O Agni, thou warrior god! Thy flames are not gentle; thy fire is not weak. When thou art roused to anger, thy fury is terrible to behold. The very earth trembleth before thee; the sky darkeneth with thy smoke.

Thou art the weapon of the gods in their battle against the demons. When Indra marcheth forth to war, thou marchest beside him. Thy flames consume the fortifications of the foe; thy fire burneth the chariots of the enemy. There is no power that can withstand thee when thou dost take up arms.

We invoke thee, O mighty warrior! We call upon thee to be our protector in battle! When we march forth to face our enemies, let thy fire burn within our hearts! Make us brave; make us strong; make us victorious!

Yet we also pray that thou wilt not turn thy terrible power against us. If we offend thee, if we neglect thy worship, if we treat thee with disrespect, thy wrath shall fall upon us like a thunderbolt. We have seen what thy anger can do; we have witnessed the destruction that thy flames can wreak.

Be gracious unto us, O Agni! We do not wish to face thee as an enemy. We wish to have thee as our friend. We wish to stand beside thee in battle, to feel the warmth of thy protection, to know that we are safe beneath the shadow of thy wings.

Grant us victory, O mighty one! Help us to overcome our foes! Burn away their courage; melt their resolve; scatter them like ash before the wind! Let our enemies flee before us in terror and confusion!

Yet even in our victory, let us remember that power must be used justly. Let us not be cruel to those whom we have defeated. Let us not oppress the weak or enslave those who cannot resist. Let us remember that though we have the power to destroy, we also have the ability to show mercy.

O Agni, god of war and god of the hearth! Make us mighty in battle but gentle in peace! Make us victorious but just! Let thy flames burn away our enemies but illuminate the way to peace!