महत् तद् उल्बं स्थविरं तद् आसीद् येनाविष्टितः प्रविवेशिथापः । विश्वा अपश्यद् बहुधा ते अग्ने जातवेदस् तन्वो देव एकः ॥
mahat tad ulbaṃ sthaviraṃ tad āsīd yenāviṣṭitaḥ praviveśithāpaḥ | viśvā apaśyad bahudhā te agne jātavedas tanvo deva ekaḥ ||
Large was that covering, and firm of texture, folded wherein thou enteredst the waters. One Deity alone, O Jatavedas Agni, saw all thy forms in sundry places.
को मा ददर्श कतमः स देवो यो मे तन्वो बहुधा पर्यपश्यत् । क्वाह मित्रावरुणा क्षियन्त्य् अग्नेर् विश्वाः समिधो देवयानीः ॥
ko mā dadarśa katamaḥ sa devo yo me tanvo bahudhā paryapaśyat | kvāha mitrāvaruṇā kṣiyanty agner viśvāḥ samidho 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, Varuna and Mitra?
In many places, Agni Jatavedas, we sought thee hidden in the plants and waters. Then Yama marked thee, God of wondrous splendour! effulgent from thy tenfold secret dwelling,
होत्राद् अहं वरुण बिभ्यद् आयं नेद् एव मा युनजन्न् अत्र देवाः । तस्य मे तन्वो बहुधा निविष्टा एतम् अर्थं न चिकेताहम् अग्निः ॥
hotrād ahaṃ varuṇa bibhyad āyaṃ ned eva mā yunajann atra devāḥ | tasya me tanvo bahudhā niviṣṭā etam arthaṃ na ciketāham agniḥ ||
I fled in fear from sacrificial worship, Varuna, 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.
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.
agneḥ pūrve bhrātaro artham etaṃ rathīvādhvānam anv āvarīvuḥ | tasmād bhiyā varuṇa dūram āyaṃ gauro na kṣepnor avije jyāyāḥ ||
This goal mine elder brothers erst selected, as he who drives a car the way to travel. So,Varuna, I fled afar through terror, as flies the wild-bull from an archer's bowstring.
कुर्मस् त आयुर् अजरं यद् अग्ने यथा युक्तो जातवेदो न रिष्याः । अथा वहासि सुमनस्यमानो भागं देवेभ्यो हविषः सुजात ॥
kurmas ta āyur ajaraṃ yad agne yathā yukto jātavedo na riṣyāḥ | athā vahāsi sumanasyamāno bhāgaṃ devebhyo haviṣaḥ sujāta ||
We give thee life unwasting, Jatavedas, 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.
प्रयाजान् मे अनुयाजांश् च केवलान् ऊर्जस्वन्तं हविषो दत्त भागम् । घृतं चापाम् पुरुषं चौषधीनाम् अग्नेश् च दीर्घम् आयुर् अस्तु देवाः ॥
prayājān me anuyājāṃś ca kevalān ūrjasvantaṃ haviṣo datta bhāgam | ghṛtaṃ cāpām puruṣaṃ cauṣadhīnām agneś ca dīrgham āyur astu 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.
तव प्रयाजा अनुयाजाश् च केवल ऊर्जस्वन्तो हविषः सन्तु भागाः । तवाग्ने यज्ञो ऽयम् अस्तु सर्वस् तुभ्यं नमन्ताम् प्रदिशश् चतस्रः ॥
tava prayājā anuyājāś ca kevala ūrjasvanto haviṣaḥ santu bhāgāḥ | tavāgne yajño 'yam astu sarvas tubhyaṃ namantām pradiśaś catasraḥ ||
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 bow before thee.