Agni, come hither with your flames; we choose you as the Invoking Priest.
Let the ladle full of oil balm you, best Priest, to sit on sacred grass.
For you, O Aṅgiras, O Son of Strength, move ladles in the sacrifice.
To Agni, Child of Force, whose locks drop oil, we seek, foremost in sacrificial rites.
Agni, you are Disposer, Sage, Herald, bright God! and worshipful,
Best offerer, cheerful, to be praised in holy rites, pure Lord! by singers with their hymns.
Most Youthful and Eternal, bring the longing Gods to me, the guileless, for the feast.
Come, Vasu, to the banquet that is well-prepared: rejoice thee, gracious, with our songs.
Famed art thou, Agni, far and wide, Preserver, righteous, and a Sage.
The holy singers, O refulgent kindled God! arrangers, call on you to come.
Shine, Most Resplendent! blaze, send bliss unto the folk, and to your worshipper
Great art thou.
So may my princes, with good fires, subdue foes, rest in the keeping of the Gods.
O Agni, as you burn down to earth even high-grown underwood,
So, bright as Mitra is, burn him who injures us, him who plots ill against your friend.
Give us not as a prey to mortal enemy, nor to the wicked friend of fiends.
With conquering guards, auspicious, unassailable, protect us, O Most Youthful God.
Protect us, Agni, through the first, protect us through the second hymn,
Protect us through three hymns, O Lord of Power and Might, through four hymns, Vasu, guard us.
Protect us from each fiend who brings the Gods no gift, preserve us in deeds of strength:
For we possess in you the nearest Friend of all, for service of the Gods and weal.
O Holy Agni, give us wealth renowned with men and strengthening life.
Bestow on us, O Helper, that which many crave, more glorious still by righteousness;
So wax you by our food, O Excellent in strength. Quicken our thoughts that find out wealth.
Agni is even as a bull who whets and brandishes his horns.
Well-sharpened are his jaws which may not be withstood: the Child of Strength has