In the sacred gatherings of the people, Agni, the wise Jātavedas, is seen seated as the charioteer of gifts. By his own will, he has become the lord of boons, openly and secretly distributing riches to those who worship him. He is invoked to protect his devotees: whoever seeks to harm them, whether openly or as a false friend, is scorched and burned by Agni’s unfailing, fierce power—his strong bulls, his blazing flames. Those who please Agni with sacrifice, with kindling, with hymns—those who honor him, the son of strength—shine forth among mortals, immortal in wisdom, radiant with wealth, glory, and renown. Agni is called upon to use his mighty powers to repel foes; whatever he desires with his heavenly flames and words, he is invited to accept, and to delight in the hymn offered to him. Through Agni’s help, the worshippers seek to attain their deepest desires: abundant wealth, strong offspring, vigor, and undiminishing glory that never fades. Approaching Agni with new praise, the sacrificer seeks his favor and protection, calling upon the shining, black-backed, white divine Hotar who splits the wood and comes to the ritual. Agni stands bright and thundering in the shining realm, youngest among the ageless, resounding ones. He is the purest and most excellent, following many vast things, bearing them. His flames, driven everywhere by the wind, move brightly—pure in the pure—fiercely conquering the woods, breaking them with force. His radiant, swift horses spread over the earth, and his shining wheel moves along the ridge of the cloud. Agni’s tongue darts forth, destroying, releasing consuming flame among the cattle. Like a hero’s advance, his power devours the forests, hard to restrain. With his radiance, Agni stretches over the earthly realms and old things, wielding the force of his mighty, sharp weapon. He is called upon to repel fears and subdue adversaries, one after another. This wondrous one, Agni, makes wonders and grants wondrous fortune and dominion, most wondrous in vigor. He is asked to grant shining wealth, abundant with heroes, great and splendid, worthy of praise in shining songs. Agni is the head of heaven and the unassailable of earth, the universal, born from truth. He is the sage, the sovereign, the guest of the peoples, brought near by the gods as the vessel at hand. He is the navel of sacrifices, the seat of riches, the great, the mighty—towards him all press on. The gods generated Agni Vaiśvānara, the charioteer of the rites and the sign of sacrifice. From Agni, the inspired and vigorous are born; from him, heroes emerge who conquer foes. Vaiśvānara is asked to place desirable treasures among the people, treasures worthy of longing. All the gods approach Agni, the immortal, as he is born, like a child. By his powers, he attains immortality, shining forth from his two parents. Agni’s great laws, Vaiśvānara’s laws, are never overcome. When born, he found the sign among the paths of his parents, in the places of fire. With Vaiśvānara’s vision, the summits of heaven are marked by the sign of the immortal. Upon his head, all the worlds have grown, like birds, the seven streams. Wise Vaiśvānara has measured out the regions, the shining realms of heaven, spreading out all the worlds. He is the unassailable guardian, protector of immortality. Now, the strength of the spotted, mighty, red one—Agni, knower of all births—is proclaimed in the gatherings. For Vaiśvānara, pure thoughts flow, lovely as purified Soma. Born in the highest heaven, Agni observes vows and protects the laws. Vaiśvānara, of wise counsel, measures the midspace and touches the summit with his greatness. Mitra, the wondrous one, propped apart heaven and earth and made light within by his radiance. Like skins, Vaiśvānara rolled up the coverings and took up all the strength. Upon the lap of the waters, the mighty ones seized the king of the people and stood near the hymn-bearer. Mātariśvan, the messenger, brought Agni, Vaiśvānara, from afar for Vivasvat. In every age, Agni is asked to grant wealth and new glory to those who praise him. Like a purifier, unblemished and ageless, he is called to cut down hostile ones by his power, as a woodcutter fells trees. Agni is asked to sustain undiminished dominion and unfailing heroism among the generous, and to help conquer the abundant, thousand-fold prize. With flawless guardians, Agni is called to protect wealth, seated at the threefold altar. He is asked to guard against the hostile and drive away their force, surpassing them, praised one. Day and night, black and bright, revolve in their known paths. Vaiśvānara, Agni, born like a king, surpasses darkness with his light. Yet, there is mystery: the thread and weaving of existence are unknown to the singer, as are the words spoken by the son, the father, and those beyond. But Agni knows the thread, the weaving, and speaks rightly. The guardian of immortality moves freely, seeing differently from others. He is the first Hotar, perceiving immortal light among mortals, born and firmly established, growing with his own body. The steadfast light is placed for sight; the mind, swiftest, flies within. All the gods, united in purpose and understanding, go toward one noble resolve. The singer’s ears fly apart, eyes see, the light is set in the heart, and the mind wanders—what to say, what to ponder? All the gods, fearing, bow to Agni, standing in darkness. Vaiśvānara, the immortal, is called to protect the people. The delightful, heavenly, well-praised Agni is brought forth in sacrifice and ritual, with hymns, for he is the discerner, Jātavedas, who makes the rites proper. The radiant, foremost Hotar, Agni, kindled by men, is praised; hymns flow to him as affection, pure as clarified butter. He prospers in fame among mortals who give to Agni, the wise, with hymns. With splendid aids and brilliant radiance, he attains the prize of cattle-rich abundance. Born, he fills wide spaces, seen from afar with his brightness along the dark path. With much thought, the pure one is seen across the wave with his flame. Agni is asked to grant wondrous wealth with many aids, bestow riches upon the generous, and let those who surpass others with gifts, fame, and heroic strength be among the people. He is called to place auspicious sacrifice, offer oblation, establish praise among the Bharadvājas, and aid in attaining wealth. Finally, Agni is invoked to drive away hatreds and increase prosperity, so that the people may rejoice, possessing a hundredfold heroic strength. Thus, Agni, the radiant, wise, and immortal, is honored as the guardian, the giver of wealth, the protector, and the light that shines through all realms and ages.