The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface
• Introduction
• Errata
• Vedic Hymns
• Agnİ
• Savitṛ́
• MarÚtas
• VİṢṆu
• Dyá̄vĀ-pṚthiví̄
• Índra
• RudrÁ
• Apá̄Ṃ NÁpĀt
• MitrÁ
• Bṛ́haspÁti
• UṢÁs
• AgnÍ
• ParjÁnya
• PŪṢÁn
• Á̄pas
• Mitrá̄-vÁruṆĀ
• Sú̄rya
• AŚvÍnĀ
• VÁruṆa
• MaṆḌŪkĀs
• VÍŚve Devá̄Ḥ
• SÓma
• Funeral Hymn
• PitÁras
• Hymn of the Gambler
• PÚruṢa
• Rá̄trĪ
• Hymn of Creation
• YamÁ
• Vá̄ta
• Vocabulary
• Abbreviations

AGNÍ

See Introduction to i. 1 on the nature of Agni.

v. 11. Metre: Jagatī.

See Page Number 100, Hymn Number 1 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 1

  Jánasya gopá̄ ajaniṣṭa já̄gṛvir
• Agníḥ sudákṣaḥ suvitá̄ya návyase.
• ghṛtápratīko bṛhatá̄ divispṛ́śā
• dyumád ví bhāti bharatébhiaḥ śúciḥ.

Guardian of the people, watchful, most skilful, Agni has been born for renewed welfare. Butter-faced, bright, he shines forth brilliantly for the Bharatas with lofty, heaven-touching (flame).

gopá̄s: 97, 2. ajaniṣṭa: iṣ ao. of jan generate. su-dákṣas: a Bv. (p. 455 c α). suvitá̄ya: final dat. (p. 314, B 2). návyase: dat. of cpv. of náva new. ghṛtá-pratīkas: cp. yásya prátīkam á̄hutaṃ ghṛténa whose face is sprinkled with butter (vii. 8, 1) as an analysis of the cd. bṛhatá̄: supply téjasā. bharatébhyas: for the benefit of (p. 314, 1) the Bharatas, the tribe to which the seer belongs.

See Page Number 100, Hymn Number 2 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 2

  yajñásya ketúṃ, prathamáṃ puróhitam,
• Agníṃ náras, triṣadhasthé sám īdhire.
• Índreṇa deváiḥ saráthaṃ sá barhíṣi
• sí̄dan ní hótā yajáthāya sukrátuḥ.

As banner of sacrifice, as first domestic priest, men have kindled Agni in the threefold abode. (Coming) on the same car with Indraand the gods may that most wise Invoker sit down on the sacrificial grass for sacrifice.

ketúm: in apposition to Agním, in allusion to the smoke of sacrifice; cp. viii. 44, 10, hótāram . . . dhūmáketum . . . yajñá̄nām ketúm the Invoker, the smoke-bannered banner of sacrifices; cp. 3 d. prathamám: first-appointed in order of time. puróhitam: see i. 1, 1. náras: N. pl. of nṛ́ (p. 91). tri-ṣadhasthé: on the three sacrificial altars; Sandhi 67 b. sám īdhire: pf. of idh kindle; have kindled and still kindle (cp. p. 342 a). sarátham: adv. governing Índreṇa and deváis (cp. p. 309, 2). sí̄dan ní: the ipf. expresses that he sat down in the past when he became Purohita; the prp. as often follows the verb (p. 468, 20). yajáthāya: final dat. (p. 314, B 2).

See Page Number 101, Hymn Number 3 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 3

  ásaṃmṛṣṭo jāyase māt^aróḥ śúcir.
• mandráḥ kavír úd atíṣṭho Vivásvataḥ.
• ghṛténa tvāvardhayann, Agna āhuta,
• dhūmás te ketúr abhavad diví śritáḥ.

Uncleansed thou art born bright from thy two parents. Thou didst arise as the gladdening sage of Vivasvant. With butter they strengthened thee, O Agni, in whom the offering is poured. Smoke became thy banner that reached to the sky.

ásaṃ-mṛṣṭas: pp. of mṛj wipe, opposed to śúcis, though uncleansed, yet bright. mātrós: abl. du.: the two fire-sticks, from which Agni is produced by friction. úd atiṣṭhas: 3. s. ipf. of sthā stand. Vivásvatas: gen. dependent on kavís; the sage (a common designation of Agni) of Vivasvant, the first sacrificer. tvā: the caesura, which should follow this word (p. 442, 6), is here only apparently neglected because the following augment may be treated as dropped. avardhayan: that is, made the fire burn up with the ghee poured into it; explained by ā-huta. dhūmás, &c.: affords an analysis of Agni’s epithet dhūmáketu (cp. note on 2 a). diví: loc. of the goal (p. 325 b). Note the use of the imperfects as referring to past events (p. 345, B).

See Page Number 102, Hymn Number 4 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 4

  Agnír no yajñám úpa vetu sādhuyá̄.
• Agníṃ náro ví bharante gṛhégṛhe.
• Agnír dūtó abhavad dhavyavá̄hano.
• Agníṃ vṛṇāná̄ vṛṇate kavíkratum.

Let Agni come straightway to our sacrifice. Men carry Agni hither and thither in every house. Agni became the messenger, the carrier of oblations. In choosing Agni they choose one who has the wisdom of a seer.

vetu: 3. s. ipv. of vī. bharante: see note on bhṛ, ii. 33, 10 a. gṛhé-gṛhe: 189 C a. dūtás: Agni is characteristically a messenger as an intermediary between heaven and earth. dhavyavá̄hanas: Sandhi, 54. vṛṇāná̄s: pr. pt. A. of 2. vṛ, choosing Agni as their priest. vṛṇate: 3. pl. pr. Ā of 2 vṛ.

See Page Number 102, Hymn Number 5 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 5

  túbhyedám, Agne, mádhumattamaṃ vácas,
• túbhyaṃ manīṣá̄ iyám astu śáṃ hṛdé.
• tuá̄ṃ gíraḥ, síndhum ivāvánīr mahí̄r,
• á̄ pṛṇantiśávasā, vardháyanti ca.

For thee, O Agni, let this most honied speech, for thee this prayer be a comfort to thy heart. The songs fill thee, as the great rivers the Indus, with power, and strengthen thee.

túbhya: this form of the dat. of tvám occurs about a dozen times in the Saṃhitā text beside the much commoner túbhyam (as in b); it occurs only before vowels with which it is always contracted, having only once (v. 30, 6) to be read with hiatus. manīṣá̄ iyám: in this and two other passages of the RV. the ā of manīṣá̄ is not contracted in the Saṃhitā text, because it precedes the caesura. śám: in apposition, as a delight or comfort. síndhum iva: this simile occurs elsewhere also; thus Índram ukthá̄ni vāvṛdhuḥ, samudrám iva síndhavaḥ the hymns strengthen Indra as the rivers the sea. á̄ pṛṇanti: from pṝ fill. śávasā: because hymns, like oblations, are thought to give the gods strength. vardháyanti: cs. of vṛdh grow; accent, p. 466, 19 a.

See Page Number 103, Hymn Number 6 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 6

  tuá̄m, Agne, Áṅgiraso gúhā hitám
• ánv avinda n̄ chiśriyāṇáṃ vánevane.
• sá jāyase mathyámānaḥ sáho mahát:
• tuá̄m āhuḥ sáhasas putrám, Aṅgiraḥ.

Thee, O Agni, the Aṅgirases discovered hidden, abiding in every wood. Thus thou art born, when rubbed with mighty strength: they call thee the son of strength, O Aṅgiras.

Áṅgirasas: an ancient priestly family (cp. x. 14, 3-6), Agni being regarded as their chief (cp. d and i. 1, 6). They are said to have designed the first ordinances of sacrifice (x. 67, 2). gúhā hitám placed (pp. of dhā) in hiding, concealed, explained by śiśriyāṇáṃ váne; having betaken himself (pf. pt. of śri) to, resting in, all wood. ánv avindan: they found him out as a means of sacrifice; Sandhi, 40. váne-vane: 189 C a. sá: as such = as found in wood (cp. p. 294 b). mathyámānas: pr. pt. ps. of math stir, being produced by the friction of the kindling sticks. sáho mahát: cognate acc. = with mighty strength (cp. sáhasā yó mathitó jāyate nṛ́bhiḥ he who when rubbed by men with strength is born, vi. 48, 5); this being an explanation of why he is called sáhasas putrám son of strength: this, or sáhasaḥ sūnúḥ, is a frequent epithet of Agni; Sandhi, 43, 2 a. Aṅgiras: see note on a.