Awakening at dawn, Agni, the ally of humankind in sacrifice, is drawn forth with reverence and guided by the reins of worship. Moving skillfully through the difficult paths, he, the god, joins in close companionship with mortals, accomplishing their sacred aims. May this knowing Agni lead us to the treasure, to the divine gifts that are his to bestow. By his thought, as fashioned by all the immortals, Heaven and Earth—the true creators—send their blessings like nourishing rain. Agni’s origin is mysterious and profound: he was first born in the dwellings of men, hidden deep within the vastness of the atmosphere, concealed in its womb—footless, headless, unseen—until, at last, the young ones in the bull’s lair revealed him. From this secret place, the first host arose, perceiving the truth in the very womb of reality. There, in the bull’s lair, seven precious, radiant, wondrous, and beloved forms were born for the mighty one, shining forth. In ancient times, our human forefathers, driven by their longing for truth, pressed forward with determination. Breaking through stone barriers, they discovered the rich, milk-yielding treasures hidden within, and in doing so, they called forth the radiant dawns. With clear vision, they shattered the enclosing rock, and others marveled at their feat. Those who had bound the cattle, pursuing their sacred task, uncovered the hidden light and shaped it with their thoughts. Desiring the wealth of cows, they broke open the stronghold, releasing the cattle that circled within, and, with divine speech, they opened the fortress rich in cows. By their discernment, they found the first name of the cow and uncovered the three and seven supreme treasures of the mother. Upon realizing this, the groups hastened together, and the red, glorious forms of the cow became manifest to all. With the coming of the dawn, darkness vanished. The milk shone bright, the sky was illuminated, and the sun’s radiance was set in motion by the divine dawns. The great sun stood in the unyoked space, radiant among mortals, observing both the righteous and the unrighteous. Awake from the beginning and the end, the seers revealed the true paths, bearing the heaven-given treasure from the very start. May all the gods—Mitra and Varuṇa among them—grant truth and righteousness in every dwelling. So I call upon the shining Agni, the priest who bears all offerings and is most worthy of worship. Pure as the milk of a spotless udder, he never fails in sacrifice, like a calf anointed with ghee. Among all those worthy of sacrifice, Agni is the most worshipful, the honored guest of all humankind. May Jātavedas, the knower of all births, graciously choose the gods and bring us happiness. Agni, immortal among mortals and upholder of cosmic order, is established among the gods as the priest, most fit for sacrifice by his greatness and purity. Men kindle him with offerings, honoring his divine presence. Today, O son of strength, you are born among us—born among both gods and men, O Agni. As a messenger, you go forth, yoked with swift, upright, and shining stallions. The red, ghee-anointed horses—swiftest in thought—carry you, Agni, between gods and mortals, harnessed to the red ones, bringing both realms together. Bring Aryaman, Varuṇa, Mitra, Indra, Viṣṇu, the Maruts, and the Aśvins to our rite, O Agni of good horses, good chariots, and generous gifts; bring them here for the well-invoked worshipper. O Agni, our sacrifice is rich in cows, sheep, and horses—a friend to men, unassailable and ever-abundant. This offering, O lord, is full of food, progeny, and long-lasting wealth, broad-based and plentiful. Whoever brings you kindling with devotion, or feeds your flames with fuel, for him, O possessor of wealth, be a guardian; drive away all harm and grant him spaciousness. Whoever brings you even a little food and praises you as a delightful guest, for him, O god, may the gods establish a home; may firm wealth belong to the generous giver. Whoever, at dusk or dawn, praises you or makes you dear with offerings, like a horse returning to its own stable, carry the worshipper safely across all sin, O Agni. Whoever serves you as the immortal, or makes you his friend with offerings, let not his wealth be diminished; may sin and harm pass him by. For those whose sacrifices you, O Agni, have accepted—well-placed by mortals—may their offerings be pleasing, and may the hymns of the wise bring them increase. The wise one gathers thought upon thought, discerning and separating the righteous from the unrighteous among mortals. O god, grant us wealth and lordship; bestow upon us both the finite and the infinite, O mighty one. The faultless poets have instructed the sage, upholding the two difficult paths. Therefore, O Agni, you see these wonders with your own eyes, as a noble one perceives all things. You, Agni, are the best guide for the worshipper, for the one who has pressed Soma, O youngest one. Bring wide and shining aid to the eager and diligent, O protector of people. Thus, whatever we have done for you, Agni—with our feet, hands, and bodies—like those who mount a chariot and swiftly avoid obstacles, we strive to reach the right path. May we, seven inspired ones, be born as the first men of wisdom, O child of dawn. May we become Angirases, sons of heaven, shining forth and breaking the wealthy mountain. As our ancient fathers did, O Agni, striving for truth—making their light pure, chanting hymns, breaking through the dark earth, and driving away the dusky ones—so may we act. Those of good deeds, shining and godly, performed their rites as the gods did at their birth. Pure, they strengthened Agni and Indra, seeking the wide wealth of cattle, and gathered together in unity. Like cattle in a herd, the strong one has proclaimed the generations of the gods, when their births were mighty. Even among mortals, the wide-ruling one has shown favor, and the noble one has increased for both the higher and the lower. We confess that we have not yet performed your works, O self-luminous one; but we have entered the truth, the shining dawns. The pure Agni, ever new, of many forms, is the lovely eye of the god who delights in hymns. These praises, O Agni, wise one, we have spoken to you, the sage; accept them. Shine forth, make us prosperous, and grant us great wealth, O bestower of many gifts. Come now to Rudra, king of the rite, the true-offering priest of both worlds. Make Agni, the ancient, golden-formed, the helper of the thunderer, your aid. This is the seat we have prepared for you, as a wife, adorned, prepares for her husband. Draw near, surrounded by worship, and sit down; may your benevolent, approving thoughts turn toward us. To the attentive and unsated one, I offer my hymn, O wise one of kindly will. To the god, the immortal, I proclaim praise, as the stone presses out the sweet drink; I invoke you. You alone, Agni, are our reconciler in these matters; be aware of the truth, knowing it, self-guided. When will your hymns, those of the shared feast, bring friendships to dwell in your house? How, O Agni, shall we speak to Varuṇa, to Heaven, so that we may not offend? How to Mitra, the gracious, to Earth? How to Aryaman, how to Bhaga? How to the mighty Dhishṇyas, to Vāta the swift and auspicious? How to the far-traveling Aśvins? How, O Agni, to Rudra, the slayer of men? How to Pūṣan, the nourisher, and to Rudra the generous? How to Viṣṇu, the wide-striding, for his seed? How, O Agni, to Śarva, the great? How to the immortal host of Maruts, to Sūrya the great, when questioned? To Aditi the mighty, O knower of birth, answer, wise one, for the accomplishment of heaven. Thus, the tale of Agni’s birth, his guidance, and his place among gods and men is sung—ever the priest, the reconciler, the bringer of light and wealth, the guardian of truth, and the bridge between the mortal and the divine.