त्वं नो अग्ने अधरादुदक्तस्त्वं पश्चादुत रक्षा पुरस्तात्। प्रति त्ये ते अजरासस्तपिष्ठा अघशंसं शोशुचतो दहन्तु
You, Agni, rise for us from below, and you guard behind and before. Let your ageless, sharp flames burn the evil-wisher, the one who seeks harm.
पश्चात्पुरस्तादधरादुतोत्तरात्कविः काव्येन परि पाह्यग्ने । सखा सखायमजरो जरिम्ने अग्ने मर्ताममर्त्यस्त्वं नः
Guard us, Agni, from behind, before, below, and above, O sage, with your wisdom. As a friend to a friend, ageless for the aging, O Agni, you are immortal among mortals for us.
{७} तदग्ने चक्षुः प्रति धेहि रेभे शफारुजो येन पश्यसि यातुधानान् । अथर्ववज्ज्योतिषा दैव्येन सत्यं धूर्वन्तमचितं न्योष
O Agni, set that vision in the bellowing, in the split-hoofed, by which you see the fiends. With Atharvan's light, with divine radiance, cast down the false and the unknowing.
परि त्वाग्ने पुरं वयं विप्रं सहस्य धीमहि । धृषद्वर्णं दिवेदिवे हन्तारं भङ्गुरावतः
Around you, Agni, the wise and mighty, we place our protection. Day by day, with steadfast strength, you are the slayer of the breaker, the destroyer.
विषेण भङ्गुरावतः प्रति स्म रक्षसो जहि । अग्ने तिग्मेन शोचिषा तपुरग्राभिरर्चिभिः
With poison for the breaker, strike down the demons. O Agni, with your sharp flame, with your blazing, grasping tongues, burn them.
वि ज्योतिषा बृहता भात्यग्निराविर्विश्वानि कृणुते महित्वा । प्रादेवीर्मायाः सहते दुरेवाः शिशीते शृङ्गे रक्षोभ्यो विनिक्षे
With his vast light, Agni shines forth, making all things manifest in his greatness. He withstands the evil devices of the wicked, and with his horns, he casts down the demons.
ये ते शृङ्गे अजरे जातवेदस्तिग्महेती ब्रह्मसंशिते । ताभ्यां दुर्हार्दमभिदासन्तं किमीदिनम् । प्रत्यञ्चमर्चिषा जातवेदो वि निक्ष्व
Those horns of yours, O Jātavedas, ageless, with sharp weapons, sanctified by prayer—by them, strike down the hostile, the devourer, the fiend who approaches. With your returning flame, O Jātavedas, cast them down.
अग्नी रक्षांसि सेधति शुक्रशोचिरमर्त्यः । शुचिः पावक ईड्यः
Agni drives away the demons, the immortal one with bright flames. Pure, radiant, and worthy of praise.
इन्द्रासोमा तपतं रक्ष उब्जतं न्यर्पयतं वृषणा तमोवृधः । परा शृणीतमचितो न्योषतं हतं नुदेथां नि शिशीतमत्त्रिणः
O Indra and Soma, scorch the demon, drive him away, subdue him, mighty ones who increase the darkness. Hear the false one, cast him down, slay, drive away, and freeze the devourer.
इन्द्रासोमा समघशंसमभ्यघं तपुर्ययस्तु चरुरग्निमामिव । ब्रह्मद्विषे क्रव्यादे घोरचक्षसे द्वेषो धत्तमनवायं किमीदिने
O Indra and Soma, scorch the evil-wisher who comes fiercely, like a wolf to the fire. Place hatred against the hater, the flesh-eater, the one with dreadful eyes, the enemy of prayer, for the powerless fiend.
इन्द्रासोमा दुष्कृतो वव्रे अन्तरनारम्भणे तमसि प्र विध्यतम् । यतो नैषां पुनरेकश्चनोदयत्तद्वामस्तु सहसे मन्युमच्छवः
O Indra and Soma, hurl the evil-doers into the pit, into the darkness without support. Let none of them rise again; may your wrath, full of power, prevail over them.
इन्द्रासोमा वर्तयतं दिवो वधं सं पृथिव्या अघशंसाय तर्हणम् । उत्तक्षतं स्वर्यं१ पर्वतेभ्यो येन रक्षो वावृधानं निजूर्वथः
O Indra and Soma, send down the blow from heaven, and the destruction from earth, against the evil-wisher. Draw forth the sunlit radiance from the mountains, by which you will destroy the swelling demon.
इन्द्रासोमा वर्तयतं दिवस्पर्यग्नितप्तेभिर्युवमश्महन्मभिः । तपुर्वधेभिरजरेभिरत्त्रिणो नि पर्शाने विध्यतं यन्तु निस्वरम्
O Indra and Soma, send down the heavenly blow, with stones heated by Agni. With sharp, ageless weapons, strike down the devourer; let them go, silent, to destruction.
इन्द्रासोमा परि वां भूतु विश्वत इयं मतिः कक्ष्याश्वेव वाजिना । यां वां होत्रां परिहिनोमि मेधयेमा ब्रह्माणि नृपती इव जिन्वतम्
O Indra and Soma, may this prayer of ours encompass you on all sides, like a swift horse in the field. The offering I present to you as priests—may you, like kings, win these prayers for wisdom.
प्रति स्मरेथां तुजयद्भिरेवैर्हतं द्रुहो रक्षसो भङ्गुरावतः । इन्द्रासोमा दुष्कृते मा सुगं भूद्यो मा कदा चिदभिदासति द्रुहुः
Remember, with victorious allies, to slay the deceivers, the demons, the breakers. O Indra and Soma, let not the evil-doer find an easy path; may the foe never assail us.
यो मा पाकेन मनसा चरन्तमभिचष्टे अनृतेभिर्वचोभिः । आप इव काशिना सम्गृभीता असन्न् अस्त्वसतः इन्द्र वक्ता
Whoever, with evil mind, watches me as I move, with false words—may he, like one seized by the rushing waters, be lost among the false, O Indra, and not be the speaker.
ये पाकशंसं विहरन्त एवैर्ये वा भद्रं दूषयन्ति स्वधाभिः । अहये वा तान् प्रददातु सोम आ वा दधातु निर्ऋतेरुपष्ठे
Those who consort with the destroyer of ripeness, or who corrupt what is good with their own offerings—may Soma give them over to the serpent, or place them in the lap of destruction.
यो नो रसं दिप्सति पित्वो अग्ने अश्वानां गवां यस्तनूनाम् । रिपु स्तेन स्तेयकृद्दभ्रमेतु नि ष हीयतां तन्वा तना च
Whoever covets our essence, O Agni, whether of horses, cattle, or our own bodies—let the enemy, the thief, the stealer, wander lost; let him be diminished in his body and his offspring.
{९} परः सो अस्तु तन्वा तना च तिस्रः पृथिवीरधो अस्तु विश्वाः । प्रति शुष्यतु यशो अस्य देवा यो मा दिवा दिप्सति यश्च नक्तम्
Let him be far removed in body and in progeny; let him be cast down to the lowest of the three earths; let all his glory wither, O gods, whoever desires to harm me by day or by night.
सुविज्ञानं चिकितुषे जनाय सच्चासच्च वचसी पस्पृधाते । तस्योर्यत्सत्यं यतरदृजीयस्तदित्सोमोऽवति हन्त्यासत्
Clear discernment is for the one who seeks understanding; truth and falsehood contend in speech. Of these, whatever is true and more righteous, that Soma protects; he strikes down what is false.
न वा उ सोमो वृजिनं हिनोति न क्षत्रियं मिथुया धारयन्तम् । हन्ति रक्षो हन्त्यासद्वदन्तमुभाविन्द्रस्य प्रसितौ शयाते
Soma does not harm the innocent, nor the ruler who upholds justice; he strikes down the demon, he strikes down the liar—both lie defeated under Indra's might.
यदि वाहमनृतदेवो अस्मि मोघं वा देवामप्यूहे अग्ने । किमस्मभ्यं जातवेदो हृणीषे द्रोघवाचस्ते निर्ऋथं सचन्ताम्
If I am a false god, or if I have vainly invoked the gods, O Agni, what do you begrudge us, O Jātavedas? Let those who speak deceitfully join with destruction.
अद्या मुरीय यदि यातुधानो अस्मि यदि वायुस्ततप पुरुषस्य । अधा स वीरैर्दशभिर्वि यूया यो मा मोघं यातुधानेत्याह
Today let me perish, if I am a sorcerer, or if I have harmed a man’s spirit; then let him be separated from his ten heroes, whoever falsely calls me a sorcerer.
यो मायातुं यातुधानेत्याह यो वा रक्षाः शिचिरस्मीत्याह । इन्द्रस्तं हन्तु महता वधेन विश्वस्य जन्तोरधमस्पदीष्ट
Whoever calls me a sorcerer, or claims, 'I am a demon,' may Indra strike him down with a mighty blow, and cast him to the lowest place among all beings.
प्र या जिगाति खर्गलेव नक्तमप द्रुहुस्तन्वं१ गूहमाना । वव्रमनन्तमव सा पदीष्ट ग्रावाणो घ्नन्तु रक्षस उपब्दैः
She who creeps at night like a mongoose, hiding her harmful form—let her fall into a bottomless pit; let the stones crush the demon with their blows.
वि तिष्ठध्वं मरुतो विक्ष्विच्छत गृभायत रक्षसः सं पिनष्टन् । वयो ये भूत्वा पतयन्ति नक्तभिर्ये वा रिपो दधिरे देवे अध्वरे
Stand forth, O Maruts, scatter the demons, seize and crush them; those who become birds and fly by night, or those enemies who have taken their place among the gods at the sacrifice.
प्र वर्तय दिवोऽश्मानमिन्द्र सोमशितं मघवन्त्सं शिशाधि । प्राक्तो अपाक्तो अधरादुदक्तोऽभि जहि रक्षसः पर्वतेन
Roll down the stone from heaven, O Indra, O Soma-drinker, O generous one, press it down; from east, from west, from below, from above—strike the demons with the mountain.
एत उ त्ये पतयन्ति श्वयातव इन्द्रं दिप्सन्ति दिप्सवोऽदाभ्यम् । शिशीते शक्रः पिशुनेभ्यो वधं नुनं सृजदशनिं यातुमद्भ्यः
These, the flesh-eaters, fly about, seeking to harm Indra, eager to attack the innocent; now, O Shakra, unleash the weapon against the slanderers, let the thunderbolt fall upon the sorcerers.
{१०} इन्द्रो यातूनामभवत्पराशरो हविर्मथीनामभ्याविवासताम् । अभीदु शक्रः परशुर्यथा वनं पात्रेव भिन्दन्त्सत एतु रक्षसः
Indra became the destroyer of sorcerers, the expeller of those who steal the offering; Shakra, like an axe in the forest, let him come, breaking them as a vessel, against the demons.
उलूकयातुं शुशुलूकयातुं जहि श्वयातुमुत कोकयातुम् । सुपर्णयातुमुत गृध्रयातुं दृषदेव प्र मृण रक्ष इन्द्र
Strike down the owl-demon, the screech-owl demon, the flesh-eater, and the cuckoo-demon; the eagle-demon and the vulture-demon—O Indra, crush the demon as with a stone.