Agni, or the Fire - Visvavârâ Âtreyî

1. 

Lighted Agni flames forth high, 

Flings a radiance on the sky, 

And his lustre, glorious, bright. 

Mingles with the morning light. 

And Visvavârâ chants her holy prayer, 

Faces the east, and brings her gifts to Fire! 

2.

Lord of Eternity! Lord of skies! 

Presiding Lord of sacrifice! 

Agni! Whoso worships thee, 

By him with thy blessings be! 

Whose blazing altar sacred Agni lights, — 

Affluence dwells with him and pious rites. 

3. 

Agni! On the altar shine, 

Flames and radiance bright be thine! 

Grant us wealth with thy red flame, 

Quell our foes, increase our fame! 

Invest our homes with blessings from above. 

And link our men and wives in bonds of love! 

4. 

Agni! On the altar shine. 

Flames and radiance bright be thine! 

And I lift my pious hymn 

To thy bright efflugent beam! 

Bounteous god! Red lustre e’er be thine, 

Flame on our altar, glorious and divine! 

5. 

With pious hands we light thy flame, 

With pious lips we chant thy name! 

Invoke unto our sacrifice 

The glorious bright gods of the skies! 

For thou art Priest in every pious rite. 

And makest gifts to gods with radiance bright! 

6 . 

Then let us unto Agni pray, 

And he our offerings will convey! 

And let us unto Agni sing, 

And he the radiant gods will bring! 

Priest and God! to thee we humbly pray, 

Our pious offerings to the gods convey! 

Rig Veda V.28

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Visvavârâ Âtreyî (12th century BC) India

Translated by Romesh Chunder Dutt

Source: Lays Of Ancient India by Romesh Chunder Dutt, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1894

 

• Agni is the god of Fire. 
• This poem is significant, because it is said to have been composed by a pious lady, Visvavârâ Âtreyî.
• "The Rig Veda consist of 1028 hymns, comprising over ten thousand verses. The hymns are generally simple, and betray a child-like and simple faith in the gods, to whom sacrifices are offered and libations of the Soma juice are poured, and who are asked for increase of progeny, cattle, and wealth, and implored to help the Aryans in their still doubtful struggle against the black aborigines of the Punjab." Civilisation in Ancient India (London, 1893), vol. L p. 32
• The Rig Veda was composed in the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, roughly between 1700–1100 BC (the early Vedic period).
• See also Rig Veda III.62 on this site.