1a Put forth thy strength like a spreading net;     Come like a mighty king with thy retainers;     Hurling thy swift net thou shootest arrows;     Pierce the Raksases with thy keenest (darts).     b Swiftly thy whirling flames descend;     bring upward Follow them, glowing in thy fury;     Thy heat, O Agni, thy winged (flames) with thy tongue,     Unfettered, on all sides spread thy firebrands.     c Send forth thy spies, swiftest in thy motion;     Be an unfailing guardian to this folk,     From him who afar plans evil [1], from him who near;     O Agni let no trouble from thee overwhelm us.     d Arise, O Agni; spread thyself out;     Burn up our foes, O thou of keen dart;     Him who hath wrought evil for us, O blazing one,     Do thou consume utterly like dry stubble.     e Arise; drive from us (our foes);     Reveal thy heavenly strength, O Agni,     Slacken the strung (weapon) of the demon-driven;     Crush our foes, kin or not kin.     f He knows thy [2] loving kindliness, O most youthful one,     Who hath given furtherance to this devotion;     All happy days for him, glory, and wealth     --Opening the doors of the miser--he hath revealed.'     g Let him, O Agni, be fortunate and munificent,     Who with constant oblation, who with praise,     Seeks to delight thee in his life in his house;     May all days be happy for him; be that the will.     h I praise thy loving kindness; loud sounding (thou singest) a reply;     Let this song of mine, beloved of thee, sing with thee [3]     With good steeds and fair chariots may we adorn thee;     Maintain for us the lordly power as the days go by.     i Here let each serve thee readily,     That shinest in the darkness, as the days go by;     Happy and joyous may we attend thee     That dost surpass the glories of men.'     k He who with good steeds and rich in gold     Approacheth thee, O Agni, with a rich chariot,     His protector thou art, the comrade of him     Who duly offereth thee glad reception.     l The great I overcome [4] through kinship and my songs;     That hath descended to me from Gotama, my sire;     Pay heed to this song of ours,     O Hotr, most youthful, skilful, friend of the house.     m Sleepless, speedy, propitious,     Unwearied, never hostile, unexhausted,     May thy guardians, O Agni, taking their places here united,     Protect us, O wise one.     n In Thy guardians, O Agni, who seeing,     Guarded from ill the blind Mamateya,     He of all wisdom guarded these kindly ones;     The foes that were fain to deceive could not [5] deceive.     o In unison with thee, aided by thee,     Under thy leadership, let us gain strength;     Fulfil both our desires, O truthful one;     Perform it forthwith, O fearless one.     p With this fuel, O Agni, will we serve thee;     Accept the song of praise recited for thee;     Burn those that revile, the Raksases; guard us,     From the foe, the reviler, O rich in friends, from blame.     I touch the steed that slayeth the Raksases;     I go for shelter to the friend most spreading;     May Agni, enkindled with our offerings, sharpening (his dart)     Guard us by day, [6] from harm and by night.     r With great radiance Agni shineth;     All things doth he reveal by his might;     He overcometh godless and malign enchantments     He sharpeneth his horns to pierce the Raksas.     s Let the roarings of Agni rise to the heaven,     Sharp weapons to slay the Raksas;     In the carouse his radiance bursteth forth     The godless assailers cannot restrain him.