foeman. 4 To thee, Immortal! when to life thou springest, all the Gods sing for joy as to their infant. 5 Agni Vaisvanara, no one hath ever resisted these thy mighty ordinances, 6 The summits of the heaven are traversed through and through by the Immortal's light, Vaisvanara's 7 Vaisvanara, who measured out the realms of air, Sage very wise who made the lucid spheres of heaven,

2 By paths that are thine own come hither, Agni, joyous, delighting in the Gods' alliance, 3 The grass is strewn; the sacrifice advances adored as Priest, Agni is made propitious, 4 Forthwith the men, the best of these for wisdom, have made him leader in the solemn worship. 5 He hath come, chosen bearer, and is seated in man's home, Brahman, Agni, the Supporter, 6 These have passed all in glory, who, the manly, have wrought with skill the hymn of adoration; 7 We, the Vasisthas, now implore thee, Agni, O Son of Strength, the Lord of wealth and treasure.

2 When, Bright Ones, fain to show your might ye have determined on your course, 3 Loud roaring with the winds the Sons of Prsni have upraised themselves: 4 The Maruts spread the mist abroad and make mountains rock and reel, 5 What time the rivers and the hills before your coming bowed them down, 6 We call on you for aid by night, on you for succour in the day, 7 These, verily, wondrous, red of hue, speed on their courses with a roar 8 With might they drop the loosened rein so that the Sun may run his course, 9 Accept, ye Maruts, this my song, accept ye this mine hymn of praise, 10 The dappled Cows have poured three lakes, meath for the Thunder−wielding God, 11 O Maruts, quickly come to us when, longing for felicity, 12 For, Rudras and Rbhuksans, ye, Most Bountiful, are in the house, 13 O Maruts, send us down from heaven riches distilling rapturous joy, 14 When, Bright Ones, hither from the hills ye have resolved to take your way, 15 Man should solicit with his lauds happiness which belongs to them, 16 They who like fiery sparks with showers of rain blow through the heaven and earth, 17 With chariots and tumultuous roar, with tempests and with hymns of praise 18 For wealth, we think of that whereby ye aided Yadu, Turvasa, 19 May these our viands Bounteous Ones I that flow in streams like holy oil, 20 Where, Bounteous Lords for whom the grass is trimmed, are ye rejoicing now? 21 Is it not there where ye of old, supplied with sacred grass, for lauds 22 They brought together both the worlds, the mighty waters, and the Sun, 23 They sundered Vrtra limb from limb and split the gloomy mountain−clouds, 24 They reinforced the power and strength of Trita as he fought, and helped 25 They deck themselves for glory, bright, celestial, lightning in their hands, 26 When eagerly ye from far away came to the cavern of the Bull, 27 Borne by your golden−footed steeds, O Gods, come hither to receive 28 When the red leader draws along their spotted deer yoked to the car.

29 Susoma, Saryakiavan, and Arjika full of homes, have they. 30 When, Maruts, ye come to him, the singer who invokes you thus, 31 What now? where have ye still a friend since ye left Indra all alone? 32 The Kanvas sing forth Agni's praise together with our Maruts' who 33 Hither for new felicity may I attract the Impetuous Ones, 34 Before them sink the very hills deerning themseives abysses: yea, 35 Steeds flying on their tortuous path through mid−air carry them, and give 36 Agni was born the first of all, like Surya lovely with his light:

2 A hundred oxen white of hue are shining like the stars in heaven, 3 Bamboos a hundred, a hundred dogs, a hundred skins of beasts well−tanned, 4 Blest by the Gods, Kinvayanas! be ye who spread through life on life: 5 Then men extolled the team of seven not yet full−grown, its fame is great. 2 Ten thousand Dasyave−vrka, the son of Putakrata, hath 3 A hundred asses hath he given, a hundred head of fleecy sheep, 4 There also was a mare led forth, picked out for Putakrata's sake, 5 Observant Agni hath appeared, oblation−bearer with his car.

2 Down in the mighty waters sinks the stream of meath, most excellent, 3 About the holy place, the Steer true, guileless, noblest, hath sent forth 4 When, clothed in manly strength, the Sage flows in celestial wisdom round, 5 When purified, he sits as King above the hosts, among his folk, 6 Dear, golden−coloured, in the fleece he sinks and settles in the wood: 7 He goes to Indra, Vayu, to the Asvins, as his custom is, 8 Tle streams of pleasant Soma flow to Bhaga, Mitra−Varuna,−

2 These hymns brought forth for thee, O Agni, laud thee for bounteous gifts, with cattle and with horses. 3 Agni I deem my Kinsman and my Father, count him my Brother and my Friend for ever. 4 Effectual, Agni, are our prayers for profit. He whom, at home thou, Priest for ever, guardest 5 Men with their arms have generated Agni, helpful as some kind friend, adorned with splendours, 6 Worship, thyself, O God, the Gods in heaven: what, void of knowledge, shall the fool avail thee? 7 Agni, be thou our Guardian and Protector bestow upon us life and vital vigour.