THE food and strength contained in stone and mountain, drink gathered from the plants and trees and waters,

That food and strength, Maruts! free-givers, grant us.

In the stone is thy hunger. In me is thy food. Let thy pain reach the man we hate.

2O Agni, may these bricks be mine own milch kine: one, and ten, and ten tens, a hundred, and ten hundreds, a thousand, and ten thousand a myriad, and a hundred thousand, and a million, and a hundred millions, and an ocean middle and end, and a hundred thousand millions, and a billion. May these bricks be mine own milch-kine in yonder world and in this world.

3Ye are the Seasons, strengthening Law, fixed in due season, strengthening Law, Called Splendid, dropping butter down and honey, yielders of every wish, imperishable.

4With the lake’s mantling need we robe thee, Agni: to us he purifying and auspicious.

5With cold’s investing garb we gird thee, Agni: to us be purifying and auspicious.

6Descend upon the earth, the reed, the rivers: thou art the gall, O Agni, of the waters. With them come hither, female Frog, and render this sacrifice of ours bright-hued, successful.

7This is the place where waters meet; here is the gathering of the flood. Let thy shaft burn others than us: be thou cleanser, propitious unto us.

8O Agni, purifier, God, with splendour and thy pleasant tongue Bring hither, and adore, the Gods.

9So, Agni, purifying, bright, bring hither to our sacrifice, To our oblation bring the Gods.

10He who with purifying, eye-attracting form hath shone upon the earth as with the light of Dawn; Who speeding on, as in the fleet steed’s race, in fight, cometh untouched by age, as one athirst in heat.

11Obeisance to thy wrath and glow! Obeisance to thy fiery flame! Let thy shot missiles burn others than us: be thou cleanser, propitious unto us.

12To him who dwells in man, Hail! To him who dwells in waters, Hail! To him who dwells in sacred grass, Hail! To him who dwells in the wood, Hail! To him who finds the light, Hail!

13Worshipful Gods of Gods who merit worship, those who sit down beside their yearly portion, Let them who eat not sacrificial presents drink in this rite of honey and of butter.

14Those Gods who have attained to Godhead over Gods, they who have led the way in this our holy work, Without whose aid no body whatsoever moves, not on heaven’s heights are they, nor on the face of earth.

15Giver of breath, of out-breath, breath diffusive, giver of lustre, giving room and freedom, Let thy shot missiles burn others than us: be thou cleanser, propitious unto us.

16May Agni with his sharpened blaze cast down each fierce devouring fiend. May Agni win us wealth by war.

17He who sate down as Hotar priest, the Rishi, our Father offering, up all