Sukta 9

सखायस्त्वा ववृमहे देवं मर्तास ऊतये। अपां नपातं सुभगं सुदीदितिं सुप्रतूर्तिमनेहसम्॥

sakhāyastvā vavṛmahe devaṁ martāsa ūtaye | apāṁ napātaṁ subhagaṁ sudīditiṁ supratūrtimanehasam ||

WE as thy friends have chosen thee, mortals a God, to be our help, The Waters' Child, the blessed, the resplendent One, victorious and beyond compare.

कायमानो वना त्वं यन्मातॄरजगन्नपः। न तत्ते अग्ने प्रमृषे निवर्तनं यद्दूरे सन्निहाभवः॥

kāyamāno vanā tvaṁ yanmātṝrajagannapaḥ | na tatte agne pramṛṣe nivartanaṁ yaddūre sannihābhavaḥ ||

Since thou delighting in the woods hast gone unto thy mother streams, Not to be scorned, Agni, is that return of thine when from afar thou now art here.

अति तृष्टं ववक्षिथाथैव सुमना असि। प्रप्रान्ये यन्ति पर्यन्य आसते येषां सख्ये असि श्रितः॥

ati tṛṣṭaṁ vavakṣithāthaiva sumanā asi | praprānye yanti paryanya āsate yeṣāṁ sakhye asi śritaḥ ||

O'er pungent smoke host thou prevailed, and thus art thou benevolent. Some go before, and others round about thee sit, they in whose friendship thou hast place.

ईयिवांसमति स्रिधः शश्वतीरति सश्चतः। अन्वीमविन्दन्निचिरासो अद्रुहोऽप्सु सिंहमिव श्रितम्॥

īyivāṁsamati sridhaḥ śaśvatīrati saścataḥ | anvīmavindannicirāso adruho'psu siṁhamiva śritam ||

Him who had passed beyond his foes, beyond continual pursuits, Him the unerring Ones, observant, found in floods, couched like a lion in his lair.

ससृवांसमिव त्मनाग्निमित्था तिरोहितम्। ऐनं नयन्मातरिश्वा परावतो देवेभ्यो मथितं परि॥

sasṛvāṁsamiva tmanāgnimitthā tirohitam | ainaṁ nayanmātariśvā parāvato devebhyo mathitaṁ pari ||

Him wandering at his own free will, Agni here hidden from our view, Him Matarisvan brought to us from far away produced by friction, from the Gods.

तं त्वा मर्ता अगृभ्णत देवेभ्यो हव्यवाहन। विश्वान्यद्यज्ञाँ अभिपासि मानुष तव क्रत्वा यविष्ठ्य॥

taṁ tvā martā agṛbhṇata devebhyo havyavāhana | viśvānyadyajñā abhipāsi mānuṣa tava kratvā yaviṣṭhya ||

O Bearer of Oblations, thus mortals received thee from the Gods, Whilst thou, the Friend of man, guardest each sacrifice with thine own power, Most Youthful One.

तद्भद्रं तव दंसना पाकाय चिच्छदयति। त्वां यदग्ने पशवः समासते समिद्धमपिशर्वरे॥

tadbhadraṁ tava daṁsanā pākāya cicchadayati | tvāṁ yadagne paśavaḥ samāsate samiddhamapiśarvare ||

Amid thy wonders this is good, yea, to the simple is it clear, When gathered round about thee, Agni, lie the herds where thou art kindled in the morn.

आ जुहोता स्वध्वरं शीरं पावकशोचिषम्। आशुं दूतमजिरं प्रत्नमीड्यं श्रुष्टी देवं सपर्यत॥

ā juhotā svadhvaraṁ śīraṁ pāvakaśociṣam | āśuṁ dūtamajiraṁ pratnamīḍyaṁ śruṣṭī devaṁ saparyata ||

Offer to him who knows fair rites, who burns with purifying glow, Swift envoy, active, ancient, and adorable: serve ye the God attentively.

त्रीणि शता त्री सहस्राण्यग्निं त्रिंशच्च देवा नव चासपर्यन्। औक्षन्घृतैरस्तृणन्बर्हिरस्मा आदिद्धोतारं न्यसादयन्त॥

trīṇi śatā trī sahasrāṇyagniṁ triṁśacca devā nava cāsaparyan | aukṣanghṛtairastṛṇanbarhirasmā ādiddhotāraṁ nyasādayanta ||

Three times a hundred Gods and thrice a thousand, and three times ten and nine have worshipped Agni, For him spread sacred grass, with oil bedewed him, and stablished him as Priest and Sacrificer.