O Agni! Secret fire! Thou art hidden within all things, dwelling in the depths where no eye can perceive thee. In the wood thou sleepest. In the stone thou liest dormant. In the waters thou art imprisoned, yet alive.

What force brought thee into being? Did the gods kindle thee before the dawn of the world? Or art thou self-born, emerging from thyself alone, the source that needeth no source? O mysterious flame, thy origin passeth all understanding.

Thou art in the sun that journeyeth across the sky. Thou art in the lightning that teareth the cloud. Thou art in the glow that riseth in the cheeks of maidens, in the fierce heat of battle, in the passion of love. All warmth, all energy, all transformation is thy doing.

The animals know thee—they gather about thy flame for warmth. The plants seek thee—their growth is thy gift. The waters contain thee—though they would quench thy visible form, thy essence escapeth and travelleth onward. There is no substance that doth not harbour thy spark.

Yet thou art most fully thyself when thou art kindled, when the wood crackles and thy true nature is revealed in all its glory. Then all creatures tremble and bow before thee. The night flees from thy approach. The cold is vanquished. Thou art triumphant.

O Agni, guide of all existence! We perceive thy hand in the ripening of grain, in the birth of calves, in the healing of wounds. Thou art the power that dwelleth in the seed, that maketh all things grow, that reneweth what is decayed.

Dwell within us! Let thy fire burn away our ignorance, our weakness, our despair. Make us strong as the wood is strong when fully aflame. Let thy secret presence remind us always that divinity dwelleth hidden in all things, even in ourselves.