Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46), by Hermann Oldenberg [1897], at sacred-texts.com

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MANDALA IV, HYMN 11.

ASHTAKA III, ADHYÂYA 5, VARGA 11.

1. Thy auspicious face, O mighty Agni, shines in the neighbourhood of the sun 1. Brilliant to see, it is seen even by night. Soft to behold is the food in thy (beautiful) body 2.

2. O Agni, disclose (wise) thoughts for him who praises thee; (disclose) the opening, when thou, O strong-born, hast been praised with trembling. Grant unto us, O very great one, such a rich prayer as thou with all the gods wilt hold dear, O brilliant one.

3. From thee, O Agni, genius is born, from thee (wise) thoughts, from thee beneficent hymns. From thee comes wealth adorned with heroes 1 to the thus-minded mortal who worships thee.

4. From thee the racer is born that wins booty, whose energy expands round-about 1, the helpful, of true strength; from thee delightful wealth sent by the gods; from thee, O Agni, the swift and impetuous horse.

5. Thee, O Agni, the pious mortals seek to win by their prayers as the first, thee the god with agreeable speech, O immortal, who drivest away malice, the household god, the lord of the house, the wise one.

6. (Drive) far from us senselessness and anguish; (drive) far all ill-will from him whom thou attendest 1. Be gracious at evening, Agni, son of strength, to him whom thou, the god, attendest with welfare.

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NOTES.

The same Rishi. Metre, Trishtubh.—Verse 1 = TS. IV, 3, 13, 1.

Verse 1.

Note 1. Comp. above, IV, 10, 5. rokate upâké.

Note 2. Literally, 'in thy appearance' (rûpé). Thus the Soma is stated, IX, 16, 6, to purify itself rûpé avyáye, literally, 'in the appearance of the sheep,' i. e. in the filter made of sheep's hair.

Verse 3.

Note 1. See Lanman, p. 560; Pischel, Ved. Studien, II, 115.

Verse 4.

Note 1. On víhâyâh, see V. Henry, Les livres VIII et IX de l’Atharva-véda (1894), p. 40 (AV. VIII, 2, 7).

Verse 6.

Note 1. Probably the correct Padapâtha reading would be, as Prof. Bartholomae (Bezzenberger's Beiträge, XV, 190) has noticed, yám nipâ´si (cf. Pâda d: yám … sákase). If yát is correct, the translation will be: '(drive) far all ill-will when thou protectest (us).'—Bartholomae proposes either to change asmát to asmât, or to interpret it as an equivalent of asmât. It is possible, though in my opinion not very probable, that the text should be changed. The ablative asmát very frequently depends on âré.