Amidst all the sacred offerings, a radiant sign stands as the visible banner of sacrifice, brought forth by the Creator Himself. This sign, Agni, is honored as the path to noble wealth and the abundant, universal gifts that flow from the divine. The very heavens and earth, the flowing waters, Tvashtar the divine artisan, and the noble-born have all brought Agni into being. Following the ancient ways of the ancestors, Agni, bright and shining, is called to blaze forth. As king of sacrificial fire, Agni is kindled with delight—fierce in skill, radiant, and unmistakably present. Wise and brilliant, he is the white one, praised by all. When the dark night, by her own form, gives birth to dawn—the young woman, daughter of the great father—she lifts the radiance of the sun upward. Thus, delight shines forth, bringing the treasures of heaven into view. Fortune joins with fortune as the blessed one arrives; the lover approaches his sister from behind, a mysterious union. Agni stands revealed, marked by clear signs and adorned in heavenly colors, taking his place in beauty. His movements, like those of the mighty, are never hidden. Agni’s auspicious companions are kindled around him; the noble, the strong, the praised—his breaths shine out, moving through the night with varied brilliance. His breaths, like those of the resounding and the radiant, flow outward—great and shining. With the eldest, the strongest, the most playful and abundant rays, he fills the world without ever harming the sky. Agni’s powers are visible, never concealed, as he strives with his resounding helpers. Alongside the ancient and shining ones, the most divine, he rejoices, and delight shines forth, spreading far and wide. Agni will carry us and sit among us, delight of heaven and earth, ever youthful. Well-born Agni, with swift and noble steeds, let the swift ones come to us. To you, Agni, I offer my thoughts and praises, that you may be worthy of our offerings. Like water in the desert, you are the source for the worshipper, the ancient king. People seek you, Agni, as cows seek warmth in the enclosure. Youngest among the gods, you are the messenger between gods and mortals, moving among the great lights. Like a child, you are nurtured; the mother carries you, seeking companionship. Eager and striving, you travel the river’s course, released like a beast. We are not ignorant, but wise; we know your greatness, Agni. You lie within the enclosure, move with your tongue, and the lord of the house approaches the young woman. Born anew in every dwelling, you stand in the woods, your grey smoke rising like a banner. Unsatiated like a bull, you move forth, led by the wise, by mortals. Hidden in the woods like a body-thief, bound by ten straps, you, Agni, have your newest thought: harness your shining chariot. To you we offer prayer and reverence, knower of all births; may our song always nourish you. Protect our children and offspring, Agni—protect us, our bodies, without ceasing. Agni is the single ocean, the foundation of riches, beholding all from the heart, born in many ways. He stirs the udder of the twin mothers, and in the lap of the source, the bird’s path is set. The bulls, alike in form, join with the mares; poets guard the path of truth, holding the distant names in secret. Truth and magic unite, giving birth to the child and nurturing him. Moving at the navel of all, the steadfast poets weave the sacred thread with their minds. For the paths of truth, the well-born offerings unite, drawing strength from heaven; the two worlds are adorned and nourished with clarified butter and honeyed foods. The wise one, desiring to be seen, releases the seven sisters—the rushing rivers of honey. Seeking, he finds the ancient enclosure hidden in the midst of space, the secret place of Pūṣan. The poets have fashioned seven boundaries, one set apart and difficult to cross. The pillar of iron stands deep in the foundation, spanning the wide expanse of the paths. In the highest heaven, in the womb of Aditi at the birth of Dakṣa, both the existent and the non-existent were present. For us, Agni is the first-born of the cosmic order, the ancient bull and the cow. This is Agni, in whose shelter, with new praises, the singer grows strong. Surrounded by the greatest lights of the seers, he moves about, shining brightly. He shines forth with his rays, ever true with the gods, tirelessly spreading friendship among friends, swift as a racer among horses. Agni rules over all divine aid, over all life at the dawn. In him, offerings are placed with thoughtful mind; he is the most excellent charioteer, upholding all with his powers. Strengthened by hymns and rejoicing in songs, he swiftly approaches the gods, eager for the offering. Gentle Hotṛ, most worthy of sacrifice, Agni mingles with the gods and tastes the offerings. Honor Agni with words and reverence, like Indra, ever victorious. The wise praise him with their thoughts, the knower of all births, the strong one who receives the offering. In Agni, all treasures gather, as horses with seven reins in a contest. Grant us, Agni, the most Indra-like and Vāta-like aids; bring them near to us. By your greatness, Agni, you became the offering as soon as you were born. The gods followed your sign, and the first mothers increased you. Grant us well-being, Agni, from heaven and earth; bestow all life for the sacrifice. May we unite with your wondrous insights—make us spacious with your wide blessings. These thoughts, born for you, praise you with the promise of cattle and horses. When a mortal partakes of your enjoyment, supporting you with thoughts, O well-born one, he is blessed. I look to Agni as father, as mother, as brother, as constant friend. I worship the face of Agni, the great, the bright, the adorable, shining like the sun in heaven. May our thoughts be successful, Agni, protector and eternal Hotṛ, who guards the house. True to the order, with red horses, much-praised, may he bring us good fortune with shining days. Like a friend set in shining days, the ancient officiant, spouse of the sacrifice, Agni was generated by the priests and seated as Hotṛ among the clans. Offer the sacrifice yourself, Agni, god among gods in heaven; what can the unwise cooking do for you? Sacrifice to the gods at the proper seasons, O well-born one; thus, offer yourself. Be our protector, Agni, our guardian—make us youthful and grant us long life. Bestow upon us your generous gifts; protect us, and let not our bodies fail. With great radiance, Agni advances—the bull roaring between heaven and earth. Even at the ends of heaven, the mighty one, the buffalo, grows in the lap of the waters. The embryo, the bull, rejoices, bearing a hump; the shining calf, full of strength, bellows. He raises up the divine powers, prevailing first in his own abodes. He who seized the head of his parents, the mighty one, was established in the sacrifice. The red mares with horse-yoked chariots delighted in his descent, in the womb of truth, in their own bodies. Thus, Agni, the ever-youthful, the radiant, the messenger, and the foundation of sacrifice, is celebrated—born of heaven and earth, honored by gods and mortals, and invoked to protect, nourish, and bless all who seek the path of truth and light.