सूक्त ५१

महत्तदुल्बं स्थविरं तदासीद्येनाविष्टितः प्रविवेशिथापः। विश्वा अपश्यद्बहुधा ते अग्ने जातवेदस्तन्वो देव एकः॥

mahattadulbaṁ sthaviraṁ tadāsīdyenāviṣṭitaḥ praviveśithāpaḥ | viśvā apaśyadbahudhā te agne jātavedastanvo 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 क्षियन्त्यग्नेर्विश्वाः समिधो देवयानीः॥

ko mā dadarśa katamaḥ sa devo yo me tanvo bahudhā paryapaśyat | kvāha mitrāvaruṇā kṣiyantyagnerviśvāḥ 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?

ऐच्छाम त्वा बहुधा जातवेदः प्रविष्टमग्ने अप्स्वोषधीषु। तं त्वा यमो अचिकेच्चित्रभानो दशान्तरुष्यादतिरोचमानम्॥

aicchāma tvā bahudhā jātavedaḥ praviṣṭamagne apsvoṣadhīṣu | taṁ tvā yamo acikeccitrabhāno daśāntaruṣyādatirocamānam ||

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,

होत्रादहं वरुण बिभ्यदायं नेदेव मा युनजन्नत्र देवाः। तस्य मे तन्वो बहुधा निविष्टा एतमर्थं न चिकेताहमग्निः॥

hotrādahaṁ varuṇa bibhyadāyaṁ nedeva mā yunajannatra devāḥ | tasya me tanvo bahudhā niviṣṭā etamarthaṁ na ciketāhamagniḥ ||

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.

एहि मनुर्देवयुर्यज्ञकामोऽरंकृत्या तमसि क्षेष्यग्ने। सुगान्पथः कृणुहि देवयानान्वह हव्यानि सुमनस्यमानः॥

ehi manurdevayuryajñakāmo'raṁkṛtyā tamasi kṣeṣyagne | sugānpathaḥ kṛṇuhi devayānānvaha havyāni sumanasyamānaḥ ||

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.

अग्नेः पूर्वे भ्रातरो अर्थमेतं रथीवाध्वानमन्वावरीवुः। तस्माद्भिया वरुण दूरमायं गौरो न क्षेप्नोरविजे ज्यायाः॥

agneḥ pūrve bhrātaro arthametaṁ rathīvādhvānamanvāvarīvuḥ | tasmādbhiyā varuṇa dūramāyaṁ gauro na kṣepnoravije 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.

कुर्मस्त आयुरजरं यदग्ने यथा युक्तो जातवेदो न रिष्याः। अथा वहासि सुमनस्यमानो भागं देवेभ्यो हविषः सुजात॥

kurmasta āyurajaraṁ yadagne yathā yukto jātavedo na riṣyāḥ | athā vahāsi sumanasyamāno bhāgaṁ 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.

प्रयाजान्मे अनुयाजाँश्च केवलानूर्जस्वन्तं हविषो दत्त भागम्। घृतं चापां पुरुषं चौषधीनामग्नेश्च दीर्घमायुरस्तु देवाः॥

prayājānme anuyājāśca kevalānūrjasvantaṁ haviṣo datta bhāgam | ghṛtaṁ cāpāṁ puruṣaṁ cauṣadhīnāmagneśca 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.

तव प्रयाजा अनुयाजाश्च केवल ऊर्जस्वन्तो हविषः सन्तु भागाः। तवाग्ने यज्ञोऽयमस्तु सर्वस्तुभ्यं नमन्तां प्रदिशश्चतस्रः॥

tava prayājā anuyājāśca kevala ūrjasvanto haviṣaḥ santu bhāgāḥ | tavāgne yajño'yamastu sarvastubhyaṁ namantāṁ pradiśaścatasraḥ ||

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.