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HYMN CXLII. Agni.

1. WITH thee, O Agni, was this singer of the laud: he hath no other kinship, O thou Son of Strength.
Thou givest blessed shelter with a triple guard. Keep the destructive lightning far away from us.
2 Thy birth who seekest food is in the falling flood, Agni: as Comrade thou winnest all living things.
Our coursers and our songs shall be victorious: they of themselves advance like one who guards the herd.
3 And thou, O Agni, thou of Godlike nature, sparest the stones, while caring up the brushwood.
Then are thy tracks like deserts in the corn-lands. Let us not stir to wrath thy mighty arrow.
4 O'er hills through vales devouring as thou goest, thou partest like an army fain for booty
As when a barber shaves a beard, thou shavest earth when the wind blows on thy flame and fans it.
5 Apparent are his lines as he approaches the course is single, but the cars are many,
When, Agni, thou, making thine arms resplendent, advancest o'er the land spread out beneath thee.
6 Now let thy strength, thy burning flames fly upward, thine energies, O Agni, as thou toilest.
Gape widely, bend thee, waxing in thy vigour: let all the Vasus sit this day beside thee.
7 This is the waters' reservoir, the great abode of gathered streams.
Take thou another path than this, and as thou listest walk thereon.
8 On thy way hitherward and hence let flowery Durva grass spring up
Let there be lakes with lotus blooms. These are the mansions of the flood.

Next: HYMN CXLIII. Asvins.