Ṛgveda · Sūkta 8.84

8.84.1

प्रेष्ठं॑ वो॒ अति॑थिं स्तु॒षे मि॒त्रमि॑व प्रि॒यम् ।
अ॒ग्निं रथं॒ न वेद्य॑म् ॥

I praise the most beloved guest of you all, Agni, dear as a friend, to be invoked like a chariot.

क॒विमि॑व॒ प्रचे॑तसं॒ यं दे॒वासो॒ अध॑ द्वि॒ता ।
नि मर्त्ये॑ष्वाद॒धुः ॥

Whom the gods twice set down among mortals, like a wise seer, made far-seeing.

त्वं य॑विष्ठ दा॒शुषो॒ नॄँः पा॑हि शृणु॒धी गिरः॑ ।
रक्षा॑ तो॒कमु॒त त्मना॑ ॥

You, youngest one, protect the giving men; hear my praises; and by your own strength protect the child too.

कया॑ ते अग्ने अङ्गिर॒ ऊर्जो॑ नपा॒दुप॑स्तुतिम् ।
वरा॑य देव म॒न्यवे॑ ॥

O Agni, O Aṅgiras, son of strength! With what shall I praise you, for favor and for wrath, O god?

दाशे॑म॒ कस्य॒ मन॑सा य॒ज्ञस्य॑ सहसो यहो ।
कदु॑ वोच इ॒दं नमः॑ ॥

With whose mind shall we serve you with sacrifice? O mighty one, when shall I speak this homage?

अधा॒ त्वं हि न॒स्करो॒ विश्वा॑ अ॒स्मभ्यं॑ सुक्षि॒तीः ।
वाज॑द्रविणसो॒ गिरः॑ ॥

Then you, indeed, make for us all good dwellings; O rich in food and wealth, make our songs prosper.

कस्य॑ नू॒नं परी॑णसो॒ धियो॑ जिन्वसि दम्पते ।
गोषा॑ता॒ यस्य॑ ते॒ गिरः॑ ॥

O lord of the house, for whom now do you stir up the thoughts of the wise? Whose hymns reach you in the cow-stall?

तं म॑र्जयन्त सु॒क्रतुं॑ पुरो॒यावा॑नमा॒जिषु॑ ।
स्वेषु॒ क्षये॑षु वा॒जिन॑म् ॥

They purify him, the one of good purpose, who goes before in battles and contests, strong in his own dwellings.

क्षेति॒ क्षेमे॑भिः सा॒धुभि॒र्नकि॒र्यं घ्नन्ति॒ हन्ति॒ यः ।
अग्ने॑ सु॒वीर॑ एधते ॥

He whom the slayers do not slay dwells with comforts and good means; O Agni, he who has brave sons prospers.