O Agni! Thou art supreme among the gods, taking many forms and serving many purposes! Who can measure thy greatness? Who can comprehend thy true nature? Thou dost dwell in many places, yet art thou one and indivisible.

In the home thou dwellest as the hearth-fire, warming the family and cooking the food. In the wood thou dwellest hidden, waiting to be awakened. In the altar thou dwellest as the sacrificial flame, bearing our offerings unto the gods. In the sun thou shinest forth as golden light, driving away the darkness and giving life to all growing things. In the waters thou hidest, yet art present. In the hearts of all creatures thou burnest as vital force.

Agni is the intermediary between gods and mortals! When we kindle the sacred fire and pour the soma upon the flames, thou dost carry our prayers and offerings up to the realm of heaven. The smoke riseth up like a ladder joining earth to sky. The fragrance of the burning sacrifice doth please the nostrils of the gods. Through thee, O Agni, we do commune with the divine.

Thou art the purifier! Thou dost burn away the impurities of the world. Thou dost transform base things into sacred things. When a corpse is laid upon thy flames, thou dost free the soul from the body and alloweth it to ascend to the heavens.

O Agni, mighty and multi-form! Accept our humble offerings. Receive our sacrifices with favor. Carry our prayers to the gods above. Give us thy warmth and thy light. Purify our hearts. Cleanse our spirits. Make us worthy to dwell in thy presence. Let thy sacred fire burn eternal within us.