Hymns to the Mystic Fire

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RV I.1

Rigveda.
Mandala I, Hymns of Madhuchchhandá Vaisvámitra.

I Hymn to Agni

1) Agni I adore, the priest who stands forward for the sacrifice, the god who acts in the truth of things, the giver of the oblation who disposes utterly delight.

2) Agni adored by the ancient seers is adorable still to the new, for he brings here the gods.

3) By Agni one gets day by day energy & increase victorious and full of force.

4) O Agni, whatsoever material sacrifice thou encompassest with thy being on every side, that goes to the gods.

5) Agni, he that offers the oblation, whose strength is in wisdom, the true, the rich in various inspiration, comes a god with the gods.

6) That thou, O Agni, wilt surely bring about good for the giver, that is the truth of thee, O lord of love.

7) To thee, O Agni, day by day, in darkness and in light we come in our minds bearing our submission,—

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8) To thee, who rulest over all below, guardian of immortality, a brilliance increasing in its home.

9) Therefore do thou be easy of approach to us as a father to his child, cleave to us for our weal.

ऋत्विजं — ऋतु = law, truth, fixed arrangement, season.

रयिः — motion; so energy, matter, wealth. Cf Prasna Upanishad.

पोष — more probably noun than adjective.

वीर — in the Veda means 1) a hero. 2) force, strength. 3) manifest, vigorous, in full force, ví to open.

यज्ञमध्वरं — a passage conclusive showing that adhwara does not mean sacrifice except by transition from an earlier meaning.

कवि — one of the passages which show that कवि like ऋषि, सूर etc, is used of knowledge as well as of the knower. Another possible meaning would be "who is the strength of the seer or the strength of Wisdom".

चित्रश्रवस्तम — श्रवः = inspired knowledge, the result of the vijnanamaya process of sruti; coming with कवि & सत्य it cannot mean fame.

गोपामृतस्य — Cf राजानो अमृतस्य in a hymn of Kakshivan Dairghatamasa.

सचस्व — सच् means 1) to cling. 2) to be strong.