Sukta 12

प्राग्नये बृहते यज्ञियाय ऋतस्य वृष्णे असुराय मन्म। घृतं न यज्ञ आस्ये सुपूतं गिरं भरे वृषभाय प्रतीचीम्॥

prāgnaye bṛhate yajñiyāya ṛtasya vṛṣṇe asurāya manma | ghṛtaṁ na yajña āsye supūtaṁ giraṁ bhare vṛṣabhāya pratīcīm ||

To Agni, lofty Asura, meet for worship, Steer of eternal Law, my prayer I offer; I bring my song directed to the Mighty like pure oil for his mouth at sacrifices.

ऋतं चिकित्व ऋतमिच्चिकिद्ध्यृतस्य धारा अनु तृन्धि पूर्वीः। नाहं यातुं सहसा न द्वयेन ऋतं सपाम्यरुषस्य वृष्णः॥

ṛtaṁ cikitva ṛtamiccikiddhyṛtasya dhārā anu tṛndhi pūrvīḥ | nāhaṁ yātuṁ sahasā na dvayena ṛtaṁ sapāmyaruṣasya vṛṣṇaḥ ||

Mark the Law, thou who knowest, yea, observe it: send forth the full streams of eternal Order. I use no sorcery with might or falsehood the sacred Law of the Red Steer I follow.

कया नो अग्न ऋतयन्नृतेन भुवो नवेदा उचथस्य नव्यः। वेदा मे देव ऋतुपा ऋतूनां नाहं पतिं सनितुरस्य रायः॥

kayā no agna ṛtayannṛtena bhuvo navedā ucathasya navyaḥ | vedā me deva ṛtupā ṛtūnāṁ nāhaṁ patiṁ saniturasya rāyaḥ ||

How hast thou, follower of the Law eternal, become the knower of a new song, Agni? The God, the Guardian of the seasons, knows me: the Lord of him who won this wealth I know not.

के ते अग्ने रिपवे बन्धनासः के पायवः सनिषन्त द्युमन्तः। के धासिमग्ने अनृतस्य पान्ति क आसतो वचसः सन्ति गोपाः॥

ke te agne ripave bandhanāsaḥ ke pāyavaḥ saniṣanta dyumantaḥ | ke dhāsimagne anṛtasya pānti ka āsato vacasaḥ santi gopāḥ ||

Who, Agni, in alliance with thy foeman, what splendid helpers won for them their riches? Agni, who guard the dwelling-place of falsehood? Who are protectors of the speech of liars?

सखायस्ते विषुणा अग्न एते शिवासः सन्तो अशिवा अभूवन्। अधूर्षत स्वयमेते वचोभिरृजूयते वृजिनानि ब्रुवन्तः॥

sakhāyaste viṣuṇā agna ete śivāsaḥ santo aśivā abhūvan | adhūrṣata svayamete vacobhirṛjūyate vṛjināni bruvantaḥ ||

Agni, those friends of thine have turned them from thee: gracious of old, they have become ungracious. They have deceived themselves by their own speeches, uttering wicked words against the righteous.

यस्ते अग्ने नमसा यज्ञमीट्ट ऋतं स पात्यरुषस्य वृष्णः। तस्य क्षयः पृथुरा साधुरेतु प्रसर्स्राणस्य नहुषस्य शेषः॥

yaste agne namasā yajñamīṭṭa ṛtaṁ sa pātyaruṣasya vṛṣṇaḥ | tasya kṣayaḥ pṛthurā sādhuretu prasarsrāṇasya nahuṣasya śeṣaḥ ||

He who pays sacrifice to thee with homage, O Agni, keeps the Red Steer's Law eternal; Wide is his dwelling. May the noble offipring of Nahusa who wandered forth come hither.