Agni, thou art the radiant destroyer of all darkness! When the night descendeth black and terrible upon the earth, thou alone dost stand unafraid, burning with the light of a thousand suns. The shadows flee before thee; the spirits of malice dare not approach thy glowing altar. In thee burneth the courage of heaven itself.

Thy light pierceth the thickest gloom. Thy flame riseth above the mountains, visible from great distances, a beacon of hope and safety. Those who are lost seek thee out. Those who are afraid gather near thy warmth. Thou art the dispeller of nightmares, the slayer of phantom-terrors, the guardian against all things that prowl in darkness.

The rākṣasas tremble at thy coming! The demons shriek and scatter like frightened birds! The spirits of the dead flee back to their shadowy realms! Thou art the weapon with which the gods themselves smote down the forces of chaos. Thy power is not of the mortal world — it is the very essence of cosmic order made manifest in flame.

When the storm-clouds gather and the thunder speaketh, thou art there, wrestling with the darkness, refusing to be extinguished. The rain doth not quench thee; the wind doth not scatter thy flame. Thou burnest ever brighter, ever more fierce, until the darkness taketh flight and the stars emerge once more in the clearing sky.

O Agni, be our protector! Stand eternal at the threshold of our homes! Let no shadow approach us unheeded! Let no evil find harbor where thy light falleth! Burn away our sins as thou burnest away the darkness! Through thy radiance, let us walk without fear. Through thy flame, let us know ourselves to be blessed and guarded by the gods.