Rig Veda · Mandala 10 · Sukta 51
Rig Veda 10.51 — Agni. Gods
Deity: Agni. Gods. Rishi family (Mandala 10): Many seers — generally considered latest in composition. This Sukta contains 9 verses presented below in Devanagari Sanskrit, IAST romanisation, and Ralph T. H. Griffith's English translation. Click any verse to read a fuller explanation.
Verses
Rig Veda 10.51.1
महत तदुल्बं सथविरं तदासीद येनाविष्टितःप्रविवेशिथापः | विश्वा अपश्यद बहुधा ते अग्ने जातवेदस्तन्वो देव एकः
mahat tadulbaṃ sthaviraṃ tadāsīd yenāviṣṭitaḥpraviveśithāpaḥ | viśvā apaśyad bahudhā te aghne jātavedastanvo deva ekaḥ
Rig Veda 10.51.2
को मा ददर्श कतमः स देवो यो मे तन्वो बहुधापर्यपश्यत | कवाह मित्रावरुणा कषियन्त्यग्नेर्विस्वाःसमिधो देवयानीः
ko mā dadarśa katamaḥ sa devo yo me tanvo bahudhāparyapaśyat | kvāha mitrāvaruṇā kṣiyantyaghnervisvāḥsamidho devayānīḥ
What God hath seen me? Who of all their number clearly beheld my forms in many places? Where lie, then, all the sacred logs of Agni that lead him God-ward, Varuṇa and Mitra?
Rig Veda 10.51.3
ऐछाम तवा बहुधा जातवेदः परविष्टमग्ने अप्स्वोषधीषु | तं तवा यमो अचिकेच्चित्रभानो दशान्तरुष्यादतिरोचमानम
aichāma tvā bahudhā jātavedaḥ praviṣṭamaghne apsvoṣadhīṣu | taṃ tvā yamo acikeccitrabhāno daśāntaruṣyādatirocamānam
In many places, Agni Jātavedas, we sought thee hidden in the plants and waters. Then Yama marked thee, God of wondrous splendour! effulgent from thy tenfold secret dwelling,
Rig Veda 10.51.4
होत्रादहं वरुण बिभ्यदायं नेदेव मा युनजन्नत्रदेवाः | तस्य मे तन्वो बहुधा निविष्टा एतमर्थं नचिकेताहमग्निः
hotrādahaṃ varuṇa bibhyadāyaṃ nedeva mā yunajannatradevāḥ | tasya me tanvo bahudhā niviṣṭā etamarthaṃ naciketāhamaghniḥ
I fled in fear from sacrificial worship, Varuṇa, lest the Gods should thus engage me. Thus were my forms laid down in many places. This, as my goal, I Agni saw before me.
Rig Veda 10.51.5
एहि मनुर्देवयुर्यज्ञकामो.अरंक्र्त्या तमसि कषेष्यग्ने | सुगान पथः कर्णुहि देवयानान वह हव्यानिसुमनस्यमानः
ehi manurdevayuryajñakāmo.araṃkṛtyā tamasi kṣeṣyaghne | sughān pathaḥ kṛṇuhi devayānān vaha havyānisumanasyamānaḥ
Come; man is pious and would fain do worship, he waits prepared: in gloom thou, Agni, dwellest. Make pathways leading God-ward clear and easy, and bear oblations with a kindly spirit.
Rig Veda 10.51.6
अग्नेः पूर्वे भरातरो अर्थमेतं रथीवाध्वानमन्वावरीवुः | तस्माद भिया वरुण दूरमायं गौरो नक्षेप्नोरविजे जयायाः
aghneḥ pūrve bhrātaro arthametaṃ rathīvādhvānamanvāvarīvuḥ | tasmād bhiyā varuṇa dūramāyaṃ ghauro nakṣepnoravije jyāyāḥ
This goal mine elder brothers erst selected, as he who drives a car the way to travel. So,Varuṇa, I fled afar through terror, as flies the wild-bull from an archer's bowstring.
Rig Veda 10.51.7
कुर्मस्त आयुरजरं यदग्ने यथा युक्तो जातवेदो नरिष्याः | अथा वहासि सुमनस्यमानो भागं देवेभ्योहविषः सुजात
kurmasta āyurajaraṃ yadaghne yathā yukto jātavedo nariṣyāḥ | athā vahāsi sumanasyamāno bhāghaṃ devebhyohaviṣaḥ sujāta
We give thee life unwasting, Jātavedas, so that, employed, thou never shalt be injured. So, nobly born! shalt thou with kindly spirit bear to the Gods their share of men's oblations.
Rig Veda 10.51.8
परयाजान मे अनुयाजांश्च केवलानूर्जस्वन्तं हविषोदत्त भागम | घर्तं चापां पुरुषं चौषधीनामग्नेश्च दीर्घमायुरस्तु देवाः
prayājān me anuyājāṃśca kevalānūrjasvantaṃ haviṣodatta bhāgham | ghṛtaṃ cāpāṃ puruṣaṃ cauṣadhīnāmaghneśca dīrghamāyurastu devāḥ
Grant me the first oblations and the latter, entire, my forceful shares of holy presents, The soul of plants, the fatness of the waters, and let there be long life, ye Gods, to Agni.
Rig Veda 10.51.9
तव परयाजा अनुयाजाश्च केवल ऊर्जस्वन्तो हविषः सन्तुभागाः | तवाग्ने यज्ञो.अयमस्तु सर्वस्तुभ्यं नमन्ताम्प्रदिशश्चतस्रः
tava prayājā anuyājāśca kevala ūrjasvanto haviṣaḥ santubhāghāḥ | tavāghne yajño.ayamastu sarvastubhyaṃ namantāmpradiśaścatasraḥ
Thine be the first oblations and the latter, entire, thy forceful shares of holy presents. Let all this sacrifice be thine, O Agni, and let the world's four regions how before thee.
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