Guard us, O Agni! Guard us through the long night! The darkness hath come, and with it come the terrors that prowl abroad. The creatures of the shadow stir. The spirits of ill-will walk the earth. The thieves and the malefactors make ready to strike. And so we turn to thee, O Fire, keeper of the sacred flame, guardian of home and hearth.

Thou art the bulwark against all evil. Thy light doth banish darkness. Thy heat doth drive back the cold. Where thou burnest bright, no evil spirit can approach. No thief can creep upon us unobserved. No sorcerer can cast his curses. Thy very presence is a shield, thy flame a sword against all wickedness.

Through the night, burn bright, O Agni! Do not allow thy flame to diminish. Do not let the shadows encroach. Watch over us as we sleep. Guard our homes. Guard our cattle. Guard our children. Let no harm come near us. Let no malice find purchase in this place.

We have tended thee well, O Fire. We have given thee fuel and ghee. We have spoken thy praises. We have made our offerings. And so we ask — nay, we demand — thy protection in return. This is the ancient covenant between man and fire. This is the bond that holdeth since days of old.

When dawn breaks and the sun riseth, we shall be grateful. But until that blessed moment comes, stand guard! Keep vigil! Let thy flames dance and leap, that all may know that thou art here, that thou art watching, that thou art mighty and undefeated. And no evil shall pass thy threshold. No darkness shall overcome thy light. We rest secure under thy protection, O Agni, guardian of the faithful!