Agni, thou art the mighty fortress against the rākṣasas — those demons that hunger for human flesh and thirst for the blood of the righteous! When they swarm about our dwellings seeking to devour us, thou ridest forth in thy chariot of flame and scatterest them like autumn leaves before the gale.

These creatures of terror, these shape-shifters and night-prowlers, know well thy power. They have felt thy burning tongue lashing against their very essence. Many times hath thou driven them back into the void from whence they came. Many times hath thy roar made them cower and whimper like beaten dogs.

Yet thou dost more than merely defend us. Thou trainest us in the ways of strength. Through thee, we learn to face our fears. Through thy example of undaunted courage, we too become warriors. The man who tends thy fire with devotion doth partake of thy own fearlessness. His heart becometh stone; his spirit becometh steel.

The rākṣasas know that where Agni burneth brightly, they cannot hold dominion. They know that the devoted man, standing at thy altar with pure heart, is protected by a power they cannot overcome. Thus doth thy very existence gall them and drive them mad with fury.

Guard us, O Agni, from these devouring ones! Stand thou eternal at the gate of our homes! Let no rākṣasa creep past thy flame! When we kindle thee, we kindle also the warrior-spirit within ourselves. When we pour ghee upon thy altar, we strengthen the walls that keep the chaos at bay. Through thee, we are safe. Through thee, we are whole.